New here with help ?

[AbeFrohman]

Edit:

I think a lot of people were a little frustrated with all the personal information I posted, so I am going to take it down. Nevertheless, my goal was to get some good advice and I got that. Thanks to:

LauraMac
Tacrum43
Dr. Chiquita
Tinkerbelle

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[LauraMac]

go to mdapplicants.com and check out how well other people with your stats did in the process.

 

[tacrum43]

Your 3.7 GPA is fine and might get a bonus point or two since it's from Berkeley (which is known not to give away grades and UCLA likes UC graduates). UCLA's matriculants from 2003 had an average science GPA of 3.64 and a non-science of 3.73 (from the MSAR). You should probably shoot for a 32 on the MCAT (at least a 30), of course higher wouldn't hurt. Also, have you done any hospital volunteering or observation? Even if you want to do research, you should have some.

I am curious why you wouldn't stay with the UCR/UCLA program if you got in, since you're so heart set on UCLA (I think that's what you mean, even though you typed that it would be your "last choice")? Also, it doesn't really matter THAT much where you go to medical school as far as residency placements, etc. Why only UCLA? There are more prestigious schools in California (UCSF and Stanford) and elsewhere in the U.S.

Are you sure you want to be a doctor? I haven't ever heard of someone saying they would only go to one school. It seems kind of naive and arrogant. A 3.7 is very good, but to be able to pick your own school, you would need an exceptional MCAT score (40) and impressive research. Being a doctor isn't about going to UCLA (or anywhere else), it's about the 40 or so years after medical school.

I would advise looking into other CA schools and maybe some in other states just in case and making sure you want to be a doctor, not the president of UCLA. However, I'm sure that UCLA will appreciate your enthusiasm.

Edit: see below

Thanks for looking. This will be my 2nd post here. I just found the site and it is exactly what I have been looking for.

You will have to excuse me if this is a trite question, but can anyone give me a good indication of what kind of medical school I can expect to get into. UCLA would be my last choice. If I cannot get into that school, I'd rather not go at all. I hope you know what I mean, and that I don't sound too pretentious.

UC Berkeley
3.719 GPA
Molecular and Cellular Biology Major w/ and emphasis in Neurobiology
No MCAT scores as of yet (maybe you can let me know what I need with my GPA)
NIH IRTA intern
NIH Volunteer
No publications (scientific)
Several honor societies

I am a transfer student from the UCR/UCLA Thomas Haider 7-year B.S./M.D. program. I chose to leave to pursue a Cal education vs. a UCR education.


I know it is hard to say with so little info provided, but any input would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Dr. Chiquita]

tacrum,

I think the OP wants to go to schools better than UCLA.

 

[Dr. Chiquita]

To answer the OP's question,

I think your GPA of 3.7 from Berkeley is fine. You probably have to rock your MCAT if you want to go to top 10 schools (35+). Even then, it's not a guarantee at top 10. You probably have to distinguish yourself in EC's. Maybe get a publication out of you research experience. Just something more to catch their attention.

 

[tacrum43]

tacrum,

I think the OP wants to go to schools better than UCLA.

Oh, I see. UCLA is his minimum standard. I guess I thought he meant he would ONLY go there. UCLA is a good school. Well, like I said UCSF and Stanford are supposed to be better. Maybe UCSD. Outside of CA, there's Columbia, Yale, Harvard, Johns Hopikine, Washington U in St. Louis, University of Chicago, Northwestern, UPenn and others. The OP should check out the MSAR for details and also U.S. New rankings. Still, I would advise the OP not to be such a numbers *****. The top 5% from Drexel looks better than the bottom 5% from Harvard.

In addition, if UCLA is your minimum, you shoot aim for a 35 or above on the MCAT. Curing cancer would help your odds too.

 

[tinkerbelle]

The truth is, you can't *expect* to get into any med schools. This process is soooo random. But you have a really good gpa. Like tacrum said, shoot for a 32 or better mcat score. If i were you, i'd aim for a 35 though.

 

[Law2Doc]

If the OP comes off as arrogant in his PS as he does in his post, he would be lucky to get into any med school. I mean, already setting such a fairly high cut-off level of med schools before even taking the MCAT, is just plain silly.
If, after taking the thing, he gets a 35+, I'd say fine -- go ahead and only apply to the top ranked schools (but even then it's not a shoe in). But at this early point, he needs to be much more humble. There are quite a few 4.0 GPA people who bomb the MCATs and are lucky to get in anywhere allopathic. And someone who would rather not be a doctor if he can't at least get into a highly ranked school will probably not make a very good doctor.

 

[lulubean]

i have to say, if this guy will only go to med school if he gets into a better school than ucla, then i question his committment to becoming a doctor in the first place. there is more to medicine than the name and prestige of your school.

besides, this is such an unpredictable process that you can't count on getting into any one or two schools.

 

[AbeFrohman]

I think several people here misunderstood. There is nothing wrong aiming for the best medical education out there. In fact, I feel that all pre-meds should have this goal in mind. Your medical education will play a large role in your performance as a doctor in the future. For anybody that thinks you can do just as well at a lesser school- sure, maybe; there are Linus Paulings out there- it wouldn't matter where they went.

