Medical School Admissions: How can I improve my chances?

[REL]

First of all, thank you for all the advice you have given and continue to give to us students. It is very much appreicted. This is my first post on this thread. A little background about my-self:

I am a science major who will be graduating in 5 years, currently a fourth year senior. I have a 3.75 overall gpa, with about a 3.7 science gpa. Tons of clinical experience with patients, clincial research experience, great letters, and will probably have one or two publications by the time I apply. Have had to work throughout high school and college to support myself. Great life experiences here and overseas. English is also my second language.

Now my problem is the MCAT which has prevented me from applying last year. I was planning on taking the MCAT last year in May but decided not to because my practice scores were not high enough (low 20s). So I did not take it and since I did not have time during the summer I postponed applying to med school to this year. Now I have been stuyding for at least 3 months and done a lot of practice problems and after all this time I am still scoring in the low 20s. I was wondering what advice you can offer me? I.e. take it in January (I have registered for it now) or postpone again and study for it during the summer? I was thinking since I have studied for it for so long that I should take it in January and if I do not do well, I will retake it in the summer? I have a heavy schedule in the Spring so I can either take it in a few weeks (January or August).

I am really losing hope and not sure what to do about the MCAT. I will honestly be happy to get into any MD med school in the US. I also contacted my state school and they said that a 27-30 score would be competitive for admissions. If anything is unclear about my situation or you need more information please feel free to let me know. Thank you very much.

You not alone in your situation with problems on the MCAT and not having English as your primary language. With a strong application otherwise, if you can get to mid-upper 20's you should get some interviews IF schools understand your total application. As for the MCAT, the only thing that I can recommend is going to your school's ?learning/testing center? to see if they can evaluate your test-taking skills and speed reading/comprehension. Then, if necessary, address them to the best of your ability. Polishing these skills might help you to complete the MCAT sub-sections IF you are unable to complete within the allotted time.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[REL]

Hello, and thank you for reading my question:

First, I will be graduating with a 3.65 GPA next semester for starters. I see myself pursuing one of two options.
A) Stay in school to raise my GPA while working enough hours to afford the application process(I'm thinking 6-8 credits, not much). I would also be able to get a 3rd major in French, which would be enjoyable, as I attended a French school as a child and find it a worthwhile endeavor(I would also be doing research).
B) I keep my Chemistry and Biology majors, and apply for a Chemistry job while doing research at my current University. I do not have good credit history at the moment, and this would be an opportunity to repair that in order to be in good standing for loans.

MCAT -
1st try: 26Q 7-8-11-Q
2nd try: 33Q 11-10-12-Q

Once again, thank you for your time.

Nice recovery on your MCAT. I will assume that your overall GPA and BPCM GPA are equal; if true you are both numbers make you competitive for an interview and there is probably no real need to prove your academics. So now interview selection is based on your motivation for medicine in the form of the EC's. The stronger and more consistent over time gives you a better chance. If your BPCM significantly lower, then it is a different case.

As for the loan issue, unless you will be in a position to get private loans over and above the federal needs analysis your credit history is not even considered. For the federal loans (Stafford, etc.), the bulk of med school financial support, there is no credit check to my understanding.

 

[REL]

Hey, just wanted to say thanks for being available to us for questions!

Anyway, my question is regarding my mcat score. I received a 27 my first time around and recently retook it with a drop to 23 (verbal was the main issue, dropping from a 10 to a 7). So far I have had descent luck with interviews, four so far with two left to go, but have not heard anything from those school at which I interviewed. I was wondering if I could get all the way to an interview with these schools and then be rejected purely based on my poor mcat performance. The rest of application is fairly strong, and the interviews seem to have gone descently so I'm at a loss. If I have to do it all again next year I suppose I would try to go after the mcat again, but I'm not terribly good at standardized tests (I state my SAT score as additional evidence to this fact as it was in the low 1100's). If there is little else for me to improve in my application and I cannot improve mcat does that mean it's just time to give up?

First congratulations on your interviews. Programs saw enough in your application to invite you which means you have a solid application in spite of a 20-something MCAT. You can now be accepted, wait listed, or rejected after the interview and all data is reviewed by their committee process. If English is your second language, the programs may understand a drop in the VR and not place you in as much peril. The programs that interviewed you will see the lower MCAT and make a decision as to whether they believe that you can be successful in their program, knowing that you MAY need some nurturing along the way.

Only you will know when to cease the application process. If this year doesnt work out and you want to continue you should retake the MCAT and get back to the 27 at a minimum to signal schools that the 23 wasnt you. Since you havent been strong in standardized exams I would suggest the following: 1) have your test-taking skills evaluated, 2) have your speed-reading/comprehension checked. Most 4-year schools can do this in their student resource center. Take action where necessary, then retake the MCAT after thorough subject preparation. If this takes an extra year to do it right, that should be acceptable. Throughout med school you will need the skills I mentioned above to take/pass the standardized exams that you will encounter in most curricula and national exams. Conquer the beast now and all things will be much easier later.

 

[REL]

I see. So what is the difference between these programs and an SMP program? Is it that the curriculum for SMP programs specifically contains a number of MS1 courses, and the 1-yr MS programs do not? Sorry for my ignorance...the 1-yr MS degree granting SMP (which I know a decent amount about from a friend a gtown) and the 1-yr Science MS are not common educational tracks in Canada. Most people I talk to in the medical department at McGill haven't even heard of an SMP program.

The difference is as you noted. SMP's differ from some being an actual Med I curricular experience with Med students to simply programs that offer Med I-like courses not associated with a med school. The 1 year MS programs that I referenced from one school are fairly new and while they have many purposes, they are great for med applicants who need to show some muscle in basic sciences to improve their chances for an interview. And of course it isnt under the pressure of an end-game option like an SMP.

 

[REL]

I am a re-applicant. I graduated from Wheaton College in 2006, majoring in mathematics. I have an overall GPA of 3.58 and a SGPA of 3.54. I took the August '06 MCAT and got a 27R (10P, 7V, 10B). I got waitlisted from Rosalind Franklin in the '06 cycle.

EC's (during College):
- Shadowed a pediatrician in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- Shadowed an internal med doc here in the US
- Volunteer tutored in Chicago

EC's (post College):
- Volunteered in an ER
- Worked as an MA in a clinic in Rockford
- Research assistant / Teacher's assistant at Judson College
- Currently work at a nonprofit organization, World Relief, that serves to resettle refugees

I plan to reapply this coming summer 2008. I have so many questions and I'm sure I could scour the forums for individual answers, but I thought it would be best to have them consolidated and catered to my personal needs.

Basically, I know I have to do well on the MCAT. That's a given. But, should I get all new recommendations? How do I know if they're good? Second, do I have to re-write my personal statement? I personally believe it's really good, but that's just my ego talking. Do these two aforementioned reqs have to be completely revamped as a re-applicant?

Finally, is there anything else I could be missing from my application? Should I have more of a concrete display of researchmanship?

I really appreciate what you all do in answering our questions. I really look forward to hearing back from you!

A recent 3 year review of Wheaton graduates who entered MD programs shows 61 matriculants with 31.5 MCAT, 3.6 SGPA, 3.7 TGPA. Retaking the MCAT to become more competitive with your group would be helpful in raising your profile. Continue med vol, include some comm svc vol, and teamwork/leadership in reapp. Do not submit the same letter package and personal statement. Update your personal statement with new information and substitute in some newer letters; letters that are re-used should be updated with a new date if possible. If you depend upon your premed office to resend a letter package they may not be very flexible with updating the packet. If they wont update the packet ask them to resent the old packet and you get 2-3 additional (faculty) letters sent directly from the author to the programs (provide the author with stamped and preaddressed envelopes). It's not a good idea to use the same letters and personal statement from the previous year --- if it wasnt successful last year, why would it be successful for a reapplication year?

It may increase your stock if you contacted last year's programs to see if they will sit down with you to discuss areas where you might be able to strengthen your application for the new attempt.

 

[REL]

Hi, I am a US permanent resident currently attending the University of Toronto. As a US resident attending a Canadian University, will I be considered an international student when applying to US med schools, or be placed with the rest of the US citizens/residents?
Also, I have a C for general chem II. Would it be better to retake the course, or an upper level inorganic chemistry such as analytical chemistry will do just as good.

Would very much appreciate your help!!!!

Thank you for your inquiry. If you are a US Citizen with a "green card" then you will be not be considered as an international applicant. As a student you are attending a program that would be considered non-US, thus your educational institution would be international. Since it is Canada, you are probably fine in most cases, but you should consult the MSAR or sites of your target medical programs to review their policies regarding international education.

As for your "C" in gen chem II, I would advise taking the next upper-level chem and do very well to allay any committee fears of a weakness in an academic area.

 

[REL]

Hi. I'm currently a sophomore at the University of Arizona. My major is biochemistry. My GPA has been on the decline since freshman year (2.7, 2.5, 1.7), mainly because of a lack of caring on my part. I didn't know what I wanted to do. However, when I realized that I wanted to really do medicine, which was towards the end of my sophomore year, I was too far into the semester to make any dramatic changes to my grades, hence the 1.7 last semester. But I understand how to study now, so I'm certain that my GPA will be drastically higher from here on out.

On top of that, I'm planning on transferring for the upcoming Fall to Biola University (due to family reasons) . Hypothetically, if my GPA decline suddenly halted and shot up to a 3.7 during the fall semester (at Biola), would the adcoms think I only transferred to go to an "easier" school? How would they view my 3 semesters worth of low GPA (which are mainly pre-req courses)?


Thank you.

Thank you for your inquiry. I recommend that your evaluate your goals. The academics you report place you at a great disadvantage where the GPA of the initial 3 semesters is around 2.25. At this point, many medical programs will not consider your application since they believe that numbers (GPA/MCAT) thrust them into national prominence. Your best hope now is to apply to those programs that review applications in a holistic manner, looking at the entire application and noting GPA trends. If you are able to take full-time semesters of very solid science course work with very high grades for your remaining semesters in your initial bachelor's career, you would have a chance at these schools. Of course you would also have to bring a very strong MCAT and have demonstrated the motivations in a very sincere and consistent manner. Doing all of these things may interest med programs, but may not be enough to make them provide you with an interview. You still may need to provide additional academic evidence by doing a full-time MS in a basic science area to tip the scales for an interview in your favor.

