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[Engineering2MD]

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I am now considering going to medical school.
The main issue is that I am NOW considering it and I am a senior in college.
I have studying Chemical Engineering with a Bioengineering Option.

Here is my information:

• my cGPA is 3.65
• my sGPA is 3.67
• relative GPAs I still have the rest of my senior year to complete which by the way is going very well.
• I have extensive research experience 3+ years on renewable energy/material science/electrochemistry. I have one publication in a MAGAZINE and not a journal.
• I took an internship this summer and am going back to it this winter which is a nice form of revenue!
• I have no clinical experience and want to get on that as soon as possible.

Here are my options:

1. I can retake two courses in a bad semester this summer and effectively increase both my sGPA and cGPA by about 0.07. Bringing my cGPA is 3.72 and sGPA to 3.74.
2. Over the next two years I have been offered to do a masters at my current institution where I would gain more research experience and most likely more publications. As well I can choose to take bio-related GRADUATE classes.
3. Over the next two years I can work for a company as an operator or engineer for a pharmaceutical company taking night classes or weekend classes effectively including all my bio related pre-requisites and more to make myself more competitive.

Overall
Two years to get an acceptable medical school application including clinical experience and classes
Two years to study for the MCATS.
Question: How should I spend my time wisely based on my choices?
Thank You very much for reading this
Engineering2MD

 

[Catalystik]

I am now considering going to medical school.
The main issue is that I am NOW considering it and I am a senior in college.
I have studying Chemical Engineering with a Bioengineering Option.






Here is my information:

• my cGPA is 3.65
• my sGPA is 3.67
• relative GPAs I still have the rest of my senior year to complete which by the way is going very well.
• I have extensive research experience 3+ years on renewable energy/material science/electrochemistry. I have one publication in a MAGAZINE and not a journal.
• I took an internship this summer and am going back to it this winter which is a nice form of revenue!
• I have no clinical experience and want to get on that as soon as possible.

Here are my options:

1. I can retake two courses in a bad semester this summer and effectively increase both my sGPA and cGPA by about 0.07. Bringing my cGPA is 3.72 and sGPA to 3.74.
2. Over the next two years I have been offered to do a masters at my current institution where I would gain more research experience and most likely more publications. As well I can choose to take bio-related GRADUATE classes.
3. Over the next two years I can work for a company as an operator or engineer for a pharmaceutical company taking night classes or weekend classes effectively including all my bio related pre-requisites and more to make myself more competitive.

Overall
Two years to get an acceptable medical school application including clinical experience and classes
Two years to study for the MCATS.
Question: How should I spend my time wisely based on my choices?
Thank You very much for reading this
Engineering2MD

1) In what did you earn the low grades? Considering the minimal GPA gain, I would not retake unless they were pitifully low and were prerequisites needed to excel on the MCAT.

2) Note that applications are rarely judged by graduate GPA. I suggest that taking undergrad Bio coursework while a masters candidate for another discipline (and not required for the masters) would allow those classes to be listed as "Postbac" on the AMCAS application so they would then be included in your undergrad BCPM GPA (if you decide to get a masters). Don't do it if you think it will help you get into med school. It won't. It will be looked on as a nice EC, after you earn it, and therefore is more useful for residency applications. It might help get you a teacing gig though, and more research might appeal to research institutions.

You already have enough research for even the fussiest of the research giants and way more than you need for general purposes.

3) Making money while getting the prerequisites and needed ECs seems like a good option. Without the research, you'd have more time for the volunteering, etc that you need to do. If the work hours aren't too heavy.

Question: How should I spend my time wisely based on my choices?
Is it 1.5 or 2.5 years before you'd apply in early June of your application year (the ideal time)?

To start as soon as possible: an hour per week of hands-on local community service. Do you have any yet? Aim for 50 hours per year.

About 1.5 years before applying: start volunteering 3-4 hours per week at a hospital, clinic, hospice, or skilled-nursing home (not a retirement center) where you engage patients directly. Longevity counts, so don't save this until the end. You could start this now, just to help you decide if medicine is for you.

At any time, even saving it for the last few months: shadowing a few physicians for a total of about 50 hours, including a primary care doc.

Also helpful, but not required: a) Leadership, possibly with work or the organization you volunteer your time to. b) Teaching (mentoring, tutoring, coaching, TAind, etc), which could be paid or volunteer. Could be acquired through community service.

 

[Engineering2MD]

I took Nutrition and received a B- due to not working hard enough
I took Biology during an accelerated summer course and received a B due again to not working hard enough.

My GPA during my Junior year is high (3.5 first semester 15 credits, 3.83 second semester 20 credits). I took engineering courses so my GPA isn't as high as I would want it to be.

• Freshmen year 3.83
• Sophomore year 3.43
• Junior year 3.68
• Senior year is looking like it is going up even more. Each semester's GPA is going up which I think speaks of a work ethic that has been harnessed throughout my undergraduate work. I received a grade of A in both organic chemistry 1 and 2.

• Speaking of leadership roles I am the President my student chapter of ISPE (International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers) which has developed my organizational and administrative leadership skills.
  
