Hello,
I’m preparing for my MCAT right now and hoping to take it jan 2019 but now im thinking it might be best if i take the exam in march 2019. if i do take it in march 2019, the scores come out mid april 2019.
So, is there enough time for me to get things together for the application cycle of 2019? that is EARLY may 2019. or maybe even get everything else ready expect for the mcat?
Thanks.
You need to check with your college’s health professions advising office. If your college offers a committee letter, the date for submitting your request for latter and supporting materials required to the committee may be as early as March. Each college has its own process so check to what deadlines and what materials are required. Some colleges may require submitting a MCAT score if you want a committee letter. So check.
Taking the MCAT in March ought to be fine so long as you have already collected all your other supporting materials for your application–like LORs-- and written your personal statement.
Okay i didnt know. Thank you do much
Based on your past posts, you have a low sGPA with multiple C- grades in core pre-req classes.
What is current GPA/sGPA? Have you retaken every pre-req classes where you earned a C- or lower?
When calculating your GPA/SGPA you must include both your original grade and the retake grade.
Here’s a AMCAS GPA calculator–honors.usf.edu/Documents/AMCASGPA_Calculator.xls
An easier to use GPA calculator (enter every single bio, math, chem and physics class you’ve taken, including both original & retakes. You don’t need to enter course numbers)–https://gpacalculator.net/college-gpa-calculator/
If you sGPA is below 3.2, you’re wasting your time & money taking the MCAT. Even an excellent MCAT score will not make up for a weak GPA/sGPA.
It would be a much better plan to delay taking the MCAT until you have have improved your grades.
I can attest what WOWM said.
4 years ago, D had a closed to 3.5 cgpa and close to 3.4 sgpa and had a 34 in old mcat. She did not get in ANY MD schools. She is graduating from a DO school. She had an option to reapply, perhaps after SMP, but she did not.
In your case, OP, you don’t stand a chance if your CGPA and or SGPA is close to 3.0, unless you want to do Caribbean MD schools.
I have retaken one of my C- class and earned an A, and am now taking the other C- class and am doing well.
I haven’t taken many classes that aren’t BCPM because of my major but am yet to take more in BCPM soon. Hopefully, that increases my cGPA a bit.
But, my sGPA is still close to a 3.0
I still think you should not take Mcat and apply this or next cycle. If you fell strongly to be in a med school, you should first try get admitted in a SMP program. If you do well, you have a chance.
Some DO SMP program will let you in to their DO school if you attain 3.0 gpa in the program. MD school SMP program are much harder and you will only get interviews if you are top 10 or 20 percent of the class.
SMP programs are double sided sward, if you do well, you have a chance at a med school. OTOH, if you did not, perhaps the only out come will be a MS or Phd of your chosen field in UG.
I’m a little confused. You have received multiple C- grades in core pre-req classes necessitating retakes, still have a sGPA close to 3.0, and you want to apply to med school next year. I don’t see how if you “haven’t taken many classes that arent BCPM…”, which to me means you’ve taken a boatload of BCPM courses, you can take enough BCPM courses/credits, even assuming you earn As, by next June when application cycle begins, and raise your sGPA to a competitive level, at low end 3.6. Assuming my understanding of your situation is correct, you should consider not taking MCAT, maybe considering SMP or another health care field.
Agree with 2 posters above^^
You’re wasting your time & money applying to medical schools (MD and DO) with a sGPA “around 3.0”. That’s simply too low for any medical school and you will get auto-screened out everywhere.
I hope you have Plan B career lined up. (IIRC, you were a biotechnology major…)
If you’re still set on medical school, you need to enroll in SMP or grade-enhancing post-bacc.
The best & most successful SMPs are offered by medical schools–and a sGPA of 3.0 may be too low even for those. Many require a 3.2 or above, or even 3.5 for admission consideration.
Have you considered PA? It requires GRE instead of Mcat. Perhaps you have a chance. PA, while makes less money, is by no means a “low level” healthcare provider. Unlike physicians, it has much flexibility in choosing and switching specialties and has a shorter learning period for practicing.
On a second thought, if you are an accomplished URM athletes from impoverished inner city or deep south and first generation in a single parent family, you might still have a chance. Bar from that your chances are slim even at the low end of DO school.
