Georgia Applicants 2009 - MCG, Emory, Morehouse, Mercer, PCOM

Getting into Med School is Hard? Not with BeMo.
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Does anyone know when is the latest you could hear back from PCOM admissions? It is already April now and the last response I got from them (a month ago) is that they are still reviewing all the applications. Thanks.
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Whats the proper method of withdrawing your application/acceptance from a school? E-mail, letter, or phone call?
 
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fahimaz7 said:
Scean,

Nice man! Is Steve Cramer going as well?

:)

Scott
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Nah, just the three I i mentioned and five of us newbies.


We went down the broad yesterday, it was awesome! I did swim near the beginning on one of the first couple of rapids, but really started to feel more comfortable about halfway down, it was running at about 4.5 ft yesterday.
 
veejl said:
Whats the proper method of withdrawing your application/acceptance from a school? E-mail, letter, or phone call?
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I called the admissions director explained that I was withdrawing and followed that up with an email. I think most of the schools I withdrew from said they preferred to be notified by phone call so I think that is proper etiquette.
 
bioman2006 said:
I sent a letter to mine. It worked for most of them, although Pikeville sent me a rejection letter last week, even though I withdrew my app in January.
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I ran out of envelopes the other day, so I'd really like to avoid actually letters. haha... I'm sick of spending money to these schools.

I had to send a birthday deal to my brother. I fashioned an envelope with an old powerpoint lecture printout and a lot of packing tape. The lady at the post office laughed at me :(
 
bioman2006 said:
I sent a letter to mine. It worked for most of them, although Pikeville sent me a rejection letter last week, even though I withdrew my app in January.
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I think that that works, but I think if you call it might expedite things and allow them to give the next person on the waitlist a long awaited phone call quicker.
 
veejl said:
I ran out of envelopes the other day, so I'd really like to avoid actually letters. haha... I'm sick of spending money to these schools.

I had to send a birthday deal to my brother. I fashioned an envelope with an old powerpoint lecture printout and a lot of packing tape. The lady at the post office laughed at me :(
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So you're headed to MCG, right?
 
fahimaz7 said:
So you're headed to MCG, right?
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As of now, yes, I plan to attend MCG.

Waitlisted at my top choice school right now. If I get in, I'll def be going.

Withdrawing from waitlists as some other places that I interviewed at and withdrawing my acceptance from Morehouse.
 
Does anyone know how MCG notifies those who are accepted off of the waitlist? Email, phone, letter?
 
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I remember people getting letters before May 15th and then getting both after May 15th. I would call the admissions office if you really want to know the truth :)
 
I'll be applying to Mercer next June. I want to apply for early decision, as my undergrad GPA isn't the best, but my post-bacc work will be close to a 4.0. Non-traditional student. I expect at least a 33 MCAT.

My concern is, since my overall GPA is so low because of my undergrad years, I know I should apply to a lot of places. But I really want to get in to Mercer, so I want to apply early. But am I understanding correctly that you can't apply anywhere else until you've gotten a decision from Mercer? Can you still apply to DO schools while you apply for early decision to Mercer?

If you don't mind my asking, what are some of the stats you all have who have been accepted to Mercer?
 
BigBoosting said:
From an earlier post----

Hi all, I just joined up yesterday. I did not want to make a "what are my chances" thread, but the more I've been reading around here, the more questions I seem to have. So any advice would be greatly appreciated. If you want to skip my boring life story, questions are at the bottom, ha.

I'm about to be 26 in August, so for my med school journey, I'll be part of the non-traditional pre-med crowd. I received my first undergraduate degree in 2006. A Bachelor's of Science in Information Technology. As with many non-trad's, my first undergraduate GPA was awful - 2.81 on a 4.0 scale. (So it looks like my cumulative undergrad GPA will be considered a 2.38, Cumulative BCPM a 1.7, and all-other a 2.55. If I take 48 hours and get all A's between now and applying in June of next year, I can get it up to 2.74 overall, 2.97 BCPM, 2.61 all-other. Obviously, not where it needs to be. Post-bacc would all be 4.0 of course.) I was [cliche]young and unfocused[/cliche]. I've always been smart though. I was in gifted programs throughout school and did well in high school. Did joint-enrollment my high school senior year. I just never went to class in college. I had a high GPA in my IT major classes, but I just didn't care much to show up for the core classes. Dropped a lot (W's), F's, took a semester off and moved to Miami to work before coming back and finishing my degree somewhat strong (A's and B's).

Still, overall is a 2.81. I did not take any of the pre-med requirements since they weren't required for me. All I had that is now relevant was Calculus I, which I received a C in.

