Late Pre-Med Bug

[AdmiralAdama]

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Hello, I'm a Junior in college and I've recently decided that I want to go to medical school. I have 2 more years of school left to finish my 5 year program. The only pre-med requirements I am missing right now are Chemistry and Organic Chemistry. I took Chemistry I, but ended up having to withdraw because it was interfering with the rest of my course work.

Double Major - Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
GPA: 3.33 (I had a terrible first semester where my GPA was 2.25. I've been pulling mostly A's and A-'s, so I am hoping to graduate with at least a 3.5

EC: Founding member of SSDP at my school.
200 hours of Hospital volunteering
Fluent in 5 languages (Written and Conversational): English, German, Russian, French, Italian


Does it help that my father and grandmother were doctors?

What can I do to increase my chance of getting into medical school. And lets say my GPA stays around 3.3-3.4 what could I do to improve my chances to get into Medical School.

I'm from New York, and would like to attend Stony Brook University Medical School.

 

[sector9]

Moved to "what are my chances?"

 

[hopeful22213]

I'm assuming some of the far more knowledgeable people on this board will weigh in, but after looking up "SSDP" - assuming your group is the same as the top search results- I wonder if you shouldn't be mindful of how you present that involvement to adcoms. I could imagine a certain class of application readers perhaps not warming up to your particular set of legislative values.

 

[plumhill]

The upward trend will help you; plenty of people have a difficult first year, especially in engineering. Have you shadowed any physicians? You should aim for at least 30-40 hours of shadowing before you apply, as well as for a strong MCAT score (if you can score a 35+ it will make up a little bit for your GPA). The fact that you have family members who were physicians will provide you with an interesting (though not unique) perspective, but it will not give you an edge up in the application process.

If you are unable to get an acceptance whenever you begin applying, you can consider an SMP program (look it up on SDN). If you are able to do well in an SMP that will give you a better chance of gaining an acceptance.

 

[AdmiralAdama]

I am not sure if this helps or is relevant, but I also have a software developing start-up. Currently made up of 3 people. Our revenue for the last 6 months was around 4000 dollars. Our current project is a medical based application (I don't really want to talk about what it does until it is released (Planned Release Date: Summer 2012)) We currently have 3 applications on the Android market, and 1 application on the iPhone AppStore. Our most successful application had 50k+ downloads on the Android market.

Would that peak any interest in admission boards?

 

[Catalystik]

I am not sure if this helps or is relevant, but I also have a software developing start-up. Currently made up of 3 people. Our revenue for the last 6 months was around 4000 dollars. Our current project is a medical based application (I don't really want to talk about what it does until it is released (Planned Release Date: Summer 2012)) We currently have 3 applications on the Android market, and 1 application on the iPhone AppStore. Our most successful application had 50k+ downloads on the Android market.

Would that peak any interest in admission boards?

I think it's interesting. Maybe you could use this as a demonstration of Leadership skills.

Additionally, some regular nonmedical community service that assists the poor would benefit your application.

As you are related to physicians, it should be easy to set up shadowing opportunities, for which it is acceptable to use family members.

Any plans for research? Teaching/tutoring/coaching/mentoring?

SMP=Special Masters Program (I don't think that a 3-letter Search term will work). See SDN's Postbaccalaureate programs Forum for details.

 

[AdmiralAdama]

How will my GPA effect my chances? The more and more I look at the classes, I am taking, the more I fear it'll be hard to raise the 3.33. And that is what really bothers me. Looking at acceptance statistics for people in the 3.3GPA range, I'd need at least a 33 on the mcat for an over 50% chance.

I am not sure if I can shadow my dad since he is a department head. How important is shadowing as opposed to me putting more volunteer hours?

 

[Catalystik]

1) How will my GPA effect my chances? The more and more I look at the classes, I am taking, the more I fear it'll be hard to raise the 3.33. And that is what really bothers me. Looking at acceptance statistics for people in the 3.3GPA range, I'd need at least a 33 on the mcat for an over 50% chance.

2) I am not sure if I can shadow my dad since he is a department head.

3) How important is shadowing as opposed to me putting more volunteer hours?

1) The most recent grades earned are generally considered most representative of one's academic capability, so you'd want to end with an upward grade trend. If the prerequisites don't go well, redemption is possible with As in upper-level Bio and Biochem, by retaking classes with low grades so as to qualify for AACOMAS DO med school grade forgiveness, with a very-high MCAT score, and/or with an SMP.

2) Shadowing an administrator with no clinical duties won't help you much, but I'd bet he has cronies he could ask to help you out.

