Will I get in somewhere if I apply broadly?

[njk58nj]

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Im a reapplicant for this upcoming cycle. I completed a SMP last spring and I applied to a handful of DO schools. Im a NJ resident. I have taken the MCAT twice during undergrad and both have expired: 498 and 493(Jan 2016-will expire soon). Below is the GPA that AACOMAS standardized. I finished with a 3.6 GPA but it was brought down to3 3.5 because my school does half step grading.
undergrad overall gpa: 3.17 undergrad science GPA: 2.84 Graduate GPA: 3.53 Graduate Science GPA: 3.49 Overall GPA(because Aacomas combines undergrad and science gpa: 3.24 Overall science: 3.05).

I have been studying for MCAT retake for May and shooting for 500+ to apply for DO schools.
I have research and clinical experience from going to global brigaes in Honduras, presenting a poster presentation in Undergrad, and working as a scribe for the past 6 months. Should I be fine to apply to DO schools this upcoming cycle if I apply to more schools obviously and broadly? Its disappointing that AACOMAS averages my undergrad with graduate gpa because I have trouble meeting cut offs for overall science gpa for certain schools.

 

[Osteosaur]

Did you get any interviews last time? And how are your practice tests coming? You can't have another stain on your MCAT record and REALLY need to knock this out of the park. Unless you're sure of a STELLAR MCAT you might want to delay... unless you have a good backup from being a doctor.

Even with 500+ on an MCAT, provided you are sure you could get it, your MCAT and GPA are quite low. How extensive was your experience in Honduras? Do you have any other experiences besides that, the poster, and 6 months as a scribe? Your ECs seem "average" which, in addition to numbers that aren't great, may not spell out application success. Something on your application really needs to be standout in order to rise-above.

You also should not be applying to a "handful" of DO schools. I know you've worked hard but in the current application environment you are a beggar and you need to be willing to go anywhere.

You'll want some DO physician shadowing and a DO letter as well if you don't have one. You really cannot give these schools any reason to doubt you as you are...

 

[Faha]

Post your MCAT score here when available in June and we can give you a better idea of which schools you could apply to .

 

[njk58nj]

Yes I have shadowing/ case manager-volunteered in clinic and clinical experience in undergrad as well as working with a radiologist. Thank you.

 

[f--venture]

Hey, thanks for sharing your story! I agree with the comment below, if you retake the MCAT for a 3rd time, it needs to be fabulous (mostly because why keep paying that $300 fee!?). Some folks just aren't great test takers, so also take the time to reflect on that. A 498 is the minimum admission requirement for most schools so if you aren't sure that you can beat that, there are other ways to help your application stand out. I've mentored students with almost your exact GPA/gradGPA/MCAT score combination and they still got several interviews. I want to disclaimer that with this: they got interviews from brand new DO schools. They also had very strong essays and solid solid experience working in healthcare and volunteering on medical missions. Nobody is going to be perfect or have the perfect application - it's all about leveraging your strengths and showing consistency. If you want your research to stand out, keep doing research. If you scribe, scribe for at least a full year. If you're really passionate about volunteering in Honduras, keep going back. Make that a consistency and then tell the story of that dedication to medicine in your essays. It's hard for an admissions committee to turn down that kind of passion for this field just because of lower standardized test scores. You'll definitely have a leg up on the folks who sacrificed clinical experience for a perfect MCAT score.

Good luck, and keep us posted!!

