MD What MCAT would I need to stand a good chance at an MD School?

[Argentarius]

So I've never been a great student and I've had a lot of trouble with depression and motivation over the years. I graduated UCSD with my B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience. with cGPA 3.429 sGPA 3.38 and nsGPA 3.65 which is not catastrophic but when you include all the screwing around I did in community college everything drops way lower. If you include community college cGPA 3.31
sGPA 3.02 ns GPA 3.67. i have 36 hours of clinicals from my EMT ride-alongs and I'm planning on shadowing and volunteering to have another 150 or so by the time I apply this summer. I'm going to take the MCAT soon enough to apply this cycle and get a short master's (Somewhere in biology, I have a couple offers but I haven't decided yet. Also I won't have started classes before I submit my AAMCAS application) in before I start med school in 2019. What MCAT would I need to have a realistic chance of an MD school?

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[jk441]

So I've never been a great student and I've had a lot of trouble with depression and motivation over the years. I graduated UCSD with my B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience. with cGPA 3.429 sGPA 3.38 and nsGPA 3.65 which is not catastrophic but when you include all the screwing around I did in community college everything drops way lower. If you include community college cGPA 3.31
sGPA 3.02 ns GPA 3.67. i have 36 hours of clinicals from my EMT ride-alongs and I'm planning on shadowing and volunteering to have another 150 or so by the time I apply this summer. I'm going to take the MCAT soon enough to apply this cycle and get a short master's (Somewhere in biology, I have a couple offers but I haven't decided yet. Also I won't have started classes before I submit my AAMCAS application) in before I start med school in 2019. What MCAT would I need to have a realistic chance of an MD school?

You need to do as well as possible on the MCAT b/c of your GPA (I.e. do not rush taking this exam) — I am certainly no admissions expert though, this is up @Goro 's alley. Are you thinking about applying to DO schools as well?

 

[Argentarius]

Do you have an idea of whether my chances are going to be in my overall GPA range or my range at the 4 year school? Because if its the overall range Im pretty much screwed

 

[698344]

Do you have an idea of whether my chances are going to be in my overall GPA range or my range at the 4 year school? Because if its the overall range Im pretty much screwed

They will factor in your community college grades as well.

 

[Argentarius]

I wasn't planning on applying to DO schools. I feel that would kill my chances at research and leadership in Neurology.

 

[Goro]

I wasn't planning on applying to DO schools. I feel that would kill my chances at research and leadership in Neurology.

Beggars can't be choosy. And Neuro is a very DO friendly field.

 

[Argentarius]

Beggars can't be choosy. And Neuro is a very DO friendly field.

Good to know. Do you have any insight as to what MCAT score I would need to have a realistic chance at an MD school? Or perhaps whether my chances are better reflected by my GPA at UCSD or overall?

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

Had you gone from the poor CC grades to a 3.8-4.0 I'd say that most schools would see the turnaround as true reinvention. I'm concerned that even just your UCSD grades are below average for MD schools. If the masters came with real research hours and you have some shadowing and community service to add to your EMT work I'd still say you'd need like, 90th percentile on the MCAT (513 or something around there) to get a sniff from some MD schools (going by the SDN acceptance chart it puts you at about 50% likelihood of matriculation if you get that high).

 

[Argentarius]

Had you gone from the poor CC grades to a 3.8-4.0 I'd say that most schools would see the turnaround as true reinvention. I'm concerned that even just your UCSD grades are below average for MD schools. If the masters came with real research hours and you have some shadowing and community service to add to your EMT work I'd still say you'd need like, 90th percentile on the MCAT (513 or something around there) to get a sniff from some MD schools (going by the SDN acceptance chart it puts you at about 50% likelihood of matriculation if you get that high).

Thank you very much. I know I need to smoke the MCAT to get into to a decent allopathic school and if I don't do particularly well I'll have to wait another year or do something else. I was just wanting to find out if a very high MCAT would give me a fighting chance despite my bad CC grades. Also does the master's mean anything for my chances given that I won't have started properly by the time I apply to med school?