3) Your clinical experience is currently above average. As many schools expect both activities, and you'd want to appeal to as many of them as possible, I'd suggest working on the shadowing. Consider including a DO, as many DO schools require or recommend an LOR from one.

 

[AdmiralAdama]

I asked my dad if I could shadow one of his "cronies" and he said it is an ethical conflict of interest so he is asking for a favor from another hospital head to get me someone to shadow.

My biggest concert is my GPA. I don't want to go to a DO. And it'll be hard to raise it much more over the 3.33. 3.4 might be the highest I can get it too. My science GPA is 3.43 right now.

Physics - C+
Physics II - A
Biology - B
Biology 2 - A

The classes that mostly destroyed my GPA were: Art (C), Philosophy(C), Music Appreciation(C-), and Discrete Mathamatics(C).

 

[sector9]

I asked my dad if I could shadow one of his "cronies" and he said it is an ethical conflict of interest so he is asking for a favor from another hospital head to get me someone to shadow.

My biggest concert is my GPA. I don't want to go to a DO. And it'll be hard to raise it much more over the 3.33. 3.4 might be the highest I can get it too. My science GPA is 3.43 right now.

Physics - C+
Physics II - A
Biology - B
Biology 2 - A

The classes that mostly destroyed my GPA were: Art (C), Philosophy(C), Music Appreciation(C-), and Discrete Mathamatics(C).

How is it an ethical conflict of interest to shadow someone your dad knows? But it isn't an ethical dilemma to use your connections to get someone else as long as they are at a different hospital? That seems really strange to me. I could see it being a slight conflict of interest to have you shadow one of his subordinates (a very minor conflict of interest) but can't you just shadow someone in a different department?

Anyway, that doesn't really matter anyway as long as you get some shadowing. The more important question is how does your GPA by academic year (frosh, soph, etc) break down? That's how your GPA will be presented to admissions committees when they look at your application (in addition to the cumulative calculations of course). Here's an example of someone's GPA table from their application so you can understand what I'm talking about (verified GPA screenshot http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showpost.php?p=10199693&postcount=1)

 

[Catalystik]

How is it an ethical conflict of interest to shadow someone your dad knows? But it isn't an ethical dilemma to use your connections to get someone else as long as they are at a different hospital?

By using the word "crony" I was suggesting that it be a close friend, not someone in his department. If his dad asks anyone over whom he has authority to do him a favor, then it might be presumed by that person that the dad owes an unnamed favor back. Even if the person didn't think that, others observing the interaction might assume a priveleged connection that could look suspect. Asking someone outside his orbit was the way to go. I think his dad did just the right thing.

 

[AdmiralAdama]

Update

So I got someone to shadow in the radiology department of a major New York hospital. In addition I'll be doing 12 volunteer hours a week at the hospital. The person in charge of volunteering was impressed by my multilingual abilities and asked me if I could serve as an emergency translator.

My only concerns now is my sub-par GPA(Graduating with 165 credits) and rocking the MCATS. I won't finish Orgo before the applicant cycle for my graduating year, so I'll pretty much end up with sort of a few month break before the next applicant cycle that I would be able to apply too.

Other than raising my GPA (Which I doubt I could raise more than a point.), what else can I do to make myself more appealing to Medical Schools?

 

[equinsu ocha]

Update

So I got someone to shadow in the radiology department of a major New York hospital. In addition I'll be doing 12 volunteer hours a week at the hospital. The person in charge of volunteering was impressed by my multilingual abilities and asked me if I could serve as an emergency translator.

My only concerns now is my sub-par GPA(Graduating with 165 credits) and rocking the MCATS. I won't finish Orgo before the applicant cycle for my graduating year, so I'll pretty much end up with sort of a few month break before the next applicant cycle that I would be able to apply too.

Other than raising my GPA (Which I doubt I could raise more than a point.), what else can I do to make myself more appealing to Medical Schools?

EE here. You know the answer to this, destroy the MCAT. Your total GPA sucks, but some schools put a ton of weight on the upward trend. The rest of your app is awesome. Just curious though why you have 200 hours hospital volunteering and you just decided you wanted to do medicine.

 

[AdmiralAdama]

My mom didn't want me sitting at home all summer so she made me volunteer at the hospital she works at, and I did 25 hours a week for 2 months.

Edit: I might have more than 200 hours. Around 200-250 hours.

 

[equinsu ocha]

Fair enough, don't explain it this way on you app though. You need to create a theme in your entire application to show the adcoms that you have really thought this through and know this is what you want.