This program is considered a special Masters program. I have definitely seen someone with a GPA close to yours go through our program and then get into med school. I am thinking of two specific people in the last three years that worked hard when they got here, did well and are both now in Med school.
"Thanks for your interest in our program. I will say, first and foremost, that you have hit the nail on the head in noting we are different from Georgetown and BU. We are not a post-bacc or a pre-med program. That said, we do have a significant number who are attracted to us and to public health in general because of a strong interest in practicing medicine in the future -- and most if not all of our graduates who ultimately choose to go after medical school do get in. Of course, we can't guarantee admission to medical school, or even that you will improve your science GPA (that, obviously, is up to you!).
It is very hard to say just from two numbers, a GPA and an MCAT score, what someone's chances for medical school are. A huge amount hangs on the other parts of the application package -- the applicant's activities and experiences, the essays, and the LORs, not to mention where someone went to school, the undergrad major, and what courses were taken to get that GPA. (adn even if you had told me your major and institution, it still would be near-impossible to know the odds). I could give you dozens of examples of the various scenarios (e.g., a so-so-undergrad GPA, a good GPA from here, and then MCATs from 28 to 40) and where these people went for med school, or residencies or fellowships. But for you, a lot hangs on what you've done to distinguish yourself from the rest of the pool of applicants, besides just your two numbers. (Think about what's in your application package and ask yourself, "What makes me stand out?")
People who come out of program typically say a few things of note. If they were going to take the MCAT after the year here, they say the courses here really helped with the MCAT. When they got to medical school, they said the courses and also how they learned to keep up with fast-paced courses and a busy study/exam schedules really helped them in medical school (in fact, many have commented that they found the med school classes easy!). When they got interviews, the experiences here helped give them something interesting and substantive to talk about at the interview -- whether it was a unique public health course, their thesis topic, or some of the experiences they had in a SPH extracurricular activity.
Another thing of note is the classroom experience here, like taking Biochemistry with 20-30 people (instead of the undergrad experience of 100 or more), or taking a course where the final assignment is a group project done with other students to develop a mock health policy program for child immunization program in an underdeveloped country. Students here take things like Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Physiology, Cell Biology, Immunology, etc. -- but there is a lot of flexibility in the program, so students can choose from a wide range of courses that suit their needs and interests (and we encourage working with your advisor to sort this out). Moreover, in a significant number of the science classes, especially the more advanced ones, there is a lot of emphasis on getting beyond just learning the biology but also understanding how things were discovered in the research realm, or getting down to appreciating the mechanistic basis underlying some human pathological condition. Also of note is we have an unusual academic calendar at the SPH, with four 8-week terms (rather than two 15-week semesters). This gives students lots of chances to take lots of different classes. For students who are in the midst of an application cycle, they can send updated grades from their graduate courses as soon as the end of October to places to which they have applied.
Bottom line: I can't tell you what to do, or even advise you, but I have tried to tell you a few things about our program and leave it at that. If you would like to talk more about this (or e-talk), I am happy too. Please let me know if you have additional questions.
Janice Evans"
Program Coordinator