Do I have a chance at Allopathic?

[deleted733585]

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Hi everyone,

Currently, I am a third year student at UCSD. I am a pre-med student. I am planning on taking my MCAT this upcoming spring. As all pre-med students, I am very nervous about the upcoming applications and scared about my chances of getting in. To cut it to the chase, here are my stats:

GPA: 3.348

Extracurricular (in college):
-Hospital volunteering = 2 years
-International Medicine Club
-Pre-med student association

Research Experience:
-3 research labs
- 1 publication

I had a rough start-up in college due to general chemistry classes, but I started getting all A's after fall quarter of 2nd year. I know that my GPA is low compared to the avg pre-med student, but I think I'm a well rounded applicant (if you don't focus on the numbers)...

Also, I am going to be graduating this year (graduating in 3 years: no AP credit used). Not sure if that's something to my advantage or disadvantage. Tell me what you guys think 🙂

Thanks.

 

[Glandzburg]

It is very hard to say without an MCAT score. If you perform very well, you will have a chance, but it would help a lot to get that GPA above 3.5.

And graduating in 3 years probably won't give you any "bonus points." Is there any way you can postpone your graduation until you can bring your GPA up a bit?

 

[piii]

Graduating in three years is just stupid if you have a low GPA. Use 4th year to kick butt and raise it, putting yourself in the best spot possible. Med schools won't care one bit if you graduated early. It's a marathon not a race.

 

[Glandzburg]

Also, take a look at these charts to assess your chances based on numbers alone: https://www.aamc.org/data/facts/app...mcat-gpa-grid-by-selected-race-ethnicity.html

 

[SOMBound13]

Graduating in three years is just stupid if you have a low GPA. Use 4th year to kick butt and raise it, putting yourself in the best spot possible. Med schools won't care one bit if you graduated early. It's a marathon not a race.

It isn't wise to graduate in 3 years when your GPA isn't MD worthy. Choose your 4th year of classes wisely, incorporating BCPM courses that will boost both science and cum GPA.

 

[deleted733585]

Does this mean that it's recommended for me to take an additional year of classes and then take a gap year?

 

[Glandzburg]

Does this mean that it's recommended for me to take an additional year of classes and then take a gap year?

With your current GPA, yes.

 

[iforget2]

Does this mean that it's recommended for me to take an additional year of classes and then take a gap year?

Yep, a gap year would be needed if you wanted to include your grades from your 4th year

 

[deleted733585]

So, the thing is that I'm almost done with my biology major courses (enough to graduate this year). If I wanted to take more classes to boost my science GPA, would i have to take more classes in BCPM area or can I take a minor such as psychology?

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moved to WAMC

 

[SOMBound13]

So, the thing is that I'm almost done with my biology major courses (enough to graduate this year). If I wanted to take more classes to boost my science GPA, would i have to take more classes in BCPM area or can I take a minor such as psychology?

It wouldn't be wise to take psych classes since those aren't BCPM. They would only boose your cum GPA, but would leave your science gPA too low.

Better to take BCMP classes since those can boost both GPAs.

 

[gyngyn]

Also, I am going to be graduating this year (graduating in 3 years: no AP credit used). Not sure if that's something to my advantage or disadvantage. Tell me what you guys think 🙂

Thanks.

It certainly doesn't help. Given the opportunity the additional year gives you to improve your gpa, it is a disadvantage.

 

[Aggie95]

I think graduating in 3 years with a low allopathic GPA might actually be looked at negatively by adcoms. It shows that you took more classes than you could handle, and were willing to sacrifice your grades in order to finish as fast as possible. Definitely stay another year and see if you can crack 3.5.

 

[SOMBound13]

I think graduating in 3 years with a low allopathic GPA might actually be looked at negatively by adcoms. It shows that you took more classes than you could handle, and were willing to sacrifice your grades in order to finish as fast as possible. Definitely stay another year and see if you can crack 3.5.

Very good point. It suggests a lack of good-judgement...sort of a : I wanted to hurry up and finish rather than be concerned about quality and results.

 

[GrapesofRath]

The problem is med school admission focuses on your numbers a ton. IF you are a URM or a military vet or something along those lines, maybe you can get away with saying "focus beyond my numbers" and still have a chance of someone taking you. You are none of those things. Your ECs are just par the course for a pre-med. They'll get your 3.75 applicant into med school just fine. They aren't going to rescue a 3.35 applicant in all likelihood.

Honestly with a 3.35 I would be more concerned with thinking of perhaps staying an extrasemester or two in college than trying to graduate a year early. Your goal if you are from CA should be to do everything you can to graduate with at least a 3.5. If that means staying an extra semester or two in college, do it.

There are hoards of people from California every year who graduate with 3.5's and who do well on the MCAT(33+ even 36+) who apply for med school. They get completely shut out. Then they try again. And after two cycles they are still shut out. Gyngyn call tell you all about them. That's just how the game works over there. The top SMP programs have large numbers of CA residents with 3.5/33 type stats who couldnt get into med school once and now need an additional boost to get them into an MD program. That's your competition.

Of course a fair amount of 3.5/33's even from CA get into med school contrary to SDN dogma. But you have to do everything you can to put yourself in the best chance of getting an acceptance letter. At a 3.36, you aren't there and the last thing in the world you should be thinking of doing is trying to cut off your chance to make yourself competitive by leaving school early and not working on your GPA and giving yourself a real shot.

The way it stands now with a 3.35 if you can continue your upward trend and have a 3.75-3.8 these next two years while boosting up your science credits a little you can graduate with just a little over a 3.5 come 2017. That should be your focus at all costs.