Caribbean this year or try to get into US medical school next year?

[JonathanMD]

Overall GPA 3.3
Science GPA 3.0
MCAT: 26, 27
Research experience
Lots of extra curricular activities
Clinical experience at the ER

I have not applied to any US medical schools yet because of my low MCAT scores and low GPA. I graduated in May '07, but after retaking the MCAT with a dismal 27 (P9, V6, B12) I decided not to apply to the US schools. As you can see, my weakness is in verbal. I have been trying to read more in websites such as Economists, WSJ, NYT, etc. Not sure if that'll help me improve my score for Verbal. Also, this will be the third time I will be taking the MCAT exam, which looks incredibly bad.

My question is should I even wait another year and retake the MCAT in hopes of getting mid 30's to apply to US medical school? Or should I just apply to the BIG 4 schools in the Caribbean now and enter Fall of this year? BTW, I am 23 turning 24 this September if that helps.

Like others have said:

You could probably get into a DO school if you retake the MCAT. Unless you're planning on practicing medicine outside of the US, DO is the way to go for you. You might even consider applying to lower tier MD schools. Even though I'm a believer that any Big 4 grad who eventually makes in through residency, will be able to achieve everything they ever wanted, US DO will give you lot less headaches later on. It's landing the right rotations and residencies that are the big disadvantages from the Caribbean.

But the first step is getting that MCAT 30+.

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[cpants]

i have to agree with dtwalrus. US med schools are highly competitive. and unless you are an underrepresented miniority, you have a very slim chance if any at all of getting into medical schools in US. you are young, im around your age, 22. We are young but we want to not waste any more time then we may have already(if thats how you feel, i understand you on this one). if American school is your dream, you should do a masters program , ie, MPH and apply again after a year. In Jersey, UMDNJ has a program where you do your masters for like a year or 2 then you are pretty much guaranteed admission into MD program afterwards, assuming you do well.

I don't know which program you're referring to, but if it's the GSBM in Newark, you are nowhere near guaranteed admission to the medical school. I wouldn't be surprised if their admissions office tries to sell you that, but it's definitely not true. We usually have 2-3 kids every year from that program in a class of 160. If you take it, you need to do exceptionally well to even be considered for NJMS, but even then it will not make up for a low MCAT. I know a kid who had a 33/3.4 and got straight A's in GSBM including med school classes and got waitlisted then rejected from NJMS. And if you don't get straight A's you are pretty much guaranteed rejection.

OP, you have a shot at some DO and even MD schools if you get that verbal score up. Nowhere in the US will accept you with a 6 on the verbal. If you get it up to an 8 or a 9 you will be in a lot better shape to apply.

 

[McGillGrad]

What sheik hired you to write this propaganda? Go back to your camels and kabas!!

This is way out of line. I will address a few other misconceptions.

1) The young lady that McGillGrad is referring to is not even Jewish.
2) Israel is a secular country.
3) The medical schools in Israel that accept North Americans are designed to send graduates back to America and Canada.
4) The admissions standards, attrition rate, and acceptance rates are much more competitive at the Israeli medical schools than the Caribbean and are at par with many medical schools in America.
5) A 3.6/30 does not guarantee admission into Israeli med schools.

 

[Guinea]

What sheik hired you to write this propaganda? Go back to your camels and kabas!!

Admit it, you're just another snot faced Jew-hating Canuck liberal, addled with a bit too much cannabis from the locals in Grenada. Now get back to your Carib education!

 

[McGillGrad]

What does snot have to do with this? You are anti-snot and it is just sad!

Admit it, you're just another snot faced Jew-hating Canuck liberal, addled with a bit too much cannabis from the locals in Grenada. Now get back to your Carib education!

 

[bananaface]

Please keep it civil and lay off the insults. Thanks