Finally, I want to raise one additional issue that gets back to evaluation of your goal. Most religious schools preapre you well for life, but normally do not have strong science programs and do not allow students to be well prepared for the MCAT or competitive for medical school. While I dont have statistical evidence, it is my belief that you would have to have a very strong academic record and other very valuable qualities to be successful in garnering an interview/seat. I suspect that you would be best served by attending a school with a very solid science program and excelling above the pack for the remainder of your initial degree to give yourself the best chance. Seek additional opinions from premed advisors and medical school admissions offices if possible, then make the best decisions for you.

 

[REL]

Hi everyone. I would like a big favor from you guys. I need to know what's my next step should be for getting into med school. Constructive inputs will be greatly appreciated.

Here are things about me.

1. Neuroscience major and anthropology minor in a top 20 undergrad college in Georgia, currently a junior.

2. I've been in summer premed program for the past 3 summers

3. I've been working as lab assistant, currently involving in a biomedical research in Pharmacology department, working on a protein that lead to a neurodegenerative disease, Charcot-Marie-tooth disease.

4. I'm ESL student - been lived here for 6 years now (both parents can't speak eng). I'm a legal permanent resident. I also took an upper-level freshman English class and recently a creative writing class.

5. 3.54 GPA overall, science GPA is about 3.4, predicting to end up to about 3.57 or 3.60. Grade range from A to B- (only one B- so far, a few B and B+, lots of A-). I know it's a little low, but my major is not a cupcake either.

6. My aunt has schizophrenia...which drived me into premed. I won't go into the story of my life here.

7. I've been involve in 3 organizations since freshman and currently a vice-president of a cultural club. I also write for the school science magazine.

8. I've been SHADOWED a neurosurgeon for 2 years over the summer and he'll write me the letter of recommendation. I also shadowed an ER doctor and a pediatric.

9. Volunteer in a hospital, a homeless clinic, and some random volunteer projects during the summer.

10. I once a foreign language tutor and TA for general chemistry lab.

11. PLanning to do an honor thesis.

12. I also took Latin as my foreign language and got A and A-

I'm currently studying my butt off for MCAT. I would like to know where I stand in the applicant pool. I want to go to a med. school around the Southeast (Emory, MCG, Duke, Vanderbilt, Morehouse, etc), but really I'd go anywhere that will accept me.

Need suggestion on

1. how to make my application more competitive?
2. What's my chance of getting in?
3. Any recommended school?
4. what should I do?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please help.

It looks like you are on the right track. Depending upon your UG school you may have a more competitive GPA than you think. Keep taking semesters of solid courses and staying in that B+ and up range. Continue to support your strong motivation and study for the MCAT --- take lots of practice questions and tests to become more familiar with the language. Work with your premed advising office and review the MSAR to find candidate schools that fit your need. You probably offer some diversity so look at schools that have a solid mix of diversity factors and make sure that if they are outside of your state that they do admit non-state residents. Since you are a fairly recent ESL it is important for you to continue to work on the written language --- have someone review your AMCAS entries to ensure that your application is as tight as possible. I wish you well.

 

[REL]

Hello,

I'd like to just start saying that I really appreciate all the info here, and even though most of this relates to American admissions, some can apply to me.

As a preamble, I'm Canadian, but the med schools shouldn't differ to an immense extent from the US ones, so any advise would be much appreciated. I am applying to McGill University, which is the top research and medical university in Canada, so they (should) appreciate research work. The average acceptance at McGill university is 3.6 CGPA and 33 MCAT. Here goes:

1- I have a CGPA of 3.96/4 with one more year left in my Honours Immunology Ugrad. I am doing, as part of the program, and thus required, a year of research next year, but am also working in the same lab this upcoming summer, and have already last summer (immunology based research - no clinical exposure).

2- I have a 35Q MCAT with VR: 9, PS: 13, BS:13

3- I have barely any volunteer hours (around 20-30) and no shadowing hours. These occurred in the summer of 06.

4- Summer of 07 I was basically extremely busy with research and studying for MCAT and had barely any time to sleep..so I never did any volunteer/shadow.

5- I have a month-long trip to Greece planned for this summer (08) and plan on shadowing a few doctors there (already set up). Is this something that stands out?

6- I will spend the other 3 months here working at the lab (paid, as last summer), and will spend nights and weekends volunteering and shadowing. I will also spill this over into the beginning of Fall 08.

7- I do want, but am unsure whether, to apply to teach for Kaplan this summer. This would definitely remove some volunteer hours from me, but I'm not sure if it would look good. What would be the better decision? More volunteering, or teaching MCAT? Would it look bad that I'm volunteering so much, so late? This is mostly because of a horribly busy previous summer.

8- I don't really have many EC activities, other than volunteering at community events when I was younger (around 8 yrs ago - I am now 20).

I know people that have been accepted with less than this, but I am really unsure if what I'm doing is enough. Taking a year off is not possible. I really appreciate medicine, and most my family in Greece are doctors. There is no other career choice for me, as medicine, I believe, is my calling. I am very passionate about it, but have just been unable to show this because of lack of time in summer 07).

Very sorry for the long post, and any advice is appreciated!
Thanks

Thank you for your inquiry. Congratulations on your super numbers and your research involvement; you have convinced me that you are academic and have a great love for science research and should be a great candidate for a PhD. Use the MSAR to determine the tendencies of a school that wants strong research and numbers and apply to them. Shadowing outside of the US probably wont acquaint you to physician practices in the US, but is shadowing nonetheless. In truth, from what you indicate, your priorities do not include activities which show a motivation for medicine or much humanism so use the MSAR to find programs which do not put a high priority on these items. You might re-evaluate your priority. If medicine is a priority you will make the choices that make it believeable to others. McGill is a solid program, I would recommending visiting them to have a conversation indicating your interest and soliciting their input regarding your possible application.

 

[REL]

Hello there,

I have 3.86 GPA so far majoring in Chemistry (Iam currently a junior with only 3 semesters left), taking the MCAT is right around the corner for me and ive been studying hard. I'm pretty sure ill get a solid score. The only thing that i feel weak in is my extracurricular activities. I'm currently an active member in 2 pre professional honors organizations, i have done a summer of Research and iam currently conducting research for one of my professors. I have not had much time to do much volunteer work in hospitals, internships etc, i just don't find the time. The main reason being that i currently have to work in order to help support my family and keep myself in school. Do think medical schools will hold this against me? It just seems that people are doing so much more than iam. If i do find the time, what EC activities would be most beneficial to my application.

Thank you for your inquiry. There is no question that your academics are very good, match it with a great MCAT. Work with your premed advisor to review the MSAR and find schools who want super numbers and some research experience but do not have an emphasis on displaying a motivation for medicine or humanism. You have chosen to spend your time in organizations and research rather than spending your time in clinical medical areas and giving your time to others. Working is one mitigating circumstance, but to convince a medical school admissions committee that you want to be in medicine and help people you have to show them the motivations in those areas. Rearranging your priorities may be necessary to convince schools of your commitment.

 

[REL]

Hi All,

I wanted to first and foremost thank you so much for this forum and excellent resource for prospective medical school applicants. The time you take to field these questions is greatly appreciated.

Well, here goes:

I graduated from my undergraduate state school university in 2006.
Double majored with a BS in Bio and BA in English
My cumulative GPA: 3.11
BCPM GPA: 2.59
Took the MCAT 3 times: 18O, 25P,26O
Throughout my undergrad I worked part time, always did volunteer work in the hospital and community service work. I also founded a service organization for students and was president of the organization for a year.
(i.e., I knew how to keep myself busy...probably too busy)
Ever since 2006 I have been working full-time at my school's medical center in a laboratory and have been published twice.

So I have decided to apply for Special master's programs (@ loyola, Cincinnati, Drexel, Georgetown, & Boston) If I do not get into these programs is there a better way to improve my application? I know that I will eventually have to retake my MCAT.

Sorry for the long post, and thank you so much in advance!

I think it is a mistake to apply for a SMP. You gamble everything on this program and you will have to score well enough to be at least in the middle of a "med school class" SMP to have a chance at getting into a med program. To make that happen you must have a solid basic science foundation --- you havent proved that you have that foundation with a very sub-par UG SGPA and a barely competitive MCAT. You should look more to strengthen that basic science foundation by entering a 1-2 year basic science MS program on a full-time basis. Do very well and set yourself up for a much better MCAT. If that doesnt do the trick, you might then be ready for your final gambit SMP. It will take time, but if you go straight to the SMP, I suspect your chances of doing well enough to be a serious med school candidate is very limited.

 

[REL]

Hi, thank you for taking the time to reading this.

I recently plan on attending medical school but don’t know what are my chances of getting accepted?

I graduated 3 years ago majoring in biology specializes in biotechnology. At the time I decided to begin working but working in the biotech industry with just a bachelor has it disadvantage. Looking at it now my original plan when I started college was medical school, but my first year and second year into my undergrad study I slack off and my grades suffer greatly and I ended up getting an academic warning, I soon realizes this and raises my grades up through my junior and senior years but graduated with only a 2.8 GPA. At the time I realizes that my changes of getting into a medical school was very slim so I decided to work instead thinking working is better for me but it’s not, so now I wanted to pursuit medical school.
I recently took the MCAT for the first time and my score are below the average scores that most school would accept.
I have gotten a lot of research experiences through work, since I work in cancer research environment with a pharmaceutical company and prior experience with a biotechnology company, I had also spend a couple hours volunteering at a hospital to get some experience, so I would like to know does my work experiences help my chances of getting accept? Since my undergrad GPA and my MCAT scores are low, what are my chances of getting accepted now? My main concern are my GPA and my MCAT score. What do you suggest I do begin my quest in getting accept for medical school? I have yet to apply for school yet but would like to know my chances whether to keep pursuing this?

Thank you for your inquiry. You probably have about two years to go before you can become a competitive applicant because you have a lot of work to do.
1. You need to prove that your academics are strong. This means starting a full-time MS in a basic science discipline and doing very well. This will help to show a continuing upward trend from your first degree and also provide you with a stronger foundation for the MCAT. You will have to complement a strong MS GPA with strong MCAT of at least 30.
2. You will need to show a motivation to become an MD. That primarily means get out and do some volunteering in a medical clinical environment on a consistent basis. As well you should consistently show a desire for others by also doing community service volunteerism.
3. Other things would be some physician shadowing, teamwork/leadership skills, and of course you already appear to have strong ?bench? research skills.
4. Work diligently on your written English skills, as well as verbal if required. As a non-traditional applicant with and apparent non-US background you would offer some diversity to med programs who are focused more in that direction. Visit with a premed advisor and review the MSAR and begin to make contact with medical programs which would appear to be friendly to someone with your talents and skills.
5. Evaluate your goal. There is no guarantee that you will be accepted by a medical program. Once you make a decision, you must focus all of your energy in that direction. I wish you well.

