Hello!
I would like some guidance from you all on how to improve my chances of getting into a MD/DO school. Currently, I am a senior. I could technically graduate early (by the end of this semester) because I have all my major requirements done. Thank you so much for your help and advice! Below you'll find a breakdown of my stuff:
Prereqs:
- General chemistry I and its lab: AP Credit
- General chemistry II : B
- Organic chemistry 1st try: D, 2nd try: C+, Organic chemistry lab: B+
-Orgo II: C+ and its lab: B+
- Social Psychology 1st try: D+, 2nd try: B, Natural Psychology: A-
- Physics 1: B and its lab: A-, Phys II: B and its lab: B
- Ecol Bio: B- and its lab:A, Cell Bio: B and lab: A
MCAT Score: I have not taken it yet. Last time I took a practice exam, I got around 508. I am hoping to increase it.
GPA: My overall GPA is 3.15 as of right now. I am aiming to get it to 3.27 by the end of this semester. If I don't graduate early, and I take more Biology classes in the spring, I could raise it up to 3.37. I could even take more biology classes and possibly raise it to above 3.4 but I don't want to burn myself our with a heavy courseload and trying to juggle between other things. Thoughts? I am also thinking of applying to DO this upcoming cycle (for fall 2022) while also be enrolled in a mph or be working in a clinical setting?
Major: Right now, I am majoring in neuroscience with a minor in biology. If I were to continue to taking classes in the spring, I think I would take more biology classes and just declare a double major in neuroscience and biology.
Research: I did do a semester long independent research under a faculty advisor. I didn't get to finish it because of weather delays and closures. I did read a lot of research papers, learned a lot of laboratory technique, and software. I was researching on how mutated p53 genes could affect amplification and differentation of neural progeniotor cells that were exposed to anoxic conditions. One of the class options I have for spring is that I could take a course in biology research and do some research. I might reach out to the same faculty to continue my project or do something under them. I also am currently involved in public health research on women's health in Nepal. We are doing a literary study in combination with data we have collected from domestic abuse survivors at an NGO in Nepal. Our aim is to have this study help NGOs better understand Nepal's culture and make conditions better for women.
Shadowing: As of right now, I have 72 hours of shadowing. I have shadowed a cardiology surgeon for a day, a orthopedic surgeon for a day, a pediatrician for around 3-4 months, and am currently shadowing a nephrologist. Right now, it seems like I will be able to shadow a couple more specialty doctors in the next few months (like follow one doctor around for a month, then another).
Clinical experience: I have 104 hours but they're from a few years ago. They aren't recent. 72 hours of that included volunteering each year for 2 years at a rural free clinic (RAM). I gave patients water and snacks, took them to their appropriate health check up places (triage), and gave physicians food as well. I was able to observe physicians here and there. I mostly worked as general support. 32 hours of that was me volunteering at sight and hearing vans. I did screening tests for patients and gave them their forms with the information from the test. Right now, I applied to volunteer at a local hospital and they did call me in for an interview. They said only available positions right now might be in clerical. I know this won't count as clinical but I think it's a good foot in the door opportunity so they can get to know me as a reliable and responsible volunteer and hopefully I can volunteer in other departments where I can interact with patients. I am hoping that by the end of the fall semester, that I am to get another volunteer job or work as a scribe. If I graduate early, I plan to use my spring semester to gain more clinical experience. Even if I don't, I'll still do it on the side.
Volunteer: So I run a non-profit that helps bring awareness to human sex trafficking and we do small events and projects to help victims and also try to prevent the issue. Some projects in the past we have done is do fundraisers to help buy HIV medication for victims, fund a AIDS/Maternal/General Health clinic in rural Nepal. I am planning to do more with the NGO and would like to do more awareness campaigns. I would say I dedicate at least 200 hours each year to the NGO. That would add up to 600 today. Besides that, I volunteered at rehabilitation centers (interacted with students with disabilities) and mental health agencies (interacted with patients in adult daycare). Right now, I am not doing any volunteer work besides the here and there charity drives (making food boxes for victims of floods nearby). I might start volunteering at a clerical position at a local hospital soon. If you have suggestions on how I can volunteer during covid, please let me know.
Work: I worked as a preschool assistant teacher over 2 summers and 1 winter break. I got to interact with children from 6 weeks to 2 year olds. They were all so adorable. I got to learn a lot about taking care of children and their needs. It was a good and valuable experience.
Extracurricular: I am involved in MSA as the religious chair and I help facilitate intellectual open ended discussions about our faith. Especially right now with the pandemic, I believe in creating these safe spaces is needed to help some people keep their sanity. I am also the community engagement chair for a public health group focused on Nepal. I try to find opportunities for us to help our local community that have the same goals as our club. I am also involved in anti-human trafficking club on campus as well as a planned parenthood youth club on campus.
