3.9 GPA/35 MCAT, minimal research...good enuf?

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neurofreak

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im new to this so i appreciate any and all responses. im applying this upcoming summer and have a 3.9 (3.8 BCMP) from a top school and a 35T, but only have minimal research experience (1 summer)...other ECs are great, hopefully great LORs, etc.

does anyone know of any applicants getting into top schools with comparable stats and minimal research experience? ive seen so many posts of people with crazy intense research/pubs and was wondering if this is an absolute requirement, especially since it really isnt my thing. thanks in advance
 
here we go again!!!

no you have zero chance!
 
🙄
 
Don't worry about the research. What matters is whether you've had experience in a clinical setting. Unless you're going for academic medicine, you're going to be fine. Not everyone on SDN likes to do research.🙂
 
This question coming from you doesn't even deserve an answer. Seriously man, browse the site before you post. There is a thread at the top of the page for questions like this.
 
*yawns*

I know that calling "troll" has gone out of vogue, but I think that's the most likely scenario here.
 
I actually have never done lab research and I've never published...I had slightly worse numbers but good ECs and it was fine.

That being said, read the forum stickies.
 
MirrorTodd said:
Doesn't seem so. They've already posted in the "what are my chances" thread.
Click to expand...

Seriously?

Wow. Dude. You'd think no one that smart could be that dumb. 😛

Whatever. The OP will go somewhere in the Top 20 (maybe Top 40 since there's no research... but prob Top 20) and have a very lovely life.
 
Wanna_B_Scutty said:
Seriously?

Wow. Dude. You'd think no one that smart could be that dumb. 😛

Whatever. The OP will go somewhere in the Top 20 (maybe Top 40 since there's no research... but prob Top 20) and have a very lovely life.
Click to expand...

Yes, seriously. It just seems like trolls don't like to follow the advice of posters on here.
 
I kind of wish there was a "sneer" smiley.

That sounded really bitter. I'm on spring break; why am I bitter?
 
Wanna_B_Scutty said:
*yawns*

I know that calling "troll" has gone out of vogue, but I think that's the most likely scenario here.
Click to expand...
Right. Because everyone smarter/with better stats than you is a troll...
 
neurofreak said:
im new to this so i appreciate any and all responses. im applying this upcoming summer and have a 3.9 (3.8 BCMP) from a top school and a 35T, but only have minimal research experience (1 summer)...other ECs are great, hopefully great LORs, etc.

does anyone know of any applicants getting into top schools with comparable stats and minimal research experience? ive seen so many posts of people with crazy intense research/pubs and was wondering if this is an absolute requirement, especially since it really isnt my thing. thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Asking the same question multiple times is against the rules. You already asked this question yesterday, with slightly different wording. Clogs up the works Probably should be closed.
 
According to DKM's "what are my chances formula" you have approximately 35% chance of getting into medical school. From the looks of your posts though I would say that is dropping hard.
 
lol thanks everyone 🙂
 
Why is research even important for med school admissions? If I wanted to do research, I would get a PhD or MD/PhD. If you have enough clinical experience, you're fine.
 
bbas said:
Why is research even important for med school admissions? If I wanted to do research, I would get a PhD or MD/PhD. If you have enough clinical experience, you're fine.
Click to expand...

You will find that many of the competitive residencies and fellowships expect research, and so schools have found that folks with a history of college research (1) are more apt to dive into research in med school, and (2) have a better starting point and won't necessarilly have to spend months just learning the basics. So it makes total sense. Also if you look at the research rankings, you can appreciate that research dollars are a big part of what really drives this medical education engine, not your measly tuition check.
 
Wanna_B_Scutty said:
*yawns*

I know that calling "troll" has gone out of vogue, but I think that's the most likely scenario here.
Click to expand...

I don't think this is a troll post. I think this is a "stroke my ego" post. "Tell me how great I am, and that I'll get into Harvard AND Yale."
 
sekem said:
here we go again!!!

no you have zero chance!
Click to expand...

