How to boost my application

[JGChiO11]

Hi,
I am new to this website so my apologies if this isn't the right way to post, I can't really figure out how to post a question in an existing thread!

I am graduating in 2 weeks from a well-known university in New York. My GPA is around a 3.2-3.3 I was a molecular genetics major with a social psychology minor.

I know my GPA isn't as high as other applicants but I did the best I could while in college and working at least 2 jobs concurrently + FT student!!

I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me about something to focus on for my application. I am not applying until the June 2012 cycle. I have volunteered in research labs, other volunteer work (100+ hours), shadowed some doctors, and I will be working full-time in a hospital after graduation as a patient care tech.

My main concern is my GPA and I am not sure about how realistic my MCAT score may be competitive-wise. I am going to study as hard as I can but I feel like I am not the typical college student since I have had up to 3 jobs at one point while still being a full-time student. Would med schools take my work into consideration?

Thanks for any advice!!

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[Catalystik]

I can't really figure out how to post a question in an existing thread!

I am graduating in 2 weeks from a well-known university in New York. My GPA is around a 3.2-3.3 I was a molecular genetics major with a social psychology minor.

I know my GPA isn't as high as other applicants but I did the best I could while in college and working at least 2 jobs concurrently + FT student!!

I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me about something to focus on for my application. I am not applying until the June 2012 cycle. I have volunteered in research labs, other volunteer work (100+ hours), shadowed some doctors, and I will be working full-time in a hospital after graduation as a patient care tech.

My main concern is my GPA and I am not sure about how realistic my MCAT score may be competitive-wise. I am going to study as hard as I can but I feel like I am not the typical college student since I have had up to 3 jobs at one point while still being a full-time student. Would med schools take my work into consideration?

Thanks for any advice!!

Hello. Asking new questions on someone else's thread would not be appropriate, so I'm glad you figured out how to start your own.

Average stats for an accepted MD student are 3.67cGPA/3.61 BCPM. Average for an entering DO student are 3.47cGPA/3.36 sGPA. So you are right that your GPA isn't very competitive. Ways to compensate for that would be with a steep upward grade trend since earlier in college, a higher MCAT score than average, and amazing ECs. So it's possible for you to get into an MD school, but at this time, it would appear that DO schools are a more realistic goal. Many apply to both types of medical schools.

Heavy work hours are taken into consideration, but not as much as you'd need, and more to excuse less robust Experiences.

Do you have any particularly low grades? For what? Did you retake any classes? What is your BCPM GPA?

During this next year while you are acquiring patient care experience, you would also want to engage in some type of nonmedical community service on a regular basis. If you have no teaching experience yet, you might choose something like after-school tutoring for kids in a poor neighborhood or teaching ESL to adults through a community program. If you have a chance to get in a leadership role, that would be helpful too. If you haven't shadowed at least 50 hours, get more in, ideally including a primary care doc, and/or a DO.

 

[JGChiO11]

Thank you for the help! I was also looking at percentages from the AAMC website with MCAT score + my GPA... realistically, it isn't possible for me to take any postbacc classes to raise my GPA. And I did the best at college freshmen year 1st semester without trying ha interesting how that worked out.

I've gotten basically A's in everything that was not a bio class. I think my non-science GPA is around a 3.75
The real downer in my major is my orgo I and II grades I got C's in and a C+ in physics II... otherwise I got mainly A's and some B's in my sciences. Due to the cost of taking 1 class being like 3,000 dollars... it doesn't seem feasible to spend that to improve my GPA. I feel confident in my abilities to study and do well on the MCAT since I do feel like I learned a lot despite my grade.

The percentage rate last time I checked for a 3.2-3.29 and a 32-34 on the MCAT was like 30-40% I think (if I remember correctly). While that isn't great, I feel optimistic!

I was a TA for a second semester freshmen bio class and I have been volunteering for 2 years now for a pet rescue in my community. I am part of a big brother/big sister program as well so I have a little girl who my family mentors/see every weekend. Other volunteering has been with kids and newborn nursery holding babies etc.

I will definitely look into more shadowing experience. Is there anything else you suggest that is EC I can do? I have a lot of volunteering, but I can keep going and find more if it will help!

If you ultimately think I need to raise my GPA, I could re-take the orgo classes at a SUNY school, but I see that as a cop-out since I could have just gone to a state school and gotten a 4.0 but I think it looks bad to retake a class at an easier college, just my opinion.
^^- is this true or does it not matter?

Thank you!!

 

[Catalystik]

If you ultimately think I need to raise my GPA, I could re-take the orgo classes at a SUNY school, but I see that as a cop-out since I could have just gone to a state school and gotten a 4.0 but I think it looks bad to retake a class at an easier college, just my opinion.
^^- is this true or does it not matter?

Retaking the classes at a community college might be perceived as an easy out. Retaking at any four-year school, especially if finances are an issue, is perfectly acceptable.

The additional ECs you mentioned look good. As a minimum, continue with any one of your nonmedical volunteer activities for an average of 2 hours a week.