I'm starting back next month with my med pre-reqs. I'm signed up for Chem I, Chem II, and English I this summer. In Fall I'm signed up for Organic I, Physics I, Bio I, and Calculus I. And before you say that's too much, I'm treating this as a full-time job, and I have had class loads heavier than this before and got Dean's List back when I actually went to class. I'm leaving my cushy full-time and well-paying job as a Software Developer to go back and to this. So for me, failure is not an option. I will be in class or the library studying for classes and the MCAT every day from 8-6, just like a full-time job. I'm very smart and my husband is pre-pharm and has already had all of these classes, so I am not worried about getting A's in the least.

I have a year to study for the MCAT, and again, failure is not an option so I'll be studying for it and mastering the sections as I make it through each class (i.e., during and after finishing Chem, master all the chem practice questions I have). I bought all the Kaplan stuff a month ago, and some practice exams. I'll get ExamKrackers in a few months. And hopefully have time for a class before the MCAT.

Obviously my 2.81 first undergrad GPA will hurt me. After 40 hours of the pre-med reqs, I can get it up to a 3.0 or 3.1 for my overall. My science GPA should really be at least a 3.8 if not 4.0. My MCAT goal is at least a 33.

So here are my questions...

1. When you submit your applications, the schools will see the 3.0-3.1 overall GPA. Do they consider the classes you're signed up for during the next Fall and Spring you're waiting for decisions? These would obviously boost your overall (and science) GPA. So would they ever say "you're accepted as long as you get A's in the Fall and Spring before you start our med school? Are the stats you see for class profiles the average GPA at the time of application, or at the time of undergrad graduation?

2. Can you apply without having completed all of the pre-reqs? I won't complete Biochemistry until the end of the Summer semester (July) 2010 and some schools I'm looking at require or highly recommend it. Can I still apply in June?

3. Fortunately, my family lives in a close-knit neighborhood full of doctors (Yes, I'll be moving back in with my parents to save money ) So I'll have resources for shadowing and Letters of Recommendation. Our closest family friend in the neighborhood is a Podiatrist. Will shadowing with him at his practice during the summer break be sufficient experience for shadowing? I also plan to volunteer at the hospital and/or clinic to get more experience from now until med school. Other docs in the neighborhood include a cardiologist, pediatrician, anesthesiologist, and oncologist (what I really want to do!). So hopefully I can work with them as well.

4. What kind of extracurricular activities are best? But would activities like inter mural sports matter? Should these still be medical or science related?

5. I've worked for the last year as a software developer for a major player in health care information systems, where we develop EMR systems, practice management, imaging systems, etc. Is this worth mentioning at all? I would hope it might count for a little knowing what office staff and nurses go through on a daily basis (appointments, billing, filing, insurance, HIPAA etc.). It's definitely not clinical, but it seems like it might be beneficial knowing the ins-and-outs of what your staff is responsible for.

6. And I guess since we're in that forum...What are my chances? I'm open to MD, DO, and Carribbean. This is going to happen for me. I already have a list of 19 MD schools and 5 DO's. Carribbean schools on my list are Ross and AUC. I went through and wrote down all their requirements and class profiles and deadlines.

I know it was a long read, thanks for getting through it and any advice you can give.

---I'll be applying to Mercer next June. I want to apply for early decision, as my undergrad GPA isn't the best, but my post-bacc work will be close to a 4.0. Non-traditional student. I expect at least a 33 MCAT.

My concern is, since my overall GPA is so low because of my undergrad years, I know I should apply to a lot of places. But I really want to get in to Mercer, so I want to apply early. But am I understanding correctly that you can't apply anywhere else until you've gotten a decision from Mercer? Can you still apply to DO schools while you apply for early decision to Mercer?

If you don't mind my asking, what are some of the stats you all have who have been accepted to Mercer?
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http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8031319#post8031319

To be honest, I don't think that a high MCAT score is going to be your ticket in to Mercer. At 26 years old, I wouldn't consider you a non-traditional student (that's basically the average age of matriculation), and >10% of your class will have a Master's degree (even more with a post-bacc). That 2.3 UG GPA is going to haunt your for a very long time.

Here are a few questions... Why Mercer? Are you scoring >33 on your practice MCAT tests? Are you a URM?

