Application Cycle One: 2005

• Undergraduate college: Westminster College
• Undergraduate Area of study: Premedical Studies

• Institution: Loyola University Chicago
• Area of Study: Biological/Life Sciences
• Degree Obtained: M.A.

• Total MCAT SCORE: 507
• MCAT Section Scores: B/B 127, C/P 127, CARS 126   Detailed Breakdown
• Overall GPA: 3.00
• Science GPA: 2.80

Summary of Application Experience

Well, this is the second time around for me. I applied in 2004 with the stats you see before you: 3.0 GPA and 2.8 BCPM GPA, plus about half the activities I've listed. Honestly, I have no clue as to what the two schools that gave me interviews and subsequent wait-list spots were thinking (Wright State and Loyola). Perhaps it was my impassioned essay writing and charming pen-personality. In the end, I didn't get in and decided to take a year off of applying and get a job to improve my applicant profile. After three months as a working stiff, I got into a graduate program and did quite well: 3.84 GPA. (I also got an M.A. degree to boot!)
This year I applied again, hoping that my improved activities and grades would push me into the realm of hopeful. I also decided it would be fiscally prudent to apply to 25 M.D. and 8 D.O. schools. I plan on claiming all secondary application fees as tax-deductible donations. The IRS should owe me. I would advise most nontraditional applicants to go D.O. given their philosophy and track record of applicant profiles. The graduate GPA has appeared to give credence to my dual applicant fight songs, entitled 'The undergraduate GPA doesn't really tell the whole story!' and 'What do you mean you haven't heard of Westminster College!' As a result, this year I have been accepted by 5 schools. I received 7 interview offers before the middle of October. I'm officially done as I learned of my acceptance to Loyola Stritch last week, my number 1 choice (hence, all the withdrawals). Not too bad for a guy with a sub-3.0 undergrad BCPM.
It's been a long 3 year haul since I first started worrying about getting into medical school. I went to a small liberal arts college that taught me just as much or more than any Ivy League school. (Unfortunately, I was not provided with the same grade inflation...zing!)
My hope is that someone with undergrad stats as low as mine will see this and realize that persistence and knowledge will always win. I also pray that years from now a medical school admissions committee will hear about me in some positive light and realize that numbers and affiliations don't always tell the tale.