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Physical Therapist/No interviews yet inspite of all my credentials...
- Thread starter A_Shah
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you should be really proud of your credentials/experience with medicine.
obviously, its getting the interview that is going to be the hardest part of admission.
i think you already you know your weakness, however.... (i.e. your MCAT)
what is your history with the horrible exam? how many times have you tried? what is your breakdown?
if you are really serious about getting into medical school then perhaps your best recourse is to re-take (as awful as it sounds)
of course, there is still time to see what happens in this applcation cycle.
best of luck,
h4am
obviously, its getting the interview that is going to be the hardest part of admission.
i think you already you know your weakness, however.... (i.e. your MCAT)
what is your history with the horrible exam? how many times have you tried? what is your breakdown?
if you are really serious about getting into medical school then perhaps your best recourse is to re-take (as awful as it sounds)
of course, there is still time to see what happens in this applcation cycle.
best of luck,
h4am
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If you don't get accepted, you should retake the MCAT and reapply. Don't lose faith!!
I read a post recently that the MSAR stated those in other healthcare fields have less of a chance than other non-healthcare related career changers. That sucks! I am a PT Assistant (BS in education) and have been in healthcare for 10 yrs. I hope it won't count against me, too!! With this in mind, you should really make sure your MCAT is higher to compensate for changing fields.
Good luck!
I read a post recently that the MSAR stated those in other healthcare fields have less of a chance than other non-healthcare related career changers. That sucks! I am a PT Assistant (BS in education) and have been in healthcare for 10 yrs. I hope it won't count against me, too!! With this in mind, you should really make sure your MCAT is higher to compensate for changing fields.
Good luck!
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I would definately say the verbal is your downfall. Your PS and Bio scores are good. You should check into strategies to improve your verbal score.
If you don't get accepted THIS year, just reapply. Your perseverance will pay off!!
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
If you don't get accepted THIS year, just reapply. Your perseverance will pay off!!
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
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Since your verbal is your lowest score, work hard on that this year and retake the MCAT. With the new MCAT rules, the schools will see your previous MCAT score but if you can show that you made an improvement, they will take it as a positive sign. Have you taken any prep classes (Kaplan or Princeton Review)? I know that, for me, verbal took lots of practice in a time-constricted setting. The prep classes can help with that. Another thing to work on your verbal score, is start reading difficult material, especially in areas like economics and politics. That will help your verbal score as you get more comfortable reading quickly for comprehension. The rest of your application is very strong....don't give up! A med school would be lucky to have you!
Do not give up hope!!! I was accepted to DMU, UHS, LECOM, and UNE with almost identical credentials as you. I had a 22Q mcat (5V,8P,9B) and a 3.62 GPA. I also had two BS degrees-One in Bio and one in Medical Technology. My word of adivice-if you do not get in this year, apply REALLY early next year. When I mean early submit your primary app in June, and have those secondaries back no later than mid Sept. That way you will get those interview invites ahead of the rest of the crowd and have a better chance of getting in.
Don't get discouraged because if you want it bad enough you WILL get in. Good luck!!!
Don't get discouraged because if you want it bad enough you WILL get in. Good luck!!!
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If you decide to retake the MCAT you will be happy to hear that the VR section will be 5 questions shorter. The first section will PS, good news for you b/c this seems to be your strong section. VR will be the second section followed by the break and then the WS and BS last. I like this format alot better b/c I feel PS will 'warm' the brain for the VR. Ofcourse if PS is your weakest section like it is for most you may not like this as well. Personally I hate VR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't give up Atman_Hah you will increase that 5 with some work, you can do it.
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Study for the verbal section and retake the MCAT and you will get in to several schools!!
Good luck.
Good luck.
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To the Shah PT,
I can tell you that your credentials are great. Your work experience and motivation for a healthcare careeer states more than your MCAT ever will. The fact is, you have been out of undergrad a long time and your healthcare experience goes against you in that the MCAT is way beneath you. The MCAT is not reflective of your ability to excel in medical school when you are a non-traditional grad. It may help adcoms to decide between 500 people of the age of 22 with near equal GPA's. You need to find a school that caters to non-traditionals and you should serioulsy consider DO school. Not because it is easier to get in in general, but it will be easier for you to get in. You absolutely must state in your personal statement why your MCAT is low, and they will listen. I was a practicing PA for 4 years before I decided to go back and attend "real" medical school. I was at a way disadvantage because I was 29 and it had been years since I took the courses for the MCAT. Actually, when I took the MCAT, I had not even taken physics or Organic ever!! I took them the next two semesters. I made a 23 despite that, and was interviewed at two schools of the 8 in Texas, and I know I would have gotten in to most all of them if I had waited to take the MCAT until I had taken physics and organic. But, I did not want to wait, and I wanted to go where the adcoms took the time to read between the lines and see my real stats. PA with an MS degree, 3.9 GPA, top 2% on PA national boards, but 23 MCAT. Two schools were willing to give me a chance, so I took them up on it. I decided on the DO route because I have despised treating people with musculuskeletal complaints (because in the allopathic world you can't do squat). As a PT, you would be crazy not to go DO because of all you already know. The manip will seal it for you and make you an incredible hands on doc. I can't imagine a PT not wanting to be a DO, because in essence becoming an MD would be a step backwards in the field of musculoskeletal stuff. It just depends on what you want to do. But, I can tell you that you would be welcomed at my school I am sure. They love healthcare providers and are willing to look past a crappy MCAT score if you have a reason to look past it. Don't get me wrong, the vast majority of my classmates have near 30's on their MCAT, but people like me pulled the average down!! I am now in the top 10% after 2/3 of the year complete, and I think that shows that my MCAt was not an issue. Good luck, and keep trying if its what you really want.