If you apply EDP to a MD program, you could still apply to the DO schools, but I would be hesitant to do so until you know your status at Mercer. If you manage to hit a 33 on the MCAT, I would consider a SMP program and hope to get in via that route. With a 1 year post-bacc in the pre-med classes, I doubt that you will be granted admissions on your first try. For quite a few of us, with higher stats than yours, it has taken 3-4 application cycles to get accepted. I know of several people with a ~3.3/30 and a post-bacc/master's degree that have been waitlisted at Mercer for several years. Why? There are so many applicants to medical school that are "better" students on paper. Why does that matter? It's the only thing that they can judge you off of...

PS. DO schools are still hard to get into and with a 2.78/33; I bet it will take a few rounds to get you in.

Sorry for being harsh.
 
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fahimaz7 said:
"It looks like right now my overall undergrad GPA would be considered a 2.78, and BCP a 3.25."- http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?p=8031319#post8031319

To be honest, I don't think that a high MCAT score is going to be your ticket in to Mercer. At 26 years old, I wouldn't consider you a non-traditional student (that's basically the average age of matriculation), and ~10% of your class will have a Master's degree.

Here's a few questions...How long has your post-bacc been? How many classes/semester? Why Mercer? Are you scoring >33 on your practice MCAT tests? Are you a URM? Is that 2.78 the AMCAS calculated GPA?

If you apply EDP to a MD program, you could still apply to the DO schools, but I would be hesitant to do so until you know your status at Mercer. If you manage to hit a 33 on the MCAT, I would consider a SMP program and hope to get in via that route.

PS. DO schools are still hard to get into and with a 2.78/33, I bet it will take a few rounds to get you in.
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Yeah, I think the MCAT and EC's are all I have to be considered at an Allo school. I don't mind DO, but I'd like Mercer for the sake of staying near family (and being Allo).

By the time I apply to Mercer, I'll have had ~48 semester hours post-bacc. Managing all A's post-bacc, I can get it up to 2.74 overall, 2.97 BCPM, according to AMCAS.

My DO GPA would be considered 3.3 overall, 4.0 BCP (I decided to retake some D's).

I'm a caucasian female, so not URM. I haven't taken a practice MCAT as I'm doing all the pre-reqs post-bacc so I haven't had the classes yet, but if I didn't get over a 33, I wouldn't bother applying allopathic, unless in the Caribbean.

You said "If you apply EDP to a MD program, you could still apply to the DO schools, but I would be hesitant to do so until you know your status at Mercer." Why would you be hesitant?

Edit: Looks like I caught you before editing. I don't mind you being harsh, it's better to be realistic. And I appreciate the advice.
 
TBH,

I think that the best thing that you could do for yourself is get in contact with the admissions director at Mercer and see what he has to say. While all of this is hypothetical, it's going to be very hard to score 48 hours of a 4.0 GPA, in all science classes, at any school worth attending. It's also going to be very difficult to score >33 on the MCAT (93rd percentile?).

Another thing that would be helpful is to avoid SDN like the plague. This site is filled with highly qualified students who will tell you that without a 3.8/35, you have no chance of getting into medical school. Focus on your classes and if you manage to get all those A's and a great MCAT score, keep applying until you get in.

Since it's so far away (2 years from your MCAT and application), I wouldn't get too stressed out about the whole ordeal, and if you want to be a doctor, put your head down, stay focused on your goal, and hope that your husband can continue to support your journey :).

PS. I know a thing or two about a long journey to get accepted. With my stats it took me a long time to get accepted to a MD program (I was accepted DO in 2007).

~3.45 UG GPA
~3.9 MS GPA
30Q and 31Q MCAT scores (‘04 and ‘07)
 
I'll have to look into an SMP if nothing works out for me this round. I'll still be taking the 3000 and 4000 level courses at GA Southern the year after my application while waiting for med school to start (if I get in). So that will help boost any re-applications, if necessary.

I'm hard-headed, so I'll probably apply to Mercer either way, and of course DO schools. I think DO is the best option for me, and if I can get up to a 3.3 Overall and 4.0 BCP for DO, I think I'll do fine with a good MCAT.

It's too bad I'm a scuba freak, that's half the reason I'd consider Caribbean, haha (I know, it shouldn't even be on my radar)

fahima, I think that's wise. I'll contact Mercer in possibly May after I've taken a practice MCAT (or 5) and gotten grades for Summer and Fall, and should know my grades for Spring, and see what he has to say.

My husband is applying to Mercer for pharmacy at the same time I'd apply for medicine, so if he gets in and I don't, that won't be fun! haha

Thanks again for the advice.
 
bioman2006 said:
You know Mercer's pharmacy school is in Atlanta, right? So why don't you look at PCOM? It would be a manageable commute for both of you.
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Yep, I meant that if he just got in and I didn't, ha PCOM is definitely on my list for that reason.
 
yeah, i agree that GA-PCOM would be a good idea in your situation. If your husband does go to pharm in Mercer in Atlanta, thats not too bad of a commute so that ya'll could still live together and whatnot. Do well on your MCAT and if the rest of your app looks good, its not unheard of to get in with a low GPA. Let me know if i can answer any questions you may have.
 