 

[Doodledog]

I just graduated with my bachelor's from a full honors college with honors and applying to med school with a 3.57 gpa and a 3.53 science and 3.94 AO gpa. I have medical and non-medical volunteer experience, research and wrote a senior thesis. Now, my mcat score is not stellar (low 20's) but I have been invited to 2 well-known schools for an interview. How do I explain my mcats and prove that I can succeed in the program. Thanks.

There is no way to "explain" MCATs in an essay or interview unless there was a unique event that occurred before or during the test which affected your score. If you've been invited for an interview then they presumably want to hear more about you, not about your MCAT. So, focus your interview preparations on explaining how you would uniquely enhance that school and what you offer to the school.

It is unlikely but not impossible that you will be asked about your MCAT or asked if you feel you will be able to handle a medical school curriculum. You really can't win on this type of question and it is not the type I ask. But, if you are asked, simply give a strong affirmative answer and point to your classwork as evidence of your ability to handle medical school. Do not become defensive or give a "well, I'll just do my best" type of answer.

 

[REL]

First, thank you for your time.

Second, what can I do to strengthen my application?

Undergrad GPA: 3.77 (in finance/economics/honors liberal arts with minimal science course work - received 'A's in the science courses I did take)

Post-bac GPA: 4.0 (completed bio 1,2 & chem 1,2. Taking OChem I and Genetics now, and then OChem II this summer - allowing me to meet my pre-reqs). Am a Texas resident.

MCAT: Currently studying 15-20 hrs a week for the May 27 test date. This will only become my primary focus even more so in the coming weeks.

Non-trad background: healthcare/hospital investment banking for over two years, left August '07 to pursue med school full time.

Volunteering: throughout undergrad, focused more on arts & cultural causes. But last semester, started volunteering 20-30 hrs at an organic chemistry cancer lab, alongside ~30 hrs at a children's hospital (medium patient interaction). Now focusing more time at the children's hospital, because of my interest in pediatric oncology.

Clinical: shadowed 3 physicians (oncology/hematology, radiation therapy, ER) and scheduled for 2 more (neonatology, anesthesiology)

Personal statement: all my experiences (from moving to Houston, TX because of the Chernobyl accident to leaving my prior wall street career path to volunteering and shadowing physicians) have convinced me of my desire to practice medicine. I realize that this very important part of my application still needs work.

Outside activities: ballroom dancing, salsa dancing.

I would love suggestions on anything I can do now to strengthen my application for this June.

Thank you all very much for reading and your comments!

It looks like you are on your way to becoming a competitive applicant. Continue to take as much basic science as possible to show a committee of your academic prowess and score very well on the MCAT to optimize your chances. Along the way continue to show medical motivation and humanitarian tendencies. Work with your premed advising office and also have a plan for selecting authors for your letters of recommendation and also MD program selection. If possible also get involved in some basic science bench research to round out your application --- some schools really want to see some of this experience.

 

[REL]

Hi, i would like to get some advice for the following questions:
1) is my application ready to apply in june 2008?
2) If yes, what else can improve until june 2008?
3) if no, what should I improve on?
4) Should i retake the MCAT for the 4th time? how do med schools view it?
5) want to add one more LOR, but from who?

there's a bit of twist to this, I was diagnosed with learning disability in July 2006 (after college grad). My college advisor noticed the big difference between my verbal and my gpa. I plan to share my learning disability (LD) in the new personal statement because from that I think it shows my determination by overcoming my disability without knowing that i had it during all of college and came out with a decent gpa.

Here's the rest of my stats to go with the story.

MCAT:
May 2007 w/ accomodations, 27N; PS-11 VR-4 BS-12 <-- will apply with these new stats
Apr 2006 no accomod., 24P; PS-10 VR-3 BS-11<--applied in June 2006
Apr 2004 no accomod., 24M; PS-11 VR-3 BS 10

GPA: 3.63 (w/ honors) UC Davis; Biochem major, Chinese minor

Post college educ:
community college
- 1 semester traditional chinese med intro and one upper div class (all A's)
- 1 semester learning skills technique (for learnind disability), anatomy (lec and lab WITH accomodations), pharmacy tech program (all A's)
- 1 semester, currently finishing pharm tech program
- externship as pharm tech trainee at walgreens, went well have job offer

Post college EC's
- 1 year Medical Cantonese interpreter at hospitals in Sacramento (paid)
- sept 2007 to now - AP Bio teacher at tutoring center
- sept 2007 to now - english tutor for middle school at tutoring center
- continuation on 4th year as co-founder/co-captain of competitive dragon boat team
- restarting chinese school teacher volunteer

During College EC's
- physical therapy internship (2 quarters)
- patient advocate cantonese intpreter internship (2 years)
- health booth presenter (bi-lingual) for 2 annual fairs
- health fair co-coordinator for 1 annual fair
- relay for life participant, american cancer society fundraise (2 annual)
- lab: 1 year dish washer, 2 years tissue culture and chemistry synthesis aiding grad student, also concurrent as lab maintainence person
- Co-founder/co-captain dragon boat team 3 years & continue post college
-intramural volleyball (competitive)

My goals after college included: taking on teaching positions, continue to build leadership & teamwork, retake MCAT (already did, see May 2007 stats), learn new things and some work experience (hence, pharm tech) but stay within medical field, and "relearn learning" as med schools dean's have told me.

I feel that I have reached my goals so that my apps is different than what it was when i applied the first time (include Ec's from during college and Apr 2006 MCAT stas). My LOR's are good-strong.

pardon the long post. But i really appreciate your advice and help.

You have addressed most areas in a solid way. FYI applicants from UC Davis who did get into a MD program over a recent 3-year period were as follows: 368 matriculants, 30.7 MCAT, 3.5 SGPA, 3.6 overall GPA. You have leadership/teamwork, basic science research, medical related experiences, shadowing, and some community service. So are you ready for a successful application year in 2008? I would think that your chances are very slim with the very low VR scores; retake the MCAT and get a 6+ to give yourself a chance -- even that may not be enough when you look at the overall application pool for any institution. The MCAT is an indicator for many things from foundational knowledge to reading comprehension and test-taking skills. With three tests in the books there is a distinct pattern that your science foundation should be strong, but the rest is questionable. In most instances it is nearly impossible to get the NBME to provide an accomodation unless a disability has been well established and has been documented for many years. You will encounter many standardized exams in medical school that will require the other skills. You will be at serious risk of not being able to complete the program if you dont have them. While it may not be fair, most programs are not willing to take on such a risk when there may be other candidates that do not pose such a risk. I recommend that you work on your speed reading/comprehension and also work with someone who can help with test-taking strategy to ensure success. If English is not your most proficient language, I would recommend a program where you are reading more newspaper stories and even novels to give you a boost. Along the way continue volunteerism in the medical and community service areas based on your time available.

 

[REL]

Wow this thread is full of so much good stuff but anyway...

I am a Mexican International.

I was just wondering, how competitive (or difficult for that matter) is it to gain admission into schools that consider International Students? Does my graduating from an American Institution with a 3.88 GPA (Chemistry) and a 31 (10,10,11) on the MCAT make me competitive? Through out my time i volunteered in the ER (100 hrs), shadowed 3 doctors, was involved in research, and was active in 2 organizations? I would also like to add that i do reside in the U.S however, i am currently undocumented. I have applied for citizenship yet this process will take 15-20 years, even though i have practically lived here since being a young child. Paying tuition is also not a problem because luckily i have found some sponsors, so establishing an escrow account with 4 yrs worth of funds is not a problem. I have also faced great adversity in just getting to where i am now.

Thanks in advance for any insight.

Making it into a US med school as an international applicant is very difficult. I looked at the aamc.org site and didnt find much. In 2007 US programs matriculated 17,759 applicants; apparently 17,670 were from US states, Canada or US territories. There was a category where 89 were "Other" which would include all who were not state residents, Canadian residents, or US territory members. I guess "Other" would be mainly international applicants or special categories like Asylees, etc. I think you need to spend time with the MSAR to see which MD programs matriculated international applicants ---a quick glance showed that 26 international applicants were admitted to MD programs in Illinois. Once you determine your target schools, make contact to determine whether you would be competitive in their pool.

 

[whtlight2121]

This looks helpful so I will give it a try.

I have basically been a part-time student for the past 5 years. I have a decent GPA (overall 3.8, science 3.8). Here is my problem, I failed physiology because I missed the final (my mistake). I used to work 7 on 7 off (80 hours on one week then the next week I had off) at the hospital by my school. Two semesters in a row my “seven on” fell right on finals week. In addition to my failing grade I got a 2.5 in the first physiology course (bombed the final because I was up for over 50 hours). You can't retake anything greater than or equal to a 2.0 at my school. I retook the 2nd physiology (the one I failed) and got a 4.0 (obviously very easy after you have done everything once). I pretty much consider that whole year a learning experience. Since then I have not had such responsibility lapses.

The rest of my app.: I just took the mCAT (jan 26) and felt decent about it. I TA two physics labs andwork as a phlebotomist and a microbiology tech aid at the hospital (approaching 3 years). Work as phlebotomist in RNICU and Emergency Room at same hospital. I have seen a lot of stuff through my experiences on the job. Also, at the hospital I work at, we do all of the radial arterial blood draws, which is rather unique (I have done 10 on newborn babies maybe a 1000 on adults). Other than this, I was on the women’s basketball scout team. Do I talk about this? Is it considered volunteer work? Basically all I did was went to all the women’s basketball practices and scrimmaged them. I know it has nothing to do with medicine, but it is time consuming and you don't get paid. Are my paid work experiences considered ECs? I feel like I come across as compassionate and easy to talk to, so I should do well in an interview. What are my chances at an MD school with those educational lapses and lack of volunteer/Research experience?

 

[REL]

Thank you very much for the response. I have a few more questions/comments.