:laugh: :laugh:

Great scores may get you interviews at the top schools but the question of getting in is a tough one to predict because top schools get a handful of people with great scores. They rely more on the subjective matters to distinguish candidates.
 
bbas said:
Why is research even important for med school admissions? If I wanted to do research, I would get a PhD or MD/PhD. If you have enough clinical experience, you're fine.
Click to expand...

because everyone else has it, and all else being equal, the admissions committee will pick the person with research before they pick (if they ever do) the one w/o.
 
If you're an illegal alien I think they'll let you in...
they're very under-represented in the MD schools...

and in the tax-paying area...
and in the observing of American laws area...

BUT they are excellent in the areas of:
(1) bankrupting hospitals and making blacks, whites, asians, etc pay higher hospital bills to compensate for them.

(2) wearing cowboy hats and boots

(3) driving trucks without a license

(4) putting old-english writing in their truck windows that say their name because we all admire that :laugh:

(5) and let us not forget the banditos..aka phags, which 5 of them can easily beat up a 14 yr old black kid. :laugh: 👎

(6) OH and they're good at stealing car sterios! :meanie:

WooHoo... those lazy pudf*ckers f*cked up your own country and now they're here to do the same 👎
 
JohnnyOU said:
If you're an illegal alien I think they'll let you in...
they're very under-represented in the MD schools...

and in the tax-paying area...
and in the observing of American laws area...

BUT they are excellent in the areas of:
(1) bankrupting hospitals and making blacks, whites, asians, etc pay higher hospital bills to compensate for them.

(2) wearing cowboy hats and boots

(3) driving trucks without a license

(4) putting old-english writing in their truck windows that say their name because we all admire that :laugh:

(5) and let us not forget the banditos..aka phags, which 5 of them can easily beat up a 14 yr old black kid. :laugh: 👎

(6) OH and they're good at stealing car sterios! :meanie:

WooHoo... those lazy pudf*ckers f*cked up your own country and now they're here to do the same 👎
Click to expand...

i'm impressed you've made it to 1200 posts harboring that enmity.
 
diosa: this honestly isnt a "stoke my ego" or whatever you call it post...i just wanted to know if applicants without extensive research even stand a chance at the top 20 schools, regardless of stats. it seems like everyone on SDN is a research machine that started publishing pre-high school.
 
I didn't have any research.
 
I didn't have any research and I applied late (August MCATer) and I got into Emory and waitlisted at Vandy with a 3.6 and a 34. Further my letters of rec in all likelihood were average at best.
 
I heard the top 25 stopped taking people under a 4.2 and a 47 on the MCAT's... you're out of luck my friend.
 
neurofreak said:
im new to this so i appreciate any and all responses. im applying this upcoming summer and have a 3.9 (3.8 BCMP) from a top school and a 35T, but only have minimal research experience (1 summer)...other ECs are great, hopefully great LORs, etc.

does anyone know of any applicants getting into top schools with comparable stats and minimal research experience? ive seen so many posts of people with crazy intense research/pubs and was wondering if this is an absolute requirement, especially since it really isnt my thing. thanks in advance
Click to expand...
Everyone is flaming you because they are drooling over your numbers.

However, you would absolutely, never make it into my state school with those numbers. We require minimal hours in
1) Clinical Experience (Patient Exposure)
2) Shadowing
3) Community Service
4) Leadership
5) Research
6) EC's (includes family stuff, & often overlap with Leadership and others)
Plus, minimum:
7) GPA and
8) MCAT
You must be Min in all 8, Ave in 5, and Excel in 2 to make the cut. If you do make the cut, then the the PS and LORs are factored in to determine if you get an interview. All of these 8 plus PS, LOR, and interview play into the final decision.

So, you meet 3 of 8 min criteria (Excell in 2) = auto rejection from my school. 😀 You'd never even get an interview.

