My Freshman Year Killed My GPA, What Would You do???

[pahio]

I went to WFU my freshman year and had a lot of health/family problems and the grades went way down. I transferred out to NCSU and just graduated first in my department. I took the MCAT April 04 right after a traumatic accident and got a 6V 7P 9B L (english is my 2nd language). I applied to 4 schools and got interviewed at one, but got denied.

I studied a lot of physics and verbal for the April 05 and got a 7V 9P 9B R. Granted I was really nervous taking the real test, but I doubt I can improve much for this august mcat. I mean heck, I even tutor gen chem to orgo 2 in my school's tutorial center so I know I know the material.

I have outstanding experiences (in community outreach and leadership, community service, hospital/clinic volunteering, and working on submitting my research for publication with UNC School of pub health). Hence I've got excellent LOR.

GPA I have now:
Science: 3.29
Other: 3.36
Total: 3.32

GPA I would have had w/o freshman year:
Science: 3.79
Other: 3.47
Total: 3.66

As a NC resident I'm applying to a bunch of Osteopathic Schools (yes, I like their philosophy) and UNC, ECU, Penn State, UCONN, Case, Tulane, WVU, Temple, Jefferson, Drexel, MSU, and Suny. (I had been a resident of PA).

I am reallly in need of any suggestions as to what schools I should add/take off my list, and how I should let the schools know about my freshman year. Let me know if you need to know anything else.

Thanks in advance!

(PS: I will be working as a high school subtitute teacher, chemistry tutor in the tutorial center, and taking 4 public health courses this fall/spring)

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[pahio]

Thanks! As for the SMP program, the earliest I can do that is for this upcoming Summer, and it would be a little late.

I honestly don't mind going the DO route, just not anywhere overseas.

 

[gr8jaggu]

Hi

Iam Doing R.N and PRE-MED and i woul be done with my PRE-MED classes Very soon.
is it better idea to be a nurse and then apply for MED-SCHOOL'S?
Will It give better standing chances with MED-SCHOOL's

Any Suggestion or Ideas
PLS post...

Thanks

 

[pahio]

^ I've heard that it's harder to apply as a nurse than any other profession. But that's just what I've heard.

 

[sunnyjohn]

Hi

Iam Doing R.N and PRE-MED and i woul be done with my PRE-MED classes Very soon.
is it better idea to be a nurse and then apply for MED-SCHOOL'S?
Will It give better standing chances with MED-SCHOOL's

Any Suggestion or Ideas
PLS post...

Thanks

You won't "stand a better chance." Many do believe that ad coms are reluctant to poach trained professionals from other fields, especially with the nursing shortage expected to reach critical soon.

However there are many nurses who have become doctors. You need a Bachelor's degree. IMHO your nursing major is as good as any. Be sure to do well on your prereq's, pull off a stellar MCAT performance, get solid LOR's and a good smattering of EC's.

The well-rounded candidate is the best one.

(disclaimer:I am 2 1/2 semesters shy of a nursing degree)

 

[njbmd]

Hi

Iam Doing R.N and PRE-MED and i woul be done with my PRE-MED classes Very soon.
is it better idea to be a nurse and then apply for MED-SCHOOL'S?
Will It give better standing chances with MED-SCHOOL's

Any Suggestion or Ideas
PLS post...

Thanks

Hi there,
Nursing does not confer any advantage in medical school application. Your grades in your undergraduate major in addition to your premedical coursework and you MCAT scores need to be competitive regardless of major. Having a nursing background will be somewhat helpful as you move into the clinical years in medical school but beware that nursing and medicine have vastly different approaches to patient care. Nursing can also be useful in providing you a means of income on holidays and free summer vacations while you are in medical school. Otherwise, your emphasis should be on getting the mastering the material of your premedical coursework and doing well on the Medical college admissions test.

njbmd

 

[DemonDeacon]

Consider retaking the MCAT and figuring out how you can change your strategy to improve your score a lot. Also, consider an SMP program that would allow you to take first year med school classes and make yourself competitive. These programs exist at Drexel, BU, Georgetown, NJMS, and, Rosalind Franklin.

This is what to do if you are only set on MD and not wanting to go offshore.

If you are considering DO schools, you may hold a chance.

Also if you do apply, apply to state schools and safety schools such as Rosalind Franklin.

I'm actually in the same boat. Don't the adcom consider improvement when looking at the application?

 

[VPDcurt]

I would not bother applying to UConn as an out-of-stater with those stats.

 

[venez]

where do people get there info about it being a disadvantage to be a nurse to get into med school? it seems to be this huge assumption on SDN. i am a nurse-who was premed before becoming a nurse-and now i am applying to med school. i know a few nurses who are now doctors. one of which i work with in the ER. she adamantly states her nursing knowledge was a huge help in med school (i.e. knowing medications, skills like iv starts and cathing. patients-etc).

