What Are My Chances and Other General Questions

Getting into Med School is Hard? Not with BeMo.
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amwatts0322 said:
Stats wise you look pretty average. Your ECS look good, but it doesnt look like youve been doing them for very long. I think thats a good list of schools for you, and Im pretty sure you will get some interviews.
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Through the Fire and Flames on expert. I'm impressed. That should legitimately count for something to AdComs.
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Bibbed said:
Through the Fire and Flames on expert. I'm impressed. That should legitimately count for something to AdComs.
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Sadly, I doubt most of them understand the difficulty.

Maybe If I was allowed to perform a demonstration at my interviews, that could get me points. No?
 
Stats wise you look pretty average. Your ECS look good, but it doesnt look like youve been doing them for very long. I think thats a good list of schools for you, and Im pretty sure you will get some interviews
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To be clear ,SilentNight, stats wise you are almost exactly average for Allopathic medical school matriculants, meaning half of the people who get into medical school have worse stats than you. As a medical school applicant that would put you in the top 20% of applications. Being from CA might hurt a little, but you should be good to go.

So yes, you should apply. If you´re not hurting for money I might add a few more schools to the list, though. EVMS and Tulane to start. Go from 18 to maybe 25 schools? Could you bring yourself to add 4-5 DO schools to the list? It´s a good backup, if your can convince them you´re not doing it as a backup.

But, yeah, you don´t need to listen to me. You´re current plan should at least net you some interviews.
 
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Thank you for the quick responses and I appreciate the advice. Another topic I had a question about was letter of recs. What is the typical # of letters you would recommend to have?

So far I will have 3 from a physiology professor, molecular biology professor, and volunteer supervisor cosigned with a MD/PhD. From my relationship with them all I would assume the letters to be good-excellent.

Would 3 be sufficient or is more a better idea? Such as getting a social science/humanities professor?
 
SilentNight said:
Thank you for the quick responses and I appreciate the advice. Another topic I had a question about was letter of recs. What is the typical # of letters you would recommend to have?

So far I will have 3 from a physiology professor, molecular biology professor, and volunteer supervisor cosigned with a MD/PhD. From my relationship with them all I would assume the letters to be good-excellent.

Would 3 be sufficient or is more a better idea? Such as getting a social science/humanities professor?
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It depends on the schools...but you should get one more from a humanities/social science class.
 
<-------------

college sophomore.

when should i take the MCAT? I should wait till I finish physics and ochem right?
 
katarzyna said:
<-------------

college sophomore.

when should i take the MCAT? I should wait till I finish physics and ochem right?
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Correct, I took it right after soph year...most take it jan, apri, may or june before sr year though.
 
simbalimba said:
I guess I'll give this a shot before applications open:

30P (10, 10, 10)
sgpa: 3.5
ogpa: 3.5
I received a D in a non science class which I repeated and received an A. I also received a C in orgo 1, repeated and got a B. I have a few drops, I dropped orgo 2 twice, but when I finally went through it I got an A.

My extracurriculars include all the usual stuff: volunteering, research, clubs, etc. Solid but not spectacular.
My LORS and PS are the same: solid but not spectacular.
I am an Illinois resident. My hope is to get into Rush BUT I will be applying to about 25 schools that are lower tier, and a few mid-tier schools. Do I have a solid shot? Or should I not get my hopes up? Thanks guys!
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I didn't get any feedback when I originally posted this so I thought I would repost to hopefully get some more feedback on my chances. Thanks
 
simbalimba said:
I didn't get any feedback when I originally posted this so I thought I would repost to hopefully get some more feedback on my chances. Thanks
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You have a solid shot. I think you will get interviews if you fill out good secondaries, at that point you are gonna have to wow them in order to get an acceptance.

You are below the national medians in GPA and MCAT, but just slightly.
 
I took the April 5 MCAT - are the scores released exactly 30 days - so May 6? It seems like forever to wait when all they need to do is grade the essay.
 
