honestly, do i have a shot?

[kittyjuice]

i want you guys to give me your 2 cents on what i should do. here are my stats.

-2.8GPA undergrad biology
-3.8gpa masters with a lot of "postbacc" upperdiv bio classes, but for some reason its all just masters GPA and no one seems to care.
a couple publications. ec's etc
mcat twice.. 8,8,10 Q then a 6,12,9 Q
do i have a shot anywhere? im a cali resident, so all those smalltown med schools are out of the question. i think im just gonna start at St. George's in august or january. i dont think i have a decent shot at any school. please share any and all comments.

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[Doc13]

You have a shot, but not in california. If I were you, I would apply to ALL of the lower tier schools in the US as well as some osteopathic schools. I know that some lower tier east coast schools such as albany and NYMC love californians. Best of luck!

 

[UCLA2000]

In California..maybe the UCLA Drew program....

I'd apply outside of Cali to all the lower tier schools.

 

[kittyjuice]

by the way, im a single white male...

 

[Joe Joe on da Radio]

you can either get a 2nd bachelor's in a science to improve on your undergrad GPA and re-take the MCAT for a shot at a M.D. school, or you can look into D.O. schools, which your current MCAT scores should be competitive for. just my take. good luck and keep the faith!

 

[Doctor Octagonecologyst]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by kittyjuice:
•i think im just gonna start at St. George's in august or january. i dont think i have a decent shot at any school.•••••Whoa, wait up! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" /> It's true that you're not a very strong applicant right now, but that can be changed with time and effort. Ask yourself, "do I really need to go to medical school next year?" If the answer is "no," then don't go international!

There are a number of things you can do to greatly improve your chances of being accepted at a U.S. school. Getting a second bachelor's degree, like Joe Joe suggested, is a great way to boost your undergrad GPA. Obviously, retaking the MCAT is a must; you've shown that you can get a 30 on that test (combine your highest scores in each section), so there's reason to be optimistic. Also, why don't you consider Finch's Masters program in Applied Physiology? If I understand the details right (and I'm no expert on this), you will be admitted to Finch's medical school if you maintain a 2.96 GPA in the program. A lot of people who had little chance of acceptance to a U.S. school got in through this route. Somewhat similar programs are offered by MCP Hahnemann and Georgetown.

There's no reason why you can't eventually get into a U.S. med school, but it just might take you 1-4 extra years. Best of luck!

 

[Doctor Octagonecologyst]

If you're not appropriately freaked out by the prospect of going to the Caribbean, check out this thread from the International forum:

<a href="http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000945" target="_blank">http://forums.studentdoctor.net/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=12;t=000945</a>

 

[reesie0726]

I think if you put more time into building your application you can get into american med schools and d.o. schools are always an option. I think they tend to be more forgiving of early mistakes in your academic career. But I would go and do a postbac program and try to boost your ugrad gpa or maybe one of the special postbac programs like finch. S

 

[kittyjuice]

ok here is the scoop. i have taken so many postbacc courses as a masters student....molecular genetics, embryo, med micro, immuno, anatomy, cancer biology and like histology, anatomy lab, biochem next semester.

i have like a 3.6+ in those classes. doesnt that constitute a postbacc, per se? these classes werent required by masters students. i did it to stengthen myself and my application. they were filled with undergrad bio majors. but you see, since i was
a masters student while i took those classes, they all count towards a "masters gpa" or a "grad gpa"....according to amcas. and if schools weed out by computer, they wont give a damn about my grad GPA. because its universally believed to be inflated, and its hard to use it as a way to compare students. i tried putting in those grades as postbaccundergrad GPA, but AMCAS put it all as grad gpa. also, to be a postbacc at my school, youll have like no chance trying to get into those classes. masters is the only way to go.

these 2 years to get a masters have been my postbacc. im not about to waste another 2-4 to merely try to get in. i dont have the luxury or money, nor do i have the support of my family to do ANOTHER postbacc. and if i dont get in for fall 2003, then i see no point in wasting my time.

