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my overall gpa is only a 3.4...do i need to do post-bac/SMP to get into an MD school? I keep seeing 3.7 averages everywhere (just purchased MSAR)
Majors don't make a whole hell of a lot of difference statistically.Ok thanks. is having an engineering degree unique?
If you apply very, very broadly with those stats you'll probably get in somewhere. You've kind of got the problem of being way too average. In a given school's applicant pool, there's gonna be somebody with an equivalent MCAT and higher GPA or an equivalent GPA with a higher MCAT. When you're in this kind of spot, you really have to do something to set yourself apart EC wise or academically if you want to improve your chances of admission. Without something that wows the adcoms about your file, you're just going to have to shotgun it and send out a huge pile of apps, hoping that somebody bites. If you're white, you're looking at a 39.1-54.2% chance of admission per the table (since you're straddling the line at 3.4, I used the acceptance range of anyone from a 3.2-3.6 with your MCAT score). Your odds will be worse if you're Asian, better if you're a URM. Good luck.
https://www.aamc.org/download/321518/data/2012factstable25-4.pdf
No, it wont be a factor: ie they wont give you because you were in a harder major
Majors don't make a whole hell of a lot of difference statistically.
http://www.usnews.com/education/blo...-right-undergraduate-major-for-medical-school
I mean like 40+ schools if you want to maximize your chances of admission. If you apply to 20 schools, you're probably going to have odds that are close to the 40-45% range. You might be able to get closer to the 60%+ range if you increase your number of apps. In any case, you're looking at a lot of secondaries. Of course, this entirely depends on your school mix. If you go mostly low-mid tier, you could probably cut down your app number to 20, maybe 25 or so, and if no one bites at that point, you're probably SOL until you improve your app. Applying to more schools can never hurt you and might score you an extra interview or two, but it'll take money and time.Can you explain what you mean by "very, very broadly"?
Im either going to apply this year or take two years off to go do the Peace Corps. I need to catch the eyes of the admissions somehow.
It isn't about how hard your degree is, as the MCAT demonstrates how well you've mastered the material that medical schools require you to know. If you've got a kid with a 35 and a 3.3 GPA that is an English major and a guy who's got a 32 and a 3.3 GPA that is an engineering major, then that English major managed to successfully master the prerequisite material better than the engineer despite not having constant reinforcement of the subject matter. The MCAT gives you a good gauge for how good a person's brain is at sponging up minutia, a critical skill when it comes time for the boards.How come though? I mean I'm positive an engineering degree is a whole lot harder to do well in than an english degree. Is it because schools want diversity? I'm not complaining, just wondering
Depending on your actual background, a DIY maybe cheaper and nearly as effective. But SMP is good route in this case. Your close but a push would get you much much closer
As much as reasonably possible before the application cycle of your choosing. You'll have to calculate out your gpa's and credit hours and see how many credit hours at attainable grades (don't assume straight A's if you probably can't get all A's) and see how many you need to get your gpa into the ranges of schools you're interested in.How much should I raise my GPA through a DIY, if I were to do one?
As much as reasonably possible before the application cycle of your choosing. You'll have to calculate out your gpa's and credit hours and see how many credit hours at attainable grades (don't assume straight A's if you probably can't get all A's) and see how many you need to get your gpa into the ranges of schools you're interested in.
But do you think 25 credits a semester is overkill? It sounds horrible but if a 3.6 is the benchmark, it seems like my only option.