MD Need Advice - Gap Year? Continue On? Chances?

[RhinB]

Hello All,

I am writing because I've recently been stressing about the Med School Application process and it seems things have just randomly caught up to me all at the same time. Therefore I'd like some advice.

For some Background, I am an Asian Male who goes to Cornell University. I am very motivated to be a doctor and always have been, I did "slightly" more poorly than usual this past semester which is why I am worried. In addition, I don't think I have very solid LORs yet, or at least LORs from people who REALLY know me. I have 1 very solid one, but I need 2 more. In addition, I'd want to raise my GPA so that's why I'm looking at the potential of a Gap Year. First Off I'll Post all my grades from the different semesters, then I'll post my GPAs, MCATs things and other ECs.

List Of Courses and Grades:
Example: Course (Median Grade in Class) My Grade

FALL 2011


INTRO BIO INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTN BIOG 1105 (B) B+

GENERAL CHEMISTRY CHEM 2070 (B) A+

NUTRTN HLTH AND SOCIETY NS 1150 (A-) A

FWS: GREAT NEW BOOKS ENGL 1167 (A-) B-


SPRING 2012


INTRO BIO INDIVIDUAL INSTRUCTN BIOG 1106 (B+) B+

GENERAL CHEMISTRY CHEM 2080 (B) B+

INTRODUCTION TO STATISTICS PAM 2100 (B+) A

FWS:THE MYSTERY IN THE STORY ENGL 1147 (A-) A-


FALL 2012


ORG CHEM FOR LIFE SCIENCE CHEM 3570 (B) A-

INTRO MICROECONOMICS ECON 1110 (B+) A

INFANCY AND CHILDHOOD HD 1150 (A-) A-

INTRO TO THE HISTORY OF MED HIST 2710 (B+) B+

CALCULUS I MATH 1110 (B-) A-


SPRING 2013


INTRO TO BUSINESS MANAGEMENT AEM 1200 (A) A-

PRIN BIOCHEM, INDIVID INSTR BIOMG 3300 (B+) B+

INTRO EXPER ORGANIC CHEM CHEM 2510 (B) A-

ORG CHEM FOR THE LIFE SCIENCE CHEM 3580 (B) A

HUM ANATOMY/PHYS NS 3410 (B+) B+


FALL 2013


GENERAL MICROBIOLOGY LECTURES BIOMI 2900 (N/A) B

MENTORING IN HIGHER EDUCATION HE 3100 (N/A) A-

EMPIRICAL RESEARCH NS 4010 (N/A) A

THE US HEALTH CARE SYSTEM PAM 2350 (N/A) A

FUNDAMENTALS OF POPUL HEALTH PAM 3280 (N/A) A

GENERAL PHYSICS I PHYS 1101 (N/A) B-

cGPA: 3.55
sGPA: 3.4ish
MCAT (Not Available Yet, taking in the spring).
Clinical Volunteer: Volunteering in a Dementia home. I volunteer with an organization I helped create as well.
Shadowing: 100~ hours in Neurology, Anesthesiology, ENT,
Research: 2 Years in a Lab. Published paper with 3rd author.
Work: Have worked multiple jobs over the past years. Most significant is I am a Manager that runs a small company called TakeNote that generates close to $100K in revenue each year.


These are my stats in a nutshell. My main issue is my current GPA and the lower science grades I received last semester. Honestly, I messed up last semester and got a 3.4 GPA. These low grades bring my cGPA and sGPA down a good deal. I honestly feel like my GPA does not measure up to my full ability grade-wise. I am thinking that a Gap Year would be a good idea, but my parents are against the idea of a gap year in general so I'm wondering if I'm going crazy. In addition, as I mentioned before I don't think I have good LORs as of yet so I was thinking of developing REAL relations with professors before rushing into things. All things take time and I feel like I need it this time around.

Please let me know your opinion on the matters I just spoke of. I could really use some guidance. I'm really stressing out about everything and I just need some sort of other outside opinion.

Thank you Kindly.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[karayaa]

Not much to say without an MCAT score.
Are you a junior? How much time do you have to increase your GPA?
Great work experience.
More volunteering, especially clinical, would be helpful.
Any primary care shadowing?

A gap year won't help your GPA - could you do something sufficiently awesome to balance out the GPA slip?

 

[aspiring20]

ur GPA is fine, nothing that a strong MCAT score and solid ECs can't help overcome.

actually, it seems surprising that your overall GPA is only a 3.55. i have multiple Cs and B-s on my transcript, and my cGPA is a 3.6.

EDIT: and i hear Cornell is notoriously difficult/grade deflating. so a 3.55/3.4 at Cornell should carry a lot of weight.