Non-trad, Low GPA, High MCAT - Which Schools?

[HicJacetMelilla]

tl;dr version-------------------------------------
Non-trad with good MCAT (38S), low gpa (c3.25, s3.01), erratic academic record, light (but meaningful) ECs, strong LORs (but from the wrong people?), no research outside my linguistics senior thesis, keep me in Ohio or near a big city so my husband has job options.

Full-length history-----------------------------

MCAT Retake: 38S: 13B, 12P, 13V
MCAT 1: 25R: 9B, 8P, 8V (I was scoring 32-33 in practice; I have no idea what happened!)
Residence: Ohio

Undergrad:
Chem: Cs
Calc: Bs
Degree: Linguistics and French from Purdue, major GPAs 3.9 and 3.5, respectively, and a semester in France for French immersion
Cumulative undergrad GPA 3.25, due to my first two years being awful! I can successfully defend this part

PostBac Science Courses at Ohio State: 3.0
Lowest grades in OChem and Biochem. Did very well (A-/A) in Physics, Bio, Anatomy, and Microbio

ECs:
-Refugee Acculturation Mentor and Language Partner - just started
-Volunteering at OSU Med Center, various services - 200 hours over last 2 years

Shadowing:
Clinical Rotations on nephrology service - 8hours/week for 5 weeks
Watched a few surgeries
My goal this summer is to shadow more

LORs:
I’m nervous about these because I don’t have any from science professors. One is an MD and Epidemiology professor I’ve taken two classes with and seemed impressed. The other is my boss - chair of an academic department, director of a research center, and former admissions committee member at UMass Med School. I think I’m going to have to reach out to my favorite linguistics professor to see if she can write one. I could ask a former CEO of a major health system with whom I’ve developed a working and friendly relationship, but I’m not sure it would be a strong letter.

Work history:
-Copy Chief at a newspaper for two years while in undergrad (managed news desk)
-Financial Associate in Accounts Payable of a utilities giant for one year
-Dec10 to present - administrator in an OSU college
I worked these last two full-time jobs while taking classes part-time over the last three years.

My first choice is OSU. I’m also interested in:
Ohio schools - UCincy, Wright State, Case Western
USC
UCLA
Boston University
NYU
IU - Home state advantage since I lived in IN until I was 23?
Colorado - Denver
Georgetown
GWU
University of South Carolina
Tulane
My reach school is Columbia. Believe me, I know this is a reeeeeeach.

Which of these stand out as a “don’t bother”; which are decent? Which are a little reach? A big reach?
My family is finally all moving back to Indiana, so I’d prefer to stay close but it’s not imperative. What other schools make sense for me? I’m willing to look anywhere/everywhere (especially places with lots of sunshine!). Thank you!!


P.S.
-I’m not interested in DO schools
-I’m 27 and only getting older; taking a year or two to do a master’s or MSP makes me want to pull my hair out. 1) I probably couldn’t get into a science-focused masters program, even if there was some area I was crazy about (my favorites are microbio, anatomy, and neuroscience). 2) I might consider an MSP if someone can tell me what is so different about it from what I’ve already been doing (taking classes on my own). I still have to pay my bills.

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[Goro]

Look for another career. Nursing/PA, perhaps? Your GPA numbers are too low for any of the OH or nearby medical schools.

tl;dr version-------------------------------------
Non-trad with good MCAT (38S), low gpa (c3.25, s3.01), erratic academic record, light (but meaningful) ECs, strong LORs (but from the wrong people?), no research outside my linguistics senior thesis, keep me in Ohio or near a big city so my husband has job options.

