Do I have what it takes to get in med school?

[goldandapager]

Hey I'm a curious pre-med. I was wondering if I have the gpa and extra-curricular activities it takes to get into med school. I have about a 3.78 in sci classes and in reg GPA. BUt, I don't know if I have enough volunteering hours, research projects, foreign experience, part-time jobs, club sports, addition of diversity, and interesting hobbies. I think i can score high on the MCAT. Wat does it take to get into a school like Harvard or John Hopkins in these categories? How can I prove to the admissions committee that I have what it takes to be a doctor?

I envision having a really busy private practice and helping my community. Based on my experiences in AP psych and a few psych classes in college I would like to become a neurosurgeon, I really liked the biological aspect of psychology. I've seen a few neurosurgery videos online and they were really interesting, so I think that's the right job for me. what can I do to be a respected practioner in neurosurgery?

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[Algophiliac]

Don't even think about deciding on a specialty yet, that's really ridiculous. Keep an open mind and try to get in (ANY...Harvard and Johns Hopkins are not the only worthy schools around, please give me a break) medical school first, why don't you?

Your GPA is perfect, but you really need to start volunteer activities at a hospital right away. While research isn't required, if you have time for it, I say find a chance to get some in. Do you have ANY of those ECs? Also, what year of college are you in currently? You may have more time than you think--so calm down!

 

[MSSM2013]

Wat does it take to get into a school like Harvard or John Hopkins in these categories?

only Harvard and JHU are real med schools.

AP psych and a few psych classes in college I would like to become a neurosurgeon, I've seen a few neurosurgery videos online and they were really interesting, so I think that's the right job for me.

I took AP US history and I would like to become a treasure hunter. I've seen a few Indiana Jones movies, I think treasure hunter is the right job for me

 

[apumic]

only Harvard and JHU are real med schools.



I took AP US history and I would like to become a treasure hunter. I've seen a few Indiana Jones movies, I think treasure hunter is the right job for me

I think you should definitely pursue that. It sounds like you have a very well-developed understanding of treasure hunting and I would bet anything you could get into any program in the world focused on treasure hunting. Have you tried shadowing someone who does geo-caching yet? That would be a great pre-treasure-hunter EC, I think. If you could actually get a "job" as a geo-cacher, that'd be even better, but I hear those are hard to come by. I also suggest you begin studying for the National Treasure Hunting Admissions Exam (NTHAE) asap so you'll be fully prepared. Do you have a GPA of at least 3.97?

 

[goldandapager]

YeA I have some stuff done. I have about 50 community service hours helping the underprivledged. I dont have much clincial xp though, but I do know a lot about the medical profession. I've watched the Nova documentaries about medicine, House MD, Discovery Health, etc. I also volunteered in the pharmacy at my local hospital in high school.

I have lab experience (chem 1 and 2 lab, bio one lab) but I havnet done my own research yet. I have to talk to my advisor. Ok and I play intermural ultimate frisbee.

How can meeting the dean of a med school help me out? I ran into him when I was going to meet my premed advisor and asked him about the schools avg gpa, etc.

 

[Analog]

Step 1: Don't include House MD in 'knowing a lot about the medical profession' or SDNers will make fun of you.

Step 2: get some clinical experience. Shadow a few doctors and make sure you know what their days are like. Continue volunteering throughout school. Get involved with things. Make yourself a well rounded person. don't be boring. see if you can get involved with research going on at your school.

Things to read-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=380160
The Not So Short Introduction To Getting Into Medical School- available on the SDN download page...will tell you everything you need to know

 

[goldandapager]

I think House MD is a good portrayal of the diagnostic process

 

[CoolWhipp]

I took AP US history and I would like to become a treasure hunter. I've seen a few Indiana Jones movies, I think treasure hunter is the right job for me

I was going to say something along those lines. Damn you.

 

[Analog]

I think House MD is a good portrayal of the diagnostic process

gonna ignore this

i forgot to mention that if you want to go to JHU and harvard you better be interested in doing research. if you never wanna see the inside of a lab after graduation there isn't a point.

 

[muhali3]

Sounds like a troll post, but sad because I don't think it is.

 

[tennisball80]

I always try to do the ECs I am interested in.

That's a good way to go. You don't want to burn out.

 

[FirefighterDoc]

You have to remember that it is just a TV show for entertainment purposes. the real thing doesn't have all its loose ends tied up so nicely in 1 hour like on House.

