Medical School Admissions: Special Circumstances

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Greetings. I am a practicing physician and medical school faculty at a private, research-oriented medical school in the US. I have 10 years of service on the medical school admissions committee and considerable experience at evaluating applications for a range of academic positions at all levels.


Update: May 9, 2007: As I have two other threads I am actively "leading", and there are other mentors for this thread, I will not continue to actively follow and respond here although I may do so on occasion. You can find me on the academic medicine thread.

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1. Do i need to retake One year of Physics, chemistry and Mathematics in addition to O-Chem and Biology for fulfilling my pre-reqs ? - Back in India for my bachelors in Mechanical Engineering, we just had 1 semester of Basic Chemistry and Physics ,which was quite involved.Now, comparing the syllabus of 2 semester Physics and Chemstry pre-req courses at my local Community college to the Physics i had covered back in India im pretty sure that Physics and Chemistry topics were covered in my high school syllabus itself and Phy & Chem at my college was beyond the scope of the syllabus of Pre-req courses listed by local CC. Also, during my Masters at UC most of the courses did have Pretty high level physics and Chemistry listed as their pre-reqs and i was able to achieve pretty decent grades mostly A's and few B's.The reason i ask this question is that i would rather prefer spending time learning something new and better than what i have studied throughout my previous education.

Most (all?) medical schools are going to want to see the pre-reqs taken at a US or Canadian school. Sorry you are faced with a do-over.

2. I have heard that AMCAS does not even accept Foreign transcripts, though i can enter my grades in the AMCAS application, Does that put me at any kind of disadvantage in front of adcoms to atleast get a chance to fill up my secondary's and explain them my grades acieved during my undergrad.

Check with AMCAS.

3. Do you see my undergraduate in India as a major disadvantage during my application process for med school ?

Not if you have a reasonable application with coursework done in the States.

4. What else would you suggest for me to look into to become a better Med school applicant and a future doctor ?

A strong personal statement explaining why you are making a change at this point in your career, solid experiences that show that you have tested your interest in medicine and are ready to take the plunge, and enough humililty to be ready to go down the ladder to the bottom and take direction from those who are younger than yourself (but who will outrank you) and the stamina to handle the workload as a student and resident (are you ready to work an 80 hour week including nights, weekends, and holidays with little say in the way your schedule is constructed?)
 
Are there any US schools with January and/or April entering classes like the offshore schools? My search hasn't come up with any. I'm an older non-trad, and the idea of a lost year at this point doesn't sit well.

I can't imagine any US school that would do this - or why. You could check the MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements), the bible published by the AAMC (and well worth the purchase price if you intend to apply to allopathic schools in the US) and I'd be shocked if you found any schools with mid-year start dates.
 
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I am coming to this from what I would classify as an extremely unique background. I went to college for one reason and one reason only, to play baseball. After my junior year(2002) I was drafted and left school early to pursue my life long dream as a professional baseball player. After 5 seasons I was ultimately unfulfilled and decided it was time to walk away(June 2006).

During my second professional season I began volunteering at local schools, talking at school assemblies, reading in class rooms, and participating in free baseball clinics on the weekends. Through this expirience I started to realize that I wanted to interact with people on a much more personal level than the celebrity of baseball could provide me.

Along with insights gained through volunteering, my interest in science started me on the path towards medicine. While in college I was an average student and took many of my prerequisites by virtue of interest in the subjects but put little to know emphasis on my grades because medical school was not even on my radar(my gpa was around a 2.9). As I continued my career I made an effort to interact with the team doctors and trainers as much as possible and by my last season I began shadowing the team doctor and observing the team orthopedic surgeon in the O.R.

Fast forward to present, I have just completed 3 semesters of course work during which I have earned roughly a 3.8 between Biochemistry I and II w/ lab, Organic II, Neurobiology, Physiology, Developmental Biology, Mind-Body Medicine and Science and Religion(obviously not a hard science course). I have finished my degree and even with my recent sucess my gpa would not be considered competitve. I will be taking the MCAT in June and realize that my score will be crucial.

So my questions are as such: What can an applicant such as myself do to get past the front door? I feel confident that my gpa can be explained, and capabilities proven by my recent academic success and hopefully strong MCAT score.
If I am able to "make the cut" and someone does review my entire application will it be taken into account that previous course work was completed at a time in my life when my priorities were elsewhere?
Lastly, I did biochemistry research this semester and will be presenting at the statewide meeting of the minds, I have also been selected to participate in a competitive research fellowship for Merck through my university this summer. I have shadowed, done volunteeting during my baseball career as well as currently mentoring through BBBS, all things that have reaffirmed my desire to be a doctor. My question is simple, is there anything more I can do? I am from the school of thought that if you really want something you do as much as possible to not let others decide your fate, with my past academic performance out of my control I want to be sure I am doing everything within my power to earn an interveiw at my schools of choice.

Thank you in adavance for both your time and advice, your charity is greatly appreciated.

Wow! I think that many adcom members would be intrigued. In your AMCAS application you should be sure to list Varsity Baseball and the hours per week you put into it among the list of "experiences" in college. You should also list baseball as employment for the years you were a professional player. Also list the shadowing experiences, and volunteer stuff you did during that time Your grades as a non-trad pre-med are good and your research seems interesting and interesting to you.

Focus on doing well (nothing less than 10) on the MCAT and you should be on the way to joining a list of professional athletes who went on to careers in medicine.
 
Wow! I think that many adcom members would be intrigued. In your AMCAS application you should be sure to list Varsity Baseball and the hours per week you put into it among the list of "experiences" in college. You should also list baseball as employment for the years you were a professional player. Also list the shadowing experiences, and volunteer stuff you did during that time Your grades as a non-trad pre-med are good and your research seems interesting and interesting to you.

I entirely agree with Madame that this story will get any Adcom's attention. In reviewing your file, I would go rapidly to the letters of recommendation to try to see if your story came across as "real." So, make sure you have a range of letters from the people you've been working with lately (none from a baseball coach however :rolleyes: ) about your maturity, your commitment to medicine, etc.

In getting interviewed, don't be surprised if you get asked frequently about....baseball. Remember, we get intervieweees with experience in Guatemalan clinics every day, but former pro baseball players....not so often. Don't be upset, they aren't putting down your accomplishments to get to the interview, it's just natural to be curious and it's a good way for the interviewer to find out about you and learn something. So expect a lot of "trace your career from second base (or wherever) to here" type questions. If you ever hob-nobbed with famous players, you'll be asked about them too!

Finally, I wanted to use this question to comment a bit in general about "big time" college athletes and applications to med school. It is common to receive applications that tell us (sometimes gently, sometims whiny) about bad grades due to college athletics. It is common enough that in general, I don't give it much credence. That is, unless we're talking about someone who is "olympic caliber" (actually made the olympic team helps here :) ) or a starter on a Division I team. Even then, it won't help a lot unless you bring in the Olympic medal or the All-American status trophy. So, be cautious about using athletics as an excuse. It is important to participate in sports and I respect it, but you don't get to have bad grades while doing sports at the expense of applicants who worked harder on their coursework and didn't do sports.
 
Thank you both for the thoughtful response, that is exactly the kind of input I was looking for.



I couldn't agree more and I don't feel my athletic career is either an excuse or reason for my grades the first go round in school. Essentially it's a lesson in foresight, or there lack of... a lesson I'm hoping not to learn the hard way. When it's all said and done I have given all I have since committing to this new career path and will continue to do so, I am just happy to hear that it is reasonable to think that my application will atleast get a look.