Just wondering how my chances are

MCAT: 35R 11PS, 11VR, 13BS, WS=R
GPA: 3.84
sGPA: 3.90 (actually 3.899, but it rounds up)
CA Resident (One strike against me)
Ethnicity: Indian (too many of us in medicine) (Strike two against me)
Microbio major with an Art History minor
Volunteered at hospital for 1 year (1/2 of freshman year and 1/2 of sophomore year)
Dr. Shadowing on and off
Member of clubs
Held officer positions in the clubs
Researched in two labs... no publications...:(
I transferred schools... went from UCI => UCLA, so my GPA is from UCI... will that matter to ADCOMS?
Basically everything else is pretty typical premed.
My extracurriculars show I am a "jack of all trades, master of none", and apparently I sorely lack clinical experience, at least that is what my sister tells me. Is it too late to get more clinical experience, as I am already innundated with work for this quarter...
I am gonna apply to about 15-20 top tier, 10-15 mid tier, and 5-10 lower tier. Look at my mdapps for where I wanna apply.
Dream Schools UPenn:love::love::love:, and UCLA:love::love:
How are my chances?
 
funkydrmonkey said:
Just wondering how my chances are

MCAT: 35R 11PS, 11VR, 13BS, WS=R
GPA: 3.84
sGPA: 3.90 (actually 3.899, but it rounds up)
CA Resident (One strike against me)
Ethnicity: Indian (too many of us in medicine) (Strike two against me)
Microbio major with an Art History minor
Volunteered at hospital for 1 year (1/2 of freshman year and 1/2 of sophomore year)
Dr. Shadowing on and off
Member of clubs
Held officer positions in the clubs
Researched in two labs... no publications...:(
I transferred schools... went from UCI => UCLA, so my GPA is from UCI... will that matter to ADCOMS?
Basically everything else is pretty typical premed.
My extracurriculars show I am a "jack of all trades, master of none", and apparently I sorely lack clinical experience, at least that is what my sister tells me. Is it too late to get more clinical experience, as I am already innundated with work for this quarter...
I am gonna apply to about 15-20 top tier, 10-15 mid tier, and 5-10 lower tier. Look at my mdapps for where I wanna apply.
Dream Schools UPenn:love::love::love:, and UCLA:love::love:
How are my chances?
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No need to apply to 40 schools
I would say 7 or so Top tiers & 7 mid tiers and maybe 3 or 4 low.
 
Oh lordy. At a time when I should be very happy, I am nothing but stressed. I just got accepted as a transfer student to finish my degree as a Biological Sciences major at UCSD! The only problem is I have med school admissions breathing down my neck. Here's my predicament:

Calculating my GPA by M.D. standards, I currently have a 3.34. I calculated that if I get all A's in every class I take until I graduate, I will get roughly a 3.56. Mind you, getting all A's is NOT going to happen.

Calculating my GPA by D.O. standards, I currently have a 3.54. I also calculated that if I get all A's in every class until I graduate, I will get roughly a 3.71. Mind you, getting all A's in every class is not going happen.

WHAT ARE MY CHANCES? I really would much rather not go to a D.O. school, it would be a last resort. Have I already screwed myself for allo (MD) Medical schools? I dont care which school I'd get into, I don't need a top tier by any means. I didn't know they (M.D.) averages in retaken classes and it's KILLING my GPA. :(

Someone give me some advice.
Thanks,
Daniel
 
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Honze55 said:
Oh lordy. At a time when I should be very happy, I am nothing but stressed. I just got accepted as a transfer student to finish my degree as a Biological Sciences major at UCSD! The only problem is I have med school admissions breathing down my neck. Here's my predicament:

Calculating my GPA by M.D. standards, I currently have a 3.34. I calculated that if I get all A's in every class I take until I graduate, I will get roughly a 3.56. Mind you, getting all A's is NOT going to happen.

Calculating my GPA by D.O. standards, I currently have a 3.54. I also calculated that if I get all A's in every class until I graduate, I will get roughly a 3.71. Mind you, getting all A's in every class is not going happen.

WHAT ARE MY CHANCES? I really would much rather not go to a D.O. school, it would be a last resort. Have I already screwed myself for allo (MD) Medical schools? I dont care which school I'd get into, I don't need a top tier by any means. I didn't know they (M.D.) averages in retaken classes and it's KILLING my GPA. :(

Someone give me some advice.
Thanks,
Daniel
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Well, it's hard to give you an accurate assessment without knowing your MCAT score or ECs. I'd say that if you have stellar ECs, an MCAT of at least 30, and can get that GPA up to a 3.4, you've got a shot at a lot of mid/lower tiered allo schools.

you would definitely be competitive for DO as well.

there are a lot of "ifs" here, but you stand a chance of getting in. :)
 
Real quick question, didn't apply last cycle, doing that now.
I did well on the grades and MCAT, but not on the
extra-curriculars.

I've got ~3 months clinical experience.


I'm aiming for more clinical experience, volunteering at
another hospital or perhaps a hospice. The question that
keeps popping up is:

What else should I do (things that would look great even
though I'm doing it on the eve of the application)?

