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Hello any Pre-Med students, current and future medical school Applicants,
(This is my first post so don't take it too hard on me
)
I took a big risk this application cycle and applied anyway to MD and DO schools that I think I have at least 5% chance of getting in. I am originally from Haiti and I survived the earthquake in 2010, and that was one of the big reason I wanted to pursue a career in Medicine (As I've lost family members and friends from that deadly and terrible catastrophe). I came to the U.S. in 2011 and knew very little in English then (Couldn't speak, comprehend or write a good sentence). I was doing fine in my undergraduate studies (Biology) as I mostly kept a High GPA, but everything started to go down a spiral for me when I decided it was time to take the MCAT. Basically, no matter how hard I've tried, I could never get a good score in the MCAT, and English being my second language may have been a big factor in that. But I have kept an upward trend though which you will get to see in my timeline below. I have over 300 hours of medical volunteering and 120 hours of Shadowing.
My Stats:
Freshman GPA 3.72
Sophomore GPA 3.82
Junior GPA 3.63
Senior GPA 3.65
Post Bacc GPA 3.86
Cumulative GPA 3.72
Science GPA 3.69
Non-science GPA 3.82
N.B.: Took all my ESL classes and Non-science courses at a community college before transferring to a 4-year University.
My timeline:
-Completed ESL and Non-science courses 2011-2012 at a Community College.
-Spring 2013 transfered to a 4-year University (Major Biology)
-MCAT First try: January 2015 Score 18 (PS 5, VR 4, BS 9).
-I then went on and graduated in may 2015.
-MCAT Second try: August 2015 Score 487 (C/P 122, CARS 120, BBS 124, PS 121).
-Since I graduated, I wasn't elligible for Grant or loans, so I took Fall 2015 off and enrolled in a Princeton Review MCAT course (Which didn't help significantly improve my score at all).
-Spring 2016 enrolled in one upper-level Bio (Immunology) class out of pocket.
-MCAT Third try: June 2016 Score 492 (C/P 124, CARS 120, BBS 125, PS 123).
-At this point I was really down because I just felt that my chances were just getting lower and lower. I didn't want to keep taking classes out of pocket so I applied back and got into my University for a second Bachelor (Chemistry) for the Fall 2016 semester.
-July 2016 became a U.S. Citizen
-MCAT Fourth try (yes I know I don't know when to quit): June 2017 Score 500 (C/P 125, CARS 121, BBS 127, PS 127). MANN! I freaking hate CARS.
-Since I was so close this time and because, like I said earlier, I don't know when to quit I went on and practiced a lot CARS and took the exam a fifth time (I know it's not recommended to take it that many times, but I did it anyway).
-MCAT Fifth try: July 2017 Score 499 (C/P 124, CARS 125, BBS 126, PS 124). I don't know if I should be happy or sad about this score. Yes, I did finally break the 60 percentile in CARS and yes, I did finally get a well balanced score, but on the other hand I went down one point and broke my upward trend, and it's a sub-50 score
.
-Lastly I went on an submitted my application anyway. As a Missouri resident I applied to 6 MD schools (Central Michigan, Florida State, Howard, Meharry, Morehouse, UM-Columbia), 23 DO schools (ACOM, CUSOM, DMUCOM, all 3 VCOMs, both LECOMs, LMU-DCOM, MU-COM, NSU-COM, PNWU-COM, both PCOMs, KYCOM, WCUCOM, WVSOM, ATSU-KCOM, ATSU-SOMA, BCOM, ARCOM, UIWSOM, KCU-COM) and StGeorge's University in the Caribbean. Completed my primaries for MD schools Mid-August and DOs Mid-September. Received a sencondary from every single school I have applied to within about 2 weeks of completion, and did my due diligence to turn them in within at least a week of receipt. By early October I was done with everything except Florida State, which after careful evaluation I don't think I stand a chance there, and ATSU-SOMA just because their secondary was asking for proof I couldn't provide.
-Ok, Now before you judge me for wasting all that money on applications and knowing that I stand little chance of getting in, I want you to know that I already have 4 interview invites. ATSU-KCOM invited me within 3 days of my secondary completion, ARCOM came next probably within a week or two after secondary completion, and just as I was getting worried that I wasn't gonna get any more invites, I got invited by KCU-COM, CUSOM and Stgeorge's University last week. Still waiting on MDs, at least Meharry because they are primarily an African American school and their Median MCAT score for last year was 499.
-Unexpectedly I received an invite via email to apply to Loyola Stritch SOM. They said after sorting through the minority applicant registry, they saw my stats and MCAT score and would like for me to apply. They say they would expedite my application review and also waived my 95 dollar secondary fee which was great. Got the email on Oct. 18th, submitted my app. the same day, got my secondary and fee waiver on the 20th, and completed secondary on the 22nd. So that would be my 7th MD school. I am curious how that will turn out.
So now after reading all this what do you think my chances are with my all 5 interviews and for the rest of the cycle? At this point I would accept even a 1% chance of acceptance. I don't care where I go to medical school because my focus is primary care, and that's also why I don't care if I have to go to the Caribbean to receive my degree either.
