I might have shot myself in the foot...

[CCpremedRP]

Hello SDN. Sorry about the length of the original post, its my first time using the forums.

Background
- Age: 24
- Ethnicity: Filipino (Born in the Philippines, moved to America and became an American Citizen)
- State of Residence: NJ
- Major: B.S. Science w/ Minor in Psychology at a 4-year private university in NJ.
- I am the first college graduate in my family (Associates degree in 2017)
- There are no healthcare professionals in the immediate family as most of my siblings were expected to work after graduating from high school, therefore never had the chance to go to college.
- I've worked 20-30 hrs per week every semester after graduating high school, even until today.

Family History: Mother works works full time (at least tries to) at Costco as a food court worker, while my father retired in 2016 after 22 years working at Costco, working in box collection/disposal. I have two brothers who are both mailmen and four sisters, two of whom works as dental receptionists, one works as a check processing company and the other works as a biller.

Here is my situation:

I was not a good student in high school, prioritizing being a class clown over my studies. After barely graduating high school in 2013, I went on to an NJ community college to do some soul searching, and the bad study habits (or lack thereof) carried over through my first two and a half years in community college (I also had changed majors 4 times). This was until the Spring 2016 when i received my first even "A" in a class which was anatomy and physiology I. This course was taught by a retired physician, who inspired me to learn more of the human body and its functions, and also whom i still keep in contact today.

I asked him about potential career fields which i could use the knowledge of the human body to help people and he said something like, "If you didn't ask me this question, I would've thought that you wanted to become a physician?". For a person who never even thought it was possible to receive an A in any class, i thought this was near impossible but being as curious as I was, I contacted a couple of physicians asking about their experiences and was even lucky enough to be able to shadow my PCP. Through this experience, i realized even through all the schooling, working late nights, and an unending amount of paperwork to be done, that i fell in love with the idea of reaching the pinnacle of medical education, dedicating my life to saving the lives others and improving the health of those without sufficient access to medical care.

I graduated the CC in 2017, and now I am majoring in science and minoring in psychology at a private 4-year college in NJ, starting off much better than i did while at the community college.

GPA
Community College
Fall 2013 (13 credits): 2.73 gpa
Spring 2014 (10 credits): 3.10 gpa
Fall 2014 (11 credits): 1.68 gpa
Spring 2015 (7 credits): 2.71 gpa
Fall 2015 (8 credits): 2.67 gpa
Winter 2016 (3 credits) 4.00 gpa
Spring 2016 (10 credits): 3.55 gpa
Summer 3 (3 credits): 3.50 gpa
Fall 2016 (14 credits): 3.86 gpa
Spring 2017 (8 credits): 3.82 gpa

87 total credits
cGPA (community college): 2.98 gpa

4 year college
Fall 17 (16 credits): 3.41 gpa
Spring 18 (15 credits): 3.54 gpa
Fall 18(1st sem/junior year) (16 credits): 3.74 gpa

47 total credits (beginning to first semester of junior year)
cGPA (4 year): 3.57 gpa

cGPA (4 year + CC): 3.17 gpa

EC's
- Honors Program Student (2018 - today)
- Volunteer at a Physical Rehabilitation facility (400 hours)
- Primary Care Physician Shadowing (20 hours)
- Events Coordinator, Public Relations, and President of my Community College's Filipino club (2014-2017)
- Community College S.T.E.M. Summer Biochemical research intern (100 hours)
- Was chosen out of 200+ science students from my college to present my dream at my four year colleges capital campaign benefactors dinner, in front of 400+ benefactors.
- Taekwondo practitioner (1st degree blackbelt/Included some instructing as well)
- Creative Writing (I won first place at local spoken word poetry competition and a school poetry competition as well.)
- Dance team (Instruction and performing at competitions) (2013-15)

Now my dilemma...

Next semester (2nd semester of my junior year) I am planning on taking the MCAT to try to matriculate into medical school in 2021. The only problem is my next semester I am finishing my med school prer-eqs (Orgo II, Physics II (Calc-Based), Biochem I, and a junior honors research seminar).

So i was wondering if it was wise to push back the MCAT date and take a gap year to boost my overall application and if I do take the gap year, should I spend it boosting my medically related EC's or enrolling into an SMP to show that I CAN handle the work amount and material, (I have taken (retaken the ones i didn't do well originally in) most of the med school pre-reqs receiving A's in both Gen Bio, both B'S in Gen Chem I&II, A's in A&P 1&2, A- In Calc I and Calc II and an A in Orgo I and a B+ in Physics I (calc-based)... but my overall cGPA doesnt show it =/).

