What are my chances

[NeuroChaos]

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Hi Guys,
I would greatly appreciate some opinions on my chances.

Just graduated with 3.85 BS in Biology. MCAT = 15L (2nd try)

I have strong EC (Clubs, Volunteers, Shadowing, Research everything). The weakest part of my app is obviously MCAT.

Do I have a shot at the Big four (AUC,Ross, Saba, SGU)
If not what are other options that would allow me to practice in US?

Thanks!!

 

[JonathanMD]

What a weird application.

My first piece of advice is to take the MCAT a 3rd time. I mean... 3.85. That's amazing and you don't want to sell yourself short.

Normally, me and everyone else would say that Ross might take you, but they recently cut their class size in half. SGU will definitely ask you to retake the MCAT. Many people with low 20's hear the same thing after their interviews. I don't know much about AUC or Saba.

I wouldn't recommend it, but other schools to look at are SMU, MUA, and AUA.

 

[RatherBeGolfing]

you prolly need to rethink if med school is right for you. It would be a shame to invest hundreds of of thousands of dollars and not be able to pass Step 1. After taking the MCAT a second time and not being able to get over a 15 that should be a serious concern. The Step is gonna be much harder than the MCAT

 

[Aphtalyfe]

you prolly need to rethink if med school is right for you. It would be a shame to invest hundreds of of thousands of dollars and not be able to pass Step 1. After taking the MCAT a second time and not being able to get over a 15 that should be a serious concern. The Step is gonna be much harder than the MCAT

I am inclined to agree with this post.

Although the correlation between MCAT and Step 1 is not super strong... being such a poor standardized test taker is going to be make Step 1 very difficult.

 

[NeuroChaos]

Thanks for the input, Guys!

I am terrible with timed tests. I am working to improve myself so that in two years, when USMLE time comes around, I am more prepared.

 

[coat0023]

Thanks for the input, Guys!

I am terrible with timed tests. I am working to improve myself so that in two years, when USMLE time comes around, I am more prepared.

This may be true but you will still definitely have to retake the MCAT. Can't quite tell if you realize that or not, not an insult though. Consider a review course, you won't get a 35 or anything but it will help move closer to that 30 mark.

 

[drewkumo]

So, I'm currently waitlisted at LECOM and I've been trying to decide on a contingency if I don't get that phone call/email. Either post-bacc and reapply or go Carib.

Personally, I think the Carib route would suit me well - an international experience and the ability to work outside the US with less limitations are appealing.

My cGPA is 2.96, sGPA 3.1, MCAT 26Q (11v 8b 7p)
I have 120+ hrs of volunteering experience in a cardiac rehab, and around 40 hrs of shadowing experience. LORs are all lined up.

I guess I'm just looking into the Jan semester if LECOM doesnt pan out, can anyone more familiar with Carib schools give me an idea? I'm only really interested in AUC and SGU.

 

[Aphtalyfe]

So, I'm currently waitlisted at LECOM and I've been trying to decide on a contingency if I don't get that phone call/email. Either post-bacc and reapply or go Carib.

Personally, I think the Carib route would suit me well - an international experience and the ability to work outside the US with less limitations are appealing.

My cGPA is 2.96, sGPA 3.1, MCAT 26Q (11v 8b 7p)
I have 120+ hrs of volunteering experience in a cardiac rehab, and around 40 hrs of shadowing experience. LORs are all lined up.

I guess I'm just looking into the Jan semester if LECOM doesnt pan out, can anyone more familiar with Carib schools give me an idea? I'm only really interested in AUC and SGU.

Your thought process and stats are nearly identical to mine when I was in your position. However I didn't apply to DO schools.

When I applied I was only interested in AUC and SGU as well, but I still applied to Saba and Ross as backups.

I currently attend AUC and the quality of education is pretty good. At least that's what it seems like. I have no other medical education to base my opinion on.

If you can, you should go to SGU. If they offer you the preparation semester (it keeps changing names... foundation to medicine is how I remember it) Then I would go to AUC.

If you have any more questions, feel free to PM me.

 

[dragonfly99]

I don't know...if you're knocking on the door of DO school acceptance in the US, I'm inclined to advice reapplying next year to DO schools. In the mean time, I would take some upper level science classes and keep volunteering. The MCAT is probably not too low for US DO schools, and IMHO those will give you a lot better shot at residency than a Caribbean school. Your overall GPA is low, but that could be brought up. Your MCAT could probably be brought up too if you work at it, but it's probably too late to retake this year?

 

[JTFUTUREDOC]

Thanks for the input, Guys!

I am terrible with timed tests. I am working to improve myself so that in two years, when USMLE time comes around, I am more prepared.

Hey man, just so you know, I am a 4th year med student and I had a fairly low MCAT and questioned how well I would do on the Steps, but I found them to be 100 times easier, and I did better than average on them. Try to identify what (if anything) you are doing wrong, or could do differently to have a better outcome next time. You can still be a good doc and not know how to take the MCAT. Hang in there. jt

 

[Richardh]

to neurochaos-like everyone mentioned i would recommend you to retake the mcat. you have a high gpa that i believe you have the potential to make improvements. even though it's going to be your third try i think by now you know what worked and what didn't. for the next concentrate improving your weakness and also sharpening your strengths. getting a tutor or taking a class might be a good idea. after getting your new score, i think making a decision which school you want to be admitted can be done 🙂 all-in-all i wish you the best! you worked hard during undergrad so use your determination on the mcat 👍

 

[Richardh]

to drewkumo-you have great stats. i believe you can gain admission to the carribean schools: auc, saba, sgu, ross. but as previoulsy mentioned already, i think you should retake the mcat and apply to DO schools. instead of doing post-bac or applying to carribean schools, i would recommend studying and taking the mcat again. you can then apply to DO schools while at the same time applying to carribean schools as back ups 🙂 but i hope you get off the waitlist from LECOM! praying for this to happen 👍 good luck!!!