what does the average application package look like

[MrReeves]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this so if it isn't, I apologize in advance.

I'm trying to see how competitive my portfolio will be and if I need to do more before I apply to medical schools. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

- I am a 24 y/o African American male
-90% disabled veteran of the Air Force. I wore a medical badge in the military and my job title was Aerospace Physiology
-Received 6 medals during service, have over 1500 hours teaching Air force pilots, have a secret security clearance, and a good bit of other military awards and secondary job titles
-I have 150 volunteer hours from the military ranging from picking up trash to driving DV'S around
-500 volunteer job shadowing hours in the lab and pathology department of a hospital
-I have an associates degree in Physics
-I will earn my bachelors in Microbiology next fall and have a 3.2 GPA as of now (low due to health problems while attending school in the military, but should be more than capable to pull it up in the upcoming year)
-Haven’t taken my MCAT yet but have done well on practice tests and plan to take it soon
-Pastors, professors, and military officers are ready and excited to write me letters of recommendation when I ask
-Will be getting my med tech license in a 6 month class after I receive my bachelors because there will be a 9 months wait in between when I graduate with my bachelors and when I can start med school
- a few other things i can't remember

I'm just looking for advice other then "raise your gpa" and "do well on your mcat". I want to have the best application I can. I'm all for constructive criticism but no hate mail please.

Thank you

 

[Goro]

First, many thanks for your service to your country.

Nationwide, the avg DO matriculant has a GPA int he 3.3/3.4 range, and an MCAT of ~25/26. Naturally, this will vary from school to school, but unlike MD programs, DO schools will cut you some slack with a low GPA for good MCAT, and vice-versa.

My own students have >100 hrs of patient contact volunteer work, other hrs of non-medical volunteer work, often (but not always, research experience) and shadowing experience. Ideally, you should shadow DOs and MDs. Some programs will require a LOR from the former.

They'll definitely like accepting a veteran, and a URM, besides. There aren't too many URM DOs, and's something we'd like to correct.

Just as a caveat, I trust your disability won't prevent you from handling medical school, and perfroming OMT?

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this so if it isn't, I apologize in advance.

I'm trying to see how competitive my portfolio will be and if I need to do more before I apply to medical schools. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

- I am a 24 y/o African American male
-90% disabled veteran of the Air Force. I wore a medical badge in the military and my job title was Aerospace Physiology
-Received 6 medals during service, have over 1500 hours teaching Air force pilots, have a secret security clearance, and a good bit of other military awards and secondary job titles
-I have 150 volunteer hours from the military ranging from picking up trash to driving DV'S around
-500 volunteer job shadowing hours in the lab and pathology department of a hospital
-I have an associates degree in Physics
-I will earn my bachelors in Microbiology next fall and have a 3.2 GPA as of now (low due to health problems while attending school in the military, but should be more than capable to pull it up in the upcoming year)
-Haven’t taken my MCAT yet but have done well on practice tests and plan to take it soon
-Pastors, professors, and military officers are ready and excited to write me letters of recommendation when I ask
-Will be getting my med tech license in a 6 month class after I receive my bachelors because there will be a 9 months wait in between when I graduate with my bachelors and when I can start med school
- a few other things i can't remember

I'm just looking for advice other then "raise your gpa" and "do well on your mcat". I want to have the best application I can. I'm all for constructive criticism but no hate mail please.

Thank you

 

[NontradCA]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this so if it isn't, I apologize in advance.