Okay understood.
So don’t take the MCAT till maybe Summer 2019, apply to SMPs next fall (i am a junior right now).
In the meantime, go well in class and improve my S and C GPA.
And I know most SMPs require an MCAT. What if I take my MCAT in January and don’t do so well? And miss my chance into getting accepted to an SMP? What would I do in my gap years to improve my GPA?
If you score poorly on the MCAT (below 500), then you really need to re-evaluate your career plans. With a low sGPA and poor MCAT score, medical school is really out of the question. So are SMPs.
You need to prove that you are academically able to handle the material. A low sGPA and a low MCAT say that you aren’t capable of that.
The only way to improve your sGPA is to take challenging upper level biology & chemistry electives. (And not ecology/environmental type classes. You need biomedical-related classes.) You can do this formally by enrolling in grade-enhancing post-bacc. Or informally by taking UL classes as non-degree seeking student at your local 4 year college.
Yes, most SMPs requires MCAT score, so you still need to take it BUT ONLY after you are well prepared. Since your sGPA is not high enough, best strategy is take your time to (1) get all A’s to raise your GPA; (2) prep for MCAT in summer 2019, then take it at end of summer (since you are NOT rushing to apply to med school anyway). You can delay your graduation so as to take more BCPM courses (pick the ones that you’re good at, e.g, stats if you’re good at math) to get A’s. Maybe by end of 5th year you could raise your sGPA to a more suitable level (then you don’t need SMP).
What state of residence are you?
Okay I will reevaluate my decisions. Thank you.
I live in Texas.
Also, do I apply to a lot of SMPs out of state too? Roughly how many SMPs should I apply to?
Texas is a good residency state for med school applicant with lower tuition and in-state preference.
For SMPs, you should look for the ones with linkage to MD or DO school, which means if your GPA/MCAT are at certain level (typically top 25% of the SMP class), you’ll get interview at MD or DO school. There might be some SMP with linkage in Texas… others could chime in on this.
Here’s a list of grade-enhancing post-backs and SMPs–
List includes minimum GPAs and MCAT scores for admission
http://manoa.hawaii.edu/undergrad/pac/health/post-bacc-special-masters-programs/
List of DO SMPs and their linkages policies–
https://www.aacom.org/become-a-doctor/applying/preparing/post-bacc-premed-programs
Searchable database of graduate-level post-bacc and SMPs
https://apps.aamc.org/postbac/#/index
There is not a single SMP offers guaranteed admission to students.
Some offer a guaranteed interview to the **top students/b
Osteopathic SMPs w/linkages
Touro-NYC
Touro-Nevada
Lake Erie COM (LECOM)–Erie campus program only
AT Stills-Kirksville (ATSU-KCOM)
Arizona COM (AZCOM-MWU)
DesMoine COM (DMU-COM)
Kansas City COM (KCU-COM)
Liberty University COM (LUCOM)
Marian University COM (MU-COM)
Philadelphia COM (PCOM)–Philadelphia and Georgia campuses
Allopathic SMPs w/linkages
Drexel IMS
Tufts MBS
Temple ACMS
NYMC Basic Medical Sciences Interdisciplinary Program, Accelerated Track
Toledo MMS
NOTE: many (maybe most) post-bacc and SMPs are not eligible for federal financial aid.Can you afford to pay the $35K/year (or more) for tuition for a post-bacc?
Please don’t consider taking the MCAT till you have actually taken the time to study for it. You need to devote a significant time to make sure you know your content and then you need to familiarize yourself with the format of the exam and take practice tests. Till you get the score you want in your practice tests there is no point in registering for the MCAT and having a poor score on your record.
Your classes don’t necessarily align with the test so you also need to make time in your schedule to learn all the content required for the test. Get yourself some MCAT books when you are ready and take a few months to go over them. Go through lots and lots of practice questions. Only take the official test when you obtain your desired score on your practice tests. This is not a memorization test. You need to be able to apply what knowledge you have obtained. Your premed classes are your foundation for med school. If you have a poor foundation you will not perform well on the MCAT and moving forward to the next step is going to be a struggle.