Cal UG, low GPA decent MCAT

[coolguy1441]

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Hello all, I just want to say thanks for taking the time to evaluate my chances, I really appreciate it.

My first two years have been up and down, 3.5 gpa first freshman semester, then 3.0, then 3.3, then 3.5 again. My current cgpa is 3.35 with a sgpa of 3.25 as a first semester junior. I am taking 20 units this semester in an attempt to boost my gpa, hopefully it will raise it to a cgpa 3.40 or 3.45.

I took the MCAT this summer and got a 33.

I have no research experience and doing research has never interested me. I have been doing some independent research and have the opportunity to present a poster at a department symposium. I know that research is pretty much needed when applying to med school, but I hope my volunteering will make up for it. I volunteer at a free clinic for impoverished clients (homeless mostly) and talk to them on a 1 on 1 basis for most of the time, acting as a caseworker to medical, dental, optometry services, etc. I have volunteered so far for about 50 hours and plan to continue next semester (probably about 100-120 hours when I apply) I have sat in when doctors have talked to the clients numerous times; is this considered clinical experience?

I also worked my sophomore year for 15 hours/week for my school's calling center, where I called alumni to get more involved with Cal by donating. I really improved my speech and communication skills.

I am not sure if I should include this in my application, but I was on a professional gaming team my freshman/sophomore year at college. We traveled within the US to play in tournaments and had a fair amount of success internationally.

Thanks for your time.

 

[J ROD]

Cali is hard to get in, but overall you are not in terrible shape.

Just make sure to raise that GPA over a 3.6+... no more mess ups!!

If you apply broadly and use the spreadsheet above, I think you will be okay when the day comes as long as the GPA gets where it needs to.

I would also recommend getting another volunteering positions where you get more patient contact but keep the other one too!

Both would look nice....research is not required.

Clinical experience, volunteering, and shadowing are listed by the AAMC as the top ECs.

Shadow too! 60-80hrs...

 

[Stratego]

My first two years have been up and down, 3.5 gpa first freshman semester, then 3.0, then 3.3, then 3.5 again. My current cgpa is 3.35 with a sgpa of 3.25 as a first semester junior. I am taking 20 units this semester in an attempt to boost my gpa, hopefully it will raise it to a cgpa 3.40 or 3.45.

I took the MCAT this summer and got a 33.

I have no research experience and doing research has never interested me. I have been doing some independent research and have the opportunity to present a poster at a department symposium. I know that research is pretty much needed when applying to med school, but I hope my volunteering will make up for it. I volunteer at a free clinic for impoverished clients (homeless mostly) and talk to them on a 1 on 1 basis for most of the time, acting as a caseworker to medical, dental, optometry services, etc. I have volunteered so far for about 50 hours and plan to continue next semester (probably about 100-120 hours when I apply) I have sat in when doctors have talked to the clients numerous times; is this considered clinical experience?

I also worked my sophomore year for 15 hours/week for my school's calling center, where I called alumni to get more involved with Cal by donating. I really improved my speech and communication skills.

I am not sure if I should include this in my application, but I was on a professional gaming team my freshman/sophomore year at college. We traveled within the US to play in tournaments and had a fair amount of success internationally.

A 33 MCAT will not compensate for a 3.35 GPA. A 3.4+
is what to aim for, and I'd strongly suggest you complete your senior year before applying to get the GPA higher. The BCPM GPA is another matter. It is way too low, also, so work on that.

Only 60% of applicants have a research experience, so don't worry about not having it. But what is the "department research"?

I think the 'caseworker' experience where you work one-on-one with homeless patients and facilitate thir care is certainly a clinical experience. It sounds to me like great patient contact. Further, it seems to have some embedded shadowing. I do think you should get some additional shadowing as well, where you follow a doctor all day and see everything they do. You might ask the physicians you've met for that opportunity.

Do you have any other community service?

I have no opinion about the gaming team. Teamwork, in general is a good thing to list. I guess it would depend on how you present the activity. Participating internationally theoretically, should be a positive, depending on the game.

 

[coolguy1441]

Thanks for the responses. I have done tutoring in high school (200 hrs), during the summer before college, and during winter/summer break. I have also been involved in some 1 day volunteer events such as homeless connection and berkeley project. Should I list those even though it was only a 1 day commitment?

 

[Stratego]

You can include high school experiences if they continued into the college years.

