Need Advice! Applying to Med School - Fall 2022

[msapp_22]

Hi guys, I'm looking for some advice/ guidance here. I was part of the NYIT BS/DO program, but didn't continue into their DO school since I didn't get the required MCAT score for that specific program. I completed my undergrad biology major through NYIT with a 3.3 GPA. I then did a masters in medical science program through LECOM, however due to some personal setbacks, my GPA suffered and I got below 3.0. My previous MCAT score was below 490. However, I retook the MCAT this past June and got a 498. The goal is to get into DO school within the US before considering Caribbean schools.
I have decent experience with research, volunteering, shadowing, and leadership organizations. I have co-authored abstracts and worked on several projects. These are my extras.
I would really appreciate it if anyone can give some helpful feedback here regarding the following:
- what do you recommend I do (apply to Caribbean or apply to any DO school in US?)
- what DO schools will accept a candidate with my stats?
- what factors should I look for when choosing which school to apply (ranking, match rate, etc)
- should I do anything extra to improve my chances? (NOT RETAKING MCAT**)
- any other helpful information that you can provide based on your own experience or what you know of others!
I'm not in a position to aim high obviously, but with my stats/ credentials, I want to aim for the best. Please let me know! I'm still very passionate about becoming a physician despite these challenges!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Dave1980]

- what do you recommend I do (apply to Caribbean or apply to any DO school in US?)

Not Caribbean. As a bad standardized test taker you have little chance of doing well on the steps and matching after graduation.

- what factors should I look for when choosing which school to apply (ranking, match rate, etc)

Beggars can't be choosers. I would look for any US school that will take you.

Do you have anything going for you. URM hopefully?

 

[msapp_22]

Not Caribbean. As a bad standardized test taker you have little chance of doing well on the steps and matching after graduation.

- I'm not a bad test taker. I was dealing with some personal setbacks such that I didn't have the proper time and wasn't able to put as much efforts as I would've liked to. The score that I got was a 12 point jump within one month of studying and practice. So I can do it with time.
- I'm just not willing to retake the mcat again because I don't want to waste more years and I already have a score that is above certain minimum requirements.

Beggars can't be choosers. I would look for any US school that will take you.

Do you have anything going for you. URM hopefully?

- By URM, are you referring to underrepresented minority (because I'm not) or undergraduate research and mentoring (which I have years of experience)?

 

[Faha]

You could receive interviews at some DO schools with a MCAT of 498. What is your current cGPA and sGPA ? Where is your state of residence ?

 

[msapp_22]

You could receive interviews at some DO schools with a MCAT of 498. What is your current cGPA and sGPA ? Where is your state of residence ?

My undergrad cGPA was 3.3, I'd have to recalculate the science GPA. Masters was below 3.0 that's why I'm not sure if they will be considering undergrad only or all science courses together. I'm from NY.

 

[Faha]

I suggest these DO schools with your stats:
LECOM (all schools)
UP-KYCOM
WVSOM
LUCOM
LMU-DCOM
ACOM
WCU-COM
PCOM Georgia and South Georgia
ARCOM
NYIT-AR
UIWSOM
BCOM
ICOM
Noorda-COM
There will also be 2 or 3 more new DO schools opening up when you apply.
Most of the schools above have MCAT medians in the 498 to 502 range so you could receive interviews.
You also need 50 hours of physician shadowing and 200+ hours of clinical volunteering or employment with patient contact.

 

[Doc_Ock]

You're not getting in with those stats, period. I know this isn't what you want to hear but I don't want you being peddled false hope.

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

I won't go as far as to say that you won't get in anywhere (people have beaten the odds before and this whole process is weird), but I agree that your chances are very very low.

A 3.3 undergrad GPA with a 3.0 Master's GPA (which most people need to crush) and then a 486 --> 498 MCAT will raise a lot of red flags, and you don't have the URM going for you. Unless you have something else in your app that's absolutely world-class, you'll have a hard time convincing schools to take a chance on you. Frankly, you have nothing on your academic record that shows competence, as your highest MCAT score is lower than the 50th percentile of test-takers, and this is a retake of a very bad score (schools can still see it, and it's hard to not subconsciously factor that it in when the first score is substantially lower than an already low score). To put it in another context, the BS/DO is where you'll have the highest chances of matriculating to a DO school since their bar for people in that program is very low, and you weren't eligible.