How can I improve my application? Again, this is for McGill in Canada, since I'm Canadian and don't really plan on applying in the US. I just want a general improvement strategy if possible. I have already arranged to shadow 2-3 doctor here for 3 months (maybe 10-20 hrs a week), and have also arranged to shadow 1-2 doctors in Greece for about 20-30 hrs a week (less here as I have to work). Also, I have arranged to start volunteering right when I finish school, for the same 3 months that I'm here, intertwined with the shadowing and working. Is there anything else I can add?

Now, just some general info of why I've worked in a research lab and why I'm doing honours. There are 2 reasons. The 1st is that I enjoy research, and would like to factor this in my undergraduate degree, but I do not want to continue in that field, as it really can not compete with medicine for my interest. Secondly, I chose this as it allows me to digress from the extremely focused Microbiology classes I had to take if I had stayed in my major of Microbiology and Immunology. It allowed/will allow me to take classes that I would not have been able to take all together if I had stayed in a given Ugrad program, and allowed me to take those classes at the best times possible, classes such as Anatomy, Physiology, Molecular biology of Oncogenes, etc etc...So as you can see, my reason for entering the program is two-fold, and I would just like to know how I may convey this to the committee in my letter and in my interview. Also, the reason I'm working this summer is not for money, but more for the chance to complete some of my next-year's project, in order to lighten my heavy course load.

I really appreciate the time you take to answer these questions.
Thank you in advance,
George

Thanks for the additional inquiry George, I do understand your thought process. I have looked at the MSAR and went to the McGill web site to look at their requirements (preferences) and neither really gives me any information except for academics. Their video does talk about the entering class being teammates and there is one verbal mention regarding humanism, other than that, non-academic information appears scant. The most recent MSAR shows an entering class average of 33 MCAT, 3.76 GPA, and 3.7 SGPA so you would appear to be a strong applicant. I also learned from their site that they have an admissions process which seems to allocate a certain number of their entering seats to people from specific regions or with specific qualities. I would still strongly suggest that you visit with the Admissions Office at McGill to let them know of your interst in their program and also you interest in getting guidance directly from them.

You have done very well in all areas except the demonstration of really getting involved in medical clinical and humanitarian volunteerism. The more of that that you can get prior to application, the more well received your application should be. It would appear to someone reviewing your application that you have recently begun the shadowing, volunteerism, etc. very recently. This is often translated as filling in "check boxes" for the application process. Your personal statement should reflect your desire for medicine and what you have done toward that goal, testing the theory, and still coming up with the answer of MD. Request LOR's from faculty who can not only discuss your academics, but also your interactions and attitudes with your classmates. You need to disuade this thought by including some discussion of these qualities in your LOR's, essay, etc. I hope that this is more helpful to you.

 

[REL]

Thanks REL for responding, as so quickly.

Just wondering, if you would happen to know how the medical community is in relation to applicants with learning disabilities? I've heard some negative things.

Also, say i retake the MCAT again, and if the best i can get for a VR is 5 or 6. Will explaining my learning disability help the situation? And, does my getting through college w/out know about my disability help prove anything about being able to handle the reading load for medical school?

Thanks again for your time!

I have both stories from schools of students who have succeeded and others who have not with regard to LD's. I know of one student that we accepted and really, really wanted to succeed, but after 3 attempts did not pass STEP I and therefore, was no longer sponsored by the program. That means that student really spent about 3-4 years of tuition before they had to withdraw. The Student Affairs Office, Promotions Committee, and countless faculty spent lots of extra time on this one student trying to help as much as possible, but in this case it was unfortunately all in vain. That's why in all cases programs will be very careful to ensure that they fill a seat with one who is a good bet to complete the program. The school and the student both have a huge investment at stake. An empty seat is comes at a high price and is not good for the school or the student.

I just paged through the MSAR looking at the VR min/max noted in the MCAT section. Many programs did not admit anyone with a 5 or less, and several more didnt with a 6 or less. With so many applicants in the pool it is important to make your application as competitive as possible to get that interview selection. I do hope that you can make it happen, but it may take some extraordinary effort and strength for you. I wish you well.

 

[REL]

I received a C+ in Orgo II my soph year and a couple of B-'s in calculus freshmen year. I'm actually not bad in science/math (35 [13 PS] MCAT, 3.4 science GPA with a modest upward trend, and a lot of research) but just didn't have the right mindset when taking those courses. Are those grades something I'll have to make up for (post-bacc or extra upper divs?) or will an explanation suffice if it comes up during interviews?

Nice MCAT, probably a less-competitive GPA -- might be stronger depending upon UG institution. If you took biochem and did well, that will help to "repair" the Orgo II. To have a chance at getting some interviews you will probably need very strong medical and community service EC's - volunteerism/shadowing, etc. If you can get into a 1 year MS (not SMP) in a basic science area and do well, that should increase your opportunities significantly.

 

[REL]

I have my own question as well.

Ok so I'm doing a masters program at USF COM in Molecular Medicine and finish after this summer. However, I might take a few more courses from the health certificate.

In the meantime however while I am applying in this coming cycle, I have a year off.

To give some background:

I'm somewhat nontrad now and these are my ECs:

1 semester volunteering at a pediatric hospital through a couple student organizations in 2003.
2 years volunteering at another pediaric clinic.
3. volunteering with yet another pediatric clinic reading to kids through the national reach out and read program started at BUMC.
4. SICU waiting room vol. at a VA hospital.

Several shadowing as well.

Other then that i had several ECs in terms of student organizational leaderhsip positions: Shadowing coordinator of AED: premed honor society, PAMSA membership co-director and stuff of that nature and miscellaneous community service through such organizations

I did some research though nothing substantial leading to publication or research conference presentations.

Other info: I'm a Fl. resident applying to Fl. schools and some out of state schools like NYMC, Albany, RFU, EVMS, etc.

So here's the question, would I be better served by trying to get a research position when I graduate or would I be better served by trying to get a position working in a doctor's office as a medical assistant or something such as that nature?

You have done all of the EC's that you can and have addressed all well so you dont need to do much more except to keep the fires burning (continue some activity in clinical and comm svc areas). I would advise you to get a job in the most satisfying area with the highest pay to help debt relief/build cash balance. Other things you might do is practice interview skills and, of course, stay very focused on that unmentionalble 4-letter exam.

 

[REL]

This is an amazing thread and I've learned SO much from just reading all your replies and questions! I hope I'm not breaking any rules (or asking a redundant question) as I'm pretty new to this thread- feel free to redirect my questions or delete if I broke a rule or something...

Looking at the volunteering responses, I am going to safely assume that clinical volunteering is very important to show med schools I'm, well, into med... unfortunately, that's the most lacking in my application.

I'm a double degree kid, in piano performance and physiology, so I already have a lot on my plate in terms of courseload and practice. However, I do quite a bit of community volunteering and have been doing research the past few summers. I understand the importance of clinical volunteering, but what I'd really want to get out of it is finding a doctor (or doctors) who deal/s with performing arts medicine, because that's the most relatable field to me (e.g. hand surgeons, neurologists, or otolaryngologists). Would it be stupid of me to only seek out doctors in that particular field to jobshadow, or should I just volunteer in a hospital like most people? I feel it'd make the most sense to seek out doctors that are passionate about the same things I am to strengthen my app...

Any advice would be MUCH appreciated. Thank you in advance.

You are going to have to convince admissions committees that you are motivated to become an MD. My guess is that you began "piano lessons" and then gravitated toward a specific flavor of music and teachers which could help you advance. Consider medical volunteerism as your "piano lesson" phase which will lead you into physician shadowing opportunities. It is good to have a focus area, but dont rule anything out yet. I've heard that about 80% of students who "know" what they want to be, change their mind during medical school as they experience clinical opportunities. If you are going to convice committees of your motivation you have to show them -- to date it evidently hasnt been an active priority. Get out there and get into clinical medicine activity and volunteering or else your application will be placed among the tall stack of those who talk a good game.

 

[REL]

Hello I am new to this website, I am just wondering what I can do to better my chances of getting into med school. Here is some information about me.

Currently I am a pharmacy student (GPA: 3.95), I also have an honors degree in biology (GPA:3.67). My MCAT score was 31T (10PS, 10VR, 11BS). I have a great deal of clinical experience and soon I will be beginning my fourth year rotations (including IM, ER, MICU, SICU, NICU). I have been very involved in my school including organizing a tutoring initiative and also developing a student mentorship program. In addition, I am the president of our honors society. I have done quite a bit of voluntering at underserved clinics and been involved in projects that raise awareness for diseases such as DM, etc. I also have some research experience, with potential publications. In regards to LOR, I have very willing professors that I know would write me a very good review.

Anyone who can give me any information about the liklihood of getting an interview and/or improvements I can make to my application, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, I am planning on only applying to Canadian med schools

Thanks

It looks like you have connected all of the dots in a very solid way. Review the MSAR for candidate school information, visit their web sites, make a personal visit if feasible -- all these will help you get a "feel" for the program. Practice interviewing and get your apps in early so that you can be in the pool awaiting selection from early September onward. Finally be able to answer the question, "So you went to pharmacy school to be an MD?"

 

[Doodledog]

Hello, I really like this forum. It provides great info for all med-school dreamers. I am a sophomore currently shadowing my uncle, who's a surgeon. My question: will medical schools frown upon this. (He has a different last name than I do)

Uncles are great. I'm an uncle but none of my nieces or nephews has ever asked to shadow me.

It's okay to shadow your uncle no matter what his last name is. . It's always nice to shadow multiple people though in multiple areas of medicine. But you have plenty of time for that.

You certainly won't ask him for a letter of recommendation, will you? He would, of course, have to indicate that he is your uncle, and then we wouldn't really believe he is unbiased.

Feel free to talk about your experiences in your application and admit that it was while shadowing your uncle.

Glad you enjoy our forum. Props to REL for taking on most of the questions these days.

 

[Doodledog]

I'm a 29-year-old non-traditional Canadian applicant. I have a 4-year Bachelor of Arts (major Anthropology, minor Psychology) and a 1-year Bachelor of Education. I've been teaching primary grades (1-3) for 5 years. I love what I do, I'm successful at my job and I take great pride in being a teacher. Recently, I've decided to apply to medical school. I am particularly interested in child psychiatry, the link between nutrition and learning, pediatrics and other "kid stuff".

