My chances? I'm a psychology major.

[IDoIt4Love]

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[Catalystik]

Your stats are reasonable, and you have a lot of good experiences, but I'm concerned that your clinical exposure is lacking, so I'd try to beef that up before you apply. If you want admissions committees to believe you are committed to working with underprivileged communities, it helps if some of your clinical experience has taken place in such a location.

When you say you were a lab assistant, do you mean that it was a research experience, or that you helped to perform diagnostic tests of some sort? Did you interact with patients during this work? If so, it may be possible to include it under "clinical experience". Also, how many shadowing hours do you have? Was it observation only, or did you assist with the pediatric patients somehow?

 

[cbrons]

Why the hell do people always think having a psychology major is going to be some major thing schools are going to hold against them?

 

[IDoIt4Love]

my hospital lab experience is running various diagnostic tests of patient samples, updating lab records, and some basic phlebotomy. I stuck babies, haha. I definitely had human interaction- I had to interact with everyone from doctors and nurses, to orderlies, and I definitely had some patient interaction with those that needed to get blood or urine samples.

I guess psych majors are a little insecure because psychology courses are a little easier than biology ones. So even though I have a good overall GPA, I feel like med schools aren't gonna care because I wasn't a typical hard science major. I'm doing psychology because I'm interested in mental health, though; I want to be a psychiatrist.

 

[cbrons]

I guess psych majors are a little insecure because psychology courses are a little easier than biology ones. So even though I have a good overall GPA, I feel like med schools aren't gonna care because I wasn't a typical hard science major. I'm doing psychology because I'm interested in mental health, though; I want to be a psychiatrist.

Getting a typical hard sciences B.S. does not help you and may even hinder you in the application process (everybody does it). It isn't unique.

 

[aznb0y129]

Getting a typical hard sciences B.S. does not help you and may even hinder you in the application process (everybody does it). It isn't unique.

I would probably be more concerned about the OP's sci GPA than his psych major. 3.23 might make it tough despite your good overall GPA. Your ECs look great though. I think you may need to get a 30+ MCAT or consider applying to some DO schools as well if you are applying next year.

 

[RevivedPreMed]

Why the hell do people always think having a psychology major is going to be some major thing schools are going to hold against them?

Probably because 80% of pre-meds I know start as Biology majors and then switch to psychology simply because the classes are easier. Their words, not mine so don't kill me.

 

[cyclin M]

Probably because 80% of pre-meds I know start as Biology majors and then switch to psychology simply because the classes are easier. Their words, not mine so don't kill me.

This (wo?)man speaks the truth.

Anyways, OP your chances as of right now are low because your BCPM GPA is low and your MCAT is LOW.

Get a better MCAT score, or opt for DO. Great ECs though.

EDIT: btw, I hope you have some violin award to show for that over 10 years of violin study because anyone screwing around on a piano or guitar can put down "10 years of guitar/piano/violin" etc. Get some awards for that, something substantial that you can bust out and trump a mediocre "X years of X study."

 

[Piston95]

This (wo?)man speaks the truth.

Anyways, OP your chances as of right now are low because your BCPM GPA is low and your MCAT is LOW.

Get a better MCAT score, or opt for DO. Great ECs though.

EDIT: btw, I hope you have some violin award to show for that over 10 years of violin study because anyone screwing around on a piano or guitar can put down "10 years of guitar/piano/violin" etc. Get some awards for that, something substantial that you can bust out and trump a mediocre "X years of X study."

are you serious? a 30 MCAT is nowhere near low, let alone LOW in all caps....only thing is ur bcpm is a little low. I think you have a good shot at your state school definitely. If you have problems, it might be bc of ur bcpm(tho ur overall is good, so it might make for it)......just take some post-bacc classes to try and bring it up if it becomes a problem. Good luck

 

[migm]

Your mcat is not low -- it's quite average. But your science GPA is low enough to warrant applying early and broadly to make sure you give yourself a fighting chance. Good luck

 

[IDoIt4Love]

As for violin, I haven't been screwing around. I was concertmaster of my high school orchestra and took private lessons through my university after that; it's all the commitment I can really afford, having a lot of other things on my plate to prep for med school.

As far as my science GPA, that's only assuming that AMCAS doesn't count any of my biological psychology courses towards my GPA. I have taken some courses like Physiological Psychology and Neurobiological Bases of Behavior that may bring my BCPM up to a 3.39 if they are included.

Thanks for all the input though, guys! The SDN forum can be really helpful; I can't believe I just discovered it.