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As I was looking at some of the "What are my chances" style threads that are starting to come out at the beginning of a new application cycle, it occurred to me that students seeking an opinion of their chances already know what they need to do, and are looking for some encouragement to reach that point.
To wit, if your MCAT is really low, you might want to study for it and retake it. If your GPA is low, you'll probably have to do a post-bac or SMP to increase it. If you don't know what a D.O. is, you should probably shadow one to find out.
I was in the same place as a lot of you (and still am, to some extent.) I'm a non-trad who originally applied in 1999 with a 2.9 GPA and 28 MCAT. A low GPA and a slightly-above-average MCAT score wasn't going to get me anywhere. I did a Master's in Bio, and put together a 3.9 GPA in that program. I took a review course, studied hard, and scored a 34 on the August 2006 MCAT. During that (long) time between my first application and now, I've worked in both an osteopathic office and a hospital, full-time.
As you get ready to apply for this cycle, a lot of you know what you need to do to improve your candidacy. I encourage you all, if you are serious about the pursuit of osteopathic medicine, to do whatever you can. You can ask SDN if your combination of GPA and MCAT will get you in "somewhere," but why settle for "somewhere?" Bring up that GPA and MCAT and you might be able to ask "Now, can I get into my first-choice school?"
You already know what you need to do - now go get it. Med School is going to be a reality to those who want it most. Good luck in this application cycle!
To wit, if your MCAT is really low, you might want to study for it and retake it. If your GPA is low, you'll probably have to do a post-bac or SMP to increase it. If you don't know what a D.O. is, you should probably shadow one to find out.
I was in the same place as a lot of you (and still am, to some extent.) I'm a non-trad who originally applied in 1999 with a 2.9 GPA and 28 MCAT. A low GPA and a slightly-above-average MCAT score wasn't going to get me anywhere. I did a Master's in Bio, and put together a 3.9 GPA in that program. I took a review course, studied hard, and scored a 34 on the August 2006 MCAT. During that (long) time between my first application and now, I've worked in both an osteopathic office and a hospital, full-time.
As you get ready to apply for this cycle, a lot of you know what you need to do to improve your candidacy. I encourage you all, if you are serious about the pursuit of osteopathic medicine, to do whatever you can. You can ask SDN if your combination of GPA and MCAT will get you in "somewhere," but why settle for "somewhere?" Bring up that GPA and MCAT and you might be able to ask "Now, can I get into my first-choice school?"
You already know what you need to do - now go get it. Med School is going to be a reality to those who want it most. Good luck in this application cycle!
