WAMC Low MCAT, Reapplicant

[Ventle]

1. cGPA:3.57 sGPA 3.56
2. MCAT scores. 9/2020 502, 6/2021 503, 03/2023 504, 01/2024 509.
3. State of residence: NY
4. Asian
5. Clinical experience
   • Medical Assistant: Ophthalmology - 3000 hours, ENT(current) - 500 hours
   • Scribe 1000 hours
6. Research: Research Assistant during undergrad- 160 hours
7. Shadowing experience: I shadowed the ophthalmologist I worked with occasionally, not sure how many hours I can put down or if I should put it down in the first place.
8. Non-clinical volunteering:
   • Online tutor volunteer for K-12 students that are struggling in school - 80 hours
   • Food pantry center 30 hours
9. Other extracurricular activities: Teaching assistant during undergrad 50 hours

Reapplicant, I got interviews at KCU, ACOM and RVUCOM.

MD:

1. Albany Medical College
2. Jacobs SOM
3. Albert Einstein
4. SUNY Downstate
5. SUNY Upstate
6. Stony Brook
7. NYU Long Island SOM
8. Pennsylvania State U COM
9. Frank H. Netter
10. Sidney Kimmel
11. George Washington SOM
12. Geisinger SOM
13. Larner COM
14. Wayne SOM
15. EVMS
16. Hackensack SOM
17. Kaiser Permanente SOM
18. Oakland Univ Wm Beaumont SOM

DO:

1. NYITCOM
2. ATSU-KCOM
3. ACOM
4. KCU - COM
5. PCOM
6. RVUCOM
7. DMU COM
8. Touro-NY
9. LECOM

Kinda lost on what schools to add due to my multiple mcat attempts and low volunteer hours.

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[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums. Are you still on all three waitlists?

Tough love time.

How many times have you applied? Where did you apply (once, twice, thrice)?

After 4 MCAT tries, there are some schools that will summarily dismiss your application. I haven't heard of DO schools doing the same so much, especially the newer DO programs (where you apparently got your most recent interviews). Taking the MCAT for another time won't help you now; the average of your scores is pretty set.

Most schools will summarily dismiss your application if they don't see drastic improvement between applications. If you have always had such low community service hours (especially service orientation) and never addressed it, your application can be ruled DOA.

Take a break from applying. Get more clinical experience/shadowing in primary care (it's not apparent from your description). Get hundreds of hours in community service working in food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. Stop tutoring, but get hired in a public school system and work in Tier 1 schools as a sub (at least).

 

[Ventle]

Welcome to the forums. Are you still on all three waitlists?

Tough love time.

How many times have you applied? Where did you apply (once, twice, thrice)?

After 4 MCAT tries, there are some schools that will summarily dismiss your application. I haven't heard of DO schools doing the same so much, especially the newer DO programs (where you apparently got your most recent interviews). Taking the MCAT for another time won't help you now; the average of your scores is pretty set.

Most schools will summarily dismiss your application if they don't see drastic improvement between applications. If you have always had such low community service hours (especially service orientation) and never addressed it, your application can be ruled DOA.

Take a break from applying. Get more clinical experience/shadowing in primary care (it's not apparent from your description). Get hundreds of hours in community service working in food distribution, shelter volunteer, job/tax preparation, transportation services, or housing rehabilitation. Stop tutoring, but get hired in a public school system and work in Tier 1 schools as a sub (at least).

This cycle would be my second time applying. I am no longer on the wait list for the 3 schools.

 

[candbgirl]

This cycle would be my second time applying. I am no longer on the wait list for the 3 schools.

So how have you significantly improved your application for reapplying? Schools will expect significant improvement. Have you improved your nonclinical volunteering. Tutoring isn’t nonclinical volunteering. It’s noted under teaching I think. You need some primary care shadowing. Not a lot but maybe 20 hours.(You only need 50 hours total.)
Stop taking the MCAT. You have taken it 4 times. Many schools average multiple scores. Your average is set.
Hold off on reapplying until you build a better application.

 

[Ventle]

So how have you significantly improved your application for reapplying? Schools will expect significant improvement. Have you improved your nonclinical volunteering. Tutoring isn’t nonclinical volunteering. It’s noted under teaching I think. You need some primary care shadowing. Not a lot but maybe 20 hours.(You only need 50 hours total.)
Stop taking the MCAT. You have taken it 4 times. Many schools average multiple scores. Your average is set.
Hold off on reapplying until you build a better application.

Unfortunately for me, I have not done too much since my last application. I continued working as a MA until August 2023 when I decided I'll take the mcat one last time at the end of January 2024 without any distractions. If I didn't get a large improvement on my 4th attempt, I would have moved on to something else maybe as my application would be DOA with 4 mcat attempts that showed no improvement. Honestly I'm not that happy with my 4th attempt, but my premed advisor said while it's not a significant jump from my previous scores, it's still a good change. I wasn't aware schools averaged scores, I was under the impression that they look at scores individually.

I was planning on doing some service oriented volunteer after my 4th mcat while applying for a job, but I got hired in a MA position after 2 weeks and kinda focused on the job. I only started my food pantry volunteer in April.

I was approved for FAP so I thought I may as well try. I'm non trad and I was told that some adcoms are understanding that not everyone can find time to volunteer while working full time to pay bills. Am I having a crazy delusion that I still have a chance this cycle? Should I hold off with DO as well?

 

[Faha]

Unfortunately for me, I have not done too much since my last application. I continued working as a MA until August 2023 when I decided I'll take the mcat one last time at the end of January 2024 without any distractions. If I didn't get a large improvement on my 4th attempt, I would have moved on to something else maybe as my application would be DOA with 4 mcat attempts that showed no improvement. Honestly I'm not that happy with my 4th attempt, but my premed advisor said while it's not a significant jump from my previous scores, it's still a good change. I wasn't aware schools averaged scores, I was under the impression that they look at scores individually.

I was planning on doing some service oriented volunteer after my 4th mcat while applying for a job, but I got hired in a MA position after 2 weeks and kinda focused on the job. I only started my food pantry volunteer in April.

I was approved for FAP so I thought I may as well try. I'm non trad and I was told that some adcoms are understanding that not everyone can find time to volunteer while working full time to pay bills. Am I having a crazy delusion that I still have a chance this cycle? Should I hold off with DO as well?

You are competitive for all DO schools with your stats so apply broadly and I suggest these schools:
NYITCOM
Touro-NY
LECOM (all schools)
PCOM (all schools)
UNECOM
MU-COM
DMU-COM
ATSU-KCOM
KCU-COM
AZCOM
TUNCOM
UIWSOM
ACOM
NOVA
CUSOM
WVSOM
UP-KYCOM
LMU-DCOM (all schools)
WCU-COM
CUSOM