{DO} Just realizing I'm about to be a reapplicant, Advice?

[touchpause13]

Just found out that I was rejected from my dream school and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it and I can't help feeling dissapointed in myself and depressed.

Here are my stats:
3.4 cGPA 3.1 sGPA 25 MCAT
this cycle I've had 2 interviews - one waitlist and one rejection

lots of ECs, only blemish there is I have only shadowed a MD, no DO.

The main reason I was told I was rejected was because my sGPA is too low. I'm still in college so I picked up another science course so I should be able to get that to a 3.2 by the end of the semester. I also am going to see if I can shadow a DO at some point as well.

Any suggestions/advice? I am wondering if it would be worth it to not graduate this semester and take more classes in the fall to bring it up or maybe take summer classes? (im getting married this summer which kinda makes me hesitant about that)
I could retake a pre-req too in the fall, I got a C in (grrr physics) as well but idk if I could get an A in that. If I ended up with a 3.5 / 3.2 / 25 after this semester could that be good enough as long as I applied very early and broadly?

tl;dr version
MISTAKES I MADE IN THIS SEASON:
-low gpa
-low MCAT
-applied too late (most of my secondaries weren't complete until october
-have not shadowed a DO
-no DO LOR

i've got plans in motion to address all of those issues except for the MCAT, do ya'll think I will be alright?

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[civic4982]

I've been a few years out of the game but might you consider a redo on the MCAT?

When I was rejected the first time around I had a 3.6/3.6/26 and a retake brought 31 and an 2 acceptances the next year.

Good luck!


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[touchpause13]

I've been a few years out of the game but might you consider a redo on the MCAT?

When I was rejected the first time around I had a 3.6/3.6/26 and a retake brought 31 and an 2 acceptances the next year.

Good luck!


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with taking 21 credits this semester and planning a wedding i just don't think i have the time to properly study for it.

 

[GUH]

Why are you taking 21 credits when your sGPA is so low? Cut back on your course load.

 

[DrMidlife]

That 3.1 looks better than that 25 to me.

Don't be in a hurry to get into med school. Be ready.

 

[touchpause13]

Why are you taking 21 credits when your sGPA is so low? Cut back on your course load.

i needs them to graduate...

 

[DrMidlife]

So you'll graduate "on time" so that you have the story all tidy for the relatives and new in-laws at the wedding, and then you won't get into med school because your 3.1 went down because you took too many units, and you didn't do anything to get a better MCAT score.

Think longer term. Reduce the course load, enjoy the wedding, regroup.

 

[touchpause13]

damn i miscounted its only 20 credits and the vast majority of them i can get As in with minimal effort. i got a 4.0 last semester which was pretty much identical to this one

english comp 3 credits
american lit 3 credits
young adult lit 3 credits
fem theory 3 credits
yoga 1 credit
evolution 3 credit
evolution R 1 credit
disease biology 3 credit

i'm really hesitant to retake the MCAT honestly because ive already retaken it once, and the school i really want told me its good for them. I think it would be possible for me to get my science gpa up to a 3.3 if I take summer classes, would that give me a significantly better chance than what I am at now?

 

[Mataska]

damn i miscounted its only 20 credits and the vast majority of them i can get As in with minimal effort. i got a 4.0 last semester which was pretty much identical to this one

english comp 3 credits
american lit 3 credits
young adult lit 3 credits
fem theory 3 credits
yoga 1 credit
evolution 3 credit
evolution R 1 credit
disease biology 3 credit

i'm really hesitant to retake the MCAT honestly because ive already retaken it once, and the school i really want told me its good for them. I think it would be possible for me to get my science gpa up to a 3.3 if I take summer classes, would that give me a significantly better chance than what I am at now?

