What are my chances? cGPA 3.2, sGPA 3.1... URM

[stitchmaster]

Good evening everyone,

*Sigh* The application cycle is drawing nigh. I promised myself I would not do this, but here goes...

I would love if anyone with any admissions experience (or general insight on this process for that matter) could give me some feedback as to what my chances are like? If anyone has any school suggestions to throw my way those would also be greatly appreciated.

Graduated with a social science major from a top 10 liberal arts college in 2016 with a 3.05 cGPA and a 2.5 sGPA. During the summer after my freshman year, a part time job in a clinical setting led me to believe that becoming a physician was my true calling. So I geared up to pursue medical school. That said, once I realized what constituted a competitive medical school application, I realized that my fledgling transcript riddled with C's was doing me no favors. It is no secret that applying to medical school is a numbers game, and I did not like my chances of pulling up my GPA to an acceptable range at one of the most rigorous colleges in the country. Especially considering the fact that I had the pre-reqs to finish.

I decided to focus the remainder of undergrad on taking classes that interested me, while majoring in something interesting. I took well to the social sciences and stuck with those. Got a 3.2 sophomore year, a 3.1 Junior year and a 3.5 my senior year. With the hope of attending medical school informing my journey, I landed a pretty swanky summer research opportunity at an ivy after my junior year and completed a public health internship... Not to mention scads of clinical experience from my part time job.

The year after graduation has been one of atonement. I have been finishing my pre-reqs at local schools, volunteering and studying for the MCAT. Once classes are done in May I'll start working full time in doing more clinical work at an anesthesiology practice back home in the Northeast.

Fortunately I have been knocking the classes out of the park, continuing the upward trend I established and have been doing my utmost to demonstrate that this dream is something I am 100% capable of handling. Unfortunately, even though I have only gotten A's in my courses since graduation, and I anticipate closing out this final semester in the same manner, it will have a marginal effect on my GPA when it is all said and done... Also this bloody MCAT is extremely frustrating. Thought I would be emphatically breaking 508, but my AAMC practice exams are hovering around 506, but that's another post.

TL;DR

URM AA male, non trad
3.1 cGPA, 2.5 sGPA (undergrad, top 10 selective liberal arts)
3.93 postbac and science GPA (24 credits of finishing pre-reqs)
3.2 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA (total)
strong upward trend

Pre-req grades (* denotes post-bacc):
Biology I: C
Biology II: A*
General Chemistry I: B-
General Chemistry II: C
Organic I: A-*
Organic II honors: A*
Physics I: A*
Physics II: currently have an A and should earn one when classes are done*
Biochemistry: " "*


worst case scenario 506 MCAT, but I should break it and hopefully get that elusive 508 at the very least. Also have 4 LOR on the way.

ECs/Volunteering

• Published summer research from an ivy league institution
• over 7 years of part time clinical experience with a cardiology private practice in the inner city
• 1 year of volunteering during DIY post bacc
• internship in public health treating HIV/AIDS in nation's capital
• All of my work has been primarily concerned with treating underserved populations, excluding the research.
• Boxing club membership and treasurer during undergrad

You guys know the drill... How am I looking? Any advice from those who have been in my shoes before? Any schools I should keep in mind that might look favorably on someone in my position?

Thanks for the time and apologies for the longwinded post.

-the Stitchmaster himself

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[all things possible]

Can't say much without an actual MCAT score.

More postbacc classes would be beneficial, especially science courses to raise sGPA (48 hours would prove alot more than 24).

ECs look fine BUT you need around 50 hours of shadowing, preferably primary care physicians.

Again, really hard to advise with no MCAT, as potential "I'm hoping to get a 506-508" doesn't cut it.

With that being said, a 3.2 cgpa and 3.1 sgpa with a 506-508 is very possible for MD schools with a careful list.

Come back with MCAT score please.

 

[SLU Student]

There's an excel document floating around that shows what individuals have been getting on their AAMC practice tests vs. the real thing. Most of them scored higher on the actual MCAT. Hopefully that gives you some confidence when taking the exam so you can get that 508.

 

[stitchmaster]

There's an excel document floating around that shows what individuals have been getting on their AAMC practice tests vs. the real thing. Most of them scored higher on the actual MCAT. Hopefully that gives you some confidence when taking the exam so you can get that 508.

Thanks for the words of encouragement. I'm hoping things come through properly on this exam (take it Friday). I've played with the figures and seen the documents and all that... but I'm hesitant to put much stock in them - many predicted that the Kaplan scores I was achieving would be sufficient to see me well over 510! So I just have to keep paying my dues and leave it all on the exam

 

[stitchmaster]

Can't say much without an actual MCAT score.

More postbacc classes would be beneficial, especially science courses to raise sGPA (48 hours would prove alot more than 24).

ECs look fine BUT you need around 50 hours of shadowing, preferably primary care physicians.

Again, really hard to advise with no MCAT, as potential "I'm hoping to get a 506-508" doesn't cut it.

With that being said, a 3.2 cgpa and 3.1 sgpa with a 506-508 is very possible for MD schools with a careful list.

