Decisions, Decisions.....

[DrBarringtonCol]

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Hello Everyone,

So i need a little insight and maybe a little support.
-I am a current senior majoring in Biology with a current 3.42 cGPA and 3.3 sGPA.
-I have ~1000 hours of clinical experience working as CNA.
-I have ~100 volunteer hours at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
-Another ~50 hours volunteering in the pediatrics department at the local hospital
~200 hours shadowing an physician assistant in the emergency department
-I am/have been in 3 clubs at my university (MedLife, Snow club, Club baseball), however no leadership roles in any of them. Also partake in many intramural sports throughout the year, really enjoy being active!!
-*No significant research experience, however looking for summer opportunities
*Also planning a mission trip this winter break through the MedLife club

Also a first generation student (neither of my parents went to college)

SO MY QUESTION IS

Do i pick up a psychology minor to stay another year in school? During this time i would also retake OChem 1 and 2 because i got C's in both during my sophomore year of college (did not know what i wanted to do yet and highly unmotivated) where i believe i am much more mature and highly motivated (so cliche but true). With a higher GPA (and upward trend), more clinical hours, more volunteer hours, hopefully research experience, and a mission trip under my belt, it would definitely help my resume when it comes to application.

HOWEVER ANOTHER THING IS

After shadowing a PA, i really learned that i wanted to work in an Emergency department someday, but i think I want to go big for the medical degree instead of just a PA, and i think the extra year would improve my chances to get into med school.
This is also why i am posting in the "DO forum" instead of the "MD forum", i just dont feel like i have the credentials for a standard allopathic med school, but maybe not?

Any input is appreciated.

Thank you =)

 

[Cath Up]

I hope the wise adcoms/faculty/physicians will weigh in after me, but here are my thoughts, based on reading a bunch of these threads in the past:

Difficult to know your chances without any MCAT. If you can score very well (somewhere around ~90th percentile) then you probably stand a decent change at an interview at your state MD school, depending on your state. Maybe also low tier MD schools depending on your MCAT and nature of your upward trend.

If you score average to decent on the MCAT (500 - 508ish) then I believe you have a great chance at most DO schools. Chances go up with your MCAT.

If you decide to stay on an additional year and perform very well (maybe around at least 3.7 average) I believe it could open lots of doors for MD competitiveness, and increased DO competitiveness. Of course, all this depends on your MCAT.

Traveling abroad for mission trips is often seen as medical tourism. You really can't go wrong with helping those less fortunate in your own community for a sustained period of time.

Particularly if your application is DO heavy, I strongly recommend shadowing a DO and obtaining a letter of recommendation from them. This is required at some schools, and strongly recommended at many more. Regardless, you need hours shadowing a physician. It looks like you have only done so with a PA? It is ideal to have shadowed multiple physicians in multiple specialties.

If you are very strongly interested in EM and would be actively unhappy in primary care/internal medicine, staying in undergrad another year and excelling in upper level science coursework similar to that encountered in med school would be a solid plan because it would make you more competitive for MD schools. EM is becoming more competitive. With the upcoming residency merger between MDs/DOs, DOs are losing protected residency positions, which may further reduce their ability to specialize (though many still will!). If you want EM, going MD would give you a better chance. It just could potentially cost you an extra year of undergrad, and maybe multiple app cycles.

 

[Goro]

Do i pick up a psychology minor to stay another year in school?
It'snot going to make you any more competitive. We don't care what yur major or minor is, only that you do well.

During this time i would also retake OChem 1 and 2 because i got C's in both during my sophomore year of college (did not know what i wanted to do yet and highly unmotivated) where i believe i am much more mature and highly motivated (so cliche but true). With a higher GPA (and upward trend), more clinical hours, more volunteer hours, hopefully research experience, and a mission trip under my belt, it would definitely help my resume when it comes to application.

Do not retake Cs because grade replacement doesn't exist anymore. Only retake if you feel weak on the material heading into MCAT. But your GPAs are fine for any DO school, including mine.

Do NOT go on a mission trip because we we view these as medical tourism.


After shadowing a PA, i really learned that i wanted to work in an Emergency department someday, but i think I want to go big for the medical degree instead of just a PA, and i think the extra year would improve my chances to get into med school.
This is also why i am posting in the "DO forum" instead of the "MD forum", i just dont feel like i have the credentials for a standard allopathic med school, but maybe not?

Your GPAs are too low for MD. See above for DO.

 

[workaholic181]

Hello Everyone,

So i need a little insight and maybe a little support.
-I am a current senior majoring in Biology with a current 3.42 cGPA and 3.3 sGPA.
-I have ~1000 hours of clinical experience working as CNA.
-I have ~100 volunteer hours at Big Brothers Big Sisters.
-Another ~50 hours volunteering in the pediatrics department at the local hospital
~200 hours shadowing an physician assistant in the emergency department
-I am/have been in 3 clubs at my university (MedLife, Snow club, Club baseball), however no leadership roles in any of them. Also partake in many intramural sports throughout the year, really enjoy being active!!
-*No significant research experience, however looking for summer opportunities
*Also planning a mission trip this winter break through the MedLife club

Also a first generation student (neither of my parents went to college)

SO MY QUESTION IS

Do i pick up a psychology minor to stay another year in school? During this time i would also retake OChem 1 and 2 because i got C's in both during my sophomore year of college (did not know what i wanted to do yet and highly unmotivated) where i believe i am much more mature and highly motivated (so cliche but true). With a higher GPA (and upward trend), more clinical hours, more volunteer hours, hopefully research experience, and a mission trip under my belt, it would definitely help my resume when it comes to application.

HOWEVER ANOTHER THING IS

After shadowing a PA, i really learned that i wanted to work in an Emergency department someday, but i think I want to go big for the medical degree instead of just a PA, and i think the extra year would improve my chances to get into med school.
This is also why i am posting in the "DO forum" instead of the "MD forum", i just dont feel like i have the credentials for a standard allopathic med school, but maybe not?

Any input is appreciated.

Thank you =)

Yea adding that minor won't really make a difference, and retaking C's isnt the best option. Your best bet is to take new science classes and get A's in them.

Depending on your state, you could be competitive MD with a high MCAT, but Goro is right in stating that DO is probably a better bet at this point. Have you shadowed physicians at all? Get a DO letter of rec.

Mission trips don't help. You would be better served saving that cash for school, and using that time to volutneer at a local underserved clinic.

Good luck OP.