My problem(?) is that I am very dedicated to my job. Like many passionate teachers, my profession is both my job and my hobby. Aside from work-related professional/personal development, I have very weak ECs. Other than a few hobbies (like running, dog training and gardening) with no real accomplishments - aside from the joy and personal satisfaction of doing them - I don't have much to add to an autobiographical sketch. I have recently started volunteering in the rec department of a long-term care facility, but I'm not sure that counts as "clinical experience". I'm doing it because I enjoy it; when I signed up, I hadn't yet decided to apply to med school.

Any ECs from my university days are over 10 years old, very teaching-focused and a bit underwhelming (volunteered in classrooms, part-time jobs in language teaching and at my school's career centre during the school year, summer jobs in employment counselling, an overseas volunteer teaching stint in South Africa after graduating). I really enjoyed doing them, but they're old, and while they were valuable, they don't really define me as a person anymore.

The number of hours that I have voluntarily put into my professional life are enough to qualify as a second job in and of themselves! Among other I have focused on:

- mentoring new teachers
- instructional intelligence (participated in a variety of workshops and conferences, been part of online and in-person professional book clubs, actively participated in online communities, read LOTS, constantly experimenting and trying new things in the classroom)
- professional learning communities (presenting at staff meetings, planning and scheduling PLCs, actively participating in PLCs)
- action-based research (which, by definition, is non-scientific in a school setting)
- earthquake search and rescue (when I lived in an earthquake-prone area)
- a variety of student extra-curriculars (soccer club, chess club, etc)

I know that these are an important part of who I am, but I'm really not sure if/where to add them in an autobiographical sketch. They aren't volunteer work, because for truly dedicated professionals these sorts of activities are really just "part of the job". They aren't exactly extra-curricular activities, nor are they really paid employment. Should they be highlighted anywhere, or is the word "teacher" really supposed to encompass everything that I do as a teacher?

I would really appreciate any thoughts about my admittedly long-winded post. Thank you!

These can be included in your essays. In general, I'd not try to convince people about how busy you are, but use these as evidence of passion for helping people and some leadership roles. As such, it's probably best to pick the key ones to discuss and focus on what they meant to you, not what you did in any detail. That can come in interviews if they ask you. Make sure that you have at least some medical experiences (shadowing) though. These activities you've listed won't make up for a complete lack of medical experiences. We need to know that you understand medicine and have spent time in a medical environment.

 

[REL]

I graduated from a very competitive university with a not-so competitive GPA (cumulative 2.93 BCPM 2.8). This was due mostly to personal circumstances early on in college. I had an upward trend from sophomore year on, with my last semester being a 3.68. Right now I'm in an MPH program, and am conducting research on site (I am at SUNY Downstate Medical Center). I have a strong research background (done research for years in molecular biology labs as well as behavioral studies labs), this research project brings in a more public health/clinical angle.

I know I still need to address my science GPA if I'm thinking about applying to med school. I'm looking into online courses in advanced sciences/mathematics, because I know I can't take off another year (again, personal circumstances). I am also going to retake the MCAT (first time got a 28R).

Would you recommend online courses to boost my BCPM GPA? Any other advice?

Thank you so much for your help!

From the discussions that I have had, most medical programs dont respect a steady diet of on-line courses, especially in the sciences. In looking at most of the SUNY students who matriculated into an MD program over a recent 3-year period the averages are generally 29-30 with SGPA 3.6 and overall GPA nearing 3.7. An upward trend is good, but you are somewhat below average for those who get a seat. Research can be helpful based on the program, but most also look for a motivation or commitment to medicine often shown by volunteerism, shadowing, community service, leadership/teamwork, etc. You will have to be overly strong in these areas to get a chance to interview with academics somewhat below the average. You cant bring your overall UG GPA up into a 3.7 overall range, but schools will look at the trend in your post-back coursework. You might be best served by a 1 yr MS in a basic science area in a full-time status to be convincing to a committee. Bringing a strong MCAT will help your cause.

My thoughts: You are up against several thousand applicants, many of which have very solid academics and solid EC's. You need to work you way into that area to have a chance. You can nibble at this and take a course or two per semester and maybe get to the goal eventually. You can focus on full-time basic science academics and convince a committee that your academics are not a possible liability.

 

[REL]

Hello, I've posted in here before and really appreciate previous comments and had another question.

For background: I'm in the middle of my second application year, gpa is 3.94 in a bio major, 3.9 science gpa, mcat 27 with a drop to 23 second time, have research, clinical volunteer work, worked full time through undergrad to support myself and family and am a urm. (That's the extreme short version )

Anyway I've had six interviews with one rejection, a waitlist and nothing from the others so far. I know my weakest point is my mcat, but I honestly don't think I'll be able to motivate myself to study for it again right now as I have a descent chance at acceptance this round. I'm wondering what you thought about waiting an additional year if I'm not admitted this time around. The applications will be coming up fairly soon, and there isn't much left for me to improve upon except the mcat. I guess I would try to pick up some more shadowing and do my best to keep busy, but how would adcoms view me taking a year and not applying? Also I'd want to do everything to make my application as competitive as possible, but cannot think of much else to do. I'd considered post bac programs, but my gpa is good so I'm not sure if that is a good idea? Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated

You have gotten several interviews so you must have some items of appeal in your application beyond the GPA, and moderate first MCAT -- med motivation, vounteerism, etc. I'm not sure when the interviews were offered with relation to the 2nd MCAT score. If they were after, you do have an intersting application for schools to give you an interview. Many schools will be concerned that the most recent MCAT is significantly lower than the first which was barely competitive these days. Without debating the validity of the MCAT, some think it is a valuable tool, some think it's a one-time test that may not reflect your real abilities --- ie. you can have a "lucky" day and get a good score, or otherwise. The trend in your scores will make programs wonder if your first score was "a good day." I would think it in your best interest to retake the MCAT to "prove" which score is real.

 

[REL]

The replies in this thread have been very helpful to read through so far, so thank you very much for all the advice. It's great to see resources like this organized to help alleviate some of the stress of figuring out how this all works.

I'm a 3rd year undergraduate (admitted as a freshmen) at a UC (I am also a CA resident) who is looking to graduate in June this year and also apply to medical schools this June as well. My major is biochemistry.

My GPA (science and non-science) is 3.8, and I've taken the MCATs once (11VR, 10PS, 9B, overall 30R).

My extracurriculars include:
Clinical Volunteering: at a hospital (100 hours by the time of application (another 500+ hours before I entered college))
Research: Summer fellowship (2007), 1 quarter of undergrad research on p53 in a mouse model, etc.
Miscellaneous:Teaching organic chemistry II (2 years), teaching upper division bio (0.5 year), some minor writing awards for some of my classes through the school, part-time web-designer (hobby)
LORs: I have 2 good non-science ones, and 2 good science ones (though one will be from a professor I TA-ed for, rather than taking the course with him).

After doing about half a year of research, I decided that I needed to take time off from academics and to consolidate a lot of family issues in my life. I also wanted to take some time off to figure out what it means to be a doctor while experiencing life beyond being "just a student" in this year while applying to medical school. I want to take the opportunity to travel, work, and live a little before committing to medical school.

Does this reflect poorly on me in the medical school process? Should I find work that is in a hospital/biotech lab during my year off, or does it not matter? What else should I be doing to boost my chances, since I know my MCAT stats aren't going to help me with my CA schools?

In most cases an MD program desires to see solid academics and the motivation to be in medicine and work with people. Your application shows those things. Programs also would like to see an applicant that is mature and can make good decisions --- traveling, etc., prior to med school is fine if all else has been tended to. In cases similar to yours where an applicant has addressed most items I simply advise to keep your hand in volunteering medically and otherwise and do what is necessary to work, travel, pay bills, etc. In looking at most of the UC's, over a 3 year period their entering MD classes generally have SGPA of 3.5, OGPA of about 3.6, and MCATs closer to 31. You might consider retaking the MCAT and gaining 2-3 points to raise yourself above the solid averages you will be up against. Your highest as VR (11) and your sciences were 10 and 9 --- you might attempt to raise the two science subscores since you are seeking entry to a science career. While not absolutely necessary, this could be beneficial to getting you more opportunities.

 

[REL]

Hi, thanks for taking the time to read my post.

I graduated Highschool @ 14, had 1 ok year, going part-time, taking cell bio (c+), bio of organisms (B+) and 2 general eds(B, B). The next year (15 years old) stopped going to classes and either withdrew or got an F in almost every class I enrolled in that year. I retook classes did well(As), then failed an English class(16 years old.), went one more quarter, was dismissal from school for lack of academic progress & >2 quarters of academic probation.

To make a long story short, I retook everything and got almost all As, except for a c+ in that English class. I worked alot and took classes only in the summer for 2 years. Then was re-admitted to the University Fall '06.

---
Now:

I had 3.0 avg in G-chem, 1C+ and 2 A's in O-chem, A's in physics, a solid 3.76 upper division bio GPA, 2 years volunteering @16 hrs/month(384 total), about 20 clinical hours per week for the last 6 months ( will continue), 1 year research w/ poster presentation and abstract published. I have been on Dean's list the last 4 quarters straight. I have worked very hard at this school, and I am expecting a very strong lor from my advisor.

I am studying for summer's MCAT. And aiming obviously for the stars.

I will be finished with my degree requirements this summer, but am planning on taking 1 year of Biochem and extra upper div. Bio next year.

My GPA, replacing bad grades w/ retakes, will be 3.49 if I get all A's in my remaining classes(doable).

I am 21 now, can I explain myself as being a kid with too much responsibility at a young age, who did not understand the concept of working hard to do well?

Also, do SPM's calculate GPA by substituting retakes, or by averaging them?

Thanks for your input.

It looks like you are on the right track and will probably be academically competitive in programs that truly conduct a holistic review of applicant files. I say this with the assumption that you will come forth with a strong MCAT and have a solid history of medical volunteerism, shadowing, community service, etc. Continuing F/T upper-level basic science academics should help to convince committees of your maturity and academic viability.

AMCAS computes your GPA using all coursework so each course you took will be counted in the GPA created by AMCAS, even if it was a repeated course.

 

[REL]

Hi thanks for all the help in advance, my question deals with a low gpa and a high MCAT.

