General Interest

[usernforce]

Hi,

So I am well aware that there are a ton of threads discussing students chances at admittance to a M.D. or D.O. program on this site. I guess my thread could be counted as another. Although, unlike some of the other threads, I'm looking more for advice in regards to planning. I'm currently a junior in Philosophy and Religious Studies programs. I'm an engineering school washout ( 18 months, 2.3 GPA, no real desire to become an engineer other than my parents always wanted me to be one) and frankly I am well aware that my background does not prepare me for a successful admittance into a program. I've always wanted to be a surgeon. There have been times when I have forgotten that I loved intensity and pressure, and there have been times when I have destroyed myself academically. I've been working on change. I'm currently sitting at a 3.0 after a disaster in engineering school and I've been discerning on what I want to make with my life. The fact remains that I am still interested in becoming a surgeon. I don't want a family, I don't care about having a sexy resume, and frankly I don't care about idiotic selfism. What I care about it providing people with answers, solving problems, and simply trying to make the best out of a situation. I'm thinking about medical school and I know that competitively, I'm probably the least attractive candidate right now. I'm looking for advice: I have three semesters remaining in my undergraduate career. I want to make the most of these semesters. I want to give myself the best chance at making at least an impression on someone review applications. I've rebuilt myself and I'm continuing to do so. My background in science courses so far are in general physics and biology. I've taken extensive studies of Latin and Greek. I've focused on Logic. What do I need to study? What should I work on? How can I better myself and find something in the future? Any suggestions would be nice. Be rude, be honest, be whatever the heck you want to be. Thanks for the time.

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[MedPhys2MD]

I think a good place for you to start is to do some shadowing of physicians and see if it's really what you want to do. I know you've always thought you wanted to do this, but get your feet wet - this will either ignite/fuel your desires or help you realize this isn't what you really want to do.

From there, the additional premed coursework, gpa repaid, EC and other stuff can start.

 

[Catalystik]

Hi,

So I am well aware that there are a ton of threads discussing students chances at admittance to a M.D. or D.O. program on this site. I guess my thread could be counted as another. Although, unlike some of the other threads, I'm looking more for advice in regards to planning. I'm currently a junior in Philosophy and Religious Studies programs. I'm an engineering school washout ( 18 months, 2.3 GPA, no real desire to become an engineer other than my parents always wanted me to be one) and frankly I am well aware that my background does not prepare me for a successful admittance into a program. I've always wanted to be a surgeon. There have been times when I have forgotten that I loved intensity and pressure, and there have been times when I have destroyed myself academically. I've been working on change. I'm currently sitting at a 3.0 after a disaster in engineering school and I've been discerning on what I want to make with my life. The fact remains that I am still interested in becoming a surgeon. I don't want a family, I don't care about having a sexy resume, and frankly I don't care about idiotic selfism. What I care about it providing people with answers, solving problems, and simply trying to make the best out of a situation. I'm thinking about medical school and I know that competitively, I'm probably the least attractive candidate right now. I'm looking for advice: I have three semesters remaining in my undergraduate career. I want to make the most of these semesters. I want to give myself the best chance at making at least an impression on someone review applications. I've rebuilt myself and I'm continuing to do so. My background in science courses so far are in general physics and biology. I've taken extensive studies of Latin and Greek. I've focused on Logic. What do I need to study? What should I work on? How can I better myself and find something in the future? Any suggestions would be nice. Be rude, be honest, be whatever the heck you want to be. Thanks for the time.

It will be difficult for you to become a viable candidate in just three more semesters, considering that Gen Chem with labs, OChem with lab, and Biochem, not to mention Behavioral Science are looming on your academic horizon. Some med schools recommend/require some upper-level Bio as well, which in your case is a good idea regardless to demonstrate that you have what it takes to excel in med school-like coursework and to help boost your GPA. I will assume you already have a Statistics class under your belt. You have the option of graduating before you complete the above and finishing up with postbac classes, or delaying graduation and keeping your registration priority, perhaps by adding a minor so you qualify for the classes you need.

Excellent grades are your priority from this moment forward, with a goal of 3.7+. You have a lot of expected Experiences to acquire before you apply. Don't make the mistake of crowding them in and distracting from your academic resuscitation. And don't put yourself into the mindset that you MUST apply within a certain time frame. Instead, apply when your application is the best it can be, even if you' ll be of nontraditional age by the time that happens. As MedPhys2MD suggests, get your feet wet with some shadowing, perhaps over the winter break and see if you are drawn to helping sick folks. When you're ready, add active clinical experience by volunteering in a healthcare setting. Continue or add some nonmedical community service. Consider a research experience, taking on a leadership role, and/or teaching, all of which benefit a med school application.

