OK...so bottom line...what does it take?

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tennisboy93

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Hello all:

I have been doing a lot of research into getting into med school, allo- and osteo. So my question is, working with a given that one does a pretty good interview, and a nice personal statement, and some health experiences/goody-goods to share, blah blah blah....WHAT could everyone agree on is a GPA and an MCAT score that would get one into a majority of the medical schools in the country (ignoring exclusive schools like Hopkins and Harvard, and also ignoring residency...)??? What does everyone think? The reason I ask is i see the median in some of the books that I have of all of the schools in the US, but then i heard on here about one guy who had like a GPA of 3.8 and great MCAT scores, and *HE* was having trouble...I just need some guidance to assess myself and my oppurtunities...Remember, what's the basic GPA and the basic MCAT that would most assuredly get on into a) allo, and b) osteo...all other things I mentioned above being equal...??? Thanks...(we'll see how many of you respond to that...)
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Sorry, sweetie, there's no magic number...If you've got experience, a decent statement and decent letters, OK. So do lots of people. Get a 30 or higher on the MCAT and that GPA should be 3.7 or higher. Then give a damn good interview, and you should do fine.

By the way, apply to the right schools, too. Research well in advance, apply to at least two "safety" schools, and throw in a pipe dream school for fun. Down here in the south people seem to apply to 10-13 schools, up north people seem to apply to more (of course there are many more options).

Good luck!!!

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"Every individual matters.
Every individual has a role to play.
Every individual makes a difference."
-Jane Goodall
 
We in the North also apply to more because, generally, the level of competition is higher.
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North good. South BAD.


Tim of New York City.
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You want the truth? Do something different!
What makes YOU stand out, so the person reviewing your file will say, "Hey, this sounds interesting, let's interview him/her!" And when interview day comes, you'll have something different to talk about other than your research project and hospital volunteer work (not that these aren't good activiies, but that pretty much all premeds have these in their application).
Make yourself stand out!
 
Hey guys: Wow, some of you actually took me up on my offer to respond to that.
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I figured around this time of year there would be so many of you who were CURRENTLY applying and holding your breath to see if you got in, that no one would have time to answer a rather frivilous, if not unanswerable, question.
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I certainly think that I am capable of making myself standout -- now THAT has NEVER been a problem.
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I do have another question, which I will post here. I have been reading a lot on health care today (which I admittedly have been extremely uninformed about) and have found that primary care (internal, pediatrics, family medicine) is where there is a great need. Among the specialties, however, what are the ones that are generally seen as being most "in need of", and why do we think there are shortages in these areas. i guess it puzzles me, since when i dream about becoming a doctor, I think of our family doctor, and how much I loved him (save for the bi-yearly hernia "turn-n-cough" check
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) when i was a kid. It would seem to me that we all would WANT to be in those areas. Am I wrong here, and why? (And thanks again for responding before...)
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~In the next several years, we will see a great need for doctors to specialize in geriatrics...The baby boomers are aging and apparently will be the largest generation of elderly ever.

~Family practice is very appealing...to some. It does lack the competitiveness and intensity of some of the other fields, like surgery. It just depends on you!

~Yes there are a number of us waiting to hear about interviews, etc. However, waiting doesn't exactly keep one too busy. I am grateful for anything that keeps my mind off of waiting for letters!
 
KimR: GOOD LUCK! I hope you ALL get what you want. I am a few years away from it all, so I can only root for you from afar.
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So, geriatrics, huh? I have thought about that. Family medicine isn't as competitive as surgery, so are you saying that it would be relatively easier to get matched into a residency in family medicine? That's cool. I have also kicked around the idea of urology...I hear that it has AMPLE oppurtunity for residency/employment. Pediatric cardiology sounds interesting too, although i have reservations about working with very ill children. I would probably just cry all the time..
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*sigh*
 
Tennisboy,
When considering urology, I think you must know that it is becoming one of the hardest to match into. Actually, in the last match, it had the highest percentage of unmatched applicants. I think it was 29% went unmatched but don't hold me to that. It was definitely in the upper 20 though.

Just thought you should know
Bill Hoskins
 
WOW...really...everything I have read has told me the opposite, and the book is only a year or two old!
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Well, is there a place I can go to to find out the BEST residencies to go into (highest match)? i mean, not to be shallow, but I think it would frankly suck you-know-what if you went through 4 years undergrad, four years med, only to get an "un-match"...UGH. For real, besides geriatrics, what else is there that there is a great need for now? Sorry if I sound so behind-the-times...
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dermatology is very hard to match as well


 
It's a crap shoot. Only general trends hold true. The higher your grades/MCAT, the better your chances. However nothing is guaranteed. Every year some people with 3.7's don't get in and some people with 3.2's do.
 
i dont mean to discourage anyone...but i have bad and good news. the bad news is that my best friend graduated with me from a very good university had a 3.5-3.6 GPA, Honors society, played volleyball with me, and got a 38 on his MCAT. he applied to med school and did NOT get in! however, he was a CA resident and applied to mostly to the CA schools as well as all other schools that participate in the AAMCAS(or something like that. Apparently, CA schools are VERY competitive. he took a year off and established residency here in TX and finally got into several schools. Good luck to all of you.
 