On the topic of LOR's that attest to my character one of you mentioned that a letter from a baseball coach wouldn't be a good idea, I do have two solid letters lined up, one from the professor I am doing research for and one from a mentor that is the vice president of research for a major research hospital in my area(and the former dean of a medical school). In all honesty if it hadn't been mentioned I was going to use a baseball contact as one my third LOR, if this is not a good choice what other options should I consider?

I'm not a fan of letters from coaches, ministers, etc., although there are occasionally some exceptions. I've seen some letters from military commanders that I thought were powerful, and I suppose a letter from a US Senator wouldn't hurt. :rolleyes: (j/k - I've never seen one like that...). Letters from a baseball contact probably won't be very influential, but might annoy some members of the committee and would likely overemphasize your sporting background. You don't need to do that - it'll be apparent anyway.

Only you can identify the best person to write an additional letter from among those who have taught you or you have worked with in medicine and science.
 
I entirely agree with Madame that this story will get any Adcom's attention. In reviewing your file, I would go rapidly to the letters of recommendation to try to see if your story came across as "real." So, make sure you have a range of letters from the people you've been working with lately (none from a baseball coach however :rolleyes: ) about your maturity, your commitment to medicine, etc.

In getting interviewed, don't be surprised if you get asked frequently about....baseball. Remember, we get intervieweees with experience in Guatemalan clinics every day, but former pro baseball players....not so often. Don't be upset, they aren't putting down your accomplishments to get to the interview, it's just natural to be curious and it's a good way for the interviewer to find out about you and learn something. So expect a lot of "trace your career from second base (or wherever) to here" type questions. If you ever hob-nobbed with famous players, you'll be asked about them too!

Finally, I wanted to use this question to comment a bit in general about "big time" college athletes and applications to med school. It is common to receive applications that tell us (sometimes gently, sometims whiny) about bad grades due to college athletics. It is common enough that in general, I don't give it much credence. That is, unless we're talking about someone who is "olympic caliber" (actually made the olympic team helps here :) ) or a starter on a Division I team. Even then, it won't help a lot unless you bring in the Olympic medal or the All-American status trophy. So, be cautious about using athletics as an excuse. It is important to participate in sports and I respect it, but you don't get to have bad grades while doing sports at the expense of applicants who worked harder on their coursework and didn't do sports.

I agree with Tildy -- with the exception of the point about LORs. Coach letters can be very valuable. One of the best I ever read was from a professional athlete who had played a varsity sport with a coach who had a long tenure as well as having coached at the Olympic level. I knew of the coach and thought highly of him and I was very glad to have the opportunity to see a letter from him. What's more, he wrote a beautifully crafted letter that gave concrete examples of the applicant's leadership and ethics.

Some faculty are more "open" to varisity athletes than others. I know some that will take a varsity athlete with a 3.65 over a very similar non-athlete with a 3.75. That's not exactly "bad grades" but I think that it is recognizing that athletes bring additional skills and values to the table and often take a hit in gpa because of the hours required for the team.
 
Hi everyone, been viewing these forums for a while but i need some advice here now...

Im currently studying at University of Auckland, New Zealand, at the Bachelor of Health Sciences degree 1st year. This is needed to apply for Medicine after the first year if you have a B+ average to be considered for interview + a UMAT test. However i feel like i might have screwed up on some first tests (they were about 25% each...) due to a family loss and that I have been comforting my mother in first hand and not being able to study as expected.

If I dont get in after this year is there ANY possibilites for me to go overseas and apply WITHOUT reading another pre-year? Anywhere is good really, but i would prefer Australia mostly or maybe the US or Canada, but im not sure how the system works over there, e g can I take my grades from 1st year here and apply to other universities and sit some test?

The only thing im certain of is that i will never give up on this and will do whatever it takes.

Thank you for an awesome forum

Wow! This is the World Wide Web, no? In the US and Canada, one typically applies to medical school after completing 3 years of undergraduate classes at a US or Canadian college or univeristy (the fourth and final year is completed duirng the year in which one is going through the application and interview process).

There are a few universities that offer a 6 or 7 year program where appliants are admitted right out of high school to the undergraduate program and then to medical school after 2 or 3 years of undergraduate classes.

If you were to transfer to a school in the States, you would be applying for transfer to an undergraduate program. After completing all but the last year of that program you would apply for admission to a US medical school.
 
Hi, just wondering if any of my questions will be answered, if not that's okay. You can ignore the first one because i found some personal statements online and I think I know more or less what they should be about.

Secondly, How can I make myself stand out as an applicant if I have an average GPA and MCAT score? If I get many LORs from physicians I shadowed, like maybe 8 LOR's will this look impressive? Thanks.

Beatrix,
I'll look back at your previous questions. We have quite a backlog at the moment.

A well written personal statement (I'm glad you've found some resources to help with that) and well written secondary applications (when additional material, additional essays are requested) are always important. The secondary should be specfic to that school and mention specific reasons why you are most intersted in the school (even if the essay question doesn't specifically ask for the information it is often possible to work it in). Coming off as uninterested in the school is a good reason not to offer an interview.

Too many LORs will only wear out the good will of the committee member assigned to read your application. Most schools will tell you how many letters are needed and the sources of those letters. Professors from your academic institution are usually preferred over physicians who have seen you in a shadowing situation. Rarely do I ever see more than 5 letters. Eight from physicians whom you have shadowed is too many in my opinon!
 
Hi Mentors:
I've been clincially depressed since probably around 8th grade and since then everyday is a struggle. I'm applying to medical schools this summer, and have a GPA of 3.2/3.3. Should I even bother applying while I'm so depressed, or should I just ignore my problem and continue to apply as if I were a normal applicant. If yes, should I mention anything about this in my personal statement?

Let's rewrite your statement. "I've been chronically ill since the 8th grade and since then every day is a struggle.... Should I even bother applying while I'm so ill...? Should I mention anything about my illness in my personal statement?" I'm going to approach this from a medical model -- no different than if you'd told me you had diabetes or lupus.


You should talk with your health care provider about whether your health is strong enough right now for you to apply to medical school. If the stress would make your disease worse, it might be best to wait until you are stronger. You should also talk to a pre-med advisor about whether your application is strong enough to get you in at one of the schools of your choice (the 3.2-3.3 seems a bit low but my frame of reference is a top tier research school). If your application is not strong enough, again it might be best to wait and make what improvements you can before you launch into an application cycle.

Only you can decide whether to include information about your illness in your personal statement and how much information to include. You can write about "chronic illness" without being specific... you can make reference to health problems that have been resolved (if they have) without going into detail or you can go out on a limb and name your illness. Keep in mind though that even physicians and other adcom members harbor unspoken prejudices and the information you reveal about yourself may be held against you although that would never be the "official" reason for an admission decision.

Good luck!
 
Sorry to bother you....
I have several struggling questions with sincerity...

I am a graduating senior with overall gpa 3.4, Science 3.5+, BPMC gpa 3.5+, geeting mcat for may (current, practice mcat score is avg. 27, consistently 6-7 on verbal)

Institutional action in 2006?

To cut my story short, like every other student on my campus, i was trying to sell my old textbooks with materials to other students (materials i bought them from previous alumni ), but my materials, without my knowledge really~i swear to GOD~ accidentally overlapped with the materials kept by an academic program, thus, the program reported me to school, and no matter how i claimed myself about the innocence along with my student advocate's assiatnce and said it happened without my knowledge, i was charged of suspension for half year in 2006. All of this makes me postpone a year of graduation.


All the frustration and diffidence make me procrastinated and self-destructed on the studying...

Sorry for the long message i pour over you, but i am really desperately need some advice from the beneficent you.

This institutional action must be reported on the AMCAS. If I understand correctly, you bought (before taking the course) and then sold (after taking the course) materials that should not have been distributed outside of class (copies of quizes or exams, perhaps? It just isn't clear here what you are talking about). Anyway, this usually gets classified as cheating, a form of academic dishonesty; the excuse, "I didn't know that it was wrong" isn't going to cut it. I suspect that most med schools don't want to touch an applicant with a record of academic dishonesty.

