Evaluate me

[Onward]

Undergraduate major: microbiology

BCPM: 3.0
UGPA: 3.3

I have an MPH from a school that doesn't give letter grades. I have never taken the MCAT.

I am set to start a PhD in Public Health in August, with full tuition and a generous stipend, and am looking forward to being free of financial trouble. The PhD is in Reproductive Health, and not very science heavy -- should I switch to a science heavy field, like microbial diseases, when I get there? This might mean giving up a research job I have lined up with a professor.

My family's blanket opinion is that I should just do the PhD, forget about medical school otherwise I will be in school forever, and rest in peace -- no more tests, no more financial troubles. Every now and then I agree; but the next day I think about my med school goals and feel bad about giving them up.


I graduated in 2004, and right now I'm 26 years old. I gave up on medical school as an undergraduate because science had been so difficult, got an MPH instead, and went off to work for the UN, and didn't enjoy it at all.

I applied for a PhD in order to go into academia, but in the last few months, I have felt older, calmer, and more mature -- and for some reason more determined than ever to achieve what I set out in life to achieve (medicine). But a quick look at my transcripts are once again discouraging, and not a single friend or family member has supported my attempting medicine at this stage in the game.

What is your advice?

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[Mobius1985]

Once you start the PhD program, med schools will expect you to follow through on the commitment and complete it.

Some options:

1)study for the MCAT and take it. If you get a 27+, and have the usual extracurriculars, you have a reasonable chance of an acceptance to an osteopathic (DO) medical school.

2) If you get a 30+ and want to apply to allopathic (MD) med schools, you could apply to a Special Masters Program (1-2 years) which helps low GPA applicants redeem a less than optimal record. See Post-baccalaureate Forum for more info:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=71

3) If you get a 34+ and have the usual extracurriculars, you might get an Allo acceptance.

4) You could go with the Public Health PhD program, get a high GPA, and apply to DO programs which include the grad school GPA in the application GPA calculation. You'd have plenty of time to study for the MCAT and repeat any prerequisites you didn't get a good grade in. Having the PhD would eventually make you more salable in the academic medicine world.

5) You could go with the Public Health PhD program and take additional undergrad classes which are not required by the program, and they will count toward the redemption of your application uGPA for MD programs. MD programs judge you by undergrad GPA, so a high grad school GPA won't help you, but a low one could hurt you. An advantage of this option is that you could take your time getting your prerequisite review up to speed, take additional upper-level science classes to boost the low BCPM GPA, and show adcomms that you have what it takes to succeed in a science-heavy curriculum. You'd also have the PhD to help get you into academic medicine.

6) Do a science-heavy PhD to show all schools you have what it takes to succeed in a science-intense environment. Get a great score on the MCAT (34+). Apply to MD and/or DO programs.

Usual ECS: clinical experience, community service, physician shadowing, research (60% have it), leadership (desirable), teaching/mentoring (desirable).