Advice desperately needed

[aikem]

I'm a senior at the University of Michigan and I am about to graduate with a B.S. in "Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience". I've spent the past summer working on my AMCAS, as well as my secondaries and I'm starting to doubt my career path in to becoming a psychiatrist.

I've spent most of my time in research, about two years, within the social sciences as a research assistant, administering experiments and inputting data. I've also started to work at the university's Department of Psychiatry, where I've been able to learn about treatments and interventions for those with substance use disorders. My position here could POSSIBLY become a full-time paying position in the upcoming Spring, if the study can receive enough funding.

In terms of leadership experience, I am very active within the Asian American community on campus, holding multiple leadership positions and educating others of pertinent Asian-American issues (like not wanting to seek therapy due to cultural pressures). Having done these things has provided me the extra reason of wanting to go in to treating those with mental illnesses.

For academics, I have a 3.3 in my major and 3.4 in sciences. I got a 35 on my MCATs. I am expecting pretty good recommendation letters from a doctor in pediatric cardiology, my physical chemistry professor, and my supervisor at the Department of Psychiatry.

My ultimate goal is to help children and adolescents with anxiety, mood, and eating disorders, especially within the Asian American community. I realize that there are multiple paths to take with this, but if I do not get in to medical school, I won't have a clearly defined path for me to take.

Questions: What chances do I have of making it in to medical school? What paths are there if I don't get in to medical school? Will working as a research assistant for a year help with reapplying to medical school if I don't get in? If my position doesn't receive funding, what could I do to strengthen my application for medical school, while earning money to keep myself afloat?

Sorry this was a long post, but I figured I should put as much info as I can to help find answers for my questions.

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[Shouraisei]

Greetings fellow Michigan student! I don't know much about what other paths you can take to accomplish your goal, but I can try to give you some advice about medical school (I'm currently in the application process). First off, a 35 MCAT is awesome and should more than make up for your slightly lower GPA.

If you do decide to reapply to medical school next cycle there are a few things you should know. From what I've heard, many schools like reapplicants to sit a cycle out to strengthen their applications before reapplying. Also, in addition to working as a research assistant, you should keep up with volunteering or some form of patient contact (unless you also get this is a research assistant).

Best of luck!

 

[Catalystik]

I'm a senior at the University of Michigan and I am about to graduate with a B.S. in "Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience". I've spent the past summer working on my AMCAS, as well as my secondaries and I'm starting to doubt my career path in to becoming a psychiatrist.

I've spent most of my time in research, about two years, within the social sciences as a research assistant, administering experiments and inputting data. I've also started to work at the university's Department of Psychiatry, where I've been able to learn about treatments and interventions for those with substance use disorders. My position here could POSSIBLY become a full-time paying position in the upcoming Spring, if the study can receive enough funding.

In terms of leadership experience, I am very active within the Asian American community on campus, holding multiple leadership positions and educating others of pertinent Asian-American issues (like not wanting to seek therapy due to cultural pressures). Having done these things has provided me the extra reason of wanting to go in to treating those with mental illnesses.

For academics, I have a 3.3 in my major and 3.4 in sciences. I got a 35 on my MCATs. I am expecting pretty good recommendation letters from a doctor in pediatric cardiology, my physical chemistry professor, and my supervisor at the Department of Psychiatry.

My ultimate goal is to help children and adolescents with anxiety, mood, and eating disorders, especially within the Asian American community. I realize that there are multiple paths to take with this, but if I do not get in to medical school, I won't have a clearly defined path for me to take.

Questions: What chances do I have of making it in to medical school? What paths are there if I don't get in to medical school? Will working as a research assistant for a year help with reapplying to medical school if I don't get in? If my position doesn't receive funding, what could I do to strengthen my application for medical school, while earning money to keep myself afloat?

Sorry this was a long post, but I figured I should put as much info as I can to help find answers for my questions.

Why are your cGPA and BCPM low? Do you have a consistent upward grade trend lately? What science classes will you take this year, and is there any reason you won't get As in them?

It sounds like you are already strong in research experience, but I'm not clear on your active involvement working with sick people, or whether you have shadowed a variety of physicians while they worked with patients. Also, do you have nonmedical community service that helps the disadvantaged? If you are weak in any of these 3 areas, they need shoring up in case you need to reapply. It sounds like you are in good shape for teaching and leadership, though.

Schools generally like to see two LORs from science faculty who taught you. Do you have those?

