Help this premed become a med student by 2010

[Medstudent2010]

I often hear on the boards about how some of you have been able to get advice from admission counselors at the medical schools in your area. One of the questions I have is how does one go about arranging a meeting with an admission counselor at one of the medical schools. How did you guys go about contacting the admission counselor? Did you e-mail, write, or call them to explain your situation? Did you have to apply first and be rejected before they would talk to you?

I currently work at Baylor College of Medicine, so it maybe easier for me to arrange a meeting with the counselor there. Because I live in Texas I am more interested in applying to schools in Texas, so if anyone can offer any information as to the quality of advice given by admission counselors that would be greatly appreciated too.

The reason I need to talk to an admission counselor is of course related to my academic record which consist of the below:

Cumulative GPA: 3.3
Non-Science GPA: 3.3
Science GPA: 3.01
MCAT: 27
Total number of BCPM credits: 142 “quarter” credits or 95 “semester” credits
Total number of “graded” credits: 170 “quarter” credits or 113 “semester” credits

To raise my science GPA to 3.4, I would have take about 80 more semester credits which would take about 2 years at the least. To raise my GPA to a 3.6, I would need to take 180 quarter credits or 120 semester credits.

As you can see the first area I need to improve is my science GPA. The reason my GPA is so low is due to straight C’s in Organic chemistry and then getting a C in the last term of biology. The rest of my grades are B’s with a few A’s. In the end my GPA is low because I failed to excel in my classes at the level needed to get A’s. An additional problem I have is that I have taken a lot of science credits and as such it may take sometime to increase my GPA by taking undergraduate courses. Normally, I would probably go straight to masters but due to my GPA being lower then 3.3 I think I may have to take a full year of upper division sciences before I can go on to my masters.

Some of the questions I hope to ask the admission counselor and maybe even you guys are:

Should I retake organic chemistry?

Is my GPA to low for me to consider the idea of taking full time class for a year?

Should I go straight to Masters or do I also need take more upper level biology?

Would it better for me to go do one of the more well known SMP's like the one's at G-town, BU, and Drexal?

What would you do in my situation? (I know that’s a pretty open question!)

Here are the things I am doing right now
• Retaking the MCAT this summer.
• I am looking for MS or SMP programs in Texas that do not require lab rotations or a thesis. Some of the programs that I have been looking at are Texas Tech’s Cell Bio and Biochemistry - education and medical track and TCOM’s postbac program. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about TCOM and know that it is competitive to get into, but I know very little about Texas Tech’s program other then what they say on the website, so any information about Texas Tech’s program or any other program in Texas is greatly apprenticed.

TCOM - http://www.hsc.unt.edu/education/gsbs/disciplines.cfm#postbac

Texas Tech - http://www.ttuhsc.edu/gsbs/academics/CellBiologyAndBiochemistry.aspx

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[crrchngr]

I have found some programs that will accpet C's. But, I am new at this med school search, so you may be wanting more info. Since you're in TX...look up UT Southwestern of Dallas. That is where I hope to attend, sometime this side of 2010! I have to take all of the science courses...I never did in college...I have a lib arts degree.

Good luck,
crrchngr

 

[madonna]

I often hear on the boards about how some of you have been able to get advice from admission counselors at the medical schools in your area. One of the questions I have is how does one go about arranging a meeting with an admission counselor at one of the medical schools. How did you guys go about contacting the admission counselor? Did you e-mail, write, or call them to explain your situation? Did you have to apply first and be rejected before they would talk to you?

I currently work at Baylor College of Medicine, so it maybe easier for me to arrange a meeting with the counselor there. Because I live in Texas I am more interested in applying to schools in Texas, so if anyone can offer any information as to the quality of advice given by admission counselors that would be greatly appreciated too.

The reason I need to talk to an admission counselor is of course related to my academic record which consist of the below:

Cumulative GPA: 3.3
Non-Science GPA: 3.3
Science GPA: 3.01
MCAT: 27
Total number of BCPM credits: 142 “quarter” credits or 95 “semester” credits
Total number of “graded” credits: 170 “quarter” credits or 113 “semester” credits

To raise my science GPA to 3.4, I would have take about 80 more semester credits which would take about 2 years at the least. To raise my GPA to a 3.6, I would need to take 180 quarter credits or 120 semester credits.

