Wierd MCAT/GPA combo, help with med schools?

[leiface]

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Hey guys,
My science GPA is only 3.17 and overall 3.37. I'm majoring in biochemistry. Yesterday the MCAT scores came out and to my surprise, I got a 38R. I'm just wondering if this means I can apply with some hope of getting into some reach schools. I know there are other factors, but assuming everything else is acceptable but not extraordinary, which of these med schools would be a good match? Also I am an Illinois resident and plan on applying to all IL schools.

Georgetown University
University of Michigan
University of Missouri-Columbia
Columbia University
Case Western

Thanks for all your help 🙂

 

[exmike]

why Georgetown?

 

[leiface]

Although I dislike their very expensive secondary fee, I like their tradition of cura personalis...as stated in the MSAR book. This is important to me as I am looking currently looking into doing primary care, and it is just an attractive concept.

 

[exmike]

Although I dislike their very expensive secondary fee, I like their tradition of cura personalis...as stated in the MSAR book. This is important to me as I am looking currently looking into doing primary care, and it is just an attractive concept.

hehe curas personalis.. right. well make sure you check out the school thorougly before you pick it.

 

[Neuronix]

hehe curas personalis.. right.

 

[ewing]

Consider Wash U in St. Louis. They place a lot of weight on MCAT scores and are not that far from you geographically.

 

[leiface]

I am already applying to WashU; I actually go here undergrad. I know the school is awesome but heavily research based... I want to go into primary care. Also I'm not sure if not want to stay in St. Louis for 8 years (wha!).

Hey Mikeex, do you not like Georgetown? I am doing my medical school research with the MSAR book and the webpages. Given that I do not have that much time to explore if I want to get my application in early and my only other resource is SDN, I don't know much about the school. If you have any inside scoops about Georgetown...please let me know! 🙂

Anyone know about the other schools or think they are good/bad fits?

 

[exmike]

i just find it interesting that you picked GU out of all the random schools you could apply to in the country. GU has pretty dilapidated facilities, a very rigid traditional curriclum, and the admin is less than great. In fact I withdrew from GU the moment I got into Case. GU gets so many applications and they interview so many people, I would not apply unless I had a compelling reason to go there. My year experience at GU left me with a sour taste in my mouth. they have 165 spots, but about 20-25 go to SMP students and another 15 or so go to GEMS students so you really are only left with 120 spots spread over 7000+ applicants. Not that great huh?

 

[DMBUGA34]

You should drop GU and add Rochester. Rochester's very strong at primary care, less expensive with better financial aid, is big on MCAT score, and home to the biopsychosocial model for patient care.

 

[Indebt4Life]

You really need to apply to some safety schools because an acceptance is not promised to anyone with a 38 on their MCAT and your GPA is very very low. Do you have medically related experiences? and good motivational reasons to go into medicine? Check out some of the threads on here about students with 38 MCATs and 3.9 GPAs that have not gotten in anywhere yet. It is a humbling experience my dear. Good luck.

 

[Xandie]

University of Michigan is pretty research-heavy too.

 

[leiface]

Well my question was really getting at what my combination of GPA and MCAT would get me into...I wasn't trying to brag or anything...Also I don't like being called "my dear."

Anyway, again, I'm applying to all the Illiniois schools, many of which are easier relatively to get into than schools like WashU. What exactly would be considered a safety school besides your state school or lower GPA/MCAT averages? Do we know of schools outside of Illinois that are good safety schools?

Also I'm asking you guys to rate me assuming that all other things besides GPA and MCAT are acceptable. I have a lot of clinical research and patient interaction experience. Research, leadership, blah blah. Nothing truly exceptional, but like I said, acceptable.

 

[tontondavid]

I am wondering why Exmike doesn't recommend GU....hmmm 😉

Anyway, I interviewed there and the facilities are ok. I am not sure what facilities Exmike is talking about since the med school has their own (not great I know but decent).
I am on waitlist there but I don't know if I'll ever get out of it. It is a very unique institution that doesn't fit everyone.

Good luck.

 

[kmjannie]

I don't think that U Missouri - Columbia takes that many out of staters. But you do have great stats, which may help. Just something to think about though....

GlUcK.

I just looked back at your original post...read your gpa wrong. But nice work on the MCAT. I wouldn't waste your money on UM-Columbia. Why not U Iowa? 30 percent of every class is out of state.

 

[Xandie]

MCW is a good place... it likes Midwesterners and is good for primary care.

 

[leiface]

I thought that UMissouri might give me some credit for having gone to school in Missouri, I'm not sure though. I hear good things about U of Iowa, are they more research based or care based?

 

[kmjannie]

I would say that Iowa is more care based....many go into primary care specialties. But, I think there are ample opportunities for research as well. It's really quite a well-rounded school and has a great teaching hospital, UIHC.


PS - I am slightly biased, being from Iowa and applying to the University this cycle.

GlUcK.

 

[leiface]

Has anyone had negative experiences with Georgetown as well? I might consider taking it off my list of exmike is correct.

 

[ewing]

Has anyone had negative experiences with Georgetown as well? I might consider taking it off my list of exmike is correct.