Other stuff you should know: So my GPA tanked during my spring semester of freshmen year. I did not do so well in ORGO I and Social Psychology. However, I retook them and got better grades, given the circumstances. I took a really hard math class (Discrete math) during freshmen year because I wanted to see if I could do a math major and it really brought my GPA down. I am unsure if this math class will be counted in the science gpa or not. My GPA would definitely be higher without it. Anyways, my GPA has been increasing ever since. The only low grades I have are probably in orgo chemistry. I am unsure if orgo II even counts for med school or not but I put it just in case. I have taken higher level classes and have gotten As in them so I'm hoping admission people will be able to see that. Also, from the middle of my sophomore year to the end of my junior year, my mother was in a coma (she had episodes during the year as well) and I was her power of attorney at one point because my father could not take it. My college is 3 hours away from home and I was making trips at first every weekend and then probably every 2-3 weeks to go see her at the hospital in my hometown. I talked to her team of physicians, social workers, and case managers. I became her POA around when COVID started and I signed a DNR for her because my father could not and the hospital bills were racking up. I know it sounds harsh to think of someone's life in terms of money but I knew she was gone and my father was going into major debt to the point of possibly declaring a bankruptcy and I had to step in. I do plan on bringing this point up in my applications where they ask if they should know anything else and maybe even in interviews. I am planning to write my application essays on this. I retook Organic chemistry and Social Psych while my mother was in the hospital. I don't want to give myself excuses but I want to be kind to myself and realize that I did the best I could while going through the situation. I probably would've gotten better grades if things were different. But that's only about the classes I retook. Despite my mother's condition, I did not let my GPA go down at all and I was able to do research, work (my mother's condition is one of the reasons I started working because I felt the need to help my dad), got all As and Bs, made it on the Dean's list, shadow doctors. I have been seeing a therapist and taking care of myself as well. My mother passed away a week before my finals in spring of my junior year and I still passed with all As and made it on the dean's list.
So here are the questions I would like advice on:
- Should I graduate early or not? Would it be worth it to increase my gpa to 3.37, despite it being still considered low? Also, would a double major in neuroscience/biology look good? I've heard that if you do really well in upper level classes, med schools like to see that.
-If I don't graduate early, should I consider doing research in biology for a semester? This might come at a cost to any clinical experience opportunities I have. I guess what I'm asking, which should I prioritize?
- At this point, I am planning to take at least 1 gap year. Should I apply to DO and possibly MD schools this upcoming cycle? I'll have a gpa of 3.37, MCAT above 508 hopefully, and hopefully my clinical experiences/resume will be more stronger.
- If I should not apply this upcoming cycle, should I apply to any master or certificate programs to increase my GPA? Could I apply this upcoming cycle while also being enrolled in a 1 year program? So like I'll apply with a 3.37 GPA but I'll them know that I'm currently in a master program working on my GPA.
- If there is anything else you could suggest, please let me know.
Thank you!
I would like some guidance from you all on how to improve my chances of getting into a MD/DO school. Currently, I am a senior. I could technically graduate early (by the end of this semester) because I have all my major requirements done. Thank you so much for your help and advice! Below you'll find a breakdown of my stuff:
Prereqs:
- General chemistry I and its lab: AP Credit
- General chemistry II : B
- Organic chemistry 1st try: D, 2nd try: C+, Organic chemistry lab: B+
-Orgo II: C+ and its lab: B+
- Social Psychology 1st try: D+, 2nd try: B, Natural Psychology: A-
- Physics 1: B and its lab: A-, Phys II: B and its lab: B
- Ecol Bio: B- and its lab:A, Cell Bio: B and lab: A
MCAT Score: I have not taken it yet. Last time I took a practice exam, I got around 508. I am hoping to increase it.
GPA: My overall GPA is 3.15 as of right now. I am aiming to get it to 3.27 by the end of this semester. If I don't graduate early, and I take more Biology classes in the spring, I could raise it up to 3.37. I could even take more biology classes and possibly raise it to above 3.4 but I don't want to burn myself our with a heavy courseload and trying to juggle between other things. Thoughts? I am also thinking of applying to DO this upcoming cycle (for fall 2022) while also be enrolled in a mph or be working in a clinical setting?
Major: Right now, I am majoring in neuroscience with a minor in biology. If I were to continue to taking classes in the spring, I think I would take more biology classes and just declare a double major in neuroscience and biology.
Research: I did do a semester long independent research under a faculty advisor. I didn't get to finish it because of weather delays and closures. I did read a lot of research papers, learned a lot of laboratory technique, and software. I was researching on how mutated p53 genes could affect amplification and differentation of neural progeniotor cells that were exposed to anoxic conditions. One of the class options I have for spring is that I could take a course in biology research and do some research. I might reach out to the same faculty to continue my project or do something under them. I also am currently involved in public health research on women's health in Nepal. We are doing a literary study in combination with data we have collected from domestic abuse survivors at an NGO in Nepal. Our aim is to have this study help NGOs better understand Nepal's culture and make conditions better for women.
Shadowing: As of right now, I have 72 hours of shadowing. I have shadowed a cardiology surgeon for a day, a orthopedic surgeon for a day, a pediatrician for around 3-4 months, and am currently shadowing a nephrologist. Right now, it seems like I will be able to shadow a couple more specialty doctors in the next few months (like follow one doctor around for a month, then another).
