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Hello everyone, as I'm thinking of this whole medical school process, I had some concerns and some questions I wanted to ask. Firstly, here is my background:
General Information:
24 years old, white male.
Academic History/Numbers:
Bachelor's Degree (B.S.):
Location: UC Santa Barbara.
Major: Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Overall GPA: 3.74. Science GPA: 3.82.
Master's Degree (M.S.):
Location: Stanford University
Area of Study: Chemical Engineering- Focus in Applied Math and Quantum Physics.
Overall GPA: ~3.5-3.7 (finishing up my last quarter so there's still some variation).
MCAT Score:
Took old one once in 2014, scored a 31 (11 PS/ 9 VR/ 11 BS) (expired now).
Estimated/Expected new score ~515-520.
Extracurricular Activities/Work Experience:
a.) Volunteered for a non-profit organization in which I visited residents in a nursing home and spoke with them/kept them company. 4 years (1st year through 4th year as undergrad). (~1-3 hrs a week)
b.) Undergraduate Researcher in a Physical Chemistry and Biochemistry Lab. Studied water dynamics across various protein and lipid membranes using various NMR techniques. 3 years (~5-8 hrs a week)
c.) Shadowed a variety of doctors including but not limited to: ENTs, ophthalmologists, primary care physicians, urologists... through a program at UC-Santa Barbara (~4-5 hrs a week) for 2.5 months.
d.) Full time and Part time Instructor at well known test prep company in California- Taught various mathematics and science subjects to prospective college students including test prep courses. Topics/courses included: SAT Math General, SAT Math lvl 2, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Chemistry, and Honors/AP Physics C: Mechanics. (~2 years ranging from ~10-30 hrs a week).
I believe with a strong MCAT score I have a decent shot at some MD programs in the United States.
My only concern is my graduate GPA for this quarter, I have so far performed poorly in a graduate course called "Cellular Biophysics" and am afraid I may end up with a grade of a "C" which is a grade I haven't received since freshman year of high school. This course is simply an elective outside of my department which I thought would be more interesting to take than any of the other choices offered, but the structure (only 4 p-sets, no TA, making many approximations about sets of ODE's) was something I was not accustomed to and payed the price dearly.
Will this reflect poorly on my application? Do I have a shot at any schools in Southern California specifically UCI, UCLA, USC, UCR, Loma Linda? What are my chances outside of California?
Any advice for activities I could do during my off year?
I am thinking of applying to only mid-tier and lower-tier M.D. schools. Although top schools do open many doors, I think my attitude of attending a high ranked school has shifted and I'm okay going to any accredited U.S. institution as long as I feel like I can succeed academically and still keep my health.
General Information:
24 years old, white male.
Academic History/Numbers:
Bachelor's Degree (B.S.):
Location: UC Santa Barbara.
Major: Chemistry and Biochemistry.
Overall GPA: 3.74. Science GPA: 3.82.
Master's Degree (M.S.):
Location: Stanford University
Area of Study: Chemical Engineering- Focus in Applied Math and Quantum Physics.
Overall GPA: ~3.5-3.7 (finishing up my last quarter so there's still some variation).
MCAT Score:
Took old one once in 2014, scored a 31 (11 PS/ 9 VR/ 11 BS) (expired now).
Estimated/Expected new score ~515-520.
Extracurricular Activities/Work Experience:
a.) Volunteered for a non-profit organization in which I visited residents in a nursing home and spoke with them/kept them company. 4 years (1st year through 4th year as undergrad). (~1-3 hrs a week)
b.) Undergraduate Researcher in a Physical Chemistry and Biochemistry Lab. Studied water dynamics across various protein and lipid membranes using various NMR techniques. 3 years (~5-8 hrs a week)
c.) Shadowed a variety of doctors including but not limited to: ENTs, ophthalmologists, primary care physicians, urologists... through a program at UC-Santa Barbara (~4-5 hrs a week) for 2.5 months.
d.) Full time and Part time Instructor at well known test prep company in California- Taught various mathematics and science subjects to prospective college students including test prep courses. Topics/courses included: SAT Math General, SAT Math lvl 2, AP Calculus AB/BC, AP Chemistry, and Honors/AP Physics C: Mechanics. (~2 years ranging from ~10-30 hrs a week).
I believe with a strong MCAT score I have a decent shot at some MD programs in the United States.
My only concern is my graduate GPA for this quarter, I have so far performed poorly in a graduate course called "Cellular Biophysics" and am afraid I may end up with a grade of a "C" which is a grade I haven't received since freshman year of high school. This course is simply an elective outside of my department which I thought would be more interesting to take than any of the other choices offered, but the structure (only 4 p-sets, no TA, making many approximations about sets of ODE's) was something I was not accustomed to and payed the price dearly.
Will this reflect poorly on my application? Do I have a shot at any schools in Southern California specifically UCI, UCLA, USC, UCR, Loma Linda? What are my chances outside of California?
Any advice for activities I could do during my off year?
I am thinking of applying to only mid-tier and lower-tier M.D. schools. Although top schools do open many doors, I think my attitude of attending a high ranked school has shifted and I'm okay going to any accredited U.S. institution as long as I feel like I can succeed academically and still keep my health.
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