What are my chances?

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yes2es

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This is my first post here and I would really appreciate some insight as to what my chances are for either allopathic or osteopathic schools. Some background info: I have changed schools quite a bit since beginning college. I am in my fourth year. I have attended four universities since starting college, transferring a total of three times. I know it sounds bad but things were shaky in the beginning. I thought I settled down at Temple University but for some odd reason I was intrigued by the idea of chiropractic and I transferred to a chiropractic school for this semester. That turned out to be a bad idea so I am going back to Temple after this semester to finish a Kinesiology degree. It has taken me a while but I have finally realized that medicine is where I want to be.
My grades in the first year of my college career were pretty abysmal but since then, I have a pretty solid upward trend. My cGPA after this semester will be a 3.0 and my sGPA will be a 3.27 but the sGPA will be after a year of physics, a semester of chemistry, and a semester of biology. I have not taken the MCAT yet but I am registered for March 27.
As for EC's, I don't have any research or any volunteer work. I will be shadowing two doctors by the end of April, both of whom will give glowing letters of recommendation. I am an Eagle Scout and I have been involved with Boy Scouts for about 12 years taking on a leadership role in the troop and holding such a position for about 4 years. I also managed to become involved in a special club of Boy Scouts that only a select group of scouts get admitted to based on dedication and leadership.
So, if anyone can please help me out and give me a realistic view of what my chances are for either M.D. or D.O. that would be great. Thanks!
 
I'm working on getting the GPA up but what would you recommend for volunteering? Can I shadow several doctors and will that count as volunteering or should I volunteer at a local hospital?
 
yes2es said:
I'm working on getting the GPA up but what would you recommend for volunteering? Can I shadow several doctors and will that count as volunteering or should I volunteer at a local hospital?
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volunteer at a hospital, hospice, or free med clinic where you get patient contact 200+hrs over a couple of years....

shadow several different fields of med including FM 100+hrs
 
How should I go about by volunteering? Should I just call them up and ask them if I can volunteer anywhere point blank or is there a certain etiquette that I should follow when I ask?
 
yes2es said:
How should I go about by volunteering? Should I just call them up and ask them if I can volunteer anywhere point blank or is there a certain etiquette that I should follow when I ask?
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I just went to the hospital I work at to volunteering services and told them what I wanted....I volunteered in the ER.

I went in person....
 
Ok, thanks! Will transferring so many times hurt me?
 
I never actually made it to the actual chiropractic curriculum. I came here to finish up some pre-reqs but once I saw what they actually believe in, it was time to get out. So the only classes that I actually go to take were undergrad biology and chemistry courses.
 
yes2es said:
I never actually made it to the actual chiropractic curriculum. I came here to finish up some pre-reqs but once I saw what they actually believe in, it was time to get out. So the only classes that I actually go to take were undergrad biology and chemistry courses.
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going to a chiropractic school will look bad the more I think about it....good thing you never actually started though....
 
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I never came close to chiropractic curriculum. I debated med school or chiropractic school before coming here. I had to fill chemistry, biology, and organic chemistry pre-reqs in order to start the chiro curriculum. Once I got here and saw that they believed that getting your spine adjusted will prevent everyone from getting the H1N1 virus, I realized it was a mistake and that I needed to get back on track toward medicine.

Whoops. Where's the reset button?
 
yes2es said:
Once I got here and saw that they believed that getting your spine adjusted will prevent everyone from getting the H1N1 virus, I realized it was a mistake and that I needed to get back on track toward medicine.
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Plus points for you.
 
So since transferring and my sub par GPA have hurt me so much, what else can strengthen my application other than shadowing plenty of doctors and volunteering in a hospital?
 
A really high MCAT would constitute a 35+ or what? And also, is the Eagle Scout merit anything worth mentioning since it involved since it required about 100 hours of community service?
 
Eagle scout is the only high school activity that is commonly listed. It is even better if you continued any scout-related activity into the college years.
 
Although I did not continue in it for long in college (maybe for a year and a half) because our troop disbanding, I did assume the position of assistant scout master, the second highest ranking the troop can offer. I helped lead meetings, organize activities, and run merit badges.
 
