Will October be too late? (URM)

[breezybacitracin]

Hey hey!

I really would love some insight on my chances. I submitted my primary back in June and have submitted 5 secondaries so far. Im retaking my MCAT next week. Im finally averaging in the 503+ so I'm hoping to pull a 505 next week! Just about to lock in and get done

cGPA: 3.4
sGPA: 3.0
Grad school GPA: 3.6

MCAT #1 (2023): 486; MCAT #2 (2023): 491; MCAT #3 (June 2024): 496; MCAT #4: Sept. 5 2024 - I know my scores are terrible, but I had a lot of very rough circumstances especially the first test (my grandfather passed on Thanksgiving and then I was rear ended 5 days before my exam and had terrible back pain the entire test 🫠) I know I shouldn't have scored it, but my family definitely played a part in the delusion. My last attempt in June I was scoring in the 500's, but my psychiatrist gave my a sedative for my anxiety the night before and it messed me all the way up. My brain was so groggy I felt very out of it. All in all Im hoping the upward trend will some how make up for it.

Casper: 3rd quart
PREview: 8
State of Residence: VA, but currently living in NYC
African-American female

Low income from disadvantaged background. FAP, Pell grant recipient for context.
~ 900 hours Scribe hours in Level 1 ED
~ 2500 hours: 3 years of neuroscience research (completed a thesis masters program)
~ 200 hours: EMT 1 training and certificate
~ 750 hours: Combined leadership (TA/Preceptor)
~ 850 hours: Non-Clinical Volunteer (mentor, community volunteer with my sorority, etc.)
~6500 hours: Federal work study. Worked two part time jobs throughout undergrad
Member of one of the Divine 9 org
PS + Disadvantaged essay: Wrote a lot about coming from poverty (section 8, oldest of 9, first gen student, family history with medical issues like relying on mediaid ex. never had a PCP growing up was always seen at urgent cares, had to get my first job at 15)

Letters from my PI from grad school, the director of our graduate program, my bio teacher I preceptor for and took classes with every year throughout undergrad, my scribe job (worked with both MD & DO's), my mentoring volunteering & last one from my sorority

This is my current school list

Howard University
Rosalind Franklin
Burrell
NYITCOM - Long Island
Loyola University
Rowan
Rush
Touro - Harlem
Nova Osteopathic
Morehouse
George Washington
Georgetown
Maryland
Drexel
Temple
Miami Miller
Nova - Allopathic
Cooper
SUNY
Hackensack
Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: Piscataway, NJ
Rutgers, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School: Newark, NJ
Carle Illinois
University of Illinois
Thomas Jefferson University
Chicago - Midwestern University
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

I received secondaries from:
Howard University
Rosalind Franklin
Burrell
NYITCOM - Long Island
Loyola University
Rowan
Morehouse
George Washington
Georgetown
Maryland
Drexel
Temple
Miami Miller
Nova Allopathic Medicine
SUNY
Hackensack
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Only submitted secondaries to HU, Morehouse, Burrell, Rowan, Morehouse and Rosalind so far just haven't been able to do much this week trying to lock in for this exam. Carle Illinois denied me a secondary because Im under their 498 requirement, but they said they'll re-evaluate when they get my new score. Just wondering with my score not coming until 10/01 what are my chances with this school list? Really looking to stay on the East Coast farthest away from family Im trying to be is Chicago (Im the oldest and my gma has cancer and I just dont wanna be too far in case anything happens). I know this will all be late for MD, but Im a FAP recipient so those are my 20 free schools I could find that might possibly by the skin of my teeth give me a chance :/

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[Goro]

I think chances for MD will be best with the historically black universities. For do, cast a wide net.

In the future ignore your family, because they are doing your best to make you self-sabotage by making bad choices.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Why did you apply to Carle? What major did you pursue, because they are clear what courses you need to take regarding quantitative sciences, I thought.

Do as many of those secondaries as you can. Look up PMP at Rosalind Franklin as a safety net, though I would hope all the HBCU med schools would consider you for sure.

 

[Faha]

I would suggest applying to or submitting secondaries to these schools:
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Charles Drew
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
West Virginia
Rosalind Franklin
Other MD schools are not realistic with a MCAT of 496
For DO schools I suggest these:
WVSOM
UP-KYCOM
VCOM (all schools )
LMU-DCOM
ACOM
WCU-COM
UIWSOM
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia
OCOM
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
BUCOM
LECOM (all schools)
MU-COM
KHSC-COM
BCOM (both schools)
ICOM
Touro-Montana
Many of these DO schools have MCAT medians in the 498 to 502 range so you should receive interviews.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Moving to WAMC

 

[breezybacitracin]

I think chances for MD will be best with the historically black universities. For do, cast a wide net.

In the future ignore your family, because they are doing your best to make you self-sabotage by making bad choices.

Definitely learned my lesson. Its hard as a first-gen though my family wants this for me so bad, but they dont understand things like the MCAT or the application process. I wasn't aware of Reddit or SDN before. I was going through all of this blind from undergrad and the mentor I was suppose to have (a med student at my uni) ghosted me </3. So unfortunately my family was trying to being encouraging and supportive, but the pressure and decisions made definitely weren't smart.