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

Thank you very much. I know I need to smoke the MCAT to get into to a decent allopathic school and if I don't do particularly well I'll have to wait another year or do something else. I was just wanting to find out if a very high MCAT would give me a fighting chance despite my bad CC grades. Also does the master's mean anything for my chances given that I won't have started properly by the time I apply to med school?

From my perspective, the masters itself means nothing, its the research you do while achieving the Masters that I would care about.

 

[mcdocky]

To give a straight answer, probably a 514+ and applying to 20+ schools, very broadly would give you a decent chance if you also have all the extracurriculars such as volunteering, shadowing, leadership, research etc.

Broadly meaning your state schools and basically all the low - mid tier privates out there in USA.

 

[Argentarius]

To give a straight answer, probably a 514+ and applying to 20+ schools, very broadly would give you a decent chance if you also have all the extracurriculars such as volunteering, shadowing, leadership, research etc.

Broadly meaning your state schools and basically all the low - mid tier privates out there in USA.

That's really interesting, applying in-state improves one's chances? I mean I live in California so all of the medical schools are hard to get into. 6 UC's, Stanford, USC etc... Loma Linda's not bad though. Also UCR might not be too far fetched and I kind of dig the idea of being one of the people who proves the new full MD program there is no joke

 

[Goro]

Good to know. Do you have any insight as to what MCAT score I would need to have a realistic chance at an MD school? Or perhaps whether my chances are better reflected by my GPA at UCSD or overall?

513+. It's your entire app that counts.

 

[Argentarius]

513+. It's your entire app that counts.

Thank you. I'll prepare as well as I possibly can for my MCAT date and make sure the other elements are up to snuff.

 

[mcdocky]

That's really interesting, applying in-state improves one's chances? I mean I live in California so all of the medical schools are hard to get into. 6 UC's, Stanford, USC etc... Loma Linda's not bad though. Also UCR might not be too far fetched and I kind of dig the idea of being one of the people who proves the new full MD program there is no joke

Cali's an unlucky state, so your chances go down in terms of getting into a state school. But you should still apply to all your in states that have an IS bias such as the UC's minus UCSF. CNU (has a bad rep, but beggars can't be choosers) might also be a good choice. Then a bunch of OOS privates like OUWB etc.

You definitely can still get into an MD program.. it just depends on if you can actually get a 513-514+ considering that your grades don't necessarily show that you have the discipline to. But if you're a changed man or just had a really rough undergraduate experience, then a 514 is feasible.

Good luck!

 

[tuco's revenge]

I'm already a first year medical student, but I was super bored and browsing these forums, and I'm pretty sure we went to same CC man lol. I don't think I've met you, but I recognize you from the pic, pretty sure we had at least one class together in community college. Small world. I'd change your pic if I were you for anonymity

did you take your o chems at your CC? It was insanely hard there man, there were only like 2 A's in the whole semester apparently... I dropped the class second week lol... o chem at UC was much easier. I'd say maybe like masters and a good score on the MCAT, like 513+ is essential if you want MD. DO you can prolly get 505 and get into a decent one without a masters. just my opinion

 

[calivianya]

What would you consider a realistic chance?

If you look at this table, 22.2% of people with your 3.31 cumulative GPA got into med school. I'd say your chances would probably be lower than that because your science GPA drags so far behind your non-science GPA. The table says that people with your GPA are accepted >50% of the time starting at a 514 MCAT score, so you should at least shoot for that... but with your 3.02 sGPA, I'm not even sure a 520 would be safe.

Are any of the master's you have offers from a linked SMP? I think that would be your best chance.

