3.5 Chemical Engineer with low EC

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raddish2

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I am chemical engineering junior with a 3.5, but that will likely go up this semester. I am also getting a bio-engineering minor, a Japanese minor, and a ethics in health care concentration.

I volunteer at an animal shelter and in the past I volunteered at an adult literacy program until they closed down. I am also on the board of the Chinese students and scholars association (although I am not Chinese), plus I am a part of a number of chemical engineering societies. I also tutor athletes at my school. But, I haven't spent anytime shadowing or volunteering at a clinic. I am going to start volunteering at a therapeutic riding clinic next semester.

I am worried that I don't do enough outside of school, but I don't have the time to add anything else. I did research last summer and I hope to get a internship this summer, but I am still worried.

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I am worried that I don't do enough outside of school, but I don't have the time to add anything else. I did research last summer and I hope to get a internship this summer, but I am still worried.
Short and to the point: Then you aren't ready to apply to med school. GPA is actually below average. You didn't mention an MCAT score, so how are you going to prepare if you don't have time to add anything. Also, you pointed out that you haven't done any shadowing - a unwritten requirement these days. One glaring issue is your lack of exposure to the medical field.

My suggestion: Look through a bunch of the WAMC threads to get a clear picture of what you will be up against. Not to be hurtful, but based on what you have said right now you are a blah applicant. Nothing special or standout...
 
Both my parents are doctors. So that is how I have been exposed. I do need shadowing hours I realize. Also I am planning on taking the MCATs in January. My GPA maybe low for a biology major, but I am a chemical engineer. I have classes where only one person gets an A. Compared to the people around me I have an excellent GPA. I have to hope that a med-school would realize the difference.
 
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Both my parents are doctors. So that is how I have been exposed. I do need shadowing hours I realize. Also I am planning on taking the MCATs in January. My GPA maybe low for a biology major, but I am a chemical engineer. I have classes where only one person gets an A. Compared to the people around me I have an excellent GPA. I have to hope that a med-school would realize the difference.
Sorry to break it to you, but you won't get any slack on the GPA front for being a ChemE major. It's the harsh realize of initial screening - some schools only have actual humans look at applications above some magic numbers (a glaring example is WashU). Compared to the pool of med school applicants your GPA isn't excellent. It is actually below the mean according to the AAMC data:https://www.aamc.org/download/161690/data/table17-facts2010mcatgpa99-10-web.pdf.pdf For more AAMC data you can go here: https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/

Definitely do some shadowing. Also, it may not be enough that your parents are doctors. To strengthen your app, you really should consider doing some volunteer/paid employment in a clinical setting.
 
Raddish, med school is very well within reach with a 3.5. If you want to be a doctor, go for it. You only live once, might as well go for it, if that's what you want to do. That said, if it's that important to you, you'll find time to build your EC's in such a way that reflects that desire to become a physician. If med school important to you, and it sure sounds like it is, you find a way to do the things you need to do to make it happen. Don't feel rushed to apply this year, or even next year. Apply when you're ready. You might find it necessary to ease back on some of your EC's so that you can find time to shadow, get clinical experience, etc.

Best of luck
 
^^ Well said. OP, I am in no way trying to discourage you from applying. Rather, I wanted to give you a real feel of where you stand right now. Rock the MCAT when you take it, improve your ECs and I'm sure you will succeed. After all, ChemE is a wicked hard major and you are doing well so it is very likely that will translate to other academic successes.

Just out of curiosity: How did you end up choosing to study ChemE knowing that you wanted to go to medical school afterward? On the surface I can't see the link between the two...
 
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^^ Well said. OP, I am in no way trying to discourage you from applying. Rather, I wanted to give you a real feel of where you stand right now. Rock the MCAT when you take it, improve your ECs and I'm sure you will succeed. After all, ChemE is a wicked hard major and you are doing well so it is very likely that will translate to other academic successes.

Just out of curiosity: How did you end up choosing to study ChemE knowing that you wanted to go to medical school afterward? On the surface I can't see the link between the two...

I have a rather sever learning disability. So to avoid having to do reading and writing I decided to be a ChemE. Also I figured worse case scenario I would end up in a well paying job. And lastly my brain fits with problem solving a lot better than it does with memorization. I know that med school is all about memorization, but after that it is all about problem solving.
 
I have a rather sever learning disability. So to avoid having to do reading and writing I decided to be a ChemE. Also I figured worse case scenario I would end up in a well paying job. And lastly my brain fits with problem solving a lot better than it does with memorization. I know that med school is all about memorization, but after that it is all about problem solving.

I was an engineering major (biomedical) so I feel your pain with the low GPA. Keep in mind that half the people have a GPA below the mean (assuming normal distribution). If you have the chance, try to take some classes that involve more memorization before you start medical school. It was a hard transition from no memorization in college to all memorization in ms1-2.
 
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