Even without this fatal flaw, your projected verbal score on the MCAT would make me wonder if you shouldn't sit out this cycle and work on improving that aspect of your application.

You need to talk to a pre-med advisor at your school. Is there any precedent of a student in a situtation such as yours (you aren't the first one to get an institutional action of this sort) getting cut a break and if so, at what med schools?

Good luck -- you are in a very dire situation as far as medical school admissions go.
 
I guess I need to hear whether you have ever seen an applicant with such a terrible history get into med school?
I was the first in my family to go to college. Never had any guidance in that area. Went to 4 different colleges, withdrawing on several occasions. Finally got pregnant and decided to do something with myself. Went to a community college, became an RN while being a single mom, living in a city without any financial or social support. Ended up having about 212 credits with an overall gpa of 2.2. I know horrible isn't it? Anyway, since working as a nurse in psych, decided that I really wanted to go further (7years later) and help my own people. In child and adolescent psych there are few if any african american psychiatrist to relate to the over 80% population of african american children in most facilities that I have worked. Things that have been often categorized as traumatic or terrible in alot of cases were simply cultural, yet hard to explain. I am now getting my BSN, but looking at my history, I feel somewhat hopeless. Is there a chance or something that I can do or should I just become a psych nurse practitioner. Thank you.

I think that you need to do a few things:
1) Really explore why you want to be a child and adolescent psychiatrist and what you would hope to accomplish in that role. Are there other careers that would be as satisfying and let you serve that patient population? It seems like you've already been thinking about this.

2) Consider what it is going to take to reach your goal: more undergrad coursework (despite your 200+ credits you may not have the pre-reqs), four years of medical school including lots of topics and rotations seemingly unrelated to psychiatry, a transitional internship, psychiatric residency and child/adolescent psych fellowship. Are you ready to do that? Do you have the social support network you'll need to see you through? Are you ready to live like a student (in terms of lack of free time and lack of $)?

3) If you have one close by, consult with a good post-bach program. An advisor at such a program should be able to tell you what your chances are of being admitted given your record... also ask about the proportion that complete the program (many have a low threshold to admit applicants but then weed out the weakest so that only the strongest apply), and what proportion of those who apply get admitted to med school. Would it be full or part time? Could you work as a nurse and complete the program? etc.

Good luck!
 
As for the history on my camous, i WAS the first one who got this type of punishment according to my student advocate's (student "lawer") investigation.


I had hoped that your school could give you some help in terms of finding other pre-med students who have been the subject of Institutional Action and where they've managed to be accepted. Even if the "crime" is different, the school may be able to tell you which schools appear to be more open to applicants who have had Institutional Action.


Because it is the atmosphere that students exchange and sell their materials through individuals or agencies, and those materials were/are widely distributed around the campus; the materials i bought and sold were actually given out from classes by various professors. (There were a mass investigation and appeal from me at that time. )

I do not why it is a "dishonesty" because the program which has the materials that overlapped with mine were actually given by its program student members. I happened to be the NEW member After i bought these materials from a former student who was NOT the member of the program.

I signed the punishment contract because i confessed that i did not have the knowledge while i became the member of the program which had the simliar materials.

Am i not forgiveable?

I have been depressed and distressed by this for over 2 years.....

Put it on your AMCAS. Tell the whole story including the type of material (was it copyrighted or restricted in terms of re-distribution?) and your mistake in selling it. Be contrite. Be honest. Hope for the best.
 
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I'm a freshman undergrad, and unfortunately i did not adjust very well to my first year in higher education. My first year is splotched with a pair of Cs and D with other A's and B's. I know I did not perform as well as I am capable of, and there were factors such as depression and family issues that played in as well. I hate to think I'm making excuses, and I was wondering if an admissions committee would even take it into consideration or should I just take it in stride and show a strong upward trend and hope for the best?

Don't let yourself off the hook with excuses. If you have depression, do what you need to do to regain your health. When you get back to classes, do your best and show that strong upward trend that those of us on the adcom like to see.
 
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Hi Drs.,

Don't know if i'm submitting my question correctly, sorry if i am not. However, I had a question regarding the discussion of one's medical history either in the PS or in the interview. It has been something that has nagged me throughout college.

I have a pretty interesting situation. I have been the subject of some very involved medical procedures when I was younger and a parent has been for the majority of my life faced with many difficult medical problems. Needless to say this has been one of the thrusts for my passion to become a physician. My time as a patient, a patient's family member and my interactions with my physicians has shown me that I want to impact other's the same way my physicians impacted me any my family.

I also have had the chance to view physicians on the other side of the profession, in terms of how they interact when there are no patients around, the detail and dedication required of them and the immense knowledge they have of the chosen fields. Needless to say my experiences as a patient are the reason I want to become a doctor.

Is it appropriate to discuss these things? and to what extent? I would just like some clarification, thanks for your time.

You have had experiences as a patient and as a family member. This is often the first opportunity that someone has to think about careers in medicine. It is appropriate to say that you were inspired by the physicians who provided you with lifesaving care as a child (or whatever). The next step, and one that is key to a good application, is to gain some clinical experience as a care-provider and to see physicians caring for people other than yourself or your loved ones and to include this in yoru statement as well. You aren't applying to be a patient or merely going into medicine as hero-worship -- do you want to take on the daily tasks of a physician? There are many ways to have a positive impact on the lives of others and medicine is only one path. Be sure that you've had an opportunity to see the path from the physician's viewpoint before you leap.
 
Hello Adcoms- Thank you for being there.

If possible, I'd like to know your opinion on where I stand.

My general coursework and major is rather dismal; I spent two years in a Rabbinical Seminary where the coursework is obviously meaningless, then I transferred to a lowish-level university (FDU), where I took a host of business and finance courses, majoring in Individualized Studies. I decided I wanted to become a doctor, took my Gen Chems and Bios is a different low-level college, and then took my O-Chems and Physics in a City University (CUNY Brooklyn).

As far as stats though, cum GPA is 3.8+, and BCPM GPA is 4.0. For EC's, I have a year of volunteer EMT-B, a year of volunteer work in China, and several summers volunteer in Russia. My LOR's should be okay as well.

I take the MCAT in July; assuming I get a decent score (35ish), how do you think I stand?

Thank you so much; I hope you don't mind reading this through.

The adcom is going to wonder, has this guy decided he wants to do medicine or is he going to change his mind again? An MCAT of 35 is more than decent... I think that the bigger challenge for you will be assuring the adcom that you will fit in (you are non-traditional in every sense of the word) and that you will stay in medicine.
 
Thanks for your previous response, it was so good I wanted to ask one more question.

What do you think of applying to only reach and match schools the first time around and re-applying more broadly the next year as a re-applicant if I don't make it in? I'm a junior and hadn't intended on applying this year (i have a 3.4 GPA which I will improve upon my senior year). But, I received a 35T on my MCAT (13 P, 11V, 11B) and was advised by my boss (a physician) to have a go at it. My biggest fear is getting into a lower-tier school this year if I could have made it into a mid-tier school with a better application (i.e. a higher GPA or a publication that I'm currently writing up)... but that fear is negated if apply only to mid-tier schools the first time around. My recs and ECs are all pretty good, if it matters. Is there a stigma against re-applicants I should worry about? Would you advise improving my application and GPA before applying? Thanks!

I think that you need to consider three things:

The financial impact of applying twice (cost of applications runs about $100 per school plus the costs associated with interviews)

The time spent on the interview trail which will take time away from school or work.

