MD What are my Chances

[whycantigetin]

Goal is to become a physician-scientist, possibly in surgery. So MD is preferable to DO, but I will apply both.

Applied last cycle (2016), got two interviews, one rejection and one waitlist.

Non-trad (I think): graduated 2016 in bioengineering, have been working as a biomedical engineer since then in a research/clinical setting. Also been volunteering and shadowing in the off-year.

cGPA: 3.53
sGPA: 3.52

MCAT (2014): 31 (12 Phys, 9 Verb, 10 Bio)
MCAT (2017): 514 (128 C/P, 130 CARS, 127 B/B, 129 P/S)

I'm worried about my 127 Bio score because sophomore year I had a C in intro bio since I took too many courses, and feel like it indicates a trend. I have a B or A in all my other Bio classes though. Edit: Also have a C in Ochem 1, but I retook it and got an A. No other C's on transcript.

Research: ~2000 hours undergrad, ~2500 hours work after college
-1 publication on the way as lead author, 1 patent on the way as well. But neither is actually published/filed yet so I have it as pending on my application.

Medical Volunteering: (EMT, hospital volunteer) ~430 hours

Shadowing: (various specialties) 100+ hours

Community-oriented extracurricular: (resident assistant) ~1700 hours

----------------------------
These are the schools I have applied to:

MD
Harvard, Case Western, Upenn, Mayo Clinic, UCSF, UCLA, UCI, Brown, Pittsburgh, Stanford, U Mich, Baylor, Yale, Cincinnati, Dartmouth

Temple, Drexel, Jefferson, , Geisinger Commonwealth, Penn State, Tufts, NYM, Cooper, Duke, Rutgers NJMS, Rutgers RWJMS, Einstein, U of Alabama, U Toledo, Hofstra, SUNY Buffalo, Rochester

DO
PCOM, Cooper Rowan

Any schools I should consider adding? Do people think I have a good shot? I believe my essays are very well written and personal, have had several people look over them.

Primary was submitted in mid July, verified mid August. And I have been sending these apps in from mid August to end of September which I know is super late.

Please let me know if you have advice, or critiques/questions.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Faha]

Where is your state of residence? You have a lot of reaches on your MD list. I suggest adding these schools this week:
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Georgetown
GW
West Virginia
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane

 

[driscoll1]

Just my opinion, but I think that school list is likely the reason. Your GPA is much too low to be competitive at places like Harvard/Case/Penn/Pitt/Stanford/Mich/Baylor/Yale without the combination of absolutely stelar ECs AND mcat (and even then, not at places like Penn). And for your "lower tier" list, you have several schools from different states that accept basically nobody from out of state (rutgers then suny then uci etc).

 

[whycantigetin]

Where is your state of residence? You have a lot of reaches on your MD list. I suggest adding these schools this week:
Vermont
Quinnipiac
Georgetown
GW
West Virginia
Oakland Beaumont
Western Michigan
Medical College Wisconsin
Rosalind Franklin
St. Louis
Creighton
Tulane

Thank you. My State residence is PA, so no instate schools unfortunately.

Last cycle I applied to Vermont, Quinnipiac, Georgetown, GW, Western Michigan, Rosalind Franklin, and Tulane but didn't get any interviews. I thought it was because they seemed to be more service oriented than my application comes across as. But I will try to apply to them again

 

[whycantigetin]

Just my opinion, but I think that school list is likely the reason. Your GPA is much too low to be competitive at places like Harvard/Case/Penn/Pitt/Stanford/Mich/Baylor/Yale without the combination of absolutely stelar ECs AND mcat (and even then, not at places like Penn). And for your "lower tier" list, you have several schools from different states that accept basically nobody from out of state (rutgers then suny then uci etc).

Thanks for the feedback. Definitely makes sense. This cycle I took a different approach to last cycle, and added more top tier schools because they are more research focused and my story aligns better with their missions.

