WAMC : Where to apply? WA Resident/2.41 cGPA/3.17 sGPA/Strong upward trend

[emily14]

1. cGPA and sGPA as calculated by AMCAS or AACOMAS
   
   cGPA: 2.41
   sGPA: 3.17
   
   4.0 in every class for the last 71 semester hours (post-bac), almost all science prereqs
   20 F's (essentially unofficial withdrawals) in previous classes (20 years ago)
   
   
2. MCAT score(s) and breakdown
   
   I have not taken the MCAT, scheduled 4/15
   Diagnostic (FL1): CP: 128, CARS: 127, BB: 124, PS: 126, Total: 505 (September)
   FL2: CP: 131, CARS: 128, BB: 131, PS: 130, Total: 520 (December)
   
   
3. State of residence or country of citizenship (if non-US)
   
   Washington state
   
   
4. Ethnicity and/or race
   
   Mixed race: ORM/White
   
   
5. Undergraduate institution or category
   
   Top 60, according to USNWR
   
   
6. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   
   3000+ hours, but completed in 2002 (lab tech, about 50% phlebotomy, collecting specimens, other 50% in microbiology lab without patient interaction)
   
   About 60 hours providing home health to post-operative transgender patients
   
   Currently in CNA school for more clinical experience
   
   
7. Research experience and productivity
   
   None
   
   
8. Shadowing experience and specialties represented
   
   30 hours in 1997, pathology
   20 hours in 2022, family practice
   20 hours in 2022, family practice (different physician)
   5 hours in 2022, endocrinology
   
   
9. Non-clinical volunteering
   
   300+ hours with underserved populations
   200 hours for remembrance photography for families who lost their baby at birth
   400+ hours 20 years ago as an undergrad in various things (student leadership, voter registration in minority communities, disability advocacy)
   
   
10. Other extracurricular activities (including athletics, military service, gap year activities, leadership, teaching, etc)
    
    Student governance (20 years ago)
    VP of our pre-health group (current)
    
    
11. Relevant honors or awards
    
    President's list (full-time, 3.9 GPA or higher, at least 30 quarter credits), 5 times (2021-present)
    
    
12. Anything else not listed you think might be important
    
    Career changer: own a photo studio that shut down due to COVID-19, three employees
    
    Graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science with a 2.0 GPA in the early 2000s.
    
    Parent with two young children
    
    Earned my post-bac 4.0 while working full time on my business and raising my family
    
    It's not safe for me to attend schools in some states since I'm transgender and don't want the hassle of dealing with hostile state governments.

Should I even look at allopathic medical schools or should I be relegated to DO schools? There are not too many people that look successful with a 2.4 cGPA.

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[candbgirl]

Do the posted GPAs include your post bacc grades? It would seem that if you graduated with a 2.0 and you have 71 hours of 4.0 your GPA should be higher than 2.4. But I don’t know. When you get your MCAT come back and post in this thread. Until you have an actual score nobody can really give good advice.
Good look on the MCAT.

 

[emily14]

Do the posted GPAs include your post bacc grades? It would seem that if you graduated with a 2.0 and you have 71 hours of 4.0 your GPA should be higher than 2.4. But I don’t know. When you get your MCAT come back and post in this thread. Until you have an actual score nobody can really give good advice.
Good look on the MCAT.

Yes. And due to so many F’s, I’ve only budged my GPA from a 2.0 to a 2.4.

 

[chilly_md]

I would recommend keeping activities from 20 years ago off your application.

 

[Faha]

Post your MCAT score here when available and we can suggest schools. You should contact the school you attended 20 years ago and see if you can obtain retroactive withdrawals for those F courses. Explain the situation with your plans to apply to medical school.

 

[emily14]

I would recommend keeping activities from 20 years ago off your application.

Like any activity?

 

[emily14]

Post your MCAT score here when available and we can suggest schools. You should contact the school you attended 20 years ago and see if you can obtain retroactive withdrawals for those F courses. Explain the situation with your plans to apply to medical school.

Post your MCAT score here when available and we can suggest schools. You should contact the school you attended 20 years ago and see if you can obtain retroactive withdrawals for those F courses. Explain the situation with your plans to apply to medical school.

Great advice. Unfortunately, they do not allow for this after a degree is conferred.

 

[chilly_md]

Like any activity?

Yes. You can include your business, but the activities from your first time in college and the shadowing 25 years ago would not say much about who you are today. It would also be hard to reflect on a lab tech job you had back in 2002.

 

[emily14]

Yes. You can include your business, but the activities from your first time in college and the shadowing 25 years ago would not say much about who you are today. It would also be hard to reflect on a lab tech job you had back in 2002.

That’s fair. I was only using it to pad hours.

 

[Round786]

2. Clinical experience (volunteer and non-volunteer)
   
   3000+ hours, but completed in 2002 (lab tech, about 50% phlebotomy, collecting specimens, other 50% in microbiology lab without patient interaction)

1. 
   
   I don’t think the microbiology lab would be considered clinical. Maybe someone more experienced would clarify.

 

[candbgirl]

1. 
   
   I don’t think the microbiology lab would be considered clinical. Maybe someone more experienced would clarify.

It wouldn’t but it’s also 20+ years old so it isn’t even relevant as an activity for 2023. Things have changed and OP needs current experiences .

 

[Mr.Smile12]

I would pay attention to what you did most recently to prepare for medical school. Even though your overall GPA is low, what is your GPA for the last few years when you were beginning your renewed journey to medical school?

 

[mike-sheree]

I would think twice about D.O.if your attitude is being “relegated to D.O. schools”.
You would be fortunate to be accepted into one.

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

I would think twice about D.O.if your attitude is being “relegated to D.O. schools”.
You would be fortunate to be accepted into one.

Hmm. I mean: would the OP rather not become a doctor, rather than attending a DO school? There are a few relatively unusual reasons why this might make sense.

 

[mike-sheree]

Hmm. I mean: would the OP rather not become a doctor, rather than attending a DO school? There are a few relatively unusual reasons why this might make sense.

Such as?

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Such as?

There was one guy here that had gotten cancer as a child, then decided to pursue an MD/JD at a top school wanting to go into healthcare reform; for him, his top-20-or-bust attitude made sense. He would have become a lawyer if he couldn't have gotten into a top school.

 

[mike-sheree]

I personally know 5 MD’s with law degrees and 2 DO’s with law degrees. None did a combined program.