I am getting ready to graduate with a degree in molecular biology and it looks like my final BCPM GPA will be roughly 2.8/9 and an overall GPA of 3.0. Alot of this has been due to poor study habits, but there was some serious health issues throughout my undergrad career both with myself as the patient and close family members that affected my ability to dedicate myself 100%. I'm glad to say those issues have been resolved, but I'm left with an extremely less than stellar GPA by med school standards.

I am well aware that the sporadic trend of my gpa throughout my career will raise questions, but specifically what is the attitude toward this low gpa with a 35R MCAT (12 VR, 13 BS, 10 PS)? I studied extremely long and hard for this test and was actually scoring a little higher on my diags prior to test day, but I was happy with the end result. I am moving back home to work and I plan on taking some upper division coursework at the local state university to raise my gpa more (is this advisable?) and I was hoping if you had any other advice to strenghten my application prior to applying this June?

As noted on a recent post, programs have difference feelings toward the MCAT; since it is a one-time test your score could be unusually high or low. Many programs look at both the GPA and MCAT and hope that there is correlation. In the event one is higher and the other lower the program will investigate and come to a conclusion -- I prefer to look more strongly at the GPA since it is a 4 year experience and look for stronger trends in the later years if there was a weaker start. Based on what you have provided I do believe that it would be in your best interests to participate in a F/T MS in a basic science area and do well to increase your chances for an interview. If you begin an upper-level program in the fall you will have to forward transcripts at the end of the fall term to any programs that have not offered you an interview to help convince them of your academics. Obviously you will have to bring strong motivations/EC's to be an overall competitive applicant.

 

[REL]

Hi,

First, thank you so much for taking the time to answer my question

I guess I am a non-trad applicant. I've been out of college for 4 years now and just started doing my pre-reqs for Medical School last semester at a public university in my city. I have AP Credits on my undergrad transcript as well as one semester of Molecular Cell Bio, General Chem, and Calculus II. They were poor grades so I gave up pre-med that semester, but now I know this is what I want to do it's easier to focus. So far I have completed General Bio and General Chem, both A's, and anticipate getting an A in physics. My question is will adcoms look disfavorably or worse, discredit my strong performance in these courses seeing as I already had almost all of the basic science requirements completed via AP Credit (and in the case of General Chem, took General Chem I undergrad already)? Should I do an SMP after I finish my basic science reqs to prove that I can master new material?

If I understand correctly, you have been away from full-time academics for awhile and have taken 2-3 courses recently to complete your prereqs and that your original degree was not very competitive upon completion. If your initial degree was not basic science related, then look into a 2nd bachelor's in a basic science area and take as much new coursework as possible. If your first degree was basic science related your next step would be a full-time MS in a basic science discipline showing consistently good academics. You should not participate in an SMP until you are sure that you absolutely have a solid science foundation. The SMP is the final option -- do well you have increased your chances, do average or less and you are finished. I consider the SMP an end-game gambit.

 

[REL]

I'm only a high school freshman, but I know I want to become a doctor. I was wondering if there is anything I can do now to help prepare for college with a bio or premed major and in the long run, for medical school?

I already volunteer at a hospital and am getting my EMT liscense this summer, but are there any other good extra-curriculars available to high school students? And which courses should I be taking in high school to prepare best for college? Also, is there anything specific I should do now if I decide to later apply to a BS/MD program? And finally, which colleges have good premed/bio programs?

Thanks so much!

Thank you for your inquiry. While in high school the best thing that you can do is focus on everything that high school is; participate, have fun, do things of interest for yourself and others. Live HS life and experience it for what it is adn apply yourself. Work with your counselors and prepare for your college bachellor's degree life -- select a major that interests you -- this will be the last time you can apply yourself to something that is non-medicine related -- major in English, or History, or Business, or the sciences, there is no major that is best for entry to medical school. Of course while in college, if not in a science major, all of your electives will probably be used to take the sciences necessary for entry to medical school. In college, stay close to your premed advisors so that you are prepared for med school application. While in HS and your BS degree years you should live, experience, and explore life and build the basis for the person that you are.

 

[REL]

Hi, first of all thanks for the great information on your site. Without further ado, here's the breakdown. 3.4 overall, 3.0-3.1 BPCM at Pomona College, senior with a double major in Molecular Biology and German Literature, Thesis in both and strong rec letters from the profs. Two years of research in a microbiology lab isolating new thermophilic bacterial species. MCAT is 35R 10PS 10VR 15 BS. (I'd like to retake that, but only if I can keep the 15). I also worked 20 hours a week the first three years as a SCUBA diving instructor in a leadership capacity. Over the summer I'll be working in the Urology lab at UCI doing studies on bladder replacement in pigs and rabbits (crossing the fingers for surgery training) and I plan to get my EMT and work nights and weekends in the ER. I have 100+ volunteer hours at this point and plan to get more. I will take a year off, and have been nominated for a Fulbright Grant to Study at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology. I'd like to get into an MD/PhD combined program, my top choices at this moment are Emory, Hopkins, Albert Einstein, and U Chicago. I understand that my GPA is my weakest point by far. What steps can I take to increase my chances? Thanks again for all the help that this forum provides.

Thank you for your inquiry. If you feel that your GPA is your weakest point you probably can enhance that by doing was has been recommended for so many others --- enroll in a full-time basic science related MS and do very well. Your MCAT is solid based on strong BS component score, otherwise average. You are spending time in and around clinical medicine, and evidently you are also volunteering in the medical and also community service arenas. Obviously heavy in research, but your goal is MD/PhD so that is expected. You may need to focus on the MS to become competitive for the MD/PhD upper-tier programs.

 

[REL]

so as this application year winds down and nary an interview offer in site i am trying to figure out what concrete steps i can take to improve my application.

undergrad stats
Cum gpa 3.18
BCPM gpa around 3.6

cumulative gpa is low due to the fact that i have three failing semesters (which resulted in an academic suspension) at SIU which occurred now 13-14 years ago in a completely unrelated major of radio-television. ever since i went back to school to pursue bio degree i received all a's and b's with two c's (one in second semester ochem and one in ochem lab).

everyone seems to say i need to raise the undergrad gpa, however i do not see how this is feasibly possible. i have a lot (and i mean a lot) of credit hours so even if i were to take additional classes it would not amount to much in the way of raising my gpa due to the number of credit hours i have already earned. i have given some thought to a post-bac, but i already have all my pre-reqs done and have two degrees in biology and psychology. and again i am not sure how that gpa would be calculated, if it goes in with the rest of the undergrad gpa then it is not doing me much good since i do have a lot of hours. re-taking the failed classes is at this point a logistical impossibility. i can not attend SIU nor do i have any desire to get a degree in radio-television (which retaking the failed classes would amount to). so i have no clue how to change this at all, or even if i can at this point in time.

graduate gpa
science and cumulative 3.0

comprised of one year in a SMP in which i received a 2.88 gpa, missing the linkage/degree cutoff by one question on one of the finals thereby pulling my overall gpa below the required 2.96
took an additional year (totaling 12 credit hours) of grad coursework to pull my overall grad gpa up to 3.0
again all grades are a's and b's with the exception of two c's (in biochem and neuro)

mcat
april 2004 9VR, 9PS, 8BS R
aug 2006 9VR, 8PS, 11BS P

current plans to retake in late may/early june this year

extracurricular/volunteer work
2 yrs on call advocate for domestic violence/sexual assault shelter, 6 months of which was an intern
2 yrs biology undergrad research, receive fellowship for one of those years
1 1/2 yrs psychology research
1 year religious education leader
have been team mom for cheerleading, head coach for softball, girl scout leader and also troop service coordinator for daughter's school for girl scouts
Volunteering at local ER since Sept 2007
currently taking first of two class series to obtain my EMT-B license

geographical limitations
i am geographically limited to the chicago area for pursuing my education. my husbands job is here, he is the main breadwinner and this is the companies only location so there is no relocation option. plus we purchased our home here in May 2005, so it would be unwise at this point to sell and move. so i am limited to the allopathic schools and the osteopathic school in the chicago area. unfortunately, for me applying broadly to many schools is simply not an option.

options?
thinking about maybe doing another SMP...possibly Loyola or Midwestern. would this help?
thinking about doing a post-bac....again depending on how the gpa gets calculated, but would this help? and if so what subject should i pursue? (i was thinking nursing)
planning to retake the mcat

Thank you for your inquiry. Based on most MD program applicant pools you would be a below average candidate academically with the highlight being an average 30 MCAT score which has a weaker component in the PS area. I didnt notice much actual medical clinical volunteerism or physician shadowing which are big factors in determining teamwork attitudes as well motivation toward medicine. You geographic limitation is a major problem, but the most critical problem is that you did not do well in the SMP. For applicants with checkered academics that take an SMP must do above average in that program to better their chances to get a med school seat. Often the SMP is a make or break program and should be done only after every other avenue has been taken. Now MD Admissions Offices look at your application, see some academics followed by an SMP that was not up to par, and then dismiss your application because they have so many other applicants in the pool. In my opinion it will be very difficult to recover and enter an MD program, especially with all of your other requirements. I do suspect that you would be eligible for entry into some of the DO Programs around the nation and that that might be the best direction unless you want to consider nursing or PA positions in healthcare.

 

[REL]

I would appreciate some advice:

I went to UCLA and graduated as a Chem. Eng. For the first three years, I basically hated it and skirted along with a 2.8. I finally decided to go pre-med and a lot of stuff changed. I combined the last 5 quarters of my degree into 3 and pulled a 3.6-3.7.

I then went onto an SMP and have a 4.0 in the Fall/Winter qtr so far.

I just got my mcat back (13ps/12/bs/10v/S)

I have research experience (hopefully a paper soon), and some vclinical and volunteer stuff and the like.

I really want to go to an MD school and am applying in the upcoming cycle. Am I competitive for the low level schools?

Any other things I can do to boost my application?

It looks like you will be competitive for many MD programs if you complete the SMP with a super-solid effort. Make sure your motivations for medicine are displayed in med clinical volunteerism and some shadowing.

 

[REL]

hi i am a college junior from NYIT with a 3.955 GPA and an eqivalent science GPA and have an MCAT 29R. I applied to medical schools this year and only got one interview where I was waitlisted at UMDNJ-NJMS. I wanted to know if I should take my MCATs again in June or should I stick with my score and apply early decision next year. My interview went well, I think it might have been the lack of research and that I am young without a degree. However this August I will have a degree and have started some research. Thanks for all of your help.