The emotional toll of waiting for secondaries, waiting for interviews, waiting for offers, waiting on waitlists.

If you care about the tier, prepare the best application you can, even if it means sitting out a year. Unless you've got money to burn, nothing better to do with your time, and you really don't feel an emotional investment in the outcome of the admission cycle, I'd suggest waiting.
 
<snip>I still have a solid three more weeks of classes and would be starting med school in early August which doesn't give me much of a buffer. I have decided that I would really benefit from a year off- I would be able to recenter myself and focus on attacking the next four, tough years of school.

My question is in regards to how I should broach this subject with my medical school. I am absolutely set on going there whether it is this year or next and the last thing I want to do is make them question my committment to them. How would you suggest talking with them about this, who should I contact, is it even a possibility (their website said nothing about deferrals that I could find). I know I need to jump on this quickly since they would have to fill my spot for this year. <snip>

You can always ask if a deferral is possible. However, ask yourself, "is it just cold feet?" While saving a little money for a year might be nice, you are delaying the earning of an attending physicians salary by a year so the cost of your year off is substantial in terms of future earnings.
 
I was just wondering what my chance at getting into med school are and if my 1 year at community college will hurt me. I was in the engineering program ... I tranferred out, though, and attended a local community college for a year while I decided what I wanted to pursue as engineering just didn't interest me a great deal. I was thinking about teaching high school chemistry and biology, and because of this I took Orgo 1 and 2, Microbiology, Physics 2, and Gen. Bio. 1 at CC (recieved a 4.0 there). I am now at a private college, and have demonstrated that I can do well in upper level sciences by getting an A in Physical Chemistry.

Also, this summer I am volunteering in an ER and also doing research in Biochemistry with a professor through a competitive grant that I applied for. I have also been involved in various E.C's throughout college (Jazz Band, American Chemical Society, American Physics Society, etc.). I will be doing more shadowing and more EC's in the next year (I will be taking 5 years to graduate and am still recieiving my Secondary Education degree as a backup plan) and was wondering if I have a decent chance at admissions.

You are a good candidate for a personal statement that tells of your journey from engineering to "seeker" to education to medicine. You seem to have your ducks in a row for admission to allopathic or osteopathic medical school. Be sure to shadow and osteopath and get a letter of recommendation from one if you choose to go the osteopath route.
 
How important it is to have a recommendation from your undergraduate pre-med advisory committe when applying to med schools? I've been out of college for 3 years now and I was unaware of the lengthy and detailed process it takes to receive this from my undergraduate school. There most likely won't be enough time for me to go through this process in time to complete my applications. Will med schools frown upon you if you don't have this?

If your school is "well known" for producing med school applicants then it is likely that the med schools are acquainted with and respect the opinions of the pre-med advisory commitee at your school. If this is the case, then yes, not having a pre-med advisory committee letter will be a red flag.
 
For the AMCAS application, Should I include the researcher I will be working with or just the research topic? Should my approach change for the TMDSAS application?

Madame said:
Anyone else have some advice on TMDSAS for this poster??

Miss Scarlett said:
Here's a linke to the Texas application FAQ: TMDSAS FAQ
 
I am a student who considers applying for medical school this June. My GPA is 3.75. My major is English. I have taken the MCAT once, but scored a 29 (PS: 12; Bio: 9: VR: 8). I plan to retake the MCAT on July 13th. I have a few questions:

1. English is not my first language, but I chose it as my major. Given my circumstance, how will the admission committee think about my low VR score for the MCAT?

They may interprete this to mean that you don't read very quickly and thus lost points due to a lack of speed or perhaps that your coursework focused more on writing or on reading nineteenth century British novels or something very different than the types of passages one reads for the MCAT. The next stop would be to look at your transcript and to see if you had a LOR from an English professor or someone who might be able to address your ability to interprete what you read.

2. The medical schools will receive my second MCAT score around August 15th. Will that be too late for the rolling admission?

Rolling admission just means that decisions are made just a few weeks after the interview. August 15 arrival of your MCAT scores means that your file will be read in August or later. This could mean that you will be read right away and interviewed in September or it could mean that you end up at the bottom of a stack of hundreds of applications that arrived in July.

3. Would you recommend me to fill out the primary application and submit it in June without my second MCAT score?

If you check the box indicating that you are retaking the MCAT, then the schools will hold off reviewing your application until that second MCAT arrives.

4. When I choose medical schools to apply to, should I apply mostly to the schools with an average MCAT score close to 29?
That is a wise move if your gpa is about average for those schools. If your gpa is less than the average for the school, you may be at a disadvantage.

5. When AMCAS calculates my GPA for the primary application, will they count the classes I took in a community college when I was in high school?

Thank you very much for your help!

Yes.
 
How would an adcom approach age, if at all, in an application? I just turned 18 years old and am applying this cycle. I've had a lot of people tell me not to bring up my age anywhere in my application unless an adcom brings it up in my interview. Is that good advice?

Also here are some of my stats to put things in perspective:

MCAT: 32P (10V, 12P, 10B)
Cum GPA: 3.76
BCPM GPA: 3.76

Some volunteering in hospital (about 40-50 hours so far) and shadowing a radiologist.
Other volunteer experiences include tutoring physics, tutoring elementary and middle school kids, and monitoring a university computer lab.

I'm just worried that while my stats are somewhat ok, age will be quite an issue I'll have to deal with. I don't feel 18, but I forget that most people are 21-22 when they start applying to med school.

I have seen the thread on pre-allo and the comments posted and wish to reenter this thread to make a brief comment here. It is clear you have decided to apply this cycle and that is your choice. I doubt you will have trouble being accepted but it depends to a non-trivial degree on how you present yourself in the essays and interviews.

However, AFTER you are accepted, please consider taking the 5 year plan and spending an additional year in medical school doing research and/or getting an additional degree (MPH/MBA/etc). Given your background, this might be a useful thing to do and enhance your career while allowing you to meet your goal of starting medical school as soon as possible. Please seek out mentors in your med school who can help you plan a course that meets your needs but think broadly of the possibilities - you have many great options.

Good luck and congrats on all you've accomplished so far. By the way, for what it's worth, I graduated from medical school (in the United States) when I was 24 yrs old and did not think I was a worse physician because of it.
 
Hi,

I’m a postbacc at Columbia, just wondering (1) where to apply and (2) if I have a child, will it hurt me to talk about this in my personal statement? Here is some info:

4.1 postbacc gpa (most of my med school prereq’s were taken here), but 3.5 undergrad gpa from an average school (including several science/math B+’s, one science C+ and one science UW counting as an F)
41T mcat (15VR, 14PS, 12BS)
150 hospital volunteer hours
3-4 months clinical research, including 1 publication
A couple semesters of undergrad non-medical international research/volunteering
Nothing spectacular career-wise in the year and a half between undergrad and postbacc

I am weak on lab research, though this summer I’m working part time in a lab, and I may be able to find a lab research position for the fall. Still, I realize it is a little late to get started on this type of thing. So I am not sure what my chances are overall. I am thinking of applying to: Albert Einstein, Boston University, Case Western, Chicago (Pritzker), Cornell, Columbia, Duke, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Mayo, Mt Sinai, Northwestern, NYU, Stanford, SUNY Downstate, SUNY Stonybrook, UMDNJ, and WashU

Am I including too many reach schools? Are there some schools listed above that I just have no real shot at, such that I shouldn’t apply (because I have so little research experience, etc)? Should I apply to more “safe” schools—and if so, what would that mean—other New York state schools (I’m a NY resident)? My personal statement is not spectacular, if this helps answer any of these questions.

Second, as I said, is it potentially detrimental to talk about having a child in my personal statement and/or secondaries? I have done so, because this has been such a huge part of my experience as a student, and as a human. But might it hurt my chances? Or are most medical schools fairly accepting of women with children pursuing a medical career?

