How does a spotty transcript affect admissions decision?

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notrack

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[Sorry for long post or for violating any thread rules--newbie] I recently graduated from a top public university in California with a degree in political science; I transferred to this university from a California community college. When I started community college in 2009, my intention was to go to medical school but that route changed because I simply could not get the required science courses and my financial aid at the CC level was about to run out. I switched to political science with the hope of leveraging the degree towards consulting, finance, or law (and i really enjoyed my major). However, after spending the last three months interning for a consulting company, I have realized its not something I want to devote my life to.

I want to take the science prerequisites through UCLA extension's premedical certificate program [UCLA provides financial aid via loans] and apply primarily to DO programs. But before I start this process, I want to know how certain aspects of my transcript might affect adcom's perception of me:
1)Why Political Science and not a "Hard" Science
2) 3 W's due to work and transportation issues
3) 1 D in a math course
4) 2 C's (non-science/math courses)
5) 1 year where I was not a full-time student (scheduling issues), 1 semester where I was a half-time student, and a semester where I did not take any classes--a gap.

Despite these setbacks I was able to maintain a gpa at the community college level of 3.5 and a UC gpa of 3.615. Throughout my undergradaute career, I put in as much effort as I could given work and commute constraints (in some cases, I lost 6 hours a day during a 10 week quarter). I have over 80 hours of hospital volunteering and some extracurricular activities. If I maintain a 3.5-3.65 overall gpa/3.5 science gpa/30-35 MCAT, do you think I stand a good shot at a DO program? What about MD programs? How would the mentioned "red flags" affect my application?

Thanks for any advice!

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Irrelevant. We don't care about majors or minors, only that you do well.


But before I start this process, I want to know how certain aspects of my transcript might affect adcom's perception of me:
1)Why Political Science and not a "Hard" Science



Probably won't be a problem, but does raise judgment issues.
2) 3 W's due to work and transportation issues

Retake all F/D/C science coursework and let AACOMAS' grade replacement policy do it's work.
3) 1 D in a math course
4) 2 C's (non-science/math courses)


As long as you do well in your post-bac coursework, this will not matter.
5) 1 year where I was not a full-time student (scheduling issues), 1 semester where I was a half-time student, and a semester where I did not take any classes--a gap.

Despite these setbacks I was able to maintain a gpa at the community college level of 3.5 and a UC gpa of 3.615. Throughout my undergradaute career, I put in as much effort as I could given work and commute constraints (in some cases, I lost 6 hours a day during a 10 week quarter). I have over 80 hours of hospital volunteering and some extracurricular activities. If I maintain a 3.5-3.65 overall gpa/3.5 science gpa/30-35 MCAT, do you think I stand a good shot at a DO program? What about MD programs? How would the mentioned "red flags" affect my application?

Thanks for any advice![/QUOTE]
 
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