MD What are my chances?

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

I just want to start off by saying that I have received my GED diploma at the age of 21. English is my second language. I wasn't born in the US. I have also started my college career at a local SUNY community college and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. I struggled with grades and I took a total of 74.5 credits with an overall 2.8 GPA over the course of 3 1/2 years. Then I transferred to a local 4 year SUNY college and have taken 69 credits so far with an overall 3.93 GPA over the course of 2 years. Currently my overall GPA combined of these two schools are 3.36 and when I graduate the highest GPA I can attain is 3.45. At the moment I am signed up for MCAT which I will be taking this upcoming January. I am also signed up for 6 credits this semester. I'm majoring in Biology and minoring in Chemistry. My concern is how can I convince my professors at community college to give me a W or is there another way? I can also speak to the dean. I planning on only applying for MD in the states and nothing else. I do not plan on applying to any DO schools. If I can get W in 3-4 classes... I would be able to have an overall GPA of 3.6-3.7. I am really trying my best and would like your input on this? This is really bothering me and it is hard to focus. Even if I get a really high score in the MCAT assuming 35+ and have a 3.45 GPA over all... What would be my chances at an MD school in the US? Stony Brook?
During my community college years I lost my grandmother and my family is poor... My parents income is 14,000$ yearly and there are us 4 boys. I am the younger one. Financially we suffered a lot especially throughout my teenage years. I just turned 27 and I'm graduating next year at the age of 28. These are some of the reasons why I suffered my community college years. When I was young... I was racially and sexually abused by my middle school principal and their staff. I was very young and I never told my parents about it and kept it to myself so it was never reported. I am not perfect but I am trying my best. Professors do have the power to assign W even after the course is taken and so does the dean. What should I say or do now to better my chances?

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[SkipJunior]

I would tell you to retake your C/D/F grades from your undergraduate coursework and apply DO but you're not interested in DO. If you're really interested in MD, forget about replacing the bad grades with W and just focus on graduating with the highest possible cumulative and science GPA. Also, due of your poor GPA, you definitely need to have a 32+ MCAT score to be competitive for MD schools.

How are your ECs? how's your clinical experience? physician shadowing? community service? leadership roles? research?

 

[candbgirl]

Why are you so consumed by getting grade changes to W?
What are your ECs? It is very hard to give you any help without a MCAT score but know that with your GPAs you have to score really high.

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

Why are you so consumed by getting grade changes to W?
What are your ECs? It is very hard to give you any help without a MCAT score but know that with your GPAs you have to score really high.

I got bad grades in a community college... A lot of C and C+... It brought down my community college GPA to 2.8... By getting W in 3-4 classes... It would bring my overall current GPA from 3.36 to 3.57 and I would then graduate with 3.6-3.7... I want to become a neurosurgeon. I have watched youtube videos of kaplanMCAT and they invited selection committee of different schools and they say a person needs to have at least a 3.5 GPA. The highest I could get mine to be is 3.45 without any W.

EC:
620 hours research at organic chemistry lab.
100 hours shadowing an internal medicine who also is a cardiologist.
I plan on shadowing a neurosurgeon after I take the MCAT.
I have volunteered about 500 hours at a local hospital.
I have been on the highest academic list for past 4 semesters consecutively.
I have just been nominated for a cancer research out of state for 9 months so if I get picked that would be really nice. Its fully paid on scholarship.
I have also won a scholarship.

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

I would tell you to retake your C/D/F grades from your undergraduate coursework and apply DO but you're not interested in DO. If you're really interested in MD, forget about replacing the bad grades with W and just focus on graduating with the highest possible cumulative and science GPA. Also, due of your poor GPA, you definitely need to have a 32+ MCAT score to be competitive for MD schools.

How are your ECs? how's your clinical experience? physician shadowing? community service? leadership roles? research?

I got bad grades in a community college... A lot of C and C+... It brought down my community college GPA to 2.8... By getting W in 3-4 classes... It would bring my overall current GPA from 3.36 to 3.57 and I would then graduate with 3.6-3.7... I want to become a neurosurgeon. I have watched youtube videos of kaplanMCAT and they invited selection committee of different schools and they say a person needs to have at least a 3.5 GPA. The highest I could get mine to be is 3.45 without any W.
EC:
620 hours research at organic chemistry lab.
100 hours shadowing an internal medicine who also is a cardiologist.
I plan on shadowing a neurosurgeon after I take the MCAT.
I have volunteered about 500 hours at a local hospital.
I have been on the highest academic list for past 4 semesters consecutively.
I have just been nominated for a cancer research out of state for 9 months so if I get picked that would be really nice. Its fully paid on scholarship.
I have also won a scholarship.

 

[gyngyn]

There are no residencies that ask for or care about your pre-med scores on anything.

 

[SkipJunior]

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

oho...neurosurgeon...thanks for making me laugh!

God bless you and help you achieve your goals in life. Now I am going to focus on achieving mine. Good luck

 

[SkipJunior]

God bless you and help you achieve your goals in life. Now I am going to focus on achieving mine. Good luck

I apologize if my comment was offensive. In fact that was the reason I edited my comment and I hoped that I had edited it before you noticed, I guess not. I didn't find it funny because I thought you're not capable of being a neurosurgeon....no, no, no.

