Crapfest

[Yuyukachoo]

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This is going to be a long and complicated post because I'm stupid and decided to get myself into a bad situation as far as applying to med. school goes.

I had a 4.0 freshman year, at the end of my sophomore year it was a 3.39.
I still haven't taken the MCAT yet. I am also currently spending a year studying and volunteering abroad, so I am not taking any classes to help boost my major, since the college won't except these transfer credits.

My plan was to wing it, apply with the 3.39, try and cream the MCAT and bumble my way through 2 years of course work in a year and a few summer courses when I get back.

I don't really know what to do, and I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice/opinions on what they would do in this situation. I could see boosting my GPA by just taking the extra year when I return, but I'd be old when I got anywhere near being a doctor.


Thanks~

 

[greatnt249]

My plan was to wing it

Wing what?

 

[Yuyukachoo]

Sorry for the vagueness, it's currently 3am here. I was planning on winging the application part. I'd have to take the MCAT abroad, and scores would be reported around July, so I figured my application wouldn't be in as early as it possibly could.

 

[LizzyM]

Stop. Assuming you started college at age 19 or younger, you will still be "young" when you get to medical school even if you slow down a year or two.... old is relative but for starting medical school I'd put it at 30 (that's not too old but it is old).

You did well first year and bombed the second. What went wrong? Can you perform the way you did freshman year?

Even if your college doesn't accept the credits earned abroad they will count toward your gpa and those grade will be on your AMCAS so continue to work hard & do well.

Do not take the MCAT until you are ready and know that you have studies and taken practice tests so that you get it right the first time (a poor showing followed by a better score will be held against you when compared with someone who took it once and got the score you got the second time around).

Do not rush through college... you need the experiences beyond classroom courses to build the experience section of your application. Unless you are already 28, you will not be old when you get to medical school even if you slow down and build yourself back up after that crappy showing as a sophomore.

 

[Stratego]

Keep in mind that the median cGPA for those accepted is 3.65. You need to get as close to that as possible to be competitive. Some apply after senior year or after five college years in order to continue their GPA redemption. Do not rush the process. Do not take the MCAT prematurely before multiple practice tests say you are scoring in your target range. Besides volunteering and clinical experience in the states, you'll need US physician shadowing, a research experience, leadership activity, and maybe teaching. Until your application is as strong as you can make it, don't waste your time and money applying. Med school classes have many people in their late twenties, a number in their thirties and forties, and some in the 50s are getting accepted too. Don't doom yourself to muliple application cycles by not having a cohesive, workable plan.