BTW. Not all DO schools are going to look at your 2.2 GPA as a 2.8 (or higher once you take some classes). Even with that, and a lot of A's, you're still going to be a below average applicant. I think it is a very optimistic approach to think that they will look past your UG GPA and let you replace them that easily. I think the best thing that you can do is string together 2+ years of A's (15+ hours/semester of all science classes), along with a 30+ MCAT (balanced), before you apply. Whatever you do, don't take the MCAT before you are ready and make a 17 on it... That will ruin your chances at either program at this point in time.

If you don't get in, be prepared to continue taking classes and continue to apply.

The application process is expensive, exhausting, and frustrating.. Make sure that you are as good as an applicant as you will/can ever be, when you apply to a MD/DO program (especially with your undergraduate performance).

You have to think like an adcom member on this one... You need to show them several years of focus/academic excellence, along with extensive healthcare experience and volunteer experience, to become competitive with the rest of the field.

GL!

PS. Nothing is impossible...So if you're serious about medicine, and I mean that it's the "only thing that you can see yourself doing", keep trucking and you'll get there eventually. Have you thought about becoming a NP?

Good luck on your long journey.
 
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BigBoosting,

Don't underestimate the power of an upward trend. Keep doing well and people will notice. I had a 2.7ish GPA after my first year and I was able to pull it up to a 3.5 by the time I applied to mercer and I got in. Also, don't assume you will make a 33 on the mcat. Very few people are this talented and dedicate enough time to achieve a score like this. Base your estimate on practice tests. Consider getting a masters degree in MPH or a masters focusing in biomedicine. They seperate your undergrad and grad school GPAs on the application.

Good Luck.
 
Firstly, congrats to all those who were accepted during this years app cycle. I'm an MS1 in Savannah, so I still remember what it feels like to get that phone call. For those of you that have been waitlisted, be patient and hopefully your number will come up.

The Macon campus is holding a "Spring Fling" welcome party for all incoming freshman, including those that will be attending the Savannah campus. I thought it might be nice if we could organize some sort of similar event at our campus so that all of you could have an opportunity to meet the current students and faculty. It would also be a great opportunity to see Savannah before school starts and look for a place to live. I'm not sure if you guys are already subscribed to the student list-serv, so I thought this might be the best way to contact yall. If enough people are interested in organizing an event like this in Savannah, I can talk to our class president and the student affairs people. Shoot me an e-mail ([email protected]), and maybe we can set something up before our last phase of the year.

P.S. If I don't get back to you right away, I apologize. We have our neuro test next week and it's crunch time.

Best Wishes
Ryan
 
BigBoosting said:
Yeah, I think the MCAT and EC's are all I have to be considered at an Allo school. I don't mind DO, but I'd like Mercer for the sake of staying near family (and being Allo).

By the time I apply to Mercer, I'll have had ~48 semester hours post-bacc. Managing all A's post-bacc, I can get it up to 2.74 overall, 2.97 BCPM, according to AMCAS.

My DO GPA would be considered 3.3 overall, 4.0 BCP (I decided to retake some D's).

I'm a caucasian female, so not URM. I haven't taken a practice MCAT as I'm doing all the pre-reqs post-bacc so I haven't had the classes yet, but if I didn't get over a 33, I wouldn't bother applying allopathic, unless in the Caribbean.

You said "If you apply EDP to a MD program, you could still apply to the DO schools, but I would be hesitant to do so until you know your status at Mercer." Why would you be hesitant?

