r/medschooladmissions

Stats:
- cGPA: 3.56, sGPA: ~3.4

MCAT: 509 (90th percentile CARS)

State: Florida, public university (FSU), several in-state options

Major: Biomedical Sciences, minor in Chemistry
Graduated cum laude
Upward trend: 3.55 → 3.38 → 3.69 → 3.78 by year, including an A in Biochemistry and A- in Organic Chemistry Lab

ECs:
2,000+ clinical hours as an MA in urgent care, including serving as charge MA. Lots of hands-on experience with EKGs, phlebotomy, POC testing, nebulizer treatments, splinting, wound care, medication administration, triage, assisting with I&Ds/lacerations, etc.

Continuing full-time clinical work during my gap year as an MA at an outpatient Vascular Surgery office

2 years (1600 hours) working as a microbiology lab technician with extensive wet-lab experience

Independent quantitative senior capstone research project investigating how primary care providers counsel patients on lifestyle interventions for hypertension (200 hrs)

Longitudinal volunteer tutoring/mentoring (20 hrs)

Recreational gymnastics coaching (4 years in high school)

Childcare (babysitting) experience with infants and children of different ages/developmental needs

Physician shadowing across multiple specialties, including orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, oncology, and DO physicians + future vascular surgery shadowing

Employee of the Month at my urgent care

LORs:
Microbiology lab supervisor

Clinical Director at my urgent care (MD, FSUCOM alum)

Another MD I worked closely with at urgent care (FSUCOM alum)

FSUCOM faculty member who supervised my independent research project

Brain & Behavior/Psychology professor

School List:
Applying broadly to both MD and DO. MD list includes my Florida schools (FSU, FIU, FAU, USF) plus schools like Drexel, Temple, Rosalind Franklin, Penn State, MCW, Wake Forest, etc. DO list includes PCOM, NYITCOM, NSU-KPCOM, CCOM, UNECOM, WesternU, UIW, etc.

My question:
Realistically, what are my odds of getting into ANY MD program this cycle?

I know a 509/3.56 is below the median at a lot of MD programs, and I also received a 1st-quartile CASPer (couldn’t tell you how I did so bad). On the other hand, I have a pretty significant upward academic trend, extensive hands-on clinical experience, research, longitudinal employment/service, and what I think are strong LORs and secondary essays.
I’m definitely not asking about T20s or expecting a prestigious program. I just want to know whether an MD acceptance somewhere is realistically on the table with a well-built school list, or whether my stats make DO the much more likely outcome. I’ve already come this far in the cycle filling out secondaries and would appreciate a realistic assessment of where I stand.
:::

Hi!

I wanted to post this in the r/premed subreddit but I guess I don’t have enough karma for that 😭 hopefully it’s okay for me to ask here

So I’ve just started my sophomore year of college, and I haven’t taken bio, chem, physics. I am busy taking other classes now (general eds and for my major), but I will definitely try next course registration. I was told there are a certain amount of classes I have to take for chem & bio (like an advanced version), so I feel like im behind.

I also haven’t had any way of gaining medical hours quite yet, but did want to get into it. Most of the programs I’ve looked at are like a 6-9 months long course before I can even take an exam and then apply for jobs. Also research is something I really want to get involved in but haven’t had the chance yet.

I don’t know I just feel like im very behind and im afraid I won’t get into a med school I really desire acceptance from!

I have submitted most of my secondaries this past week (got them last Tuesday grinded out 17 of them so far) but I was wondering about how long do schools usually take to get back to you? I know that it changes depending on schools and a lot of MD schools haven’t started sending invites yet but what would be an average timeframe to hear back?

Stats:

- cGPA: 3.64, sGPA: 3.3 (upward trend due to early rocky semesters including an F the semester I lost a parent, retook the class for an A, and have tutored that same course ever since).

- MCAT: 515

- State: mid-Atlantic, public university, in-state option available

- Major: Computer Science with a philosophy minor

-Upward Trend: 3.81/3.7 in last 2 years.