I can tell you that your credentials are great. Your work experience and motivation for a healthcare careeer states more than your MCAT ever will. The fact is, you have been out of undergrad a long time and your healthcare experience goes against you in that the MCAT is way beneath you. The MCAT is not reflective of your ability to excel in medical school when you are a non-traditional grad. It may help adcoms to decide between 500 people of the age of 22 with near equal GPA's. You need to find a school that caters to non-traditionals and you should serioulsy consider DO school. Not because it is easier to get in in general, but it will be easier for you to get in. You absolutely must state in your personal statement why your MCAT is low, and they will listen. I was a practicing PA for 4 years before I decided to go back and attend "real" medical school. I was at a way disadvantage because I was 29 and it had been years since I took the courses for the MCAT. Actually, when I took the MCAT, I had not even taken physics or Organic ever!! I took them the next two semesters. I made a 23 despite that, and was interviewed at two schools of the 8 in Texas, and I know I would have gotten in to most all of them if I had waited to take the MCAT until I had taken physics and organic. But, I did not want to wait, and I wanted to go where the adcoms took the time to read between the lines and see my real stats. PA with an MS degree, 3.9 GPA, top 2% on PA national boards, but 23 MCAT. Two schools were willing to give me a chance, so I took them up on it. I decided on the DO route because I have despised treating people with musculuskeletal complaints (because in the allopathic world you can't do squat). As a PT, you would be crazy not to go DO because of all you already know. The manip will seal it for you and make you an incredible hands on doc. I can't imagine a PT not wanting to be a DO, because in essence becoming an MD would be a step backwards in the field of musculoskeletal stuff. It just depends on what you want to do. But, I can tell you that you would be welcomed at my school I am sure. They love healthcare providers and are willing to look past a crappy MCAT score if you have a reason to look past it. Don't get me wrong, the vast majority of my classmates have near 30's on their MCAT, but people like me pulled the average down!! I am now in the top 10% after 2/3 of the year complete, and I think that shows that my MCAt was not an issue. Good luck, and keep trying if its what you really want.
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Atman_Shah,
Why not try Physical Therapy? Maybe the AdComs are wondering why you put so much time into a "functional" degree without exporing it more fully. I've heard that some AdComs look down on applicants who did nursing degrees and went straight to med school apps without working in the field they got there degree in. Also...I agree with the others about your Verbal score. The extent of my preparation for the verbal reasoning section was reading books that had lots of big words and difficult topics to grasp (ie - C.S. Lewis's books on religion, ethics, philosophy, etc.). Then...I did practice sets from old MCAT tests that have been released. It payed off. Just my advice.
Ryan
Why not try Physical Therapy? Maybe the AdComs are wondering why you put so much time into a "functional" degree without exporing it more fully. I've heard that some AdComs look down on applicants who did nursing degrees and went straight to med school apps without working in the field they got there degree in. Also...I agree with the others about your Verbal score. The extent of my preparation for the verbal reasoning section was reading books that had lots of big words and difficult topics to grasp (ie - C.S. Lewis's books on religion, ethics, philosophy, etc.). Then...I did practice sets from old MCAT tests that have been released. It payed off. Just my advice.
Ryan
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I contend that the MCAT is largely a test of reading comprehension and exam taking skills. The vast majority of the science is fairly basic stuff. However, one has to be good at cutting through all the non-sense in the passages and getting to the main points. And, it is therefore, not an awful test. As that is how one needs to be able to study in med school.
Moreover, I have heard that verbal is the one part of the MCAT that is strongly correlated with success in clerkship rotations. Not a huge shock, as you are largely graded on your social and communication skills.
Verbal is important.
However, there is only one sure way to raise your score and that is, reading.
Most verbal passages are very much like the longer articles found in publications like the New York Times, The Washington Post, the New Yorker and the New Republic. They all have free online editions and student subscription rates are not too expensive.
No one should let poor newspaper reading (ie. verbal) skills keep them out of med school.
Moreover, I have heard that verbal is the one part of the MCAT that is strongly correlated with success in clerkship rotations. Not a huge shock, as you are largely graded on your social and communication skills.
Verbal is important.
However, there is only one sure way to raise your score and that is, reading.
Most verbal passages are very much like the longer articles found in publications like the New York Times, The Washington Post, the New Yorker and the New Republic. They all have free online editions and student subscription rates are not too expensive.
No one should let poor newspaper reading (ie. verbal) skills keep them out of med school.
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