MD Non-Trad Post Bac Student with low uGPA

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Best opportunity for improvement from what I can see would be clinical exposure. Anything outside the nursing home you could get exposure to? Definitely no need to retake classes with your grad GPA and BS score. Maybe try to show a bit more in the area of leadership? But your work as tutoring and anatomy instructor should provide a good foundation there.

Overall you're in pretty good shape though and I'm being relatively nitpicky. So unless there are glaring red flags (i.e., disciplinary actions, poor personal statement or interview skills) I'd imagine you'll have success.

Apply early and good luck.

Originally Posted by Ambidextrous27

Hi all --

So I have a very low uGPA, science 2.98, other 3.39 and total 3.14. There is a strong upward trend on my undergrad transcript, with the last few semesters ranging from 3.8-4.0 in very medically oriented classes such as gross anatomy, neuroanatomy and cardiopulmonary pathophysiology. I have low grades in classes like general chemistry and organic chemistry. To add to that, I had to take O chem I twice because I transferred schools and the second didn't accept the credit. I got a C the first time and a B+ the second, and then a C+ in O chem II.

My MCAT scores were 11VR, 9PS, and 9BS the first time and then 10 VR, 9PS, 15 BS the second time.

Now I have started an SMP at Tufts Medical School and at the end of our first semester my GPA is 3.97, with A+'s (same GPA as an A but means I had an average above 95) in Cell Bio, Molecular Biology, Histology, Genetics, Pharmacology, and Nutrition and A's in Immunology and Biochemistry and an A- in Intro to Clinical medicine. All of the classes except intro to clin med are the same classes that the Tufts Medical school students take.

As for EC's --

- Published paper in HMG
- Research at three labs
- Teaching instructor for gross anatomy for four semesters
- Worked as a rehab aid in nursing home for two years, which had a lot of patient interaction
- SAT tutor
- Internship in research department at major local hospital
- Intern at local newspaper (my second major was in Magazine Journalism).

SO -- what do you guys think? How do I look, and how can I improve my application? I have thought about taking some of the basic sciences again, but I feel that with the grad school grades it would be somewhat redundant, but I'm willing to do it if people think it would help my application.

These are the schools I'm planning to apply to, let me know if there is anything I should add or remove..

Tufts, Boston U, U Mass, NYMC, Albany, Tulane, Rosalind Franklin, Georgetown, George Washington, Dartmouth, Brown, Temple, Jefferson, Drexel, Hofstra, Cooper Rowan, U Vermont, NYU, Einstein, Sinai

I think your two years of clinical experience will be fine, but I don't see any physician shadowing listed. Did you forget to mention that?

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Originally Posted by Ambidextrous27

Catalyst -- no I didn't forget to mention shadowing, I actually haven't done anything official. But after this post I have sent out a horde of emails to physicians I know so thanks for the advice, I will get that on there!

About 50 shadowing hours is the average listed. I'd consider 40 to be a minimum. Fortunately, this is one ECs where longevity isn't important, so getting it done at the last minute is fine.

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Originally Posted by Ambidextrous27

1) Bumping up to find out what people thing of my list of schools, if I should add anything on there. I know there are some super-reach but hopefully not too many, but I'm open to opinions on that as well.

2) ALSO -- timing question. My AMCAS app is totally ready to go and I'm determined to submit ASAP, but I'm not sure when my spring SMP grades will be posted. What are people's thoughts on this, should I submit the app without the full transcript and then just send that to medical schools as a supplement? Or should I wait? It shouldn't really change my GPA at all, but considering my bumpy start I want them to see all the good grades possible!

1) If you can afford it, apply wherever you wish. I suggest you add other schools affiliated with an SMP, as you can be sure they are likely to give your recent grades all due consideration. Add Wayne for sure. Reconsider Georgetown if you don't have a consistent pattern of service to those in need (I see no volunteerism mentioned).

2) You can't submit until early June anyway. And to get the maximum benefit from the expensive SMP, you must wait until the most recent grades are posted. Why not call the Registrar's Office and ask when they have gone out in past years?

Originally Posted by Catalystik

1) If you can afford it, apply wherever you wish. I suggest you add other schools affiliated with an SMP, as you can be sure they are likely to give your recent grades all due consideration. Add Wayne for sure. Reconsider Georgetown if you don't have a consistent pattern of service to those in need (I see no volunteerism mentioned).

Sorry, when I posted this I just reposted my old stats. My main volunteer experiences are 3hrs/wk at the hospital and I'm the case manager for a free clinic. Is that the kind of thing you mean?

The latter particularly, if you had some years of involvement.