Medical What are my chances of acceptance?

[GoSpursGo]

Hi,

I am an MPH student planning on applying to medical school this cycle. My sGPA from undergrad is low and my clinical volunteering hours are also on the lower side due to the pandemic. What would be my chances for an acceptance at the following if I apply mid June?

• DO schools
• Schools like WVU, OSU, NEOMED, USCSOM
• More competitive schools like Pittsburgh (in state)

Here is a summary of my application:

27 years old, ORM

MCAT: 514, will retake soon

MPH, Expected 2022

• Great program
• GPA: 4.0
• Have tried to take more challenging coureswork (ex. upper level biostatistics)

BS in an Engineering Discipline, 2018

• GPA: 3.02
• sGPA: 2.77
• C's in six science prereqs
• D in one prereq

Work Experience:

• 1.75 years as an engineer after undergrad

Clinical Volunteering

• 100 hours of clinical volunteering - ongoing - will be around 130 by time of application in June

Non-clinical Volunteering

• 600 hours as a camp counselor (multiple summers)
• 30 hours of non-clinical COVID-19 hospital volunteering - ongoing
• 45 hours of non-clinical hospital volunteering in pathology
• 35 hours volunteering at a food bank - ongoing

No research experience (no publications or presentations) but I will be doing a public health internship this summer and starting a research project later this summer.

Decent LORs and a good committee letter

Basic proficiency in Spanish

Very interested in primary care (FM or pediatrics) and rural health


I would greatly appreciate any feedback. Thank you.

I'm sorry, you're not ready. The MPH is not helpful for applying to med school, and your GPA is just too low. Either start a post-bacc or do an SMP. Even if you were in a better spot academically, you don't have enough clinical volunteer hours--minimum is 150 hours.

Don't retake a 514. that isn't your problem.

When you apply, you need to focus on DO schools and non-competitive state schools.

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[MusicDOc124]

If you apply now, you're dead in the water. Your cGPA and sGPA are way too low. There is no getting around that. And 6 Cs and 1 D in pre-reqs? Those should retaken. Due to the sub-3.0 sGPA, these retakes need to be As, plus additional upper level sciences to further boost GPA. Unfortunately it will also take a lot of credits to get that above 3.0 being that you already have your degree (so assuming 120 (if not 150 being engineering) credits, with at least half being sciences (also because you're engineering and seems like you took all or most of the pre-reqs too).

Read Goros guide.

That said, you may be in a position where you need to do a formal linked post-bacc or SMP (high risk high reward), though with your current stats it may be difficult to get into one.

Don't retake your MCAT.

 

[Goro]

Chances of acceptance are 100% on you. Bu as of right now, for MD, your chances of an II are zero. The MPH will not help. DO schools will countt he MPH GPA into your cGPA, but at my school, we don't consider them of enough rigor to show that you can handle med school.

So, as my wise colleagues suggest, read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

You need a post-bac and more clinical hours for sure. You are not ready yet.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Hi all,

Thank you. A bit disappointing but at least I know what I can focus on to improve my application moving forward.

One last question I have is whether upper level math courses would compensate for my D (in calc I). I got A's in calc 3, linear algebra and differential equations in undergrad and have been considering an upper level undergrad math course along with my MPH coursework in the fall. Should I still retake calc I as per Goro's guide? Should I avoid taking these courses as a Master's student because they won't raise my sGPA?

I think I'll plan to do a post-bac. If I take seven science courses (3 cr.) and get an A in all then my sGPA will rise to above 3.0.

Thank you very much for your time and this service. It is very helpful.

Since you have several higher math courses I don't think you HAVE to re-take calc 1, though you could. But no matter what you do, do it as a post-bacc and not masters student.