Hi everyone,
I would like some advice on my next course of action. I will be graduating UCSD next quarter (summer/fall quarter) with a Biology degree, but my GPA is low. My uGPA is 3.0, but my AMCAS GPA is 2.88, and my AMCAS BCPM GPA is 2.75 and non-science is 3.05, using the excel AMCAS calculator. I have about 135 hours done, 80 science, and 55 nonscience. I also have an Econ minor. I have just recently turned it around (senior year (3.0 then 3.5 and now about to get 3.7/3.8). Yeah, I know have made mistakes in the first 2 1/2 years, but I can't focus on the past now.
ECs:
1. 100 hrs. ER experience in hospital, working with nurses/doctors and patients.
2. 2 years with a volunteer org. (1 year treasurer) where we go to Mexico and help out children in Tijuana promoting health, education, etc.
3. 2 1/2 years with Associate students, helping put together our annual Sun God festival (20,000 people attend. I was a coordinator for an entire stage for 1 year (managing, organizing, booking artists, etc.) I was also a health and safety lead, helping create a campaign to lower detox/drug related incidences for the festival, lowering it by 50%.
4. did Global Medical Brigades for a year, but I couldn’t raise enough money to go, so I am going to Guatemala in June to volunteer in a medical camp for a week.
5. Internship for public health for about 4 months now concerning hispanics in San Diego.
6. Intermural sport participating and volunteering here and there throughout college.
No shadowing experience yet. And I plan on working on that. I know this is vital to my application as well. I know what the life of many doctors are (relatives), but I haven’t shadowed.
MCAT:
Planning to take it during the summer (August/September), as I am studying for it now. I have been doing well in the practice tests. Scoring around 30(have not reviewed half the material yet).
My questions:
1. I have about 7 Cs in BCPM classes, should I retake and get as on all of them. If I do DO replacement, then I would have my GPA bump to 3.3/ 3.4 cGPA, sGPA? Would I need to do the same for MD?
2. If I took 30 more hours’ worth of new BCPM upper-div classes, it would take my AMCAS sGPA and cGPA to 3.05, averaging ~3.7 for all of them? Should I apply next cycle if I score 34/35 on my MCAT?
3. Is it ok if I take the lower-div classes (I got like 5 Cs in them) at a CC due to financial hardships for family, and I am already in debt/no job. There is no guarantee that I will be able to take all those classes with UCSD Extension( lower div and lot of pre-med students), and UCI extension (very close to my home) would be the same situation. I am really determined and I know I can do well, but I just don’t know where to take these classes due to financial situation and actually getting the classes.
4. Should I apply next year if I get a 35 on the MCAT and get 100-200 hours of shadowing/ clinical experience and retake all the Cs?
5. What other options do I have?
I have browsed and researched past threads, but I am not getting a definitive answer to my situation.
Thank you for reading this. I appreciate it.
P.S. I can upload the excel sheet if it helps further.
I would like some advice on my next course of action. I will be graduating UCSD next quarter (summer/fall quarter) with a Biology degree, but my GPA is low. My uGPA is 3.0, but my AMCAS GPA is 2.88, and my AMCAS BCPM GPA is 2.75 and non-science is 3.05, using the excel AMCAS calculator. I have about 135 hours done, 80 science, and 55 nonscience. I also have an Econ minor. I have just recently turned it around (senior year (3.0 then 3.5 and now about to get 3.7/3.8). Yeah, I know have made mistakes in the first 2 1/2 years, but I can't focus on the past now.
ECs:
1. 100 hrs. ER experience in hospital, working with nurses/doctors and patients.
2. 2 years with a volunteer org. (1 year treasurer) where we go to Mexico and help out children in Tijuana promoting health, education, etc.
3. 2 1/2 years with Associate students, helping put together our annual Sun God festival (20,000 people attend. I was a coordinator for an entire stage for 1 year (managing, organizing, booking artists, etc.) I was also a health and safety lead, helping create a campaign to lower detox/drug related incidences for the festival, lowering it by 50%.
4. did Global Medical Brigades for a year, but I couldn’t raise enough money to go, so I am going to Guatemala in June to volunteer in a medical camp for a week.
5. Internship for public health for about 4 months now concerning hispanics in San Diego.
6. Intermural sport participating and volunteering here and there throughout college.
No shadowing experience yet. And I plan on working on that. I know this is vital to my application as well. I know what the life of many doctors are (relatives), but I haven’t shadowed.
MCAT:
Planning to take it during the summer (August/September), as I am studying for it now. I have been doing well in the practice tests. Scoring around 30(have not reviewed half the material yet).
My questions:
1. I have about 7 Cs in BCPM classes, should I retake and get as on all of them. If I do DO replacement, then I would have my GPA bump to 3.3/ 3.4 cGPA, sGPA? Would I need to do the same for MD?
2. If I took 30 more hours’ worth of new BCPM upper-div classes, it would take my AMCAS sGPA and cGPA to 3.05, averaging ~3.7 for all of them? Should I apply next cycle if I score 34/35 on my MCAT?
3. Is it ok if I take the lower-div classes (I got like 5 Cs in them) at a CC due to financial hardships for family, and I am already in debt/no job. There is no guarantee that I will be able to take all those classes with UCSD Extension( lower div and lot of pre-med students), and UCI extension (very close to my home) would be the same situation. I am really determined and I know I can do well, but I just don’t know where to take these classes due to financial situation and actually getting the classes.
4. Should I apply next year if I get a 35 on the MCAT and get 100-200 hours of shadowing/ clinical experience and retake all the Cs?
5. What other options do I have?
I have browsed and researched past threads, but I am not getting a definitive answer to my situation.
Thank you for reading this. I appreciate it.
P.S. I can upload the excel sheet if it helps further.