Making a list

[Pulse0021]

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Hey all!

I have been reading through the posts here and have seen a few lists and was wondering how people come about these lists.

I graduated undergrad April 2014 with a not so great GPA. With retakes I can get my GPA up to a 3.2-3.4 both science and cumulative.

I am also currently in a Graduate program it is a Masters of Biology with a focus on Human Biology. At the end of this program I will have completed a few courses that include cadaver dissection (not sure if this helps at all). I will also have wrote a thesis on Hip vasculature and Abdominal Aortic Calcification related to avascular necrosis of the femoral head. I also have a possibility to be published with a fellow student and a couple professors.

I currently have a 3.57 GPA in my Grad program.

I live in PA so I will be applying to PCOM, LECOM, and most likely WVSOM.

Any help with compiling a school list would be appreciated. I'd like to stay in the 10-15 range.

P.S. I have not taken the MCAT. I will be taking it after completing my Masters.

 

[MedNation907]

I graduated undergrad April 2014 with a not so great GPA. With retakes I can get my GPA up to a 3.2-3.4 both science and cumulative.

Does this mean your UG GPA is <3.0 as of right now?

I am also currently in a Graduate program it is a Masters of Biology with a focus on Human Biology. At the end of this program I will have completed a few courses that include cadaver dissection (not sure if this helps at all). I will also have wrote a thesis on Hip vasculature and Abdominal Aortic Calcification related to avascular necrosis of the femoral head. I also have a possibility to be published with a fellow student and a couple professors.

I can't say for sure but I would wager that it does! And I'd also say that your graduate GPA is pretty good!

I have not taken the MCAT. I will be taking it after completing my Masters.

The MCAT is a pretty major component to selecting schools. Have you been studying for it? --> and possibly have a rough percentile you've been hitting on practice tests?

I live in PA so I will be applying to PCOM, LECOM, and most likely WVSOM.

I'd say these are great schools to start with. When exactly are you planning on applying?

 

[Pulse0021]

Hi. Thanks for the reply mednation.

Yes undergrad is under 3.0. This is mainly due to 1 really bad semester, my uncle passed away during the semester and I ended performing poorly after. I do however have an uptrend after that.

I will most likely be taking the MCAT next winter Jan-Feb. With the hopes to apply for the next cycle. The MCAT is a major concern for me too, I have never been that great with standardized tests.

 

[MedNation907]

Yes undergrad is under 3.0. This is mainly due to 1 really bad semester, my uncle passed away during the semester and I ended performing poorly after. I do however have an uptrend after that.

I'm sorry to hear about your uncle, it's good that you recovered yourself academically -- upward trends are important.

So I'm inclined to say that you'd want to aim for your UG GPA to be >3.25 (at least above 3.0) even though your graduate GPA is ~3.6. I can't say I'm 100% sure though so just make sure to get another opinion @AlteredScale

I will most likely be taking the MCAT next winter Jan-Feb. With the hopes to apply for the next cycle. The MCAT is a major concern for me too, I have never been that great with standardized tests.

That's a good time to take it -- it allows some wiggle room in case your score is below expectations. The only advice I can really give you for the MCAT is to shop around before choosing study material (unless you already did so) and make sure to take practice tests seriously. And actually, use the search function on here -- there have been a lot of useful discussions over different study material.

I have been reading through the posts here and have seen a few lists and was wondering how people come about these lists.

I would come back when your stats are a little more definitive and we will be able to help you out. I'd say the process of choosing schools is 50% matching of stats and known regional preferences and 50% your preferred flavor of location/program specifics/population/etc. So you could start by researching the different programs, noting aspects that you like about each, and fill in the objective aspects later.

 

[Pulse0021]

Thank you for all your help. I will be sure to take not of all this

 

[AlteredScale]

I'm sorry to hear about your uncle, it's good that you recovered yourself academically -- upward trends are important.

So I'm inclined to say that you'd want to aim for your UG GPA to be >3.25 (at least above 3.0) even though your graduate GPA is ~3.6. I can't say I'm 100% sure though so just make sure to get another opinion @AlteredScale



That's a good time to take it -- it allows some wiggle room in case your score is below expectations. The only advice I can really give you for the MCAT is to shop around before choosing study material (unless you already did so) and make sure to take practice tests seriously. And actually, use the search function on here -- there have been a lot of useful discussions over different study material.



I would come back when your stats are a little more definitive and we will be able to help you out. I'd say the process of choosing schools is 50% matching of stats and known regional preferences and 50% your preferred flavor of location/program specifics/population/etc. So you could start by researching the different programs, noting aspects that you like about each, and fill in the objective aspects later.

I'd say I agree with your advice!