And, would it be worth delaying my AMCAS submission until
after I have a few more months of high-value EC?


Forever yours
:banana:
 
foraten said:
Real quick question, didn't apply last cycle, doing that now.
I did well on the grades and MCAT, but not on the
extra-curriculars.

I've got ~3 months clinical experience.


I'm aiming for more clinical experience, volunteering at
another hospital or perhaps a hospice. The question that
keeps popping up is:

What else should I do (things that would look great even
though I'm doing it on the eve of the application)?

And, would it be worth delaying my AMCAS submission until
after I have a few more months of high-value EC?


Forever yours
:banana:
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Med schools can see right through ECs that are just there to pad your app. Why are you waiting till now to do these ECs? Be prepared for med schools to ask the same question.
 
Hi,

I am planning on applying to medical schools this summer. My overall gpa is 3.62, a little higher in the sciences (im a bio major) and my mcat is 38. I've done research for the last 2 years, done some (but not extensive, ie a few months) medical volunteer/internship work abroad, good recommendations. I am trying to get a sense of where I stand and what level of medical schools (ie. top-tier schools or a little lower) I have a realistic chance of getting accepted to.
thanks
 
You'll be fine. Check out the school's stats and make a list of 15-20. Vary it so that you have some schools that are a reach, some are less of a reach, and some that are not a reach at all. There's no such thing as safety school in applying for med school.

Good luck.
 
try the msar or the aamc website... it has links to all of the schools... look at states you want to live in for 4 years and have fun.
 
If I were you, i'd pick out a couple top tiers(Not harvard or JHU...). Apply broadly but don't make the mistake so many do and apply to only top 20 schools. Good luck.
 
Here's a question, the main thing that concerns me actually. Is being a part time student an issue? I'm a non-traditional, so I can't attend full time. I founded a company when I was 20 (I'm 37 now) that I still have to run, small company only 8 full time employees. My wife also works as an in-patient pharmacist , so we split time watching our 4 and 5 year old girls. While she's at work I'm at home watching the kids and studying. When she's at work I'm at school or the office. That limits me to about 8-12 credits per semester. I'm sitting at about 3.71gpa at 67 credits with all prereqs done and about to take the MCAT this August.

I'm going to try to squeeze in some shadowing and volunteering this summer and fall and, assuming a reasonable 30+ MCAT apply to school next year.

The real pinch is realistically I can only attend one med school, the one that's part of my undergrad University. I can't ask my wife to quit her job or tear my kids out of school etc. applying everywhere. If my GPA and MCAT meet or exceed the median for matriculants at that campus should I be okay?
 
Tutmos said:
Here's a question, the main thing that concerns me actually. Is being a part time student an issue? I'm a non-traditional, so I can't attend full time. I founded a company when I was 20 (I'm 37 now) that I still have to run, small company only 8 full time employees. My wife also works as an in-patient pharmacist , so we split time watching our 4 and 5 year old girls. While she's at work I'm at home watching the kids and studying. When she's at work I'm at school or the office. That limits me to about 8-12 credits per semester. I'm sitting at about 3.71gpa at 67 credits with all prereqs done and about to take the MCAT this August.

I'm going to try to squeeze in some shadowing and volunteering this summer and fall and, assuming a reasonable 30+ MCAT apply to school next year.

The real pinch is realistically I can only attend one med school, the one that's part of my undergrad University. I can't ask my wife to quit her job or tear my kids out of school etc. applying everywhere. If my GPA and MCAT meet or exceed the median for matriculants at that campus should I be okay?
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You can never tell and exceeding the median scores does not guarantee you a spot. It looks like you have good stats though...
 
jgberken said:
You can never tell and exceeding the median scores does not guarantee you a spot. It looks like you have good stats though...
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when you have your mcat score back, you could try talking to your local school about applying early decision. i've heard that they'll tell you *wink wink nudge nudge* if you're likely to be accepted via that route. since this is the school that you absolutely want to go to, i would check that out.

if that doesn't work out, you may have to explore other options.
 
simbalimba said:
I guess I'll give this a shot before applications open:

30P (10, 10, 10)
sgpa: 3.5
ogpa: 3.5
I received a D in a non science class which I repeated and received an A. I also received a C in orgo 1, repeated and got a B. I have a few drops, I dropped orgo 2 twice, but when I finally went through it I got an A.