I'm jumping in with the previous posters. I'm a reapplicant myself and just obtained a prematch offer, finally. So my advice? Take your time, just make sure your GPA doesn't decrease (but increase any is good right?!) and definitely up the MCAT, if time allows. Like earlier said, don't rush into medical school. And yes, I've taken the MCAT three times so I feel your reluctance to do it again, but sometimes that's what it takes: an extra year, an extra cycle, more work, yada yada. The only reason I didn't get in last year was MCAT, so I decided to try another year and really focus on it. So for you, do what you have to now, and if things don't work out, reassess what needs to be done, and spend the next cycle taking care of it you got this, and good luck.

 

[touchpause13]

I'm jumping in with the previous posters. I'm a reapplicant myself and just obtained a prematch offer, finally. So my advice? Take your time, just make sure your GPA doesn't decrease (but increase any is good right?!) and definitely up the MCAT, if time allows. Like earlier said, don't rush into medical school. And yes, I've taken the MCAT three times so I feel your reluctance to do it again, but sometimes that's what it takes: an extra year, an extra cycle, more work, yada yada. The only reason I didn't get in last year was MCAT, so I decided to try another year and really focus on it. So for you, do what you have to now, and if things don't work out, reassess what needs to be done, and spend the next cycle taking care of it you got this, and good luck.

thanks so much for the advice and congrats on your acceptance

 

[DrMidlife]

i'm really hesitant to retake the MCAT honestly because ive already retaken it once, and the school i really want told me its good for them.

The school that just rejected you? You need to court them like you did your fiance. Did you take him/her to Jack in the Box, or did you take him/her to a lovely prepared picnic which you cleared your calendar to get just right?

I think it would be possible for me to get my science gpa up to a 3.3 if I take summer classes, would that give me a significantly better chance than what I am at now?

Check your math on that. Averages don't move that much.

Among red flags, a 25 is very very very red and it just poked the adcom in the eye and it's wrapping around the adcom's face, suffocating him/her. They're looking at that 25 and thinking you will fail the boards. By contrast a GPA [edit: just slightly over] 3.0 is like a strong sense of redness above which non-red things can be noticed.

 

[touchpause13]

The school that just rejected you? You need to court them like you did your fiance. Did you take him/her to Jack in the Box, or did you take him/her to a lovely prepared picnic which you cleared your calendar to get just right?

Check your math on that. Averages don't move that much.

Among red flags, a 25 is very very very red and it just poked the adcom in the eye and it's wrapping around the adcom's face, suffocating him/her. They're looking at that 25 and thinking you will fail the boards. By contrast a GPA over 3.0 is like a strong sense of redness above which non-red things can be noticed.

Omg I'm loving the imagery here, I lold at the jack in the box.
Yes I'm courting them, they said they wanted a 3.2 sgpa so I'm shooting for a 3.3-that's the equavilent of bringing them roses or something right?

The reason why my averages changed so much is because I'm a non science major

yeah I think its possible for me to do a retake in august..if I take it again I really want to make sure I'm ready and not rush myself-past mistake. The DO matriculant average is around a 26, so I don't think I'm in the worst position now but I see that it cud increase my chances signifcantly by raising it a couple points

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[unluckybanana]

Omg I'm loving the imagery here, I lold at the jack in the box.
Yes I'm courting them, they said they wanted a 3.2 sgpa so I'm shooting for a 3.3-that's the equavilent of bringing them roses or something right?

The reason why my averages changed so much is because I'm a non science major

yeah I think its possible for me to do a retake in august..if I take it again I really want to make sure I'm ready and not rush myself-past mistake. The DO matriculant average is around a 26, so I don't think I'm in the worst position now but I see that it cud increase my chances signifcantly by raising it a couple points

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For DO schools, that average MCAT is 26.5 and GPA (cum/sci) is 3.48/3.36. Right now, both your science GPA and MCAT are slightly below average. Personally, I think raising your MCAT score would increase your chances. As well as have DO shadowing/letter. One of the most common questions during an interview is "Why do you want to pursue osteopathic medicine." So you want to be able to answer that question by drawing on your experiences with DO doctors.