Its really sad to say, but sometimes dumb luck has to play a big part in medical school admissions!! Like the previous post mentioned, there are people with stellar numbers that have a hard time & don't get in and there are others with so-so numbers that do get in. Go figure, right!!

As mentioned in an earlier post, doing something really UNIQUE to make you stand out can play a BIG role in admissions. Did anyone make the USA Olympic team for Sydney?

Tennisboy, click here for results on the 1999 ACGME Match results:
http://www.medschool.com

Its under the heading entititled specialties.

As for need that you asked, it really depends on where you want to practice & also the time you enter residency or leave residency. According to the trend, these are the specialties that had a higher percentage of not being matched in 1999: dermatology, urology, orthopaedic surgery, neurosurgery, diagnostic radiology, & I think ER is also rising as well.

The other specialties (ie FP, IM, Psychiatry, Anesth, etc..) have a lower percentage of unmatched positions, which means you would be able to get your 1st or 2nd choices of residency. Then again, there are also A LOT more programs in these areas compared to the competitive ones mentioned above. That also plays a huge role in being unmatched (ie dermatology).

One more note: eventough the other competitive residencies have a higher percentage of being unmatched, if you are willing to go anywhere in the country, you may be able to secure a slot somewhere. Some of them still have openings. Hope this helps!

Rob
WesternU/COMP MS II

[This message has been edited by Future DOc (edited 03-01-2000).]
 
I'm kind of surprised that no-one here mentioned the most important thing, if you have borderline stats...

APPLY EARLY.

Get that AMCAS in w/in the first week they accept applications. Send in your letters of rec immediately following receipt of a secondary, and try to churn out those secondary essays ASAP!

I truly believe that the reason why I got in this time around was the fact that I sent in all my app. stuff as soon as humanly possible...

 
FUTURe Doc (Rob)/Chocobo and Everyone: Thank you for the helpful info, especially FUTUReDoc. Something unique, helps, huh? Well, I am the only one in my pre-med class I know that was a soldier in the US Army (active duty). I was in the US Army Medical Corps, and at one of the Army's Mecial Centers for 2 1/2 years. Basic Training was the most challenging of my life, BTW. I would think this makes me stick out. Do you think they will like that? Also, mucho thanks on the link for the residencies...everything seems to keep swinging back and forth, like an out of control pendulum. Sometimes we need these residencies...other times not...*sigh* (Velma: "JINKIES!")
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I will keep mulling over the possibilities. I still have a year or two to go. I just don't know that I like the uncertainty of it all, especially with the changing face of health care (the omni-present changing face). I'm a Capricorn, damn it...i don't like instability.
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(PS: I forgot to say that I am from Illinois, not one of the coasts, and we have like 7 med schools here..I should think that that helps my chance A LITTLE.
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[This message has been edited by tennisboy93 (edited 03-03-2000).]
 
Tennis Boy:

Being from Illinois and an active duty service member (Naval Aviation) I was curious if you knew about the Illinois Veteran's Grant? Four years tuition free at any Illinois state school, undergrad or graduate.

Just a thought.
 
Spang: Are you kidding?
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Of COURSE I know about it. I am using my GI benfits to pay for school, and saving my IVS Scholarship for med school, and I know it will pay for it all. I didn't want to mention it earlier, cause 1) It would sound like I am bragging that I won't have many, if any, loans, and 2) I assume people are pretty touchy around these here parts about people who can actually get through med school pretty much debt free.
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BUT, big guy (or gal) this is a little bit of me rolling the dice, as I have to get into either Southern Illinois Med School or University of Illinois Med School. These are Illinois's 2 (count em, two) state supported med schools. U of I is looking good, but for a free scholarship I take either one.
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These are the two that i am working HARD HARD HARD to get into.
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Tennis Boy:

Glad to hear you knew about the IVS. I too am planning to use it AND my GI Bill if I can get into SIU or UIC. I think that's allowed since one is State and one is Federal and they are both entitlements, not need-based aid.

If you're looking at UIC (I'm looking harder at SIU, I was an undergrad there before going off to Officer Candidate School) do you know about the Illinois Farm Bureau's RMED program? It gives admission preference for a commitment to practice in an "underserved area" in Illinois, in a general med field. Loan's also available.

Email if you want to chat further. I'd also be interested to hear about your pursuit of the prereqs and nontraditional student experience.

JJ
 
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