ECs:

- 1,200+ clinical hours (MA), 200 hrs hospital volunteering, 125 hrs shadowing across 3 specialties

- 1,500 hrs wet lab research (behavior), 2 posters, no pubs

- Community/religious leadership: served as an elected head of a religious org, and separately as a religious leader for my broader community (2,000+ hrs)

-I also head an educational institute (1,000+ hrs), mostly free/community-based. Also tutoring the same class I once failed and TAing for upper level bio

- Founded a small food based nonprofit and independently launched a business on the tech side

~1,000+ additional community service hours

- 1 Physician LOR, 1 Comp Professor, 1 Bio Professor and 1 PI/Professor

-URM/ORM, rural area

-FAP eligible so will apply to 50-60ish MD My question is just: realistically, what are my odds of getting into ANY MD program. Given the sGPA/MCAT split? Not asking about T20 by any means, just if I could get an MD acceptance somewhere with a well-built list. Finding myself losing motivation nowadays coming so far but need realistic and blunt advice.

I’m recently came to the decision to start the career change and record enhancement, as I have a 2.8 cGPA and 2.0 scGPA (Science GPA built on 20 credits) with no prereqs done.

This Fall 2026:
Getting through the process of an acceptance, registration, etc. would be pretty compressed if I do so now, but really my main concern is getting left over classes with really bad professors. I need everything to be on my side in terms of grades obviously, so a harsh grader or overall rough prof is why I hesitate for fall.

Spring 2027:
Being out of sequence would be my concern here. Chem 1, then a compressed Chem 2 in the summer or Chem 2 in the fall? I don’t know whether this is good or bad.

Next Fall, 2027:
Too far off. Everybody is saying I should start as soon as possible, but I have the concerns above. Yet starting a full year later is also I guess not a great thing. One advantage here though, is there’re career changer programs that are accelerated that start in the fall which I can apply to.

Looking for insights and opinions.

Oh, and given my stats/circumstances, should I take my classes at a 4 year state university or community college?

Thank you so much :)

mcat 523
gpa 3.93
research: ~600 hrs + one pub
volunteering: ~400 hrs
clinical: ~1000 hrs
shadowing: -50 hrs

urm
top 10 undergrad
almost no leadership
lowkey threw first couple semesters not doing any EC’s
texas resident - only applied to top 20 + tmsdas

stats are good, but my writing is mid and i feel like i have lack luster EC’s

As title says, my friend and I got verified around same time ( june 20ish ), he received a secondary from ucsf the day after, I still havent heard back, anyone know?

Pre-med student interested in peds. I’ve shadowed in pediatric clinic and PM&R so far. What else should I add? Want to make sure I’m not only covering my bases but making good experiences.

Following up on my General Interview Pearls & Pitfalls post from earlier this month, here's a breakdown of the questions that show up in nearly every traditional interview, with my take on how to approach each of them. Please note that every interviewer has different preferences, so what I say may be different or controversial from other recommendations you've heard.

That said, I've interviewed hundreds and mock interviewed over a thousand applicants over the course of my career. Here are my thoughts:

1. Tell me about yourself

Length: generally 1-3 minutes.

Give an overview of who you are, where you're from, the main characteristics and values that make you who you are, and the experiences that got you here. Most people do best going chronologically; it's also easier for the interviewer to follow.

Close with a memorable line: "...and now I'm applying to medical school, specifically [School], because my ultimate goal is to be the type of physician who [ties to that school's values or mission]."

Should you talk about "why medicine" here? If you ask 10 interviewers, you'll get 10 answers. My take is to give a 30,000-ft overview if it fits naturally, but save the real stories and anecdotes for the Why Medicine question.

2. Why medicine?

If you weren't already tired of this question, you might be by the end of interview season.

