r/medschooladmissions

Got my mcat score today and im disappointed/deciding if i should retake or send it.

cGPA:3.85 (upward trend)

sGPA: 3.80 (upward trend)

mcat: 507 128/125/127/127 (was scoring/expecting around 511-512 on fls)

total clinical: 1400, 440 of which is paid

nonclinical volunteer: 80

research: 1300, 1 pub, 4 posters

currently a senior planning to apply md only this cycle and debating if i should retake mcat in a month or not pls help be honest

Hey guys, just wanted to seek some advice on what path would be the "better idea" for my goals from people who are more experienced with the premed route than I am. So I got admitted to a 6-year BS/DO program with LECOM Elmira as well as my flagship state universities UT Austin and Texas A&M as a Public Health and Neuroscience major, respectively. The requirement to stay in the former is to maintain a 3.5 GPA (the MCAT is waived).

Now, from whomever I've asked so far, I've gotten mixed opinions, some say to take the guaranteed option and run, saving 2-4 years of my life, others say that I should try for MD.

I've heard iffy things about LECOM's experience but from what I've seen, the Elmira branch campus's policies/admins are much nicer/supportive than the terrible ones in the original and FL campuses.

About my interests within medicine, they're pretty wide as of now as obv I haven't gone to med school yet to narrow it down, but I can say for sure I'm not at all interested in anything surgical. Some of what I think I'm interested in are Psych, EM, Anesthesia, RadOnc, Internal Med->Heme/Onc, and PM&R.

About cost, the BS/DO program's 2 years of undergrad are tuition free, and the med school part is around 40k/yr, so 160k in total for the 6 years in tuition, and the COL of the area is quite low. For TAMU/UT, if i did undergrad there and then was lucky enough to get into a TX med school, those 8 years in tuition would also be around 160k, but that'd be a lot higher if I didn't and ended up at an OOS med school. The money gained from making attending income 2 years prior at the former also wasn't accounted for.

Only thing holding me back from the 6-year program is how difficult it might be to match as a DO as opposed to an MD. Elmira's matches are pretty good for a DO school, their students have said that around 6% of their class went into anesthesia and another 6% to PM&R, and had an ENT, 2 Derm, a NSGY, and an Ortho match this year out of their class of ~120, though I think despite that the path would probably be easier at an MD school for sure.

Please feel free to provide your thoughts regarding this, I'm looking to gather any and all opinions.

I want to ask the physician I work with for a letter or recommendation but I don’t have her email and even if I did I don’t know if she would check it. I also don’t want to ask in person because she’s always busy at work and can be a bit forgetful. I also don’t wanna make things awkward if she says no in person lol

Hello my friends! My name is Hunter, an M4 that is about to start Cardiothoracic Surgery residency in the fall! As a former member of the Admissions Committee at Ohio State, I've reviewed literally hundreds of applications and seen the same mistakes made over-and-over again in applications. For this reason, I want to list some of those mistakes to help you all avoid them.

1. The purpose of your personal statement is to convey why you want to be a physician - this is the thesis and main point of your essay.
2. DO:
   • Answer the question of why you want to a physician specifically - not a PA, not an EMT, not an NP, not a PhD - an MD/DO.
   • Make the essay skim-friendly if possible - most AdCom members are physicians or medical students that are incredibly busy. Make sure that the most important highlights are conveyed at the beginning of each paragraph. Hate to say this, but I've seen so many folks simply skim these essays.
   • Write an engaging essay that is story-focused.
3. DO NOT:
   • Restate your resume.
   • Overemphasize elements of your personal background that are not relevant to why you want to be a physician - you almost certainly will get a secondary essay about challenges that you've faced growing up.
   • Save the "crescendo" of why you want to be a physician until the very end of the essay. This is an extremely common mistake - you don't have to speak in chronological order. This is an essay - put the reason right after your HOOK and then use the subsequent stories to underscore the reason you stated in the first point.
4. Deploy your activities strategically.
   1. Nobody is expecting you to have 10 publications in Nature as an undergrad. However, making sure that you explain the impact of what you learned from research and demonstrating that you actually did more than "surface level" work is very impactful.
   2. If you're running out of space, I would recommend lumping your shadowing if at all possible. The purpose of shadowing is to ensure that you know you want to be a physician. Same with awards.
5. Don't over-rely on updates to your application.
   1. Your main application is what is going to do the bulk of the lifting. As a deliberator, I only see the updates to your application if they were submitted prior to the deliberation. If your application has already been scored following your interview, I don't ever see your updates.
   2. If there is something that is in the works that will be impactful, it is best to list this as a future accomplishment, even if you haven't accomplished that goal yet. If it is a deciding factor in your admission, it will prompt us, as the committee, to look to see if you've updated us on that accomplishment.

