2nd Year Premed, how am I doing?

[PreMedTex]

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Hey everyone,


First off I would like to begin by saying how amazing this forum is and this is my first time posting. I have been lurking on here and reading many posts and think it is awesome how great of a community SDN is and how helpful it already has been for me in my journey. I also would like to thank you in advance for any replies you give.


Some introductory information about myself:

I am a nontraditional student of 26 years of age with a Biology A.S that I just completed. I finished my 2nd year of undergrad just this past week and am excited for the future. I am currently looking at premed and have already fulfilled several premed pre-requisites with my bio degree such as A&P I/II, Microbiology, Bio I/II, Gen Chem I/II, and Algebra for science and math.

Basically I would like to receive some progress feedback on my current situation.

My undergrad thus far has not been as satisfactory as I would like having a 3.27 cGPA prior to this semester. I am returning back to school after taking a hiatus to work in an industrial oilfield laboratory for 3 years. With that being said my first semester back has been more successful as I made the Dean’s List with a 3.75 GPA for this semester bringing my cGPA up to a 3.47. I am a Phi Theta Kappa member and my current undergrad degree plan is in Clinical Laboratory Science. As I mentioned before I also have a great deal of laboratory exposure, although it was in an industrial environment rather than medical. Currently I am back in school and have a job as a Medical Scribe (for over 7 months now). I intend on volunteering for Habitat for Humanity over the summer as well to accumulate some non-medical volunteer hours as well as do some additional shadowing of a few doctors I know.

Touching on my work history as I know the "career change" topic may come up, I have always had an interest in science in general and my goal from high school was to get into the medical field in some way but I had no experience and was using the lab as a possible foot in the door with some kind of experience. So that being said my goal all along was the medical field but medical school wasn't on my agenda until i was offered the job as a medical scribe and got clinical exposure that affirmed this is truly what I want to do with my life after seeing how the physicians work and everything that goes into their lifestyle.

Given this history how would you rate my plan of action and chances of improving my GPA above a 3.6 and having a good shot at getting into medical school? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

 

[Fdsa2495]

Hey everyone,


First off I would like to begin by saying how amazing this forum is and this is my first time posting. I have been lurking on here and reading many posts and think it is awesome how great of a community SDN is and how helpful it already has been for me in my journey. I also would like to thank you in advance for any replies you give.


Some introductory information about myself:

I am a nontraditional student of 26 years of age with a Biology A.S that I just completed. I finished my 2nd year of undergrad just this past week and am excited for the future. I am currently looking at premed and have already fulfilled several premed pre-requisites with my bio degree such as A&P I/II, Microbiology, Bio I/II, Gen Chem I/II, and Algebra for science and math.

Basically I would like to receive some progress feedback on my current situation.

My undergrad thus far has not been as satisfactory as I would like having a 3.27 cGPA prior to this semester. I am returning back to school after taking a hiatus to work in an industrial oilfield laboratory for 3 years. With that being said my first semester back has been more successful as I made the Dean’s List with a 3.75 GPA for this semester bringing my cGPA up to a 3.47. I am a Phi Theta Kappa member and my current undergrad degree plan is in Clinical Laboratory Science. As I mentioned before I also have a great deal of laboratory exposure, although it was in an industrial environment rather than medical. Currently I am back in school and have a job as a Medical Scribe (for over 7 months now). I intend on volunteering for Habitat for Humanity over the summer as well to accumulate some non-medical volunteer hours as well as do some additional shadowing of a few doctors I know.

Touching on my work history as I know the "career change" topic may come up, I have always had an interest in science in general and my goal from high school was to get into the medical field in some way but I had no experience and was using the lab as a possible foot in the door with some kind of experience. So that being said my goal all along was the medical field but medical school wasn't on my agenda until i was offered the job as a medical scribe and got clinical exposure that affirmed this is truly what I want to do with my life after seeing how the physicians work and everything that goes into their lifestyle.

Given this history how would you rate my plan of action and chances of improving my GPA above a 3.6 and having a good shot at getting into medical school? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

First off, I just want to say that people like you inspire me to keep on going and just follow dreams, I sincerely applaud you. I really appreciate your enthusiasm and willingness to go towards medicine with your non-traditional background.

Back to your question:
Although, your current GPA is low for many allopathic schools you're on track of bringing your GPA up, keep it up! I would say to begin thinking about and possibly begin studying for the MCAT. Since, you are a non-traditional you want impress the schools with a high MCAT score. Furthermore, I believe your experiences are pretty unique as not many premed students have any industrial laboratory exposure. You could possibly use this experience to get into a research lab if you're interested. I think getting into a research lab would show your passion towards science and will also show that the laboratory experience that you do have is not going to waste. Good luck in your future classes!

