Looking for advice

[SoSuave]

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I'm not sure if this is the right forum section, but anyways, I'm just looking for in general advice to a few questions and concerns if possible. Mostly about ECs, GPA, couple University choices, etc.

I'm finishing my 2nd year at a Community College right now and intend on transferring to either Grand Valley State University (GVSU) or University of Michigan (UofM) to finish my undergraduate in the upcoming semesters before applying to UofM Medical School (Not considering any other options at this time). I have contacted UofM Medschool and they do accept all CC credits, so that's not my concern.

My current GPA is 3.97 with my course grades as follows

BIOL 105 - Intro to Anatomy - A
BIOL 202 - Anatomy & Physiology I - A
BIOL 203 - Anatomy & Physiology II - A
BIOL 271 - Study Abroad- Ongoing

CHEM 220 - College Chemistry I- A
CHEM 221 - College Chemistry II- Ongoing

ENGL 100 - Freshman English I - A-
ENGL 101 - Freshman English II - A

HUMN 200 - Western Culture to 1600- A

MATH 100 - Elementary Algebra- A
MATH 104 - Intermediate Algebra- A
MATH 180 - Precalculus- Ongoing

POLI 240 - American Political System- A

PSYC 120 - General Pscyhology- Ongoing

And that's my current layout. I intend to take Calculus I and II, Physics I and II, French I and II before transferring.

So on to my questions...

1) How will my High School GPA affect me? I tanked in High School. I didn't care about my grades back then, and graduated with a 1.8 GPA...barely. I'm 26 now, started college at 24. I got into community college because it was cheaper, but mostly because I really had no other options with my horrendous High School GPA. So I'm really curious how negatively this will impact me when I go for Med School admissions?

2) Extracurriculars. I know how important this is, but I'm unsure of what would contribute the most. I intend to job shadow some surgeons in my area. I'm also a tutor, SIL (Supplemental Instruction), and Academic Assistant for a handicap student, and I love doing it all...however, I get paid for all of these so I'm pretty sure they don't count as ECs. What would good EC options be?

3) Transfer choices. Currently, GVSU is at the top of my list because it's closer, but also because all of my CC credits are guaranteed to transfer. However, would UofM be a better option to increase my chances of getting into UofM Medschool? I'm not really sure if this has any impact.

4) Is a 3.7 GPA in comparison to a 3.97 going to significantly damage my likelihood for getting into Med School? I ask because it's been a big concern of mine, and I'm currently not getting as desirable a grade as I would like in Precalculus, though I may be able to salvage a B or A- if I shape up. I know this sounds like I'm nitpicking, but I've been trying to keep my GPA as close to a 4 as possible, and this class is graded in the weirdest way so I'm worried it's going to impact my chances, especially with harder classes to come.

I may have more later, but I would greatly appreciate any advice or answers you all could provide. My highest concern really is ECs (Don't know why I put it as #2), but the others concern me too.

 

[GreenDuck12]

1. Medical schools are not interested in high school GPA. There are a variety of reasons to attend cc that are perfectly acceptable and starting out at cc and then switching to a four year university is definitely fine.

2. Find something that you enjoy and can stick to for an extended period time. It is better to show dedication to a few things than have many extracurricular activities. Volunteer work in a hospital or clinical setting will be a must as you need to demonstrate your familiarity with medicine. Volunteer or community service type work outside of medicine also lends itself to being altruistic (something medical schools like to see in future physicians).

3. I cannot speak to this but I would recommend picking the school that you will do well academically and has opportunities for your to explore outside of the classroom (research, volunteer work, leadership, club sports, etc).

4. General consensus is anything above a 3.5 makes you competitive depending on MCAT. A 3.7 is fantastic and a 3.97 would obviously be better. That being said, if you are interested in looking at the admissions data for particular schools look at the MSAR which breaks down the data for each school.

Best of luck!

 

[Cawolf]

Not considering any other options at this time

I have not applied yet, but from what I have seen - this strategy will stack the odds against you.

 

[SoSuave]

I have not applied yet, but from what I have seen - this strategy will stack the odds against you.

It's just my goal right now. I have a few years yet, and I'm sure that will change as I get closer to the application process.

 

[NonTrad16]

1) HS won't matter.
2) EC's are simply your non-course activities... Whether it's volunteering, shadowing, tutoring, it's all EC. Once you get paid, it may elevate it to a job of some kind, but on the application I believe you are highlighting your experiences that motivated you to pursue medicine and demonstrate your passions/service, which you can still get from a paid position. So, find something you like and stick with it. That said, some things (clinical volunteering, shadowing) are a must, so look beyond those, and look for leadership opportunities as well.
3) A fairly large percentage of the incoming class attended UofM, but you don't need to. It's important to go somewhere you will do well (good support network if you need it, good opportunities to get involved, won't burden you with debt, etc).
4) 3.7 won't kill your app. But... UofM accepts stats above the national median, so you definitely need to excel in your coursework, EC's, and the MCAT. Even a perfect app can get rejected from a particular school, so please keep your eyes open to other options. While the 'difficult year' varies by major, I wouldn't say you've experienced it yet, so envisioning the next 2-3 years of perfection given what we have is difficult.

When transferring from a CC to BigU, taking and excelling in upper level coursework will matter more than these two years.