Can I Do It?

[FatMike2010]

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This is my first post here and I am ready to apply to medical school. However I have several problems I need to work out. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in Psychology (3.49 GPA) Throughout my freshmen year I highly considered doing Biology as my major, however I took a intro Psychology course and I was hook. Throughout my fours years at UCLA, Medical school was always on my mind however my love of Psychology was there too. I did a lot of extracurriculars, research, tutoring, and community service which pertained to Psychology. I even volunteered at the hospital during the summers all four years.

Now I am out of college and I have a decent 40K job as a school assistant psychiatrist. However it wasn't until I saw my sick mother that I realized I need to go to medical school.

Now here is the hard part, how can I complete my prereqs and some upper div courses for medical school admission. I want to attend a good school since I have a decent grades (However many feel they are strong since I am a first generation URM). If anything I would love to return to UCLA, however there medical school is difficult to get into, however I know I can get in.

I don't want to take classes at a JC because I heard it not good to do prereqs At CC, so where should I go?

Also I plan on rocking the MCATS. I am shooting for a 31-33, I have been doing some diagnostic test and I consistently keep scoring 28 and this is without having taken my classes yet.

 

[spicedmanna]

There are plenty of post-baccalaureate programs out there, both formal and informal. Some will be very structured and provide you with a lot of support, others will simply allow you to take whatever courses you want. Head on over to the post-bacc forum for more information. Many universities offer some form of opportunity to take preprofessional classes. I doubt you'll have difficulty finding what you are looking for in terms of a post-bacc program. Some are expensive, though.

It's nice you know what medical school you'd like to attend, but to maximize your chances of acceptance, you'll want to apply quite broadly.

Goood luck!

This is my first post here and I am ready to apply to medical school. However I have several problems I need to work out. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in Psychology (3.49 GPA) Throughout my freshmen year I highly considered doing Biology as my major, however I took a intro Psychology course and I was hook. Throughout my fours years at UCLA, Medical school was always on my mind however my love of Psychology was there too. I did a lot of extracurriculars, research, tutoring, and community service which pertained to Psychology. I even volunteered at the hospital during the summers all four years.

Now I am out of college and I have a decent 40K job as a school assistant psychiatrist. However it wasn't until I saw my sick mother that I realized I need to go to medical school.

Now here is the hard part, how can I complete my prereqs and some upper div courses for medical school admission. I want to attend a good school since I have a decent grades (However many feel they are strong since I am a first generation URM). If anything I would love to return to UCLA, however there medical school is difficult to get into, however I know I can get in.

I don't want to take classes at a JC because I heard it not good to do prereqs At CC, so where should I go?

Also I plan on rocking the MCATS. I am shooting for a 31-33, I have been doing some diagnostic test and I consistently keep scoring 28 and this is without having taken my classes yet.

 

[FatMike2010]

I am highly interested in top 25 schools but I would be content with a good medical school program.

But here is the problem I can't get anyone to answer. If I do a post-bacc program and I do well, a 3.5 or higher along with a 30-32 MCAT which is what I am aiming for can I get into top medical programs even thou I have a undergraduate degree in Psychology

I have countless hours working in the neuroscience and behavioral science lab at UCLA, I spent all five summers volunteering at the hospital, I created a on campus program where I speak to hundreds of freshmen on medical school admissions, I was a campus RA for two years, attend UCLA on a academic scholarship, and I completed a minor in the History of Medicine.

With all this being said, taking into consideration that I come from a poor family, both of my parents are terminally ill, my dad is disabled, my mother has MS, both of my sisters never graduated from college, and I am first generation, a immigrant, and the most insignificant part about, being a URM, will I be able to get into good schools?

 

[spicedmanna]

I am highly interested in top 25 schools but I would be content with a good medical school program.

But here is the problem I can't get anyone to answer. If I do a post-bacc program and I do well, a 3.5 or higher along with a 30-32 MCAT which is what I am aiming for can I get into top medical programs even thou I have a undergraduate degree in Psychology

With all this being said, taking into consideration that I come from a poor family, both of my parents are terminally ill, my dad is disabled, my mother has MS, both of my sisters never graduated from college, and I am first generation, a immigrant, and the most insignificant part about, being a URM, will I be able to get into good schools?

Your undergraduate degree has little to no bearing on how you will be viewed in the admissions process by most schools. They just care that you have met the course pre-requisites for matriculation into their school. That said, since many schools are now looking for more well-rounded students, I'd say majoring in something other than a hard science could actually be beneficial, not detrimental. Research also suggests that non-science majors score slightly higher on the MCAT.

