Can I get to Medical school with a low GPA around (3.4) and good MCAT and also a lot of research?

[Alejo0413]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hello, I am currently a student at Iowa State University majoring in Genetics and Microbiology, my first semester here at ISU was very hard and I end up with a 2.5 GPA, since then I have been trying to get it up with a 3.35 and 3.28 every semester since then, right now my GPA is sitting at a 3.03 and I want to go to MD because it has been my dream since I was a child. I am currently doing 2 research at the same time and I am the research leader for one of them which I started that one and I might finish it which is going to give me a couple of publications, next semester I would be doing the same research and also another one which I also hope to get some publications out of that. I wanted to apply for an MSTP program but they are very competitive so I decided to apply for an MD and then by the middle of medical school I can just apply to do my PhD (preferably in neurobiology). I hope that by the time I apply which it would be by around Summer of 2020 my GPA gets around 3.4- 3.5 and I can get an MCAT around 515-520 so that I can be competitive enough. I am considered an underepresentative here at ISU and probably also in medical school since I am the only one from Cuba here at ISU. I am currently looking for schools that I can apply and if you guys can help me and give me any advice that would be very helpful. Thanks for your help.

 

[acciobutterbeer]

Upward GPA trends are always good! Keep working hard at maintaining good grades. Research is great but it is also important to get in lots of volunteering.

It probably doesn't make much sense to make a school list before you have an MCAT score. There are definitely schools that can appreciate rising GPA trends and a high MCAT. Once you do get your score, there are many people on this forum that can help you with a school list!

 

[Alejo0413]

Upward GPA trends are always good! Keep working hard at maintaining good grades. Research is great but it is also important to get in lots of volunteering.

It probably doesn't make much sense to make a school list before you have an MCAT score. There are definitely schools that can appreciate rising GPA trends and a high MCAT. Once you do get your score, there are many people on this forum that can help you with a school list!

Thank you soo much. I have been trying to get better grades but here at ISU they grade very hard. Thanks.

 

[Alejo0413]

Without seeing an AMCAS GPA Grid for grade trends and an MCAT score , there is little to advise on. I will say that applicants believe that there is far more weigh to research than there is.

In a 2013 AAMC survey* where 127 medical admissions offices responded, found research experience is only of medium importance at private schools and of low importance to public schools as an experiential factor in offering both interview invitations and acceptance. Healthcare experience, community service/volunteer experience, experience with underserved populations, navigated through cultural barriers or challenges, leadership experience were considered of higher importance in factors for interview invites and offers of acceptances. This was further borne out in the 2015 AAMC Survey** where 130 medical school admissions found that both community service or volunteer in both medical and non-medical settings ranked higher in importance than physician shadowing

*https://www.aamc.org/download/434596/data/usingmcatdata2016.pdf#page=7
see page 3 (pdf p7) Table 1. Mean Importance Ratings of Academic, Experiential, and Demographic Application Data Used by Admissions Committees for Making Decisions about Which Applicants to Receive an Interview Invitation and Offer Acceptance (N=127)

** https://www.aamc.org/download/462316/data/mcatguide.pdf#page=21
See page 4 (pdf page 9) Table 1. Mean Importance Ratings of Academic, Experiential, Demographic, and Interview Data Used by Admissions Committees for Making Decisions about Which Applicants Receive Interview Invitations and Acceptance Offers (N=130)

Thank you soo much those statistics that you sent me help me out a lot, because I want my MCAT score to be in the 90 percentile. I would be doing some volunteering hours over the summer. Thanks