Should I apply this year?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>GPA: 3.70
MCAT: 33
BCMP GPA: 3.75
Resident: California </p>

<p>The average EC's such as:
Shadowing 2-3 doctors 60hrs
Barrett/Mayo Pre-med Scholar program (hands-on experience with human cadaver lab, ultra sound lab, and phlebotomy lab. Attend lecture modules on special topics, such as healthcare in the prison system)
Research 1+ year
TA
Summer jobs as lifeguard, tutor & camp counselor.<br>
Volunteer/community service 3 years with leadership roles
Average Personal Statement & LOR's
Will be completing in this summer: volunteer in clinic setting 100+hrs</p>

<p>I am a Junior deciding to apply this year or take a gap year? Please advice? Thanks.</p>

2

<p>My stats are similar. I am applying this cycle. Can we have other inputs? Should we apply or not? </p>

<p>Sent from my SPH-M910 using CC</p>

3

<p>At the risk of pointing out the obvious, let me point out that the averages for matriculants are ~32 MCAT and ~3.65 GPA.</p>

<p>Retaking MCAT is a risky proposition for somebody with 33. You can check AAMC MCAT data on past outcomes for folks who did that.</p>

<p>Unless you have specific ideas as to how you are going to improve your application, you may be better off giving it a shot this year. CA schools may be too temperamental for you. Just apply broadly.</p>

4

<p>Agree with kal123 that its wise to apply broadly, especially because CA schools have consistently had more applicants than space available. </p>

<p>You need to feel confident in your ability to convincingly and genuinely answer the “Why medicine?” question. For many applicants, that is informed by the various life experiences gathered prior to submitting an application. If you feel certain in your ability to answer that universal question - and that your application stands strong on its own - then go for it. If you have any doubts about medicine or the relative strength of your application, then have no regrets…and wait a year. As you well know, this is a grueling process over the course of the next 9+ months and the 8+ years that follow. And there are no shortcuts to med school. Bottomline, present your strongest application…the rest will follow.</p>

5

<p>Thanks for the feedback. I am concern that my clinical volunteering expereince for this summer might not be “in time” for June 1’s application. I am thinking if I take a year to strengthen my clinical/hospital experience, LORs, GPA, take Spanish classes and maybe work expereince as a hospital scribe that might improve my chances. I’m part Hispanic, do you think that might help my odds a little? Thanks in advance.</p>

6

<p>You can certainly list your planned summer activity and by the time interviews come around you will have plenty to talk about.</p>

7

<p>

</p>

<p>See post #67:</p>

<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1054241-how-make-application-list-5.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/pre-med-topics/1054241-how-make-application-list-5.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

8

<p>It is practically impossible to advice without any knowledge why you are considering a gap year. “take a year to strengthen my clinical/hospital experience, LORs, GPA, take Spanish classes and maybe work expereince as a hospital scribe that might improve my chances.” does not sound like valid reasons as your stats are just fine. It must be something else that you are no willing to share, which is fine. I am saying that with the background that you are sharing here, you have enough to apply to get accepted to several Med. Schools from the list that would match your stats.</p>

9

<p>I forgot, also see this AAMC data:</p>

<p><a href=“https://www.aamc.org/download/321512/data/2012factstable25-1.pdf[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/download/321512/data/2012factstable25-1.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

10

<p>the only reason to wait with your stats is if you were thinking Harvard, Hopkins, WUSTL, UCSF or bust, and even then, as a hispanic student (especially if you’re male) you might not even need the extra year for those guys. As ento just posted, 91.3% of students with your stats get into at least one medical school.</p>

11

<p>Thank you everyone for your input, appreciate it. I am just happy to get into any Cali state SOMs. I think lack of confidence and the interviewing skill and most of my Cali friends who are applying for med schools are taking a gap. I am just happy to get into any Cali state SOMs.</p>

12

<p>^Here you go! I knew there is something there. My D. has encountered many Cali applicants during her application cycle. They are flooding the whole entire system and get accepted in disproportionate numbers. The reason I heard is that it is impossible to get to Cali SOMs. I am talking about kids who get accepted to top 20s in other states.</p>

13

<p>Since Calif SOMs can be difficult to get into, apply to some Midwest privates…Creighton, SLU, LoyolaChicago, Medical College of Wisconsin, etc. </p>

<p>If you’re at least 1/4 Hispanic, I think you can put that you’re Hispanic. Entomom knows more about that.</p>

14

<p>There are 7 Medical schools in our state Ohio. You can apply to all of them.
Limiting yourself to Cali SOM’s would cause a problem to MOST applicants, not just you.</p>

15

<p>Similar to UG admissions, AMCAS uses the US Census self-identification definition of race & ethnicity. While some programs and scholarships have percentage thresholds (eg. 1/4 Hispanic for NHRP for UG), for admissions purposes the critical question is how the applicant identifies racially/ethnically (see the OP of the Race FAQ sticky thread on the College Admissions forum for the US Census definition). </p>

<p>Be aware that the definition of URM is different between UG and med school. Ten years ago AAMC revised their definition of Underrepresented in Medicine: </p>

<p><a href=“https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/urm/[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/urm/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>The way the AAMC now defines URM leaves lots of flexibility in how various med schools interpret & implement this definition in admissions.</p>