What are my chances?

[law2doc2018]

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I'm pretty new at this and not sure if I should've posted in the non-trad or DO section, but here goes:

36 year old, non-trad, half white/half URM (Latino, bilingual). I've been an attorney for the past 11 years and I'm just tired of the constant fighting and lack of job satisfaction that comes from my line of work.

I recovered an awful 1.7 freshman year GPA to a 3.2 cGPA by the end of undergrad (2004). Did very well on the LSAT, so immediately went to law school. After deciding to change careers two years ago, I threw together a "do it yourself" post-bac, where I got ~3.8 in the traditional prerequisite med school courses:

Gen Chem 1: B
Gen Chem 2: B
Physics 1&2: A
Organic 1: A+
Bio 1: A
Biochem: A
Still need to take Bio 2 and Orgo 2, which I'll do this year and should get A's.

I only had to take two non-major science courses for my social science degree, and those grades were a B and a C back in 2001, so a 2.5 sGPA I guess. I don't know if AACOMAS will average the newest science courses into my sGPA, or if they'll break them up into a post-bac category.

Just got my MCAT score yesterday: 510 (127,127,126,130)
I feel I am capable of higher since my full lengths were 5-7 points higher, so I'll retake if need be.

I have 500 hrs of shadowing, but somewhat limited in volunteering (only ~100 hrs) due to working full time and taking the aforementioned courses. I will be conducting research starting in the fall, but I'll have already submitted primaries by then.

My ultimate goal is to be admitted to RVUCOM, which is in-state. Any advice would be appreciated, and I'll answer any follow up questions if you feel I've left out pertinent information.

 

[insaiyan-premed]

They'll probably won't look at your GPA from years ago maybe you will need more upper level courses since it was awhile ago but your MCAT is very exceptional for 1) your position, 2) for lack of upper-level courses. I'm assuming the passages and CARS section were easy for you to understand due to being exposed to Law material heavy in vocab/tricky language? You should probably aim for at least 350-400 hours of volunteering. I think you'll be able to get into most DO schools.

 

[law2doc2018]

They'll probably won't look at your GPA from years ago maybe you will need more upper level courses since it was awhile ago but your MCAT is very exceptional for 1) your position, 2) for lack of upper-level courses. I'm assuming the passages and CARS section were easy for you to understand due to being exposed to Law material heavy in vocab/tricky language? You should probably aim for at least 350-400 hours of volunteering. I think you'll be able to get into most DO schools.

Most of my CARS scores were about 130, so I don't know what happened test day with the 127 (lack of sleep maybe?). I didn't practice CARS specifically however, aside from my full lengths, because as you said I read all the time and us lawyers are pretty attuned to detail.

 

[Isoval]

I think you’re in good shape for a vast majority of DO, including RVU.

 

[dial1010usa]

Congrats on your MCAT accomplishment and that is soo good. Try to get all A's in your rest of classes. ADCOM will love to hear your stories and they will be very interested. Take more upper division science classes if you can.

Have you gotten science and non science LOR and DO LOR?

Is that 500 hours shadowing a doctor or clinical volunteer?
Add more non clinical as well.

Applying this cycle?

All the best!

 

[law2doc2018]

Congrats on your MCAT accomplishment and that is soo good. Try to get all A's in your rest of classes. ADCOM will love to hear your stories and they will be very interested. Take more upper division science classes if you can.

Have you gotten science and non science LOR and DO LOR?

Is that 500 hours shadowing a doctor or clinical volunteer?
Add more non clinical as well.

Applying this cycle?

All the best!

The 500 hrs is shadowing a DO, who is also writing a LOR. I have science and non-science LORs including former professors and some judges I appear in front of.

I'd like to volunteer more hours and take upper division science, but I am applying this cycle, so I don't know how relevant that will be, although I'll do it anyways.

 

[Shotapp]

Your science GPA is much higher than 2.5. Are you factoring the 3.8 post-bac GPA to get your overall science GPA?

Everything looks good. Don't retake that nice MCAT.

 

[law2doc2018]

Your science GPA is much higher than 2.5. Are you factoring the 3.8 post-bac GPA to get your overall science GPA?

Everything looks good. Don't retake that nice MCAT.

No. I was just saying that 2.5 was for my original undergrad and I haven't seen a GPA reported from AACOMAS even though they've had all my transcripts for a few weeks and I paid for the professional transcript entry service.

I should also add that I've done quite a bit of pro bono (free) legal work for Hispanics since I'm fluent in Spanish, and I also have tutored the LSAT intermittently over the past ten years free of charge, mainly to underprivileged undergrads. I don't know if this counts as volunteer work since I'm in charge of doing it myself and not through an organization.

 

[Shotapp]

don't know if this counts as volunteer work since I'm in charge of doing it myself and not through an organization.

The activities you mentioned in your post count as volunteering. You're volunteering your time and providing a needed service for free. Volunteering doesn't need to be done through an organization. Your good man.

 

[insaiyan-premed]

- Raise the volunteering hours to approximately 400
- Don't retake MCAT
- Finish prereqs and possibly take upper-level courses as well

If you take upper-level courses you and do well you could probably apply to MD schools as well, I mean you have all the main things ready for even MD schools just need to complete your app.

 

[law2doc2018]

- Raise the volunteering hours to approximately 400
- Don't retake MCAT
- Finish prereqs and possibly take upper-level courses as well

If you take upper-level courses you and do well you could probably apply to MD schools as well, I mean you have all the main things ready for even MD schools just need to complete your app.

Thanks for the advice. I'm going to apply to RVU this cycle, all the while taking upper division courses and racking up more volunteering, so in case I don't get in, I'll have a stronger application and apply broadly for the following cycle

 

[gensurghopeful]

Good to go with most DO schools... even try MD

Edit: even though 3.8 post-bacc is great, that 2.5 uGPA is a turn off... apply broadly DO and I probably wouldn't waste my time with MD unless you are URM