Hi everyone!!! I'm new here!!

[2490ba]

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Hi Everyone!!!!
just registered today after a couple of my friends told me about this site. I am a junior biology major and just completed my fall semester. im a bit worried about my scores.
So far this semester i took calc 2, genetics, music, africana studies and ta for intro to chemistry and calc 1. so far i know I got an A- in calc 2 rest of them all A's except for genetics, which was a hard course. Ill probably get either a B or a C.
Also applications and studying for the mcats are near and i am worried about applying because of my gpa:

Freshman Year:
Fall: 2.465(failed a class 🙁 20 credits overload)
Spring: 3.325(16 credits)

Sophomore Year
Fall: 3.425
Spring: 3.525

Junior year fall semester maybe above 3.5+ but next semester im taking a light load since I will be studying for the mcat's: Animal Physiology, Zoology, Statistics and Ta for organic chemistry. So far I have a 3.15 overall gpa after the sophomore year and a 3.07 sgpa🙁 after recovering from that failing class. I'm very worried about applying over the summer after spring semester. Hopefully I do well on the MCAT's so MD and DO schools can look at me. Thanks guys. I heard good stories about this site and hope to get the same aid that you gave to my friends. Happy Holidays 🙂

 

[loveoforganic]

Your grades right now are very important (not to stress you out). You've got a slow but steady upward trend in your GPA, which is good. You really have to keep that trend going. Regardless, your numbers are still low, for MD and DO, though you're definitely smart considering both. One option you could do is not apply until after senior year (take a gap year). Depending on how many required credits you have left to take, this extra time will allow you more room to demonstrate that upward trend as well as potentially retake that F and any other very unstellar grades (DO schools will only count your most recent attempt of a class toward your GPA). Additionally, you'd be able to use the summer to study for the MCAT (no class distractions).

 

[deleted357625]

Sup niggy!

Good upward trend, keep it up
GPA 3.5+ and rock the MCAT then you will be fine for less competitive M.D. and D.O
Hopefully, you built up your EC's and have strong clinical/non-clinical exposure.

 

[2490ba]

You guys are a great help! thanks for all the options. here are my e.c's just in case you guys are wondering🙂🙁😳😀
On Campus:

Wind Symphony: Fall 2008 ongoing
Saxophone Quartet- Fall 2008 ongoing
Pre-Health Society- Fall 2008 ongoing
University Choir member- Fall 2009 ongoing
Tennis Club- Fall 2009-Fall 2010
Jazz Improvisation Club- Spring 2010
Hip Hop dance Club: E-Board: Activities Coordinator. Spring 2010 ongoing
Sigma Alpha Lambda- National Leadership and Honor Organization- Fall 2009-
Entertainment Club-member-Spring 2010-

Off Campus:
Worked at Raritan Music Center 2004-
Summer 2009- taught the saxophone section in the RMC Jazz Club
Summers 2005, 2006 2007 2008, 2009 RMC Jazz Club
Jazz Performances at cafes Fall 2009 and ongoing



Volunteering:
Regional Medical Center- Summer 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007
Transported blood to the blood bank
Made frequent trips to the laboratory to drop off lab specimens and deliver lab results
Delivered mail to various departments
Transported Patients to different departments for testing
Delivered Flowers to patient rooms

A Different Regional Medical Center Summer 2009
Patient Transport
Greeting Patients/Admissions Office
Helped them with their admission to the hospital.
Directed patients to their specific departments where they can be further assisted.



Jobs:
Customer service /Front Desk at a Doctor’s Office. Summer of 2006. 2007. 2008, 2009
Organized patient’s files
Imputed patient information in the computer
Answered the phone and made appointments for patients

Research:
Penn State University- Hershey Medical Center- Summer 2010. Neuro-Ophthalmology
Hypothesis: Human physiological systems are linked with Autonomic and Central nervous systems
Compared nystagmus results of Normal Patients and Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

 

[deleted357625]

You guys are a great help! thanks for all the options. here are my e.c's just in case you guys are wondering🙂🙁😳😀
On Campus:

