chances of making the next cycle? :(

[slicejl152]

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Hello, everyone! (sorry for the re-post. You will see my other post that's word for word like this one in the premed forum but I think it's better suited in the "what are my chances". oops)

I'm hoping to matriculate in the fall of 2014 but I'm getting a bit concerned about my current pace/trajectory.

I guess I'm considered to be a nontraditional student so I will provide some background...

I'm a post-baccalaureate student (graduated from Juilliard in 2011 w/ degree in piano performance) and have been taking prerequisite courses for the past year.
So far I have taken..
Two semesters of physics (1 and 2)
Two semesters of math (calculus 1 and statistics)
Two semesters of English Literature and Writing
I'm currently taking my first semesters of Biology and Chemistry and will be taking the second semesters this coming spring. I am planning to take Organic Chemistry during the summer of 2013.
prereq GPA so far = 4.0
MCAT = n/a
EC = volunteering at children's hospital (oncology/hematology unit), recently got my CNA certification but no CNA work experience yet, nonprofit music outreach performances at nursing homes (I made this website to track my adventures http://coloradomusicoutreach.org/), piano competitions and performances, music festivals, teaching a couple piano students, accompanying pianist acquaintances at competitions and concerts, clubs at school (AMSA and brigades)
Shadowing = Cardiovascular Surgery, Emergency Medicine, General Medicine (PA)

Now for the things that I'm concerned about..

1. For the AMCAS, I understand that it's best to submit the application as soon as it opens? I think Juneish? However, by June of 2013, I will not have my Organic Chemistry credits and MCAT score yet. Will this be a problem or can I update the application as I complete them?

2. The latest MCAT score they will take is September of 2013 and I wont finish my Organic Chemistry classes until early August. This leaves me with only a month to study. Instead, I was thinking of studying for the MCAT and Organic Chemistry on my own, beginning asap. How possible is this considering that I'm still in the process of finishing my first semester of general bio and chem courses?

3. With my strange background and late MCAT and Organic Chemistry credits, is there still a chance to be matriculated in the fall of 2014?

4. Is there anything crucial that I'm missing? Any other limiting factors that I should be worried about?

Sorry for the long post! Thanks for your time and thoughts.

-Jeff

 

[Moosepig]

You can probably fit it all in in time for next cycle, but I wouldn't. I would give yourself ample time to study both ochem and then MCAT, beef your ECs, and apply two cycles from now. Best of luck if you don't go that route, but that's what I'd do. You're looking solid so far.

 

[Catalystik]

Hello, everyone! (sorry for the re-post. You will see my other post that's word for word like this one in the premed forum but I think it's better suited in the "what are my chances". oops)

I'm hoping to matriculate in the fall of 2014 but I'm getting a bit concerned about my current pace/trajectory.

I guess I'm considered to be a nontraditional student so I will provide some background...

I'm a post-baccalaureate student (graduated from Juilliard in 2011 w/ degree in piano performance) and have been taking prerequisite courses for the past year.
So far I have taken..
Two semesters of physics (1 and 2)
Two semesters of math (calculus 1 and statistics)
Two semesters of English Literature and Writing
I'm currently taking my first semesters of Biology and Chemistry and will be taking the second semesters this coming spring. I am planning to take Organic Chemistry during the summer of 2013.
prereq GPA so far = 4.0
MCAT = n/a
EC = volunteering at children's hospital (oncology/hematology unit), recently got my CNA certification but no CNA work experience yet, nonprofit music outreach performances at nursing homes (I made this website to track my adventures http://coloradomusicoutreach.org/), piano competitions and performances, music festivals, teaching a couple piano students, accompanying pianist acquaintances at competitions and concerts, clubs at school (AMSA and brigades)
Shadowing = Cardiovascular Surgery, Emergency Medicine, General Medicine (PA)

Now for the things that I'm concerned about..

1. For the AMCAS, I understand that it's best to submit the application as soon as it opens? I think Juneish? However, by June of 2013, I will not have my Organic Chemistry credits and MCAT score yet. Will this be a problem or can I update the application as I complete them?

2. The latest MCAT score they will take is September of 2013 and I wont finish my Organic Chemistry classes until early August. This leaves me with only a month to study. Instead, I was thinking of studying for the MCAT and Organic Chemistry on my own, beginning asap. How possible is this considering that I'm still in the process of finishing my first semester of general bio and chem courses?

3. With my strange background and late MCAT and Organic Chemistry credits, is there still a chance to be matriculated in the fall of 2014?

4. Is there anything crucial that I'm missing? Any other limiting factors that I should be worried about?

Sorry for the long post! Thanks for your time and thoughts.

-Jeff

Current gpa? Months of medical volunteering so far?