What you say may be true about what you need to do. I would recommend contacting some of your target programs and, now that they have an application in hand, ask them what they feel that you can do to increase your competitiveness for their program. Programs will respect applicants who come for advice to better their opportunity. I wish you well.

 

[REL]

May 2007 MCAT: 7P, 8V, 9B 24R - First CBT and messed up.
Jan 2008 MCAT: 14P, 10V, 9B, 33S - After studying.
UGPA 3.82 BPCM and 3.88 CUM.
Applying 2009 to many schools.
Will the schools avg. MCAT? Then I will have 29.5 which is less than 30
Will my bio which is 9 both times will that be an issue? Should I retake April MCAT? I know I would do better in Bio.
I am a bio major with biochem, genetics etc courses with 4 yr. research with posters but no major publication. Normal ECs.

Thank you for your inquiry. Most schools will look at best MCAT over last 3 years so they will see you as a 33 which probably doesnt need retake. Keep EC's strong, show interest in programs. Practice interview skills. Good luck.

 

[REL]

Hello, I need some advice. I am a current applicant, graduated from UCB with 3.63 overall and science of 3.55. MCAT was 32 12 BS 12 PS and 8 VR, Q WS. I know my scores are roughly average for the matriculating student. One year out working FT as a medical asst. volunteered at a local elementary school non medical, worked in medical records at a hospital throughout college and also volunteered/worked in a lab but really not much research.
LOR's are probably general and luke warm with an insightful one from lab

So far this application I thought I applied broadly but only received 2 interviews, one post interview rej and still waiting on another. I tried calling schools to go over my app and how to improve but most say they cannot divulge that info or do not have time right now.

I want to go to medical school but I don't know how to improve. Possibly my secondaries went bad and were not spectacular enough. If I need to reapply I want to do something that will help my application but I'm thinking I'm just another applicant, nothing spectacular. Should I engage in some research? Volunteer? More clinical experience? Classes to improve my verbal?

Hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.

Thank you for your inquiry. Your numbers are exactly in line with UCB matriculants over a recent 3 year period with neary 900 getting in with "your" averages. I agree that programs are finishing up the interview year and really dont have time now, but should in about a month. If your GPA is consistently good you should be fine in academics. Your EC's do seem to be shy in the medical motivation part --- physician shadow and med clin vol -- you have worked in med areas, but that quality of volunteering in a person is helpful as it shows compasstion and giving to others without you receiving pay or a grade. Try to get some good letters for next year, practice interview skills. Send letters to programs telling them of your interest and identify what in their program best matches your skills and interests. In the fall of next year, send letters again showing interest and desiring interviews. It will be important for you to go and visit and gain rapport as much as possible. If you schools of interest have strong research missions, you probably should continue some research involvement. I suspect the contact, increase in med motivation, and a new letter package might be helpful if you have to reapply.

 

[Doodledog]

Hi,

Thanks for this great opportunity. I wouldn't know who else I would ask about this.

So, I've been doing this research thing at my undergrad institution for about 8 months. I spend about 10 hours here a week (during the summer, it was 15 hours), and I volunteer also for 10 hours at a hospital. This quarter my grades started dropping, and I was thinking about leaving the research gig for a while. I don't really enjoy that specific research lab that much. I was wondering if it would look bad to admission committees if I left this research position and didn't ask for a letter of rec. To be honest, I don't think my mentor would write me a good letter of rec even though I slaved away for months. I don't know that for sure, but what would you guys do if you were in my position? Would you ask for time off and come back later? Or, just quit altogether and look for a different lab? I've been mulling over this for about a month. By the way, I'm a third year. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The key is that you don't like what you are doing now. In that case, I'd definitely leave and look elsewhere when you have time to do research. Missing the letter probably won't be a big deal if you have other science letters. However, it is true that letters from research mentors are often insightful and highly valued, so if you can't get such a letter from your current mentor, it would be helpful to seek out another mentor in the future.
Regardless, staying in a lab environment that you are not happy in, and that is hurting your academics is not a good idea. Perhaps a sit-down talk with the lab chief or at least someone in the lab group would be helpful? Oftentimes they are aware of "bad fits" of students and can help you find a better fit.

 

[REL]

Hello, I am facing an academic dilemma. My friends and I are started a fraternity at our school (we are a minority at the University). However, as the process continues, I find it negatively impacting my academics, that already have scars from freshman year (Cs in Biology). My overall GPA is currently a 3.4, and my science is a bit lower than that. I am wondering if starting a fraternity( founding father title) will greatly enhances/increase my overall application/chances of getting into Med school VS. the possibility getting a another 2 "Cs" in my hard science classes. At the same time, it has limited my ability to volunteer at clinics, and inhibited my ability to do research. I am mainly concerned b/c it will undermine my previous efforts to yield an upward trend in my grades. I want the title, because it shows i have other interests, but it comes at the expense of my grades. By the way, I am a Finance Major.

It looks like you know the answer. If you goal is medical school, getting less than "B" grades in required course work will be a great detractor, even with a better than average MCAT. You can try to make up for the poor grades by taking upper-level courses in those same disciplines and receiving very high grades. As a finance major your have to take your science requirements as your electives, and you only have so many electives. Lower science grades mean that you will have to load up in sciences to satisfy an admission committee of your science academics in that area are not a liability. It would appear that you are weaking your med school application -- EC's are a must in your application, but acadmics are the foundation on which an application is built.

 

[REL]

Hi,

I'm in need of a bit of advice from someone who's had experience dealing with low GPA's. I'm about to graduate with a non-science major. I've taken all of my pre-reqs, and I'm trying to increase my GPA to improve my chances of admission. The problem is that I've wound up with over 210 credits on my transcript and will probably be over 250 by the time I graduate.
In light of my credit situation, I don't know how feasible it would be for me to increase my GPA the necessary .3 to get into the competitive range within a reasonable time frame

I was wondering if you had any suggestions besides the obvious SMP option.
How can I avoid the computer cutoff so I can at least plead my case with adcoms, show them my straight A's, strong upward trend, and explain my rocky frosh and soph. years?

Good to hear that you have had an academic awakening. You will be best served by making visits to programs and letting them know of your situation. More and more programs are taking a holistic look at an application, meaning that they will pick up on your low GPA but strong trend (?for several full-time semesters?). Taking the time to visit and expain your interest and history would be your best bet to determine the tolerance for each program and their method of application review. Follow-up with a letter in the early fall to refresh their memory of your interest and history. On your part continue to show medical motivation and do the things expected to keep you competitive in the applicant pool. You mentioned SMP -- dangerous term in my book; it's an end game option. You must be totally ready to excel in an SMP to give yourself a chance, if you do average you probably arent helping yourself in an SMP. You might be better served in a basic-science releated MS to show continued superior academics. This would be a topic to discuss as you visit programs.

 

[REL]

Sorry, but just to clarify. I take it from your response the detriment that i would face in my application from adding another "C" regardless if its one or two, outweighs any benefit a founding father (fraternity) title would garner to my application.

It is my opinion that you cannot afford additional lower grades without raising questions about your academic abiliities in medical school. Founding something is fine, but it is secondary to your academics. It is very hard to recover from lesser academics......yes, you can do it, but it may take an additional degree to make it happen for you. That means more time and money. You are the decision-maker in all instances, so you follow your instincts.

 

[REL]

Well, I am currently an applicant to 13 schools and I only got invited for 3 interviews. They were UMDNJ-NJMS (Jan. 7 interview), Creighton (Feb.1 interview, waitlisted on Feb. 19), and UMDNJ-RWJMS (Feb. 21 interview). I have the following profile characteristics:

Biology and Psychology Double Major from Fairfield University in CT
Overall Cumulative GPA: 3.90
Cumulative BCPM GPA: 3.93

MCAT (1st time): 9 PS, 8 VR, 11 BS, P on WR for a 28P
MCAT (2nd time): 12 PS, 9 VR, 8 BS, R on WR for a 29R

Extracurriculars/Awards/Experiences:
Academic Dean's List at my undergraduate institution for every semester
eligible
Alpha Epsilon Delta (Pre-Med National Honor Society)
Alpha Sigma Nu (Jesuit National Honor Society)
Emergency Department Clinical Research Associate at St. Vincent's Medical
Center on Prostate Cancer Screening
Academic Recognition Reception for AHANA (Multicultural) Students
First Year Experience (FYE) Program Facilitator for Freshmen at my
undergraduate institution
Chemistry Tutor at my undergrad
Student Internship in a Cardiothoracic Surgery Dept at a heart and lung
center
Student Government (served as a general committee member, director of
publicity, and as Secretary of Academics on the Executive Board)
Tour Guide for undergraduate admissions office
Nursing Home Dietary Aide
Knight of Columbus for my home Catholic parish
Psi Chi (Psychology National Honor Society)
Phi Beta Kappa (considered the most prestigious National Honor Society)
Eligible to Submit Speech for Commencement Valedictory Address at undergrad

Questions that I have are what are my chances to get accepted into the other two UMDNJ schools as a NJ applicant? How do the three schools mentioned handle multiple MCAT scores? Are my interview dates too late in the process (Jan and Feb interviews) to merit an acceptance, despite the fact that especially at Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, there is a applicant backlog of interviews still? I welcome all thoughts!!

You ask questions that only the programs themselves can address as to how they view the multiple scores (most take the best single test in the last 3 years, but note other scores and trends), interviews show interest indicating that they think you have a good chance only time will tell what will happen as to getting off the hold list and into the class. I wish I could provide more.

 

[REL]

Hello and thank you very much for your time. I am currently a post-bacc student at the University of Pennsylvania. I have a question about the way adcomms will view my somewhat non-traditional application. I graduated from Penn in 2004 with an overall GPA of 3.0. As a college freshman I took gen. bio and gen. chem and did well. As a sophomore I digressed from the premed route (mainly due to the unexpected death of my roommate) and my grades dipped drastically. Long story-short I didn't really get back on track until my senior year.

At graduation my overall was 3.0 and my science GPA was 3.6 ish (science GPA would be much higher, but I earned a D in a statistics class the semester my roommate died)

During college I worked as an orderly in a hospital full time for 2 summers and did laboratory research at CHOP while back at school. After graduation, I did one year of full-time community service in an urban health clinic in an impoverished area. Since beginning the post-bacc program I have worked as an RA in a clinical research lab.