Thanks.

You have an extraordinary MCAT, a very good post-bac gpa and several months of clinical research with a publication. I think that if you interview well and your application is well written, you should have a good shot at at least a few schools on your list.

The relevance of your child to your suitability as a medical student or your career as a physician is .... what? I hate to say it, but I would worry that some adcom members would have unspoken reservations about admitting someone who has responsibilities for a small child (and this goes double if you are a single parent). I would recommend that you focus your personal statement on why you want to be a physician and how you have tested this interest in a career in medicine. You might also want to talk with your advisor at Columbia and determine whether or not your child will be mentioned in your LOR (Columbia tends to send very thorough biographies of their students). So, your child may be mentioned in your application (and perhaps in the context of pointing out how you have managed to do well at Columbia while parenting) even if you don't include that information in your personal statement.
 
Two quick questions: My first year of school, some 6 years ago, I took three quarters of Claculus, letter grades as follows: A, C, F. As you can see , as the year went on I was less and less interested in school. I took a two year break from school, and upon my return my gpa increased drastically each year: 3.5, 3.8, 3.8. I atribute my first year woes to a lack of maturity. How will the F in Calc. III affect my application?
Secondly, I am now graduated and am looking for a full time job in Microbiology. Unfortunately, there aren't many opportunities close by. Does it matter to a school if I am working in a science related field or some other field(ie business) during my year off?

In your Personal Statement you need to explain your journey to med school application and that should include some explanation of your freshman year as it is quite obvious that something happened. You will also be asked to tell the adcom what you did in the two years "off".

The F in Calculus will hurt your gpa a little bit and it could be a red flag but if it is just one terrible grade you could be forgiven.

You need not work in a science related field...

Good luck with the job hunt!
 
Hi, I have a bit of an odd situation. I generally start my Pre-Med courses very focused, but somewhere in the middle of the semester, I lose focus and end up getting a C. Of course, it's a bit more than that. I have Ulcerative Colitis and the stress of the courses induces severe flare-ups. It becomes hard for me to concentrate on my courses when I'm in so much physical pain. As a result of this disease, I'd like nothing more than to help others who have it and other diseases of the GI tract. My goal is to become a Pediatric Gastroenterologist. Anyway, back to the stats, I've gotten C's in both of my General Bio courses, but A's in their labs. C's in General chemistry, B in O.Chem I, D+ in O.Chem II (I'm definitely re-taking it), B's in Physics, C in molecular and B in biochem. As for Math, well I'm a math major so I've gotten A's in Calc I and Calc II and plan on continuing that trend throughout the rest the math courses I have left. I haven't taken the mcats yet. As far as experience goes, I've volunteered for a year and am working in a pharmaceutical company, but that's pretty much it in terms of the medical field. However, I've done research projects in math, have been a tutor for about two years and am president of the math club. Obviously I need more ECs. My BCPM and cumulative GPA are both at a 3.0. I already have two professors that I'm sure will write excellent letters of recommendations. So this leads me to three questions:
1. If I get a stellar MCAT score, exemplary LORs, have an amazing personal statement and do more ECs, do I have any chance in getting in without doing an SMP or retaking most of the pre-reqs?
2. Should I get a masters in Biomathematics after I graduate college? Would that help in any way? Or would I be better off with an MMS or a masters in Biology?
3. I've heard that alot of med schools want you to apply within 5 years after taking the pre-reqs. If I took general chemistry my freshman year and plan on applying 6 years after, would I need to retake it? Or is it 5 years after you graduate? I'm so confused on that.

Thank you so much for answering my questions!

I admire your desire to care for children who suffer from gastrointestinal disorders but it is a bit concerning to see someone in pre-med deciding so early in the process on a subspecialty within the field of medicine.

Math appears to be your strong suit and perhaps you could help children (and others) using that math talent in biomedical research. A MS degree in biostatistics could open doors in that field and would also come in handy if you continued down the road to medical school.

Your grades in Biology and Chemistry are a grave concern. Even the Bs in Physics are a concern as this is all pointing toward a BCPM gpa of <3.0. Perhaps quite a few math courses can pull up that gpa but the poor showing in so many pre-requisitites is going to hurt. Osteopathic schools will use the new grade if you choose to retake but allopathic medical schools will use both grades in determining your gpa and this means it is nearly impossible to battle back from a bunch of Cs and Ds.

Finally, not not of least importance, is your physical health. The stress of medical school could cause further exacerbation. It is essential to get your disease under control. No med school wants a student who is going to repeat a year or flunk out due to an uncontrolled chronic condition. Your first priority should be your own health.

Good luck.
 
Hello all. I am a general surgery intern that was on the admissions committee for a public medical school. I'm here to contribute my $.02, and help in any way I can. Ask away.
 
Hi All,

I've done a lot of volunteering in non-clinical and non-medical setting - all in things I am very passionate about (mainly environmental). I'm applying for 08 and a bit worried about filling in the clinical/patient/medical side of my experiences... as I currently have pretty much zip (except I did move and transfer schools to take care of my girlfriend while she went through chemo and radiation for Hodgkin's - now 2 years cancer free - and this did motivate me towards medicine).

I have the opportunity to volunteer and become certified as a Rape Crisis Counselor (and I'm a male!) ... I am interested in doing this volunteer work and would be committed for a year... the problem is it wouldn't be direct "clinical/patient" experience, but for the Crisis Center's outreach/edu program (I'd also be doing some volunteer GIS work for them too). So while I wanted to do clinical type work through this, it turned out to be a different opportunity than I intended.

At the same time, I have a few other opportunities in more
clinical/medical setting, such as volunteering at a hospital, volunteer for research trial where I'll get trained in phlebotomy etc...

They aren't mutually exclusive, but if I gave up the Rape Crisis opportunity, I feel that I would have more time to dedicate to patient/clinical volunteer work...

Question: At this point in apps, is it better to go straight for more clinical/medical experience or will the Rape Crisis Counselor training and volunteering make me stand out more?

Put yourself in the shoes of an adcom. Which would you find more unique in an applicant? Would you rather talk about a guys experience drawing blood or working in a rape crisis center? Not tough to figure out!

So, as long as you have reasonable shadowing so as to convince the adcom that you know what medicine is about, do the rape crisis center. You and your application will be the better for it.

Remember though, volunteering isn't just about "standing out" to an adcom, it's about gaining experiences you can talk about, that provide you with a more mature and diverse view of society, and allowing you to make a contribution. Adcoms are looking for these as well as uniqueness.
 
Hi, I have a question about checking the economically disadvantaged status on the application. I have looked at the questions that they provide and whereas my family's low income fits the requirements, and I have had a job since 16y.o., my income has not always gone to support my family. When I was in high school there was a period of time in which both of my parents were unemployed, received unemployment aid from the government, and I contributed a bit of money to help out, but once I entered college my income mostly went toward paying for books and my student contribution in my financial aid package. My job is only part time. And I do not live in a medically underserved area. I have felt disadvantaged at times, I could never afford tutoring, I could not attend a lot of TA and professor office hours because I had to go to work, I have few volunteer hours because I always tried to get paid internships, and in general I spent less time on my classes than classmates who could afford not to work at all during the school year. However, I know that a lot of other students have work study jobs as well, and I know that my life could be a lot worse. I feel blessed in many ways, my family has always treated me well, and I have had many opportunities in my state to get research and clinical experience. Should I check the disadvantaged box? I do not want to seem like I am seeking special treatment , and I am not sure if my reasons for feeling disadvantaged are trivial. Thank you so much for your time!

