Am I [still] on the right path?

[JoshuaGuit]

Hi guys,

I haven't posted on here in a while, I've been more focusing on just being in school and trying to enjoy it and less on thinking about my future. This isn't to say that I haven't been trying in school... I'm still trying my best.

Main questions:
1) Not sure if my current GPA trend is something to worry about
2) Not sure if I'll be ready for the MCATs next year

1) This semester my GPA will probably go down a little bit due to being in really tough courses. I go to a top tier university and this semester was the first time I was really exposed to "BME-only" courses.

I'm taking biomaterials which I will be getting a B+/A- (only 2 people got A's, class isn't curved), biomechanics I will be getting a B (class average is B-), modeling of biomedical systems I will be getting a B, ta position for cell bio where I teach a small recitation (A), and intro to engineering desigin [project based] I will most likely be getting an A.

Prior to this I had a 3.72. I have taken chem1/2 (B+ in both), statics (B+), calc1/2 (A in both), gen psych (A), cell bio(A), engr communications (A), intro bio (A-), Beginning programming (B+), MatSci (B+), phys1 (A), diffeq (A), ta for cell bio (A).

Is this downward trend going to look terrible on my transcript? I don't imagine next year will be easier, but the classes I'm going to be taking are supposedly more interesting so maybe that'll lead to better grades. I know school and major don't make a huge difference between applicants, but what is a respectable GPA to try and maintain to apply to med school?


2) I am going to be taking organic chem 1 and 2 and my university this summer. Next fall I am taking physics 2 to finish up my pre-med requirements. Seen in the paragraph a little further up you might see that I've not taken a humanity class since freshman year (gen psych)... this means no English. Does that mean that I will be in trouble when it comes to the MCATs? Am I able to self-study in a sufficient manner without taking a year of English prior to the MCATs?

Also, do you think a summer of studying + the fall would be a long enough time to be prepared for the test?

Thanks guys,
Joshua

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[JoshuaGuit]

bump

 

[Astarael]

Don't worry about your GPA-yet. It isn't a trend unless it occurs over more than one semester.

Psych is not a humanities class.

Verbal reasoning on the MCAT is much more dependent upon your general level of literacy than whether or not you've taken English classes in college. The best thing that you can do to study for it is read a lot. Newspapers and other non-fiction publications are the best way to get the appropriate comprehension skills, but really anything at a college reading level will help.

Generally speaking, you should allocate approximately 3 months to study for the MCAT. You could do a little bit more if you're not good at taking standardized tests.

Anything I missed?