Non Traditional

[srivatarun]

Hi Everyone,

I have a quick question - I am a non traditional applicant, with not so great undergraduate credentials but very good post-bac credentials (i.e., 4.0 post bac GPA thus far, successful career as a biomedical engineer in the field of intellectual property, I am getting my masters in Biotechnology at Johns Hopkins, and *hopefully* decent MCAT score). From undergraduate, the positive things are that I had a publication from my research of 2 years, and I was class president and vice president.

My big concern is that I was put on social probation my junior year in college (i had a bb gun in my dorm room over the summer), besides the fact that a dismal GPA clouds my undergraduate record.

Other factors: I am currently 26 (so the incident was 6 years ago) and will be applying for the 2011 cycle. I graduated college 3 years ago (i switched majors to engineering, which caused the dismal GPA, so stayed two extra years). I attended Case Western Reserve University and majored in biomedical engineering; I am a Virginia resident.

Do you all have any idea as to how medical schools react to Social probation? Do I even have to report it, as it was not on any of my records? Also, any advice on how I can improve my chances of getting in? I really don't have a desire to go to Harvard, I'll be happy with any medical school. I am also looking at Caribbeans and D.O. schools.

Thanks!

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[J ROD]

Hi Everyone,

I have a quick question - I am a non traditional applicant, with not so great undergraduate credentials but very good post-bac credentials (i.e., 4.0 post bac GPA thus far, successful career as a biomedical engineer in the field of intellectual property, I am getting my masters in Biotechnology at Johns Hopkins, and *hopefully* decent MCAT score). From undergraduate, the positive things are that I had a publication from my research of 2 years, and I was class president and vice president.

My big concern is that I was put on social probation my junior year in college (i had a bb gun in my dorm room over the summer), besides the fact that a dismal GPA clouds my undergraduate record.

Other factors: I am currently 26 (so the incident was 6 years ago) and will be applying for the 2011 cycle. I graduated college 3 years ago (i switched majors to engineering, which caused the dismal GPA, so stayed two extra years). I attended Case Western Reserve University and majored in biomedical engineering; I am a Virginia resident.

Do you all have any idea as to how medical schools react to Social probation? Do I even have to report it, as it was not on any of my records? Also, any advice on how I can improve my chances of getting in? I really don't have a desire to go to Harvard, I'll be happy with any medical school. I am also looking at Caribbeans and D.O. schools.

Thanks!

I would not report it.....I know another poster did not report a dorm issue....plus, if it is not written, it never happened...

We will need more stats to give acceptance chances....

I would look at DO schools before going to the islands....

 

[Catalystik]

A year by year breakdown of GPA would help, and overall cumulative GPA with the postbac (a projection of final number would be great).

 

[srivatarun]

Hi J - Dub and Cat,

Thanks for the positive responses, I feel like some SDNers like to criticize people for these kinds of questions.

I think it would be great to get your input on chances, but that wasnt really what my aim was, I was more looking for a strategy on how to approach the social probation situation. I will ask my school if I have to report it, since JDub, you said you know people that have not had to.

Here are the stats that you were asking about:

Freshman year : 2.8
Sophomore year: 2.7
(switch to engineering)
Junior year: 2.2
Senior year: 3.67
Next year: ~3.1
Last year: 3.0
Post bacc classes: orgo 1, phys 1, calc 3, 2 upper level bio classes: GPA = 4.0
Overall GPA: somehow balances out to 3.05...I think I might have to fix this with the AMCAS GPA.
Johns Hopkins MS program: just started
2+ years in industry as a patent professional in biomedical engineering, excellent recommendations from work and professors from post bac classes.
GRE Score: 95th percentile, teach Kaplan GRE, GMAT, SAT scores
MCAT: *hopefully* goes well. If not, will definitely take it again, looking for a score of >30.

Thanks!

4 publications; one in a journal, one in a professional newsletter, two presentations at the American Association for Immunology

 

[Catalystik]

A social probation from 6 years ago is unlikely to have any impact on your application. Whether you need to report it will depend on the precise wording of the question. Of course, you'll want to check with the school about whether there is any mention of the issue on your administrative records which could come to light in a background check. If you just go ahead and adress it, it won't come back to bite you later.

Your undergrad GPA will be a problem, but at least you have a steep upward trend with your postbac. If your masters in biotech is a traditional masters, it won't make much difference in your application. Is it an SMP (Special Masters Program) specifically meant to redeem a low uGPA? If not, look into these. It goes without saying that you'll need a strong MCAT score.

To target MD schools, strong performance in an SMP will help a lot. An SDNer with a 2.92 and MCAT of 43 got accepted to one MD school last year, so extraordinary MCAT performance has a chance of getting you accepted with just the upward trend and an otherwise WOW-level application)

To target DO schools, a good MCAT score (30+) will be enough.

I doubt you'll need to go Caribbean.

 

[J ROD]

I would suggest a SMP for a GPA that low with a strong 33+ MCAT for MD.

 

[DrSmooth]

Statistics can be deceiving when it comes to non-traditional applicants. In many cases it is comparing apples and oranges. At schools where a computer screens you out based on a LizzyM or some such score, you might have a problem. If it is a human, they are likely to lend much heavier weight to your stellar postbacc performance and (hopefully) MCAT score. I think if do well on the rest of your prereqs and your MCAT, put together a quality application, apply wisely and broadly (say 29 schools), and interview well, your chances of getting into an American MD school should be pretty good, even with the bb gun incident.

 

[srivatarun]

Great, thanks everyone for the advice.

And thanks for the kind and encouraging words, Dr. Smooth! Sometimes it gets really overwhelming to go through this process alone.