Come back with MCAT score please.

Thanks for the timely response. I've had a few hours of shadowing, my public health internship was primarily spent shadowing a public health official who endeavors to train the clinical workforce for HIV/AIDS in DC... I was under the impression that shadowing took a backseat to hands on clinical work. Personally, I've found the clinical exposure/experience much more rewarding and informative than passive observation during someone's routine checkup. Does shadowing really make or break you?

 

[all things possible]

Thanks for the timely response. I've had a few hours of shadowing, my public health internship was primarily spent shadowing a public health official who endeavors to train the clinical workforce for HIV/AIDS in DC... I was under the impression that shadowing took a backseat to hands on clinical work. Personally, I've found the clinical exposure/experience much more rewarding and informative than passive observation during someone's routine checkup. Does shadowing really make or break you?

It's just one of those boxes that you check. Is the public health official a physician and did you shadow them in a clinical environment while they were seeing patients? If so then that should suffice.

Good luck on your MCAT and make sure to update this thread when you get your scores!

 

[Goro]

State your school list with the HBCs and your state schools. Once you get your MCAT score, then we can advise better.

Good evening everyone,

*Sigh* The application cycle is drawing nigh. I promised myself I would not do this, but here goes...

I would love if anyone with any admissions experience (or general insight on this process for that matter) could give me some feedback as to what my chances are like? If anyone has any school suggestions to throw my way those would also be greatly appreciated.

Graduated with a social science major from a top 10 liberal arts college in 2016 with a 3.05 cGPA and a 2.5 sGPA. During the summer after my freshman year, a part time job in a clinical setting led me to believe that becoming a physician was my true calling. So I geared up to pursue medical school. That said, once I realized what constituted a competitive medical school application, I realized that my fledgling transcript riddled with C's was doing me no favors. It is no secret that applying to medical school is a numbers game, and I did not like my chances of pulling up my GPA to an acceptable range at one of the most rigorous colleges in the country. Especially considering the fact that I had the pre-reqs to finish.

I decided to focus the remainder of undergrad on taking classes that interested me, while majoring in something interesting. I took well to the social sciences and stuck with those. Got a 3.2 sophomore year, a 3.1 Junior year and a 3.5 my senior year. With the hope of attending medical school informing my journey, I landed a pretty swanky summer research opportunity at an ivy after my junior year and completed a public health internship... Not to mention scads of clinical experience from my part time job.

The year after graduation has been one of atonement. I have been finishing my pre-reqs at local schools, volunteering and studying for the MCAT. Once classes are done in May I'll start working full time in doing more clinical work at an anesthesiology practice back home in the Northeast.

Fortunately I have been knocking the classes out of the park, continuing the upward trend I established and have been doing my utmost to demonstrate that this dream is something I am 100% capable of handling. Unfortunately, even though I have only gotten A's in my courses since graduation, and I anticipate closing out this final semester in the same manner, it will have a marginal effect on my GPA when it is all said and done... Also this bloody MCAT is extremely frustrating. Thought I would be emphatically breaking 508, but my AAMC practice exams are hovering around 506, but that's another post.

TL;DR

URM AA male, non trad
3.1 cGPA, 2.5 sGPA (undergrad, top 10 selective liberal arts)
3.93 postbac and science GPA (24 credits of finishing pre-reqs)
3.2 cGPA, 3.1 sGPA (total)
strong upward trend

Pre-req grades (* denotes post-bacc):
Biology I: C
Biology II: A*
General Chemistry I: B-
General Chemistry II: C
Organic I: A-*
Organic II honors: A*
Physics I: A*
Physics II: currently have an A and should earn one when classes are done*
Biochemistry: " "*


worst case scenario 506 MCAT, but I should break it and hopefully get that elusive 508 at the very least. Also have 4 LOR on the way.

ECs/Volunteering

• Published summer research from an ivy league institution
• over 7 years of part time clinical experience with a cardiology private practice in the inner city
• 1 year of volunteering during DIY post bacc
• internship in public health treating HIV/AIDS in nation's capital
• All of my work has been primarily concerned with treating underserved populations, excluding the research.
• Boxing club membership and treasurer during undergrad

You guys know the drill... How am I looking? Any advice from those who have been in my shoes before? Any schools I should keep in mind that might look favorably on someone in my position?

Thanks for the time and apologies for the longwinded post.

-the Stitchmaster himself

 

[stitchmaster]

It's just one of those boxes that you check. Is the public health official a physician and did you shadow them in a clinical environment while they were seeing patients? If so then that should suffice.

Good luck on your MCAT and make sure to update this thread when you get your scores!

No they were a phD... and I've had Pm&R shadowing as well as Nephrology, I just never thought to mention because they were less than 20 hours. I honestly did not think that they would even be worth listing lol

 

[stitchmaster]

State your school list with the HBCs and your state schools. Once you get your MCAT score, then we can advise better.

Thanks for checking in Goro. I'm focusing on MCAT studying at the moment, but once I have some time in the beginning of May to devise a calculated list of schools, I will be sure to update the thread.