Appreciate Advice from Post-Bacc Students

[krc22]

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[johnnyscans]

Hi all,

Let me begin by briefly describing my academic profile. I graduated from U. Mich.- Ann Arbor in 2010 with a dual degree in econ and political science. My GPA was 3.45 (128 credits) with A grades in the few science/math classes (Stats, Human Evolution, another bio class) that I completed, with exception to a C grade that I received in an engineering Calc 2 course in my first semester. During the middle of my senior year, I realized that the social sciences are not my passion (I should have changed my degree plan earlier) and that a career working for a government agency, the business field, or law does not interest me.

My interest in medicine came out of my experience volunteering in impoverished communities in Detroit and the satisfaction that I felt in having a direct positive impact upon the lives of others. I realized that the medical profession, though arduous and a considerable commitment, can provide this feeling on a routine basis (I apologize if I sound overly idealistic or sentimental).

I subsequently enrolled at my local university , Univ. of Texas - Brownsville (affiliated with UT system), and completed all the required pre-med courses along with some additional science courses. This is not a highly regarded school, though I received A grades in every single course (48 credits) along with the labs that I took there (Physics 1 and 2, Gen. Bio 1 and 2, Gen. Chem 1 and 2, Organic Chem. 1 and 2, Genetics, Biochem 1, Cell Bio., Microbio). My performance boosted my overall GPA to 3.60 and my science GPA to 3.96. I hope my upward trend and solid science grades will help me in the application process.

During my time at this university, I helped a professor with his research on medial temporal lobe epilepsy and other neurodegenerative disorders, learning useful lab techniques (PCR, gel electrophoresis, Western blotting, confocal microscopy). Additionally, I worked in the office of a family practitioner and shadowed two general surgeons and an emergency medicine doctor.

I am currently studying for the MCAT and plan to take the exam in April. I know that I need to score well to be competitive for admission to a medical school in Texas or elsewhere in the US, as I am an overrepresented minority and my overall GPA is below average for matriculants. I am applying to research programs for this summer or for the full year, but I am also interested in taking more advanced science classes during the gap period while I'm immersed in the application/interview process so as to better prepare me for the first year of medical school.

I would appreciate any input from forum members regarding one year postbacc programs or research programs that fit my particular background and educational goals. Please detail your experience and the personal reward that you gained from your participation in your particular program. Your advice would be much appreciated.

Kind regards,

A fellow non-traditional medical school applicant

Your cGPA is pretty close to average, and your sGPA is killer - good job on bringing both of those up. 48 hours of post-bacc work is pretty much 2 years of full time courses, and you knocked them out of the park. If I was on an adcom congratulations, I would not be questioning your prior performance. You have well rounded ECs that should provide excellent LORs (do not underestimate the importance of connections and LORs, they can make a gigantic difference in whether or not you are invited in for an interview). The make or break for you is going to be your MCAT. Aim for at least a 32 and make sure you are beyond confidant in your abilities when you show up on test day.

If you do well on your MCAT and interview/write well there is no need for further GPA enhancement or an SMP. Get an early application in and stay busy. I would focus on research and try to get some type of publication. Do not underestimate the importance of having a good relationship with the PI of your lab. In the 6 months I have been with my lab I have met multiple physicians and professors of medicine, many of which who are on adcoms. All it takes is a well-written letter from your PI and who knows, you may be moved right over to the interview pile. At that point numbers don't mean a god damn thing, it's all about you.
In short, if you score well on your MCAT - A 3.6/3.96 with good ECs and some type of publication would be killer. One of my mentors graduated a year early from Harvard with a great GPA and solid ECs (sans research) and did not receive any acceptances. A year of research later, he was in, with no other changes to his application package other than additional volunteer hours.

If you bomb your MCAT, I'm not really sure what I would recommend. Additional upper level science coursework and a retake. . . maybe. You're not an SMP candidate, as evidence by your killer sGPA. Dr. Midlife and others may have more specific advice in this case.

Your GPA is not as bad as you think. Your science GPA is absolutely killer, good job on that. Outside of shadowing - do you have any true patient facing clinical volunteering? You mentioned working in outpatient, but was there any patient facing clinical volunteering done?

 

[krc22]

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