I know that they are for entertainment purposes but being a firefighter/emt and working in a hospital just makes me want to yell at tv programs because nothing happens in real life like how it is on TV. I thought it might be cool but i cant even watch that new show Trauma because it is so inaccurate. Idk maybe for people who dont know how things work it might be fun, but i cant get past the inaccuracies. Its just like how my cousin who is a plastic surgery resident says he hates greys anatomy because its nothing like that( obviously) but the medical things at least.

I think House MD is a good portrayal of the diagnostic process

 

[09javcar]

Sounds like a troll post, but sad because I don't think it is.

Wow, you read my mind and posted it before me. Exactly what I was thinking. Kind of scared me because on one hand it could be a troll, but on the other it could be a kid who has no idea. Either way, as you stated this is sad. Anyways, just follow the advice others on here are giving you. AND DON'T think of a specialty just yet. Explore. Also just because you think you can score high on the MCAT doesn't make it a 100% certainty. Take notice, you are competing on a curved test against the best of the best.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Step 1: Don't include House MD in 'knowing a lot about the medical profession' or SDNers will make fun of you.

Step 2: get some clinical experience. Shadow a few doctors and make sure you know what their days are like. Continue volunteering throughout school. Get involved with things. Make yourself a well rounded person. don't be boring. see if you can get involved with research going on at your school.

Things to read-
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=380160
The Not So Short Introduction To Getting Into Medical School- available on the SDN download page...will tell you everything you need to know

The link this user provides would be an excellent place to start, as it really seems like you don't know the basics of how this process works and there's way more in that guide than we could ever hope to reproduce here.

Moving to What are my Chances.

 

[bannie22]

^ give the guy a break, he knows what he wants to do and theres nothing wrong with that. having a goal in mind is always better than not knowing whats next.

 

[apumic]

YeA I have some stuff done. I have about 50 community service hours helping the underprivledged. I dont have much clincial xp though, but I do know a lot about the medical profession. I've watched the Nova documentaries about medicine, House MD, Discovery Health, etc. I also volunteered in the pharmacy at my local hospital in high school.

I have lab experience (chem 1 and 2 lab, bio one lab) but I havnet done my own research yet. I have to talk to my advisor. Ok and I play intermural ultimate frisbee.

How can meeting the dean of a med school help me out? I ran into him when I was going to meet my premed advisor and asked him about the schools avg gpa, etc.

Ok, I'm going to stop reading now before my howling laughter wakes up the entire block!

Wow, just wow.



Might I suggest getting some real clinical experience before choosing your specialty or even deciding that being a physician is for you in the first place? Have you actually spoken with physicians in multiple specialties? Have you sat in the doctors' lounge and been sucked into their culture? It's nothing like House MD or Scrubs, etc.
As far as meeting the dean...well, while it's kind of cute to meet the dean and ask questions, you need to make sure your questions show depth in your understanding of medicine. You're not going to impress anyone by telling them the type of doctor you definitely want to be when you finish medical school.
Additionally, your bio and chem labs...yeah, not lab or research experience. Sorry, simply not. All you learn in your labs is simple lab technique and, IME, crappily simplified research methods.
Finally, as others have hinted at, your apparent love of a couple of schools indicates how unaware you really are of medical school. I'd suggest looking at the MSAR and at the med school selection spreadsheet to get a better feel for what's out there. You seem to have not yet really explored medicine to any appreciable extent, which is why we are wondering about your choices.

 

[goldandapager]

ya i have spoke to multiple docs and they say neurosurg would b a great field for me. they told me john hopkins and harvard r the two best so i thimk theyd give me the best vhances of being a neurosurgeon

 

[JonSwan]

ya i have spoke to multiple docs and they say neurosurg would b a great field for me. they told me john hopkins and harvard r the two best so i thimk theyd give me the best vhances of being a neurosurgeon

Look, I don't even know if I should be responding here as I am hesitant to feed the trolls (if you are not a troll I sincerely apologize).

If you are being serious about this, here is some advice:

1. A highly ranked school does not necessarily make it the best place for YOU to go to med school. Any accredited medical school with provide you with an MD (or DO) degree, allowing you to pursue any field of medicine you'd like, including neurosurgery. I guarantee even the lowest ranked school still produces doctors who get residencies in their field of choice.

2. About 2/3 of medical school graduates accept residencies in fields what they stated as their top choice as first year med students. Don't set your heart on any specialty this early.

3. As far as ECs go, find something you love to do. Hopefully, if you'd like to be a doctor, you love clinical experience - get as much of this as possible. ECs should also be meaningful. While ultimate frisbee is a lot of fun, it is unlikely to impress many admissions officers.

4. Don't underestimate the MCAT or the MCAT will take you behind the woodshed and beat you like a redheaded step-child.

 

[goldandapager]

Nvm...