 

[Argentarius]

I'm already a first year medical student, but I was super bored and browsing these forums, and I'm pretty sure we went to same CC man lol. I don't think I've met you, but I recognize you from the pic, pretty sure we had at least one class together in community college. Small world. I'd change your pic if I were you for anonymity

did you take your o chems at your CC? It was insanely hard there man, there were only like 2 A's in the whole semester apparently... I dropped the class second week lol... o chem at UC was much easier. I'd say maybe like masters and a good score on the MCAT, like 513+ is essential if you want MD. DO you can prolly get 505 and get into a decent one without a masters. just my opinion

Yeah I took Ochem at my CC. Maybe we do know each other

 

[Argentarius]

Are any of the master's you have offers from a linked SMP? I think that would be your best chance.

They're not, they're things like Neurosci and Biomedical Engineering which definitely have high science content and will improve my sGPA but I won't have started classes by the time I apply this cycle. They'll be relevant if I get a million rejections and try again next year but I don't think they're likely to make any difference this time around except perhaps to illustrate that I'm not considered total garbage in the grad school community.

 

[OneTwoThreeFour]

They're not, they're things like Neurosci and Biomedical Engineering which definitely have high science content and will improve my sGPA but I won't have started classes by the time I apply this cycle. They'll be relevant if I get a million rejections and try again next year but I don't think they're likely to make any difference this time around except perhaps to illustrate that I'm not considered total garbage in the grad school community.

Just so you know, I am pretty sure graduate school courses will not change your sGPA

 

[Argentarius]

Just so you know, I am pretty sure graduate school courses will not change your sGPA

That sucks. Will it prove I'm not garbage at science?

 

[Walter Raleigh]

If I was you, I'd shoot for 515+; your upward trend helps things but your ECs are weak.

 

[Goro]

So I've never been a great student and I've had a lot of trouble with depression and motivation over the years. I graduated UCSD with my B.S. in Physiology and Neuroscience. with cGPA 3.429 sGPA 3.38 and nsGPA 3.65 which is not catastrophic but when you include all the screwing around I did in community college everything drops way lower. If you include community college cGPA 3.31
sGPA 3.02 ns GPA 3.67. i have 36 hours of clinicals from my EMT ride-alongs and I'm planning on shadowing and volunteering to have another 150 or so by the time I apply this summer. I'm going to take the MCAT soon enough to apply this cycle and get a short master's (Somewhere in biology, I have a couple offers but I haven't decided yet. Also I won't have started classes before I submit my AAMCAS application) in before I start med school in 2019. What MCAT would I need to have a realistic chance of an MD school?

Read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[Argentarius]

Read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

Thank you that's a really good outline of hat to focus on. Just one question that I don't think was really on there is whether my plans for traditional Masters (that might get me a job if everything goes to hell) are as useful as the specific Post-Bacc or SMP?

 

[Goro]

Thank you that's a really good outline of hat to focus on. Just one question that I don't think was really on there is whether my plans for traditional Masters (that might get me a job if everything goes to hell) are as useful as the specific Post-Bacc or SMP?

MD schools don't count GPAs for research MS, given the grade inflation. DO schools will count them.

 

[Argentarius]

MD schools don't count GPAs for research MS, given the grade inflation. DO schools will count them.

Would it be an advantage?

 

[gyngyn]

That sucks. Will it prove I'm not garbage at science?

Master's grades do not remediate a weak undergraduate performance at MD schools (with rare exceptions). Undergraduate science gpa is the single most important data point in the screening of MD applicants.
May I suggest that you protect your anonymity online if you are either of the handsome people in your avatar?

 

[Argentarius]

Master's grades do not remediate a weak undergraduate performance at MD schools (with rare exceptions). Undergraduate science gpa is the single most important data point in the screening of MD applicants.
May I suggest that you protect your anonymity online if you are either of the handsome people in your avatar?

Indeed you may
Would a traditional MS have any positive effect? I appreciate all of you telling me about how Masters grades don't get calculated in the same category as undergrad though.

 

[Goro]

Indeed you may
Would a traditional MS have any positive effect? I appreciate all of you telling me about how Masters grades don't get calculated in the same category as undergrad though.

For MD, no For DO, yes.