My extracurriculars include all the usual stuff: volunteering, research, clubs, etc. Solid but not spectacular.
My LORS and PS are the same: solid but not spectacular.
I am an Illinois resident. My hope is to get into Rush BUT I will be applying to about 25 schools that are lower tier, and a few mid-tier schools. Do I have a solid shot? Or should I not get my hopes up? Thanks guys!
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That was pretty much my exact application. I got waitlisted first year, volunteered in a local trauma center, then reapplied and got into 3 schools the second year. My advice would be to get some clinical medicine experience under your belt before you start interviewing. Call the local hospital and ask if they have a volunteer program.
 
DoctorDreamer said:
Med schools can see right through ECs that are just there to pad your app. Why are you waiting till now to do these ECs? Be prepared for med schools to ask the same question.
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Agreed. If you're going to delay, you need a whole year not a couple months so that it doesn't look like padding. Since you took the MCAT before doing any ECs, you can't just say you decided to be a doctor late. It just looks like you didn't put in the full effort.
 
Blesbok said:
That was pretty much my exact application. I got waitlisted first year, volunteered in a local trauma center, then reapplied and got into 3 schools the second year. My advice would be to get some clinical medicine experience under your belt before you start interviewing. Call the local hospital and ask if they have a volunteer program.
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Thanks for the advice. I actuallly have been volunteering at the local hospital in the ER. I actually have a few interesting stories about it, one which is included in my PS. I have the shadowing, research, and volunteer down. I am just worried that as stated earlier my stats are below matriculating average, and that is for this past year, I am sure it'll be higher for this upcoming year which will me less competitive, especially with the bumps in my road concerning my gpa (a D, 2 Cs, a few withdraws).
 
This is a repost since I didn't get any replies before ...

Here is my MDApps : http://www.mdapplicants.com/viewprofile.php?id=10220

copperfrog09 said:
I'm looking for some input on my list of schools.. I'm looking to apply to 12-15 schools, is that too low for my stats? I know my GPA is not great, but I feel that the "intangibles" in my application will really help me out. I am a good writer and good communicator.

This is my current list, as it's been edited by mdapps comments and some reasearch. Any additions/ subtractions, or input on each school?

I have interests in international health, and urban health, and would most like to be in an urban area for this reason.

Albert Einstein of Yeshiva University
Boston University
Case Western Reserve University
Columbia University
Cornell University
Dartmouth College
Duke University
George Washington University
Georgetown University
Jefferson Medical College
Loyola University Chicago
Mayo Medical School
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Northwestern University
Temple University
Tufts University
University of Chicago
University of Cincinnati
University of Kentucky
University of North Carolina
University of Pennsylvania
University of Pittsburgh
University of Virginia
Wake Forest University
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Hey everybody, I hope you guys are all doing well!
this is my first post on this forum. I feel like I need to get opinions on my chances of getting into medical schools from people who don't know me personally, & hence won't be biased one way or another

alright

GPA: 3.3
Science: 3.0
[my first two years of undergrad = horrible GPA. But I improved drastically in the last two years {maintaining around a 3.6 overall and a 3.57 science in the last two years}]

MCAT: 10V,11P,12B [33O]
i think the 12 biological really helps because some of my lowest undergrad grades were in O-chem


EC'S:
1)involved tutoring underprivileged students from the Los Angeles Unified School District
2) I've received certification as an EMT [didn't work much as an EMT though, long story]
3) Shadowing a cardiologist

& now i'm in my first year working on a two-year Master's degree [this involves all science courses: such as advanced biochem, immunology, cell biology, etc]
I have a 3.8 M.S. GPA , and it'll probably either stay the same or change between 3.6-3.9

I'm applying this summer [i.e. before i obtain the graduate degree]
I am also working on master's thesis for the program, so that covers my research EC


All in all, I'm worried about my lack of community service & some pretty horrible grades during my first two years at undergrad, including a D in Ochem

My goal is to get in somewhere in Cali. What do you guys think about my chances?
 
MCAT: 31Q 9 PS 10 V 12 BS
OVERALL GPA: 3.27
BCPM: 3.20
Graduated UC Davis
Major: Genetics Minor: Neuroscience


The poor GPA is due to my 1st and 2nd years. Didn't put much time at all into studying and got a bunch of C's. Ended the last two years with good grades (overall gpa of last 2 years = around 3.6 something, ended with a 4.0 my last quarter), so a good upward trend I think. I retook the MCAT, had a 26 the first time, studied harder and got the 31.

