Apply to med school or to grad school for a year?

[BlackLagoonCreature]

I am a senior with a pretty mediocre GPA (3.25) but I have a year left of maybe increasing it about a 3.3.
My actual major is Molecular/Genetic Biology with a minor in biotechnology.
Some of my other credentials include a semester of genetic research on Japanese Hopps, picking and passaging of stem cells at a Madison lab, and a bioinformatics workshop where I became familiar with DNA barcoding, RNAi on C. elegans, etc.
I have worked for 2 years as a lab prep assistant for the molecular and cellular bio classes on campus, and am an active member of the bio and pre health clubs.
I am also a student representative on the biology board to hire a full time professor for said classes.
I am a Hispanic female and worked through most of college, at one point I was working two jobs.
My volunteer work includes the Human Rights Association (where I am a board member--we investigate claims of abuse and neglect at hospitals, nursing homes, etc.) and I am a CNA assistant at a hospice center.
I will get my EMT certification this May.
Do I have a decent chance of being accepted to medical school or should I take a year off to further my education (and increase that GPA!) before applying? I have yet to take the MCAT.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[El-Rami]

No one can really answer for sure til you get your MCAT out of the way. With that said, you are an URM (unrepresented minority in medicine), and you had to work two jobs during college. I would say that could definitely work in your favor. Your GPA isn't that great, like you said. Maybe it could have been higher, who knows? You look like you have good ECs, so my best advice would be to get your grades up as much as possible, continue your ECs, and do well on your MCAT. If you can do that, then I'd say you can get in somewhere. I've personally heard of people with ~3.5 GPA get into medical school, although I don't know anyone personally that got in with less than that. It can be a steep curve, but there are definitely exceptions to the rule as long as you're interesting and can demonstrate that you can make it in medical school (i.e., doing well on the MCAT).

One word of advice, though: Do not do grad school unless you plan to finish your degree.

 

[el_duderino]

When do you plan on taking the MCAT? If you have a good MCAT score and can apply reasonably early in the cycle next year, you have a decent shot at MD and a better than decent shot at DO.

Get all A's this year.

 

[BlackLagoonCreature]

No one can really answer for sure til you get your MCAT out of the way. With that said, you are an URM (unrepresented minority in medicine), and you had to work two jobs during college. I would say that could definitely work in your favor. Your GPA isn't that great, like you said. Maybe it could have been higher, who knows? You look like you have good ECs, so my best advice would be to get your grades up as much as possible, continue your ECs, and do well on your MCAT. If you can do that, then I'd say you can get in somewhere. I've personally heard of people with ~3.5 GPA get into medical school, although I don't know anyone personally that got in with less than that. It can be a steep curve, but there are definitely exceptions to the rule as long as you're interesting and can demonstrate that you can make it in medical school (i.e., doing well on the MCAT).

One word of advice, though: Do not do grad school unless you plan to finish your degree.

Thank you for the advice. I'll be sure to chain myself to my MCAT books. Have a great day!

 

[BlackLagoonCreature]

When do you plan on taking the MCAT? If you have a good MCAT score and can apply reasonably early in the cycle next year, you have a decent shot at MD and a better than decent shot at DO.

Get all A's this year.

I plan on taking the MCAT at the start of the spring. Thank you for the advice!