I am being especially critical because you seem adamant about not re-taking the MCAT because you think you've hit the bare minimum and you seem to be above re-taking it. This is the wrong mindset to have and it seems (especially because you're not sure what URM means) that you're unfamiliar with the process. Best of luck to you, but I cannot overstate that you would severely need to beat the odds to get in. Do not consider the Caribbean, they'll eat you alive.

 

[Doc_Ock]

Would you be willing to go PA instead of DO? You would have much higher odds of getting in, can be done in 2-3 years making 100k.

 

[HemeOncHopeful19]

Would you be willing to go PA instead of DO? You would have much higher odds of getting in, can be done in 2-3 years making 100k.

I was thinking the same thing, but I’m not sure the attitude of “I’ve done the bare minimum therefore I deserve this” is something we should want to suggest joining the midlevel ranks.

 

[Doc_Ock]

I was thinking the same thing, but I’m not sure the attitude of “I’ve done the bare minimum therefore I deserve this” is something we should want to suggest joining the midlevel ranks.

Ooooh you said the "m" word

 

[msapp_22]

To all who gave harsh comments: I have a friend (one year older than me) who had a 2.4 undergrad GPA, 3 failed classes, and an MCAT below 500. She ended up going to the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. She is excelling in her current program and is in the top 10 of her class. So all her previous failures were due to personal setbacks, similar to mine. However, we both have the same goal. She's doing great despite people like you who suggest to even switch careers. I'm not going to choose PA or another healthcare career path so that I can finish sooner and make decent money. I have a genuine interest in becoming a physician and I have goals. Just because my stats are nowhere near competitive, doesn't mean I have to say goodbye to my dreams. The whole purpose of this post was to help me find ways to get accepted. For those who gave suggestions like retaking the MCAT, thank you. I said no to retaking only because there are no more spots available for this year, and if I retake it next year, I will have to consider applying to med school for the following cycle. I am not willing to waste more time and money than I already have, and I have my personal reasons for whatever decision I choose to make. And FYI my friend is not URM. We come from similar stats and background. There are many people who go to Caribbean and come out strong, and many that don't. It depends on how hardworking the student is. Similarly, a student can go to Harvard med school and excel or fail. Anything is possible. As I said before, these stats aren't my true potential. I'm not incapable of becoming a doctor. I had personal setbacks in terms of health and family in the past few years which negatively impacted me. I'm not a bad test-taker either, such that I would struggle with USMLE or COMLEX. When I put my true efforts, I do really well. But there were situational factors. Of course, no one knows the full picture here. I'm trying to get back on track here, and I know there are options without retaking the MCAT. That's why I bothered to ask here. However, you've all left me with a negative vibe. I'm very disappointed in SDN. Try to be more helpful and encouraging to others who post. If you don't have anything kind/ helpful to say, just ignore the post!

 

[Bonne Nuit]

To all who gave harsh comments: I have a friend (one year older than me) who had a 2.4 undergrad GPA, 3 failed classes, and an MCAT below 500. She ended up going to the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. She is excelling in her current program and is in the top 10 of her class. So all her previous failures were due to personal setbacks, similar to mine. However, we both have the same goal. She's doing great despite people like you who suggest to even switch careers. I'm not going to choose PA or another healthcare career path so that I can finish sooner and make decent money. I have a genuine interest in becoming a physician and I have goals. Just because my stats are nowhere near competitive, doesn't mean I have to say goodbye to my dreams. The whole purpose of this post was to help me find ways to get accepted. For those who gave suggestions like retaking the MCAT, thank you. I said no to retaking only because there are no more spots available for this year, and if I retake it next year, I will have to consider applying to med school for the following cycle. I am not willing to waste more time and money than I already have, and I have my personal reasons for whatever decision I choose to make. And FYI my friend is not URM. We come from similar stats and background. There are many people who go to Caribbean and come out strong, and many that don't. It depends on how hardworking the student is. Similarly, a student can go to Harvard med school and excel or fail. Anything is possible. As I said before, these stats aren't my true potential. I'm not incapable of becoming a doctor. I had personal setbacks in terms of health and family in the past few years which negatively impacted me. I'm not a bad test-taker either, such that I would struggle with USMLE or COMLEX. When I put my true efforts, I do really well. But there were situational factors. Of course, no one knows the full picture here. I'm trying to get back on track here, and I know there are options without retaking the MCAT. That's why I bothered to ask here. However, you've all left me with a negative vibe. I'm very disappointed in SDN. Try to be more helpful and encouraging to others who post. If you don't have anything kind/ helpful to say, just ignore the post!

