Helpful suggestions or recommedations?

[tonesofheresy]

Hello,
I recently graduated with my B.S. in Chemistry with Biochemistry emphasis and minors in Applied Mathematics and Physics. My overall grade-replaced GPA was a 3.5, but my "true" GPA is a 3.24. The low GPA is, in part, due to some courses in which I didn't do so well the first time 'round but primarily because of a semester I failed. I don't want to reveal too much on a public forum, but my ship hit an iceburg, so to speak, and I was treading water for a couple semesters. Without disclosing the reason for the failed semester, I know I can't receive the most insightful advice, but I scored a 39 on my MCAT and will have excellent letters of recommendation. All the letters will be from individuals who know my full story and still support me wholeheartedly. I will, of course, address the situation either in my personal statement or my interview, if I secure one, but I'd like to get some input from anyone with some experience. I've led an interesting life, to say the least, and while it hasn't been all positive, I have a very unique story to tell; a story of triumph and redemption. I've experienced the highest highs and the lowest lows and have seen the world from a point of view many don't return from, which I believe would make me a better doctor in regard to understanding and empathizing with patients. From an academic perspective, I have continued to endlessly challenge myself, tackling subjects many people avoid if possible. No skill is without its place, so if I am capable of learning something, I will learn it. I don't know how much weight this will carry in terms of admission, but if nothing else, it'll add to my extracurriculars. By the time I apply I will be certified by the W3C in multiple languages used for web development in addition to having studied algorithms and programming which have numerous biological applications. We all know that medicine and technology have yet to fully unite and I believe my fore into computer science will help me better adapt to the changing world of medicine. I mentioned the above seemingly-irrelevant information because the AMCAS application has an extensive section devoted to extracurriculars, and I'd like an honest opinion about mine in terms of diversity and value as a prospective medical student. I apologize for the long post, but a sincere "thank you" to those who took the time to read it.

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[sliceofbread136]

Low gpa, but you could be redeemed by your mcat and an upward grade trend. Sounds like you have a good story behind yourself too. ECs can also make up for your GPA. You'll need ~100 hospital volunteer hours and ~50 shadowing hours at the very least. Get a good non-medical volunteering with the poor and get ~50 hours there. Try to do some research and get a leadership position somewhere. This is all bare bones cookie cutter stuff, and you'll probably have to go above and beyond this. My suggestion is to try and get as many ECs as you can, apply this year and see what happens. If you don't get in this year, spend next year beefing up your ECs and doing GPA repair with upper division science classes. If you still can't get an acceptance, then you should try DO and take advantage of their grade replacement policy.

 

[tonesofheresy]

Thank you very much for the response. I didn't list all my extracurriculars, just some of the ones that I think may set me aside from traditional applicants. The volunteer work, shadowing, etc. is a given and I will certainly continue to add hours wherever possible. I provided a free tutoring service to students in chemistry, math, biology, and physics for many years, but it wasn't through the school as they don't necessarily endorse "free tutelage." Do you think this would be beneficial? I consider it a position of leadership and volunteer work, but it might not be viewed as such. My idea was that I know what it's like to have very little money and barely be able to afford tuition, let alone a private teacher, and I wanted to provide those students with a means to learn the material without worrying about how much it would cost. With regard to "GPA repair," I tried postponing graduation just for that reason, to take more courses. Unfortunately, I've reached a level where grades don't make much of a difference anymore (I took 91 courses as an undergraduate). I've thought about doing a MS in chemistry, but a) it won't affect my undergraduate GPA and b) it will take two years, at which point my MCAT will no longer be valid. This is a real concern, because while I'm sure I could take it again and score in the 98+ percentile, if I scored lower than my first time, I'd effectively be shooting myself in the foot. I appreciate the advice (and any further advice you might have) and will just do everything to make my application more attractive. Again, thank you!

 

[sliceofbread136]

Thank you very much for the response. I didn't list all my extracurriculars, just some of the ones that I think may set me aside from traditional applicants. The volunteer work, shadowing, etc. is a given and I will certainly continue to add hours wherever possible. I provided a free tutoring service to students in chemistry, math, biology, and physics for many years, but it wasn't through the school as they don't necessarily endorse "free tutelage." Do you think this would be beneficial? I consider it a position of leadership and volunteer work, but it might not be viewed as such. My idea was that I know what it's like to have very little money and barely be able to afford tuition, let alone a private teacher, and I wanted to provide those students with a means to learn the material without worrying about how much it would cost. With regard to "GPA repair," I tried postponing graduation just for that reason, to take more courses. Unfortunately, I've reached a level where grades don't make much of a difference anymore (I took 91 courses as an undergraduate). I've thought about doing a MS in chemistry, but a) it won't affect my undergraduate GPA and b) it will take two years, at which point my MCAT will no longer be valid. This is a real concern, because while I'm sure I could take it again and score in the 98+ percentile, if I scored lower than my first time, I'd effectively be shooting myself in the foot. I appreciate the advice (and any further advice you might have) and will just do everything to make my application more attractive. Again, thank you!

The tutoring is great, definitely list it. You might already have this, but try to get some research? I don't know much about master's, but I recall reading that they aren't too helpful if they aren't an SMP (you could also look into a post-bac if you end up needing to). My big point was that if you dont get in next cycle there are many steps you can take towards making yourself more competitive. Good luck!