THANK YOU! for taking your time to read and giving your point of view.
(This is my first post so don't take it too hard on me
I took a big risk this application cycle and applied anyway to MD and DO schools that I think I have at least 5% chance of getting in. I am originally from Haiti and I survived the earthquake in 2010, and that was one of the big reason I wanted to pursue a career in Medicine (As I've lost family members and friends from that deadly and terrible catastrophe). I came to the U.S. in 2011 and knew very little in English then (Couldn't speak, comprehend or write a good sentence). I was doing fine in my undergraduate studies (Biology) as I mostly kept a High GPA, but everything started to go down a spiral for me when I decided it was time to take the MCAT. Basically, no matter how hard I've tried, I could never get a good score in the MCAT, and English being my second language may have been a big factor in that. But I have kept an upward trend though which you will get to see in my timeline below. I have over 300 hours of medical volunteering and 120 hours of Shadowing.
My Stats:
Freshman GPA 3.72
Sophomore GPA 3.82
Junior GPA 3.63
Senior GPA 3.65
Post Bacc GPA 3.86
Cumulative GPA 3.72
Science GPA 3.69
Non-science GPA 3.82
N.B.: Took all my ESL classes and Non-science courses at a community college before transferring to a 4-year University.
My timeline:
-Completed ESL and Non-science courses 2011-2012 at a Community College.
-Spring 2013 transfered to a 4-year University (Major Biology)
-MCAT First try: January 2015 Score 18 (PS 5, VR 4, BS 9).
-I then went on and graduated in may 2015.
-MCAT Second try: August 2015 Score 487 (C/P 122, CARS 120, BBS 124, PS 121).
-Since I graduated, I wasn't elligible for Grant or loans, so I took Fall 2015 off and enrolled in a Princeton Review MCAT course (Which didn't help significantly improve my score at all).
-Spring 2016 enrolled in one upper-level Bio (Immunology) class out of pocket.
-MCAT Third try: June 2016 Score 492 (C/P 124, CARS 120, BBS 125, PS 123).
-At this point I was really down because I just felt that my chances were just getting lower and lower. I didn't want to keep taking classes out of pocket so I applied back and got into my University for a second Bachelor (Chemistry) for the Fall 2016 semester.
-July 2016 became a U.S. Citizen
-MCAT Fourth try (yes I know I don't know when to quit): June 2017 Score 500 (C/P 125, CARS 121, BBS 127, PS 127). MANN! I freaking hate CARS.
-Since I was so close this time and because, like I said earlier, I don't know when to quit I went on and practiced a lot CARS and took the exam a fifth time (I know it's not recommended to take it that many times, but I did it anyway).
-MCAT Fifth try: July 2017 Score 499 (C/P 124, CARS 125, BBS 126, PS 124). I don't know if I should be happy or sad about this score. Yes, I did finally break the 60 percentile in CARS and yes, I did finally get a well balanced score, but on the other hand I went down one point and broke my upward trend, and it's a sub-50 score
-Lastly I went on an submitted my application anyway. As a Missouri resident I applied to 6 MD schools (Central Michigan, Florida State, Howard, Meharry, Morehouse, UM-Columbia), 23 DO schools (ACOM, CUSOM, DMUCOM, all 3 VCOMs, both LECOMs, LMU-DCOM, MU-COM, NSU-COM, PNWU-COM, both PCOMs, KYCOM, WCUCOM, WVSOM, ATSU-KCOM, ATSU-SOMA, BCOM, ARCOM, UIWSOM, KCU-COM) and StGeorge's University in the Caribbean. Completed my primaries for MD schools Mid-August and DOs Mid-September. Received a sencondary from every single school I have applied to within about 2 weeks of completion, and did my due diligence to turn them in within at least a week of receipt. By early October I was done with everything except Florida State, which after careful evaluation I don't think I stand a chance there, and ATSU-SOMA just because their secondary was asking for proof I couldn't provide.
-Ok, Now before you judge me for wasting all that money on applications and knowing that I stand little chance of getting in, I want you to know that I already have 4 interview invites. ATSU-KCOM invited me within 3 days of my secondary completion, ARCOM came next probably within a week or two after secondary completion, and just as I was getting worried that I wasn't gonna get any more invites, I got invited by KCU-COM, CUSOM and Stgeorge's University last week. Still waiting on MDs, at least Meharry because they are primarily an African American school and their Median MCAT score for last year was 499.
-Unexpectedly I received an invite via email to apply to Loyola Stritch SOM. They said after sorting through the minority applicant registry, they saw my stats and MCAT score and would like for me to apply. They say they would expedite my application review and also waived my 95 dollar secondary fee which was great. Got the email on Oct. 18th, submitted my app. the same day, got my secondary and fee waiver on the 20th, and completed secondary on the 22nd. So that would be my 7th MD school. I am curious how that will turn out.
So now after reading all this what do you think my chances are with my all 5 interviews and for the rest of the cycle? At this point I would accept even a 1% chance of acceptance. I don't care where I go to medical school because my focus is primary care, and that's also why I don't care if I have to go to the Caribbean to receive my degree either.
THANK YOU! for taking your time to read and giving your point of view.