ECs:
- Hospital Volunteer (ER in 2 hospitals, and Surgery): 240 hrs
- Fundraising for Crohns and Colitis Foundation for the last 2 years: Helped raise approx $5000 for research of a disease my friend was diagnosed with.
- Executive Board Member of a Pre-Health Club: Ran meetings, organized a medical student shadow day/mentor program, published articles in quarterly newsletter.
- Human Corps award for community service
- Sporadic community service (working with elderly, homeless, etc)
- Research: pH regulation in murine cancer cells (7 months, still ongoing, no publications)
- Worked throughout my college career (15 - 26 hrs/week)
- Played in community softball leagues for 3 years, won a few championships :cool:


Just looking for some opinions on where I stand. DO schools are an option for me, though I'd much rather go MD. An SMP seems like a good idea since my GPA is my weakest point I think. Your thoughts? :)
 
Hi, I'm new to SDN and I started reading these forums to help me out with applying to medical school since my pre-med advisor does like to help anyone that has a science gpa lower than 3.5! I was wondering if anyone knows my chances of getting accepted to medical school.

I totally messed up during my sophomore year. I had a lot of family issues/financial problems (parents divorced, family business closed down, grandma in for 2 brain surgeries, etc). Took 3 science courses fall semester not knowing all these things would have occurred. Got C,D, and F. Spring semester wasn't any better, D's and C's. However, I got things straightened out. Put myself back together and I've been getting A's and B's (mostly B's). I'm at my senior year right now. Science gpa is around 2.6 ( including the bad grades), overall 3.0. MCAt score 30. Planning to apply this year. Trying to find position as a research asst right now and work after graduation as well as taking extra science courses like biochem and genetics. I've been volunteering for years at the hospital. And also volunteer at a cat shelter. Does anyone know if I have any chance of getting accepted at any allopathic school or perhaps osteopathic schools?

Sorry for such a long post!

Thanks!! :)

-LC
 
I dont think you have much of a chance to stay in the US especially allopathic, but I would say it is probably worth it to apply to a DO school
 
louanac86 said:
Hi, I'm new to SDN and I started reading these forums to help me out with applying to medical school since my pre-med advisor does like to help anyone that has a science gpa lower than 3.5! I was wondering if anyone knows my chances of getting accepted to medical school.

I totally messed up during my sophomore year. I had a lot of family issues/financial problems (parents divorced, family business closed down, grandma in for 2 brain surgeries, etc). Took 3 science courses fall semester not knowing all these things would have occurred. Got C,D, and F. Spring semester wasn't any better, D's and C's. However, I got things straightened out. Put myself back together and I've been getting A's and B's (mostly B's). I'm at my senior year right now. Science gpa is around 2.6 ( including the bad grades), overall 3.0. MCAt score 30. Planning to apply this year. Trying to find position as a research asst right now and work after graduation as well as taking extra science courses like biochem and genetics. I've been volunteering for years at the hospital. And also volunteer at a cat shelter. Does anyone know if I have any chance of getting accepted at any allopathic school or perhaps osteopathic schools?

Sorry for such a long post!

Thanks!! :)

-LC
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I am going to assume that you said your pre-med adviser does NOT like to help people with below a 3.5 GPA. In that case, what a jerk. Sorry you have to put up with that.

I agree with the above poster. You have very little chance of a MD school but your chance at DO is decent. As long as you do not want to go into the really competitive residencies (derm, othro, etc.) you should be fine being a DO.

Also keep in mind that DO schools will replace your bad grades. So if you get a A in a class you got a D, they only look at the A. Meanwhile, MD schools will allow decade old grades to haunt you.
 
why not take a year or two off before applying if you're really serious about MD programs? of course you'll have to work your butt off during this time
you'll significantly improve your chances if you:

1. continue volunteering
2. take classes to boost your gpa
3. retake the mcat
4. get your research published/present a poster at a conference

i know this is kind of intense, so like i said, this is only if you're REALLY serious about MD programs
 
Tougoozi, it's going to be really tough for you. We're basically in the same boat, and I've only gotten 1 waitlist from 28 apps. DO schools are a good option for you, as are SMP's. Don't give up, but be prepared to spend a year or two boosting your credentials if you don't get in anywhere.
 
thanks for the reply MilkmanAI, but if two years of a "hard science" graduate program doesn't get me into an allopathic school in the states [or even abroad], then I think it's about time to close up shop :)
 
I've a question about whether sending in all the LOR's is required when you submit the AMCAS primary application.
I still haven't asked any of my prof's for a LOR,
I'm sort of waiting until the marks are up.