Nobody can predict whether you can get into a good school, or not; the admissions process is such a crap shoot in so many ways. I do think you should consider increasing your GPA and MCAT score, if you want to increase your chances of entering into a "top" program. Your 3.5/30-32 is around average for a matriculant (your GPA is actually slightly below average for a matriculant, but still within the SD, I think); with the numbers you state, you do have the possibility of getting accepted into a medical school, and people do get accepted with those numbers frequently each year. If you pick up a copy of the MSAR, you'll find, however, that the averages for the so-called top medical programs (it's arguable which ones are considered, "top"), even though there is a high degree of variance, tend to have higher average numbers than the numbers that you state. For a top program acceptance you will likely need to have great numbers and great EC's. You'll need to be great all around. It is also helpful to have had unique experiences, too. That said, I do think you have a chance, but so does anybody with similar numbers. It's not possible with any certainty to say what kind of chance you will have, however. Having URM and disadvantaged status (if indeed you qualify for this status; check the AMCAS for details) should help, I think. By how much, I cannot say, since I haven't researched this aspect, not being disadvantaged or a URM. Also, having participated extensively in research also helps; it is icing on the cake, so to speak, for higher-rated medical programs, as they tend to value research, naturally.

For what it's worth, outside of academic medicine and/or research, it doesn't really matter that much what school you attend, as long as the school fits you, and you can be happy there. The education is essentially the same, and you might actually be happier with a lower-rated program, after having visited it during an interview.

I think what I'm hearing from you is some worry about your process. That's perfectly natural. Don't dwell on it, however. Just focus on the tasks at hand, and make sure the legs you are standing on for your medical school application process are the best you can offer. Apply broadly, early, and to many schools, some top 25, some lower. Don't make the mistake of only applying to top 25 schools; that is not a wise move. Hedge your bets, and get into a medical school. Having to apply more than once is not an entirely happy situation. I think you stand a good chance of getting accepted into a medical school if you apply wisely, perform well on your pre-medical pre-requisite classes, and study hard for the MCAT.

Good luck!

 

[beary]

I am highly interested in top 25 schools but I would be content with a good medical school program.

But here is the problem I can't get anyone to answer. If I do a post-bacc program and I do well, a 3.5 or higher along with a 30-32 MCAT which is what I am aiming for can I get into top medical programs even thou I have a undergraduate degree in Psychology

I have countless hours working in the neuroscience and behavioral science lab at UCLA, I spent all five summers volunteering at the hospital, I created a on campus program where I speak to hundreds of freshmen on medical school admissions, I was a campus RA for two years, attend UCLA on a academic scholarship, and I completed a minor in the History of Medicine.

With all this being said, taking into consideration that I come from a poor family, both of my parents are terminally ill, my dad is disabled, my mother has MS, both of my sisters never graduated from college, and I am first generation, a immigrant, and the most insignificant part about, being a URM, will I be able to get into good schools?

Hi FatMike,

An undergraduate degree in psych is absolutely no problem. People go to med school with all kinds of majors. You just need to have your prereqs and do well on the MCAT.

I would recommend though that you don't worry so much about "top 25 schools" - you will get an excellent education at practically any accredited US med school. Residency is where you get 95% of your clinical training anyway. I would just apply lots of places and go where you will be happiest. Unfortunately medical school admissions has a large crapshoot component.

Edit: I should have read spicedmanna's post before replying. 🙂

 

[bottles999]

This is my first post here and I am ready to apply to medical school. However I have several problems I need to work out. I graduated from UCLA with a degree in Psychology (3.49 GPA) Throughout my freshmen year I highly considered doing Biology as my major, however I took a intro Psychology course and I was hook. Throughout my fours years at UCLA, Medical school was always on my mind however my love of Psychology was there too. I did a lot of extracurriculars, research, tutoring, and community service which pertained to Psychology. I even volunteered at the hospital during the summers all four years.

Now I am out of college and I have a decent 40K job as a school assistant psychiatrist. However it wasn't until I saw my sick mother that I realized I need to go to medical school.

Now here is the hard part, how can I complete my prereqs and some upper div courses for medical school admission. I want to attend a good school since I have a decent grades (However many feel they are strong since I am a first generation URM). If anything I would love to return to UCLA, however there medical school is difficult to get into, however I know I can get in.

I don't want to take classes at a JC because I heard it not good to do prereqs At CC, so where should I go?

Also I plan on rocking the MCATS. I am shooting for a 31-33, I have been doing some diagnostic test and I consistently keep scoring 28 and this is without having taken my classes yet.

The psych degree should NOT be a problem at all and your GPA is certainly decent enough too. However, just need the basic med school pre-reqs:

- 1 yr Biology (bio 101/102)
- 1 yr Gen chem
- 1 yr Organic chem
- 1 yr calculus
- 1 yr Physics
- some schools require a semester of Biochemistry
- 1 yr of English

I am sure you have a number of these already done, but all ya need to do is go back and get those clases. Sounds like your already thinking how and where to go.

In your personal statment you'll need to explain why the change.

Good Luck!