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I am 23 years old and currently a MPH student in Hospital and Molecular Epidemiology at the University of Michigan. I graduated in May of 2005 from Xavier University in Cincinnati with a BS in Biology. This fall I realized that public health was not the field which I wanted to pursue a career in (ironically working in the field of public health does not actually guarantee that you will work with the public), but that medicine was. I am looking for any advice that would help me to be the best applicant that I can be, as well any suggestions as to what schools I should apply. I am an Ohio resident, and my dream is to attend the University of Cincinnati.
My undergrad GPA is 3.5 and my undergrad science is also around 3.5. Unfortunately, I earned Cs in General Chemistry II and both semesters of Organic Chemistry. However, my grades do show a positive trend, and I earned As in almost all of my upper level biology classes such as Physiology, Genetics, Biochemistry, and Medical Genetics. Also, while I was in undergrad, I had the opportunity to perform research with a professor in a microbiology lab.
I anticipate that my graduate GPA will be around 3.7 at the end of this semester. My MPH track is science intensive (it is essentially laboratory based epidemiology with a focus on infectious diseases). I have already earned an A+ in pathophysiology and I anticipate earning an A in virology and infectious disease epidemiology. I also am performing research in the University of Michigan Hospital Pediatric Infectious Disease Lab.
I did not participate in many extracurricular activities during undergrad because I had to work to pay for school. I worked for six years (2 during high school and all 4 years of undergrad) at a local library. It was my work there with the public (and my desire to work with the public again) that is one of my main motivations for entering medicine.
Once I decided to pursue medical school, I began to look for extracurricular activities that would provide me exposure to the medical field. This was a difficult task due the amount of time I have been putting into school and research. I was able to find a position volunteering at the Patient Education Resource Center at the University of Michigan Hospital Cancer Center. This position has provided my with great contact with patients, patients families, doctors, nurses, hospital social workers, and other hospital staff.
In general I am wondering I am a competitive candidate (I will be taking the MCAT in April and all of the practice tests that I have taken indicate that I will score 30+)? What can I do to be a better applicant? How much will the Cs on my transcript affect my chances? Is the volunteer work I am doing enough? Other than the Ohio schools, what schools would you suggest that I apply to?
Any and all advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
My undergrad GPA is 3.5 and my undergrad science is also around 3.5. Unfortunately, I earned Cs in General Chemistry II and both semesters of Organic Chemistry. However, my grades do show a positive trend, and I earned As in almost all of my upper level biology classes such as Physiology, Genetics, Biochemistry, and Medical Genetics. Also, while I was in undergrad, I had the opportunity to perform research with a professor in a microbiology lab.
I anticipate that my graduate GPA will be around 3.7 at the end of this semester. My MPH track is science intensive (it is essentially laboratory based epidemiology with a focus on infectious diseases). I have already earned an A+ in pathophysiology and I anticipate earning an A in virology and infectious disease epidemiology. I also am performing research in the University of Michigan Hospital Pediatric Infectious Disease Lab.
I did not participate in many extracurricular activities during undergrad because I had to work to pay for school. I worked for six years (2 during high school and all 4 years of undergrad) at a local library. It was my work there with the public (and my desire to work with the public again) that is one of my main motivations for entering medicine.
Once I decided to pursue medical school, I began to look for extracurricular activities that would provide me exposure to the medical field. This was a difficult task due the amount of time I have been putting into school and research. I was able to find a position volunteering at the Patient Education Resource Center at the University of Michigan Hospital Cancer Center. This position has provided my with great contact with patients, patients families, doctors, nurses, hospital social workers, and other hospital staff.
In general I am wondering I am a competitive candidate (I will be taking the MCAT in April and all of the practice tests that I have taken indicate that I will score 30+)? What can I do to be a better applicant? How much will the Cs on my transcript affect my chances? Is the volunteer work I am doing enough? Other than the Ohio schools, what schools would you suggest that I apply to?
Any and all advice would be appreciated. Thanks!