Wind Symphony: Fall 2008 ongoing
Saxophone Quartet- Fall 2008 ongoing
Pre-Health Society- Fall 2008 ongoing
University Choir member- Fall 2009 ongoing
Tennis Club- Fall 2009-Fall 2010
Jazz Improvisation Club- Spring 2010
Hip Hop dance Club: E-Board: Activities Coordinator. Spring 2010 ongoing
Sigma Alpha Lambda- National Leadership and Honor Organization- Fall 2009-
Entertainment Club-member-Spring 2010-

Off Campus:
Worked at Raritan Music Center 2004-
Summer 2009- taught the saxophone section in the RMC Jazz Club
Summers 2005, 2006 2007 2008, 2009 RMC Jazz Club
Jazz Performances at cafes Fall 2009 and ongoing



Volunteering:
Regional Medical Center- Summer 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007
Transported blood to the blood bank
Made frequent trips to the laboratory to drop off lab specimens and deliver lab results
Delivered mail to various departments
Transported Patients to different departments for testing
Delivered Flowers to patient rooms

A Different Regional Medical Center Summer 2009
Patient Transport
Greeting Patients/Admissions Office
Helped them with their admission to the hospital.
Directed patients to their specific departments where they can be further assisted.



Jobs:
Customer service /Front Desk at a Doctor’s Office. Summer of 2006. 2007. 2008, 2009
Organized patient’s files
Imputed patient information in the computer
Answered the phone and made appointments for patients

Research:
Penn State University- Hershey Medical Center- Summer 2010. Neuro-Ophthalmology
Hypothesis: Human physiological systems are linked with Autonomic and Central nervous systems
Compared nystagmus results of Normal Patients and Patients with Parkinson’s Disease

The clubs where you are just a member isn't really that great unless you had some leadership roles in them, but it does show the diversity that you bring.
One thing i would recommend strongly is get in some shadowing. Shadow 2-3 docs include primary care in one of them and roughly 60-80+ hrs
You have the standard EC's such as volunteer/research
The rest is fine.

-GPA 3.5+ (3.7+ competitive.)
-MCAT: 30+ (35+ for competitive.) varies extremely.
-Research (pubs/posters, etc.)
-Shadowing (2-3 docs/primary care/60-80+ hrs
-Volunteer in hospital/clinic setting 100+ hrs (Patient contact)
-Volunteer or community service non-related to medicine. (Ex: children advocacy center)
-Great letters of recommendation (2 from physicians, 1 from science faculty)
-Great personal statement.
-Other interesting EC's/leadership roles

 

[Geekchick921]

Your grades right now are very important (not to stress you out). You've got a slow but steady upward trend in your GPA, which is good. You really have to keep that trend going. Regardless, your numbers are still low, for MD and DO, though you're definitely smart considering both. One option you could do is not apply until after senior year (take a gap year). Depending on how many required credits you have left to take, this extra time will allow you more room to demonstrate that upward trend as well as potentially retake that F and any other very unstellar grades (DO schools will only count your most recent attempt of a class toward your GPA). Additionally, you'd be able to use the summer to study for the MCAT (no class distractions).

This is pretty much all the same advice I was going to give. Nice job on your slow but steady GPA repair. I would definitely consider retaking the classes in which you did poorly (absolutely with anything you failed), especially if you are sure you will get in the A-range on the retake. It will help your GPA considerably, especially when it comes to AACOMAS (the DO application).

OP, you've also got a very eclectic mix of ECs that I personally think is really cool. Like torshi said, supposedly schools aren't too worked up over clubs where you are "just" a member, but they do show varied interests and schools DO like that.

Best of luck to you! Keep up the good work!

 

[NickNaylor]

Hai OP

 

[2490ba]

Hai OP

Hi Cole(Lil Wayne)!