Cool, sounds like you've figured it all out 👍

Enjoy the Caribbean.

 

[DOcSto]

To all who gave harsh comments: I have a friend (one year older than me) who had a 2.4 undergrad GPA, 3 failed classes, and an MCAT below 500. She ended up going to the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. She is excelling in her current program and is in the top 10 of her class. So all her previous failures were due to personal setbacks, similar to mine. However, we both have the same goal. She's doing great despite people like you who suggest to even switch careers. I'm not going to choose PA or another healthcare career path so that I can finish sooner and make decent money. I have a genuine interest in becoming a physician and I have goals. Just because my stats are nowhere near competitive, doesn't mean I have to say goodbye to my dreams. The whole purpose of this post was to help me find ways to get accepted. For those who gave suggestions like retaking the MCAT, thank you. I said no to retaking only because there are no more spots available for this year, and if I retake it next year, I will have to consider applying to med school for the following cycle. I am not willing to waste more time and money than I already have, and I have my personal reasons for whatever decision I choose to make. And FYI my friend is not URM. We come from similar stats and background. There are many people who go to Caribbean and come out strong, and many that don't. It depends on how hardworking the student is. Similarly, a student can go to Harvard med school and excel or fail. Anything is possible. As I said before, these stats aren't my true potential. I'm not incapable of becoming a doctor. I had personal setbacks in terms of health and family in the past few years which negatively impacted me. I'm not a bad test-taker either, such that I would struggle with USMLE or COMLEX. When I put my true efforts, I do really well. But there were situational factors. Of course, no one knows the full picture here. I'm trying to get back on track here, and I know there are options without retaking the MCAT. That's why I bothered to ask here. However, you've all left me with a negative vibe. I'm very disappointed in SDN. Try to be more helpful and encouraging to others who post. If you don't have anything kind/ helpful to say, just ignore the post!

Not to rub salt in the wound, but if you have "situational factors" that caused you to get a 3.3 uGPA and less than a 3.0 gGPA, then maybe you should reevaluate your long term goals. From what it sounds like, those "situational factors" could play a role in medical school (assuming DO or Caribbean). If you struggled in other academic ventures, then why would you want to jump head first into harder subject matter before taking care of whatever is holding you back? Just a thought. Good luck to you!

 

[Doc_Ock]

To all who gave harsh comments: I have a friend (one year older than me) who had a 2.4 undergrad GPA, 3 failed classes, and an MCAT below 500. She ended up going to the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. She is excelling in her current program and is in the top 10 of her class. So all her previous failures were due to personal setbacks, similar to mine. However, we both have the same goal. She's doing great despite people like you who suggest to even switch careers. I'm not going to choose PA or another healthcare career path so that I can finish sooner and make decent money. I have a genuine interest in becoming a physician and I have goals. Just because my stats are nowhere near competitive, doesn't mean I have to say goodbye to my dreams. The whole purpose of this post was to help me find ways to get accepted. For those who gave suggestions like retaking the MCAT, thank you. I said no to retaking only because there are no more spots available for this year, and if I retake it next year, I will have to consider applying to med school for the following cycle. I am not willing to waste more time and money than I already have, and I have my personal reasons for whatever decision I choose to make. And FYI my friend is not URM. We come from similar stats and background. There are many people who go to Caribbean and come out strong, and many that don't. It depends on how hardworking the student is. Similarly, a student can go to Harvard med school and excel or fail. Anything is possible. As I said before, these stats aren't my true potential. I'm not incapable of becoming a doctor. I had personal setbacks in terms of health and family in the past few years which negatively impacted me. I'm not a bad test-taker either, such that I would struggle with USMLE or COMLEX. When I put my true efforts, I do really well. But there were situational factors. Of course, no one knows the full picture here. I'm trying to get back on track here, and I know there are options without retaking the MCAT. That's why I bothered to ask here. However, you've all left me with a negative vibe. I'm very disappointed in SDN. Try to be more helpful and encouraging to others who post. If you don't have anything kind/ helpful to say, just ignore the post!

