Is it realistic to get into a Top-Tier Medical School starting at Community College?

[Wiesal]

Hello everyone. I'd like to know more or less what are my chances of getting into a top-tier medical school such as Harvard.

My plan:

• Start Community College(Miami-Dade College) for two years
  • An incredible amount of hours volunteer starting in July at a pediatric hospital gaining clinical experience
  • Become a CNA
  • A good chunk of time shadowing MD's and DO's
  • See if there is any research opportunities even though it's CC
  • Keep a 4.0 GPA
  • Study for the MCAT really, really early
• Use their transfer program to go to my state school(University of Florida)
  • Keep rocking that 4.0 GPA
  • Get into research as soon as possible
  • Possibly become a medical scribe or EMT
  • Take most of my science courses
  • Get to know my professors to get my recommendation letters

And that's pretty much it for undergraduate. Basically what are my chances, what should I add/remove, and any other thoughts would be appreciated

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[deleted577188]

Omg

 

[Goro]

Yes.

 

[Wiesal]

This sounds like one hell of a plan, but I better not get burnt out busting my ass!

 

[LizzyM]

This sounds like one hell of a plan, but I better not get burnt out busting my ass!

Amen.

What you've described is pretty much a vanilla application. You need something a little more interesting to attract the attention of a top 5 school. Your application has to make the adcom say, "wow, I'd really like to meet this applicant!"

It could be something short-term but unusual such as being a contestant on a game show like Jeopardy, having an unusual employment such as working in a first aid station at Disney World or being an ocean life guard, or something long term such as military service after (or before) college.

Don't get your CNA and/or EMT credential unless you will use it.

 

[Catalystik]

Hello everyone. I'd like to know more or less what are my chances of getting into a top-tier medical school such as Harvard.

My plan:

• Start Community College(Miami-Dade College) for two years
  • An incredible amount of hours volunteer starting in July at a pediatric hospital gaining clinical experience
  • Become a CNA
  • A good chunk of time shadowing MD's and DO's
  • See if there is any research opportunities even though it's CC
  • Keep a 4.0 GPA
  • Study for the MCAT really, really early
• Use their transfer program to go to my state school(University of Florida)
  • Keep rocking that 4.0 GPA
  • Get into research as soon as possible
  • Possibly become a medical scribe or EMT
  • Take most of my science courses
  • Get to know my professors to get my recommendation letters

And that's pretty much it for undergraduate. Basically what are my chances, what should I add/remove, and any other thoughts would be appreciated

Besides getting involved in productive research, look for substantive leadership opportunities that will give evidence that you have potential as a future leader in medicine, as that is the sort of applicant that "top-tier" med schools seek to train.

 

[GrapesofRath]

What prevents most CC students from going to top med schools isn't that it's impossible to do. It's just plans like these are really hard to follow through on.

"Keep rocking that 4.0?"----You'll see what I mean pretty soon. Maintaining a 4.0 in high school vs Maintaining a 4.0 in college are two completely different things. Hell there's a reason tons of people getting into med schools with 3.5+ GPAs; even 3.5+ takes alot of hard work for most.

And yes @Catalystik is right. What's over looked on this site when it comes to top school admission are factors that separate you and make you look like future impactful leader in medicine. Leadership and significant on-campus involvement are the types of things that can show this.

 

[The Real SVB]

If you're going to a CC, keeping a 4.0 is no cake walk. Think less, do more

 

[Gandyy]

If you're going to a CC, keeping a 4.0 is no cake walk. Think less, do more

Actually in my experience keeping a 4.0 at a Community College is jokingly easy. Its when you hit the 4 year state school it becomes absurdly tough to do that.

 

[The Real SVB]

Actually in my experience keeping a 4.0 at a Community College is jokingly easy. Its when you hit the 4 year state school it becomes absurdly tough to do that.

I meant that the regular high school student who ends up in community college should not be expecting straight As. Bad HS grades and low SES are the main reasons to attend a CC, both of which don't bode well for academic strength. Generalization, yes, but I'm just saying.

 

[Gandyy]

I meant that the regular high school student who ends up in community college should not be expecting straight As. Bad HS grades and low SES are the main reasons to attend a CC, both of which don't bode well for academic strength. Generalization, yes, but I'm just saying.

fair enough, but if OP is a "regular high school" student, he needs to cross off "top medical schools" in the country as well.

You almost have to assume that someone with aspirations of that level is an above average high school student. If they arent, they are in for a very very rough ride.

 

[The Real SVB]

You almost have to assume that someone with aspirations of that level is an above average high school student.

No. This is SDN. The naïveté and level of obliviousness that can be encountered are legendary.

That being said, we're all mediocre until proven otherwise.

 

[IlyaR]

It could be something short-term but unusual such as being a contestant on a game show like Jeopardy,

I yell answers at the TV, does that count?

 

[Pyonium]

I meant that the regular high school student who ends up in community college should not be expecting straight As.

My culminating GPA at the end of my Junior year of HS was 2.6. They let me do my senior year at CC instead because HS clearly wasn't doing it for me and I guess they just gave up on me. I was on the CC's honor roll the entire year and finished with a 3.9 or something (mind you that only puts my culminating HS GPA somewhere above 3).

 

[The Real SVB]

My culminating GPA at the end of my Junior year of HS was 2.6. They let me do my senior year at CC instead because HS clearly wasn't doing it for me and I guess they just gave up on me. I was on the CC's honor roll the entire year and finished with a 3.9 or something (mind you that only puts my culminating HS GPA somewhere above 3).

