Non- Trad for MD

[tabishis]

I have mentioned this in my previos posts many times that I am a non-trad working towards finishing up pre-reqs(just started 2 weeks ago) and it's going great so far. So my undergrad cGPA was 3.1. I may or may not pursue BMS undergrad as it all depends on if I get in med school.

I do not have any volunteer or shadowing experience. I'll probably start shadowing sometime in Fall, '09. I am very interested in USF but will consider DO schools if I do not get into MD program. Again, I have nothing against DO but I would prefer MD program. So this is I want to know. Do I have any luck getting accepted into USF's MD program with little shadowing experience and cGPA 3.1 from undergrad. Hopefully I'll get straight A's in all pre-reqs I am/will take.

With a 3.1cGPA(not including science pre-reqs I'm taking right now), 30=>35 MCAT score and some shadowing experience... what are my chances?
What else can I do to strengthen my application for USF MD college? Be as straight-forward as you can be. FYI, I am also looking into UF so any info on UF MD requirements would be appreciated.

Thanks!

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[Krisss17]

Unfortunately, I think that when your stats are not the best, low GPA, low MCAT, little to no ECs...you are really going to have a struggle. You really should apply broadly and not just focused on one school.

Medical schools want their students to succeed, and I think (this is my opinion) that if it looks as though the applicant struggled in undergrad with 'easier classes" how are they going to handle the intensity of medical school. I think the idea of ECs, volunteering, etc. is also to see how applicants use their time. Yes, they want their applicants to have some health care exposure (via shadowing/volunteering), but as a medical student you will really be pulled in many directions.

If USF is your dream school, you need to make sure that your application is as strong as you can make it...if that means increasing your GPA and taking higher level science courses, do it. Also be sure to apply as early as possible, have good LORs and do well on the MCAT. There is no guarantee, but applying early and keeping your application strong during the whole process is important.

Best of luck

 

[Octagonecology]

I'm not trying to discourage you and I admire your drive in your career goals.

That being said you may want to be a little more realistic. USF and UF Colleges of Medicine matriculant stats are 3.7-3.9 cGPA and there are mostly hard science majors Bio, Chem, etc. Even if you pulled of a 38 or higher MCAT your chances would be very low especially w/ no clinical, shadow, research, etc.

You do have many other options to consider however. Remember that if you retake courses the DO app service only takes the highest grade, etc. And there is the Carribbean.

Whatever option you pursue, best of luck to you...

 

[tabishis]

Thanks for your input. Only reason my undergrad GPA is low is because I was working around 80 hours a week with fulltime school.

Would earning another degree like BMS help? Let's say if I finish BMS with 4.0 cGPA and even retake Gen Ed. courses all over again and make it all 4.0 cGPA? How would MD schools look at it?

 

[dragonfly99]

Agree with octo,
I think you need to take your prerequisites for a year or so, see how you do, get some medical volunteer experience and then reassess things.
Realistically, it would take a super long time to raise up that 3.1 GPA, which is honestly too low to get into US MD schools the vast majority of the time. I don't know much about you except your GPA though, so this is advice being given sort of into a vacuum...if you are an underrepresented minority, or you saved babies from malaria in African and you totally clean up your act academically from now on, it might be different.


I'm not sure getting another bachelor's degree is the way to go. You don't know what grades you are going to get, and even if you did great your admission to med school would be far from guaranteed...I think < half of people who apply get in, and this is for people with mostly higher GPA's than you. It's good to try for what you want but you need to not throw caution to the winds, unless you are just independently wealthy and don't need to work for a living, etc. If you get in med school later that usually has to be paid for with big loans, so it may not make sense to get another undergrad degree just for the sake of getting a degree. Assuming you do well in your classes for a year or two, could take the MCAT and see how you do, and then based on that decide what to do next (SMP or postbac with linkage to certain med schools, or possibly try for DO or Caribbean schools, or pursue any of a number of health care careers, etc.).

 

[Octagonecology]

Trying to do a whole other bachelor's degree while working full-time and absolutely having to get straight A's in every course you get is highly un-likely and would kill you in the process.

Like fly said, look at your transcript, re-take the sciences you did bad in. Do a little at a time, volunteer, shadow. Take a kaplan prep or do EK home study and study for 3 or 4 months.

Apply DO early and broadly. Be a doctor, have fun and relax.

 

[Octagonecology]

Ive been reading some of your old posts and I think you already know most of the above easy.

I see that your interested in Anesthesiology. Tons of DO's go into this. I believe it is currently about average competitiveness. If you are worried about the DO thing, this specialty is hospital based and your pt. contact is limited so you won't have to explain the DO thing much...and you make very good money w/ a decent lifestyle.

If I were you, I would forget about the whole "start college again" from the beginning idea....hope this helps.