My chance of admission & alternatives

[ThatGuyyyyy]

I'm currently doing a masters in chemical engineering in University of Rochester, where I finished my BS also in chemical engineering. I haven't take the MCAT yet. I plan to work for a year or so as an engineer to see if I like it better. However, I originally intended to be a doctor and finished all the pre med requirements including 4 biology courses.

The problem is I only have a 3.3 GPA from undergrad. So I'm seeking advice as to whether I should even try for medical school admission or not. I do want it, but is it realistically possible? Is foreign school alternatives worth it?

I can still earn good amount of money as engineer and that's not the concern. It's more like what I want to be doing all my life and medicine is very attractive despite some drawbacks.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Catalystik]

An undergrad GPA of 3.3 is on the low side, but if you're a great test taker, then an MCAT score of 35 could well get you accepted to an allopathic med school somewhere, maybe your state school if it's not too selective.

Even so, if you ended your undergrad years with a downward grade trend, you may need to take a year of full-time postbac classes, getting mainly As to demonstrate to adcomms that you have what it takes to succeed in med school. This would, incidentally, raise your GPA to 3.4 as a pleasant consequence and you would only need an MCAT score of ~34.

If you're like most average applicants and will get a 30+ MCAT score, you might consider an SMP (Special Masters Program) to redeem the low GPA and give you a better chance at med school admission if your GPA is at the top of your class. One competes with med students in many of these classes.

If test taking isn't your thing, then a final option would be to consider DO med schools, where an MCAT score of 28-29 might get you in the door, provided your engineering masters GPA is good.

It is the general opinion of most SDNers that DO>>>>>Caribbean med school.

 

[J ROD]

I'm currently doing a masters in chemical engineering in University of Rochester, where I finished my BS also in chemical engineering. I haven't take the MCAT yet. I plan to work for a year or so as an engineer to see if I like it better. However, I originally intended to be a doctor and finished all the pre med requirements including 4 biology courses.

The problem is I only have a 3.3 GPA from undergrad. So I'm seeking advice as to whether I should even try for medical school admission or not. I do want it, but is it realistically possible? Is foreign school alternatives worth it?

I can still earn good amount of money as engineer and that's not the concern. It's more like what I want to be doing all my life and medicine is very attractive despite some drawbacks.

Some schools understand how hard engin is as an undergrad and give some extra slack there in terms of GPA.

I would try and get a yr of advanced sciences courses if you can...

34/35 MCAT would be the mark to shoot for....

But you got to get all the ECs too!! clinical experience, volunteering, shadowing, etc.....plus, leadership, tutoring, research if you have the time.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I'm currently doing a masters in chemical engineering in University of Rochester, where I finished my BS also in chemical engineering. I haven't take the MCAT yet. I plan to work for a year or so as an engineer to see if I like it better. However, I originally intended to be a doctor and finished all the pre med requirements including 4 biology courses.

The problem is I only have a 3.3 GPA from undergrad. So I'm seeking advice as to whether I should even try for medical school admission or not. I do want it, but is it realistically possible? Is foreign school alternatives worth it?

I can still earn good amount of money as engineer and that's not the concern. It's more like what I want to be doing all my life and medicine is very attractive despite some drawbacks.

i think that firstly because your major was chemical enginnering thats a hard core load/ major
its not easy to do
so medical schools will probably understand your gpa
however yes
your mcat needs to be good
but yes..
you live
in the lucky state new york
you have tons of state schools
you should aim to get into one of them
try some pa( pennsylvania) schools and other lower tier schools and then some DO schools..
you'll get in im sure

 

[apumic]

An undergrad GPA of 3.3 is on the low side, but if you're a great test taker, then an MCAT score of 35 could well get you accepted to an allopathic med school somewhere, maybe your state school if it's not too selective.

Even so, if you ended your undergrad years with a downward grade trend, you may need to take a year of full-time postbac classes, getting mainly As to demonstrate to adcomms that you have what it takes to succeed in med school. This would, incidentally, raise your GPA to 3.4 as a pleasant consequence and you would only need an MCAT score of ~34.

If you're like most average applicants and will get a 30+ MCAT score, you might consider an SMP (Special Masters Program) to redeem the low GPA and give you a better chance at med school admission if your GPA is at the top of your class. One competes with med students in many of these classes.

If test taking isn't your thing, then a final option would be to consider DO med schools, where an MCAT score of 28-29 might get you in the door, provided your engineering masters GPA is good.

It is the general opinion of most SDNers that DO>>>>>Caribbean med school.

LOL.... umm... average applicants DON'T get a 30+ MCAT. Average applicants get a 25. Average matriculants get a 31-32 MCAT score. That's the 84th percentile, not the 50th...

If testtaking isn't the OP's "thing" (i.e., s/he sucks at it), even a 28-30 is highly unlikely as the average, once again, is a 25. That means the OP would most likely score ≤25 if a poor testtaker (all else being equal). The spreadsheet linked below might be a good resource for the OP to estimate how well s/he might actually expect to do on the MCAT....