 

[kindasorta]

For DO schools, that average MCAT is 26.5 and GPA (cum/sci) is 3.48/3.36. Right now, both your science GPA and MCAT are slightly below average. Personally, I think raising your MCAT score would increase your chances. As well as have DO shadowing/letter. One of the most common questions during an interview is "Why do you want to pursue osteopathic medicine." So you want to be able to answer that question by drawing on your experiences with DO doctors.

Or you could say you see no distinction and just want to be a well-trained physician.

 

[gmcguitar4]

my sgpa is 3.1 and cgpa is 3.3..was accepted to most schools I applied. I would say do what you can with the gpa but consider taking a year and preparing for MCAT retake.

 

[EmergDoc2B]

simple fix: Shadow DO's and get a great letter from a couple. Also, volunteer at homless shelter or other undeserved population. Build on those excellent EC's.

Not so simple fix: MCAT, MCAT , MCAT > than 26

good luck!

 

[BuddyTheElf]

Shadow several DO's (or just one extensively). Get a LOR from a DO.
The main thing is to get your secondaries complete EARLY! Have them finished by the end of July. This will help you tremendously.
Good luck! Don't give up!

 

[touchpause13]

Thanks all for your help/suggestions/encouragement
I'm setting up a time to shadow a DO with the local hospital (because of my location, more than one isn't very feasible) and I'm starting to volunteer for the womens shelter working their sexual assualt/domestic violence hotline. I'm also getting all A's in my classes right now so I'm on track to apply in June with a sgpa > 3.1

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[BabyDoc86]

Shadowing a DO and having a DO letter aren't necessary. I didn't have either but was accepted to all 4 DO schools I applied to. Bring up that GPA & MCAT, and apply early. You'll be golden.

 

[Temperature101]

What if OP had 28+ mcat? Would he be rejected by these schools? I have seen many people on SDN accepted with OPs stats... I have the same issue myself with a 3.15 cGPA and 3.35 sGPA. I already graduated and honestly don't wanna go back to school to take more classes. There is no consensus on SDN how adcoms would look at my GPAs. Some say they put more emphasis on cGPA and others say the higher sGPA is more favorable. I don't know which train of thoughts to believe. I am hoping that a 27+ in my retake might mitigate my low cGPA.

 

[Temperature101]

Just found out that I was rejected from my dream school and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it and I can't help feeling dissapointed in myself and depressed.

Here are my stats:
3.4 cGPA 3.1 sGPA 25 MCAT
this cycle I've had 2 interviews - one waitlist and one rejection

lots of ECs, only blemish there is I have only shadowed a MD, no DO.

The main reason I was told I was rejected was because my sGPA is too low. I'm still in college so I picked up another science course so I should be able to get that to a 3.2 by the end of the semester. I also am going to see if I can shadow a DO at some point as well.

Any suggestions/advice? I am wondering if it would be worth it to not graduate this semester and take more classes in the fall to bring it up or maybe take summer classes? (im getting married this summer which kinda makes me hesitant about that)
I could retake a pre-req too in the fall, I got a C in (grrr physics) as well but idk if I could get an A in that. If I ended up with a 3.5 / 3.2 / 25 after this semester could that be good enough as long as I applied very early and broadly?

tl;dr version
MISTAKES I MADE IN THIS SEASON:
-low gpa
-low MCAT
-applied too late (most of my secondaries weren't complete until october
-have not shadowed a DO
-no DO LOR

i've got plans in motion to address all of those issues except for the MCAT, do ya'll think I will be alright?

If you think you might not be able to increase your mcat score, DO NOT RETAKE because a lower mcat score will forever damage your application. I think working on your sGPA, shadowing, ECs and LOR is a safer way to go.

 

[touchpause13]

If you think you might not be able to increase your mcat score, DO NOT RETAKE because a lower mcat score will forever damage your application. I think working on your sGPA, shadowing, ECs and LOR is a safer way to go.

Thank you. For the record goro said pretty much the same thing so that's what I'm doing. That and apply the first day.