 

[Moosepig]

What the cat said, with some optimistic fluff. I would do all the things suggested in terms of shadowing and volunteering and apply next cycle. I think the fact that your ECs and desires are centered around a specific and defined goal and I and your MCAT will make you one of those lower GPA candidates who gets looked at because they're interesting and dedicated. Apply DO some as well. They do have a harder time with residency slots a bit I hear but you can get into psych.

 

[Goro]

Questions: What chances do I have of making it in to medical school?
Not great but not hopeless, depending upon where you live. That stellar MCAT ought to make you more desirable to some AdComs in spite of the less than competetive GPAs.

I'd say try your state schools, if any, and the low-tier schools like Rosy Franklin and NYMC. You're also fine for any DO school, including mine.



What paths are there if I don't get in to medical school?

Post-bac or SMP to show us you can handle medical school (which the MCAT does NOT, at least for my students).


Will working as a research assistant for a year help with reapplying to medical school if I don't get in?

No, because only the top schools put a premium on research

If my position doesn't receive funding, what could I do to strengthen my application for medical school, while earning money to keep myself afloat?

I'm at a loss on this one, sorry. Again, it's your GPA that's your achilles heel right now.

 

[aikem]

Thanks for the informative replies!

I am a Michigan resident and have applied to all the state schools around (Wayne State, MSU, UMich, Central Michigan University, and Oakland School of Medicine). I had also applied to Rosalind Franklin as Goro has suggested.

My GPA has floated from 3.1 to 3.5ish... slow rise, I suppose. I am taking Psychopharmacology and the Psychology of Aging for my science classes. I think I will be able to 4.0 them.

The research position I work at now allows me to listen to group therapy sessions for chronic pain and substance use management. It also allows me to interview outpatients that had taken advantage of an inpatient treatment program. I had considered this patient contact, but in order to strengthen my application for reapplication, I will look in to shadowing psychiatrists, hopefully.

As for LOR, I've collected from a physician that I've spent time with, my professor for physical chemistry, and my supervisor at the Department of Psychiatry. I understand that school's like to see two science faculty members, but I thought these would be the ones to be able to write the best recommendations for me. If I do not get in to medical school, but I graduate this year, who should I look to, to get LOR?

I've also started looking in to completing a masters program so I can attain a Psy.D in the future and to keep my options open.

 

[Catalystik]

1) My GPA has floated from 3.1 to 3.5ish... slow rise, I suppose. I am taking Psychopharmacology and the Psychology of Aging for my science classes. I think I will be able to 4.0 them.

2) The research position I work at now allows me to listen to group therapy sessions for chronic pain and substance use management. It also allows me to interview outpatients that had taken advantage of an inpatient treatment program. I had considered this patient contact, but in order to strengthen my application for reapplication, I will look in to shadowing psychiatrists, hopefully.

3) As for LOR, I've collected from a physician that I've spent time with, my professor for physical chemistry, and my supervisor at the Department of Psychiatry. I understand that school's like to see two science faculty members, but I thought these would be the ones to be able to write the best recommendations for me. If I do not get in to medical school, but I graduate this year, who should I look to, to get LOR?

4) I've also started looking in to completing a masters program so I can attain a Psy.D in the future and to keep my options open.

1) Well, it is an upward grade trend, but a 3.7+ GPA would have been nice to see in a recent semester. Happily for you, your very nice MCAT score could well help adcomms overlook the issue. In case not, do your best to finish this year strongly.

2) Sitting in on group therapy sessions would be shadowing, a passive activity, for whichever profession ran the sessions, psychiatrist, advance paractice nurse, or psychologist. Interviewing the patients would be considered active patient interaction, aka, clinical experience, which would make your application stronger if you need to reapply.

3) Any science faculty who has taught you (like maybe the Psychopharmacology teacher or your OChem or Physics teacher) could be a candidate to write your second science faculty letter. You might make a point of cultivating a current science teacher well in case you are obliged to get a second letter. Some schools will let you substitute another type of letter, if you ask permission.

4) As a heads-up, if you start a masters degree, you'd be expected to complete it prior to med school matriculation. A grad school advisor's letter is often requested to assure a med school that you will complete the degree prior to the expected start date of med school, and also assures the med school that the current school is aware of your career plan.


Out of curiosity, how did you happen to get a cardiologist's letter? Did you shadow him/her? Do you have any active experence with medically ill folks? If not, can you do something about that?