There's no absolute answer to this as adcoms would have extremely variable responses to this question and your choice in this. It wouldn't much affect how I look at your application whatever decision you make. Others might want to ask you about it at an interview and you might or might not wish to handle those type of questions. Do what you are comfortable with. If in doubt, I would generally suggest not marking it, but again, I don't feel strongly about it.
 

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Welcome to the new Medical School Admissions: Special Circumstances Thread.

What is the purpose of this thread?

The sole purpose of this thread is to help students answer the following question: How can I explain "X" that happened in my life on my application? In this thread our mentors can help you figure out how to address in your application events that may have caused adversity in your life or challenges that you may have overcome.

From this point forward (6/9/07), this will be the only topic addressed in this thread.

Please do not post "what are my chances" threads or your entire life story. We are NOT kidding about this.
Brevity is your friend. Your post is much more likely to be answered if your question is brief and to the point.

Inappropriate posts WILL be deleted or moved.
Thank you for your cooperation.




FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - READ THIS FIRST

Getting ready to apply:

Where can I get advice about the MCAT?
Try the SDN MCAT Forum.


About your application:

Do I need to list every college course I have ever taken on my application?
Yes. Every college-level course you have taken needs to be listed on your AMCAS or AACOMAS.

I need help with my personal statement.
There is a great thread with personal statement advice in the pre-allo forum.

Will the mentors read my personal statement?
No. We have writing mentors who will provide technical advice and critique short passages. We aren't able to offer full-service editing for personal statements, so please don't post them on the Mentor Forum. Any personal statements posted will be deleted.

How do adcoms look at premeds volunteering in a developing country as part of a medical mission?
Tildy has written an excellent synopsis of this issue. Medical volunteering

Does a history of institutional or legal action on my record virtually assure me of not being accepted? How should I handle this? Ignore it or write about it in my essays? Ask Tildy the Dog

How can I get help entering my work/activities into AMCAS? Check out this fantastic thread in Pre-Allo first: AMCAS Work/Activities


About the Mentor Forum:

Is this a good place for a "what are my chances" post?
It really isn't. This is the place for brief, specific questions. Our mentors are not able to evaluate your application or assess your chances for admission to any given school. Posts misplaced in this thread asking "what are my chances?" will be moved to existing threads:

Pre-allopathic: What are my Chances/Where to Apply?
Pre-osteopathic: What are my chances?

Why can't the Adcom members answer my WAMC post?
Tildy has posted an excellent answer to this question. Click to visit Tildy the Dog.

Who will be answering my question?
Questions in this thread will be answered by members of medical school admissions committees (students, faculty and staff) and by medical students, residents or physicians who may share their experiences with the admissions process. You may review the credentials of any mentor by viewing their "Welcome" post.

Wow, this thread is long! I don't want to read it all but what if my question has already been answered?
We'd love it if you checked the table of contents in post #3 before posting. You might just find the answer to your question and save yourself the trouble.
 
Hi there,

Welcome to the medical school admissions thread! This is the place for you to ask questions about the application/interview process and find out what med schools might be looking for in an applicant.

A little about me --- I'm a second-year med student and a member of my school's admissions committee. I routinely evaluate, interview, and present applicants at admissions committee meetings.

So, start asking questions and I'll do my best to give you a prompt and accurate answer! There will also be other mentors providing advice in this thread. :thumbup:
 
Hello. I am an Emergency Physician. I served on the Admissions Comm. for 4 years at my medical school. I was also a non-traditional, having worked in a completely unrelated field prior to going to medical school.


Welcome!
 
Welcome to the new Medical School Admissions: Special Circumstances Thread.

What is the purpose of this thread?

The sole purpose of this thread is to help students answer the following question: How can I explain "X" that happened in my life on my application? In this thread our mentors can help you figure out how to address in your application events that may have caused adversity in your life or challenges that you may have overcome.

From this point forward, this will be the only topic addressed in this thread.

Please do not post "what are my chances" threads or your entire life story.
Brevity is your friend. Your post is much more likely to be answered if your question is brief and to the point.

Inappropriate posts WILL be deleted or moved.
Thank you for your cooperation.


Who will be answering my question?
Questions in this thread will be answered by members of medical school admissions committees (students, faculty and staff) and by medical students, residents or physicians who may share their experiences with the admissions process. You may review the credentials of any mentor by viewing their "Welcome" post.



Do NOT delete this post.
 
Hello to all of you. Like Tildy, I am an adcom member at a private, research-oriented medical school. I am not a physician but I am a faculty member in the basic sciences. I look forward to fielding questions from medical school applicants on issues involving the application and interview process.
 
Hi Adcomms,

I have a question, but I think I already know what the answer will be. To give you some background, I'm a senior who is applying for the 2008 cycle. During my year off I will be doing biomed research at the NIH. I have a decent GPA 3.7 Chem, so-so MCAT 28, but a lot of EC's + leaderships, and I am URM if that matters (I've done URM related volunteer work). Anyway, to get to the point, during my first 8 weeks of school freshman year I got into trouble at the dorms, once for a marijuana related incidence. The marijuana incidence resulted in a misdemeanor being put on my record (first crime ever). To say the least this was a traumatizing event for me because everyone told me my chances at med school were just destroyed, and to some degree I gave up on my medical aspirations for the next semester. I toyed around with possibly majoring in other health professions, but I still felt drawn toward medicine, and I knew I wouldn’t be satisfied with any other profession. So I figured I have to try, and over the next three years I was academically solid, extremely involved in campus organizations, volunteer, and stayed far away from drinking/smoking ect. So now I'm at the point where I'm ready to apply, I have already prepared a statement for my "Disciplinary Action" essay on AMCAS, and I know when I fill out secondaries and I have to answer YES to (ever been charged with misdemeanor/felony) and I’m not afraid at all to talk about the incident during interviews (if I get any).

But I just want to know will I be immediately "blacklisted" by ADCOMMS? Will schools even give me a chance?

I understand the harsh realities of the process, 5000+ applicants for 100 spots, and probably 4950 of the applicants have clean records(or are lying), so why should they take someone who is "flawed"?

Anyway, I am already applying with the expectation of not getting in anywhere, but is there anything I can do to improve my application, and take focus away from this incident?

BTW: I'm not applying to ultra-competitive schools, just my state schools and a few URM friendly Out of state schools.

thanks in advance,

Bassfisher

Speaking for just one school, I would not expect you to be blacklisted for a single marijuana incident in your freshman year. If you explain what you learned from this incident and how it contributed to your growth and maturity, you may find that you will be offered interviews/admission despite your flaw.
 
I am a junior nursing student to plans to finish my junior year and then switch my major to liberal arts. I am doing this becuase I really want to be a doctor not a nurse i realized this a month ago. Do you think that that a admissions commitee will look at this with shame?

No. The admissions committee will see the nursing courses you've taken but will note that you graduated as a liberal arts major. Of course, you will explain your path to medicine in your personal statement.
 
I am looking to apply to both MD and DO schools this coming application cycle. I have a unique problem with my GPA. I have a low undergrad GPA and science gpa (that part is not unique!). Both are 3.0. The logical response to a undergrad gpa problem is to take postbacc courses. Retake all of the low grades. However...I have a master's degree in biology. (I have a 3.9 there, but I know that doesn't count the same as the undergrad GPA)

During my master's I was a TA and there had to RE-LEARN all of the classes I did poorly in since I was teaching the lab portions. My three C's on my science gpa come from BIO I, BIO II and Anatomy. Since I was a TA in those labs, I actually sat in on all of the lectures on my own time. Essentially learned everything I didn't learn the first time around...and more. For the past three years I have been working as an instructor at the community college level. Here's my problem...my three lowest undergrad science grades (the one's most people would just go back and retake...) I TEACH! So I know the material backwards and forwards...NOW.

