don't know where to go from here

[lazyindy]

Hey guys,

I just completed my junior year at SUNY stony brook and have cGPA of 3.4
and science gpa is around the same. I went to my pre-med advisor and was basically told to do a masters even though I told her I will improve by the time I apply (2014). I am taking a gap year so my grades from senior year will count when applying.

Not to delve into a sobby life story but I was diagnosed with depression when I first started college but did not do anything about it due to lack of motivation and being around a bad group of people. the catch here is that IMMEDIATELY after I began the anti-depressent medications I started to study WAY more efficiently and resulted in a 3.7 this semester. I know for sure I can get straight A's from now and hopefully reach 3.6

Practice AAMC's have been 34-36 range, but striving hard to improve

EC's include: founder/chair of a club
Campus EMT/C-CERT
volunteering/shadowing (100 hours)

weaknesses: lack of research experience so far, will try to attain one this summer or next semester and continue into gap year hopefully.

Do I have a legit shot at an NY MD school? Stony Brook is ideal

others im considering: Weill Cornell
Mt. Sinai
Columbia
Yale
Harvard
BU
Tufts
NYMC
NYU
SUNY upstate/downstate
Hofstra-LIJ
Albany
Buffalo
Stanford
U-Michigan

Any schools I should add as well?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Lya]

I really don't think you need a SMP, as you already mentioned. I think you figured out how to study better and I can imagine that you will have a strong upward trend. Keep up the good work!

Don't be discouraged by other people (your bad group of people, for instance) telling you that you can't do something just because of depression in the past or whatever. You know what it means to be a depression patient and not many pre-meds even know what that entails, so you should be rather proud. If you talk about your struggles and how you overcame them in your PS, I would love to interview you to discuss further.

Do you have other ECs on your mind? Yes, start the research as soon as you get a chance. Your ECs are a good start, but I personally (others might disagree) wish to see more. What are your passions? What do you enjoy doing? Teaching? Outreach?

School list looks great, in my opinion. If you get MCAT as predicted by your practice exams, I wouldn't mind adding a few more top- and mid-tier schools. It might be too top-heavy for some people, so I'll let other posters chime in on that part.


As a side note, is this accurate in your opinion? I am just curious and just wanted to know your perspective:

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html

 

[preMedDonut]

School list looks great, in my opinion. If you get MCAT as predicted by your practice exams, I wouldn't mind adding a few more top- and mid-tier schools. It might be too top-heavy for some people, so I'll let other posters chime in on that part.


As a side note, is this accurate in your opinion? I am just curious and just wanted to know your perspective:

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2013/05/depression-part-two.html

Am I just missing something here because it's late at night? Harvard? Yale? for a cgpa of 3.4 with no research and bare minimum ECs?

I don't get it.

 

[Lucky Louie]

Hey guys,
Not to delve into a sobby life story but I was diagnosed with depression when I first started college but did not do anything about it due to lack of motivation and being around a bad group of people. the catch here is that IMMEDIATELY after I began the anti-depressent medications I started to study WAY more efficiently and resulted in a 3.7 this semester. I know for sure I can get straight A's from now and hopefully reach 3.6

Be careful. Adcoms aren't interested hearing this. I'm glad your depression is now being handled, but giving that picture isn't helpful. Conversely, someone could say, "why did it take you so long to do something?" Besides, usually it takes a while, like 90 days, for the medications to take effect. One might be circumspect when you say you finally got motivated to study immediately after a diagnosis.

It's good that you're improving your gpa, but often one extra year of grades don't have as much impact. You're still getting a 3.7 this semester, not 4.0. (Sorry to be so harsh.) Figure out what you'd need to get to get at least a 3.6 gpa cum. And think about what your sGPA is as well.

Thing is, your advisor is trying to help. You may have difficulty getting into medical school right after college. I'd strongly advise you find some research projects and stick with that for a while. Build your LoR and study/study/study for the MCAT, Next year may be too soon for you to apply, just because you want to be sure everything is optimal. No need to rush this, because redoing is frowned upon.

Your best shot would be at Stonybrook and other NY state schools, esp if your professors have connections. It's highly unlikely you'd get anything from places like Columbia, Mt Sinai, UM, Stanford, Yale or Harvard, other than an invitation to pay their application fees.

 

[FijiGNR89]

Your list of schools in NYS is good, but honestly you will have a very hard time at the other ones you listed. Th Ivies are very research heavy and lacking that experience in conjunction with the lackluster GPA may give you a fruitless application cycle. And a summer position will not suffice for this cause, they are looking for more long term commitment. But like I said, the IS school list you made looks alright.

 

[AlteredScale]

You need to reevaluate you school list entirely IMO.

A lot of those schools are very heavily research oriented and without having developed as a researcher I really think it puts you at an incredible disadvantage especially with your GPA.
Unless you get a 40+ MCAT, you have to think about some DO schools as well to get in! Which there is nothing wrong with that at all. You still got accepted to medical school.

Cheers

 

[October88]

You need to reevaluate you school list entirely IMO.

A lot of those schools are very heavily research oriented and without having developed as a researcher I really think it puts you at an incredible disadvantage especially with your GPA.
Unless you get a 40+ MCAT, you have to think about some DO schools as well to get in! Which there is nothing wrong with that at all. You still got accepted to medical school.

Cheers

Your ecs are really weak for most MD. A gap year would be good...

If you improve these and do well on your mcat you'll have a good shot at MD but Not any of the top schools on your list! I was shocked by all the top schools on your list... you have to realize you are not in a position to have even a chance of an interview at Stanford Harvard. Yale Columbia ...

 

[Goro]

3.4 is borderline acceptable for the low-tier schools at best. With a good MCAT, you should be OK for the SUNYs. I see no chance for Cornell, Stanford or the Ivies. Keep in mind that a 3.6 GPA is below avg for these schools.


My list below:


Tufts (maybe)
NYMC
SUNY upstate/downstate
Hofstra-LIJ
Albany
Buffalo

NYCOM
TUCOM-Harlem
Quinnipac
Rosy Franklin
Drexel
Temple
Jefferson
Maybe Commonwealth in PA
George Washington
Any other new MD program.

You're fine for any other DO program.