Advice on Improving Application?

[INTPThinker]

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Here is my deal.

I am 26. I graduated college in '06. I went to a top 5 liberal arts college. Think williams, amherst ...etc

I got a crappy GPA. around 2.6 as a non science major. I had major personal and family problems while in college. After college, life started getting better. Since then, I have worked at 2 of the top 5 medical schools in research. I have a publication out of the jobs and I had a poster at a professional conference. My paper is probably more public health than medicine but oh well.

No I am going back to school for my MPH. I am going to one of the top 3 MPH programs according to US news.

I do have some experience working in mobile health clinics my sophomore year of college. I also visited clinics sporadically for work since I have graduated college. I am just curious what would be the best use of my time during grad school. Besides acing my classes.

I am going to finish my premed reqs during my MPH.

I know I need more hospital experience. Should I do phlebotomy or something? Work in a clinic in central america. I have also kind of wanted to do this. Am I better of staying here taking more courses then spending a summer doing volunteer work?

 

[NTF]

You're building a nice set of ECs. Hopefully you've been adding volunteer work and clinical exposure to that as well.

But with your GPA you need additional ugrad coursework beyond just the prereqs. Unfortunately, the MPH won't correct the GPA problem. You'll likely need to do an extended post-bacc, getting A's in upper level ugrad sci until you get that GPA to ~3.0. Couple that with a decent MCAT score, applying broadly/early to MD and DO schools, you'll have a fighting chance.

Best of luck. Keep us posted.

 

[INTPThinker]

I know. I will probably have to take classes each quarter and then the summer/fall after I graduate. This should get me over a 3.0