Process of reapplication...[MCAT score lacking student]

[Duon89]

No solid mcat score..
GPA...3.85...
volunteering 200 hours...ish.
Research 3 summers 4 semesters...as undergrad student (No publication)

Will be graduating in May 2010.

Ultimately failed this season~~
-MCAT too low...verbal mainly...
-applied too late...(took mcat on late june)
-No MD LOR

My plan is to have a good 3 months of studying mcat after graduation
(12 hours/6 days). and loosely 8 months
or loosely till aprill 2011, as i work at a lab.

apply in 2011 for 2012 admission.

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[J ROD]

I would recommend some shadowing...

 

[Duon89]

I would recommend some shadowing...

How it should be done..
previously I have done it with a surgeon couple hours per week..(she was too busy)

But maybe this time, i will do shadowing on one of the primary medicine physicians.

In terms of time, what would be most affective way to schedule shadowing with a physicians..
How long should it be done.? or typically done?

 

[J ROD]

How it should be done..
previously I have done it with a surgeon couple hours per week..(she was too busy)

But maybe this time, i will do shadowing on one of the primary medicine physicians.

In terms of time, what would be most affective way to schedule shadowing with a physicians..
How long should it be done.? or typically done?

You have to shadow at the convenience of the physician. I went to my med school and asked them if they had some docs I could shadow. They gave me a couple of names and I went from there. I would ask those docs and they would give me more names. I would recommend getting in FM too because it usually is the easiest to get and we all need to know the basics of medicine before we dive into all the specialites.

I would say 60-80hrs. I did over 100+hrs..

 

[fahimaz7]

You need to increase your MCAT and get a LOR from a physician. Most Adcom people will admit that they REQUIRE significant medical exposure prior to matriculation.

Good plan otherwise.

Don't freak yourself out with 12hour/day studying for the MCAT. Unless you want a 40, it's not the hardest test in the world. Get >30 and you'll be in medical school, writing on SDN, while sitting in the library studying (on a Friday afternoon).

 

[Kneige]

Yeah, with shadowing experience, applying earlier and retaking MCAT, you'd be a shoo-in for schools. If you don't aim too high, that is. Good luck!

 

[Duon89]

You need to increase your MCAT and get a LOR from a physician. Most Adcom people will admit that they REQUIRE significant medical exposure prior to matriculation.

Good plan otherwise.

Don't freak yourself out with 12hour/day studying for the MCAT. Unless you want a 40, it's not the hardest test in the world. Get >30 and you'll be in medical school, writing on SDN, while sitting in the library studying (on a Friday afternoon).

What do you mean by the significant medical exposure?
Could you specify a little more? or give an example?

 

[KG216]

No solid mcat score..
GPA...3.85...
volunteering 200 hours...ish.
Research 3 summers 4 semesters...as undergrad student (No publication)

Will be graduating in May 2010.

Ultimately failed this season~~
-MCAT too low...verbal mainly...
-applied too late...(took mcat on late june)
-No MD LOR

My plan is to have a good 3 months of studying mcat after graduation
(12 hours/6 days). and loosely 8 months
or loosely till aprill 2011, as i work at a lab.

apply in 2011 for 2012 admission.

What was your MCAT score, if you care to share? Taking the MCAT in late June isn't really "late"...I took mine towards the end of July and I've been accepted. Did you wait a while after getting your scores to actually apply, and thats why you consider it "late?"

I didn't have an MD LOR either. They're good to have, but not required. If you're considering DO at all, you will need a DO (sometimes can be substituted with an MD) letter. I had a pre-health committee letter and one from the dean of my graduate school, a DO one (because I applied there) and that met everyones requirements. I guess the more positive and strong letters you have (including from an MD), the better it is.

I can't speak specifically for anyone else, but a lot of different things can be considered medical exposure. It could be a paid position (like an EMT) or volunteer work, etc. Volunteering with Hospice, at local hospitals...there is a ton of different ways to get medical exposure. Try and shadow as much as possible as well!

Everything else sounds good from what you've posted. Good luck studying and preparing for the retake

 

[cabinbuilder]

Medical exposure means the adcoms want you to have some idea of what a doctor's life entails. What it means to be on call, carry a beeper, and be responsible for someone else's life. If you have no idea or have some fictional assumption of what a doctor does then that will come across in your interview and essay.

 

[Duon89]

What was your MCAT score, if you care to share? Taking the MCAT in late June isn't really "late"...I took mine towards the end of July and I've been accepted. Did you wait a while after getting your scores to actually apply, and thats why you consider it "late?"

I didn't have an MD LOR either. They're good to have, but not required. If you're considering DO at all, you will need a DO (sometimes can be substituted with an MD) letter. I had a pre-health committee letter and one from the dean of my graduate school, a DO one (because I applied there) and that met everyones requirements. I guess the more positive and strong letters you have (including from an MD), the better it is.

I can't speak specifically for anyone else, but a lot of different things can be considered medical exposure. It could be a paid position (like an EMT) or volunteer work, etc. Volunteering with Hospice, at local hospitals...there is a ton of different ways to get medical exposure. Try and shadow as much as possible as well!

Everything else sounds good from what you've posted. Good luck studying and preparing for the retake

I have done some shadowing on a surgeon, but reallized that it was not a good i dea, because it was really hard to arrange the time, and thus I could not continue for long and therefore no recommendation from the person.
I have been volunteering at the hospital regularly 4 hours/week but in total it is around 100 hours. But for total volunteering I have volunteered at a basic research lab for 200 hours or so.<- this one does not matter much I guess lol

As I said My MCAT is really low, 27 total and verbal being 6 and writing N.
GPA is only ok...being 3.85 for now...BCPM being 3.88

If you ask whether I considered D.O., yes I did apply to some but then I did not have any LOR from D.O. or M.D. so could not apply to many schools. It boiled down to couple of schools. and there is no reply since the completion around august, which made me assume that I am more or less not being considered.

One might say I had some chance over D.O. schools, but not in reality, because I am an international student, and it makes the situation worse.

I am a little bit given up for now or at least till graduation. I do not think i will be able to study MCAT during the school. Either I am not capable or not focused. And also want to sort of wrap up my independent research next semester....and probably be working at the same lab....

but really thanks for all