OP, your engineering major may give some lattitude as far as GPA, but I wouldn't count on it too much. At most, it might give you the equivalent of +0.1 to +0.2 compared w/ a bio major. Even if the 0.2, a 3.5 is still on the low side and would need a 33-35 to be competitive at most US MD schools. I would suggest DO, personally. Anyway, good luck!

 

[Catalystik]

average applicants DON'T get a 30+ MCAT. Average applicants get a 25. Average matriculants get a 31-32 MCAT score. That's the 84th percentile, not the 50th...

Thanks for clarifying.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

i still hold firm that because of enginnerings overal rigor
i think that if he gets a 30
he should be in a decent position

 

[apumic]

i still hold firm that because of enginnerings overal rigor
i think that if he gets a 30
he should be in a decent position

Sorry, makes no measurable difference from the AMCAS data.
While it may make sense that "harder" majors would make a lower GPA more attractive, the AMCAS data reveals no significant difference amongst majors. Social science majors actually get in with the lowest GPA (3.63). Engineering would be among the physical sciences for the purposes of AMCAS' classification and the physical sciences average a 3.52 for applicants (which is right in the middle) but average matriculants have a 3.66. The SDs between majors are also almost identical across the board. Sorry, your stand may be firm but it's not supported. As SD=0.27, a CE major w/ <3.39 probably wouldn't get in anywhere and <3.12 makes it even less likely (worse than 98% of matriculants on GPA alone). A 30 on the MCAT would also be quite a bit below the average score for a matriculant w/ a CE major (mean=32). For whatever reason, they are, if anything, actually harder on physical sciences people (the average PS applicant has a 29.7, btw).

 

[J ROD]

Sorry, makes no measurable difference from the AMCAS data.
While it may make sense that "harder" majors would make a lower GPA more attractive, the AMCAS data reveals no significant difference amongst majors. Social science majors actually get in with the lowest GPA (3.63). Engineering would be among the physical sciences for the purposes of AMCAS' classification and the physical sciences average a 3.52 for applicants (which is right in the middle) but average matriculants have a 3.66. The SDs between majors are also almost identical across the board. Sorry, your stand may be firm but it's not supported. As SD=0.27, a CE major w/ <3.39 probably wouldn't get in anywhere and <3.12 makes it even less likely (worse than 98% of matriculants on GPA alone). A 30 on the MCAT would also be quite a bit below the average score for a matriculant w/ a CE major (mean=32). For whatever reason, they are, if anything, actually harder on physical sciences people (the average PS applicant has a 29.7, btw).

Overall, I agree about the engin degree....but I have seen where some schools give more credit for a "harder" major. I cant recall where off the top of my head though.....

Just do the best you can on the MCAT and we can advise better from there. DO def will be in play regards less unless you do 26 below MCAT...

 

[Catalystik]

Sorry, makes no measurable difference from the AMCAS data.
While it may make sense that "harder" majors would make a lower GPA more attractive, the AMCAS data reveals no significant difference amongst majors. Social science majors actually get in with the lowest GPA (3.63). Engineering would be among the physical sciences for the purposes of AMCAS' classification and the physical sciences average a 3.52 for applicants (which is right in the middle) but average matriculants have a 3.66. The SDs between majors are also almost identical across the board. Sorry, your stand may be firm but it's not supported. As SD=0.27, a CE major w/ <3.39 probably wouldn't get in anywhere and <3.12 makes it even less likely (worse than 98% of matriculants on GPA alone). A 30 on the MCAT would also be quite a bit below the average score for a matriculant w/ a CE major (mean=32). For whatever reason, they are, if anything, actually harder on physical sciences people (the average PS applicant has a 29.7, btw).

apumic, I appreciate your solid analysis of the data. The notion that engineering majors may get some GPA credit seems to have crept into the common lore of SDN, not because it's generally true, but because it should be true and we like to be reassuring. Still, like JDUB, I recall a post where someone reported this notion being confirmed by an adcom they'd interviewed with, with a precise correction factor posted (n=1). I could be so in isolated instances, yet, if so, other schools must give negative credit for it to average out.

 

[apumic]

apumic, I appreciate your solid analysis of the data. The notion that engineering majors may get some GPA credit seems to have crept into the common lore of SDN, not because it's generally true, but because it should be true and we like to be reassuring. Still, like JDUB, I recall a post where someone reported this notion being confirmed by an adcom they'd interviewed with, with a precise correction factor posted (n=1). I could be so in isolated instances, yet, if so, other schools must give negative credit for it to average out.

I agree. And it wouldn't surprise me if some schools did give a certain amount of preference. I was simply pointing out that that was not necessarily the norm across schools. I agree, though, that it is good to be encouraging and I do think the OP can do it with some effort. A good MCAT score will be essential but I see no reason someone w/ an engineering background couldn't destroy the MCAT.

 

[J ROD]

I agree. And it wouldn't surprise me if some schools did give a certain amount of preference. I was simply pointing out that that was not necessarily the norm across schools. I agree, though, that it is good to be encouraging and I do think the OP can do it with some effort. A good MCAT score will be essential but I see no reason someone w/ an engineering background couldn't destroy the MCAT.

All the engin majors I know that have taken the MCAT have dropped 33+