• Tell specific, compelling stories
• Show real insight into why medicine is the career for you
• Align your experiences, goals, and values with the school

3. Why this school?

Be specific. I recommending including at least one thing from each of these three buckets:

1. Something general about the school location, reputation, mission statement, motto, values
2. Something about the curriculum PBL? Flipped classroom? Ultrasound training? In-person cadaveric anatomy? Which hospital systems you'd rotate through?
3. Something extracurricular specific research opportunities, student groups, outreach clinics, intramural sports

Ideally, tie each point back to your own experience, then talk about what the school offers, and how it will move you toward the physician you want to become.

4. What questions do you have for me?

Come with 2-3 questions minimum (reusing the same ones across interviews is fine).

Others may disagree here, but in my opinion, this is your last real chance to connect with that interviewer, so ask questions that get them talking about themselves. People remember you more when they've shared something of their own. A few that work well:

• What resource on campus do you think is invaluable to first-year med students here?
• What are you most proud of from graduates of this program?
• What would you add or change about the curriculum, and how long do you think that would take?
• What characteristics have you seen in the most successful students here?
• What did your favorite day working here look like?
• What's your favorite thing to teach medical students?

Save pure logistics questions ("Do students need a car?" "How do students pick 3rd-year rotations?") for the general info session rather than your 1:1 interviewer.

Which of these (or others!) is stumping you most right now? Happy to dig into any of them in the comments. Good luck!

Wanted to get some outside opinions on my chances this cycle and whether I should be worried about how my secondary timeline is shaping up.

Academic context / stats + hours:

- MCAT: 500 first attempt → 508 (1.5 months later)
- cGPA: 3.70
- STEM GPA: 3.58
- Clinical research: ~2,350 hours completed + ~2,000 pending from current CRC job
- Wet lab research: ~325 hours
- Clinical hours (patient-facing): ~710 hours
- Volunteering/service: ~525 hours
-Leadership: ~875 hours (same org e-board all 3 years of undergrad)
- Graduated college in 3 years
- Currently working full time as a Clinical Research Coordinator
- Applied to 35 MD schools & currently working on AACOMAS primary as well

Academic context / trend:

I had a rough start in college and earned a D+ my first semester, which significantly impacted my early GPA. However, I had a strong upward trend afterward and finished very strong academically. In my last two semesters alone, I took 40 credits total and earned all A’s, showing a steep and consistent improvement.

Stats/context (secondaries):

- Submitted some secondaries within 2 weeks
- About 20/35 will likely be submitted around the 3–4 week mark
- Research-heavy application, including 2 manuscripts currently under review
- Strong clinical exposure, volunteering/service, and longitudinal commitments

I know a 508 is below the median at a lot of MD schools, so I applied broadly and tried to be realistic. My main concern right now is whether getting a decent portion of my secondaries in around the 3–4 week mark (with many landing in late August/early September) meaningfully hurts my chances.

For people who have gone through the cycle or are familiar with admissions, what do you think my realistic odds are of getting at least one MD acceptance this cycle?

I was wondering how beneficial it would be to take a gap year after graduating from school. Also, for applications, how would your experiences during that gap year be incorporated? When you apply, would you be able to list only what you had done before applying?

During early sophomore year, I made a stupid mistake using generative AI on a homework assignment worth roughly 2.5% of my grade, resulting in an Institutional Action (IA) for academic misconduct. I received a 0 for the assignment which was ulimately negligible on my overall grade and GPA but worry still lingers. My GPA and MCAT is still good, with a 3.85 and 520., and my clinical hours are strong but I am still worried. Is there any hope left for me with this on my record?

very grateful for the II but realize these interviews would be in person🤥

The available MMI question banks I have seen online are simply one or two sentences. Yet, the MMI question's I've seen from actual medical school webinars about preparing for MMI's are typically entire paragraphs, with long and specific scenarios.

Any thoughts on where to look for more in depth questions for MMI that are more than "a 14 year old wants to start birth control. what do you do?

I can't seem to find many that focus on professionalism and teamwork as well.