Clinical experience: I have 104 hours but they're from a few years ago. They aren't recent. 72 hours of that included volunteering each year for 2 years at a rural free clinic (RAM). I gave patients water and snacks, took them to their appropriate health check up places (triage), and gave physicians food as well. I was able to observe physicians here and there. I mostly worked as general support. 32 hours of that was me volunteering at sight and hearing vans. I did screening tests for patients and gave them their forms with the information from the test. Right now, I applied to volunteer at a local hospital and they did call me in for an interview. They said only available positions right now might be in clerical. I know this won't count as clinical but I think it's a good foot in the door opportunity so they can get to know me as a reliable and responsible volunteer and hopefully I can volunteer in other departments where I can interact with patients. I am hoping that by the end of the fall semester, that I am to get another volunteer job or work as a scribe. If I graduate early, I plan to use my spring semester to gain more clinical experience. Even if I don't, I'll still do it on the side.
Volunteer: So I run a non-profit that helps bring awareness to human sex trafficking and we do small events and projects to help victims and also try to prevent the issue. Some projects in the past we have done is do fundraisers to help buy HIV medication for victims, fund a AIDS/Maternal/General Health clinic in rural Nepal. I am planning to do more with the NGO and would like to do more awareness campaigns. I would say I dedicate at least 200 hours each year to the NGO. That would add up to 600 today. Besides that, I volunteered at rehabilitation centers (interacted with students with disabilities) and mental health agencies (interacted with patients in adult daycare). Right now, I am not doing any volunteer work besides the here and there charity drives (making food boxes for victims of floods nearby). I might start volunteering at a clerical position at a local hospital soon. If you have suggestions on how I can volunteer during covid, please let me know.
Work: I worked as a preschool assistant teacher over 2 summers and 1 winter break. I got to interact with children from 6 weeks to 2 year olds. They were all so adorable. I got to learn a lot about taking care of children and their needs. It was a good and valuable experience.
Extracurricular: I am involved in MSA as the religious chair and I help facilitate intellectual open ended discussions about our faith. Especially right now with the pandemic, I believe in creating these safe spaces is needed to help some people keep their sanity. I am also the community engagement chair for a public health group focused on Nepal. I try to find opportunities for us to help our local community that have the same goals as our club. I am also involved in anti-human trafficking club on campus as well as a planned parenthood youth club on campus.
Other stuff you should know: So my GPA tanked during my spring semester of freshmen year. I did not do so well in ORGO I and Social Psychology. However, I retook them and got better grades, given the circumstances. I took a really hard math class (Discrete math) during freshmen year because I wanted to see if I could do a math major and it really brought my GPA down. I am unsure if this math class will be counted in the science gpa or not. My GPA would definitely be higher without it. Anyways, my GPA has been increasing ever since. The only low grades I have are probably in orgo chemistry. I am unsure if orgo II even counts for med school or not but I put it just in case. I have taken higher level classes and have gotten As in them so I'm hoping admission people will be able to see that. Also, from the middle of my sophomore year to the end of my junior year, my mother was in a coma (she had episodes during the year as well) and I was her power of attorney at one point because my father could not take it. My college is 3 hours away from home and I was making trips at first every weekend and then probably every 2-3 weeks to go see her at the hospital in my hometown. I talked to her team of physicians, social workers, and case managers. I became her POA around when COVID started and I signed a DNR for her because my father could not and the hospital bills were racking up. I know it sounds harsh to think of someone's life in terms of money but I knew she was gone and my father was going into major debt to the point of possibly declaring a bankruptcy and I had to step in. I do plan on bringing this point up in my applications where they ask if they should know anything else and maybe even in interviews. I am planning to write my application essays on this. I retook Organic chemistry and Social Psych while my mother was in the hospital. I don't want to give myself excuses but I want to be kind to myself and realize that I did the best I could while going through the situation. I probably would've gotten better grades if things were different. But that's only about the classes I retook. Despite my mother's condition, I did not let my GPA go down at all and I was able to do research, work (my mother's condition is one of the reasons I started working because I felt the need to help my dad), got all As and Bs, made it on the Dean's list, shadow doctors. I have been seeing a therapist and taking care of myself as well. My mother passed away a week before my finals in spring of my junior year and I still passed with all As and made it on the dean's list.
So here are the questions I would like advice on:
- Should I graduate early or not? Would it be worth it to increase my gpa to 3.37, despite it being still considered low? Also, would a double major in neuroscience/biology look good? I've heard that if you do really well in upper level classes, med schools like to see that.
-If I don't graduate early, should I consider doing research in biology for a semester? This might come at a cost to any clinical experience opportunities I have. I guess what I'm asking, which should I prioritize?
- At this point, I am planning to take at least 1 gap year. Should I apply to DO and possibly MD schools this upcoming cycle? I'll have a gpa of 3.37, MCAT above 508 hopefully, and hopefully my clinical experiences/resume will be more stronger.
- If I should not apply this upcoming cycle, should I apply to any master or certificate programs to increase my GPA? Could I apply this upcoming cycle while also being enrolled in a 1 year program? So like I'll apply with a 3.37 GPA but I'll them know that I'm currently in a master program working on my GPA.
- If there is anything else you could suggest, please let me know.
Thank you!