While most schools do not have definitive criteria like these, I think that my school's systematic approach is likely the way many schools end up examining an applicant's non-academic qualifications. Some may give more weight to GPA and MCAT (my school = 10% for each for total 20% of your app is GPA and MCAT). Some top schools may care more about research than others. All seem to care about Patient Exposure. So, get some meaningful patient exposure, and you'll likely be golden at many schools.
 
GoodDoctor said:
Everyone is flaming you because they are drooling over your numbers.

However, you would absolutely, never make it into my state school with those numbers. We require minimal hours in
1) Clinical Experience (Patient Exposure)
2) Shadowing
3) Community Service
4) Leadership
5) Research
6) EC's (includes family stuff, & often overlap with Leadership and others)
Plus, minimum:
7) GPA and
8) MCAT
You must be Min in all 8, Ave in 5, and Excel in 2 to make the cut. If you do make the cut, then the the PS and LORs are factored in to determine if you get an interview. All of these 8 plus PS, LOR, and interview play into the final decision.

So, you meet 3 of 8 min criteria (Excell in 2) = auto rejection from my school. 😀 You'd never even get an interview.

While most schools do not have definitive criteria like these, I think that my school's systematic approach is likely the way many schools end up examining an applicant's non-academic qualifications. Some may give more weight to GPA and MCAT (my school = 10% for each for total 20% of your app is GPA and MCAT). Some top schools may care more about research than others. All seem to care about Patient Exposure. So, get some meaningful patient exposure, and you'll likely be golden at many schools.
Click to expand...

You are assuming the OP is lacking in 1 through 4, which were never mentioned in the initial post as lacking or present. The OP may have no experience in areas 1-4 or may have more than you or I. We don't know. The OP did mention he has great EC's besides his research, which means he most likely meets 6. Further, you even mention that EC's often overlap so his great EC's may meet 1-4 after all. Also, he got a 35T and has a 3.8 so I am sure he is smart enough to know that clinical exposure is necessary. The OP's question is only about whether or not an acceptance from a top 20 is possible without much research. It is a legitmate question and I think it is more reasonable to assume the OP already has sufficient experiences in the other 7 areas besides research or else he would mention other application weaknesses. So unless your state school is UCSF or Washington I would imagine the OP would easily be a very desirable applicant.
 
Is there an inverse relationship between MCAT/GPA and ability to read the MSAR?
 
yeah tyronebiggums knew exactly what i was asking...as in whether top 25 schools will even consider applicants without meaningful research. i thought it was a legit question

oh and to respond to the above poster, yeah ive done the clinical stuff, shadowing, etc
 
Flopotomist said:
Is there an inverse relationship between MCAT/GPA and ability to read the MSAR?
Click to expand...

Yes there is. "What are my chances?" threads represent a research project aimed at specifically proving that point. You'll read about the findings sooner or later, but by now, we've got to have some pretty good statistics to support the hypothesis.
 
neurofreak said:
yeah tyronebiggums knew exactly what i was asking...as in whether top 25 schools will even consider applicants without meaningful research. i thought it was a legit question

oh and to respond to the above poster, yeah ive done the clinical stuff, shadowing, etc
Click to expand...

It is hard to predict as there have been cases where even HMS has taken people with minimal to zero research. However if you are concerned about it you could always do some summer research this summer and update the schools as well as contact admissions directors at such schools and see what they say.
 
neurofreak said:
im new to this so i appreciate any and all responses. im applying this upcoming summer and have a 3.9 (3.8 BCMP) from a top school and a 35T, but only have minimal research experience (1 summer)...other ECs are great, hopefully great LORs, etc.

does anyone know of any applicants getting into top schools with comparable stats and minimal research experience? ive seen so many posts of people with crazy intense research/pubs and was wondering if this is an absolute requirement, especially since it really isnt my thing. thanks in advance
Click to expand...

whoops
 
I thought everyone knew you needed at least 2 PhD's of research work before you could even think of being an MD.
 
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