Can I still go to Med School? Realistically...

[DustinfromCA]

I have a 3.43 Cum GPA and 3.14 Science GPA. I've been on an upward trend (3.84 and 3.65 last 2 quarters and a 4.00 this summer session which will raise my cum GPA to a 3.46).

I still have another year of undergrad left.

I'm currently applying to pharmacy school and I was writing my essays and I realized... ... I still want to go to Med school... I don't even think I'll get into pharmacy school but anywhoo... I applied to pharmacy school because I thought I'd have no chance of getting into med school so I might as well do something.

I'm so confused...

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[xanthomondo]

I'm so confused...

and after reading your post, so am i

 

[DustinfromCA]

Whoops thats really confusing yeah.

I mean I'm applying to pharmacy school and I realize I'm realllly not into it. I have just gone down this path for the past year because I didn't think my med school chances are good...

So I'm thinking of maybe taking a year off...

applying the fall after I graduate from undergrad.

I'm thinking my GPA will be 3.50.. anyone with these kind of stats get into med school?

 

[strawberryfield]

Have you taken the MCAT yet?? That would be the next step, I think your GPA is fine, but you'll have to get a pretty decent MCAT as well, and what about your extra-curriculars?

 

[DustinfromCA]

Well for the past year I've been building my EC's around applying for pharm school.. thats my biggest problem

I've had two internships at Pharmacies and I'm in the prepharmacy club

I"m also in Alpha Phi Omega which is a national service co-ed fraternity

No I haven't taken the MCATS, if I were to apply I would be applying for fall 2008.

 

[strawberryfield]

Those pharm ECs are better than nothing, and definitley a medically related experience, but I'd say if you can start w/ some hospital volunteering, you'll want to work w/ patients, and to get some clinical experience, you can try shadowing (great if you can get an MD/DO letter of recommendation), and you can get about 30 on the MCAT, you'd have a pretty solid app, especially if you forsee your GPA continuing on an upward trend.

If medicine is really where your heart lies then you should go for it, will you every be satisfied otherwise if you don't at least try?? Good luck to you

 

[63768]

get some medical experience (i.e. shadowing or volunteering), and talk about your change from pharm to med. it'll be an interesting story, a fresh new applicant. do well on your MCAT, you'll have a solid app to med school.

remember nothing worth having in this world comes easy.

 

[starflower]

If medical school is what you really want, you will regret it if you don't try. Apply to med school first, and if you don't get in, then you can think about pharmacy. Your gpa is decent, and if you do well on the mcat, you should get in.

 

[Zoom-Zoom]

remember nothing worth having in this world comes easy.

That's so true, unless you were involved in making Google. Bastards!

 

[Zweihander]

If medical school is what you really want, you will regret it if you don't try.

This is great advice. The only things you've got to lose by attempting a shot at medical school are money and time. You're still in college, which means you're probably young, so you've got plenty of time. As for the money, you'll be spending so much on getting an education that a year's worth of application fees (even if you don't get in) will be like water under the bridge.

 

[DustinfromCA]

So you guys seriously think a 3.14 science GPA is doable for med school

My upward trend in science is really good. I had a 2.97 science GPA just 2 quarters ago.

Recent science grades

Physiology A-
Biochem II A-
Entomology A+

Microbio A-
Microbio Lab A-
Plan Bio B+

Now I"m taking Biochem III and I have a solid A

And agewise I guess I'm still young... 21.. 2 months ago

I tried telling my mom over the phone I was thinking of taking a year off.. and I just coudln't do it

 

[AMcD3]

I think reading posts on SDN is crushing your confidence, because a lot of people here have high GPAs. But GPA is somewhat relative in the process, especially if you can score well on the MCAT. If you can, take a year off after graduation and volunteer (if you can afford it) or get a research job somewhere. The average acceptance age is also older than the average college grad, so lots of people take time off. If you can get secondaries, then you can let your ECs and letters of rec shine. I'd say focus big time on the MCAT and then take your chances. Good luck

 

[Learfan]

It is going to be very challenging with those grades. You will need to kill the MCAT. My advice is try to apply to less selective allopathic schools, osteopathic schools and consider the better Caribean institutions. A general rule of thumb to guage the strength of your application is to multiply your GPA by ten and add your MCAT score. Numbers from 65 to 70 are competitive while numbers over 70 often indicate you will get a variety of interviews. Good luck. You have a long hard road ahead but it can be done if you are determined.

I have a 3.43 Cum GPA and 3.14 Science GPA. I've been on an upward trend (3.84 and 3.65 last 2 quarters and a 4.00 this summer session which will raise my cum GPA to a 3.46).

I still have another year of undergrad left.

I'm currently applying to pharmacy school and I was writing my essays and I realized... ... I still want to go to Med school... I don't even think I'll get into pharmacy school but anywhoo... I applied to pharmacy school because I thought I'd have no chance of getting into med school so I might as well do something.

I'm so confused...

