3.29 sophmore

[med10333]

What can i do to improve myself?

I am a sophmore neurobio major that took college seriously freshman year, but underestimated the pre-med lifestyle. i now have a 3.29 after my sophmore 1st semester, but luckily some unique extracurriculars. my extra curricular activities are to blame for my gpa i feel. My current credentials are:

3.29 overall
science gpa~3.45

EC:

High profile microbiology bioethanol fuel research
- multiple independent projects that will likely be published along with other doctors as a very high profile paper
-

worked as a surgical technicians assistant in the OR for 3 months

shadowed a plastic surgeon for a month

treasurer/recolonizing brother (brought the frat back to campus) of my fraternity

founder of a small music production company that sells beats to local rap artists

I have some time to get myself onto a right track but i need to know what to do to improve in the short couple years i have. should i dedicate less time to the extracurriculars and save the gpa? what kind of MCAT score should i hope for if i can get my GPA to a 3.4-3.5? Any thing i should be doing?

Thanks

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[med10333]

So recently I have been casually talking to doctors i have met at various medical schools i have informally visited and have come upon some interesting situations.

I understand why it is beneficial for one to bring up the fact that they are "disadvantaged", but is it beneficial or detrimental to mention that i am "advantaged".

For example, my father and grandfather are both physicians in private practice. Money is not really a big issue for my family or med school, do med schools also have a preference for students that would NOT need financial assistance also. They are a business and i feel like they would want students with financial security as well. But at the same time I do not want to sound like some spoiled rich kid who is just BS-ing his way to an MD to life an easy life. I really want to do med school and it is my foremost interest. But would it also be beneficial for me to talk about how my father/grandfathers' experiences influenced my decision and how I have so much experience into the real life of doctors? I could be totally wrong I don't really know.

Thanks

 

[Mobius1985]

Admissions committees expect to see you carry a heavy load and still succeed academically. With three semesters under your belt, and a near 3.3 GPA, you could get it up to 3.65 with three more semesters of straight As before the "traditional" application time. Besides needing to get straight As, you also need more clinical experience than what you've listed. It is better to volunteer somewhere for 3-4 hours/week for 1.5 year than to work for 40 hour/week in short chunks of time, as it shows more dedication to humanitarian work and pursuing a medical career. Your research sounds great. Shadowing is good to continue (you should have no problem, with relatives to line up docs for you to hit on) and it's fine if these are short, intense experiences. It looks like you've displayed leadership and teamwork. Your primary priority is to get that GPA up. If you can't do everything now, you can always delay your application a year or two while you get the other expected experiences to make a solid application.

 

[Mobius1985]

do med schools also have a preference for students that would NOT need financial assistance?

would it also be beneficial for me to talk about how my father/grandfathers' experiences influenced my decision and how I have so much experience into the real life of doctors?

Some big-name, private schools actually give you points for the legacy of continuing the family tradition, especially at the same institution.

In general, I'd downplay the family vocation, as most med schools have a concern that you'd pursue medicine due to family expectations, and not for the "right reasons".