You weren't a "regular student." A regular student doesn't have a 2.6 GPA in high school.
Plus, I said I was generalizing.

 

[The Real SVB]

I yell answers at the TV, does that count?

Only if Alex responds back

 

[jsquared91]

Only if Alex responds back

When he doesn't respond I just yell louder.

 

[RedPhys]

I have a friend that went from Miami-Dade and transferred to an Ivy league school
That's certainly better than transferring to UF

Dream big

 

[tortelliniboy]

I read these topics and wonder what happened to "the best medical school is the one that accepts you." Of course that means US non-devry med school.

 

[LizzyM]

I yell answers at the TV, does that count?

If it does, I am already the Final Jeopardy Champion.

 

[The Real SVB]

When he doesn't respond I just yell louder.

Does the announcer pick it up then?

 

[jsquared91]

Does the announcer pick it up then?

It usually ends with this:

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

Actually in my experience keeping a 4.0 at a Community College is jokingly easy. Its when you hit the 4 year state school it becomes absurdly tough to do that.

This.

 

[Wiesal]

I meant that the regular high school student who ends up in community college should not be expecting straight As. Bad HS grades and low SES are the main reasons to attend a CC, both of which don't bode well for academic strength. Generalization, yes, but I'm just saying.

Even though you are generalizing, please don't make assumptions about my situation.

 

[Wiesal]

I have a friend that went from Miami-Dade and transferred to an Ivy league school
That's certainly better than transferring to UF

Dream big

That's wonderful high fives for him Bravo!

What did he do exactly that was so significant it caught the eyes of Ivy Leagues?

 

[The Real SVB]

Even though you are generalizing, please don't make assumptions about my situation.

I didn't. I was just answering your question, "Is it realistic?" and the simple answer is no. Not very realistic at all, but not impossible.

 

[Wiesal]

I didn't. I was just answering your question, "Is it realistic?" and the simple answer is no. Not very realistic at all, but not impossible.

Because you don't believe I can follow through with my plan?

 

[Gandyy]

Because you don't believe I can follow through with my plan?

Go out there and do it instead of turning this into a "Yes I can" ... "No you cant" thread.

 

[The Real SVB]

Because you don't believe I can follow through with my plan?

Because the cards are stacked against you from the get go. I don't know you. We don't know you enough to know whether your an exception to the rule or not, so anything we tell you really doesn't mean all that much. But know that the odds are against you for a whole variety of reasons.

 

[The Real SVB]

Go out there and do it instead of turning this into a "Yes I can" ... "No you cant" thread.

I'm not saying OP can't. We have no information to speak to whether he/she can or cannot. We can only deliver anecdotes and some generalizations and see where it goes. OP is the only one who can make it realistic or make it impossible based on his/her performance.

 

[LizzyM]

I remember an applicant years ago who didn't want to do what his parents wanted (go to college), they threw him out after HS, he couched surfed 2500 miles from home for awhile working odd jobs, got a job in a drugstore, started community college and then got an EMT certificate to get a different exposure to the health care field. He ended up working at Ground Zero on & after 9/11. That and a community college 4.0 got him into an Ivy.

 

[Gandyy]

I remember an applicant years ago who didn't want to do what his parents wanted (go to college), they threw him out after HS, he couched surfed 2500 miles from home for awhile working odd jobs, got a job in a drugstore, started community college and then got an EMT certificate to get a different exposure to the health care field. He ended up working at Ground Zero on & after 9/11. That and a community college 4.0 got him into an Ivy.

That is something else.

 

[XxThaDoggxX]

I remember an applicant years ago who didn't want to do what his parents wanted (go to college), they threw him out after HS, he couched surfed 2500 miles from home for awhile working odd jobs, got a job in a drugstore, started community college and then got an EMT certificate to get a different exposure to the health care field. He ended up working at Ground Zero on & after 9/11. That and a community college 4.0 got him into an Ivy.

I love hearing stories like these and they make me want to work harder as well. With so much bad constantly being blasted by news daily its refreshing to hear something good.

 

[RedPhys]

That's wonderful high fives for him Bravo!

What did he do exactly that was so significant it caught the eyes of Ivy Leagues?

Dunno. He did tell me he was a pretty bad student in HS (like 2.x gpa type of bad...), and worked some odd jobs for a year or two before CC, and got a 4.0 at the CC, so I guess the good grade + changing life around story counted for something.

 

[Scottpilot]

Actually in my experience keeping a 4.0 at a Community College is jokingly easy. Its when you hit the 4 year state school it becomes absurdly tough to do that.

Definitely this. I had a high GPA in CC, then crash and burned at a 4 year. Took years to recover.

OP, when you transfer, seek help/tutoring very early if you are struggling. I didn't, and it cost me.

 

[familyaerospace]

That's wonderful high fives for him Bravo!

What did he do exactly that was so significant it caught the eyes of Ivy Leagues?

I can't speak to Miami-Dade, but I went to Broward Community College (now it's a 4 year) and a lot of people transferred to Ivies after their second year. The honours program was well known for sending a few every year. Usually Harvard but there were others too. The kids primarily busted their behinds academically, won awards, usually had a part time job, did lots of community service over an extended period of time, etc.

 

[Narmerguy]

For what it's worth, there are multiple students in my class that started at community college, though their stories are unique. I don't know a ton of details and do not wish to elaborate on their personal details so that's all I really know.