I've been a member on this website for over 7 years and I don't think I've ever read a post that is more out of touch with reality.
Good luck at the Caribbean- because at present that is the only place that would accept you- just don't say you weren't warned.

 

[BritainKittenMittens]

To all who gave harsh comments: I have a friend (one year older than me) who had a 2.4 undergrad GPA, 3 failed classes, and an MCAT below 500. She ended up going to the American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine. She is excelling in her current program and is in the top 10 of her class. So all her previous failures were due to personal setbacks, similar to mine. However, we both have the same goal. She's doing great despite people like you who suggest to even switch careers. I'm not going to choose PA or another healthcare career path so that I can finish sooner and make decent money. I have a genuine interest in becoming a physician and I have goals. Just because my stats are nowhere near competitive, doesn't mean I have to say goodbye to my dreams. The whole purpose of this post was to help me find ways to get accepted. For those who gave suggestions like retaking the MCAT, thank you. I said no to retaking only because there are no more spots available for this year, and if I retake it next year, I will have to consider applying to med school for the following cycle. I am not willing to waste more time and money than I already have, and I have my personal reasons for whatever decision I choose to make. And FYI my friend is not URM. We come from similar stats and background. There are many people who go to Caribbean and come out strong, and many that don't. It depends on how hardworking the student is. Similarly, a student can go to Harvard med school and excel or fail. Anything is possible. As I said before, these stats aren't my true potential. I'm not incapable of becoming a doctor. I had personal setbacks in terms of health and family in the past few years which negatively impacted me. I'm not a bad test-taker either, such that I would struggle with USMLE or COMLEX. When I put my true efforts, I do really well. But there were situational factors. Of course, no one knows the full picture here. I'm trying to get back on track here, and I know there are options without retaking the MCAT. That's why I bothered to ask here. However, you've all left me with a negative vibe. I'm very disappointed in SDN. Try to be more helpful and encouraging to others who post. If you don't have anything kind/ helpful to say, just ignore the post!

I'll respond since I'm one of the naysayers.

To your points on re-taking the MCAT:

1. It's been a while since I took the MCAT, but it's my understanding that slots are usually filled and they open up a week or 2 prior to the exam date as people bail. This is location-dependent, of course.

2. No one wants to waste time, and I'm not saying you should not apply to DO this cycle nor that you won't get in. But it seems like you are confident in your chances of getting in and I'm here to tell you that it's not great. You say you don't want to waste time but are willing to go to the Caribbean where many either drop out or be unmatched (or match at undesirable residency), wasting more years. You say you're willing to put in the work and get results (against evidence to the contrary) but are completely above wasting time on an exam that's beneath you. Doesn't really line up.

About your friend in the Caribbean:

Don't count your chickens before they hatch. All I hear is a student at a Caribbean school who most likely paid an arm and a leg for tuition. In your case, Step 1 is going P/F and there are more DO and American MD schools popping up at a greater rate than residency spots.

Finally, my tone is more in response to your demeanor. You have a sense of entitlement that you deserve an acceptance (again, with evidence to the contrary) but are unwilling to entertain another MCAT retake. WIth your stats and dreams, if you had shown the least bit of humility the community might react differently.

 

[Doc_Ock]

"I'm not a bad test-taker"
*498 MCAT*