 

[2490ba]

torshi, HD2490, geekchick912, thank you very much for your advice. I will definitely try to redeem myself as the year goes by. I'm happy that I retook that class that I failed freshman year and got an A- last semester. Just relying on the MCAT's now 😛. how did you guys do during your undergraduate years(just wondering lol) 😀

 

[gettheleadout]

torshi, HD2490, geekchick912, thank you very much for your advice. I will definitely try to redeem myself as the year goes by. I'm happy that I retook that class that I failed freshman year and got an A- last semester. Just relying on the MCAT's now 😛. how did you guys do during your undergraduate years(just wondering lol) 😀

Check out Cole's and GC's MDapps profiles for their information (the links under their avatars.) And just say MCAT singular haha not hating just know that.

 

[deleted357625]

torshi, HD2490, geekchick912, thank you very much for your advice. I will definitely try to redeem myself as the year goes by. I'm happy that I retook that class that I failed freshman year and got an A- last semester. Just relying on the MCAT's now 😛. how did you guys do during your undergraduate years(just wondering lol) 😀

That's def good when you retook the class you got an A, showed major improvement and that you REALLY could handle that class.

But, yea anyways I'm still in my undergrad years man, have practically one more year left then applying ;p

 

[ILikeDrugs]

Hello. Welcome to hell.

 

[deleted357625]

Hello. Welcome to hell.

Agreed

 

[2490ba]

Hello. Welcome to hell.

hopefully not

 

[2490ba]

That's def good when you retook the class you got an A, showed major improvement and that you REALLY could handle that class.

But, yea anyways I'm still in my undergrad years man, have practically one more year left then applying ;p

I'm on the same boat as you!! junior as well. here's to our future🙂

 

[Geekchick921]

torshi, HD2490, geekchick912, thank you very much for your advice. I will definitely try to redeem myself as the year goes by. I'm happy that I retook that class that I failed freshman year and got an A- last semester. Just relying on the MCAT's now 😛. how did you guys do during your undergraduate years(just wondering lol) 😀

Like gettheleadout said, you can check out my MDApps. I'm 26 and didn't decide to go to into health care (and eventually, choose to go all the way for medical school) until a year or two after I got my bachelor's degree. I was a theatre major and my cGPA is a lot lower than my sGPA because subjective grading is evil and I was kidding myself trying to make performing more than a hobby and it was taking the enjoyment out of it for me, but I digress. Hindsight's 20/20 and all that crap. Like you, I play some instruments (trumpet and violin, but I am more than a little rusty with both, especially violin) and I sing. 🙂

 

[CollOnTheRoll]

Like gettheleadout said, you can check out my MDApps. I'm 26 and didn't decide to go to into health care (and eventually, choose to go all the way for medical school) until a year or two after I got my bachelor's degree. I was a theatre major and my cGPA is a lot lower than my sGPA because subjective grading is evil and I was kidding myself trying to make performing more than a hobby and it was taking the enjoyment out of it for me, but I digress. Hindsight's 20/20 and all that crap. Like you, I play some instruments (trumpet and violin, but I am more than a little rusty with both, especially violin) and I sing. 🙂

The hell is "AU?"

Is "Temple" some sort of religious med school that teaches old school magic voodoo medicine that Jesus used back in the day?

 

[Geekchick921]

The hell is "AU?"

Is "Temple" some sort of religious med school that teaches old school magic voodoo medicine that Jesus used back in the day?

You must be very bored, and so am I, so I'll answer anyway.

1. AU = me vaguing up where I went to college.
2. Yup... sure is. I'm going to learn how to cure leprosy, give sight to the blind and resurrect people. Oh, and walk on water. Jealous?

 

[NickNaylor]

The hell is "AU?"

Is "Temple" some sort of religious med school that teaches old school magic voodoo medicine that Jesus used back in the day?

 

[PartyHouse001]

The hell is "AU?"

Is "Temple" some sort of religious med school that teaches old school magic voodoo medicine that Jesus used back in the day?

Ditto, it was only mildly entertaining the first time around

 

[MeowMeowCAT]

Hello,

First of all, rid yourself of stupidity by reading: The Answers to Your Stupid Questions Thread

Second, learn to be comfortable with being a "Night Owl", The Late Night Thread

Third, take the "What Are My Chances?" section with a grain of salt. Worry about what you yourself has accomplished so far and what you can accomplish tommorow to make your application "shine", don't assume that the people posting their should be used as some concrete example, do your own research too.