Biochem major, junior year 3.7 cGPA 3.5 science gpa

[mikefiesta]

Hey guys,

I'm currently a student enrolled at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
I'm a Junior majoring in Biochemistry, with a college gpa of about 3.7, and my science gpa is about a 3.5.

I have one F (in precalculus, I retook it and got an A) and 3 W's (Two of the W's were from my freshman year, one was a history course that just happened to go over the add/drop deadline, the other was calc 1 in the summer of my freshman year which I retook and got a B in.) Ever since then I've been pretty good with doing well in math classes, and maintaining an up trend.

Finally, this last W just happened recently (it's now the second semester of my junior year), I was taking physics, and dropped it. I didn't feel like I was learning it well enough, despite doing okay in the class. I'll still be maintaining a 14 credit hour load but I do want to get into umdnj/nyu (MD schools) range schools, and I'm a bit worried now after speaking to some advisers that I may not make the cut.

Pertinent info:
-I'm doing a five year undergraduate route(I won't be taking the MCAT until the end of my senior year, and i'll be working full time during the following year until I hear back from medical schools)
-1 year EMS experience (as an EMT)
-Portuguese honor society member for about a year (no leadership roles)
-I work in a lab that deals with liquid chromatography and will be getting published (but so do a lot of premed's at my school apparently, i believe that it won't be in the acknowledgements section)
-I shadowed for 40 hours (physician)
-I will be serving a two year mission after this semester.

What can I do to make my application stronger/what are my chance? I really do feel like I have no shot at an MD school after speaking with that adviser.

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[mikefiesta]

Shameless self bump...

 

[macbookpro45]

Hey guys,

I'm currently a student enrolled at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
I'm a Junior majoring in Biochemistry, with a college gpa of about 3.7, and my science gpa is about a 3.5.

I have one F (in precalculus, I retook it and got an A) and 3 W's (Two of the W's were from my freshman year, one was a history course that just happened to go over the add/drop deadline, the other was calc 1 in the summer of my freshman year which I retook and got a B in.) Ever since then I've been pretty good with doing well in math classes, and maintaining an up trend.

Finally, this last W just happened recently (it's now the second semester of my junior year), I was taking physics, and dropped it. I didn't feel like I was learning it well enough, despite doing okay in the class. I'll still be maintaining a 14 credit hour load but I do want to get into umdnj/nyu (MD schools) range schools, and I'm a bit worried now after speaking to some advisers that I may not make the cut.

Pertinent info:
-I'm doing a five year undergraduate route(I won't be taking the MCAT until the end of my senior year, and i'll be working full time during the following year until I hear back from medical schools)
-1 year EMS experience (as an EMT)
-Portuguese honor society member for about a year (no leadership roles)
-I work in a lab that deals with liquid chromatography and will be getting published (but so do a lot of premed's at my school apparently, i believe that it won't be in the acknowledgements section)
-I shadowed for 40 hours (physician)
-I will be serving a two year mission after this semester.

What can I do to make my application stronger/what are my chance? I really do feel like I have no shot at an MD school after speaking with that adviser.

It is frowned upon, from my understanding, to have a W on your transcript. The fact that you have 3 would, in my opinion, make an ad.committee question your ability to handle a rigorous workload like the one you'll be facing in med school. How many semesters have you taken (so far) that have had 16 or more credits? My school works by credit/hour system as well, and we are advised to maintain 16 at a minimum to show our ability to cope with a heavy academic load yet still have time for extra curricular activities.

 

[mikefiesta]

I usually take anywhere from 14-17 credits, my school in particular advises a 14 credit hour minimum for medical school applicants. I've always taken this base minimum standard or more every semester ( 6 semesters now) while maintaining the the extra curricular that they advised I should keep. I'm taking a W because I want to do more research, I believe i'm on the verge of publishing something with my name on the front of the paper.

Are my chances to getting into a school like UMDNJ/NYU, extremely diminished?

My school has about a 75% acceptance rate for medical school applicants which is a bit comforting, so I trust my advisement center with the base amount of credits that' i've been taking.

 

[sliceofbread136]

It is frowned upon, from my understanding, to have a W on your transcript. The fact that you have 3 would, in my opinion, make an ad.committee question your ability to handle a rigorous workload like the one you'll be facing in med school. How many semesters have you taken (so far) that have had 16 or more credits? My school works by credit/hour system as well, and we are advised to maintain 16 at a minimum to show our ability to cope with a heavy academic load yet still have time for extra curricular activities.