Full-length history-----------------------------

MCAT Retake: 38S: 13B, 12P, 13V
MCAT 1: 25R: 9B, 8P, 8V (I was scoring 32-33 in practice; I have no idea what happened!)
Residence: Ohio

Undergrad:
Chem: Cs
Calc: Bs
Degree: Linguistics and French from Purdue, major GPAs 3.9 and 3.5, respectively, and a semester in France for French immersion
Cumulative undergrad GPA 3.25, due to my first two years being awful! I can successfully defend this part

PostBac Science Courses at Ohio State: 3.0
Lowest grades in OChem and Biochem. Did very well (A-/A) in Physics, Bio, Anatomy, and Microbio

ECs:
-Refugee Acculturation Mentor and Language Partner - just started
-Volunteering at OSU Med Center, various services - 200 hours over last 2 years

Shadowing:
Clinical Rotations on nephrology service - 8hours/week for 5 weeks
Watched a few surgeries
My goal this summer is to shadow more

LORs:
I’m nervous about these because I don’t have any from science professors. One is an MD and Epidemiology professor I’ve taken two classes with and seemed impressed. The other is my boss - chair of an academic department, director of a research center, and former admissions committee member at UMass Med School. I think I’m going to have to reach out to my favorite linguistics professor to see if she can write one. I could ask a former CEO of a major health system with whom I’ve developed a working and friendly relationship, but I’m not sure it would be a strong letter.

Work history:
-Copy Chief at a newspaper for two years while in undergrad (managed news desk)
-Financial Associate in Accounts Payable of a utilities giant for one year
-Dec10 to present - administrator in an OSU college
I worked these last two full-time jobs while taking classes part-time over the last three years.

My first choice is OSU. I’m also interested in:
Ohio schools - UCincy, Wright State, Case Western
USC
UCLA
Boston University
NYU
IU - Home state advantage since I lived in IN until I was 23?
Colorado - Denver
Georgetown
GWU
University of South Carolina
Tulane
My reach school is Columbia. Believe me, I know this is a reeeeeeach.

Which of these stand out as a “don’t bother”; which are decent? Which are a little reach? A big reach?
My family is finally all moving back to Indiana, so I’d prefer to stay close but it’s not imperative. What other schools make sense for me? I’m willing to look anywhere/everywhere (especially places with lots of sunshine!). Thank you!!


P.S.
-I’m not interested in DO schools
-I’m 27 and only getting older; taking a year or two to do a master’s or MSP makes me want to pull my hair out. 1) I probably couldn’t get into a science-focused masters program, even if there was some area I was crazy about (my favorites are microbio, anatomy, and neuroscience). 2) I might consider an MSP if someone can tell me what is so different about it from what I’ve already been doing (taking classes on my own). I still have to pay my bills.

 

[HicJacetMelilla]

I'd really appreciate more of a dispassionate dissection of what led you to that conclusion. Offhand remarks like "look for another career" help no one.

 

[Ironmandoc]

Unfortunately your super low gpa (barely over the minimum) is going to keep you out of pretty much every MD school except the very bottom tier. Don't waste your time on schools like Columbia.

Your best option is DO school. Why don't you want to apply DO and become a doctor?

 

[ataha]

If you really want to be a doctor you'll take whatever you can get. If you can't get into MD, go for DO, if you can't get into DO shoot for a Caribbean school (that's not to say Caribbean schools are worth any less than U.S schools I'm just saying the admissions to my understanding are a little less competitive).

Besides it's all bull****, no matter what you end up doing you will be licensed as a doctor. My cousin is doing a heart surgery residency and he graduated from a Caribbean school.

 

[HoltMD]

Welcome to SDN OP!!!

Just apply!

 

[Jaqen Hghar]

Lowest grades in OChem

What was your grade in this?

My first choice is OSU. I'm also interested in:
Ohio schools - UCincy, Wright State, Case Western
USC
UCLA Don't bother
Boston University
NYU Don't bother
IU - Home state advantage since I lived in IN until I was 23?
Colorado - Denver
Georgetown
GWU
University of South Carolina Don't bother
Tulane
My reach school is Columbia. Don't bother

Which of these stand out as a "don't bother"; which are decent? Which are a little reach? A big reach?
My family is finally all moving back to Indiana, so I'd prefer to stay close but it's not imperative. What other schools make sense for me? I'm willing to look anywhere/everywhere (especially places with lots of sunshine!). Thank you!!