DO schools are cool, but just not for me...sorry. if im gonna work this hard, i want people to know what im about. a DO has more explaining to do than a foreign grad. in my opinion.

i have friends that were in my situation that didnt do the postbacc stuff like me, and have already taken step 1 and have done well at foreign schools. around 16,000 american grads a year, and 22,000 residency positions that need to be filled in teh states. so its definately possible. and st. georges offers all of its clinicals at one location in NYC. they wont beat american grads, but they sure as hell will beat all other foreign grads who are coming here from like india, philipines, iran or wherever. id just rather put my time in actually doing it rather than trying to impress a biased adcom. life is too short man to allow myself to be used by the system....correct me if u think im wrong.
-thesis boy

 

[ninaninanina]

Kitty juice, if this is what you want to do, and you are willing to go to St.George, I think you should go for it. I have looked into St.George, and researched it tons, and know a few people that went there and are going there. I think it is a great opportunity and if you work hard anything is possible. It seems like you are a very dedicated person, and if med school is your dream and nothing holds you back than why not go for it? That is just how I feel. I mean you've done the post bacc thing, you've given your best, you have the chance to do the med school thing now too! So I say go for it! St.George is reputable, if you work hard you can do what you want!

 

[Joe Joe on da Radio]

kittyj, correct me if i'm wrong but i thought i read somewhere you only applied to 3 schools...all very close to the deadline. i think if you were to apply early and to a wide-range of many schools (20-25), you'd have a decent shot. just 3 apps and late on top of it is just application suicide.

 

[kittyjuice]

joe joe, yeah, i applied to 3 schools around december/january when i found out that some schools were delaying the deadline. SLU is the only one im waiting on, and from the sound of things, it looks like a no shot.

well, i have so many different ideas on what i should do its confusing. on the one hand i can apply american, which i probably will submit in a week or two once i find out whats up with my other things in life. but the 6 on verbal is killing me. i cant believe i got raped like that. but as far as everything after my undergrad, things are pretty solid. i dunno, i dont want to apply to get rejected when i could have spent that time doing med school.

people tell me to get a job at amgen or something after the masters for some work experience and to keep trying american if things dont work out. i am only 22, and thats not a bad idea but not really what i had in mind either.

statistically, things really aren't on my side. advisors dont advise me to go american, so its drama for my mama. one of my thesis committee members tells me to just start at SGU and to not "waste time with this masters thing".

also, i got parents that really dont want me living with them anymore and me having them leech of them... haha. so i need to figure out what im gonna do quick.
-confused thesis boy

 

[kittyjuice]

BUMP....

any new opinions? I got into St. Georges for january, and that looks like my fall back at this point.

should i apply to around 15 american med schools right now and start at St. georges in JAn? they will most likely notify me after Jan, i know, but its more of a mental relief thing. i dunno.

I dont care about having to go foreign, i just dont want to look back and have any regrets on what i could have done.

-d

 

[lola]

can you postpone until next fall, and apply to lots of u.s. schools this year? it just seems sort of sad that you didn't give applying to u.s. schools your best shot since you did well in your master's program and did pretty well on the mcat. if you're 22, there's really no reason to be in such a rush! i know it may be hard to see that now, but i've been out of college for 5 years and am so glad i had the opportunity to experience the "real world".
your master's program let you take those courses as part of your master's degree? were they undergrad or graduate level courses? if they were undergrad & the credits didn't count toward your master's degree (i.e. if they were just extra classes), you should be able to classify them as postbac.

 

[kittyjuice]

lola,
i took a lot of undergrad non grad school classes and AMCAS classified them as merely all grad GPA.

as far as experiencing the real world, i know exactly where youre coming from.....ive done enough experiencing...haha, hence the 2.8 undergrad.

your point is kinda my concern. i dont want to have any doubts later. but then again, i already know wha ti want to do, and im sick of waiting around doing other things that dont really interest me. and its like, id rather put that time an energy into actually getting stuff that matters done.

i dunno. maybe im young and rushing it, but im sure im not the only one in this situation.

which is why i bumped this post.

