What are my chances for DO schools?

[BME231]

Hello everyone,

I have recently graduated from USC and have completed all of my prerequisites. Last cycle I applied to DO schools and didn't receive any interview invites. Below is the stats with which I applied; all I am humbly asking from the experts out there is to please tell me what should I do at this time; Should I go to a post-bacc program or just take upper division courses at a four year university?

Major: Biomedical Engineering
sGPA: 3.25
cGPA: 3.65
MCAT: 21 old version, 498 ( 129,121,125,123), retaking in September 2016

I appreciate all the inputs in advance.

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[Supernatural17]

I think you should take this year to study and retake the MCAT and aim for a 505+. You have scored relatively low on your first two attempts and whether specific schools average the scores or not depends. Study and take the exam when you are ready. If you are ready for the September then go for it, but make sure your ready. Also if you would like to you can retake any classes that you scored a C of lower to raise your science gpa to a 3.4+ and I think if you do both of those things you should definitely be ready to apply the upcoming cycle with a very good chance of attaining interviews. I don't think you need to do a postbacc, just need to retake classes if your goal is D.O. The biggest hurdle is gonna be the MCAT. Make sure you take it when you are ready and are consistently scoring in a range that is above 505+. Good luck

Oh and continue to do volunteering or any research you have been doing or that you can start doing.


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[lnguyen1412]

I bet (and I think most people will agree) that the reason why you don't get an invite is because of your MCAT. you need to study serious for it and get it score higher than 504+. sGPA is a little bit low but that's why grade replacement were there for DO school.

 

[Alienman52]

Needed: Retake your MCAT, and Score 501+ to guarantee interviews with your GPA
Ideally: Retake the MCAT, score 501+, and raise sGPA to 3.3+. You'll be absolutely golden then.

Good luck

 

[ctran019]

Hello everyone,

I have recently graduated from USC and have completed all of my prerequisites. Last cycle I applied to DO schools and didn't receive any interview invites. Below is the stats with which I applied; all I am humbly asking from the experts out there is to please tell me what should I do at this time; Should I go to a post-bacc program or just take upper division courses at a four year university?

Major: Biomedical Engineering
sGPA: 3.25
cGPA: 3.65
MCAT: 21 old version, 498 ( 129,121,125,123), retaking in September 2016

I appreciate all the inputs in advance.

I agree with all 3 posts above me.

 

[HopefulPhysician]

Yeah seriously for DO you aren't too bad GPA wise. If you retook maybe 2-3 courses you got Cs in and turned them into As you'd be solid!

Your MCAT is your achilles heel right now. Seriously, if you are not ready don't take it. If you don't feel absolutely ready then just wait till Jan. MCAT and apply the first day the next cycle opens. That way you'll also have had the time to retake/take some courses to bring up your GPA, apply with a strong MCAT, and be able to cont. with whatever volunteer and research (hopefully) you are currently doing. If you really want to be a physician what is one year wait time?

If you are a recent grad you're what 22/23? Waiting another year won't destroy you and its not a bad thing!!!

Best of luck you future physician

 

[Cardboard101]

Which schools did you apply to?

 

[Ho0v-man]

Spend this year trying to improve your verbal reasoning (cars) score. That's the biggest deficit on your MCAT. Improving that one section would probably improve all of your other sections since the new MCAT is so passage heavy compared to the old one. If you take this into consideration, your other subsection scores are probably as high as they are just based on your science background, which is kinda cool.


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[Goro]

Your MCAT is the problem, not your GPAs.

Hello everyone,

I have recently graduated from USC and have completed all of my prerequisites. Last cycle I applied to DO schools and didn't receive any interview invites. Below is the stats with which I applied; all I am humbly asking from the experts out there is to please tell me what should I do at this time; Should I go to a post-bacc program or just take upper division courses at a four year university?

Major: Biomedical Engineering
sGPA: 3.25
cGPA: 3.65
MCAT: 21 old version, 498 ( 129,121,125,123), retaking in September 2016

I appreciate all the inputs in advance.

 

[ATPsynthase123]

Your MCAT is the problem, not your GPAs.

There is some data that says that MCAT correlates to performance on board exams.

So hypothetically, if someone took the MCAT 3 times 490,500,510; which score would be more representative of hoe they will perform on board exams?

How exactly is that looked at by an Adcom? Luckily I've only had to take it once, but I'm curious of how this is judged by most schools.


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[Goro]

Med schools have found that with multiple test takers, the averaged score is the best predictor.

An added consideration is why someone needs to take the exam 3x. There are several things we hear in interviews that we don't like hearing;

I was sick before taking or during the exam.
I [had some life event] just before taking the exam
The first one or two times I wasn't ready

These call into question the candidate's judgment. Poor choice making doesn't end when students matriculate.

I knew I could do better (actually a problem when the very first score is already a very good one...although this is an attitude that is forgiven at LizzyM's school, but not at gyngyn's).

There is some data that says that MCAT correlates to performance on board exams.

So hypothetically, if someone took the MCAT 3 times 490,500,510; which score would be more representative of hoe they will perform on board exams?

How exactly is that looked at by an Adcom? Luckily I've only had to take it once, but I'm curious of how this is judged by most schools.


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[Geo16]

Med schools have found that with multiple test takers, the averaged score is the best predictor.

So the best thing to do is to take the test once and ace your first.
Take second if you bombed (really badly) the first one.

...And certainly do not make an excuse like those three aforementioned.

 

[ctran019]

Med schools have found that with multiple test takers, the averaged score is the best predictor.

An added consideration is why someone needs to take the exam 3x. There are several things we hear in interviews that we don't like hearing;

I was sick before taking or during the exam.
I [had some life event] just before taking the exam
The first one or two times I wasn't ready

These call into question the candidate's judgment. Poor choice making doesn't end when students matriculate.

I knew I could do better (actually a problem when the very first score is already a very good one...although this is an attitude that is forgiven at LizzyM's school, but not at gyngyn's).

Those 4 reasons you listed for having a poor initial MCAT score are pretty common responses. How does an interviewee recover or avoid being perceived as having poor judgement?

 

[Geo16]

Those 4 reasons you listed for having a poor initial MCAT score are pretty common responses. How does an interviewee recover or avoid being perceived as having poor judgement?

I'm guessing Goro is trying to say: it's better safe than sorry.
If you feel sick or do not feel ready (family business etc.) then skip the test that day and take it the next available time.

 

[Goro]

Bingo.

So the best thing to do is to take the test once and ace your first.
Take second if you bombed (really badly) the first one.

...And certainly do not make an excuse like those three aforementioned.

 

[Goro]

Have an app that makes up for it.

Those 4 reasons you listed for having a poor initial MCAT score are pretty common responses. How does an interviewee recover or avoid being perceived as having poor judgement?