Don't rush. This process is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

[deleted407021]

You need to complete you prerequisites as soon as possible. If you have biology and physics I & II out of the way, all you need is general chemistry and organic chemistry. Your GPA certainly needs repair but you have demonstrated a significant upward trend and, if you keep that up, a 3.5+ cGPA would be great. Also, to make up for your previous falterings, prepare as best as you can for the MCAT and rock it. That means 32+. This, coupled with good grades in The prerequisite courses will show that you have mastered the material. Take some upper division biology to solidify you ability to do well in hard life science courses. Get as much clinical exposure as you can and shadow a few doctors in various specialties. The most important thing (even more than GPA repair) is knowing that you really want to be a doctor in the first place. This comes with exposure to the field. Consider the osteopathic route, because they do grade replacement, which can mean a phenomenal difference to you application. You show a lot of maturity and a willingness to work and improve in your post. Get that GPA up, rock the MCAT, build your volunteering and other extracurricular activities around those stats and you will be where you need to be. Catalystk's advice above about not rushing is awesome. Take all the time you need to make the best application possible. Godspeed.

 

[Goro]

Pay very careful attention to my learned colleague's advice. There are schools out there that reward reinvention, especially when combined with a great MCAT score.

What has been your cGPA and sGPA since you've left engineering school?

It will be difficult for you to become a viable candidate in just three more semesters, considering that Gen Chem with labs, OChem with lab, and Biochem, not to mention Behavioral Science are looming on your academic horizon. Some med schools recommend/require some upper-level Bio as well, which in your case is a good idea regardless to demonstrate that you have what it takes to excel in med school-like coursework and to help boost your GPA. I will assume you already have a Statistics class under your belt. You have the option of graduating before you complete the above and finishing up with postbac classes, or delaying graduation and keeping your registration priority, perhaps by adding a minor so you qualify for the classes you need.

Excellent grades are your priority from this moment forward, with a goal of 3.7+. You have a lot of expected Experiences to acquire before you apply. Don't make the mistake of crowding them in and distracting from your academic resuscitation. And don't put yourself into the mindset that you MUST apply within a certain time frame. Instead, apply when your application is the best it can be, even if you' ll be of nontraditional age by the time that happens. As MedPhys2MD suggests, get your feet wet with some shadowing, perhaps over the winter break and see if you are drawn to helping sick folks. When you're ready, add active clinical experience by volunteering in a healthcare setting. Continue or add some nonmedical community service. Consider a research experience, taking on a leadership role, and/or teaching, all of which benefit a med school application.

Don't rush. This process is a marathon, not a sprint.

 

[usernforce]

Pay very careful attention to my learned colleague's advice. There are schools out there that reward reinvention, especially when combined with a great MCAT score.

What has been your cGPA and sGPA since you've left engineering school?

Since leaving engineering school, my cGPA is roughly around 3.65 pending grades for this semester (expecting 4 A's and a B so that could change) and my mGPA's are roughly a 3.3 (Phil) and a 3.9 (R.S.). In the traditional sciences, my GPA with Physics I and Bio I and II is a 3.5.

Overall, there has been a significant change in my attitude and academic performance. I wasn't ready for college when I entered and I had to figure things out. Unfortunately, I made the mistake that many kids make (although I'm in my mid 20's) and I've paid that price. I did some number crunching earlier today, and I noticed that if I were to retake two courses ( Calc II and Analog Systems) I could boost my GPA if I at least received a B in both courses ( I performed when I took these courses my freshman year D and F respectively and they are still the only significantly horrible grades on my transcript).

I'm grateful for the advice that all of you have given me so far. I'll definitely look into shadowing. My mother has a close friend she works with that I probably could shadow for a few weeks. Also, I've given thought to perhaps joining the Mercy Volunteer Core when I graduate. The program works on developing social justice throughout the US and Central America. They have a program where I could spend a year working in a hospital or working with Doctors in Central America. Would you recommend this program?

 

[Goro]

Absolutely!

I've given thought to perhaps joining the Mercy Volunteer Core when I graduate. The program works on developing social justice throughout the US and Central America. They have a program where I could spend a year working in a hospital or working with Doctors in Central America. Would you recommend this program?[/quote]