 

[slicejl152]

Catalystik: My current GPA is 4.0 at the University of Colorado Boulder where I'm taking prereqs. My grades at Juilliard were A's and B's with straight A's during my senior year when I was sure that I wanted to go the medical route. So far I have been volunteering at the children's hospital for about 7 months. I have been giving nonprofit outreach performances at different health venues since junior year in high school.

Moosepig: Thanks for your thoughts! I think I will take the plunge and try to make it in time for this coming cycle but perhaps you're right that it would be more thorough to wait for the next cycle. In any case, I will try my best! 🙂

ClemsonFirst: Thanks for answering all my questions so thoroughly! Your comments are really so helpful to me 🙂

IncognitoGuy: Thanks for your reply 🙂 Ya, so far everyone that I've met, both inside and outside of interviews, have asked me about my change from music to medicine lol. Thanks for your insight about orgo on the MCAT!

 

[sliceofbread136]

You should calculate your cumulative GPA. That means you factor in grades from every college class you've taken. There's a nice little spread sheet on SDN that will calculate your cGPA and sGPA for you (it would be nice if someone posted it).

Keep getting clinical experience whenever you can. Try to get some research if u can. Keep racking up interesting ECs! Maybe try some non-music related things as well (not that the music ones aren't cool).

A month rly isn't enough time to study for the MCAT imo. I would study the non-ochem subjects while taking the ochem class. The ochem 2 material on the MCAT is pretty sparse, so you shouldn't have any trouble with that. Make sure to take alot of practice tests (even if you don't know all the material, still take practices tests)

 

[Catalystik]

There's a nice little spread sheet on SDN that will calculate your cGPA and sGPA for you (it would be nice if someone posted it).

There's a link to an AMCAS GPA calculation spreadsheet stickied to the top of this forum called Please Read before Posting (see post2).

 

[slicejl152]

Thanks for the help! I used the AMCAS GPA calculation spreadsheet and my results are...

cGPA = 3.64
BCPM GPA (sGPA) = 4.0

Any thoughts?

sliceofbread136: Thanks for the suggestions! I'm definitely going to start studying asap for the MCAT as I, too, realized that a month is not nearly enough time to study for the MCAT. I'm hoping that the studying will go well so that I can try taking the MCAT a couple times in August and September.

Thanks for all the help, everyone! 🙂 What a pleasant community we have here.

 

[Catalystik]

I have been volunteering at the children's hospital for about 7 months. I have been giving nonprofit outreach performances at different health venues since junior year in high school.

Good. you'll have a decent amount of clinical experience by June/July. And the very-long term nonmedical community service reflects well (I'm assuming that you didn't interact with patients much during a performance and were unpaid). You also have some teaching, which is valued. Your shadowing choices were good and hopefully total up to at least 50 hours. Any peer leadership?

Thanks for the help! I used the AMCAS GPA calculation spreadsheet and my results are...

cGPA = 3.64
BCPM GPA (sGPA) = 4.0

Any thoughts?

Your cGPA is close to the average for MD acceptees of 3.67, and may well get past that point after this and next term's As are calculated in, so it shouldn't hold you back from applying next season.

In your other thread I recall the comment that OChem II isn't much emphasized on the MCAT, and this is true for most versions from what I've read, leaving you free to take it after the MCAT, perhaps in the fall, to free up your attention to studying for the MCAT in a more dedicated fashion. When is your school's first summer term over? How long does it take your Registrar to release a transcript after it's requested in the summer (you might call and check this out)? Is OChem II offered in the fall?

Could you learn OChem I on your own? There is a reason this is considered a dreaded premed weed-out course. Personally, I've never seen it done successfully, but that doesn't mean it's not possible. It's just highly unlikely.

 

[slicejl152]

Catalystik: For peer leadership, I suppose that I can mention that all the performance outreaches that I do locally are lead by myself. I contact the health care venues and performers by myself and started my own website for these endeavors at http://coloradomusicoutreach.org/. I will certainly have a few more performers and blog entries by the time June/July rolls around. I'm hoping to get more performances done later in December and in April when the music students have fresh repertoire in their fingers for their music jury exams etc. I'm also part of a medical brigade club at school where one of the officers asked me to organize a talent show event for fundraising. I suppose that if I can successfully pull off planning and organizing this event I will be able to mention it in my applications. Unfortunately, I won't be sticking around school long enough to run for any leadership/officer positions in the clubs since I'm hoping to be done with classes by the end of the summer semesters.

Thanks for your comments about the Organic Chemistry. I will certainly consider leaving OChem 2 for the fall if things are looking tight for my MCAT preparations. I think that my study habits and self-motivation are solid from my experiences in piano. I shouldn't have a problem with getting things done but I definitely realize that OChem will be a nice challenge to chew on 🙂

As for your questions about the summer, I believe that the first summer term is over by early July. I will look into the time it takes for the registrar to release the transcript during the summer. How will this affect my application?

