Pretty weak app. Should I give up medical school?

[masterwampatoga]

So by the time I graduate, I expect about a 3.45 GPA overall with upward trend from a horrendous 2.5 Freshman year and 2.8 Sophomore Year. I am expecting something around 38 MCAT based on practice tests but you never know, I could fail. I attend a top 20 undergraduate university which i would prefer to leave unnamed.

I will have an estimated 1000+ clinical hours, most of which come from being an EMT. About 100 of those hours from a hospital. About 100 from treating homeless people.
Over 400+ volunteer hours. Most of which come from American Red Cross. Includes teaching CPR/FA/AED courses. Also some from volunteering in a hospital.
About 100 hours shadowing a doctor. Can be upped easily as I have connections in this department. Should I up this?
3 years of leadership with the American Red Cross club at my school.
I was an UnderGraduate Student Instructor (UGSI) for an intro Physiology course for a semester with a chance to repeat but I declined for times sake.
I am applying to be a UGSI for upper-division anatomy as well.
I can speak Chinese and Spanish well enough to hold a decent conversation. (Learned both languages in free time)
I will have competed in at least one gymnastics competition before I graduate. I may also try out for a sport if i feel like i can continue this 4.0 trend over the next 2 semesters with the added time commitment. Likely weight lifting since I have been working out for years. Based on my weight class and my lifts, I would easily place near the top 3 among college athletes in my region if I competed. Will this help my application?
And considering my low GPA in my first two years, it was tough to get a research position so i will only have one year of research, maybe 1.5.

I have a weak excuse for the low GPA in the first two years. I had a medical condition later in High School that made it very difficult to study and I had to drop many of my APs. Coming into this school, everyone had easily taken at least 6 APs and so i was heavily disadvantaged those years. I also had poor study habits from high school because of the condition. Now that we are all on even footing in these Anatomy, Biochem, Genetics courses, etc, I am shining.

I am hoping for an MD like UCLA or UCSD or Stanford. But I doubt I will get that lucky. Any help would be appreciated.

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[Goro]

Time to work on the self-esteem! You have a decent app and even though the cGPA is beow avg, you're not dead yet. Upward trends are good and theire are med schools that reward that, and/or look at only the last 2-3 years of performance. I would kiss off all CA schools except Loma Linda (but read their mission and list of don't), Western and TUCOM-CA.

Invest in MSAR Online and target schools whose median scores are closest to your own, like NYMC, Tufts, Albany or Drexel

So by the time I graduate, I expect about a 3.45 GPA overall with upward trend from a horrendous 2.5 Freshman year and 2.8 Sophomore Year. I am expecting something around 38 MCAT based on practice tests but you never know, I could fail. I attend a top 20 undergraduate university which i would prefer to leave unnamed.

I will have an estimated 1000+ clinical hours, most of which come from being an EMT. About 100 of those hours from a hospital. About 100 from treating homeless people.
Over 400+ volunteer hours. Most of which come from American Red Cross. Includes teaching CPR/FA/AED courses. Also some from volunteering in a hospital.
About 100 hours shadowing a doctor. Can be upped easily as I have connections in this department. Should I up this?
3 years of leadership with the American Red Cross club at my school.
I was an UnderGraduate Student Instructor (UGSI) for an intro Physiology course for a semester with a chance to repeat but I declined for times sake.
I am applying to be a UGSI for upper-division anatomy as well.
I can speak Chinese and Spanish well enough to hold a decent conversation. (Learned both languages in free time)
I will have competed in at least one gymnastics competition before I graduate. I may also try out for a sport if i feel like i can continue this 4.0 trend over the next 2 semesters with the added time commitment. Likely weight lifting.
And considering my low GPA in my first two years, it was tough to get a research position so i will only have one year of research, maybe 1.5.

I have a weak excuse for the low GPA in the first two years. I had a medical condition later in High School that made it very difficult to study and I had to drop many of my APs. Coming into this school, everyone had easily taken at least 6 APs and so i was heavily disadvantaged those years. I also had poor study habits from high school because of the condition. Now that we are all on even footing in these Anatomy, Biochem, Genetics courses, etc, I am shining.

I am hoping for an MD like UCLA or UCSD or Stanford. But I doubt I will get that lucky. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[DrElliotReid]

I agree with Goro. Many schools will also allow you to explain any lapses in your undergraduate education when you apply. This is taken into consideration.

I wouldn't give up if this is what you want to do. Will you regret it if you didn't try? You've come so far and have done so much. Give it a shot!

 

[dkr34]

Your stats are decent,and you have a good chance! Everyone's story is unique, so be sure to draft a compelling personal statement. Med schools wants to see an upward trend in your GPA, and your experiences outside of academics are great.

 

[Silverflash]

It's always difficult to give people a proper response when they haven't taken the MCAT yet. It's one thing to say you'll get a 38, and another to do it (though props on those practice test scores! That's a good sign!). Other than that, though, your EC's are strong so you'll have a decent shot with a good MCAT score.

 

[Catalystik]

1) About 100 hours shadowing a doctor. Can be upped easily as I have connections in this department. Should I up this?

2) I would easily place near the top 3 among college athletes in my region if I competed. Will this help my application?

1) It depends on what specialties you've shadowed. What is your list and hours for each?

2) It would make you more interesting, but wouldn't compensate if the time spent were to negatively impact your GPA.

 

[Kochanie]

Of course not! That's one hell of an upward trend, don't give up.

 

[Promethean]

Like everyone else has said, that isn't a weak app. If you apply well, you absolutely will get in somewhere. You may not get the school you most want, especially if your preference is based on the school's popular brand rather than its intrinsic value as an opportunity for a medical education. Widen your net a little and see how many you can catch. Then you can throw back all but your favorite. The best medical schools are the ones that say yes to you.

 

[ProudMD]

Agreed with everyone here. However, expecting a 38 on the MCAT is entirely different from actually getting a 38. But if you do manage to score a 36+, you should have a great shot at many schools. What's your sGPA? Is it around your cGPA?