chances at medical school

[soccerguy121]

hi i am a junior at tulane wondering what my chances are for allopathic medical schools next year to be clear i am not intested in DO programs and I am planning on applying to a minimun of 40 MD seeking schools in the US , please give me your recomendations both on my chances and certain schools i should consider, also i am a lousisana resident and my dream school is LSU-Shreveport , please let me know what you think attached is my resume:

HIGHLIGHTS
• Previous experiences in five research labs
• 200+ hours of community service

EDUCATION
Tulane University
Neuroscience Major Current
• Scholarship
• GPA 3.4

Southern Methodist University Spring 2010
Double Major Biochemistry and Economics

Loyola University New Orleans Fall 2009
Major in Chemistry

C.E. Byrd High School May 2008
• GPA 3.8
• Graduated top 10% of 2008 class
• Top Jacket Byrd High School – Mentoring Program for freshman


RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
Undergraduate Researcher
Tulane Medical Center October 2011-Current
• Mentor: Dr. Sam Lehrer
• Research in Immunology

Undergraduate Researcher
Tulane Medical Center September 2010 - May 2011
• Mentor: Dr. Yumei Feng
• DOCA Salt Expression Effects on the perenial receptor site in relation to hypothalamtic tissue/ DOCA Salt Studies on hyper-tensive expressive mice in renin and pro renin studies

Undergraduate Researcher
Tulane Medical Center August-December 2009
• Studying Ovarian Cancer research through the analysis of peptide receptors in conjunction with macrophages derived from human adipose tissue
• Mentor: Dr. Aline Betancourt

CASMINS Researcher (Care of Collin College)
Baylor Health Sciences Center December 2008-March 2009
• Cardio - myopic research through DNA sequencing
• Mentor: Dr. David Roe Wood through Dr. Ding’s lab

Research Assistant April 2007-June 2008
Louisiana State University Health and Sciences Center, Shreveport, LA
• Selected for Biomedical Research at LSUHSC Shreveport through the S.M.A.R.T. program
• Currently working on paper “Correspondence between Collagenic Type IV and the Inter-relativity of the Pericellular Matrix of Laminin”
• Intel Talent Search Participant with research
• Mentor: Dr. Kevin McCarthy


COMMUNITY SERVICE
Volunteer
Ochsner Hospital New Orleans, LA February 2011 - Current
• Assist in basic patient care tasks. IE: medical observation, suture work, setting IV's

Volunteer August 2011 - Current
Sexual Aggression Peer Hotline and Education (SAPHE) program Tulane University
• Confidential help program for sexually assaulted students

Volunteer
Global Volunteers - Balard, Romania May 2011
• Worked with mental and physically handicapped children
• Cases ranging from hydrosyphala to E.B.
• Worked in the ER and helped suture wounds

Volunteer/ Participant Spring Break 2010
Habitat for Humanity Gulf Port Reconstruction Build via United Way
Youth Director: Steven Christi
Lauren Abby habitat leader

Volunteer
Habitat For Humanity, Shreveport, LA Summer 2010

Volunteer
Habitat For Humanity, New Orleans, LA 2009

Math and Science Tutor/Volunteer
Urban League College Track, New Orleans September-December 2009

Volunteer
YMCA Camp Forbing 2005-2006
• 200+ community service hours


EXTRA-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
Eagle Scout/ Participant
Boy Scouts of America Troop 9, Shreveport, LA 2003-2008
• Eagle project – Rebuilding flower beds at Providence House- a Shelter for Women and Children
• A member of the scouting service and honors society known of as Order of the Arrow
• Senior patrol leader of troop 97 as well as assistant patrol leader
• BSA Lifeguard Certified
• Red Cross Lifeguard Certified

Violist, Violinist, Cello player, Guitar player 1997-2009
Various organizations and schools
• Auditioned with a Viola selection before panel of professional musicians and was selected for the Talented Arts Program (TAP) in the Caddo Parish Schools (unable to participate due to scheduling)
• Played with the Arklatex Youth Symphony
• Past assistant principal position with the Byrd High School Orchestra
• Principal position of violist in the orchestral accompaniment to Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella for the Byrd High School
• Performed with Centenary College Orchestra

Team Member
Soccer 1995-2008
• Played for 14 years
• Latin club
• Junior Classical League Secretary - Captain Shreve High School

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[jcu]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=5

 

[genswim24]

This is the wrong forum, I am assuming it will get moved. It's impossible to know your chances are without an MCAT score. 3.4 GPA is below average for acceptance, so you'll need a good score. There is really no way to give you advice on which school to apply to without this score.
40 schools is probably too many to apply to, but some people are able to do it. If you apply intelligently to the right schools, 25 applications will be enough. Some of the secondaries involve several essays so it becomes difficult to complete them in a timely manner.
Med school don't care about what you did in high school (at least when I applied).
Good luck

 

[DrSnips]

This should be in pre-med allo, but since I already wasted time reading it...