Last cycle I applied to many of the schools Faha listed, and I didn't get an interview from any, so i assumed it was because they were entirely service oriented schools and my application is focused on being a physician-scientist. Is that possible?

I'm from PA, so unfortunately no in state schools. I figured NJ would possibly take me from next door.

 

[Buckeye_913]

Goal is to become a physician-scientist, possibly in surgery. So MD is preferable to DO, but I will apply both.

Applied last cycle (2016), got two interviews, one rejection and one waitlist.

Non-trad (I think): graduated 2016 in bioengineering, have been working as a biomedical engineer since then in a research/clinical setting. Also been volunteering and shadowing in the off-year.

cGPA: 3.53
sGPA: 3.52

MCAT (2014): 31 (12 Phys, 9 Verb, 10 Bio)
MCAT (2017): 514 (128 C/P, 130 CARS, 127 B/B, 129 P/S)

I'm worried about my 127 Bio score because sophomore year I had a C in intro bio since I took too many courses, and feel like it indicates a trend. I have a B or A in all my other Bio classes though. Edit: Also have a C in Ochem 1, but I retook it and got an A. No other C's on transcript.

Research: ~2000 hours undergrad, ~2500 hours work after college
-1 publication on the way as lead author, 1 patent on the way as well. But neither is actually published/filed yet so I have it as pending on my application.

Medical Volunteering: (EMT, hospital volunteer) ~430 hours

Shadowing: (various specialties) 100+ hours

Community-oriented extracurricular: (resident assistant) ~1700 hours

----------------------------
These are the schools I have applied to:

MD
Harvard, Case Western, Upenn, Mayo Clinic, UCSF, UCLA, UCI, Brown, Pittsburgh, Stanford, U Mich, Baylor, Yale, Cincinnati, Dartmouth

Temple, Drexel, Jefferson, , Geisinger Commonwealth, Penn State, Tufts, NYM, Cooper, Duke, Rutgers NJMS, Rutgers RWJMS, Einstein, U of Alabama, U Toledo, Hofstra, SUNY Buffalo, Rochester

DO
PCOM, Cooper Rowan

Any schools I should consider adding? Do people think I have a good shot? I believe my essays are very well written and personal, have had several people look over them.

Primary was submitted in mid July, verified mid August. And I have been sending these apps in from mid August to end of September which I know is super late.

Please let me know if you have advice, or critiques/questions.

Seems like a great application on paper (GPA is a little low for MD). Did the schools last year give you any feedback on your interviews? Seems that the interviews might have been your weak point?

 

[workaholic181]

Thank you. My State residence is PA, so no instate schools unfortunately.

Last cycle I applied to Vermont, Quinnipiac, Georgetown, GW, Western Michigan, Rosalind Franklin, and Tulane but didn't get any interviews. I thought it was because they seemed to be more service oriented than my application comes across as. But I will try to apply to them again

PA has in state schools...

You're applying way too top heavy OP. You would be wise to apply to "mid" tier MD, especially the PA schools (Penn State, Geisinger, TU, Drexel, Jefferson)

 

[whycantigetin]

PA has in state schools...

You're applying way too top heavy OP. You would be wise to apply to "mid" tier MD, especially the PA schools (Penn State, Geisinger, TU, Drexel, Jefferson)

Thanks for the reply!

Unfortunately all MD medical schools in PA are private according to MSAR.

And yes, I have applied to Penn State (somehow a private medical school), Geisinger, TU, Drexel, and Jefferson.

 

[whycantigetin]

Seems like a great application on paper (GPA is a little low for MD). Did the schools last year give you any feedback on your interviews? Seems that the interviews might have been your weak point?

Thanks! They did not unfortunately. I tried reaching out but they couldn't help from the high volume of applicants. But I do suspect that I may not have performed as well in the interviews. Are you aware of any interview resources?

 

[mock94]

Just out of curiosity, will that 514 mcat be averaged with the expired 31 to produce a new score?