I did not complete their secondary. I decided that the $30 I spent adding them to AMCAS was bad enough not to need the $100 secondary fee to compound it. Essentially, I learned that the cura personalis thing is very religious -- it's not about being a good family practitioner and treating the whole patient. In fact, I think their matchlist in recent years had been notable for matches in orthopedic surgery, not exactly primary care.

In terms of more backups, have you considered MSUand OSU? I think they take out-of-staters and I'm guessing you want to stay in the MidWest. Also, you might consider SLU -- as a backup. At least you already know St. Louis. I think you'll be fine if you apply to all of the schools in IL, though, honestly.

 

[leiface]

Thanks ewing,
I'm glad to hear info on Georgetown; I think I might trade it for Rochester now. What do you guys think about Columbia? Is it too much of a reach? Good school? I was interested because of their emphasis on collegial rather than a competitive atmosphere.

Also what is MSU and OSU, Missouri and Oregon?

 

[ewing]

What do you guys think about Columbia? Is it too much of a reach? Good school? I was interested because of their emphasis on collegial rather than a competitive atmosphere.

Also what is MSU and OSU, Missouri and Oregon?

Columbia is not too much of a reach because they do put heavy emphasis on MCAT, and they'll cut you a little slack on the GPA because you went to a prestigious undergrad, and they get some geographic diversity points by taking a midwesterner. Obviously, it is also a very good school and most peopel who are lucky enough to get in there make the decision to attend there. Their yield is probably about the same as Wash U's, if that gives you a sense. That said, it is very much a research institution and although I know that the people who go there are very happy with their classmates, that doesn't mean you'll be happy there, if you know what I mean. They tend to take overacheivers from Harvard undergrad (their No. 1 feeder school), and there's a certain dynamic among those kind of people, even in a pass/fail environment that may not be precisely termed collegiality, particularly if you're not one of them. It's probably worth applying, going to the interview and seeing for yourself, though. I have no way of knowing where you'll be socially comfortable.

In general, I would warn you against putting too much stock into what schools say in MSAR, it's mostly meaningless.

Oh, and MSU is Michigan State and OSU is Ohio State. I take it you're not a big college football fan. 🙂

 

[DrThom]

I thought that UMissouri might give me some credit for having gone to school in Missouri, I'm not sure though. I hear good things about U of Iowa, are they more research based or care based?

I've had many conversations with Judy Nolke over at Mizzou and they will consider you because you are from a contingent state but will give you no credit for going to school in missouri. You won't be eligible for the automatic interview but with stats like that, shouldn't be a problem for you. Still have to pay the 42,000 dollars a year out of state tuition, though. That is the exact reason I am not applying there as an IL resident. 🙂

 

[Alderon007]

How do you all know which schools place a higher emphasis on MCAT scores?

 

[leiface]

Great, you guys are very very helpful.

Ewing, you're right, I'm not a college football fan but I always root for the Huskers (Lived in Lincoln NE for 5 years) 🙂

How is Case Western? I'm reading on these boards a lot of people seem to apply to schools like Drexel, Temple, Jefferson for backup. Is this true? Should I look into these schools?

I was looking in to UMissouri Columbia out of state tuition, it is a bit high...much better than UMissouri Kansas City campus though with an out of state tuition of 50,000 dollars! WHA!

 

[Brickhouse]

George Washington all the way baby! Just kidding.

Love your avatar.

 

[SDNer2004]

i just find it interesting that you picked GU out of all the random schools you could apply to in the country. GU has pretty dilapidated facilities, a very rigid traditional curriclum, and the admin is less than great. In fact I withdrew from GU the moment I got into Case. GU gets so many applications and they interview so many people, I would not apply unless I had a compelling reason to go there. My year experience at GU left me with a sour taste in my mouth.

This is coming from someone who has never experienced GU as a med student nor done actual clinical training at GU. I'd like to hear from a REAL GU med student, please. 🙄

 

[mellantro]

if you wanna do primary care, don't go to Gtown. that tuition is not worth it. honestly, aim for your state school if you wanna do primary care.

and i have to say that your MCAT score is impressive and your gpa is not so bad, as some posters have opined. look at how successful exmike and jlee have been with similar gpas.

you may not get any love at top tier, but i think you will get bites from middle and lower tier schools and like you said, if the rest of your app is reasonable, you should be looking at the high possibility of acceptance.

 

[45408]

MCW is a good place... it likes Midwesterners and is good for primary care.

I'd agree. It's somewhere in the middle of the road in terms of difficult to get into.

 

[leiface]

I do want to do primary care, but I do recognize the possibility of changing my goals in the future so that's why schools like WashU and Columbia are on my list. I actually went to an admissions panel for WashU med school and the admissions officer said that they have people going off into primary care but they will have a very good background in the specialties. She said that that makes for primary care physicians who deal better with referrals and things to specialty doctors.

Do you guys think UMich is too out of reach for me because it gives some preference to state residents etc? Also Case Western as well?

 

[Xandie]

U of M only has about 50% preference for in-state... as public schools go, it's less in-state heavy.