So how far can I go in the application process without submitting all the LOR's?
Can I finish the primary application?
Or can I even finish all the secondary applications?
Can I get interviews without LOR's?
 
schnauzr said:
I've a question about whether sending in all the LOR's is required when you submit the AMCAS primary application.
I still haven't asked any of my prof's for a LOR,
I'm sort of waiting until the marks are up.

So how far can I go in the application process without submitting all the LOR's?
Can I finish the primary application?
Or can I even finish all the secondary applications?
Can I get interviews without LOR's?
Click to expand...
You turn them in with the Secondary
 
schnauzr said:
I've a question about whether sending in all the LOR's is required when you submit the AMCAS primary application.
I still haven't asked any of my prof's for a LOR,
I'm sort of waiting until the marks are up.

So how far can I go in the application process without submitting all the LOR's?
Can I finish the primary application?
Or can I even finish all the secondary applications?
Can I get interviews without LOR's?
Click to expand...

You should definitely ask for your letters of rec soon. Some professors take a while to write them. You will need a complete secondary application (which includes LOR) before getting an interview for most schools.

Duke is the one school that I remember that didn't require LOR until you've received an interview invitation.
 
:luck:
Rooter76 said:
You need to bring your GPA up as far as possible, and you need a good score on the test to offset it. My advice if you don't think you can do both at once; don't do both at once. You don't need to apply in June. Take the classes, pull all A's until you graudate, and study for the MCAT the summer/year after you finish. Taking a year off will allow you to focus on one at a time, plus EC wise that is one of the best things to do, you can do research, travel, humanitarian work, all kinds of things. All will give a good boost to your app.
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:luck:what are ec's?
 
Science GPA: 3.40
Other GPA: 3.84
Overall GPA: 3.51

Pros:
1. Straight A's until junior year (general physics & chemistry during this time), at which point a couple B's insert themselves (one of which was first semester orgo). Then another semester of straight A's (including second semester orgo).
2. Degree was self-created and included twice as many upper-division science courses as any degree found in the catalog (I liked physics, bio, chem, and math and so I was taking many courses in all four sciences).
3. A's in genetics, immunology, physiology, quantum mechanics, physical chemistry, chemistry research.
4. B's in anatomy, first semester orgo, first semester biochem (enzyme & metabolism portion), and neurochemistry.
5. A year and a half of full-time phlebotomy work in the hospital, and now working at Duke University Hospital as a surgical attendant (by the time my application is submitted I will have over two years of full-time hospital experience where I am in direct contact with patients).
6. Glowing letters of recommendation from my neurochem professor, phlebotomy supervisor, and a pathologist who I worked under at the first hospital.
7. I know the material and I test well, so I expect to do well on the MCATs (I'm thinking upper 30's).

Cons:
1. Had an AWFUL neurobiology class that was student-taught. People would get-up and leave in the middle of presentations it was so bad. I stopped attending and lost a letter grade due to attendance, and didn't study as well as I should have and so lost another. Grade C.
2. Three undergraduate colleges makes me appear flighty. First school was out-of-state and I hated it, so I withdrew before the quarter ended and came home to work for the rest of the semester. I then attended the local university for all but one of my undergraduate years; the one year away was out-of-state so I could try being away from home for a while (they rarely take exchange students so I did a transfer with no intention of remaining for longer than a year unless I fell in love with the place).
3. Broke-up with my fiance (4 year relationship) and had a rough semester. During that time I earned C's in both cell biology and first semester biochemistry (molecular biology portion), and failed (yes, F) my electricity & magnetism class. I was skipping most of my classes and not studying as well as I should have been. Consequently I lost a bunch of attendance/participation points in cell bio, missed a presentation in biochem, and fell so hopelessly far behind in E&M that I talked to the prof and we agreed that there was nothing I could do except take the F. The course was discontinued the following semester so I was never able to retake it.
4. After I graduated I took a human A&P class as review. My work schedule was changed too far into the semester to withdraw from the course, and I couldn't make the classes anymore. Sadly, this means I had no choice but to take an F for it.
5. No ec's to speak of except for intramural sports (2-4 at a time depending on time of year).
6. Due to lack of class attendance in my last year or so, hospital letters of recommendation are easy to come by but the ones I really need, faculty letters, are very difficult.
7. Three C's and two F's drag my science GPA down sharply.
8. Won't be taking the MCAT until August.
9. GPA slides in the wrong direction--starts at 4.0 consistently and drops to 3.27, 2.00, and 3.43 my last three semesters (in order).
10. My degree was offered by a so-so school, not exactly Harvard.