This might be the most ADHD resume I have ever seen. The guy went to three different colleges, had 4 different majors, worked in 5 different labs (yet apparently has only 1 authorship pending), has volunteered at way too many different places making me think he is jumping from place to place. Someone get the Ritalin.

 

[soccerguy121]

thank you for your comments

 

[Chakrabs]

You seem to be an academic vagabond. I'm assuming Tulane is where you're actually going to get your degree? I'll be frank: its a good thing you're applying to 40 schools, because unless you've got a stellar MCAT score its going to be tough for you. 3.4 GPA is fine depending on your transcript breakdown, but going to so many places sends up a big red flag. You absolutely must address why you switched so many institutions, and it better be a damn good reason. You've been to so many research labs and the most productive thing you've done was back in high school, which you are still apparently working on. Sometimes numerous volunteer activities works against you, because I and certainly many admissions committees will question why you werent focusing on one thing or another.

 

[flatearth22]

mirin dat Eagle Scout

 

[DrSnips]

Also, since I didn't offer anything constructive in my first post:

As someone in an MD program, I say this: Don't write off DOs. They get to do exactly the same stuff MDs do. Without looking at ID badges I can never tell who is MD and who is DO in the hospital, not that it makes much difference anyway. If your goal is to be a doctor, then DO is one route to get there and may be able to increase your chances.

 

[LossForWords]

Hey OP, it's not considered good form to put the same post in Pre-Allo, Allo, AND "what are my chances".




Bunghole.

 

[Abby_Normal]

This should really be in the pre-allo forum.
But, anyway, some thoughts:

1. Having transferred undergrads isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you will probably be asked about it, particularly as you transferred twice.

2. As other posters have said, a 3.4 is on the low side, unless the other aspects of your application really make up for it.

3. Having research is great. For the purposes of your application, it would probably be better to emphasize the experiences that you got the most out of rather than the total number of projects you've worked on.

4. The above also applies to EC/volunteer activities. Look for common threads in your resume and try to pull those out.

5. As a general rule (to my knowledge, at least) ADCOMs don't really care about what you did in high school. In my application, I only talked about pre-college experiences if they met one of the following criteria: either it set the stage for something I continued in college or something that was particularly important to my personal growth.

6. Number of applications. Applying broadly is extremely important, but you also need to be realistic about how many applications you can do a good job on. The secondaries can be demanding, and most schools will send you secondaries regardless of whether they are considering you seriously (because then they get more money from you). Do your applications in waves. Focus on doing a good job on maybe the first 15-20 before applying elsewhere.

7. In most cases DO programs are totally worth considering. The only time I can think of when they would be not worth considering is if you think there's a reasonable chance that you may be moving abroad, as DO degrees are not (for reasons that have nothing to do with logic) universally recognized in Canada and EU countries (not that moving with an MD is easy either, but comparatively speaking...)

 

[OveractiveBrain]

How to get into medical school:

1. GPA >= 3.5
2. MCAT >= 35
3. Dont be a douche
4. Get lucky with the admissions committee (there are that many well qualified people)

 

[DrSnips]

How to get into medical school:

1. GPA >= 3.5
2. MCAT >= 35
3. Dont be a douche
4. Get lucky with the admissions committee (there are that many well qualified people)

Agree, although 3.5 GPA is a little skimpy (unless your undergrad is known for having no grade inflation)

Once you get interviews, that third point trumps everything.

 

[Droopy Snoopy]

If you're a resident then assuming your MCAT is >30 you've got as good a shot as anyone with the state schools, since LA notoriously takes 99%+ from in-state. That's a great list of ECs, but do be ready to explain what you learned working with disabled Romanian kids for example, also why all the jumping around.

And for God's sake tighten up your CV man; a medical school Dean of Admissions has got better things to do than read about how you were in the Latin club sophomore year of high school.