Lost USC pre-med student. Help please!! :)

[USC_hopefulMD]

Hi guys,

I just came across this website yesterday and was up all night reading through hundreds of threads. First off, let me say many of you guys have envious credentials, and if most of you guys dont get into medical school, i dont stand a chance.

I am a soph. @ SC, neuroscience major. I only started to get my act together this year after transferring from UNLV. I am a bit late taking required science class (chem, ochem, bio, physics) and am desperately trying to cram them all in by the end of my junior yr.

#1- Is it detrimental to your chances of acceptance/interviews if you take the MCAT in august rather than april?

#2- I am interning @ UCLA medical center and am planning on doin research in the summer (hopefully). I am also in the premed club here and doing some sports intramurals. I also plan on interning next year @ UCLA as well. I have also had many jobs, although unrelated to medical. Do these EC's sound good enough? Oh and i forgot to mention, i have a GF too. Thats like a full-time job in itself. haha jk


#3- The MCAT is freaking me out. The avg. MCAT on this forum seems to be a 30-32. And i know the avg applicant has a 30 MCAT applying to med school. I only got a 1280 on my SAT and I am not a very good test taker. I know the SAT isnt a good test to guage how i will do on the MCAT, but im curious of how many of you compare with your SATs and MCATs. Could you please list your SAT score and MCAT score.

Thanks guys. Your a big help!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[thegenius]

Hi guys,

I just came across this website yesterday and was up all night reading through hundreds of threads. First off, let me say many of you guys have envious credentials, and if most of you guys dont get into medical school, i dont stand a chance.

First problem, don't let this site get to your head. SDN is by no means a representative sample of those applying to medical school.

I am a soph. @ SC, neuroscience major. I only started to get my act together this year after transferring from UNLV. I am a bit late taking required science class (chem, ochem, bio, physics) and am desperately trying to cram them all in by the end of my junior yr. Is it detrimental to your chances of acceptance/interviews if you take the MCAT in august rather than april?

Only detrimental if you take the August MCAT in the same year you apply. If you want to apply in 2008, and take the Aug MCAT 2007, then you should have no problem!

#2- I am interning @ UCLA medical center and am planning on doin research in the summer (hopefully). I am also in the premed club here and doing some sports intramurals. I also plan on interning next year @ UCLA as well. I have also had many jobs, although unrelated to medical. Do these EC's sound good enough? Oh and i forgot to mention, i have a GF too. Thats like a full-time job in itself. haha jk

#3- The MCAT is freaking me out. The avg. MCAT on this forum seems to be a 30-32. And i know the avg applicant has a 30 MCAT applying to med school. I only got a 1280 on my SAT and I am not a very good test taker. I know the SAT isnt a good test to guage how i will do on the MCAT, but im curious of how many of you compare with your SATs and MCATs. Could you please list your SAT score and MCAT score.

Your numbers are a little off...the average MCAT is about a 24, the average MCAT of those applying is a 27, and the average MCAT for matriculants is a 30. There are hundreds of people who get into medical school with MCATs well below 30, and there are many peoeple who do NOT get into medical school with MCAT >35.

I did worse on my SAT and got >=10 on each subsection on my MCAT. I think if you are not a good test taker, then spend extra time studying and preparing for the MCAT.

Just so you know, and so you are not tarnished by what you read here, getting >=10 on each subsection is all really matters. There isn't much distinction between a 30 and 32, 34, 35, 36. Two different interviewers told me this from separate schools. Only those who score 13+ on each subsection actually have a better chance that the others. But there are only a handful of people who can do that.

Thanks guys. Your a big help!

No problem - last piece of advice, leave this wretched website before it drives you nuts.

 

[temmie]

First problem, don't let this site get to your head. SDN is by no means a representative sample of those applying to medical school.



Only detrimental if you take the August MCAT in the same year you apply. If you want to apply in 2008, and take the Aug MCAT 2007, then you should have no problem!





Your numbers are a little off...the average MCAT is about a 24, the average MCAT of those applying is a 27, and the average MCAT for matriculants is a 30. There are hundreds of people who get into medical school with MCATs well below 30, and there are many peoeple who do NOT get into medical school with MCAT >35.

I did worse on my SAT and got >=10 on each subsection on my MCAT. I think if you are not a good test taker, then spend extra time studying and preparing for the MCAT.

Just so you know, and so you are not tarnished by what you read here, getting >=10 on each subsection is all really matters. There isn't much distinction between a 30 and 32, 34, 35, 36. Two different interviewers told me this from separate schools. Only those who score 13+ on each subsection actually have a better chance that the others. But there are only a handful of people who can do that.



No problem - last piece of advice, leave this wretched website before it drives you nuts.

