First post - Semi Venting - Looking for additional advice

[Gulrok]

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Hi all,

I'm a long time lurker, but thought it would be good to finally make a post.

First I wanted to vent - Just finished the fall semester, was supposed to have a 4.0 GPA for the semester, however, my professor adjusted a grade (for some reason, has yet to reply to email) and it dropped my A in Biology to a B+. I now have a 3.87.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WPC_MGOaIIy-IyUj_rx2ospDgYbyC3Jynu_TRtY6MyQ/edit?usp=sharing

(This is a link to my current GPA spreadsheet, as well as theoretical GPA I can achieve.) I'm currently at a 3.77 GPA. Max theoretical is a 3.9

So here are the details.
Current Age 22.
Associates degree - Spring 2019
Bachelors degree - Fall 2020
Have not taken MCATs yet
Profession: EMT - certified for 5-1/2, started volunteering 1/2 year before that. 6 years total EMS experience, in 2020 when I graduate it'll be 8 years.

Current EMS hours (including volunteered and paid) 7000+. (Worked fulltime for a few years. Started college late. )

Leadership: EMS supervisor of 2 years, in 2020 it'll be 4. Currently, have no plans to leave the position. May receive a promotion during the next few years.

Been looking for research opportunities and having difficulty finding them.

Does anyone have advice for where to boost my application? I have a lot of EMS-clinical experience but that is about it.

 

[jarednogeek]

The difference between 500 and 5000 EMS hours will be negligible for app strength. I suggest getting diverse experiences. Shadowing 50 hours (2diff docs 1 primary care). 200 hours serving the underserved (soup kitchen, tutoring the poor), and 50 hours of another clinical experience like hospice. Crush the MCAT, and try to get at least a semester of research in.

 

[getdown]

Do some non-EMT volunteering at the hospital or something.

 

[ciestar]

Clinical experience, volunteering with the less-fortunate, shadowing, and leadership (which you have lol) are all wonderful things to have. Research if you can get it.

50ish hours shadowining preferably primary care is good.

 

[Matthew9Thirtyfive]

The difference between 500 and 5000 EMS hours will be negligible for app strength. I suggest getting diverse experiences. Shadowing 50 hours (2diff docs 1 primary care). 200 hours serving the underserved (soup kitchen, tutoring the poor), and 50 hours of another clinical experience like hospice. Crush the MCAT, and try to get at least a semester of research in.

Definitely agree with this. If you have to pick, a variety of experiences with 150-200 or so hours each (except for shadowing, which really shouldn't be more than 50 hours) is way better than only having 5000 hours of EMT experience. Go do non-clinical volunteering with the less fortunate. Do some tutoring. Pick up a cool hobby like playing an instrument (seriously, I got asked about my music experiences at every single interview but only got asked about the 8000 hours of clinical experience I have once or twice). Be a diverse, cool person.

 

[Goro]

Hi all,

I'm a long time lurker, but thought it would be good to finally make a post.

First I wanted to vent - Just finished the fall semester, was supposed to have a 4.0 GPA for the semester, however, my professor adjusted a grade (for some reason, has yet to reply to email) and it dropped my A in Biology to a B+. I now have a 3.87.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1WPC_MGOaIIy-IyUj_rx2ospDgYbyC3Jynu_TRtY6MyQ/edit?usp=sharing

(This is a link to my current GPA spreadsheet, as well as theoretical GPA I can achieve.) I'm currently at a 3.77 GPA. Max theoretical is a 3.9

So here are the details.
Current Age 22.
Associates degree - Spring 2019
Bachelors degree - Fall 2020
Have not taken MCATs yet
Profession: EMT - certified for 5-1/2, started volunteering 1/2 year before that. 6 years total EMS experience, in 2020 when I graduate it'll be 8 years.

Current EMS hours (including volunteered and paid) 7000+. (Worked fulltime for a few years. Started college late. )

Leadership: EMS supervisor of 2 years, in 2020 it'll be 4. Currently, have no plans to leave the position. May receive a promotion during the next few years.

Been looking for research opportunities and having difficulty finding them.

Does anyone have advice for where to boost my application? I have a lot of EMS-clinical experience but that is about it.

4.0 GPAs are like virginity; there comes a time to lose them.

Engage in service to other less fortunate than yourself.

You need some shadowing. And for Gawd's sake, don't limit this to ER docs.

 

[MDProspect]

4.0 GPAs are like virginity; there comes a time to lose them

It seems OP wants to be a born-again virgin and get his GPA back to 4.0.

 

[freedoctor17]

It seems OP wants to be a born-again virgin and get his GPA back to 4.0.

To be fair they already lost their 4.0 if their cumulative is 3.77. They're just mad about not getting it for the semester after an unexplained change which is understandable.

 

[MDProspect]

To be fair they already lost their 4.0 if their cumulative is 3.77. They're just mad about not getting it for the semester after an unexplained change which is understandable.

Yeah, and born-again virgins are not actually virgins. You missed the point.

 

[Gulrok]

Hi,

Yes.. so the unexplained GPA change was since the professor mistakenly added points to a wrong assignment on EVERY student in the class. It results in a flat across the board 1.5% decrease in everyone's grade. Turns out I was 3 points (out of 1000) from an A. I was told it was unethical to raise only my grade and others. So it is a B+. I'm a little bit frustrated, but that is life. Feels better to vent about it.

My first semester I did not care about classes and was originally going for nursing. I hate to say it like that but I was trying to 'scoot' bye. I've since found my passion and have tried in college.

One grade won't affect me, and I believe even a 3.77 is a competitive GPA assuming I do well on MCATs.

 

[freedoctor17]

Yeah, and born-again virgins are not actually virgins. You missed the point.

Lol i thought you meant because he already lost it this semester and was trying to get it back😛