just curious

[workhorse98]

I have been at a junior college for 3 years unable to decide what part of the medical profession I would like to go into.....

My major is Pre-Med

What is a decent GPA for medical school?

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[Besyonek]

You should seriously consider transferring to a four-year school. Fairly or not, most med schools give less weight to grades and courses taken at CCs. While I'm sure there are students who went to a CC and later got acceptances, I have yet to meet one anywhere.

Without oversimplifying matters, you should getting at least a 3.5 gpa (although certainly, students get in with less than that). If you're not going to a well-known public or private school, your gpa must be even higher to allay any doubts or concerns that an admissions officer has. Again, this may not be fair, but it is reality.

 

[Nanon]

While Besyonek is correct about GPA's, he is not so right about CC students. I know MANY people from my CC who got into medical school, including UCSF and UCLA. They were both re-entry students who had not yet completed a degree (like me) or people who had completed a degree in humanities but did not take the required sciences at that time. In fact, MY doctor went to the same CC I'm at now, and he ended up at Loyola.

I'm at CC because I didn't go to highschool and therefore was ineligable to go to a four year right off the bat. I know a lot of people who just couldn't afford a four year. There are many valid reasons to start at a CC, and take a majority of your science courses there. Many four years won't take you (if you're a science major) without taking your pre-med classes at the CC first, because most require that you enter as a junior.

That being said, make sure when the time comes that you are prepared to rock the MCATS. That means make sure that your CC is competitive with 4 year colleges. You can find this out by seeing who transfers where - do a majority of science students get into the better state schools? Are national test scores competitive, and do the departments require national tests? At my CC, we are required to take a national ochem test, and be in the 70th percentile at least.

Anyway, good luck to you. See a medical advisor at a 4 year to get a general overview of medical careers, and volunteer at a hospital to get an up close view.

Sorry to rant -

Nanon

[This message has been edited by Nanon (edited 04-11-2000).]

 

[Carbon Klein]

I went to the City College of San Francisco and then transferred to UC Berkeley. My science gpa was about 3.5 and non science was 3.45. My MCATs (3 of em) is about 30Q. I did a post bac to up my GPA/credentials plus I went to St Georges/Grenada until my junior year. After 3 AMCAS and 6 years, I finally got into the MD/Phd Program at Med College of Ohio (oddly enough, I'm from California, go figure).

Being from UC Berkeley didn't seem to help me much. I would worry less about the name of the school and worry mostly about the actual contents of your application. Hope this helps.

 

[MSW2DO]

Carbon Klein,

I am considering completing my premed prereqs at City College of San Francisco, but I am concerned that doing so will be viewed unfavorably by adcoms. I am also considering SFSU, but City College is MUCH cheaper, and their class schedule fits much better with my work schedule.

Do you think that CCSF has a good science program? Do you feel that the classes you took prepared you adequately for the MCAT?

[This message has been edited by MSW2DO (edited 05-04-2000).]