 

[workaholic181]

Thanks for the reply!

Unfortunately all MD medical schools in PA are private according to MSAR.

And yes, I have applied to Penn State (somehow a private medical school), Geisinger, TU, Drexel, and Jefferson.

Penn state is not private IS. But you're right temple and Pitt which are public UG are private.

 

[MareNostrummm]

Goal is to become a physician-scientist, possibly in surgery. So MD is preferable to DO, but I will apply both.

Did you apply MD/PhD programs or just MD programs?

 

[whycantigetin]

Did you apply MD/PhD programs or just MD programs?

Just MD

 

[uranus12]

My stats are cGPA3.95 sGPA4.0 MCAT 523 (132/127/132/132)
computer engineering major public school
clinical experience 60 hours
shadowing 70 hours
research 500 hours
volunteering 40 hours
Can someone help me with my chances.

 

[candbgirl]

I’m not sure I’d consider being a RA as community service. But that’s just me. Your school list is so full of reaches I don’t know what to say. What did you do over the last year to significantly improve your previous application or is it pretty much the same. Try to find some volunteering opportunities outside of your comfort zone-homeless shelters, soup kitchens, tutoring kids, etc..- something that will show your altruism. It can’t hurt and it will be something to add in interviews or to your application if you have to reapply.

 

[candbgirl]

My stats are cGPA3.95 sGPA4.0 MCAT 523 (132/127/132/132)
computer engineering major public school
clinical experience 60 hours
shadowing 70 hours
research 500 hours
volunteering 40 hours
Can someone help me with my chances.

Start your own thread to get help specific to you!

 

[GrandBuckeyeOH91]

Goal is to become a physician-scientist, possibly in surgery. So MD is preferable to DO, but I will apply both.

Applied last cycle (2016), got two interviews, one rejection and one waitlist.

Non-trad (I think): graduated 2016 in bioengineering, have been working as a biomedical engineer since then in a research/clinical setting. Also been volunteering and shadowing in the off-year.

cGPA: 3.53
sGPA: 3.52

MCAT (2014): 31 (12 Phys, 9 Verb, 10 Bio)
MCAT (2017): 514 (128 C/P, 130 CARS, 127 B/B, 129 P/S)

I'm worried about my 127 Bio score because sophomore year I had a C in intro bio since I took too many courses, and feel like it indicates a trend. I have a B or A in all my other Bio classes though. Edit: Also have a C in Ochem 1, but I retook it and got an A. No other C's on transcript.

Research: ~2000 hours undergrad, ~2500 hours work after college
-1 publication on the way as lead author, 1 patent on the way as well. But neither is actually published/filed yet so I have it as pending on my application.

Medical Volunteering: (EMT, hospital volunteer) ~430 hours

Shadowing: (various specialties) 100+ hours

Community-oriented extracurricular: (resident assistant) ~1700 hours

----------------------------
These are the schools I have applied to:

MD
Harvard, Case Western, Upenn, Mayo Clinic, UCSF, UCLA, UCI, Brown, Pittsburgh, Stanford, U Mich, Baylor, Yale, Cincinnati, Dartmouth

Temple, Drexel, Jefferson, , Geisinger Commonwealth, Penn State, Tufts, NYM, Cooper, Duke, Rutgers NJMS, Rutgers RWJMS, Einstein, U of Alabama, U Toledo, Hofstra, SUNY Buffalo, Rochester

DO
PCOM, Cooper Rowan

Any schools I should consider adding? Do people think I have a good shot? I believe my essays are very well written and personal, have had several people look over them.

Primary was submitted in mid July, verified mid August. And I have been sending these apps in from mid August to end of September which I know is super late.

Please let me know if you have advice, or critiques/questions.

you'll be fine. I'm an MS4 at a state MD school in the midwest. Took MCAT in 2012 and only got a 25. Now I'm applying Diagnostic Rad. Don't worry.