As you can see the first area I need to improve is my science GPA. The reason my GPA is so low is due to straight C’s in Organic chemistry and then getting a C in the last term of biology. The rest of my grades are B’s with a few A’s. In the end my GPA is low because I failed to excel in my classes at the level needed to get A’s. An additional problem I have is that I have taken a lot of science credits and as such it may take sometime to increase my GPA by taking undergraduate courses. Normally, I would probably go straight to masters but due to my GPA being lower then 3.3 I think I may have to take a full year of upper division sciences before I can go on to my masters.

Some of the questions I hope to ask the admission counselor and maybe even you guys are:

Should I retake organic chemistry?

Is my GPA to low for me to consider the idea of taking full time class for a year?

Should I go straight to Masters or do I also need take more upper level biology?

Would it better for me to go do one of the more well known SMP's like the one's at G-town, BU, and Drexal?

What would you do in my situation? (I know that’s a pretty open question!)

Here are the things I am doing right now
• Retaking the MCAT this summer.
• I am looking for MS or SMP programs in Texas that do not require lab rotations or a thesis. Some of the programs that I have been looking at are Texas Tech’s Cell Bio and Biochemistry - education and medical track and TCOM’s postbac program. I’ve heard a lot of positive things about TCOM and know that it is competitive to get into, but I know very little about Texas Tech’s program other then what they say on the website, so any information about Texas Tech’s program or any other program in Texas is greatly apprenticed.

TCOM - http://www.hsc.unt.edu/education/gsbs/disciplines.cfm#postbac

Texas Tech - http://www.ttuhsc.edu/gsbs/academics/CellBiologyAndBiochemistry.aspx

i dont know about your first question,(i am sure you dont have to be rejected) but it is a great idea to meet with the admissions people.
you dont have to take so many units, recent work has more weight so few semesters of postbacc with solid gpa will be enough.
i'd recommend retaking any prereq where you have Cs and start with postbacc to raise your science gpa few points. you'll be more competitive for masters as well as med schools

 

[s2kray]

Normally, I would probably go straight to masters but due to my GPA being lower then 3.3 I think I may have to take a full year of upper division sciences before I can go on to my masters.

i dont see why you wouldnt be able to get into an SMP your GPA and MCAT seem competitive for their criteria... See UMDNJ i think they have a SMP and you have the option of doing a thesis or not. the mcat requirement isnt that high either... I dont know to me it seems your GPA is not that bad.. a strong performance in an SMP and you should get a few interviews..

my stats are like yours except my cum GPA is a little higher but science GPA a tad lower.. your mcats are decent hopefully i do decently on mine.. best of luck and keep us informed

 

[tacrum43]

i dont see why you wouldnt be able to get into an SMP your GPA and MCAT seem competitive for their criteria... See UMDNJ i think they have a SMP and you have the option of doing a thesis or not. the mcat requirement isnt that high either... I dont know to me it seems your GPA is not that bad.. a strong performance in an SMP and you should get a few interviews..

my stats are like yours except my cum GPA is a little higher but science GPA a tad lower.. your mcats are decent hopefully i do decently on mine.. best of luck and keep us informed

I think an SMP would be a good choice for you too. The best known ones (and the ones that give you a real Masters degree with no "glide" year) are Georgetown's and Rosalind Franklin's, but I don't know of any in Texas. There are a couple people from Texas here in Georgetown's SMP now.

You might just apply early (this January for fall of 2006), and then make a decision later. For both of these programs, applying early is better.

 

[amboree]

Hey Medstudent2010
I am a postbac student at BCM. Yes, we have a postbac program it's very small and tailored to the student. If you want more info feel free to IM me. Also just in case you didn't know, as an BCM employee you are allowed to take 1 free graduate level class per semester. My guess is if you took one of the medical school courses like medical physiology and rocked it, It would be looked very favorably upon.
The admissions people at Baylor are very open to perspective applicants from their staff just go down and talk to them!
GOOD LUCK!!!