-Lauren

 

[Dhooy7]

Hey, thanks for sharing your story! I agree with the comment below, if you retake the MCAT for a 3rd time, it needs to be fabulous (mostly because why keep paying that $300 fee!?). Some folks just aren't great test takers, so also take the time to reflect on that. A 498 is the minimum admission requirement for most schools so if you aren't sure that you can beat that, there are other ways to help your application stand out. I've mentored students with almost your exact GPA/gradGPA/MCAT score combination and they still got several interviews. I want to disclaimer that with this: they got interviews from brand new DO schools. They also had very strong essays and solid solid experience working in healthcare and volunteering on medical missions. Nobody is going to be perfect or have the perfect application - it's all about leveraging your strengths and showing consistency. If you want your research to stand out, keep doing research. If you scribe, scribe for at least a full year. If you're really passionate about volunteering in Honduras, keep going back. Make that a consistency and then tell the story of that dedication to medicine in your essays. It's hard for an admissions committee to turn down that kind of passion for this field just because of lower standardized test scores. You'll definitely have a leg up on the folks who sacrificed clinical experience for a perfect MCAT score.

Good luck, and keep us posted!!

-Lauren

Are you willing to give me some feedback on my application?

 

[f--venture]

Absolutely! Send your documents via message so I can get a holistic idea of where you're at!

Thanks!
Lauren

 

[hungrydoc710]

Did you 3.8-4.0 the SMP?
Anything short of that shows you are not ready for medical school.

Even for DO, you've dug yourself into a bit of a hole.
Don't take MCAT until you are scoring 505 plus.

It's getting rough out there. Your best chance is at a new, new DO schools but those schools are asking for bottom line 500's coupled with a competitve GPA out of undergrad. Not to mention, those schools are at threat of matching poorly first several years.

G'luck.

 

[GypsyHummus]

If you get another sub 500 MCAT, I would look into Podiatry schools. No DO school is gonna accept someone with a 493 unless they had a 3.8+ GPA and amazing ECs, like military experience or URM. Even then, it would be new DO schools only.

2 tries below a 500 tells me you might have trouble with test taking. If so, I recommend finding a new career. That’s not to say you can’t do it, but tests and medical school go hand in hand. Your GPAs are not bad though, you could prolly do any other health profession if med school doesn’t work out.

Edit: I just found you had around a 2.8s GPA for undergrad. Acommas actually separates undergrad from grad school. You might not make a lot of cutoffs. This combined with a 493 (I take it this was the latest score?) tells me med school might be a forgone conclusion. The only way forward I see is you aceing the MCAT (510+) and doing an SMP. I know it’s not what you wanna hear. You might really want to look into Podiatry (much easier to get into) or into the OAT for optometry schools (much easier than the MCAT).

Good luck.

 

[Goro]

Im a reapplicant for this upcoming cycle. I completed a SMP last spring and I applied to a handful of DO schools. Im a NJ resident. I have taken the MCAT twice during undergrad and both have expired: 498 and 493(Jan 2016-will expire soon). Below is the GPA that AACOMAS standardized. I finished with a 3.6 GPA but it was brought down to3 3.5 because my school does half step grading.
undergrad overall gpa: 3.17 undergrad science GPA: 2.84 Graduate GPA: 3.53 Graduate Science GPA: 3.49 Overall GPA(because Aacomas combines undergrad and science gpa: 3.24 Overall science: 3.05).

I have been studying for MCAT retake for May and shooting for 500+ to apply for DO schools.
I have research and clinical experience from going to global brigaes in Honduras, presenting a poster presentation in Undergrad, and working as a scribe for the past 6 months. Should I be fine to apply to DO schools this upcoming cycle if I apply to more schools obviously and broadly? Its disappointing that AACOMAS averages my undergrad with graduate gpa because I have trouble meeting cut offs for overall science gpa for certain schools.

With a better MCAT score, odd of you getting IIs are good.

Getting accepted is 100% on you.

 

[hungrydoc710]

Low-ish GPA. I'd shoot for 502+. Don't be picky on the school though - apply 15+ and cross ya fingers.

 

[rajp98]

@Goro @GypsyHummus

When you guys mean 'new DO schools', which ones are you referring to?

 

[Isoval]

@Goro @GypsyHummus

When you guys mean 'new DO schools', which ones are you referring to?

The likes of ICOM, ACOM, etc.

Anything in the past few years.

