Clique question: Am I competitive enough to get into BA/MD programs?

[Fyre4Man]

Okay so I am a junior in high school, and I want be a doctor so much that its probably undescribable in text. Anyway I have been looking at other peoples stats who got into BA/Md programs and I am nervous, do you think I have a chance at BA/Md program: SLU, VCU, Wash U, Northwestern HPME, U of Illinois GPPA, and Brown PLME.

GPA: (our school uses a 5 gpa scale)
Unweighted: 4.78/5
Weighted:5.25/5
Rank: 12 out of 496
ACT score: took one in feburary without prepping, got a 27 first try. BUT I AM GOING TO PREP OVER THE SUMMER AND TAKE IT DURING SENIOR YEAR SEPTEMBER ONE FOR 31+ SCORE.
SAT: Didn't take it, probably will soon, WHICH ONES SHOULD I TAKE?

ExtraC's:
FIRST Robotics (Team 111):
2 time FRC World/National champions (2009 and 2011), multiple midwest regional champions
FIRST Robotics 3 years Midwest Regional Autodesk Animation Award ( I am in the Animation Team as well)
Math Team
National Honor Society
Scholastic Bowl
Tennis for some years
200 volunteer hours at hospital

By the way if anyone has any excellent volunteer oppurtunities to suggest that BA/MD programs will love, please suggest them, for example any research/internship/volunteer oppurtunities at a Hospital or University, etc. Thank you A LOT!!!!!

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[NickNaylor]

Which SAT should you take? Probably the real one. Are you asking about subject tests or something?

As for ACT, I would be gunning for a 34+. That was the cutoff here for the combined program at my undergrad.

Beyond that, your ECs look decent, but I have no idea what the baseline expectation is for BS/MD programs.

 

[bamdstudent]

Your GPA and ECs look great for a general college application at Top 40 type schools, but you definitely want to up the ACT score/taking some SAT subject tests. For ACT, you want to shoot for a 33-34 at least (or take some practice SATs and see if you do better at that --- target score: 2200+). For SAT subject tests, I would recommend the SAT Math 2, SAT chemistry and/or bio, and possibly a third one in a foreign language (or something else if foreign languages aren't your forte).

For the medical programs you listed, you want to get a significant number of other medical ECs between now and application time. This means research, shadowing, volunteering in nursing homes, etc. So go find doctors you can shadow and try to log 200 hours in a couple fields at the very least, and if you can, find some research you can help out with, etc.

Good luck!

 

[HH Holmes]

Take both the SAT I and ACT. Sure, the SAT is an extra test, but you may do better on the SAT than ACT. Also, take a few SAT IIs: one or two sciences (bio-m, chem and/or physics) and a math (preferably math II). The only hole I see in your extra curriculars is physician shadowing, as many dual degree programs require that you have a letter of recommendation from a physician. If you can, do research at a local university over the summer. If you're a junior moving up to senior year next year, it's probably too late to find a summer internship at a lab, but try anyway. Get a letter from your mentor/research chair if applicable.

Off the top of my head, I know the cutoff for UMiami's dual program is a 1400 SAT, my program (NSU BS/DO) was ~1300 SAT, 29 ACT, and I believe UMKC's 6 year BA/MD is a 31 or 32 on the ACT. Aim for higher if you're looking to go to Rice/Baylor, Brown PLME or Northwestern HPME (AKA the best dual degree programs). I don't have those numbers exactly, but you can google them.

If you're a junior, doesn't your school offer AP/IB/College level courses? Rigor of a student's course load is one of the most looked at criterion in the whole application game (dual degree programs or not).

For most, if not all programs, be prepared to interview. They will ask you anything and everything about your CV, high school life, future career plans and even medical school caliber interview questions. To put it in perspective, my interview took about an hour and fifteen minutes, and about half of it included questions about medicine/why I wanted to be a doctor/what I would do for my community etc... The other half were totally non-science and non-medicine. I see you have other interests -- adcoms like that. They want to see that a student and eventual physician has a life outside of the hospital. I ran my school's debate team, which they asked quite a bit about, as well as my writing for the school literature magazine and newspaper.

Good luck with everything!

 

[Fyre4Man]

@NickNaylor Yes I wanted to knowwhich subjects are recommended I should take.

@JChait Yeah our school offers AP, I have taken AP World History, AP US History, AP Enlgish Lang., and AP Biology so far.

@BAMDstudent I want to know where I could get research oppurtunities??? And as for doctor shadowing can it be shadowing a General Practioner?

 

[HH Holmes]

@JChait Yeah our school offers AP, I have taken AP World History, AP US History, AP Enlgish Lang., and AP Biology so far.

@BAMDstudent I want to know where I could get research oppurtunities??? And as for doctor shadowing can it be shadowing a General Practioner?

That's what I assumed -- your academics (thus far) seem pretty solid. Do well on your tests and re-assess after that.

Toward your other questions. The best place to get a research spot is a university. I must've emailed about 50 professors at 35+ schools before I got a position at VUMC. Make a general email, and just [insert name], [insert institution] etc... Obviously make it personalized to a certain extent, but it doesn't need to be over the top for a preliminary email. Gauge interest and then after you get a reply, figure it out from there.

A general practitioner is a doctor... Are you thinking nurse practitioner? GP was evolved into a family medicine physician in the late 70s. If you want to get into an MD program, I'd recommend you shadow an MD.