In 2006, I returned to Penn to finish my pre-reqs and take additional upper level classes. I am applying this summer and will likely be applying with an overall GPA of 3.2 and a science GPA of 3.6 (57 credits of science including both ugrad and post-bacc- that one D from 6 years ago really lowered the sGPA).....I've taken 12 classes as a post-bacc at a GPA of 3.77.

My question is: will adcomms place more emphasis on my science GPA and my post-bacc work? As mentioned earlier in this thread, it seems near impossible to significantly raise my overall GPA. Lastly, I am taking the MCAT this June and I am very open to osteopathic schools. Thank you so much!

The med programs that holistically evaluate your total effort will note the trend in your academics. It would be most impressive is you took full-time science academics and did very well followed by a strong 30+ MCAT score. Those schools who only look at the final scores and dont look into your application to see the positive trend will probably discount your application. In most cases the secondary application to the programs will give you a place to explain period of lesser academics. It is good to do your academics at a 4-year institution to show as much strength as possible.

 

[REL]

Hey SDNers,

Just looking for some advice, here is a quick background of myself. I am planning to apply to med school and enter for 2009. I have a gpa of 3.5 and a 30 MCAT. I played volleyball in college and was a pretty involved student. I volunteered in a hospital 4 hours a week for almost 2 years, pushing patients around and working in the pediatrics ward. I graduated with a degree in Biomedical sciences and then joined the US Peace Corps. I served as a Math/Sci teacher in Kenya for a little over 1 &#189; years. I was forced to leave as the program was canceled due to the political violence that erupted. So, I just got back to the states a few days ago and I'm kind of lost at what to do. I was expecting to be abroad with the Peace Corps until Dec but now I'm at home with idle hands&#8230; I'll start the application process soon but still have a while before my anticipated entry. I am just looking for some advice about what to do in the meantime. What do you think would improve my chances of getting in? Was thinking about looking for a Medical Assistant job, do I need training for that? Should I get an EMT-B certification and get a job as an EMT? Should I just continue volunteering somewhere? I know research might be a good idea, but I'm prefer working with people... Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks&#8230;

Jeff

The question of what to do has many answers so I'll focus on what may be your application strengths and weaknesses. I see an average MCAT and probably a below average GPA, a good level of med vol and comm svc vol, no shadowing, no basic science research. There is a desire to work within the health care field that will help with experience and the financials of daily living. I recommend that you visit a premed advising office or maybe a med admissions office to review the AAMC annual MSAR (Med School Adm Reqs) which will show you the data and requirements of each MD program. The app process (AMCAS) to MD school will open in late May and soon after you submit many programs may send you secondary applications and instructions for recommendation letters etc. For the most part MD programs will ask for 3 faculty letters and 1-2 character/peer type letters, many MD program web sites will nail this down for you. What to do? 1) Visit MD programs of interest if possible, 2) Most productive might be full-time academics in basic sciences for 2, maybe 3 semesters, unless there is a story in your past academic life (poor freshman year followed by 2-3 years of superior academics, etc.). I hope that this helps.

 

[REL]

Hello there,
I graduated from Berkeley Last December in Biology in 7 semesters, and taking some post bac classes right now, here will be my stats at end of this post bac:
Acum GPA: 3.39
BCPM: 3.35
MCAT: 33Q(10VR,10BIO, 13PS)
I nave upward trend at Berkeley except BCPM in sophomore year
3.09
3.13
3.42
3.85

BCPM
2.96
2.81
3.39
3.82

Post bac (10 units) 4.0 (I volunteer 30+ hours at a Free Clinic)

2 summers of research (1 of them medical), no pub
1 summer intern in medical device company
2 semesters of volunteering at University medical center
6 months of free clinic physician assistance at the time of application this year and ongoing. Total clinical hours will be around 500+ hours at the time of application
1 semester volunteering none medical related 2 hours a week

no awards
no leadership positions

I did get a C in Ochem II (B+ in the Ochem II lab) and C+ in Pysics II, and I got NP on 3 unit with Pass/Not pass. I did get As(A-s) in biochem and other updiv bio classes, like cell bio, genetics, micro bio, nuro bio, anatomy, physio etc. will the Cs hurt me really bad?
Do I have a chance to any of the MD school? Or I need to apply to DO schools. Any advice will be appreciated?

It looks like you are on the right path, but will need to show another semester or two of full-time academics to complete the strong academic trend. Possibly a 1 year MS in a basic science would nail it down for you. You are probably eligible for DO programs with what you present now.

 

[REL]

hey guys,

I have one interview for this season coming up at the end of march. I need some help to improve my chances at success and need some advice as to how to explain things.

my stats:

Junior transfer to UC Berkeley
- BCPM GPA 3.35
- AO GPA 3.59
- MCAT 37Q (PS 14, BS 13, VR 10)
- Lots of volunteer experience in Emergency Room in large hospital (Kaiser Permanente)
- Shadowing experiences in Emergency Room and surgery.
- Tutoring high school students in biology, chemistry, and physics, college students in general bio, anatomy, physiology.
- Working in small rental housing company.
- prior leadership experience as advertising/marketing head of Pre-medical association at community college.
- I graduated in December '06.

I went to community college and (stupidly) took general chemistry my first year. in the end, i got C's both semesters due to the fact that i was inexperienced, and was competing in a curved class with people who were either foreign students or people retaking the class. I also had a few C's in english, and ended up having a lower GPA (3.33) at my junior college than what I had at Cal (3.65). I was on the Dean's Honors list my last semester at Cal.

First question: How should I explain my GPA if it comes up? I want to be able to explain it in a way that the adcom will understand as something that I have overcome (good scores in PS, rest of MCAT), but I don't want it coming off negatively, like I'm making an excuse.

Second question: this is my only interview for the season (I applied realllly late). I know that this is probably the wrong thread for this, but I need to know if i can nail this interview this late in the game (since rolling admissions means many of the spots are already gone).

Third question: How best to present myself? I don't honestly interview very well, i get really nervous. I'm trying to practice as much as I can (i've got two weeks), but any other advice you can provide would be very helpful. I own a suit, but it is not solid colors (it has pinstripes). Would it be alright if i just go business casual (shirt-tie-dress pants)?

Thanks for your help!

Thank you for your inquiry.

Q1: You applied late and got an interview, that program apparently sees things that they like in your application --- have have reviewed your academics and a discussion will probably occur. They have seen the recent positive trend, they will probably ask about the reason for the turning point. Simply explain it. They have heard it before, but need to hear it from you. Dwell more on the later semesters than the prior in your discussion.

Q2: The class may be full by now, it depends upon their process. You need to interview like there is still an open seat. If you do well in the interview process and the rest of your file is strong you will probably rise to the top of the wait list and obtain a seat once things begin to move in May/June.

Q3: This is a serious interview opportunity. You need to be dressed professionally, everyone else will be --- you dont want to stand out in a negative way. Admissions committees will discuss that an applicant didnt dress appropriately and translate that into the student not having the highest interest in their program. That will affect their final decision.

 

[REL]

Hi, thanks for doing this.

My question is similar to one that was asked early in the thread, but my situation is a little different. Before I started college, I completed a year-long scrub tech program. Given that EMTs list their classes, I'm assuming that I should list this as well; however, the problem is that it wasn't multiple classes. It was one class that was broken down into different parts. How do I list this? Should I just list the whole program as one class?

List this as it will be listed on a transcript. If was a single class/course that is the way it should be listed. You will have to provide the official documentation of the course to AMCAS and eventually to a program that accepts you.

 

[REL]

Hi REL, I was interested in your feedback. I'm 38 years old, have a wife and children, live in Orlando, and have worked in the computer field for my entire career. I received a BBA in '92 (GPA: not good, as I was working 60+ hours a week while in school full-time at night). I wanted to go to medical school at the time, but other factors prevented it, so I opted instead for a general business degree. I am now at the stage in life where I would like to return to school, if medical school is an option. It has been suggested to me that I obtain a second bachelor's degree first, in pre-med for example, before attempting medical school since I did not take many sciences in my undergrad, and even those are long-since forgotten. Not to mention the fact that I would likely need to show something with a good GPA. I have not taken the official MCAT, but have scored mid-30's on several practice tests. I'm wondering if you would concur with this advice, or would suggest an alternate plan?

Thanks in advance for your input!

Well cflat, it appears that you have gotten great advice. Med school entrance is very competitive and an admissions committee must have some assurance of each accepted applicant's ability to complete the academics of the program. Since you are non-science, you should take a 2nd BS in a basic science realm on a full-time basis and do very well, followed by a strong MCAT (30+). Of course what will be a strong factor on getting an interview will be strong academics coupled with the extra curriculars. To be competitive with most applying to med school you should display a strong motivation for medicine and people (often displayed by a consistent history of med vol, comm svc vol, and some physician shadowing), teamwork and leadership skills, and probably some understanding of basic science research. Age is not a factor. I hope that this helps.

 

[REL]

Sorry for the extremely delayed response - with research, work, classes, and MCAT studying, especially, I've been MIA since this semester began. Medicine, specifically pediatric rehabilitation, has always been my primary goal, and music was simply a side interest that I wanted to pursue while I had the opportunity to do so during undergrad years. I spoke with the Dean of Admissions at one of the medical schools that I plan on applying to, and he told me something similar - that my extra-curriculars are stellar and show extensive and long-term commitment in all the areas that you mentioned, but academically, I have to turn things around in a very short amount of time if I intend on applying to schools this upcoming year.

With that in mind, I've dropped my music major down to a minor and I'm focusing solely on science classes so that I can come out with a 4.0 this semester (my GPA will be a 3.47 at that point), and based on my practice exams, I am hoping to break 35 on the MCAT. I'm also thinking of re-taking organic chemistry over the summer and I will re-send my transcripts after next fall to show the improvements in my grades, notably my improvement in biochemistry I and upper-level sciences. If everything doesn't work out as planned, I may wait a year to apply so my senior year grades will factor into my GPA; I'm not sure what I would choose to do with a year off, but I want it to be medically-related (maybe do an accelerated 1-year nursing program or a post-bac/MS program with a concentration on clincial sciences).

Thank you for the advice.

Thanks for the response. I am very happy that you got a second opinion and we apparently have some agreement for the most part. The only input that I have would be to take a 1 year MS in a basic science area during your year off IF you feel that you need to show the continued upward trend in your academics. I wish you well.