 

[sunnyjohn]

where do people get there info about it being a disadvantage to be a nurse to get into med school? it seems to be this huge assumption on SDN. i am a nurse-who was premed before becoming a nurse-and now i am applying to med school. i know a few nurses who are now doctors. one of which i work with in the ER. she adamantly states her nursing knowledge was a huge help in med school (i.e. knowing medications, skills like iv starts and cathing. patients-etc).

An SDN urban legend perhaps?

Most likely one nurse who was asked a question about her nursing degree in a med school interview and the idea develped a life of its own.

You know folks feeding off the imagined doctor/nurse anamosity.

I also read it in a book somewhere, but I still thought the info was suspect.

 

[Sonya]

Hi

Iam Doing R.N and PRE-MED and i woul be done with my PRE-MED classes Very soon.
is it better idea to be a nurse and then apply for MED-SCHOOL'S?
Will It give better standing chances with MED-SCHOOL's

Any Suggestion or Ideas
PLS post...

Thanks

I really don't think they would much appreciate your being a nurse. Is it better to be a nurse or doctor? That is entirely up to you. But if you want to boost your application, being a nurse, EMT, hosptial tech, etc is not the way to go.

Venez, if you look at the statistics (real published stats, not MD applicants or s uch), people in allied health professions have less chances of getting in.
Strangely, phyical science /maybe englilsh majors have high chances of getting in. Of course, one can not draw a causal relation...

 

[sunnyjohn]

Becoming a nurse because you think it will give you an ADVANTAGE when you apply to med school: BAD IDEA

Choosing nursing as your major because you need a major to graduate and you do your pre-med req's at the same time: OKAY IDEA

Becoming a nurse because you are a few years away from applying or entering med school: FAIRLY SMART IDEA

Becoming a nurse because you want to be a nurse: A VERY GOOD IDEA

 

[PhDtoDO]

One of my best friends from college got waitlisted for med school for 2 years and finally decided to co-apply to architecture schools...he double majored in art. He was first generation, no accent, totally brilliant but got horrible scores in verbal. I feel for you.
I did see something on a school that prides itself on international student diversity:
http://www.aecom.yu.edu/home/admissions/class_profile2008.htm
But their average numbers are still high.
Places I'm applying and why:
U of Vermont: Public but only 29%instate 3.4GPA, 9.2MCATQand 67% of the student body did not come directly from college...who would have thought!
The numbers aren't there, but I went to the UofChicago and if you have a diversity angle, they have accepted students with 26 adn 27MCATs who are older...and different. THey won't give me an interview, but they only take so many undergrads. about 1/4th of the student body is asian and they are big in the international thing...I know several people from other countries (originally) who went there for undergrad and or med school and worked their personal experience angle.
Drexel U - 34%instate, 9.7MCAT but 3.44GPA 32%notrightfrom undergrad QUOTE FROM THEIR ADMISSIONS POLICY "Our admissions committe has a positive attitude toware students who are interested in medicine as a second career.(You were a teacher before right?)" They may be more forgiving of my or your MCAT since we're sort of career changing.

I could go on if you like, but I not only looked closely at each school I considered, I went to their webpages and looked for reasons they might want me...like Stanford...it has a statement about numbers not being everything and they are a huge AIDS research university and I even looked at the individual professors research on HIV..found at least one maybe two that do stuff like my research. Stanford is a reach for me, but not if I'm maybe something they're looking for.

We'll have to see if my 'theories' are good.

I'll let you know,

-s

 

[PhDtoDO]

There's a program here at Tulane in the Pharmacology Dept that will give you a masters...you take a bunch of med school classes and grad classes...its specifically designed to help people get in to med school and I've seen it work. It's only a few years old, but unlike a postboc, you actually get adegree for your money. There's also a program called the Anatomy program that is like a postboc but you literally take all the first year med school classes accept that humanism/fuzzy one.....you totally take anatomy with the med students...then you apply to med school at the same time! I know quite a few of these students who did it, got in right after or a year out...and are now residents here at tulane or...the Uof Chicago! I actually got into the Anatomy Program but turned it down to start my PhD. But I still think its a great program:

http://www.som.tulane.edu/departments/pharmacology/masters/

http://www.som.tulane.edu/departments/scb/acpinfo.htm

The Anatomy Program is a bit older than other postboc programs and it doesn't require a limited application pool...again, you take all the first year med school classes with the real med students accept their humanism fuzzy class. If you want to prove you can cut it in med school, this is much better than retaking biochem.

Check them out!

-s

 

[DemonDeacon]

Thanks for the tips!

^^ UVermont was one of my choices, but if you look at all the out-of-state students they accept, they're mostly from states bordering Vermont (in the NE).

^I wish I had known about Tulane a month ago before their deadline, their class is pretty much filled up now :-/