So, is my gpa a complete non-starter? Does the fact that I now teach these classes that I once did so poorly in help me at all? My MCATs reflect my knowledge of biology, when I take the practice tests I usually don't miss a single biology question (but the orgo is another story...so I won't have a 15 on my BS section).

What do I do?

Here's hoping that the undergrad 3.0 combined with the M.S. 3.9 and a MCAT bio score of 13 or more is going to pique someone's interest and that your application will be read in full, and you will seem like someone who is worthy of an interview. You may have a good shot at mid-range schools that are open to non-trad students.
 
I need some advice. When I was in college (top 5 college), I had a series of unforunate events that affected my gpa. I was raped and sexually assualted my freshman year and my grandfather died. These events severely shakened my self esteem and I had trouble performing at the level I was capable of. Basically, I had a series of dropped science classes and non sci classes. The highest grade I recieved in a science course was 2 B's and the lowest 1 D. I was very depressed for much of my college experience. It worsened with the death of both of my grandmother's from alzheimer's my junior and senior year. I hit a low point and I ended up graduating from my college(2006) with a 2.5-2.6 gpa in a non science major. Now, I am working at one of the top UCs and taking classes to bring my gpa up. So far, I have As. In addition, I am volunteering in a alzheimer's clinic. I know I have several red flags for admissions commitees and an uphill battle. What would be the best way to overcome a history like this? I have always wanted to be a doctor but the last few years have been rough for me.

Hi:

It's impossible to pick one path that will get you to medical school. However, my recommendation is to consider working for a couple of years while continuing to build up volunteer, community service and taking the MCAT. Others here are more expert at various programs such as master's programs, etc and could comment on these, although I generally would be less convinced of their value for you except to retake classes in which you had a very low grade. The folks on the non-trad forum often have good advice on these type of things. From my perspective, when looking at applications from students with bad college grades related to life events, what matters is that they have gone forward in life and are ready to tackle medical school. This can take a few years. Success at a job (does not have to be medical, but continue medical activities such as shadowing, volunteering) and a well-written personal statement can give you the best chance. A great MCAT will help too. Good luck!
 
Hi there!

I have recently been accepted to two medical schools, Georgetown and University of Miami, Boca Raton campus. I'm trying to decide which to attend, and I'd love some objective advice.

UM at Boca Raton is only a three hour drive from my immediate family and boyfriend and offers Problem Based Learning (I believe 100% PBL) for the first two years. It has a small class size of 32, which I like, and is pretty new so it's technologically very advanced with an entire building for computer simulated dummies for practicing procedures on. The downside, I think, is that it is in suburban Boca Raton which is:
1.) Not a very exciting place to live
2.) Has a limited demographic of elderly, wealthy people, which I translate to reduced exposure to pathology and diversity.

Georgetown didn't impress me immediately when I went there (partly because I was set on going to Boca until I received admission to Georgetown) but I've been thinking about it more and I'm leaning towards going there. I like that it's in an urban setting so I have more exposure to pathology, more diversity, and a more enjoyable social life. I don't like that it has so many students compared to Boca, is less technologically advanced, and doesn't center on PBL.

I've never lived outside of Florida before so I'm excited to make a big change in my life and live in a new, different place. But I'm worried that my reasons for leaning towards Georgetown aren't as strong as the reasons why Boca would be better.

Can anyone help me with this?

Thanks!!

These are personal decisions based on personal preferences regarding curriculum, location, cost, proximity to a support system, class size (do you like a very small town where you know everyone?) and all the rest.

I will just make one comment about your assumptions regarding pathology. If anything, an older population is going to present with more pathology because the incidence and prevalence of just about every disease increases with age. Take the top 20 causes of death in America. Aside from a dearth of homicides in Palm Beach County, you are going to see a little (or a lot) of everything in Boca. Georgetown might have a little more "exotic" and tropical disease because of the diplomatic community and international travelers but Boca has its own influx of travelers as well.
 
Hello :) I was wondering if anyone on admissions committees above would be willing to read through my personal statement because I have never really gotten an feedback from advisors or anyone who knows about admissions, only friends and family. If not that's okay too, I just figured it wouldn't hurt to ask :oops:

Would any of the esteemed members of the panel be willing to review my PS? I am at an impasse, and would appreciate some input. Thanks.


We are not able to have mentors read personal statements.
 
hello there,

last summer..i decided to take summer school to knock out some credits to lighten up my course load for the following semester at university. however, i had a rough summer and was not able to successfully complete the courses which ended up showing F's on the community colleges transcript. however, i decided not to send the transcript to my university because i didnt want to use the credits. when i was working out my class schedule for next semester, i was talking to a professor of mine and she said that medical schools see all the transcripts you have ever had..including the community college one that i choose not to send to the university. is that true? i dont see how that is possible when i choose who can and who cant view it. also, if medical schools ask on the application for all transcripts or whatever they ask..do i ever have to mention about the transcript from my community college even if i didnt transfer the credits to my university?

AMCAS requires that you show all college level work and provide transcripts. Failure to do so can result in revocation of offers of admission.
 
I guess this is where I post a question.

Throughout the forum posters are always debating whether no trads shoudl take a full load, or if two science classes at a time are okay. The latter seems to be the majority because of family/work/commitments and taking a full load just isn't feasable. Right now I am taking 8 credits (two classes), I am taking BIO I and BIO II over the summer, which is everyday so it is close to full time. Next fall I am signed up for ORGO and Physics, but I wanted to take another science with a lab to have 12 credits, which would make me full time, at least in my schools eyes. I would still have to work but I could cut it down a little bit to focus more on school.

I guess my question is, do admissions boards really consider how many courses you take during a semester? Do they understand that non trad students have to work a lot as well and gain that important health care experience? I am sure it varies from school to school, but what have been your experiences with courseloads in applicants? (BTW, I need to show improvement from my poor undergrad GPA. <3.0 Been looking into SMP's as well.)

The adcom asks the question: is there evidence that this applicant can handle the workload of medical school? Doing poorly as an undergrad but better when taking only 2 courses per quarter doesn't fully answer the question. Yes, it is clear that you are working and going to school but you will be expected to attend school full-time as a medical student. Again, the question comes back to, will you be able to handle that workload?
 
I currently work as a pharm tech on the weekends. How good would a letter of rec. from a Pharm.D look to adcoms? Should I even bother submitting it when the time comes?

Thanks

It would look the same as just about any other letter. If the Pharm.D knows you well and wrote a strong letter, I would go ahead and submit it! It can't hurt and would probably help. Note that this would count as an extra letter and shouldn't replace the letters from professors of courses you took. :thumbup:
 
My situation might be confusing but please bear with me.

I've been accepted to UCLA by a special program with UC Riverside. At the same time, UCLA proper waitlisted me. What differentiates these two programs is that in the former I would spend my pre-clinical years in Riverside, in the latter at Los Angeles. The main UCLA program is my top choice and has been my dream school for a long time, and I'd love to attend. I will be attending UCLA's second-look where I will have the opportunity to hear presentations by several of the admission committee members as they try to convince us to come to their school.

Will it reflect poorly on me if I go out of my way to talk to them briefly and explain my situation and strong desire to go to their med school? I doubt many people are in a similar situation and given your perspective, I figure you can offer the best advice to me. Thank you for your help!

I wouldn't do it! It would be inappropriate at the school's second-look weekend. You've already been accepted to the UCR/UCLA program, so it would come across as ungrateful.
 
I have a question concerning whether or not I should do a postbacc program.

