Junior in need of Major & EC help/advice

[awildfandango]

---

Members do not see this ad.

.

 

[Si Se Puede]

Definitely consider applying to REUs and other activities such as volunteer if you have time, but your priority should be maintaining your grades. I would say at this point, you would be better off adding an REU under your belt as your GPA will be barely affected by taking courses this summer and doing well. You also need to plan when to take the MCAT and score high to counterbalance your relatively low GPA.

As far as community colleges go, they are looked at being easy so any lackluster performance there would likely hurt. According to an adcom, double majors/minors do not have any bearing on admissions. The key is to major in something you enjoy and excel in it.

 

[Spinach Dip]

How much do you think medical schools would hold my community college GPA against me?

Not much. 3.3 isn't bad and med schools generally care about cGPA and sGPA more IIRC.



Will my past grades from previous Universities affect my graduation status (cum laude etc.)?

You will have to talk to your university about that one. No one here can answer that.



Should finding some sort of REU opportunity be my number 1 priority? Or should I just concentrate on my course work and take summer classes and double major?

Research is always good. If possible, I'd say get a little research while going for your double major. If that is too much, you could drop the second major or go with the increasingly-popular 5-year plan.



Would a double major give me any sort of edge when applying to medical school?

Eh.... a little, maybe. As I understand it, schools don't care what your major is, but some will look favorably upon a double major.... but it won't get you into med school all by itself. You would still need a solid MCAT, GPA, and so on.

If I were in your situation, personally, I would go for the double major. I don't know about you, but if I didn't finish it I would always be looking back and saying "I was only FOUR classes away!"

 

[awildfandango]

Should finding some sort of REU opportunity be my number 1 priority? Or should I just concentrate on my course work and take summer classes and double major?

Research is always good. If possible, I'd say get a little research while going for your double major. If that is too much, you could drop the second major or go with the increasingly-popular 5-year plan.

I plan on not taking the MCAT until my senior year when I have all of my pre-reqs done (need to finish up OCHEM) and ideally have a gap year before I start medical school. But yea I could always spend the summer at the end of my senior to finish up some classes to get that double major.

I still don't understand how so many people get involved in undergraduate research and have publications. According to graduate students at my school that I have spoken with, professors completely avoid undergraduates from performing any research. Like you said my GPA is average and I don't know how I could get some part time research done at my University or a local Hospital.

 

[Redpancreas]

Should finding some sort of REU opportunity be my number 1 priority? Or should I just concentrate on my course work and take summer classes and double major?

Research is always good. If possible, I'd say get a little research while going for your double major. If that is too much, you could drop the second major or go with the increasingly-popular 5-year plan.

I plan on not taking the MCAT until my senior year when I have all of my pre-reqs done (need to finish up OCHEM) and ideally have a gap year before I start medical school. But yea I could always spend the summer at the end of my senior to finish up some classes to get that double major.

I still don't understand how so many people get involved in undergraduate research and have publications. According to graduate students at my school that I have spoken with, professors completely avoid undergraduates from performing any research. Like you said my GPA is average and I don't know how I could get some part time research done at my University or a local Hospital.

Hey, I saw your other post and figured you were new. I agree with what you're saying here. My advice...Get out of your comfort zone immediately and you'll be just fine. Start looking for 3 letters, make time to study for the MCAT over one whole summer, and get your feet wet with research. It can be any type of research. Doesn't have to be clinical. Only the volunteering has to be clinical.

 

[Ismet]

I plan on not taking the MCAT until my senior year when I have all of my pre-reqs done (need to finish up OCHEM) and ideally have a gap year before I start medical school. But yea I could always spend the summer at the end of my senior to finish up some classes to get that double major.

I still don't understand how so many people get involved in undergraduate research and have publications. According to graduate students at my school that I have spoken with, professors completely avoid undergraduates from performing any research. Like you said my GPA is average and I don't know how I could get some part time research done at my University or a local Hospital.

Psychology classes are not BCPM, so while they will bring up your cGPA, they will not bring up the more important sGPA. Tacking on a psych major won't help you in admissions. Do it if you're interested, don't do it if you don't think you can handle the load. A person with 1 major and a 3.7 will get in over a person with 2 majors and a 3.3.

A minority of undergraduates have publications, so don't let SDN intimidate you. Are there any schools nearby where you can do research? You also don't NEED research to get into medical school. It certainly helps, but it's not required.

Only the volunteering has to be clinical.

No, volunteering does not have to be clinical, and in fact it's beneficial to have non-clinical volunteering. You just need clinical experience, and you can get that from working in a clinical setting or shadowing.