• I am part of the chemistry fraternity called Alpha Chi Sigma which does outreach and community services to elementary and middle schools. I have planned and participated in magic shows shown at these schools.
  
• I am part of American Institute of Chemical Engineers; Tau Beta Phi; American Chemical Society but these are of a lesser degree of importance due to being less involved with them.
  
• Speaking of why I would want to get my masters is that taking the classes would be paid for by my master's program. Working for a company in industry on the other hand would give me more time to do clinical experiences and EC.

Thank You Very Much For Reading

 

[Catalystik]

Definitely don't retake those two classes. And, nice job in OChem.

It sounds like you have had some solid leadership roles. Be sure the description your write about them says more than "Led meetings."

 

[Engineering2MD]

So what do you think?
2 years work experience in a pharmaceutical environment
OR
2 years to get a master's degree
Thank you for reading

 

[Catalystik]

Since your GPAs are fine, I'll assume you won't struggle to get good grades in your postbac classes. Therefore your second priority is to have sufficient time to develop good ECs. What will be less distracting from your two primary goals (GPA maintainance and EC development): grad level coursework with its required research (an endless timesink) and the likely obligatory teaching duties (grading papers is another timesink), or a full-time job (where you'll earn to money to afford an application cycle with it's obligatory travel expenses)? I can only make assumptions about the time various acitivities would require (eg, for all I know your job might require an 80 hour/week investment), but it seems to me that the latter may be the better option. Unless you really, really want to master a certain graduate field of study. Then that factors into the decision, too.

 

[Engineering2MD]

I want to be a doctor in Boston and go to medical school in Boston. With my credentials which schools do you suggest I apply to? I am not saying that I am limiting myself to Boston. I thought because I was getting such good feedback I would continue asking questions.
Thank You

 

[lxz]

I want to be a doctor in Boston and go to medical school in Boston. With my credentials which schools do you suggest I apply to? I am not saying that I am limiting myself to Boston. I thought because I was getting such good feedback I would continue asking questions.
Thank You

There are three options in Boston: Harvard, Boston University and Tufts. Apply to all three.

 

[Catalystik]

All three schools are fairly selective, with median acceptee cGPA being 3.8-3.9 and MCAT being 33-36. To compensate for a lower cGPA, you'll want to aim for a particularly strong MCAT score.

 

[dmf2682]

Love the new cat picture. What's it's name?

 

[Engineering2MD]

If my GPA is too low than why don't I retake those two classes I did badly in? They will bring me closer to being competitive.
Thank You

 

[sector9]

If my GPA is too low than why don't I retake those two classes I did badly in? They will bring me closer to being competitive.
Thank You

AMCAS doesn't replace any grades even if you retake the class so you can increase your GPA by the same amount by taking two new classes. Since you've already passed those classes, med schools would rather see you take a higher level class and get a good grade than dip down to a lower level class to get the "easy A."

The only reason to retake for MD is if you got a C- or lower in a med school prereq class (or if you need to retake the class for your major, but that should be assumed). For you, you got a B in both classes so don't retake

 

[boshtrich]

I took Nutrition and received a B- due to not working hard enough
I took Biology during an accelerated summer course and received a B due again to not working hard enough.

My GPA during my Junior year is high (3.5 first semester 15 credits, 3.83 second semester 20 credits). I took engineering courses so my GPA isn't as high as I would want it to be.

• Freshmen year 3.83
• Sophomore year 3.43
• Junior year 3.68
• Senior year is looking like it is going up even more. Each semester's GPA is going up which I think speaks of a work ethic that has been harnessed throughout my undergraduate work. I received a grade of A in both organic chemistry 1 and 2.

• Speaking of leadership roles I am the President my student chapter of ISPE (International Society of Pharmaceutical Engineers) which has developed my organizational and administrative leadership skills.
• I am part of the chemistry fraternity called Alpha Chi Sigma which does outreach and community services to elementary and middle schools. I have planned and participated in magic shows shown at these schools.
• I am part of American Institute of Chemical Engineers; Tau Beta Phi; American Chemical Society but these are of a lesser degree of importance due to being less involved with them.
• Speaking of why I would want to get my masters is that taking the classes would be paid for by my master's program. Working for a company in industry on the other hand would give me more time to do clinical experiences and EC.

Thank You Very Much For Reading

I am also a chemical engineer and will say that with your resume, you will at the very least get several interviews (I have a higher GPA but probably have less non-academic things than you do and have gotten five interviews so far). The main thing is that you are ready to seal the deal in interviews. In terms of what you should do, I think the best thing is to go work an ChemE job. This will show you worked in engineering and are willing to pass up a good salary in order to become a doctor. Also, be sure to get enough clinical experience as I have had to convince my interviewers that I'm not an engineering robot with no humanistic qualities. AICHE has been a great program to talk about so any officer position in that would also be a plus. Overall, if you are prepared for interview, there should be no reason you don't get in somewhere. As long as you apply broadly and include ALL instate schools, you should do fine and be a future doctor shortly after you apply. Good luck! I'm sure you will do well.