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[DrMidlife]

I honestly don't understand the attitude that a low GPA and a low MCAT are just fine for med school. When you hear about students getting in with low numbers, check the fine print.

You get a low GPA and low MCAT because you're missing something: study skills, time management, test-taking skills, work ethic, discipline, focus. Something.

You don't magically acquire that missing something with a med school acceptance letter. If you show up at med school without the basic skill set to survive under a crushing load of all science coursework, you. do. not. have. time. to. acquire. it.

A med school acceptance isn't a clean slate. Every med student thinks they're going to be #1 in their class, until the first exam comes back. Yes, DO's can have any job in medicine. But DO's and MD's who start med school with crap grades continue to get crap grades and then they get crap boards and then they don't get good residencies.

Don't get all excited about getting into med school in a hurry and then find yourself with $300k in student loan debt doing a job in a location that just isn't worth it.

Best of luck to you.

 

[MedPR]

I honestly don't understand the attitude that a low GPA and a low MCAT are just fine for med school. When you hear about students getting in with low numbers, check the fine print.

You get a low GPA and low MCAT because you're missing something: study skills, time management, test-taking skills, work ethic, discipline, focus. Something.

You don't magically acquire that missing something with a med school acceptance letter. If you show up at med school without the basic skill set to survive under a crushing load of all science coursework, you. do. not. have. time. to. acquire. it.

A med school acceptance isn't a clean slate. Every med student thinks they're going to be #1 in their class, until the first exam comes back. Yes, DO's can have any job in medicine. But DO's and MD's who start med school with crap grades continue to get crap grades and then they get crap boards and then they don't get good residencies.

Don't get all excited about getting into med school in a hurry and then find yourself with $300k in student loan debt doing a job in a location that just isn't worth it.

Best of luck to you.

I wish I hadn't read this post. Now I'm scared.

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[kgpremed11]

i needs them to graduate...

Just found out that I was rejected from my dream school and I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around it and I can't help feeling dissapointed in myself and depressed.

Here are my stats:
3.4 cGPA 3.1 sGPA 25 MCAT
this cycle I've had 2 interviews - one waitlist and one rejection

lots of ECs, only blemish there is I have only shadowed a MD, no DO.

The main reason I was told I was rejected was because my sGPA is too low. I'm still in college so I picked up another science course so I should be able to get that to a 3.2 by the end of the semester. I also am going to see if I can shadow a DO at some point as well.

Any suggestions/advice? I am wondering if it would be worth it to not graduate this semester and take more classes in the fall to bring it up or maybe take summer classes? (im getting married this summer which kinda makes me hesitant about that)
I could retake a pre-req too in the fall, I got a C in (grrr physics) as well but idk if I could get an A in that. If I ended up with a 3.5 / 3.2 / 25 after this semester could that be good enough as long as I applied very early and broadly?

tl;dr version
MISTAKES I MADE IN THIS SEASON:
-low gpa
-low MCAT
-applied too late (most of my secondaries weren't complete until october
-have not shadowed a DO
-no DO LOR

i've got plans in motion to address all of those issues except for the MCAT, do ya'll think I will be alright?

I honestly don't understand the attitude that a low GPA and a low MCAT are just fine for med school. When you hear about students getting in with low numbers, check the fine print.

You get a low GPA and low MCAT because you're missing something: study skills, time management, test-taking skills, work ethic, discipline, focus. Something.

You don't magically acquire that missing something with a med school acceptance letter. If you show up at med school without the basic skill set to survive under a crushing load of all science coursework, you. do. not. have. time. to. acquire. it.

A med school acceptance isn't a clean slate. Every med student thinks they're going to be #1 in their class, until the first exam comes back. Yes, DO's can have any job in medicine. But DO's and MD's who start med school with crap grades continue to get crap grades and then they get crap boards and then they don't get good residencies.

Don't get all excited about getting into med school in a hurry and then find yourself with $300k in student loan debt doing a job in a location that just isn't worth it.

