Where to apply???

[carp56]

I am looking to apply this year but still looking for realistic schools to apply to. I completed one year at a CC after high school with a low GPA 2.?, joined the Army a yr after dropping out. have been in the Army for 8 yrs now. while in the Army I have been a medic EMT certified and went to cardiovascular school 4yrs ago. now an ACLS instructor. have started taking prereqs a yr ago. taking most prereqs at local CC and have a 4.0 there a few prereqs at TUI where my degree will be from and currently have a 3.77, 4.0 science. MCAT scores are not back but was fairly consistent 24 on practice test before the April test and felt about the same during the test. All while still working 24hr call at the cardiac cath lab and maintaining supplies for the department. so 8yrs of various med experience but no formal shadowing or volunteering or research. I am currently a TX resident and will apply to the TX schools but not sure if there are any MD schools any where else that would be worth looking into since funds are limited. I do plan on applying to AZCOM and ATstillAZCOM OSUCOM in addition to the TX schools.

Sorry for the long post just looking for realistic list of schools to apply to.

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[Catalystik]

-I am looking to apply this year
-I completed one year at a CC after high school with a low GPA 2.?,
-joined the Army a yr after dropping out. have been in the Army for 8 yrs -went to cardiovascular school 4yrs ago.
-now an ACLS instructor.
-have started taking prereqs a yr ago.
-currently have a 3.77, 4.0 science.
-MCAT scores are not back but was fairly consistent 24 on practice test
-8yrs of various med experience but no formal shadowing or volunteering or research.

I am currently a TX resident and will apply to the TX schools but not sure if there are any MD schools any where else that would be worth looking into since funds are limited. I do plan on applying to AZCOM and ATstillAZCOM OSUCOM in addition to the TX schools.

Your application GPAs will include all grades earned at every school attended after HS (including CC, military, and CV school, if grades were given). Does your GPA reflect all that? If not, calculate the rest of them in: this might help: DO GPA calculation spreadsheet: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=450050

Keep in mind that if you retook any of the CC classes that you did poorly in, AACOMAS DO schools will only count the most recent grade if the credit hours were the same or greater. Is your AACOMAS GPA different?

The strength of your clinical experience, the altruism of your public service in the military, your teaching, (and probably leadership since you are in the military) will compensate for the lack of research and general community service. But you really should get in some formal physician shadowing, ideally of a DO and an office-based primary care doc at the minimum.

 

[carp56]

Thanks for the link I will try this might take a wile. How are pass fail classes entered? What do i put for transfercredit from military that is just shows as transfer credits on transcripts? I assume the same as pass fail.

The main reason I have never had formal shadowing is that I work hand in hand scrubbed in to cases with them all day and often assist in other parts of their practice as well, so in a since I have hundreds to thousands of hours of shadowing multiple doctors and PAs for 8 yrs straight even though it is not a shadowing program would it still be considered shadowing?

thanks for all the help/advice
Carp56

 

[Catalystik]

1) How are pass fail classes entered?
2) What do i put for transfercredit from military that is just shows as transfer credits on transcripts?
3) The main reason I have never had formal shadowing is that I work hand in hand scrubbed in to cases with them all day and often assist in other parts of their practice as well, so in a since I have hundreds to thousands of hours of shadowing multiple doctors and PAs for 8 yrs straight even though it is not a shadowing program would it still be considered shadowing?

1) You don't have to enter the P/F classes for our purposes, as they don't have an effect on your GPA.

2) You must enter the grades as they appear on the original transcript where you took the class, whether or not they appear as P/F on another school's transcript due to a school transfer. If the military gave you grades, then you enter the grades earned.

3) Yes, this is shadowing, even if it wasn't "formal". Be sure you make it clear on the application that you did this.

 

[carp56]

Ok I found all my transcripts with a letter grade.

overall and science around 3.5

any realistic school recommendations?

 

[Catalystik]

Until we know your actual MCAT score, it's probably best to focus on DO schools for now. To help you decide:

DO tuition list with average stats/school: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=805479

Be sure you know the prerequisites for each school and whether you need a DO letter: http://www.aacom.org/resources/bookstore/cib/Documents/2012cib/2012cib-whole.pdf

 

[carp56]

Thanks for the links GPA/MCAT is helpful the tuition is irrelevant for me I plan to take the Army's HSPS since I am already active duty. One of the LORs that I already have is from a DO and all others are from MDs.

 

[carp56]

Well I have my MCAT back 27 with a 3.5 GPA but AACOMAS puts sGPA at 4.0. So far I am thinking only TX schools and a few DO schools. Any thoughts?

 

[Catalystik]

I think that's a reasonable plan.