I'm trying to see how competitive my portfolio will be and if I need to do more before I apply to medical schools. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

- I am a 24 y/o African American male
-90% disabled veteran of the Air Force. I wore a medical badge in the military and my job title was Aerospace Physiology
-Received 6 medals during service, have over 1500 hours teaching Air force pilots, have a secret security clearance, and a good bit of other military awards and secondary job titles
-I have 150 volunteer hours from the military ranging from picking up trash to driving DV'S around
-500 volunteer job shadowing hours in the lab and pathology department of a hospital
-I have an associates degree in Physics
-I will earn my bachelors in Microbiology next fall and have a 3.2 GPA as of now (low due to health problems while attending school in the military, but should be more than capable to pull it up in the upcoming year)
-Haven't taken my MCAT yet but have done well on practice tests and plan to take it soon
-Pastors, professors, and military officers are ready and excited to write me letters of recommendation when I ask
-Will be getting my med tech license in a 6 month class after I receive my bachelors because there will be a 9 months wait in between when I graduate with my bachelors and when I can start med school
- a few other things i can't remember

I'm just looking for advice other then "raise your gpa" and "do well on your mcat". I want to have the best application I can. I'm all for constructive criticism but no hate mail please.

Thank you

I would leave your disability out of your application for sure, but look into doing voc rehab so that they can pay for your schooling. Also dont mention the health problems and your grades, unless it had something to do with you want to be a physician.

I think that your ECs are great, and you will be well received. DO programs are trying to increase both their black students and veterans (Moreso than MD schools mind you). Some are even offering waivers for application fees for vets. I think those two characteristics will earn you some wiggle room as far as your GPA, and you'd realistically just have to get >24 to be competitive at any DO program.

 

[pattr]

OP, do you have a specific interest in DO?

With your URM status and the right MCAT score, you could have a chance at MD schools as well. Just saying.

 

[MrReeves]

thank you for the reply. i wont let my health problems get in the way of this. i do have about a year left so i am hoping that i can still bring my GPA up a few points. i've already started studying for my mcat that i plan on taking in the spring. i really didn't know that the URM carried that much wait. I don't know how i feel about it.
i'm going to apply to as many schools as i can afford. thank you for the advice. if anyone has anymore please let me know i'm all for it

 

[NontradCA]

Be careful, the URM does carry weight, however I wouldn't expect miracles out of it. I feel like the "URM status" is over hyped here on SDN. Myself I am a URM I have a decent GPA (3.5 nonscience, 3.2sGPA), however my MCAT is dismal 22 (7/7/8). I have thousands of hours clinical experience, volunteering with underprivileged children and 4 LoR's from physicians (3 DO and 1 MD). Even tho I am a URM I feel that I will still need a more competitive MCAT score. My guess is at least around a 27 to have a fair shake at the schools i'm looking at.

He's also a veteran, and an immigrant, which is about as good as you can get as far as diversity and life experience. OP, make sure you sell these as well.

 

[NontradCA]

Statistics show that it is, and I know it's nothing you want to jinx yourself with- when giving advice to other minorities, tell them to use it to their advantage. There's people bitching about it whether you think about it or not, so give them something to talk about. My 2 cents.

 

[razor]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this so if it isn't, I apologize in advance.

I'm trying to see how competitive my portfolio will be and if I need to do more before I apply to medical schools. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

- I am a 24 y/o African American male
-90% disabled veteran of the Air Force. I wore a medical badge in the military and my job title was Aerospace Physiology
-Received 6 medals during service, have over 1500 hours teaching Air force pilots, have a secret security clearance, and a good bit of other military awards and secondary job titles
-I have 150 volunteer hours from the military ranging from picking up trash to driving DV'S around
-500 volunteer job shadowing hours in the lab and pathology department of a hospital
-I have an associates degree in Physics
-I will earn my bachelors in Microbiology next fall and have a 3.2 GPA as of now (low due to health problems while attending school in the military, but should be more than capable to pull it up in the upcoming year)
-Haven’t taken my MCAT yet but have done well on practice tests and plan to take it soon
-Pastors, professors, and military officers are ready and excited to write me letters of recommendation when I ask
-Will be getting my med tech license in a 6 month class after I receive my bachelors because there will be a 9 months wait in between when I graduate with my bachelors and when I can start med school
- a few other things i can't remember

I'm just looking for advice other then "raise your gpa" and "do well on your mcat". I want to have the best application I can. I'm all for constructive criticism but no hate mail please.

Thank you

My package looks like a li'l smokie wearing a fur coat.

 

[coolingglasses]

Hit at least middle-upper 20s on your MCAT and you are golden.