I found it funny because it's very typical of a pre-med to make such grandiose claims. Anyway, I wish you the best.

 

[Afford]

I think it'll be hard to convince them to put a W on your transcript after you've taken the class, but people get into med school with a 3.45. It'll be harder, but that's within the GPA range for a lot of med schools.

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

I apologize if my comment was offensive. In fact that was the reason I edited my comment and I hoped that I had edited it before you noticed, I guess not. I didn't find it funny because I thought you're not capable of being a neurosurgeon....no, no, no.

I found it funny because it's very typical of a pre-med to make such grandiose claims. Anyway, I wish you the best.

It wasn't offensive at all. In fact I admire your statement. Who knows where I will end up in the future. I do believe everything in life is within reach and I have been able to back up my claim going from a 2.8 (74.5 credits) community college gpa to a 3.93 (69 credits) four year college. When you fail in life that is when you are really tested. It is hard to get back up. I am trying my best to fall forward and not backwards. I see that you are a medical student. It must be tough. Good luck! I know you can do it because you have come very far and close to achieve your goals. There is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

I think it'll be hard to convince them to put a W on your transcript after you've taken the class, but people get into med school with a 3.45. It'll be harder, but that's within the GPA range for a lot of med schools.

Would a high MCAT score compensate for a 3.45 GPA? I do not know how to read the MSAR. I got it for free thru the FAP reward. I want my application to be competitive for a top 20 medical schools. What MCAT range should I shoot for?

 

[Afford]

Sort the schools by GPA 10th-90th percentile. No a high MCAT score probably won't compensate for a low GPA at top 20 schools because almost everyone who gets in has a high MCAT and high GPA. Most of the top 20 have 10th percentil GPAs at 3.6. I believe you can get into a medical school as long as you have a good MCAT and I like your extracurriculars.

 

[gyngyn]

Would a high MCAT score compensate for a 3.45 GPA? I do not know how to read the MSAR. I got it for free thru the FAP reward. I want my application to be competitive for a top 20 medical schools. What MCAT range should I shoot for?

They have access to best scores in the country (world). Top 20 schools are looking for leaders in medicine.

 

[ClarkKentofPreMD]

They have access to best scores in the country (world). Top 20 schools are looking for leaders in medicine.

Do leaders equal high GPA and high MCAT score?

 

[gyngyn]

Do leaders equal high GPA and high MCAT score?

Scores are necessary but not sufficient.

 

[SkipJunior]

Do leaders equal high GPA and high MCAT score?

No, they equal high GPA, high MCAT scores & amazing unique extraordinary extracurricular activities like doing research at Oxford as a Fulbright Scholar, starting a non-profit in Namibia that has a proven track record of reducing HIV/AIDS infant mortality............you get what I mean.

However, receiving an acceptance letter from any US medical school is a honor and a privilege. Please don't focus on the top 20.

 

[P.R student]

Hello, I'm new to this forum so please pardon any ignorance from my part. I just wanted to know what my chances are for getting into med school in the new york area. First I'd like to mention that I will be graduating undergrad (biology major with a minor in accounting) in a private fully accredited university in puerto rico. My overall gpa is 3.80 and science gpa is 3.70. I scored a 37 on the mcat. I have 4 years of volunteer work in private hospitals and homes for the ederly. I also volunteered in food collections and was on my university judo team for 3 years. I did most of my research on human anatomy and organic chemestry. I'm trying to beef up my app in any way I can since i had a really really bad semester during my first year. I failed my first inorganic chemestry and math and was put on academic probation. It was appealed due to the fact that I was struggling to take care of my aunt (who was like a mother to me). She was being treated for cancer and passed away later that summer. Ever since then i focused on getting good grades retook the failed classes and passed them both with A's what are my chances of getting accepted and is there anything that anyone would recommend. Thank you all in advance for you help

 

[gyngyn]

Hello, I'm new to this forum so please pardon any ignorance from my part. I just wanted to know what my chances are for getting into med school in the new york area. First I'd like to mention that I will be graduating undergrad (biology major with a minor in accounting) in a private fully accredited university in puerto rico. My overall gpa is 3.80 and science gpa is 3.70. I scored a 37 on the mcat. I have 4 years of volunteer work in private hospitals and homes for the ederly. I also volunteered in food collections and was on my university judo team for 3 years. I did most of my research on human anatomy and organic chemestry. I'm trying to beef up my app in any way I can since i had a really really bad semester during my first year. I failed my first inorganic chemestry and math and was put on academic probation. It was appealed due to the fact that I was struggling to take care of my aunt (who was like a mother to me). She was being treated for cancer and passed away later that summer. Ever since then i focused on getting good grades retook the failed classes and passed them both with A's what are my chances of getting accepted and is there anything that anyone would recommend. Thank you all in advance for you help

It would be good etiquette to start your own thread so that your issues could easily be distinguished from OP's.

 

[P.R student]

It would be good etiquette to start your own thread so that your issues could easily be distinguished from OP's.

Thank you for the advice I'll move this to a new thread and again sorry for any ignorance from my end.