 

[jackieMD2007]

OP, what I was told is that applicants should shoot for at least a 3.4 science GPA. Keep taking more science classes and getting A's in them--this will help to "up" your BCPM. Make sure you get some clinical experience--hospital volunteering, clinic, something. Get that going on for at least six months to show some commitment. It only has to be once or twice a week for a few hours. You'll like it. Get some DO's to shadow. See if you're interested in the DO route--I wish I had done that more. Start getting to know the profs in your upper-division science classes--you will need them for LOR's. Keep in mind, In '07 they are offering the MCAT a lot more. This flexibility will help you out a lot. I bet review classes for January start around Sept, etc. You can sort it out. Grab a copy of the '07-'08 MSAR and read that puppy. Look at the schools, look at the stats for applicants. Make a trip to www.mdapplicants.com and do some searches based on different stats. It sounds like a lot but you can do most of it all at the same time.

 

[NonTradMed]

Your science GPA is the biggest problem. Focus on raising that. I'd say at raise it to at least a 3.3 and get your MCAT at ~30. And that will give you a shot at med school. Science GPAs are tricky because med schools want to make sure your GPA isn't high because of 'grade padding'. Also, try to do some shadowing/volunteering at hospitals. As long as you have clinical experience, you will be fine. Your overall GPA is good, and the upward trend will be a big bonus. Also, the fact that you're doing so well in your science classes will bode well for the future. Just continue with the upward science GPA and do well on the MCAT. You will definitively be competitive.

 

[PhotoMD]

Your GPA is a problem, but it won't exclude you if you want to do medicine for the right reasons and you can express that in words - on paper and in person. Good luck!

 

[vtucci]

Your science GPA is a problem. Keep taking the science classes and see what it is at the end of your senior year and apply then-- take a year off. You can apply for other programs like MA at Oxford or Cambridge, or travel. Don't go straight through to medical school.

If the GPA is not high enough, do a post-bac. 22, you are still a baby. I was 28 when I started medical school and turned 29 less than 1 month into my first year. I was a lawyer before I went to medical school. Let me tell you from experience, you need to do what will make you happy.

Next, go out and get a lot of clinical experience. Try being an EMT, volunteer in a hospital, hospice, nursing home etc. Do a clinical research project.

Nail the MCAT.

 

[Law2Doc]

Your science GPA is a problem. Keep taking the science classes and see what it is at the end of your senior year and apply then-- take a year off. You can apply for other programs like MA at Oxford or Cambridge, or travel. Don't go straight through to medical school.

If the GPA is not high enough, do a post-bac. 22, you are still a baby. I was 28 when I started medical school and turned 29 less than 1 month into my first year. I was a lawyer before I went to medical school. Let me tell you from experience, you need to do what will make you happy.

Next, go out and get a lot of clinical experience. Try being an EMT, volunteer in a hospital, hospice, nursing home etc. Do a clinical research project.

Nail the MCAT.

I agree with this. You need to raise the sci GPA, and make sure you will do well on the MCAT and get some decent ECs on the app and make it look like you aren't jumping from pre-pharm to pre-med in a heartbeat. This will take a little time. As such, spending a year or two doing something worthwhile, in addition to bolstering your credentials, perhaps in postbac studies, would be a surer route to med school. It's easy for folks to tell someone with a 3.1 sci GPA to just "kill the MCAT" to balance out a low BCPM, but realistically, the folks with more solid BCPMs, tend to have a better chance on this test.
Remember that this is not a race, and that the average age in allo schools is about 24 and rising.

 

[tncekm]

It looks as if the recent uptrend in yoru science courses should help. They'll definitely look at trends, BUT, you'll need to keep this up and (as everyone already said) NAIL the MCAT.

 

[NYMC MD 2B]

hhhmmm....well, your GPA, particularly your science GPA is pretty low for an MD acceptance. If you really nail the MCAT, you will have a shot at some of the lower tiers. However, if you can get a 29 or a 30 (not an impossible feat), you definitely have a great chance at DO schools. Some people get offended when other people suggest the DO route, but you are considering pharmacy right? You should be happy as long as you get to be a doctor in the end.

 

[chewsnuffles]

I agree with this. You need to raise the sci GPA, and make sure you will do well on the MCAT and get some decent ECs on the app and make it look like you aren't jumping from pre-pharm to pre-med in a heartbeat. This will take a little time. As such, spending a year or two doing something worthwhile, in addition to bolstering your credentials, perhaps in postbac studies, would be a surer route to med school. It's easy for folks to tell someone with a 3.1 sci GPA to just "kill the MCAT" to balance out a low BCPM, but realistically, the folks with more solid BCPMs, tend to have a better chance on this test.
Remember that this is not a race, and that the average age in allo schools is about 24 and rising.

2.7 at the time I took it and I got a 34... I think some people just get screwed on grade in my opinion. Kinda sick of people who take "easy classes" so they can do well in O-chem II or something like that, then they end up with a 24 and are like "WHAT HAPPENED!". Perhaps I'm just jelous because I wasn't smart enough to pad my GPA... but still, I worked hard and still had a bad GPA... go figure. I'm getting it up now though, don't worry.