Pretty much all school's are going to be "reaches" to some extent.

You should add the other Ohio schools- NEO, Toledo.
Maybe Marshall since you live in an adjoining state.
Louisville
Wayne
Oakland
Not really sure how far you want to travel so I didn't list any more.

----------

If you are on the fence about DO schools I would reconsider them as an option. You have pretty good stats for them and I'm sure you would get in somewhere.

OUCOM is a great school

If you are strongly against the idea then don't apply.


Edit: Are you URM?

 

[HicJacetMelilla]

Thanks for the feedback so far! I'll look into DO schools more; it's just that I have this knee-jerk reaction against the alternative part of the curriculum, and I honestly couldn't sell myself as someone who wanted to learn manual medicine. I don't want to put myself in a position to lie.

OSU was on quarters, so my grades for the OChem series were C-/A-/C+.

I am not URM.
I am willing to travel anywhere with a big city nearby. So, Philly, Manhattan, Boston, LA, Chicago, etc... all fine.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Apply very broadly to lower tier MD schools and apply DO. I know you probably don't want to go DO, but it may be your only option (no shame in that). Just fyi, you need to find shadowing with a DO to be able to apply DO.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Apply broadly and you'll like get in somewhere. If you don't get in be ready to apply to an SMP or take more classes. I spent a few years bringing up my 3.25 science GPA from undergrad (3.5 now... should be 3.6 by the time I apply if all goes according to plan).

You're younger than me and to some extent I feel pretty young going into medical school (the more I mature the more I look forward to med school and learning)... so one more year is not a big deal. Hangout in the non-trad forum more and you'll feel really, really young!

 

[DeeV021]

Dont listen to all the losers on here that always shoot down any GPA lower than 3.8. I had a 2.99 undergrad GPA, explained that I was an athlete and didnt care about academics. After taking some post bacc undergrad classes and completing a doctorate of physical therapy program I got in. ( i didnt know i wanted to do medicine until I was in gross anatomy cutting on cadavers in PT school that i found my passion, of course I explained all this in my PS). Schools want to know if you will be a empathetic and competent physician. Obviously with your MCAT you can, just have a good PS and do a lot of healthcare experience. And have a good interview with excitement and enthusiasm towards medicine.

 

[coolingglasses]

Give DO a second look, particularly given you want to get in on this cycle/have little interest in dragging out your pre-med/PB education, have some regional location demands, and are not URM. If it doesn't interest you after some deeper digging, then I'd agree you should stick to MD. But then bear in mind that it reduces the number of schools you can apply to, that you would have at least a decent shot at, maybe more.

Apply very broadly to lower tier MD schools and apply DO. I know you probably don't want to go DO, but it may be your only option (no shame in that). Just fyi, you need to find shadowing with a DO to be able to apply DO.

Jealous of that MCAT score though. If mine was even close to yours I'd be doing exactly this ^

Basically, your GPA limits the shots you get to call in terms of your wants and needs mentioned in your first post. So you kind of have to prioritize which needs take precedence.

 

[alerk323]

Dont listen to all the losers on here that always shoot down any GPA lower than 3.8. I had a 2.99 undergrad GPA, explained that I was an athlete and didnt care about academics. After taking some post bacc undergrad classes and completing a doctorate of physical therapy program I got in. ( i didnt know i wanted to do medicine until I was in gross anatomy cutting on cadavers in PT school that i found my passion, of course I explained all this in my PS). Schools want to know if you will be a empathetic and competent physician. Obviously with your MCAT you can, just have a good PS and do a lot of healthcare experience. And have a good interview with excitement and enthusiasm towards medicine.

lol what was your gpa after your years of extra classes? Pretty sure you'd have been laughed at with your "i'm an athlete" excuse before you got your gpa up.