 

[lola]

i don't think amcas should have classified them as grad school unless they counted toward your grad school program or were grad school classes. are you sure they did this correctly? did you talk to them about it? it doesn't seem right to me if they were undergrad courses. it would really help your app out a lot if they were classified as postbac or undergrad, since you showed significant improvement and have decent mcat scores.

 

[Ryo-Ohki]

DON'T GO TO ST. GEORGE!!!!

You have a shot. At least try.

 

[lola]

one more thing... i wouldn't say don't go to st george's, because i really don't know how badly you want to go into medicine right now or all that much about the school. what i would say is do you think you will regret making this decision 4 years from now or 10 years from now? if the answer is maybe, you should at least look at other options. you will only be 26 or 27 when you finish -- younger than i'll be when i start taking one more year off really won't kill you, and it will at least give you peace of mind that you tried your best to get into the best school you could.

 

[kittyjuice]

lola,
thanks for listening. here is my plan.....

im gonna apply to like 15-20 US schools in a matter of weeks. i have my application online from last year, so its all saved.

ill call AMCAS and put them in their place about the postbacc issue. i didnt understand why they did that, maybe that was a factor, who knows?

Ill fill out the 2ndaries, and will most likely jump in for January in SGU.

Will I hear from most schools by January, as to whether ill be admitted or not? I know most people wait until april may or june.

Its all a piece of mind issue for me. I want to apply to know that I really applied under teh best circumstances.

I understand where youre coming from as far as age.

but let me ask you this, and please dont take it personally at all......

Wouldn't it be nice to know that you were an MD right now at your age? That your toughest y ears were behind u?

A HUGE part of me really feels that time is of the essence. And for me to wait around more than a year would be a waste for me personally i believe....because ill be pretty much doing the same thing....taking upperdiv classses, which i will max out on soon, and party on weekends like a wild animal....lol. And I dont really want to take the MCAt again, but there is a .5% chance i may.

nothing is for certain of course...

 

[physicsMD]

Hey Kitty,
I also have postbac classes I took while a grad student, I had no problem with AMCAS putting them in the appropriate place (my AP units are another story). Anyways, whats you undergrad GPA with your postbac classes? Have you done well in them? If you have maintained awesome grades, retake the MCAT and do well, and have rgeat letters and essays, then you definitely have a shot.

 

[Bikini Princess]

It sounds like you have a good chance to get into a US school, if you are organized and plan ahead.

 

[lola]

Originally posted by kittyjuice:
but let me ask you this, and please dont take it personally at all......

Wouldn't it be nice to know that you were an MD right now at your age? That your toughest y ears were behind u?

Yes, it would be nice to be an MD now. Many of my college classmates are doctors, and it's slightly annoying to think I'm going to have to spend 4 more years in school. However, I have definitely learned so much about myself in the past several years, and I will definitely make a better doctor because of it. Also, I would never regret taking a year or two off after college. I'm not advocating for five, I'll admit, that mightn't have been the best idea. One or two gives you time to relax and gain some new perspective on what life is all about. THERE IS NO RUSH TO START WORKING IN A CAREER JOB. You will work your whole life! The difference between working 35 years as an MD vs. 33 years is that you probably had some fun and learned some different things during those two years you weren't an MD.

Anyway, best of luck! If you can get AMCAS to change how they categorized your classes, I think you definitely have a shot.

 

[Maple]

Kittyjuice,

I just read throughthe entire thread. I don't think you'll get into an allopathic school either. I think the answer is in front of you...and you seem to know it too..having experienced life and all....you know what to do...just do it!

 

[Lavndrrose]

Originally posted by Maple
Kittyjuice,

I just read throughthe entire thread. I don't think you'll get into an allopathic school either.

 

[Ronny]

kitty, What on earth do you have against DO school? You mentioned that you'de have more explaining to do if you went to a DO school than a foreign school. I think that notion is ludicrous. DO's have no explaining to do, they are doctors just the same as MD's. Foreign doctors from other countries have no explaining to do, but americans that go to foreign schools might, if they're asked. Just my .02 cents.