So I have an overall gpa of 3.75 with a science gpa of around 3.55. I have research, volunteering experience, and leadership skills. However, I am worried because I got a C in gen chem and I have taken light credit loads. I did 13 and 14 my freshman year, 17 and 17 my sophomore year, and 13 again my first semester of junior year. Second semester I'll take 14 credits. Does my credit load look wimpy? Also, I am doing MCAT prep now and it is kicking my butt. I am so scared...do I have a chance at med school assuming I can pull off a 30? Thank youu
DO I HAVE A CHANCE?? pleasee helppp
- Thread starter Jenna124
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Right now, your GPA looks fine. A 3.75 cumulative GPA is definitely in the competitive range for a lot of medical schools, but you'll want to order the most recent edition of the MSAR to see, specifically, which schools those are.
You're a little vague as to what your EC's are and given that they are just as crucial to your application as your GPA and MCAT, a more detailed description would be useful. It looks like you have research, that's excellent. You also mention volunteering experiences, but do you have both clinical and nonclinical volunteer work? You'll need both on your application, and 100 hours or more of each, minimum. You say you have leader skills, but can you prove that this is the case via one or two leadership positions in an organization or club on or off campus? You don't mention any shadowing. You'll want ~50 hours of that. I mean, adcomms want proof that you've thoroughly investigated the medical profession and know that you want to be a doctor. How can you know that if you've never shadowed a physician? What about TAing or tutoring? Most applicants have that. And what about a unique hobby that makes you stand out as a unique individual, rather than a pre-med bot?
As for the MCAT, a 30 should be your target. If you hit that, you're about at the average score of most matriculants. However, do NOT take the MCAT until you are ready. I pushed back my MCAT by a year and will now be applying in my senior year. Why? Because I didn't want to take a heavy science course load while studying for the MCAT OR go into the MCAT without having taken all the pre-reqs necessary for doing well on said exam. There is no reason to apply junior year if you aren't ready EC or MCAT wise.
You're a little vague as to what your EC's are and given that they are just as crucial to your application as your GPA and MCAT, a more detailed description would be useful. It looks like you have research, that's excellent. You also mention volunteering experiences, but do you have both clinical and nonclinical volunteer work? You'll need both on your application, and 100 hours or more of each, minimum. You say you have leader skills, but can you prove that this is the case via one or two leadership positions in an organization or club on or off campus? You don't mention any shadowing. You'll want ~50 hours of that. I mean, adcomms want proof that you've thoroughly investigated the medical profession and know that you want to be a doctor. How can you know that if you've never shadowed a physician? What about TAing or tutoring? Most applicants have that. And what about a unique hobby that makes you stand out as a unique individual, rather than a pre-med bot?
As for the MCAT, a 30 should be your target. If you hit that, you're about at the average score of most matriculants. However, do NOT take the MCAT until you are ready. I pushed back my MCAT by a year and will now be applying in my senior year. Why? Because I didn't want to take a heavy science course load while studying for the MCAT OR go into the MCAT without having taken all the pre-reqs necessary for doing well on said exam. There is no reason to apply junior year if you aren't ready EC or MCAT wise.
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1) Adcomms won't look only at your academic load, they'll also look at the entire load you are carrying, including job, research, family obligations, and ECs. If one had none of these, then taking 13-14 credit hours would indeed look wimpy. If you're worried, why not add a 2-3 credit hour class next semester to demonstrate you can do well with a heavier academic load (if you're sure you can manage it)?
2) Your BCPM GPA will be somewhat below the average for those who get accepted to MD schools if you can't raise it next semester. I suggest you ramp up the effort to improve this number. Aiming for an MCAT score that is above the acceptee average of 31.1 might also be a good strategy to improve your chances.
Chances with a 3.75/30 for All Applicants over the past three years was ~70% (and rose to 78% with an MCAT of 32), but I would adjust that number downward for you due to your BCPM. I'd adjust upward a tad from there if the C in Chem was long ago.
