Reformed Lurker

Okay, okay, okay. I’ll go ahead and introduce myself to this fine community that I’ve been a spectator of for so long!


I graduated with a BA in Communications and a mediocre GPA in 2006. I’ve been working at a great job since then in a field completely unrelated to medicine. I started thinking about med school about two years ago and began taking the prereqs at night. I was almost skeptical of myself at first but soon became absorbed in learning again. I was more than proud of my first A in Physics 1.


Since then, I’ve held a steady 4.0 in all of my prereqs and am readying myself to apply for 2010 admission. I’m scheduled to take the MCAT in the fall and will be applying afterwards. I know, I know… with rolling admissions it is most prudent to apply as soon as the season opens up but I have been persuaded by a couple friends who have just graduated from my school of choice to just go for it. After meeting with a dean of this school (which was AWESOME and a great opportunity also set up by the MD friend) I have decided that it can’t hurt to apply. He said that even if I don’t make the cut this time around that it would serve me well in that I can ask them what red flags they saw on my application. Then, I can fix those red flags before the next go 'round. I am sure this advice applies to all schools - not just my number one choice.


He also is in the process of hooking me up with shadowing the morning rounds at my local hospital. I’ve been volunteering in the department since January and will now be shadowing in the same department.


So it’s nice to meet you all! The board has always been a glimmer of hope in my non-trad journey!

Hey Wiggy,


Nice to meet you… sounds like you are well on your way. Good-luck!

Glad you came to join us! Wish you success for the application year! You might want to consider putting in your application in sooner than later. While the med schools you choose won’t show the application complete until they get your MCAT, having the application in and verified will cut down on some of this time. It can take as long as 8 weeks to get verified, and if you wait until you receive your MCAT score, to actually apply, your application will not just be late, but it may be very, very late. Even though you may be having a great post bacc period with 4.0 gpa, if you have only a mediocre gpa from your undergraduate years, it might be enough. What do you consider mediocre?

“Mediocre” is right at a 3.0. I would love to go back in time and slap myself from my earlier college years!


I have started my application. Are you saying to submit it up to two months before I even take the MCAT? Do people usually do that? It just seems weird to me to put in the application with a main component missing!

Ideally, your AMCAS app should go in within 2 weeks of the opening - we are already past that date. At the latest, I would not want to submit my app any more than mid-July…and even then, that is pushing it a bit. While your app will not be complete until the MCAT scores arrive, if it s there, they can begin some of the preliminary processing. And, AMCAS has to do all of its processing prior to the school ever receiving it.


If you do not submit until you have taken the MCAT, you are really putting yourself behind ‘the 8-ball’. Interview offers are doled out on a rolling basis with the bulk going to those who get their apps & scores in early…EARLY! That means any delays relegates you to the pile of leftovers and at the mercy of those who are already scheduled relinquishing them.


In process this competitive, I don’t think I need to elaborate any further on how NOT EARLY places you at a substantial disadvantage.

Interesting… you GO boi.


You know I did not find OPM until I was a junior in medical school… hence the ‘phase off’ outlook with a default setting of ‘positive’; if one does it ‘right’ (especially attitude and commitment) the trip is in your hands.


I must say, I am very impressed with what you have accomplished thusfar… goodvibes.


It sounds like you researched what your local school wanted… and then without exhaustive machinations about short-cuts or what ifs… Got going…


Indeed, there were probably two people besides Kathy who knew I was there for anything but a Human Biology degree and a minor in Organic Chemistry (further, I set out that way because I always had to be prepared for the REAL possiility of coming up short).


Good luck, your initiative and audacity looks likeit might work :wink:

I am aware of the rolling admissions policy and that it looks best to apply the day applications open. It has always been my plan that I would apply for the first time in May 2010 and have it submitted the first day possible. I’ve been waiting so long anyway (patience is a virtue of the non-trad) that this schedule has always been my plan and still is.


However, I have been recently convinced by the aforementioned experts that applying this year will only help me, even if I don’t get in the first time around. Since I already have it in my head that I wouldn’t be starting classes until August 2011, a rejection in this season wouldn’t “break my spirit” so to speak. I’ve been assured that it won’t hurt my application the next time around. Plus, what if I did get in?


I hope it doesn’t seem like I’m being flippant about applying. Believe you me, getting into medical school is my absolute first priority and I wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize my goal. I am just thinking that if I apply this year, even though my ducks aren’t in their very best row, I could learn from it if I don’t get in and it may just make that May 2010 application that much better.