Edit: Looks like I caught you before editing. I don't mind you being harsh, it's better to be realistic. And I appreciate the advice.
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Not to shoot you down too quickly, but I think you might be being a bit optimistic. You are going to have to convince the adcom that you have something very special. I just don't see how you plant to market yourself to the adcom so they they will choose you over the more well qualified students. You talked about being young and stupid or whatever, but you are going to have to show how you matured and what made you pursue medicine. You will need tons of experience in a healthcare environment to even get your file opened with such a low GPA. You made extremely poor grades as an undergrad-- in a non-science related field= no science background. You don't seem to have been associated with healthcare in any way during or since college--except your computer job was in the healthcare field--hardly counts. First, I don't see what is drawing you to healthcare, second you don't have the credentials to apply MD at this point. You say your smart but how smart is it not to go to class if you are making C's, D's and F's with tons of W's? Afterall, the past is the best predictor of the future. In my opinion, you have shown little to no improvement from the past except to strive high-- a 4.0 on 48 hours and a 33 MCAT? WOW. There are plenty of exceptional students that have 3.7 or so on 48 science credit hours. Even if you treat it as a job, 4.0 on all science classes is extremely difficult, and given your past resume, I dont see this happening--maybe this motivates you? It seems like you have accomplished very little since high school and now you wish to enter into one of the most competetive careers. I'm not even sure you are a non-traditional applicant. Yes you are 26, but you have the resume of a college freshman--as far as medical school goes. As far as the MCAT, you have what appears to be no science background and you are predicting a 33 MCAT. Did you just pick a number that you thought you needed? 33 is an excellent score that many science majors never acheive. Even with a 4.0 over 48 hours and a 33 MCAT, it will be hard for an adcom committee to overlook your past poor performance. There are so many applicants with the same or better credentials without the red flagged past. I'm not trying to be mean just realistic. I don't want you to think that if you make a 4.0 and a 33 you are in. You may never make it.. its just the reality. So you should certainly think of a backup plan. MD is def more difficult than DO--but you are hardly competetive fro DO. I just don't like your chances, and quite honestly, if I were an adcom member I would project that you need 4 more years to build a proper resume before matriculation. i.e possilby a full degree in a science field with strong GPA, a solid MCAT, lots of shadowing and basically a reversal of your old self. By this time you will be 30 and just applying.
 
Waitlisters @ MCG: Spot will be opening up. I'm withdrawing from MCG, as I just got accepted to my top choice (at least from the schools I interviewed at). Good luck to everyone waiting!!!!
 
veejl said:
Waitlisters @ MCG: Spot will be opening up. I'm withdrawing from MCG, as I just got accepted to my top choice (at least from the schools I interviewed at). Good luck to everyone waiting!!!!
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UAB was my top choice too, just based on extrinsic factors, but I didn't get in. Now I feel like going to UAB just for those reasons would have been a mistake. Do you have family or friends or any other reason to go to Birmingham? (Just curious b/c your situation is similar to mine)
 
Nope. I have family in Gadsen, but that wasnt a motivating factor. Really liked the school, the great research that goes on there, and I just really like it... haha. Also, was never terribly keen on MCG (esp after some of my interviews at other schools). Right now, accepted my seat at UAB. Interviewed @ SLU and on hte waitlist there. But I think I'd still go UAB over SLU: warmer and family is closer (Atlanta).
 
veejl said:
Nope. I have family in Gadsen, but that wasnt a motivating factor. Really liked the school, the great research that goes on there, and I just really like it... haha. Also, was never terribly keen on MCG (esp after some of my interviews at other schools). Right now, accepted my seat at UAB. Interviewed @ SLU and on hte waitlist there. But I think I'd still go UAB over SLU: warmer and family is closer (Atlanta).
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Are you paying for out of state to UAB on loans or are your parents paying? UAB out of state is 46K/year right?
 
Congrats on the acceptance to UAB veejl! i really fell in love with the school when interviewing there, too bad they rejected me lol!
 
viper420 said:
Congrats on the acceptance to UAB veejl! i really fell in love with the school when interviewing there, too bad they rejected me lol!
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Thanks buddy :)

Again, good luck to everyone waiting on MCG/Mercer/etc. We all deserve a shot to be either f'n awesome doctors or just amazing doctors.
 
Ouch. 46k/year for tuition hurts me on the inside. Lol I wonder how their cost of attendance is 60k when MCG's is 54k?
 
Hey if anyone going to Emory next year is looking for a roommate I am also in need of one (I don't have a place yet though). I am not picky either (but I am a guy just to let everyone know). So if you need one just please send me a message. Thanks.
 
fahimaz7 said:
Ouch. 46k/year for tuition hurts me on the inside. Lol I wonder how their cost of attendance is 60k when MCG's is 54k?
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Dr. Waffles, you ought to know by now that MCG inflates its COA so we can borrow more money.
 
Yeh I know. But at the same time, it is hard to live on $1000/month (uab tuition + fees=50,000 right?
 
fahimaz7 said:
Yeh I know. But at the same time, it is hard to live on $1000/month (uab tuition + fees=50,000 right?
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lol, yeah, I hadn't considered that. but tuition & fees here is under 20k, right? who needs 37k to live on?? (for singles, of course)

i wonder what coa is for the average student?
 
Double the "average debt upon graduation" and you find out what the real coa is. There are a lot of kids that graduate with zero debt.
 
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