I think that touches on all the bases. I know that I am an excellent candidate. I'm motivated, interested, and I have the intelligence to pummel the MCAT and medical school courses. I have two years of clinical full-time work in hospitals. The letters of recommendation that I -do- have are written by people who strongly support me, and one of them is from a doctor. On the flip side of this though, I ended college weakly. This means a lowered GPA, and difficulty in obtaining letters from faculty teaching the courses that had small enrollment (eg the classes where profs could really get to know me I wasn't in attendance and thus failed utterly at getting them to know me). Two F's on my transcript; even though one was out of my hands it's still there.

Knowing what kind of candidate I am is different than presenting myself as that kind of candidate. I know that the dip in my GPA had a reason, and the F in my anatomy class was beyond my control.

What range of schools am I competitive at? How should I address the blemishes on an otherwise great transcript? Since I have been out of school for a year and a half now, is it OK to use letters from people at the hospital rather than college professors? (I decided on medical school slightly later-on, so I wasn't asking for letters as I went. I've since moved across the country so I may have trouble reminding faculty who I am without a face-to-face visit.) Should I talk about the grade problems in my personal statement, or should I write about other things, hope I make it to the interview, and only then talk about the grades when I am directly asked?

Thanks for taking the time to give me some honest answers. I'm looking for constructive ideas, I already know I made the mistakes. :)
 
theedj said:
Science GPA: 3.40
Other GPA: 3.84
Overall GPA: 3.51

Pros:
1. Straight A's until junior year (general physics & chemistry during this time), at which point a couple B's insert themselves (one of which was first semester orgo). Then another semester of straight A's (including second semester orgo).
2. Degree was self-created and included twice as many upper-division science courses as any degree found in the catalog (I liked physics, bio, chem, and math and so I was taking many courses in all four sciences).
3. A's in genetics, immunology, physiology, quantum mechanics, physical chemistry, chemistry research.
4. B's in anatomy, first semester orgo, first semester biochem (enzyme & metabolism portion), and neurochemistry.
5. A year and a half of full-time phlebotomy work in the hospital, and now working at Duke University Hospital as a surgical attendant (by the time my application is submitted I will have over two years of full-time hospital experience where I am in direct contact with patients).
6. Glowing letters of recommendation from my neurochem professor, phlebotomy supervisor, and a pathologist who I worked under at the first hospital.
7. I know the material and I test well, so I expect to do well on the MCATs (I'm thinking upper 30's).

Cons:
1. Had an AWFUL neurobiology class that was student-taught. People would get-up and leave in the middle of presentations it was so bad. I stopped attending and lost a letter grade due to attendance, and didn't study as well as I should have and so lost another. Grade C.
2. Three undergraduate colleges makes me appear flighty. First school was out-of-state and I hated it, so I withdrew before the quarter ended and came home to work for the rest of the semester. I then attended the local university for all but one of my undergraduate years; the one year away was out-of-state so I could try being away from home for a while (they rarely take exchange students so I did a transfer with no intention of remaining for longer than a year unless I fell in love with the place).
3. Broke-up with my fiance (4 year relationship) and had a rough semester. During that time I earned C's in both cell biology and first semester biochemistry (molecular biology portion), and failed (yes, F) my electricity & magnetism class. I was skipping most of my classes and not studying as well as I should have been. Consequently I lost a bunch of attendance/participation points in cell bio, missed a presentation in biochem, and fell so hopelessly far behind in E&M that I talked to the prof and we agreed that there was nothing I could do except take the F. The course was discontinued the following semester so I was never able to retake it.
4. After I graduated I took a human A&P class as review. My work schedule was changed too far into the semester to withdraw from the course, and I couldn't make the classes anymore. Sadly, this means I had no choice but to take an F for it.
5. No ec's to speak of except for intramural sports (2-4 at a time depending on time of year).
6. Due to lack of class attendance in my last year or so, hospital letters of recommendation are easy to come by but the ones I really need, faculty letters, are very difficult.
7. Three C's and two F's drag my science GPA down sharply.
8. Won't be taking the MCAT until August.
9. GPA slides in the wrong direction--starts at 4.0 consistently and drops to 3.27, 2.00, and 3.43 my last three semesters (in order).
10. My degree was offered by a so-so school, not exactly Harvard.

