Help!!!!!!!! Need advice on MCAT Score

[Steven Caban]

Help!!
I have a situation, and I need advice . I'm open to suggestions on GPA and MCAT issues.

I have wanted to be an MD since I was about 16 years old but it has been up hill from day one for me. Back in 1992, I started my freshman year at a four-year school. What a nightmare!!!! I did not know that I needed to depend so much on my parents support for my decision to start my career in Medicine and just so you know the first thing my parents told me when I let them know that I was going to be a Doctor was " Who do you think you are? the smartest of the family? You are dumb, and you will never make it you stupid F#@k." Life just got worst from that day on and so my GPA was affected massively in a negative way. I went two years to school and did so poorly that I felt that what my parents said was real(what they thought about me affected me more than what I thought it would).

After two years of failure(30Credits, 1.30GPA) and abject humiliation from my parents I decided I had to do something about the way I approached my entrance to a medical school. I know I waited long and I know I should have done something earlier about the situation regarding my grades, but I was young and scared and the first ever of 10 brothers to go to college. So I left school and went on to the Air Force for a 4 year enlistment. Hopefully here I could reorganize myself and get on the right track towards medical career, without my parents bringing me down all the time. After 1 year in the Air Force I married and went on to finish my enlistment with an Honorable Discharge (The Air Force was pretty hard for me too, lots of deployments put strain on my marriage). So then finally i have money for school,(GI Bill) 27 years of age and no parents around to bring me down.

I went on to my old school, were they re-admitted me under probation. Studied my a** off and repeated all of my lower grades (GPA is now at 2.70, still have 48 credits to go for degree). I put together a plan were if everything goes well I should finish my degree in Biology/Microbiology with an overall 3.45 GPA, 3.20GPA General and a 3.65 GPA sciences. My MCAT prep courses are as follow, General Biology I "C", General Biology II "A", Psychology "A" , Economics "A" , Politics "B", Sociology "C"
English I "B" English II "A", General Chem. I "A", Inorg. Chem. "A" I am taking Org. Chem. 1 and still need to take Org. Chem. II and Physics I and II. I have extra curricula activities, research and published a few papers on my school paper also have volunteer work and am working in the VA Hospital as a laboratory technician (Work-Study Program). Plan to apply to schools after I graduate. What else can I do?

My questions are- Do you think that all those repeated classes on my transcript (12 Repeated courses) would affect me in a negative way? Will the admissions committee most likely say that I cant bee part of their school because I just can?t be repeating so many classes in med school? And the most important question, do you think a 40+ on my MCAT could probably make the admissions committee of a state school overlook my roller coaster GPA? This because I know they take in consideration the stability in GPA. Does anyone have some advise for me?

Thanks!
MCAT 2005

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[ASDIC]

i know a lot of people who are in your situation. Here is the deal:
If you get a 3.3 GPA both general and science and 30 + MCAT, apply right there.

getting a 40 is not easy on the MCAT...remember the average of the accepted applicants have a MCAT of 31. Your GPA is no where near the average GPA of 3.6.

Make sure you get an A in Organic Chemistry, as it is often used as a litmus test of an applicant's success in med school.

Answers:
Do you think that all those repeated classes on my transcript (12 Repeated courses) would affect me in a negative way?
No, if you improved on them

Will the admissions committee most likely say that I cant bee part of their school because I just can?t be repeating so many classes in med school?
Yes, possibly...but this depends on what you do now. SO DONT BOMB THE ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!

And the most important question, do you think a 40+ on my MCAT could probably make the admissions committee of a state school overlook my roller coaster GPA?
It would make a good impression...remember a 40+ MCAT is like a 99th percentile against the top premeds around the world. Your goals should be for a 30 and above.

 

[cattywoman]

Wow...
You sure have the passion to go through med-school and I think the admissions committee will see that. It sounds like you have a lot to say in your personal statement than most average pre-meds (young, parents pay for school, straight-A, neurotic, etc.)Your extracurricular activities are impressive, b/c it shows the history of your life and an interruption in your academic career. Medical schools asks for that kind of stuff in the applications. I would study my ass off for the mcat and as well as bring my gpa up. Setting 40+ as your goal is unrealistic, and it'll be very upsetting if you didn't get that score. I would aim for 30s instead b/c anything in the 30 range puts you at a competitive level.
Your parents are wrong. Most doctors that I've seen are not that smart, they're book smart and just cocky. I'm not book-smart either, but I know I'll make a great doctor. Kudos to you for believing in yourself! (cheesy but I don't know how else to say it)