 

[MaxPlancker]

Pending you do get that 3.6 and a nice MCAT, you will get that coveted MD if you cast a wide net when applying. Good job, keep it up!

 

[MaxPlancker]

Make sure to get clinical volunteering as well. Your clinical employment is great but won't cover that base.

Not necessarily. If OP has non-clinical volunteering then that is fine as well. The clinical volunteering is not better than non-clinical nor is it required; clinical volunteering is just a means of obtaining (sometimes) both clinical experience and volunteering. Since OP has strong clinical exposure, he/she is fine with just non-clinical volunteering.

 

[tantacles]

Hey everyone,


First off I would like to begin by saying how amazing this forum is and this is my first time posting. I have been lurking on here and reading many posts and think it is awesome how great of a community SDN is and how helpful it already has been for me in my journey. I also would like to thank you in advance for any replies you give.


Some introductory information about myself:

I am a nontraditional student of 26 years of age with a Biology A.S that I just completed. I finished my 2nd year of undergrad just this past week and am excited for the future. I am currently looking at premed and have already fulfilled several premed pre-requisites with my bio degree such as A&P I/II, Microbiology, Bio I/II, Gen Chem I/II, and Algebra for science and math.

Basically I would like to receive some progress feedback on my current situation.

My undergrad thus far has not been as satisfactory as I would like having a 3.27 cGPA prior to this semester. I am returning back to school after taking a hiatus to work in an industrial oilfield laboratory for 3 years. With that being said my first semester back has been more successful as I made the Dean’s List with a 3.75 GPA for this semester bringing my cGPA up to a 3.47. I am a Phi Theta Kappa member and my current undergrad degree plan is in Clinical Laboratory Science. As I mentioned before I also have a great deal of laboratory exposure, although it was in an industrial environment rather than medical. Currently I am back in school and have a job as a Medical Scribe (for over 7 months now). I intend on volunteering for Habitat for Humanity over the summer as well to accumulate some non-medical volunteer hours as well as do some additional shadowing of a few doctors I know.

Touching on my work history as I know the "career change" topic may come up, I have always had an interest in science in general and my goal from high school was to get into the medical field in some way but I had no experience and was using the lab as a possible foot in the door with some kind of experience. So that being said my goal all along was the medical field but medical school wasn't on my agenda until i was offered the job as a medical scribe and got clinical exposure that affirmed this is truly what I want to do with my life after seeing how the physicians work and everything that goes into their lifestyle.

Given this history how would you rate my plan of action and chances of improving my GPA above a 3.6 and having a good shot at getting into medical school? Any feedback is greatly appreciated!

It looks as if you know what you have to do. Get your GPA up, do well on the MCAT, volunteer in a clinical or non-clinical setting, do some (more) research, and get some leadership experience. Raising your GPA as high as possible should be your ultimate goal.

 

[Cookiess]

You're on the right track. Continue to take additional science classes and improve your science GPA. If you can, try to take upper division science courses as well. Along with doing well on the MCAT and raising your science GPA to 3.5-3.6, doing additional volunteer work (like what you plan to do with Habitat for Humanity) and some leadership may also help you become a more competitive applicant.

 

[PreMedTex]

Thank you all for the replies! I appreciate it so much.

So I really think I'll be able to get my GPA up above a 3.6 as I have two more years of mostly science classes, so I'll hit both my cumulative and science GPAs. Like I said it will be through a Clinical Laboratory Science program at one of the major medical branch universities in Texas.

Do yall think the CLS route is indeed a better idea than a generic biology degree? Seeing as it actually has a skill set gained after graduation? Another question, would it be a bad idea to take a year off after I graduate to work in the lab setting in a hospital or jump straight to med school? Which would look better for my application resume?

Also I'm not sure if this makes a difference but my scribing position is based in a level 3 trauma center Emergency Department. So I have a very high exposure to many different patient situations, I actually saw a delivery just a few days ago, that was interesting to say the least!!

As far as the "leadership" experience goes what are some good examples that would qualify for that piece of my application?

I know this is a lot and again I thank you for every piece of feedback you provide! You've already been a tremendous help!

 

[MaxPlancker]

The major that gets you the best GPA & the one you are mooted interested in would be the best choice. Gap years are very popular amongst premeds and can definitely boost an app if you spend it wisely. Note that taking one gap year means most of what you accomplish won't be on the AMCAS but you get to add more of your senior year.

Really anything where you lead and take initiative. You could set up a clinic for disabled people in a sport you enjoy or head an organization dedicated to helping low-income people file their tax returns etc. The list goes on and on.