My Med school chances?

[rockmed]

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If I get A's in pre req's and a 35 in MCAT, what are my chances into med school? Will I be even called for a interview?
(I have a 2.5 GPA in other computer related classes)

Does it make sense to talk to admissions counseler at med school this early (I just started pre req's) to see what they look for and to give my background? If yes, how do I start contacting admissions counseler's? Do I call the med school admissions office?

 

[2008orbust]

HI there. How many credits do you already have at that GPA? DO you have any ECs that are notable?

 

[rockmed]

I have about 18 - 22 hours. I just started doing hospital volunteer & library volunteer last month.

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

If I get A's in pre req's and a 35 in MCAT, what are my chances into med school? Will I be even called for a interview?
(I have a 2.5 GPA in other computer related classes)

Does it make sense to talk to admissions counseler at med school this early (I just started pre req's) to see what they look for and to give my background? If yes, how do I start contacting admissions counseler's? Do I call the med school admissions office?

interview depends on gpa/mcat largely, + at least some clinical experience.

scoring a 35 on the MCAT (in 2007) would require that an applicant outperform roughly 94% of every other test taker, given the typical test taker has a science undergrad & over 3.5 gpa and understands that this test is among the most important yardsticks for med school admissions, that's not going to be an easy thing to do.

advanced coursework helps -- my cell & molecular bio course covered quite a few topics tested on the mcat but not covered in my basic bio courses, I've heard the same thing about biochem, genetics, & anatomy/physiology.

yes It couldn't hurt to contact med schools to see what they're looking for and their thoughts on your application, if you speak with more than a handful you'll start to hear some common things that they seek, beyond gpa/mcat/clinical experience, likely you'll hear:

1) desire/motivation for medicine & how you've shown it over the years
2) community involvement, # hours/# years (non-medical)
3) Shadowing experience (essential to some schools, irrelevant to others)
4) Advanced bio coursework (school specific)
5) Leadership experience
6) research experience, medical and/or non-medical
7) how well you can explain ties to/interest in that school

best of luck!

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

I have about 18 - 22 hours. I just started doing hospital volunteer & library volunteer last month.

Sorry, forgot to mention how to speak with "admissions counselors". Some schools have a formal group and will set up an interview time by phone (or in person if you want), typically these are a few weeks out. Others do not, I'd gotten info on the options by calling the main med school admissions office (available through msar book), telling the person answering the phone that you're very interested in applying to their school and would like to learn more about what they're looking for in an applicant, can you speak with someone about this? then just wait to see what they say, even for the schools without a formal program, the person answering the phone knows a heck of a lot more than any applicant about what's important to the school, if they don't say much you can ask them if successful applicants typically have volunteer experience, what type of gpa/mcats they usually see, etc. Pretty much every school I've spoken with will at least share "typical" scores, in your case you can ask if the school would consider an applicant with, say, a 3.0 overall gpa (or whatever you can realistically attain after the science classes are done)

Just be really really nice, what you're asking is likely outside what the school admin/receptionist has to do, but a nice, interested applicant can learn quite a bit from these calls. The worst they can do is refer you to their website!

 

[nu2004]

do you have access to a real-life adviser that can sit down with you and answer some of your questions? there is a lot of overlap on the threads you start here on SDN and i think it is troubling that you seem to get most if not all of your advice here. yes, there is some great advice that is given out here. however, there may also be questions that you aren't thinking to ask, or considerations you have not made, that people here who do not have access to your entire profile cannot know about and thus cannot help you make.

you NEED to find a living, breathing person who advises medical school applicants on a regular basis. it will give you the best chance for success in this competitive and expensive process. best of luck.

 

[nabeel76]

Dude if you only have a cummulative total of 18-22 hours, roughly 2nd semester freshman year at a 2.5 GPA, than A'cing your prereqs alone will pull your GPA up into the 3's. Assuming you haven't taken any of the prereqs you've got 4 courses, lectures and labs, in bio, another 4 in Chem, 4 in O.chem, and 4 in physics. Depending on the school, that's at least another 30- 40 credits alone. That'll pull your GPA up significantly, and assuming you still have a degree to finish than you've got another 60-70 credits to add to that. You should be able to raise your GPA well into competitive range if you ace everything from here on out. That's assuming howevever that your 2.5 GPA is only based on 18-22 credit hours though.

 

[eforest]

Talk to admissions counselors at your own school before you talk to admissions people at the med schools.

