When to apply? (DO)

[tbyrdie]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Is October too late to apply?

EDIT:

• Stats according to AACOMAS sgpa/cgpa: 3.53/3.63
• Non Traditional
  • Suspension on record for academic performance early on (see below)
  • gpa w/o replacement about a 3.3ish (this is a guess)

 

[WalSlave]

Technically? No. But if you have stats on the lower end, you very well might not get any love.

 

[WesternRedCedar]

October isn't bad with competitive stats

 

[Mad Jack]

As early as possible. October won't kill your app, but it will harm it.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

As everyone said, try to aim to be in before then.

I'll say that legitimately the latest you want to be in good standing and "early" is mid August.

 

[tbyrdie]

Technically? No. But if you have stats on the lower end, you very well might not get any love.

According to AACOMA, my sGPA/cGPA is 3.53/3.63. However, that is with retakes. I am a non traditional student that had a very poor semester during my sophomore year in college (.675 yikes). Without retakes, because of the one bad semester, I would be looking at a 3.3 for both about. I will not take the MCAT until August.

Also, I was suspended after that semester and returned to the University. I averaged about a 3.7 after.

 

[tbyrdie]

As everyone said, try to aim to be in before then.

I'll say that legitimately the latest you want to be in good standing and "early" is mid August.

So would it be better to wait until next cycle? I also need to beef up my clinical experience as well.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

So would it be better to wait until next cycle? I also need to beef up my clinical experience as well.

Can you tell us why you're applying in october? Will you only then have an mcat score? Because you can submit a primary before then so you can be verified and start moving quickly.

 

[tbyrdie]

Can you tell us why you're applying in october? Will you only then have an mcat score? Because you can submit a primary before then so you can be verified and start moving quickly.

I'm waiting because of the MCAT and clinical experience.

 

[bball4]

According to AACOMA, my sGPA/cGPA is 3.53/3.63. However, that is with retakes. I am a non traditional student that had a very poor semester during my sophomore year in college (.675 yikes). Without retakes, because of the one bad semester, I would be looking at a 3.3 for both about. I will not take the MCAT until August.

Also, I was suspended after that semester and returned to the University. I averaged about a 3.7 after.

Do you plan on addressing the suspension at all in your personal statement?

 

[tbyrdie]

Do you plan on addressing the suspension at all in your personal statement?

Yes. And there was definitely a legitimate reason for it. I don't know if the suspension or lack of clinical work will be my greatest downfall. I have secured a volunteering position at a hospital where I will do 2-3 shifts per week until medical school (8-12 hours). Will that be "enough".
Here is a list of some of the EC activities I have participated in so far:

• Important Volunteer/Work
  • Student Teaching Assistant (3 semesters: for biology during 2, psychology during 1, physics during 1)
  • Research Assistant (3 semesters for psychology and biology (only 1 semester biology))
  • Community service from mostly grass root organizations (feeding the homeless, tutoring, community safety, senior citizens center, community centers etc)
  • Day Camp Worker (1 summer)
  • Student Ambassador (2 semesters)
  • College Orientation Leader
  • Animal Rescue (10 years)
  • Human Resources/Supervisor of the social workers for Home Health Care Company (9 months)
    • First "big" job right out of college, left it to go to school full time to complete pre med pre reqs
  • Pharmacy Technician (not certified): Began in high school 2005. Have worked holidays, summers, and sometimes part-time throughout the entire year since. The Pharmacist/Owner has become my mentor.

 

[WalSlave]

Can you tell us why you're applying in october? Will you only then have an mcat score? Because you can submit a primary before then so you can be verified and start moving quickly.

I would take Serenade's advice and do this. Your GPA as it stands now is quite competitive. Make sure you mention the academic suspension on the appropriate section of the app (IA section) and you'll be fine. Messing up academically is nothing to be ashamed of as you clearly came back from it judging by your awesome GPA.

 

[tbyrdie]

I would take Serenade's advice and do this. Your GPA as it stands now is quite competitive. Make sure you mention the academic suspension on the appropriate section of the app (IA section) and you'll be fine. Messing up academically is nothing to be ashamed of as you clearly came back from it judging by your awesome GPA.

Can you offer any advice about my proposed clinical experience plan as well? In the post above your reply, I laid out a list of what I have done so far and a plan for volunteering at a hospital. Will that be enough? Or should I take an extra year to complete more clinical experience? I just want to make myself the best applicant possible so I only have to do this one... hopefully.

 

[WalSlave]

Can you offer any advice about my proposed clinical experience plan as well? In the post above your reply, I laid out a list of what I have done so far and a plan for volunteering at a hospital. Will that be enough? Or should I take an extra year to complete more clinical experience? I just want to make myself the best applicant possible so I only have to do this one... hopefully.

I'm obviously no expert as I am applying this cycle as well, so this is just purely my objective opinion. I think it is great that you will be volunteering at a hospital soon and you should certainly mention this somewhere. However, you also have some healthcare experience in the form of being a pharmacy technician. Whether you realize it or not, you have done a lot of the same things being a pharm tech that you would do in a hospital. Most importantly, you know how to communicate with doctors and nurses and you have worked with patients directly. So I think you might have a bit more clinical-ish experience than you realize. The social work is also another interesting facet of healthcare that you have experience in.

Don't sell your current experiences short simply because they aren't the "traditional" volunteering in a hospital.

 

[tbyrdie]

Thanks @WalSlave I guess I never really considered my pharm tech experience as "clinical". It's medically related so I thought it was worth mentioning, but you really put that into perspective for me.

 

[cdistel]

I would agree with Walslave, count the pharm tech experience as clinical, you have probably taken doctor orders, compounded some basics and assisted patients-this absolutely counts. Best of luck