You could group a bunch of short term community service projects together and list them that way. I don't think I'd give a one-day experience its own space.

 

[J ROD]

Thanks for the responses. I have done tutoring in high school (200 hrs), during the summer before college, and during winter/summer break. I have also been involved in some 1 day volunteer events such as homeless connection and berkeley project. Should I list those even though it was only a 1 day commitment?

You can put the tutoring down then!

I would put those volunteer things together under one spot. I did that for my awards and such.

 

[bannie22]

Hello all, I just want to say thanks for taking the time to evaluate my chances, I really appreciate it.

My first two years have been up and down, 3.5 gpa first freshman semester, then 3.0, then 3.3, then 3.5 again. My current cgpa is 3.35 with a sgpa of 3.25 as a first semester junior. I am taking 20 units this semester in an attempt to boost my gpa, hopefully it will raise it to a cgpa 3.40 or 3.45.

I took the MCAT this summer and got a 33.

I have no research experience and doing research has never interested me. I have been doing some independent research and have the opportunity to present a poster at a department symposium. I know that research is pretty much needed when applying to med school, but I hope my volunteering will make up for it. I volunteer at a free clinic for impoverished clients (homeless mostly) and talk to them on a 1 on 1 basis for most of the time, acting as a caseworker to medical, dental, optometry services, etc. I have volunteered so far for about 50 hours and plan to continue next semester (probably about 100-120 hours when I apply) I have sat in when doctors have talked to the clients numerous times; is this considered clinical experience?

I also worked my sophomore year for 15 hours/week for my school's calling center, where I called alumni to get more involved with Cal by donating. I really improved my speech and communication skills.

I am not sure if I should include this in my application, but I was on a professional gaming team my freshman/sophomore year at college. We traveled within the US to play in tournaments and had a fair amount of success internationally.

Thanks for your time.

I think 3.45 is the minimum you should aim for.
You spoke about doing some independent research and presenting it at a symposium? I think that would look really good on your application if you went through with that.

100-120hours is very minimal, and in fact, most of your work is more closely related to community service, you will have to find opportunities to volunteer in a more clinical environment such as a hospital. You will need at least 150hours there.

Being next to doctors when they are doing their clinics is considered shadowing, and you should take note of the hours and the specialties that you have shadowed. This is considered clinical experience but will not factor into your clinical volunteering experience.

Yes, and that gaming team should go onto your application as it reflects your diversity, and also your experiences around the US and internationally.

However, the priority is to raise that GPA and to volunteer more actively in a clinical position. A bonus would be to do research if you have not already presented, and also engage in some clubs on campus, culminating in a leadership position.

 

[coolguy1441]

Thanks for the responses.

Yes, I have been doing some independent research and there is a department symposium (only within UC Berkeley and maybe UCSF) I will present at. How should I list this, as research experience for 1.5 years culminating in a presentation?

I am currently a first semester junior planning to apply this summer, I don't think I will be able to shadow a doctor for anywhere near 100-150 hours. I was thinking about calling my family doctor and asking to shadow him over winter break, but that hardly sounds like enough.

For the gaming team, how should I present it? List it as an EC and then go in-depth in PS?

I am applying to be a coordinator in the clinic I am volunteering for and a class uGSI (teach new volunteers how to interact with the clients - caseworking, empathy, empowerment, etc.). Is that good or should I try to get involved with another club? I really only have 1 more semester so I'm not sure how the timing will work out.

 

[J ROD]

List it as research.....

you only need about 60-80hrs of shadowing docs over several docs....


I would list the gaming as other in the ECs section...I would not talk about that in my PS. I would list it as something I do and like

I would like to see more volunteering in a place where you get more hands on experience in addition to the counseling thing

 

[bannie22]

research-> research

clinical volunteering -> go to a hospital

shadowing is overrated dunt worry

gaming-> you have ~800 characters on your amcas to talk all about it, dont mention it on your PS unless it is something taht relates closely to your decision to do medicine or unless its the top thing on your amcas.

coordinator-> is good, the class can possibly be listed as ledaership while the actual volunteering can be listed as volunteering (if they are different, i am unsure from your descriptiion)

with only one sem left, i recommend just doing some of that volunteering and ensuring a perfect 4.0 this semester.

 

[UCImed]

shadowing is overrated dunt worry

Wait so shadowing is a bad idea?