 

[p30doc]

Dude if you only have a cummulative total of 18-22 hours, roughly 2nd semester freshman year at a 2.5 GPA, than A'cing your prereqs alone will pull your GPA up into the 3's. Assuming you haven't taken any of the prereqs you've got 4 courses, lectures and labs, in bio, another 4 in Chem, 4 in O.chem, and 4 in physics. Depending on the school, that's at least another 30- 40 credits alone. That'll pull your GPA up significantly, and assuming you still have a degree to finish than you've got another 60-70 credits to add to that. You should be able to raise your GPA well into competitive range if you ace everything from here on out. That's assuming howevever that your 2.5 GPA is only based on 18-22 credit hours though.

Exactly, you are in excellent position if you really only have 18-25 credits currently to your name. You can do well in your future courses and end up with an excellent gpa. You don't want to end up where I was with 170 credits, and a sub 3.0 gpa. It took many many classes with perfect marks to break the 3.0 barrier.

 

[Timespassing]

😳I am 38 and have been in the community college system for 10 years, off and on. I'm raising a 10 year old son. Since my 20's I wanted to attend medical school. I have approximately 60 credits and my GPA went down to a 2.5. I made stupid decisions, without thinking about my GPA, and not fully understanding the withdrawl process. So...if I begin my pre-req's, now, will my GPA get high enough to get an interview? Don't laugh..

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

😳I am 38 and have been in the community college system for 10 years, off and on. I'm raising a 10 year old son. Since my 20's I wanted to attend medical school. I have approximately 60 credits and my GPA went down to a 2.5. I made stupid decisions, without thinking about my GPA, and not fully understanding the withdrawl process. So...if I begin my pre-req's, now, will my GPA get high enough to get an interview? Don't laugh..

Yes it's possible. No it will not be remotely, at all, easy. If you pull a 3.75 for the next 60 hour, I'm seeing you at 3.125 cumulative GPA, although you can pull science GPA higher. If you instead do 80 more hours because some community college courses may not transfer to a 4 year college and have that same 3.75 for all future courses, you'd be at 3.21 cumulative (it is pretty much required by med schools that you have an undergraduate degree, I don't believe one can earn an undergraduate degree rather than an associate's from a community college?)

Colorado would interview you (based on an other SDN person's note to me) with either GPA at this moment, provided you're in mid-30's MCAT and have sufficient volunteer experience, they're good about older (like us) candidates, I'd finish fairly soon if possible given you've got quite a few hours to go! There are a handful of other schools that would too, you may want to look at Rocky Vista DO school in aurora, too if you plan to stay in CO. Also, Metro (www.mscd.edu) is really cheap and is a feeder school for UCHSC/University of Denver MD program

 

[jeromi022]

To whom it may concern,

My name is jeromi. I just recently got out of the marine corps i was an 0311/8152 MCSFCO bangor, wa. I am currently enrolled at the University of Toledo. The one thing is im enrolled for online courses towards my BS in criminal justice. Like alot of infantry marines i got out thinking oh crap all I will be good at is being a police officer. I dont want that for my life. I really want to go to medical school. Yes I am married that's why I am enrolled in online classes. I have read alot of stuff including the Princeton Review which stats that you dont need your degree in the science field and that medical schools actually like to see students with a degree or wide spread backround so to speak. I wasn't sure if that is true or not, and also I just wanted to see someone's input on wether I could ever get into medical school. Also im only 22 about to be 23 so I know im still young. by the time i get into med school it will still be at least 2 more years, cause i have to finish my degree. If anyone can help please let me know.

Semper Fidelis
Jeromi

 

[nu2004]

you dont need your degree in the science field and that medical schools actually like to see students with a degree or wide spread backround so to speak. I wasn't sure if that is true or not

yes, that is true. you certainly do not have to be a science major to be accepted to medical school. you do, however, need to show a strong grasp of the basic sciences, as evidenced by your grades in bio, physics, and chemistry, and your MCAT.

and also I just wanted to see someone's input on wether I could ever get into medical school. Also im only 22 about to be 23 so I know im still young. by the time i get into med school it will still be at least 2 more years, cause i have to finish my degree. If anyone can help please let me know.

if you are serious about attending medical school, you should look into the possibility of finishing (or even starting and finishing) your degree at a regular 4-year university. at the very least, get some of your pre-reqs out of the way at a community college, then finish a bachelor's at a 4-year university. this may extend your timeline for application to medical school, but as you have said, you are young. it's much better to put a solid 4 years toward your schoolwork and MCAT and get in the first time than it is to put a half-assed 2 years toward your schoolwork and MCAT and have to apply 3 times.

keep your grades up (straight A's preferable, this is not a joke), and commit yourself to at least 6 months of MCAT prep, maybe more if you struggle with standardized tests. the bottom line is, if you apply the discipline you learned in the military to your preparation for medical school, you'll be a top-notch candidate and will certainly be able to earn admission.

good luck.