Best of luck to you.

Here are a few things you could try.


1.Stop rushing to graduate
2. Get a DO letter so you can apply DO
3. Retake science classes you did bad in, this will help tremendously for DO schools because they replace bad grades with good ones, so your science GPA would increase quite a bit.
4. Take some easy science classes
5. Retake MCAT and try to get at least 28 and aim for top DO school PCOM, CCOM, DMU, KCOM etc
6. Don't retake MCAT and aim for low tier DO, WCU, ACOM, CUSOM, Marian

Do that and you should be good for next year.

good luck



Dr midlife is right.

 

[VictorAlpha]

Personally, I think the easiest thing to fix about this is the MCAT...

...more intense practice of test-style problems and sections.

You're going to graduate anyway and you estimate that you will be raising your GPA, so go ahead and do that. And you make it seem as though it wouldn't be too much trouble to do so...so I would plan for another MCAT.
If I were you I would start studying maybe in the summer or fall or late fall and plan to take it in april of 2014. But I would keep up with all the other normal stuff in the mean time. I also might hold off on getting hitched unless my SO was pretty well set in his/her career and was on board with my plans.

 

[touchpause13]

I also might hold off on getting hitched unless my SO was pretty well set in his/her career and was on board with my plans.

cancelling my wedding (which is happening in 4 months and about half paid for) would be a good way to get murdered by my father...
seriously i don't understand how you would think this is good advice. like what's the logic behind it? "Oh I found out I won't be attending medical school as soon as I had hoped and therefore have a year where I can work fulltime and contribute $$ to the household, so let me just cancel this event which I have been planning for almost a year and have sank about 10k into. Also tax benefits and health insurance? clearly I don't need those!!"

And yeah if I don't get in this cycle I will retake mcat in spring 2014, I just don't see the point in waiting to apply again when I will have an improved gpa this summer

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[civic4982]

I also might hold off on getting hitched unless my SO was pretty well set in his/her career and was on board with my plans.

What a silly ass statement.


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[touchpause13]

What a silly ass statement.


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I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that!

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[VictorAlpha]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks that!

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well it depends on other details as well and maybe I shouldn't have been too assuming about anything. It made sense for me to do just that (put it off); but our situations are much different I (now) gather. It doesn't seem that outrageous to try and start a marriage with as little "up in the air" as possible. Our situations, however, are apparently way too different and without other details I really couldn't comment on that; so feel free to disregard. (didn't mean to offend ...or w/e you took that as)

 

[Dr Dazzle]

OP, Where did you get interviews and waitlist this cycle?

 

[touchpause13]

OP, Where did you get interviews and waitlist this cycle?

I received interviews at WVCOM, LMU, and Marian.
I was waitlisted at LMU. Straight up rejected at Marian, and ended up having to cancel my WVCOM interview for personal reasons.

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[touchpause13]

Hey I just wanted to update you guys I was accepted at my dream school (DMU) and will be matriculating in august!

Never give up!

Btw: I never retook the MCAT. I did take summer classes and was able to increase my gpa to a 3.5c and a 3.4s

 

[ToldYouSo]

Hey I just wanted to update you guys I was accepted at my dream school (DMU) and will be matriculating in august!

Never give up!

Btw: I never retook the MCAT. I did take summer classes and was able to increase my gpa to a 3.5c and a 3.4s

Congrats!!!

 

[ThisCouldBeYou]

I'm jumping in here with another vote to increase that MCAT score. I noticed those courses you're taking and wondered. Did they ask about those?

fem theory 3 credits
yoga 1 credit
evolution 3 credit
evolution R 1 credit

 

[touchpause13]

I'm jumping in here with another vote to increase that MCAT score. I noticed those courses you're taking and wondered. Did they ask about those?

I was actually already accepted with the 25 MCAT.
And yes I did get a 4.0 that semester and summer semester.
No I never got asked about those classes in any of my interviews