Please, help.

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[DokterMom]

tl;dr --

OK, actually I did read almost the whole thing, but your question is waaaaay too long for you to get the responses you want / need. What you need to do is this:

• One - max two - paragraphs about pre-turnaround, inspiration and turnaround.
• Bullet list of GPA per semester for everything post high-school
• Grand total GPA calculation -- where you are now in the format of: 195 credits, 3.02 GPA, 3.24 sGPA where all of your failures and retakes are included into your calculations
  
• Bullet list of ECs and hours for each
  
• One more paragraph about family circumstances, hardships etc.
• Also include your state of residence.

THEN we will be ready, willing and able to help you with meaningful advice

 

[Skeletorr]

Whatever you decide, doing well on the MCAT will always help your case and make you more competitive. Also, a 3.51 cGPA isn't terrible, and definitely salvageable.

 

[candbgirl]

Do what @DokterMom said and include every class you have ever taken in any college or university when figuring out your cGPA and sGPA! There is no grade replacement when calculating GPAs for med school. But happily you seem to have an upward trend and that’s always good. Are you URM and what is your state of residence?

 

[precisiongraphic]

He states he's Filipino, which is not normally URM though he may be low SES (socio-economic status) and is first college grad in the family.

Do what @DokterMom said and include every class you have ever taken in any college or university when figuring out your cGPA and sGPA! There is no grade replacement when calculating GPAHs for med school. But happily you seem to have an upward trend and that’s always good. Are you URM and what is your state of residence?

 

[CCpremedRP]

tl;dr --

OK, actually I did read almost the whole thing, but your question is waaaaay too long for you to get the responses you want / need. What you need to do is this:

• One - max two - paragraphs about pre-turnaround, inspiration and turnaround.
• Bullet list of GPA per semester for everything post high-school
• Grand total GPA calculation -- where you are now in the format of: 195 credits, 3.02 GPA, 3.24 sGPA where all of your failures and retakes are included into your calculations
  
• Bullet list of ECs and hours for each
  
• One more paragraph about family circumstances, hardships etc.
• Also include your state of residence.

THEN we will be ready, willing and able to help you with meaningful advice

Hi DokterMom,

Sorry it's my first time on these forums... I tried to redo my situation in that format... Please i would love your advice!

 

[Rusrus]

Hello SDN. Sorry about the length of the original post, its my first time using the forums.

Background
- Age: 24
- Ethnicity: Filipino (Born in the Philippines, moved to America and became an American Citizen)
- State of Residence: NJ
- Major: B.S. Science w/ Minor in Psychology at a 4-year private university in NJ.
- I am the first college graduate in my family (Associates degree in 2017)
- There are no healthcare professionals in the immediate family as most of my siblings were expected to work after graduating from high school, therefore never had the chance to go to college.
- I've worked 20-30 hrs per week every semester after graduating high school, even until today.

Family History: Mother works works full time (at least tries to) at Costco as a food court worker, while my father retired in 2016 after 22 years working at Costco, working in box collection/disposal. I have two brothers who are both mailmen and four sisters, two of whom works as dental receptionists, one works as a check processing company and the other works as a biller.

Here is my situation:

I was not a good student in high school, prioritizing being a class clown over my studies. After barely graduating high school in 2013, I went on to an NJ community college to do some soul searching, and the bad study habits (or lack thereof) carried over through my first two and a half years in community college (I also had changed majors 4 times). This was until the Spring 2016 when i received my first even "A" in a class which was anatomy and physiology I. This course was taught by a retired physician, who inspired me to learn more of the human body and its functions, and also whom i still keep in contact today.

I asked him about potential career fields which i could use the knowledge of the human body to help people and he said something like, "If you didn't ask me this question, I would've thought that you wanted to become a physician?". For a person who never even thought it was possible to receive an A in any class, i thought this was near impossible but being as curious as I was, I contacted a couple of physicians asking about their experiences and was even lucky enough to be able to shadow my PCP. Through this experience, i realized even through all the schooling, working late nights, and an unending amount of paperwork to be done, that i fell in love with the idea of reaching the pinnacle of medical education, dedicating my life to saving the lives others and improving the health of those without sufficient access to medical care.

I graduated the CC in 2017, and now I am majoring in science and minoring in psychology at a private 4-year college in NJ, starting off much better than i did while at the community college.