I think that touches on all the bases. I know that I am an excellent candidate. I'm motivated, interested, and I have the intelligence to pummel the MCAT and medical school courses. I have two years of clinical full-time work in hospitals. The letters of recommendation that I -do- have are written by people who strongly support me, and one of them is from a doctor. On the flip side of this though, I ended college weakly. This means a lowered GPA, and difficulty in obtaining letters from faculty teaching the courses that had small enrollment (eg the classes where profs could really get to know me I wasn't in attendance and thus failed utterly at getting them to know me). Two F's on my transcript; even though one was out of my hands it's still there.

Knowing what kind of candidate I am is different than presenting myself as that kind of candidate. I know that the dip in my GPA had a reason, and the F in my anatomy class was beyond my control.

What range of schools am I competitive at? How should I address the blemishes on an otherwise great transcript? Since I have been out of school for a year and a half now, is it OK to use letters from people at the hospital rather than college professors? (I decided on medical school slightly later-on, so I wasn't asking for letters as I went. I've since moved across the country so I may have trouble reminding faculty who I am without a face-to-face visit.) Should I talk about the grade problems in my personal statement, or should I write about other things, hope I make it to the interview, and only then talk about the grades when I am directly asked?

Thanks for taking the time to give me some honest answers. I'm looking for constructive ideas, I already know I made the mistakes. :)
Click to expand...


I think you may be competitive in low or maybe even middle tier schools, depending on how you present yourself in your applications. It actually doesn't matter what med school you get into. All doctors come out pretty much knowing the same things. What matters is your score on the USMLE exams while you're in med school. The goal right now should be to try to get into a med school. Your record is actually not so bad with a lot medicine-related material. Plus you've taken some time off after college and have "life experiences"...med schools like that. They want mature applicants. In terms of the dips in your GPA, I think you should explain those somewhere in your application; that way they can undersand and at least offer you interviews. If you do really well on the MCATS, that would be a MAJOR boost. You know, I actually don't think your GPA is all that bad at all (but of course that depends on how "so-so" your school was). The only problem is that your poor grades were in science classes that are pretty relevant to med school....so you should really try to account for them in detail somewhere in your application. I have more advice for you:

1- If you can take the MCATs earlier than August, please do! Applying late in the process (ex: September) can SERIOUSLY damage your chances.

2- Try to "diversify" your resume. Its good that you're really science orriented but it would be better if you can prove that you have other interests as well...non-scince related. Med schools like variety. Is there something else you devote a lot of time to thats NOT scien-related (ex: sports, writing, community service, musical instrument, etc.)

3- Finally, I think it would be great to include recommendation letters from college professors (science AND non-science). By the way, didn't your school have a pre-med committee or some system in place to help students who are applying to med school?

So the key here is to present the facts in the most positive way as possible. Good Luck!!:p
 
I think your advice was excellent.

I just re-wrote my personal statement. In discussing why I would like to become a physician and why I think I would do well at it, I talk about three sports that I have played for years and the championships won. I also talk about my love of photography, web design, backpacking across Egypt and Peru, and becoming dive certified off the coast of the Sinai.

And lastly, I moved my MCAT to early July. It will make studying a bit more of a crunch, but I should be fine--and it will be a little less stress having it over and done sooner. Plus, that means applications in August instead of September (best I could do, that was the earliest test date with seats available).

Thanks!
 
elxr06 said:
Here is how I stand and I think you'll notice it ain't looking pretty. What would you do if you were me? I have a strong desire of getting to a medical school

I have attached in the link below (it's a word document) of my stats as my school (UC Riverside) shows.

Please help!

Thanks,
Mike
....



http://www.geocities.com/mchan_87/analysis_of_academic_progress.doc
Click to expand...
Look into going overseas....That is probably your only option...Unless you wanna take 100 more credits.
 
ChubbyChaser said:
Look into going overseas....That is probably your only option...Unless you wanna take 100 more credits.
Click to expand...

are you serious ? I was told that postbacc is an option unless I wanted to D.O. or go to M.D. in the caribb's.
 
elxr06 said:
are you serious ? I was told that postbacc is an option unless I wanted to D.O. or go to M.D. in the caribb's.
Click to expand...
Idk..Ive seen a few ppl on here with 2.7ishs that have gotten into DO schools, but they ended up takeing a whole lot of extra classes like 60+credits and aced them. Im not sure how the Caribbean is, but if you could see yourself there...definitely look into it.
 
Hello, Canadian here. My stats: 3.71GPA, 27MCAT. Great trend, last one and a half years I had a 3.97GPA. Have research, volunteering work etc etc. Do you think I have any chance at US medschools.
 
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