A bit about me: I applied to medical school during the "Dr. Fauci" year (2021) and was admitted to multiple T10 and "tier-1" medical schools. Prior to medical school, I was an electrical engineering major and self-studied for the MCAT, achieving a >95th percentile score. For family reasons (my grandmother was ill), I chose to stay at a great medical school that was both cheapest for me and close to my home. I served on the AdCom while in medical school and have been running a small business reviewing applications since 2024. As mentioned, I will be starting Cardiothoracic Surgery residency in the fall and I'm passionate about helping pre-med students get into medical school.

If you want personalized help with your application, please DM me. Because I know the struggle, I have a *"*name your price" policy if my rate is too expensive for what you can afford.

I am getting ready to apply to medical school this cycle, and was wondering if anyone was willing to edit my personal statment?

MEDICAL VS NONMEDICAL

I read somewhere that volunteering should be non-health based but something that you could tie into your overall theme. Is this correct? Because I also read that Ronald McDonald House was a good place for volunteering. That seems health-based to me. I’m confused.

Hi, I'm choosing between Brown University (normal Biology major) and Stony Brooks 8 year medical program. Will I ultimately be happier at SB program? Is the Renaissance School of Medicine a good medical school? I'm just looking for some more opinions.

Hey everyone,

I’m currently navigating my post-bacc journey and I’ve run into some major scheduling conflicts. To make my timeline work, I’m considering taking my remaining prereqs at two different institutions, specifically UCSD Extension and my undergrad university.

Has anyone here done a "patchwork" post-bacc like this?

I’m mainly worried about:

1. Med School Admissions: Do ADCOMs care if your DIY post-bacc isn't all in one place? Does it look like I’m "shopping" for easier grades, even if it’s truly just a scheduling issue?

2. Committee Letters: If you split your time, did you find it harder to get a committee letter or a composite evaluation?

3. Logistics: Was sending multiple transcripts a headache during the application cycle?

For context, I’m working full-time, so the flexibility of the Extension courses is huge, but my undergrad school offers some upper-level labs that fit better in person.

Would love to hear from anyone who has successfully (or unsuccessfully) balanced two different schools at once! Thanks in advance.

hello! i’m an incoming medical student (just graduating from my phd this month). i just went through the application cycle this year and had a positive (and successful) experience, with 13 interviews, 11 acceptances (multiple T10), and full cost of attendance/full tuition scholarships from several schools. i know how overwhelming this process can be and hope to make it easier for some of you!

ive been tutoring for the mcat in the last year through different companies (mcat nerds and cambridge coaching). i scored in the 99th percentile (131/132/130/130). i have worked with students at all starting points, including those with minimal premed background. i spend time to learn my students and adapt to their learning styles, helping them build confidence and improve quickly. happy to share testimonies over dm!

i can help with:

mcat tutoring

* simplifying difficult concepts

* making it clear what resources are actually useful

* creating study plans and helping you stick to it

* cars strategy (english was not my first language! despite what people say, there is a science to cars!)

* timing and test-taking approach

* high yield topics

applications

* what medical schools are looking for in a personal statement

* which activities are best to include

* feedback on written material at all stages of the application

* how to write a million secondary essays in two months (it is possible)

* how to create a good school list

interviews

* conducting mock interviews (both traditional and mmi): i pride myself in my record-keeping ability! i have kept track of all interviews of this cycle in a consistent manner and will use that to inform my mock interviews

* honest and actionable feedback!

if you’re interested or just have questions, feel free to dm me. single session and package prices available! happy to have a quick chat to see if it’s a good fit! my email is mymedicalschoolcoach@gmail.com

and to all embarking on the mcat/med school app journey, good luck!

Hi everyone, I could really use some advice.

I’m applying to medical school this upcoming cycle and already submitted my committee letter paperwork through my university. As part of that, I listed my letter writers: three STEM professors and one humanities professor I was very close with and who knows me well.

Recently, news broke that this humanities professor is suing my university over discrimination and will not be returning next year. I was aware of the situation, but I didn’t expect it to become public this early when I initially listed them.

Now I’m unsure what to do. I’ve gotten mixed advice. Some people have told me I should avoid using their letter entirely, given the situation. Others have said it shouldn’t matter since the lawsuit has nothing to do with me, and what matters is the strength of the letter.

For context, this professor would likely write me a very strong and personal letter, especially compared to potential replacements who know me less well.

I’m trying to be realistic about how admissions committees might perceive this, especially given the current climate around universities and DEI-related issues.