Ok, situation time. Lets say after I submit my application, I attend summer classes and my GPA improves from these courses. Should I resubmit my transcripts or will it not matter by that point?
 
After you submit, you cannot resubmit to AMCAS when new grades come in. The only way to let schools know about added grades is via an individual update letter, which may or may not have an impact.
 
I have not yet taken either Organic Chem I or Organic Chem II. I am planning on taking them in Fall 2010 and Spring 2011, respectively. I am also planning on applying as soon as AMCAS opens for the 2011 cycle. Do I have to have completed the pre-req organic chems before I apply or can apply and take them as planned?
 
yes2es said:
I have not yet taken either Organic Chem I or Organic Chem II. I am planning on taking them in Fall 2010 and Spring 2011, respectively. I am also planning on applying as soon as AMCAS opens for the 2011 cycle. Do I have to have completed the pre-req organic chems before I apply or can apply and take them as planned?
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Yes, you can go ahead and register, but you are taking the MCAT without ochem? I would not do that; especially since you need a high score.
 
There is little OChem II on the MCAT. I think you'd be safe taking the test before you complete that course. Some med schools let you substitute Biochem for the second semester of OChem, which is a much more helpful class in the long run.
 
I'm going to use the Examkrackers book for Organic Chem. Luckily, I can identify some of the proper groups already and I've gotten really good at teaching myself material. Thanks for the help everybody!
 
I am going to apply for the 2011 cycle once AMCAS opens (which is in June, right?). If I apply with a 34Q MCAT, a cGPA of 3.27, a sGPA of 3.49, two letters of recommendation from from the two doctors that I have shadowed, the Eagle Scout rank, and about 100 hours of volunteer work, what do you guys think?
 
yes2es said:
If I apply with a 34Q MCAT, a cGPA of 3.27, a sGPA of 3.49, two letters of recommendation from from the two doctors that I have shadowed, the Eagle Scout rank, and about 100 hours of volunteer work, what do you guys think?
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J DUB said:
volunteer at a hospital, hospice, or free med clinic where you get patient contact 200+hrs over a couple of years....

shadow several different fields of med including FM 100+hrs
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I would have said 150 hours of clinical volunteering and 80 hours of physician shadowing. Shadow at least one DO and get a LOR. Plus boyscouts for leadership/teaching. Plus some research if you can.

A 3.27/34 gives you some chance at MD (probably state school) and excellent chance at DO.

You'll need (as a minimum) two LORs from science faculty and one non-science faculty. MD schools don't all need a physician letter. DO mostly do.
 
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yes2es said:
I am going to apply for the 2011 cycle once AMCAS opens (which is in June, right?).
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AMCAS opens in May so you can start filling out the application. You can submit sometime the first week of June, at the earliest.
 
yes2es said:
I'm going to use the Examkrackers book for Organic Chem. Luckily, I can identify some of the proper groups already and I've gotten really good at teaching myself material. Thanks for the help everybody!
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Personally, I would get something a little more detailed since you have never had it. Princeton has a good book.

I think Berk review is the best but it may go over your head because they dont start at the a zero base knowledge to me. They assume you have some knowledge but it is an excellent source.
 
J DUB said:
I increased my numbers because I have been seeing folks with better "numbers". So, I think those numbers will make you better off and above the cut a little more.
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To which numbers are you referring? The amount of shadowing hours or the amount of volunteer hours? And if you had to place an emphasis on one of the two which one would you recommend that I emphasize, the shadowing or the volunteer?

And as for the book, I also have a Kaplan book. Would this be sufficient or would you suggest getting something completely different?
 
yes2es said:
To which numbers are you referring? The amount of shadowing hours or the amount of volunteer hours? And if you had to place an emphasis on one of the two which one would you recommend that I emphasize, the shadowing or the volunteer?

And as for the book, I also have a Kaplan book. Would this be sufficient or would you suggest getting something completely different?
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Both...Volunteering is more important.

Kaplan is decent...together with EK probably is good enough since most MCATs these days are not that ochem heavy.
 