I'd take this post with a grain of salt. I don't think the Ws will hurt you very much. At most you'll have to explain them during your interviews. Get a 30+ on your MCAT, apply broadly and early and you should get an acceptance.

And the 16 hour minimum is not necessary.

 

[mikefiesta]

I'd take this post with a grain of salt. I don't think the Ws will hurt you very much. At most you'll have to explain them during your interviews. Get a 30+ on your MCAT, apply broadly and early and you should get an acceptance.

And the 16 hour minimum is not necessary.

Thanks a ton, and does it hurt to say I'm hispanic ( of portuguese descendance), or would that be stretching the truth?

 

[flodhi1]

It is frowned upon, from my understanding, to have a W on your transcript. The fact that you have 3 would, in my opinion, make an ad.committee question your ability to handle a rigorous workload like the one you'll be facing in med school. How many semesters have you taken (so far) that have had 16 or more credits? My school works by credit/hour system as well, and we are advised to maintain 16 at a minimum to show our ability to cope with a heavy academic load yet still have time for extra curricular activities.

wtf are you talking about seriously?

I'd take this post with a grain of salt. I don't think the Ws will hurt you very much. At most you'll have to explain them during your interviews. Get a 30+ on your MCAT, apply broadly and early and you should get an acceptance.

And the 16 hour minimum is not necessary.

+1 OP do not sweat the Ws I had close to 10 Ws and I got in. Stay positive

 

[alexrgross]

Thanks a ton, and does it hurt to say I'm hispanic ( of portuguese descendance), or would that be stretching the truth?

I think you have a strong chance, assuming 32+ on your MCAT. and did you mention clinical experience other than shadowing? this is usually seen as necessary, but not stated, by most medical schools.

Are you sure Hispanic refers to Portugese? I think that is central or south american - Hispanic. Portugese is Euro, I feel. Ah ha, wikipedia

The U.S. Office of Management and Budget currently defines "Hispanic or Latino" as "a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race".[36] This definition excludes people of Portuguese origins, such as Portuguese Americans or Brazilian Americans.

You should still be fine without listing yourself as Hispanic though.

 

[Catalystik]

I'm currently a student enrolled at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.
I'm a Junior majoring in Biochemistry, with a college gpa of about 3.7, and my science gpa is about a 3.5.

I have one F (in precalculus, I retook it and got an A) and 3 W's (Two of the W's were from my freshman year, one was a history course that just happened to go over the add/drop deadline, the other was calc 1 in the summer of my freshman year which I retook and got a B in.) Ever since then I've been pretty good with doing well in math classes, and maintaining an up trend.

Finally, this last W just happened recently (it's now the second semester of my junior year), I was taking physics, and dropped it. I didn't feel like I was learning it well enough, despite doing okay in the class. I'll still be maintaining a 14 credit hour load but I do want to get into umdnj/nyu (MD schools) range schools, and I'm a bit worried now after speaking to some advisers that I may not make the cut.

Pertinent info:
-I'm doing a five year undergraduate route(I won't be taking the MCAT until the end of my senior year, and i'll be working full time during the following year until I hear back from medical schools)
-1 year EMS experience (as an EMT)
-Portuguese honor society member for about a year (no leadership roles)
-I work in a lab that deals with liquid chromatography and will be getting published (but so do a lot of premed's at my school apparently, i believe that it won't be in the acknowledgements section)
-I shadowed for 40 hours (physician)
-I will be serving a two year mission after this semester.

What can I do to make my application stronger/what are my chance? I really do feel like I have no shot at an MD school after speaking with that adviser.

I would disagree with your advisor. If your MCAT score is strong enough and you can beef up the ECs, I think you'll have a decent chance to get into med schools. It would be nice if you could avoid further Ws in the semesters immediately prior to applying, but with a good explanation, even that could be overcome.

It sounds like you'll be taking off two years from school and then returning for two more, with your application submission coming after the first year back, correct? Hopefully you'll keep taking science classes, getting As, and bumping up the BCPM GPA. You'll need to beef up the shadowing and clinical experience. Besides the clinical patient experience gained from EMS, be sure to get clinical environment experience, too, which you cannot get riding a rig. Also, use your two years away to seek out leadership and/or teaching experience, both of which can strengthen an application. Your research will help (a year is the average listed). I don't see specific mention of nonmedical community service, so be sure that your mission time includes some of that, too (unrelated to church-required activities).

So overall, I am more concerned about the deficiencies in your ECs, which you have plenty of time to amend, and not so much your academic issues. Chances cannot be predicted until closer to the time you'll apply after you've done the above. You might want to bring an MCAT study book along so the prerequisite material you've covered so far won't get stale.