Thanks for your wonderful insights, Catalystik! Your participation in these forums is quite incredible.

-Jeff

 

[Catalystik]

1) For peer leadership, I suppose that I can mention that all the performance outreaches that I do locally are lead by myself. I contact the health care venues and performers by myself and started my own website for these endeavors at http://coloradomusicoutreach.org/. I will certainly have a few more performers and blog entries by the time June/July rolls around. I'm hoping to get more performances done later in December and in April when the music students have fresh repertoire in their fingers for their music jury exams etc. I'm also part of a medical brigade club at school where one of the officers asked me to organize a talent show event for fundraising. I suppose that if I can successfully pull off planning and organizing this event I will be able to mention it in my applications. Unfortunately, I won't be sticking around school long enough to run for any leadership/officer positions in the clubs since

2) I'm hoping to be done with classes by the end of the summer semesters.

Thanks for your comments about the Organic Chemistry. I will certainly consider leaving OChem 2 for the fall if things are looking tight for my MCAT preparations. I think that my study habits and self-motivation are solid from my experiences in piano. I shouldn't have a problem with getting things done but I definitely realize that OChem will be a nice challenge to chew on 🙂

3) As for your questions about the summer, I believe that the first summer term is over by early July. I will look into the time it takes for the registrar to release the transcript during the summer. How will this affect my application?

1) It's fine to break one's involvement in the area of music into multiple subcategories and list them under the appropriate designation. What you've mentioned for leadership seems stronger than a club officership, so I wouldn't worry about a lack of that. Organizing a philanthropic fundraiser would reflect well, also. You also have Artistic Endeavor, and as mentioned, possibly nonmedical community service as well.

2) Before deciding you'll be done by end of summer, keep in mind that many schools require/recommend biochem and some upper-level Bio. You'll need to check websites of schools you're most likely to apply to and be sure you'd have those bases covered by the time of matriculation (and in some cases by the January prior).

Another thought: if your school divides lab and lecture, you could take the labs at a later time, as well as OChem II. Labs take a huge amount of time, that could potentially be spent on MCAT study. I took OChem I&II with labs over the summer, so I know of what I speak. It's hard for me to imagine learning it well enough to get an A, as well put in decent MCAT prep time.

3) Impact: If OChem I is done by July 1, and your entire application is ready to submit by the time it's on the transcript, say a week later, and you submit your application to one school (a cost saving measure to be sure your MCAT score is appropriate to the schools you apply to, once it's known, since you can add schools later), it will take about a month for your transcripts to be verified, say Aug 7ish.

Due to prestudying, perhaps you'd only need about a month of dedicated time to be ready for the MCAT early in August. It takes a month for the scores to come back, early in September. You'd submit to additional schools at that time depending on the score and receive piles of Secondaries. During the month you're waiting, besides being sure all LORs are in the bag, you could prewrite Secondary essays (found here on SDN School Specific threads) so you'd have a very rapid turn-around time to become Complete at every school, hopefully by the end of September. This timing would make you "Late" and would decrease your chances somewhat at every school. The degree to which you'd be impacted is a function of how much stronger your stats are than the schools' average numbers, the size of the schools' applicant pools, and when they began to offer interviews. You could further reduce this already-efficient potential timeline by taking the MCAT a month sooner, but doing so without having taken multiple practice tests to get your Verbal strategies and timing nailed down, and buffing up other knowledge areas (Physics, Bio, Gen Chem), could be deadly.

If you chose to submit after your MCAT score is known, it would take another 6-ish weeks for verification, making you even Later (but you'd save the single-school application fee if your MCAT is so low that you decide not to apply at all).

Just some things to think about. So yes, you would have the potential for getting an acceptance and matriculating in fall 2014.

 

[slicejl152]

Catalystik: Thank you for all your wonderfully detailed advice! I think I will definitely do every single thing that you mentioned except for maybe delaying labs. I think I will certainly take your advice in taking OChem 2 and Biochem in the fall after applications and MCAT etc. So I guess I'm shooting to be done with classes by January instead of by August. I think your clever schedule will certainly make a huge difference for me. I can't thank you enough! I will definitely prewrite the essays and do as much prestudying for the MCAT as I can right now. The essays for the secondary applications don't typically change from year to year?

Thanks so much! You have been a great source of encouragement for me.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=778064

That was me almost exactly two years ago! And here you are again, still helping me with your great advice. Thank you!

-Jeff

 

[Catalystik]

The essays for the secondary applications don't typically change from year to year?

They are about 95% the same from year to year.

Link to summary many Secondary essays 2011 cycle with another link to 2010's:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=12616829&postcount=8