These schools tend to have lower standards for applicants due to the applicant pool being more sparse.

 

[hungrydoc710]

New schools = ICOM, ARCOM, RVU-Utah.

ACOM is actually quite tough to get into, since thier rotations are fire.

 

[njk58nj]

I actually got a 496 on my recent retake in May. My breakdown was 126 120 126 124. I was scoring over 500s on practice tests and 123-124 in cars. I think changing my strategy to mapping the passages did me more bad than good.My plan was to plan to 15 do schools including the likes of mostly newer do schools and worst case go carribean next August if nothing bites. Should I just wait it out and see what happens this cycle or pack my sunscreen and apply and head to SGU this August. I really don’t want to give up on my dream on being a dr. Not having to worry about cars on future standardized tests past the Mcat along with a 3.6 in a smp gives me hope that I can do it. I’m also willing to studying for a possible 4th retake while I wait to see what happens this cycle.

 

[Osminog]

I actually got a 496 on my recent retake in May. My breakdown was 126 120 126 124. I was scoring over 500s on practice tests and 123-124 in cars. I think changing my strategy to mapping the passages did me more bad than good.My plan was to plan to 15 do schools including the likes of mostly newer do schools and worst case go carribean next August if nothing bites. Should I just wait it out and see what happens this cycle or pack my sunscreen and apply and head to SGU this August. I really don’t want to give up on my dream on being a dr. Not having to worry about cars on future standardized tests past the Mcat along with a 3.6 in a smp gives me hope that I can do it. I’m also willing to studying for a possible 4th retake while I wait to see what happens this cycle.

A 120 in CARS is pretty much what you'd get from guessing on every question. Your odds of getting into a DO school aren't good this cycle.

I wouldn't recommend going to SGU; its attrition rate is really bad.

 

[Seihai]

I actually got a 496 on my recent retake in May. My breakdown was 126 120 126 124. I was scoring over 500s on practice tests and 123-124 in cars. I think changing my strategy to mapping the passages did me more bad than good.My plan was to plan to 15 do schools including the likes of mostly newer do schools and worst case go carribean next August if nothing bites. Should I just wait it out and see what happens this cycle or pack my sunscreen and apply and head to SGU this August. I really don’t want to give up on my dream on being a dr. Not having to worry about cars on future standardized tests past the Mcat along with a 3.6 in a smp gives me hope that I can do it. I’m also willing to studying for a possible 4th retake while I wait to see what happens this cycle.

Your stats won't give schools much faith in your ability to succeed in medical school. Going to SGU is very much not recommended - you're not likely to win the coin toss of graduating, much less matching, based on your academic and MCAT track record. You're more likely to be one of the students who drops out with hundreds of thousands in debt and nothing to show for it.

CARS is the section that has been most highly correlated with success in med school, so your low score there is actually a pretty big red flag. SMPs usually expect people to get 3.8+ and getting any lower is a pretty big red flag that you wouldn't cut it in medical school as most SMPs have you take med school courses.

You need to start considering a plan B or you need to take a long, hard look at how you're studying and what you're doing before you try to take the MCAT again. Being "willing" to study for a 4th retake means nothing when you've consistently scored <500 on your past three attempts.

 

[Osteosaur]

I actually got a 496 on my recent retake in May. My breakdown was 126 120 126 124. I was scoring over 500s on practice tests and 123-124 in cars. I think changing my strategy to mapping the passages did me more bad than good.My plan was to plan to 15 do schools including the likes of mostly newer do schools and worst case go carribean next August if nothing bites. Should I just wait it out and see what happens this cycle or pack my sunscreen and apply and head to SGU this August. I really don’t want to give up on my dream on being a dr. Not having to worry about cars on future standardized tests past the Mcat along with a 3.6 in a smp gives me hope that I can do it. I’m also willing to studying for a possible 4th retake while I wait to see what happens this cycle.

I have a friend who is at SGU.

HE says their class of 1000 is down to 300...