Thanks for all the suggestions! It helps to work through all the options and refine the plan!

Thanks for the encouraging words! For me it was the getting started that was the biggest hurdle. The next steps have all followed! I’m excited. The whole process has been a blast and I haven’t even applied yet!


By the way, I’m not a “boi”!

Applying now if you think you will not be ready is not a good thing…it is best to apply ONCE. It is not a good thing to do a practice run. Adcoms DO look at re-applicants closer so beware.

You GO… GIRL :wink:

  • Wiggy Said:
"Mediocre" is right at a 3.0. I would love to go back in time and slap myself from my earlier college years!

I have started my application. Are you saying to submit it up to two months before I even take the MCAT? Do people usually do that? It just seems weird to me to put in the application with a main component missing!



I was going to comment on this, but OMD pretty much covered it.

Suffice it to say, that because there are so many different facets to having a complete application, getting started as soon as possible is your best bet. If you (a general you) have attended more than one post-secondary school, it could take time before the transcripts of all the schools are submitted. Also, you want to make sure that you've taken care of getting all of your LORs. Now you don't need to apply to more than one school at this time, but if you have everything all set with your application, they will consider you verified and the application will be sent to your medical school choice. You don't actually have to have your MCAT score for the medical school to receive your primary application. However, you are not considered complete with them until they have your MCAT score, the secondary completed and any LORs they request.

Also once you are verified, I think it only takes a day or two for another school choice to be added and sent to the school.

So if you want to go to medical school in Fall of 2010, get cracking and put in that application!

It’s not that I don’t think I’ll be ready… it’s just that it wasn’t in my “original” plan. I have all of the prereqs, most of the LORs, and everything ready to go except the MCAT. My hesitation is that this would be late in the game for this season, but from every expert that I’ve met with this shouldn’t be a strike against me if I don’t get in this year and have to re-apply this year. I would love it if they look more closely at my application! I’ve got nothing to hide and want them to get to know me better. However, if I suck it up on the MCAT then I’ll just wait to apply.

I see, okay that makes more sense. Good luck.

It sounds to me like a ‘very expensive way to get some practice in application process’. If it wasn’t your plan, why spending money and time and applying this year? It might not be the case for every school out there, but my school usually is out of interview slots in September (I applied very early in the application process and I was invited to the interview in mid September, and the interview was not until some time in February). If you wait to apply until the fall you’ll just be throwing away your money…


I think you should do one of these things:

  • Just take your MCAT in the fall and if it goes well, then be happy and apply as early as possible next year (if it doesn’t go as well as you planned, you can always retake in the winter/ spring)

  • or apply now, do your best on the MCAT and who knows! As soon as the scores get released you might get several interviews.


    good luck with whatever you decide.

I appreciate the two options you’ve offered! They both make sense. I think I will give myself a “deadline” for when I absolutely must decide to apply or not and see how I am feeling then. Probably the the first of July.


I hadn’t really realized until discussing it with you all just how much time can pass between when the application is sent and when your MCAT scores are released. This whole conversation has cleared things up a lot!

Yup, and to be honest the early bird gets the worm…so the more time that goes by before AMCAS is sent in…the more applicants turfing it for less spots (rolling schools).

OR even if you send in AMCAS before the MCAT score is available.

  • madkasia Said:
It sounds to me like a 'very expensive way to get some practice in application process'. If it wasn't your plan, why spending money and time and applying this year? It might not be the case for every school out there, but my school usually is out of interview slots in September (I applied very early in the application process and I was invited to the interview in mid September, and the interview was not until some time in February). If you wait to apply until the fall you'll just be throwing away your money...

I think you should do one of these things:

- Just take your MCAT in the fall and if it goes well, then be happy and apply as early as possible next year (if it doesn't go as well as you planned, you can always retake in the winter/ spring)

- or apply now, do your best on the MCAT and who knows! As soon as the scores get released you might get several interviews.

good luck with whatever you decide.



I have to totally agree with Kasia on this. The MCAT is not a cheap test to take in of itself. Add to it the nontangible costs that it takes if you are not prepared.

One of the things that I noticed from applicants that did really well with the MCAT was that during their preparation they took numerous practice tests under test type conditions. usually their actual score fell right within these averages. The higher the MCAT the more competitive you will be, so you definitely want to aim for a 32+ if you can.

Best of luck!