Need some advice!

[Morguean]

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I am a junior with a 3.6 gpa and I have not taken the MCAT yet. I can comfortably say i'll get at least a 30. I had a bad freshman year, but my grades have been rising since. I am a certified EMT and I have a lot of volunteer hours at my church being in emergency response (big church). I also have some hours at the ER. I started to get things figured out during my sophomore year, so I am a little late with volunteering/clinical stuff. I'm also actively in the pre-med club and tri-beta along with a few other EC's.

I am kicking it into gear and am setting up some consistent volunteering at an assisted living facility. I am also getting started on shadowing physicians. I scheduled the MCAT for the spring and was planning on applying to medical school this time around. One of my problems is that I have no research experience. I made the mistake of not interacting with professors enough (which is changing from now on). I have looked at the summer research stuff, but I only have one professor that I know will write a recommendation. None of the other science professors know me well enough (I wouldn't ask them). Now, it seems too late for this SURP cycle.

I am very interested in Uniformed Services University and I am pursuing that, but I have hearing loss and I need to have backup. As far as research, I would be happy to do it, but I don't necessarily want to do intensive research in medical school. I am interested in surgery or emergency medicine.

So, what is your opinion on my situation? Do I have a chance of getting into medical school with my stats and without research? (There wouldn't happen to be any kind of SURP that only requires one letter of recommendation and is easier to get into? I'll take any kind of research if I could get it in ASAP) OR... should I wait until the next round to apply? By then, I can get closer to faculty at my school and most likely get research during a senior semester. I will most likely raise my gpa and of course, get a lot more EC's. Opinions please?!

 

[Catalystik]

I am a junior with a 3.6 gpa and I have not taken the MCAT yet. I can comfortably say i'll get at least a 30. I had a bad freshman year, but my grades have been rising since. I am a certified EMT and I have a lot of volunteer hours at my church being in emergency response (big church). I also have some hours at the ER. I started to get things figured out during my sophomore year, so I am a little late with volunteering/clinical stuff. I'm also actively in the pre-med club and tri-beta along with a few other EC's.

I am kicking it into gear and am setting up some consistent volunteering at an assisted living facility. I am also getting started on shadowing physicians. I scheduled the MCAT for the spring and was planning on applying to medical school this time around. One of my problems is that I have no research experience. I made the mistake of not interacting with professors enough (which is changing from now on). I have looked at the summer research stuff, but I only have one professor that I know will write a recommendation. None of the other science professors know me well enough (I wouldn't ask them). Now, it seems too late for this SURP cycle.

I am very interested in Uniformed Services University and I am pursuing that, but I have hearing loss and I need to have backup. As far as research, I would be happy to do it, but I don't necessarily want to do intensive research in medical school. I am interested in surgery or emergency medicine.

So, what is your opinion on my situation? Do I have a chance of getting into medical school with my stats and without research? (There wouldn't happen to be any kind of SURP that only requires one letter of recommendation and is easier to get into? I'll take any kind of research if I could get it in ASAP) OR... should I wait until the next round to apply? By then, I can get closer to faculty at my school and most likely get research during a senior semester. I will most likely raise my gpa and of course, get a lot more EC's. Opinions please?!

Besides lacking research, which you can manage without if your are particularly strong in another endeavor valued by a med school, I am not seeing peer leadership or teaching mentioned.

Advantages of waiting another year might be achieving a GPA above that of the average matriculant (3.67), more dedicated MCAT study time, cultivation of LOR writers so they think you're terrific, and beefier ECs.

 

[Morguean]

Besides lacking research, which you can manage without if your are particularly strong in another endeavor valued by a med school, I am not seeing peer leadership or teaching mentioned.

Advantages of waiting another year might be achieving a GPA above that of the average matriculant (3.67), more dedicated MCAT study time, cultivation of LOR writers so they think you're terrific, and beefier ECs.

That is what I am thinking. As of now, I believe it is best I wait a year. I do however, want to go through the dodmer physical stuff and apply for the military medical school this time around. This school is less competitive and if I do pass the physical standards, I believe I have a chance.

My next question would be... If I do apply to this school this time, I have to take my MCAT in the spring. I am sure that if I take it in the spring and then again in the fall (after a whole summer of intense studying) I will improve. Is this a good idea, or no?

 

[Catalystik]

That is what I am thinking. As of now, I believe it is best I wait a year. I do however, want to go through the dodmer physical stuff and apply for the military medical school this time around. This school is less competitive and if I do pass the physical standards, I believe I have a chance.

My next question would be... If I do apply to this school this time, I have to take my MCAT in the spring. I am sure that if I take it in the spring and then again in the fall (after a whole summer of intense studying) I will improve. Is this a good idea, or no?

Best to take the MCAT only once, as more schools are averaging multiple MCAT scores rather than considering the best, or more recent.

And USUHS is not less competitive, from what I've heard, compared to other schools in the same selectivity category (based on GPAs and MCAT score).

 

[Morguean]

Best to take the MCAT only once, as more schools are averaging multiple MCAT scores rather than considering the best, or more recent.

And USUHS is not less competitive, from what I've heard, compared to other schools in the same selectivity category (based on GPAs and MCAT score).

So what is your opinion? By less competitive, I meant that its selectivity category is less competitive (lower GPAs and MCATs).

 

[Catalystik]

So what is your opinion? By less competitive, I meant that its selectivity category is less competitive (lower GPAs and MCATs).

What I meant is that they will expect similar ECs as other schools.

Do you have a state school?

 

[Morguean]

What I meant is that they will expect similar ECs as other schools.

Do you have a state school?

Wisconsin.. We have Madison and Medical College of Wisconsin.

 

[Catalystik]

Nearby MD schools similar in stats selectivity to USUHS are Wayne, Wright, Oakland (newer in MI), UIllinois, and Rosalind Franklin U.

 

[Morguean]

Nearby MD schools similar in stats selectivity to USUHS are Wayne, Wright, Oakland (newer in MI), UIllinois, and Rosalind Franklin U.

Thank you. Would you recommend applying (based on what you know) without any research?

 

[Catalystik]

77% of those accepted listed a research activity. About 40-some percent who applied got an acceptance somewhere. It seems to me that having research (or a similar scholarly activity that demonstrates one's scientific curiosity, like an engineering project) tips the odds in one's favor.

I don't know enough about your ECs to judge if you have enough strength in another area to overweight the lack of research. What do you think?