Good adivse for the plaintiff. You really did break it down

 

[temmie]

Hi guys,

I just came across this website yesterday and was up all night reading through hundreds of threads. First off, let me say many of you guys have envious credentials, and if most of you guys dont get into medical school, i dont stand a chance.

I am a soph. @ SC, neuroscience major. I only started to get my act together this year after transferring from UNLV. I am a bit late taking required science class (chem, ochem, bio, physics) and am desperately trying to cram them all in by the end of my junior yr.

#1- Is it detrimental to your chances of acceptance/interviews if you take the MCAT in august rather than april?

#2- I am interning @ UCLA medical center and am planning on doin research in the summer (hopefully). I am also in the premed club here and doing some sports intramurals. I also plan on interning next year @ UCLA as well. I have also had many jobs, although unrelated to medical. Do these EC's sound good enough? Oh and i forgot to mention, i have a GF too. Thats like a full-time job in itself. haha jk


#3- The MCAT is freaking me out. The avg. MCAT on this forum seems to be a 30-32. And i know the avg applicant has a 30 MCAT applying to med school. I only got a 1280 on my SAT and I am not a very good test taker. I know the SAT isnt a good test to guage how i will do on the MCAT, but im curious of how many of you compare with your SATs and MCATs. Could you please list your SAT score and MCAT score.

Thanks guys. Your a big help!

Sorry hon
The only reason why you feel lost is because you go to USC. if you were a UCLA student like moi, you will be all but lost. I am totally counting on you guys getting lost next month at the football game. Good luck anyways
By the way, it's not too late to transfer to UCLA

 

[fiddler]

Sorry hon
The only reason why you feel lost is because you go to USC. if you were a UCLA student like moi, you will be all but lost. I am totally counting on you guys getting lost next month at the football game. Good luck anyways
By the way, it's not too late to transfer to UCLA

Lost USC,

don't cram all those courses in. Make sure you take them in the numbers that you are comfortable with so that they don't overwhelm you and you CRASH and BURN. What would be the point of hurriedly taking them only to get C's?

I've watched a lot of people do that and then they wonder what to do. So take your time.

As far as the MCAT's. it takes time. if you are worried about it make sure you will have enough time to study and enforce a schedule. it takes time for all that stuff to make it into your head and make sense.

SAT 1280 MCAT 37.

I walked into the SAT cold though. So caveat emptor.

fiddler

 

[USC_hopefulMD]

Sorry hon
The only reason why you feel lost is because you go to USC. if you were a UCLA student like moi, you will be all but lost. I am totally counting on you guys getting lost next month at the football game. Good luck anyways
By the way, it's not too late to transfer to UCLA

Your a funny guy temmie. I think your just sore cuz you lost to a little ***** team. Comn!! Arizona?!!? You guys didn't just lose, you guys got spanked. UCLA was lucky to get as far as they did. The Bruins got exposed. You guys dont stand a chance Dec. 3.

USC > UCLA. Remember, you get what you pay for. But i will concede that your Medical School isn't that bad.

 

[Pewl]

Your a funny guy temmie. I think your just sore cuz you lost to a little ***** team. Comn!! Arizona?!!? You guys didn't just lose, you guys got spanked. UCLA was lucky to get as far as they did. The Bruins got exposed. You guys dont stand a chance Dec. 3.

USC > UCLA. Remember, you get what you pay for. But i will concede that your Medical School isn't that bad.

Oh please! Football is just one of many sports. We OWN you guys in basketball. How many national championships has USC basketball won? ZERO? How many has UCLA won? 11? If you look at the overall number of NCAA Division 1 championships, UCLA leads the nation with 97, USC comes in third with 83.

We're ranked higher than you as a school according to US News as well, in undergrad, medicine, chemistry, physics, public health, nursing, law, political science.... man the list just goes on!

You certainly get what you pay for at USC. All you need to do to get a diploma at USC is to drive up to the Bovard administration building in an S-class Benz.

 

[temmie]

you guys suck.
All we did this past week was try to make those guys feel good and trick y'all. Bet it's working. USC or University of Spoiled Children or sorry UNiversity of South Central. I think soon UCLA will be accepting transfers from USC at anytime of the year because they pass as refugeeeeeesssssssss
how about that y'allllllllllllll

 

[temmie]

Your a funny guy temmie. I think your just sore cuz you lost to a little ***** team. Comn!! Arizona?!!? You guys didn't just lose, you guys got spanked. UCLA was lucky to get as far as they did. The Bruins got exposed. You guys dont stand a chance Dec. 3.

USC > UCLA. Remember, you get what you pay for. But i will concede that your Medical School isn't that bad.

Bad USC judgement . I am NOT a guy but UCLA trains their women to be as strong as USC men. That's probably why you can tell the difference.
BY the way, dont tell the admissions' commitee this cos i am hoping for an interview

 

[tacrum43]

Hi guys,

I just came across this website yesterday and was up all night reading through hundreds of threads. First off, let me say many of you guys have envious credentials, and if most of you guys dont get into medical school, i dont stand a chance.