I'm older now (26) so I will be approaching medical school and the STEP exams much more aware and more disciplined. The family noise isn't effecting me anymore. Now I just tell them "when Im in ill let you know" lololol

 

[breezybacitracin]

Why did you apply to Carle? What major did you pursue, because they are clear what courses you need to take regarding quantitative sciences, I thought.

Do as many of those secondaries as you can. Look up PMP at Rosalind Franklin as a safety net, though I would hope all the HBCU med schools would consider you for sure.

Oh damn.. I applied to them because they were included in a list of schools who take under a 500 MCAT. I didn't check their website prior to sending it in I didn't know they had different requirements then other med schools. I'll have to check the syllabus for the upper level maths I took in graduate school to see if it fits the criteria. I majored in Bio in undergrad and grad school, but my grad program was open range on classes so I took nearly all the same classes as the post-bac students at my school!

 

[breezybacitracin]

I would suggest applying to or submitting secondaries to these schools:
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Charles Drew
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
West Virginia
Rosalind Franklin
Other MD schools are not realistic with a MCAT of 496
For DO schools I suggest these:
WVSOM
UP-KYCOM
VCOM (all schools )
LMU-DCOM
ACOM
WCU-COM
UIWSOM
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia
OCOM
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
BUCOM
LECOM (all schools)
MU-COM
KHSC-COM
BCOM (both schools)
ICOM
Touro-Montana
Many of these DO schools have MCAT medians in the 498 to 502 range so you should receive interviews.

Thank you! Unfortunately VCU is my home school and they have a hard 503 requirement so I wasn't gonna send that one in until I get my score back in case they screened me out.

Thank you for the additional DO schools. I wasn't sure where else to apply because I was having trouble finding information their MCAT ranges.

 

[breezybacitracin]

I would suggest applying to or submitting secondaries to these schools:
Howard
Meharry
Morehouse
Charles Drew
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
West Virginia
Rosalind Franklin
Other MD schools are not realistic with a MCAT of 496
For DO schools I suggest these:
WVSOM
UP-KYCOM
VCOM (all schools )
LMU-DCOM
ACOM
WCU-COM
UIWSOM
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia
OCOM
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
BUCOM
LECOM (all schools)
MU-COM
KHSC-COM
BCOM (both schools)
ICOM
Touro-Montana
Many of these DO schools have MCAT medians in the 498 to 502 range so you should receive interviews.

Question about OCOM. On their website they say they have a recommended 3.2 GPA, but when I add them on AACOMAS it states
"Overall science and cumulative GPA must be 3.2 or higher"

Will they include my masters GPA in this? My dad currently lives in Orlando so I wanted to apply there, but didnt want to waste any money if I was going to be screened out?

 

[jvquarterback]

You’re not too late. Get that 50x and you’ve got a great shot at the hcbus plus your state schools. The school I attended I sent my primary in the last possible day, secondary too and interviewed the last day of the cycle. If you fit the aims of the university go for it. Don’t follow my example in applying so late though.

Call up the SNMA groups at EV, VCU, Howard, Meharry, Morehouse, and Charles Drew and see if you can get some insight into what they’re looking for in the app and interview.

Don’t sleep on Charles Drew even though it’s in LA. Cheap flights to DC nowadays.

 

[Faha]

Question about OCOM. On their website they say they have a recommended 3.2 GPA, but when I add them on AACOMAS it states
"Overall science and cumulative GPA must be 3.2 or higher"

Will they include my masters GPA in this? My dad currently lives in Orlando so I wanted to apply there, but didnt want to waste any money if I was going to be screened out?

Apply anyway. OCOM had difficulty filling their class last year.

 

[breezybacitracin]

You’re not too late. Get that 50x and you’ve got a great shot at the hcbus plus your state schools. The school I attended I sent my primary in the last possible day, secondary too and interviewed the last day of the cycle. If you fit the aims of the university go for it. Don’t follow my example in applying so late though.

Call up the SNMA groups at EV, VCU, Howard, Meharry, Morehouse, and Charles Drew and see if you can get some insight into what they’re looking for in the app and interview.

Don’t sleep on Charles Drew even though it’s in LA. Cheap flights to DC nowadays.

Thank you so much for the encouragement and enlightenment! Im testing on Thursday and feel much more confident as I near the finish line. Aiming for a 505 🙏🏽. Gonna take another test tomorrow and hopefully I can snag those last two points in B/B & P/S!

I will reach out to SNMA I am a member, but I haven't connected with my home school in a while. I'll email everyone after my test this week! I was actually in talks with CDU admin when they were first opening, but my prior scores were too low so Im considering adding them after I test.

 

[breezybacitracin]

Apply anyway. OCOM had difficulty filling their class last year.

Thank you so much! I just sent my application in to them so hopefully it'll work out!! I appreciate the help truly <3

 

[breezybacitracin]

Update for everyone in this thread: I GOT A 501!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you all for the support and encouragement praying this cycle delivers a A