What I meant was that if I could not go to a school that would provide me with the proper medical foundation, then I would rather not go into medicine at all. The health of patients are at stake here and they deserve a doctor with the best education out there. If you aren't aiming for the best, then I question your motives. How many times have you heard a person wish that they could just get into ANY medical school. As if all that mattered was that he was in. Say what you will, but I want the best out there so that I can provide the best care.

There are other options such as going into research. You can still make a difference, just in a different manner.

Thanks for the positive feedback. As for the negative, I hope my intentions are a little more clear now.

P.S.

What does OP mean?

 

[Law2Doc]

I think several people here misunderstood. There is nothing wrong aiming for the best medical education out there. In fact, I feel that all pre-meds should have this goal in mind. Your medical education will play a large role in your performance as a doctor in the future. For anybody that thinks you can do just as well at a lesser school- sure, maybe; there are Linus Paulings out there- it wouldn't matter where they went.

What I meant was that if I could not go to a school that would provide me with the proper medical foundation, then I would rather not go into medicine at all. The health of patients are at stake here and they deserve a doctor with the best education out there. If you aren't aiming for the best, then I question your motives. How many times have you heard a person wish that they could just get into ANY medical school. As if all that mattered was that he was in. Say what you will, but I want the best out there to provide the best care.

There are other options such as going into research. You can still make a difference, just in a different manner.

Thanks for the positive feedback. As for the negative, I hope my intentions are a little more clear now.

P.S.

What does OP mean?

OP is original poster. You are embarrassingly arrogant if you are going to cast aspersions on the vast majority of physicians out there. (Or else you are a troll.) You have limited the number of medical schools which you think can provide "the proper medical foundation" to about 15 out of over 100 allopathic (not to mention osteo). Are you really saying that 85%+ of the MDs out there (from the so called "lesser schools") are not qualified to see patients? I think you'd better not get sick any time soon... Save your money on the MCAT -- you clearly will be happier in research.

 

[Pinkertinkle]

You are mighty ambitious for someone who picked the easy way out.

 

[dopaminophile]

OP is original poster. You are embarrassingly arrogant if you are going to cast aspersions on the vast majority of physicians out there. (Or else you are a troll.) You have limited the number of medical schools which you think can provide "the proper medical foundation" to about 15 out of over 100 allopathic (not to mention osteo). Are you really saying that 85%+ of the MDs out there (from the so called "lesser schools") are not qualified to see patients? I think you'd better not get sick any time soon... Save your money on the MCAT -- you clearly will be happier in research.

I'm with you on this one big time law2doc. This guy clearly hasn't thought past the prestige. A motivated physicain can do a lot more good having gotten a medical education at the Pudunk School of Higher Learning than with no med school at all.

 

[futuredoc10]

OP is original poster. You are embarrassingly arrogant if you are going to cast aspersions on the vast majority of physicians out there. (Or else you are a troll.) You have limited the number of medical schools which you think can provide "the proper medical foundation" to about 15 out of over 100 allopathic (not to mention osteo). Are you really saying that 85%+ of the MDs out there (from the so called "lesser schools") are not qualified to see patients? I think you'd better not get sick any time soon... Save your money on the MCAT -- you clearly will be happier in research.

Right ON!!!

 

[AbeFrohman]

Haha, you got me! You win!

Hopefully this will sound cordial:

Just to get a good understanding of where you are coming from, what are your stats Law2doc? You seem to be very opinionated on my personal goals and beliefs. Everyone draws the line for themselves somewhere.

 

[AbeFrohman]

You are mighty ambitious for someone who picked the easy way out of MCB. I guess its better than picking CDB tho muahah.

Haha. You sir, are correct. Go Cal.

 

[Law2Doc]

Haha, you got me! You win!

Hopefully this will sound cordial:

Just to get a good understanding of where you are coming from, what are your stats Law2doc? You seem to be very opinonated on my personal goals and beliefs. Everyone draws the line for themselves somewhere.

I'm not interested in posting my stats, (and note that you took your own down) but suffice it to say that I will be attending one of the allopathic med schools not on your list.

 

[AbeFrohman]

I'm not interested in posting my stats, (and note that you took your own down) but suffice it to say that I will be attending one of the allopathic med schools not on your list.

That is fair. Your info is your info. Good luck to you and your future endeavors.

I think we would both be happy to agree that our own inputs in this thread would be overkill. Goodbye.

 

[fateema368]

I think several people here misunderstood. There is nothing wrong aiming for the best medical education out there. In fact, I feel that all pre-meds should have this goal in mind. Your medical education will play a large role in your performance as a doctor in the future. For anybody that thinks you can do just as well at a lesser school- sure, maybe; there are Linus Paulings out there- it wouldn't matter where they went.

What I meant was that if I could not go to a school that would provide me with the proper medical foundation, then I would rather not go into medicine at all. The health of patients are at stake here and they deserve a doctor with the best education out there. If you aren't aiming for the best, then I question your motives. How many times have you heard a person wish that they could just get into ANY medical school. As if all that mattered was that he was in. Say what you will, but I want the best out there so that I can provide the best care.

There are other options such as going into research. You can still make a difference, just in a different manner.

Thanks for the positive feedback. As for the negative, I hope my intentions are a little more clear now.

---trollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!
Oh they are.