I am a soph. @ SC, neuroscience major. I only started to get my act together this year after transferring from UNLV. I am a bit late taking required science class (chem, ochem, bio, physics) and am desperately trying to cram them all in by the end of my junior yr.

#1- Is it detrimental to your chances of acceptance/interviews if you take the MCAT in august rather than april?

#2- I am interning @ UCLA medical center and am planning on doin research in the summer (hopefully). I am also in the premed club here and doing some sports intramurals. I also plan on interning next year @ UCLA as well. I have also had many jobs, although unrelated to medical. Do these EC's sound good enough? Oh and i forgot to mention, i have a GF too. Thats like a full-time job in itself. haha jk


#3- The MCAT is freaking me out. The avg. MCAT on this forum seems to be a 30-32. And i know the avg applicant has a 30 MCAT applying to med school. I only got a 1280 on my SAT and I am not a very good test taker. I know the SAT isnt a good test to guage how i will do on the MCAT, but im curious of how many of you compare with your SATs and MCATs. Could you please list your SAT score and MCAT score.

Thanks guys. Your a big help!

1. I would say yes for the average applicant, but if you are an outstanding applicant, then no.

2. Your EC's sound just fine, but the key to those (as I was told by a medical school dean) is for them to be long term commitments, because if they are just resume/application padding, the admission people will see right through them.

It also depends on what you want to do and what kind of medical school you want to go to. If you want to go into clinical practice, then you should focus more on clinical experience and less on research (clinical research studies are good though), and vice versa if you are interested in research.

3. Don't worry about the MCAT yet. You need to finish your pre-reqs first. I think it would be much better to take them over a reasonable amount of time than try to cram them all in. This may mean delaying your application by a year, and that is perfectly okay. It is better to be prepared and get in than to waste money if you aren't ready yet.

By the way, yes SDN is skewed. Don't worry about the SAT/MCAT thing. There have been many threads on this topic, and while there might be a slight correlation, the MCAT is a knowledge based test, so they aren't really comparable. I only got a 1250, and I got a 30 MCAT (not that either of those are high around here), so don't worry about that being a big predictor or something. The people who get insanely high MCAT scores (35+) either study their butts off for months and months, or they know their stuff cold because they are some kind of genius. Doing well on the MCAT isn't a matter of chance.

edit: I would just like to add that to non-USC/UCLA people, we really don't give a crap about your rivalry, and it is actually quite annoying.

 

[temmie]

1. I would say yes for the average applicant, but if you are an outstanding applicant, then no.

2. Your EC's sound just fine, but the key to those (as I was told by a medical school dean) is for them to be long term commitments, because if they are just resume/application padding, the admission people will see right through them.

It also depends on what you want to do and what kind of medical school you want to go to. If you want to go into clinical practice, then you should focus more on clinical experience and less on research (clinical research studies are good though), and vice versa if you are interested in research.

3. Don't worry about the MCAT yet. You need to finish your pre-reqs first. I think it would be much better to take them over a reasonable amount of time than try to cram them all in. This may mean delaying your application by a year, and that is perfectly okay. It is better to be prepared and get in than to waste money if you aren't ready yet.

By the way, yes SDN is skewed. Don't worry about the SAT/MCAT thing. There have been many threads on this topic, and while there might be a slight correlation, the MCAT is a knowledge based test, so they aren't really comparable. I only got a 1250, and I got a 30 MCAT (not that either of those are high around here), so don't worry about that being a big predictor or something. The people who get insanely high MCAT scores (35+) either study their butts off for months and months, or they know their stuff cold because they are some kind of genius. Doing well on the MCAT isn't a matter of chance.

edit: I would just like to add that to non-USC/UCLA people, we really don't give a crap about your rivalry, and it is actually quite annoying.

Comeon now, dont take us seriously, we are just been funny. We really are not serious about that rivalry crap

 

[hannahx]

I only got a 1280 on my SAT and I am not a very good test taker.
Thanks guys. Your a big help!

M'Dear,

Unless you got a 1280 out of the new 2400 "perfect" SAT score - I think you had a very decent score! I wouldn't sweat it yet. And, as many people have already said, the real avg MCAT is 27 - for applicants, I believe it's an avg 30 for matriculants!

 

[tacrum43]

Comeon now, dont take us seriously, we are just been funny. We really are not serious about that rivalry crap

Hmm, maybe. I don't know, USC seems to take the rivalry thing a bit far...my Mom told me she was at the Rose Bowl game way back when and USC and Northwestern were playing, and she got spit on by a USC fan cause she was wearing Northwestern colors. Maybe times have changed a bit.