So in general I should aim for 150 hours of volunteer and 80 hours of doctor shadowing? I'm planning on shadowing a D.O. in family practice and an M.D. in Orthopedic Surgery. Is there a certain number of doctors that I should shadow that would look good, or the more the merrier?
 
yes2es said:
So in general I should aim for 150 hours of volunteer and 80 hours of doctor shadowing? I'm planning on shadowing a D.O. in family practice and an M.D. in Orthopedic Surgery. Is there a certain number of doctors that I should shadow that would look good, or the more the merrier?
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I would suggest a 2-3 docs. I did about 8-10 different ones just because the opportunities to see more came up.

Just shoot for those averages...
 
So it has been brought to my attention that AMCAS does not do grade replacement but AACOMAS does. Since that is the case, at application time my AMCAS cGPA will be 3.06, and my sGPA a 2.82. For AACOMAS, my cGPA will be a 3.31 and my sGPA a 3.42. On practice MCATS I have been scoring a 31-32. If I can pull off a 34-36 on the MCAT, what do you guys propose my chances are for MD and DO with those stats? Thanks!
 
yes2es said:
So it has been brought to my attention that AMCAS does not do grade replacement but AACOMAS does. Since that is the case, at application time my AMCAS cGPA will be 3.06, and my sGPA a 2.82. For AACOMAS, my cGPA will be a 3.31 and my sGPA a 3.42. On practice MCATS I have been scoring a 31-32. If I can pull off a 34-36 on the MCAT, what do you guys propose my chances are for MD and DO with those stats? Thanks!
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DO schools, you would be good with a 30 or so MCAT.

MD schools, you would need a 35+ and alot of luck!! 😀 Instate would best option....
 
J DUB said:
DO schools, you would be good with a 30 or so MCAT.

MD schools, you would need a 35+ and alot of luck!! 😀 Instate would best option....
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What to hell are you talking about? Many peple get into DO schools with 23-26 MCATs. I've seen in-state MD schools take MCAT's under 28, for at least a few. You don' need huge MCAts for all schools if you've got letters from faculty at schools or work exprience, or yrs of volunteer, or great undergrad GPAs in sci. or overall at leas. Many factors make an adcomm look at students. MCATs can work vs you, if you pick a school you are too good for due to high MCATs above their mean.

So, do some checking here to see why a DC or PT couldn't get into med school with avg MCATs (or maybe a bit subpar) and do well based on clinical knowledge that will help in many aspects (both these fields have a huge lead on incoming med students that shadowed for a wk in an er 🙄).

All the shadowing in the world won't impress anyone, as a housekeeper in a hosptial has seen more & can do more than these "volunteers". Why not volunteer at a soup kitchen, if all you need is time in on a clock saying you were babysat by a healthcare professional? I mean what to hell.

Ok, just refining some of this MCAT babble here.
 
Sorry. With a BCPM GPA of 2.82, you are not going to get into an MD school.

However, with a cGPA of 3.31 and sGPA of 3.42, with an MCAT as low as 28 you'd have a chance at the less-selective DO schools. With a 30, you'd have more options. With a 34-36, you'd have your choice among more-selective DO schools.
 
Stratego said:
Sorry. With a BCPM GPA of 2.82, you are not going to get into an MD school.

However, with a cGPA of 3.31 and sGPA of 3.42, with an MCAT as low as 28 you'd have a chance at the less-selective DO schools. With a 30, you'd have more options. With a 34-36, you'd have your choice among more-selective DO schools.
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I've got a friend that got into 5 DO schools with a 2.75 overall, and a 3.8 sci. gpa. and MCAT of 23. But also had 11 letters from 5 DOs, including faculty and professors. On 3 waitlists for in-state MD. Choose DO as he had 5 options and zero MD options accepted him.

And look at it this way; any DO school or MD school will get you where you want to go. You need to learn/study what you can and do well on boards. Do well in residency and you'll be fine. Likewise a great MD school like Harvard or Hopkins can still graduate a flop if the person isn't able to work well clinically or in residency with others, etc. Schools don't make the doc, hard work does from ANY school, even offshore.
 
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