Im so confused about the verification process. Is it really going to hurt those of those that have not been verified yet? Who knew it would take 7 weeks and counting ? Is this a “this year” thing and schools are going to take this into account ? I was waiting on my retake mcat score and didn’t realize this verification would set me back this long. Please tell me there are still a lot of people who have not been verified !

I took AP Bio in high school so I was able to skip the intro bio classes in my undergrad that would have been a semester of review for me. I went straight to microbiology, physiology, and genetics. The prerequisite lists on most schools I'm seeing specify biology or botany but that upper level courses can count. Am I okay as it is? I'm graduated but going back for one more semester to fulfill my last prereq. If I register soon I can take a cell and molecular biology class and its lab.

Very grateful for the interviews that I’ve received, don’t me wrong 😭. But I’m kinda confused by the interview + orientation combo especially when I don’t even know if yall gonna accept me and the orientation is LONGER (more than an hour online) than the interview and stuff that usually can be found online or I had to research since I applied to the school…

Is there a functional reason I’m missing?

I know ppl used to go in person for interviews and maybe it allows for more interaction? But I still feel that’s a big time commitment. I feel like this would be so much more efficient during second look or after you’ve gotten accepted. I’m so curious 😭😭

F24, GPA 3.49, MCAT: TBD, (non traditional, first gen applicant)

for background i just recently graduated (may 2026) (im non-trad and already had the goal to apply 2027 cycle), post grad i was focused on studying for the MCAT (8/22) and finishing my research project. i was feeling confident in my MCAT scores from FL (515-517) BUT just found out my grandpas prognosis.. my grandpa is my best friend, i grew up with him and still live with him, i'm the one who translates for him at all his appointments, take him to all his apps., advocates for him, and helps him at home with administering his medication & taking his vitals every day, he's who i spend most of my time with from day to day since i was 2. this is a terrible week we had his oncology appointment last friday (8/14) and the physician said he'd call me next week to give me the results of his PSA levels to see if this is the beginning of the resurgence of his cancer (background in 2022 he was detected w prostate cancer, he decided on radiation, IT WORKED, just last year it came back & aggressive... he has now metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, he's been taking oral chemo pills for almost a year now which lowered his PSA level and legions IT WORKED AGAIN! but now in his scan and blood levels it has came back, new growths, & have spread to his lymph nodes...)

i am truly going through it mentally, anticipatory grief (i really had hope a few months ago with the chemo pill treatment that he'd be able to see me get accepted and even go to my white coat ceremony in the future but now i just want to spend as much time w him as possible) i wish i can push back my MCAT but i already passed the 10 day window mark before getting this news..

so sorry for the long background, but my real question is: if i bomb this mcat (480-501) due to this terrible situation im in but get a really good score (519+) on my march 2027 retake will i still look like a good competitor for next cycle? will they bring up my first test score in interviews? although i'd be honest with them and tell them why i did so poorly on the first one will they consider that a weakness and not think of me as a good candidate for their MD program?

What are my odds of getting an acceptance to any US medical school (MD or DO, I don’t care which I’m not picky) with the following stats:

undergrad double major in biochemistry and math
3.85 overall undergrad gpa
3.65 science gpa for AMCAS
4.0 science gpa for AACOMAS (all grades bringing it down were in math courses)
510 MCAT
PhD in biology from an R1 research school
3.879 grad school gpa
3 solo-author publications in respected, Q1 peer-reviewed academic journals (a fourth undergoing peer review currently)
3600 hours independent teaching as a graduate teaching assistant
200 hours non-clinical volunteering
120 hours shadowing
4 rec letters that should be solid (1 from PhD supervisor, 1 from undergrad professor I worked with, 1 from MD pathologist I shadowed, 1 from teaching assistant supervisor)

Reason for going to med school is to specialize in pathology specifically. Love how pathology is so science-oriented and requires much academic study. I could look at microscope slides all day (my PhD work shares many overlaps with pathology actually, using microscopy to study cell and tissue histology).