GPA
Community College
Fall 2013 (13 credits): 2.73 gpa
Spring 2014 (10 credits): 3.10 gpa
Fall 2014 (11 credits): 1.68 gpa
Spring 2015 (7 credits): 2.71 gpa
Fall 2015 (8 credits): 2.67 gpa
Winter 2016 (3 credits) 4.00 gpa
Spring 2016 (10 credits): 3.55 gpa
Summer 3 (3 credits): 3.50 gpa
Fall 2016 (14 credits): 3.86 gpa
Spring 2017 (8 credits): 3.82 gpa

87 total credits
cGPA (community college): 2.98 gpa

4 year college
Fall 17 (16 credits): 3.41 gpa
Spring 18 (15 credits): 3.54 gpa
Fall 18(1st sem/junior year) (16 credits): 3.74 gpa

47 total credits (beginning to first semester of junior year)
cGPA (4 year): 3.57 gpa

cGPA (4 year + CC): 3.17 gpa

EC's
- Honors Program Student (2018 - today)
- Volunteer at a Physical Rehabilitation facility (400 hours)
- Primary Care Physician Shadowing (20 hours)
- Events Coordinator, Public Relations, and President of my Community College's Filipino club (2014-2017)
- Community College S.T.E.M. Summer Biochemical research intern (100 hours)
- Was chosen out of 200+ science students from my college to present my dream at my four year colleges capital campaign benefactors dinner, in front of 400+ benefactors.
- Taekwondo practitioner (1st degree blackbelt/Included some instructing as well)
- Creative Writing (I won first place at local spoken word poetry competition and a school poetry competition as well.)
- Dance team (Instruction and performing at competitions) (2013-15)

Now my dilemma...

Next semester (2nd semester of my junior year) I am planning on taking the MCAT to try to matriculate into medical school in 2021. The only problem is my next semester I am finishing my med school prer-eqs (Orgo II, Physics II (Calc-Based), Biochem I, and a junior honors research seminar).

So i was wondering if it was wise to push back the MCAT date and take a gap year to boost my overall application and if I do take the gap year, should I spend it boosting my medically related EC's or enrolling into an SMP to show that I CAN handle the work amount and material, (I have taken (retaken the ones i didn't do well originally in) most of the med school pre-reqs receiving A's in both Gen Bio, both B'S in Gen Chem I&II, A's in A&P 1&2, A- In Calc I and Calc II and an A in Orgo I and a B+ in Physics I (calc-based)... but my overall cGPA doesnt show it =/).

Please, help.

If my math is correct and you continue your upward GPA trend next semester your cGPA will be around a 3.24 (assuming 15 credit hours and averaging a 3.8). This, in addition to a strong MCAT score (would recommend 508+) would make you fairly competitive for DO schools. If you are considering an SMP just keep in mind that they are expensive and are high-stakes high-reward (if you do poorly then consider your medical career done for.) That said, you want to apply when your application is at its strongest and I would recommend that you take biochemistry prior to the MCAT as it is one of the highest yield topics.

 

[DokterMom]

Better - Thanks! In this new format, your upward academic trend is clear. You're right that your number one priority should be to lengthen and strengthen that trend. So more coursework and more A's until you graduate, followed by a strong MCAT. If you're concerned that MCAT studying will distract you, then yes - add another year. It's critically important that you demonstrate that you have the academic capability to succeed in medical school, and only a high GPA at a four-year university can do that. Accordingly, my suggestions are:

• Finish your BS strong. High GPA, take all needed prerequisites.
• Put off MCAT studying until after you graduate, then study hard. (See SND MCAT prep threads)
  
• Take your MCAT as soon as you're scoring 510+ consistently in your practice exams or until you top out. You'll have to play that by ear a bit, but DON'T take it until you're ready. Take it early enough that you can retake if needed - but don't do it lightly.
  
• Continue to volunteer and shadow (up to 50 hours - DO also) to demonstrate commitment.
• I would not do an SMP immediately. They're expensive and only good for medical school admissions (nothing else), and with a strong upward GPA trend and a strong MCAT, it might not be necessary.

With your back story, you will be able to find some folks who will want to help you and who will want to see you succeed. Your job will be to find those people (so network), and to demonstrate that you will be able to succeed if given the chance. I hear there are some schools/states that consider Filipino URM, so do investigate that angle. And yes, also consider DO schools.

 

[Goro]

Do NOT take the MCAT until you are 100% ready. Med schools aren't going anywhere.

 

[CCpremedRP]

Thank you for all your advice everyone! I was really leaning towards taking the gap year to study and boost my ec’s.

As a final question, I considered volunteering full time as an EMT during my gap year and during my senior year + shadowing and studying for the MCAT. I think that being an EMT would be a great experience in terms of exposing myself to direct emergency care. Is the EMT thing a good choice or should I focus my time on something else?