Would having a recommender in this situation raise any red flags for admissions committees? Is it safer to replace them with a weaker (but less “complicated”) letter?

hello,

so i am currently a freshman(second semester) neuroscience major with aspirations in med school (specifically something neuro). i dont really care if i want to be a surgeon on not, but my gpa is not looking too great, (or at least how i feel looking at my peers) i am ending this semester with a 3.6 and i dont think i am doing to well as i have a b- in my major classes (neuroanatomy)whuch is kind of the reason why my gpa is so low. Do medical schools care about how low i start or am i being dramatic? someone please just give me the hard truth, dont sugarcoat it.

I’m sure this question gets asked a lot. I have yet to take my MCAT but I am aiming for MD and plan to apply in 2027. I’ve seen many posts saying people have been accepted to an MD with no research but I’m wondering if those are unicorns and a small portion of applicants. I’m not really interested in research and I have 0 ties or connections to be able to get a position so I would really have to grind to get one. Also, objectively and honestly, my current EC are pretty cookie cutter and basic even though I still have 1yr to beef it up so I’m wondering if I should just bite the bullet and start researching now. Background info, I have yet to take the MCAT and my gpa is around a 3.57 and I don’t have any plans to take a post bacc, hoping to kill the mcat to offset gpa. Would love any advice

So my undergrad gpa was a 3.6. I am doing a SMP and not performing well. My culm gpa is a 2.91 and I dropped a class in the fall semester. I am thinking of doing a second year concentration to raise my gpa and retaking my dropped class. I am taking my mcat this summer. I think it was stupid of me to do this SMP. I should have just taken the mcat and saw where it got me. Now I have to worry about repairing my gpa. Should I just switch to PA?

Hey guys, need some help deciding what some good baseline, target, and reach OOS schools to apply to with my stats. Also applying to every TMDSAS school, so I'd love to know what my chances are for matching at least one (hopefully) since I've seen people with stronger GPAs and MCATs go unmatched. Thank you guys!

ORM
3.88 GPA
515 MCAT

~1100 hrs as ED tech
~1000 hrs non-clinical volunteering
~250 hrs clinical volunteering
~250 hrs shadowing (lot of it in ICU, published 3 case reports)
~300 hrs research, no pubs

I am seeing some discourse on Reddit about how bad Burrell is as an institution. What should I look out for? Is it worth attending if I’m on WL everywhere else? I haven’t gotten accepted but trying to plan accordingly here since I think this was it strongest interview.

I really enjoyed my interview but I’m seeing everyone say their board pass rates are abysmal and you’re cooked.

Hoping for someone to get more insight here and some guidance in the reality of BCOM as a student, I’m not trying to do a competitive specialty (EM, PEDS, IM).

Thanks for the help guys!

Hello. I am an international student who got a few offers from a mix of US undergrads and medical programs. Namely, Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar, Upenn, etc. My end goal is to practice medicine in the US, but I am unsure what the best way to go about it is. I will try to provide all the information I know for my specific case.

PENN cost: 180k for undergrad, 580k including medical school (just keeping this total 8-9 amount in mind)

Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar: around 480k total.

CAREER UPENN: pros: easier to get into medical school due to their resources, however chances are still low. But how low are we talking? This is really my main question, would penn significantly help get an international into a medical school as opposed to an undergrad outside the US or a mid tier undergrad in the US?

It’s a very prestigious degree with lots of flexibility to enter any field. Also gives freedom to not be locked into medicine In case I change my mind.

Weill Cornell Medicine Qatar: Pros: No need to apply to medical school, already in one. accelerated.

Cons: Risk of not wanting medicine, with no way out. Also being an IMG truly limits you and locks you out of competitive or desired specialities. There is no such limit for a MD senior. I have an understanding that this school is rather niche and outperforms other international medical schools when it comes to the US, but does anyone know if its fishy/predatory like perhaps SGU or other carib schools? Most of their matches seem to be IM. ive seen 5 categorical general surgery matches in 9 years, so thats 5 in 450 people (not considering those who actually wanted general surgery, that may be 5 in 40-50 as a reasonable guess).

So the question im really grappling with is: Should i go to an accelerated track and match into the US, but likely give up competitive specialties and limit myself, or should I come to penn and try to get into medical school here and possibly fail?

I saw this worked for the last guy I need to ask an important question but can’t pls help 😭🙏🙏

I am being forced to apply this cycle by my parents. Please look at my stats and tell me if it's worth it

Top tier undergrad university, biochemistry major -- 2.91 cGPA, 2.67 sGPA. Decided after graduation that I wanted to pursue med school. 519 MCAT. Over 400 hours scribing. Some random ECs in undergrad. One semester of research my senior year, no pubs. No volunteering. NJ resident.

I wanted to do a post bacc but my parents don't have faith in me and are afraid I will waste the money. I think I have a good shot at the Georgetown SMP, though (which has a linkage! Still I'd have to apply this cycle to get the interview next year)