My gpa is a 3.35 largely due to two years in which I had major mitigating family circumstances. During my sophomore and Junior years, my gpa was 2.5 which was a large drop from the 3.9 I had freshman year. I decided to stay an extra year in college so I could increase my gpa and have since earned a 4.0 that last two years. I am also a president's scholar at my university which is a fullride scholarship awarded to CA high school valedictorians. Anyways, some advisors strongly discourage me from doing a postbacc and believe that my academic excellence my final two years will suffice, while a med school admissions advisor suggested I do a postbacc to increase my gpa.

How do you believe I should handle the situation? Thanks a lot for the advice.

I agree with the med school admissions officer. A 3.35 GPA doesn't necessarily mean that you'll automatically be rejected from every school, but it will definitely limit you when applying. The upward trend is good, but it doesn't compensate for the low GPA. Good luck!
 
Recently, I made an important decision to pursue a career in medicine after being accepted into dental school. It is a decision that I have personally struggled with for several years, both fields in my opinion are very rewarding. However, with my graduate studies in public health I have come to appreciate the holistic approach to health found in medicine. In addition, I feel that medicine would allow me to fulfill my desire to reach a larger proportion of the underserved community with varying healthcare needs.

Do you feel that my choice to pursue a career in medicine after being accepted into dental school would be looked upon negatively by the admissions committee? Do you feel I should explain this decision in my personal statement?

I wouldn't use the PS to explain a negative, but instead would focus on the positive - why you decided to do medicine. However, I am assuming here that before you apply to medical school, you will have shadowed a physician and otherwise had experiences that will make it clear that you have a committment to medicine.

"Career changing" at all steps of the process is extremely common. It is potentially a negative in that it can indicate uncertainly and lack of committment to any one field. On the other hand, it can be "turned" positive by a clear set of experiences that are described in the PS explaining the change. This explanation will help get the interview. In the interview is when you will be on the spot and need to be clear about what you had originally decided and how and why you changed your mind. If you can tell a solid story, you will win over the committee.

Good luck!
 
Hi, all. I'm not sure if this thread is the right place to ask these questions, but it seemed the most appropriate.

I am going to be attending medical school starting this August (regular M.D. program). I would really love the opportunity to serve on my medical school's admissions committee starting second year (I'll assume they don't take MSI students). When should I start looking into this? Is there an application and interview process? What do admissions committees look for in potential student members? I know the details will vary per school, but even general answers would be great.

As you might have guessed, I am very interested in a career in academic medicine. But, I don't think laboratory research is for me. I tried research in two different labs as an undergrad (in two different disciplines) and didn't truly enjoy either experience. From what I know, though, lab. research is pretty much a pre-requisite for going into academic medicine. Is this true? If so, is there any other way to make myself academic-medicine worthy?

Thank you very much in advance,

Kfire326

I think there is so much variability in how student adcoms are selected that it is impossible to give a general answer. I suspect that at most schools, volunteering to give tours, a positive attitude towards the school, etc is helpful, but you should wait until you start and find out specific info for your school.

The part that I wanted to answer was aobut lab research and academic medicine. If only lab researchers (what you probably mean is "basic science" researchers) were academic faculty, there wouldn't be many faculty members at most medical schools! There is plenty of room for those who do research more clinically oriented, those who are education, not research oriented, etc. It tremendously depends on what medical school and whether one is on a research or clinical/educator "track." All of this is beyond the scope of this anwer, but you can talk to folks about it when you start. Finally, don't entirely give up on "lab" research - you might find something you like that is more clinically oriented at a later stage of your training.

I note for the other mentors that the OP wished more than one mentor opinions if possible. Feel free to add!
 
Hello

Im posting here because i need some advice on a problem i have. Im currently and under grad student at a University in Texas majoring in chemistry (biochem really but still under chemistry), i have a 3.92 gpa, and im about to finish my softmore year. I'm usually the top student in every class. I have the utmost burning desire to get into a med school in Texas such as Baylor but the thing is, Iam an illegal immigrant. My parents and i moved here when i was 5 years old and have lived here ever since and because of strict immigration laws i still have been unable to become a resident or citizen. And becoming one in the future is still unlikely, unless i get married (very unlikely, not that im ugly though...lol...i kid :laugh:) or an immigration reform is passed. Because of this, my life has been full of such disadvantages and struggles, not including the emotional stress, that the pursuit of my education has always been an uphill battle. Just the mere fact that im in college is an achievement for me in itself. I get absolutely no help, no financial aid, no scholarships...nothing. I cant even apply to med internships for the summer. All these things that the rest of the kids take for granted i get absolutely nothing of. My parents and i alone provide for my education. And yes...we pay taxes too. I'm extremely dedicated to school and i know ill have a strong gpa and MCAT score in th end to show for it. Would a medical school in Texas or anywhere in in the U.S. ever consider accepting a person like myself?

There are 2 questions here. First, can a medical school legally accept you - especially with regard to Texas schools and the requirements they may have to take state residents and the second is, assuming this is possible, would they be interested in you given your background.

The first of course requires answer by an immigration lawyer and the schools themselves. I am sure you realize this, but ultimately you must address your status with an immigration attorney and get opinions as to how to change your status if this is possible and what you should do about your status.

The second is likely yes. I do not believe a medical school would hold your status as an illegal immigrant as a child against you as an adult. The schools would ask how you resolved this situation, but would not likely hold it as a negative per se. You still would need to meet all other criteria for acceptance beyond your good GPA. You should be up-front about the situation throughout the process.
 
I'm a third-year student who started off as a double major in psychology and philosophy, with a focus on neuroscience and cognitive psych. I didn't work as hard as I probably should have in my basic sciences, and ended up getting a lot more Bs in those than I probably should. My cumulative GPA will end up being around 3.7, but I have Bs in things like organic chemistry, physics, etc... with As in the more biological classes like bio, genetics, and physiology.

My question is this: I'm heavily interested in international health and working in underserved parts of the world and the United States. I've been able to do work with several organizations around the world, and have learned a lot about myself and about the realities of trying to create health infrastructure where none exists, and about providing care to people in places like that. I'm concerned that this work will come across as "voluntourism", or something that I did purely for the sake of impressing admissions committees rather than something I'm passionate about. Should I just hope that my focus shines through in my PS and interviews?

Also, if I don't think I'll get in (e.g. if my BPCM GPA isn't above 3.6 when I graduate), would doing a MPH after undergrad be a reasonable two years-off project, or would I be better served by an MS? My alternative idea would be doing work with a group like Americorps. My strengths lie in things like designing systems and figuring out flaws in existant ones... but I feel like I need to demonstrate incredible aptitude in hard sciences to shine out. Is there a place for people who might be exceptional clinicians without being able to get straight As in physics? Thanks for any advice you can give me.

I will principally address the second paragraph. Other mentors may wish to weigh in more on the last paragraph. International volunteering is a very common characteristic of applicants. It is common wisdom that this volunteerism 1) Will automatically lead to admission due to the humanity demonstrated AND 2) Will automatically lead to rejection due to adcom cynicism about the reasons for it.

In my experience, veteran adcom members are pretty good at exploring the experience DURING the interview and understanding what you did, why you did it and what you gained from it. It neither guarantees admission or rejection and like many other experiences, it is how you have applied and wish to apply the knowledge that matters. In an interview, a detailed exploration of the experience can help sort these out and convince the adcom of your sincerity. Can adcoms be fooled either way? Sure, but not as often as many would suspect.:)

On the other hand, in the PS, it is more difficult to explore these issues and it is easier to make an adcom reader suspect "voluntourism" (a great new word, just added to my vocabulary). In this case, it is best to discuss what you did, why you did it and what you learned, but not make it the entire focus of your PS or imply that you are a better applicant than others who did not have the abililty (or $$) to do this. Save the details for the interview. The international experiences should be explained in the context of your education and overall volunteer/shadowing background.
 
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