One bad grade

[Sully21]

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So heres my deal -

I am in my second semester junior year - my science gpa is looking to be about 3.7 and my non science gpa a 4.0.

My biggest worry is that I got a C in organic II. (I got a B in organic I). How much will this C hurt my chances of getting in? I am currently retaking organic II and plan to get an A in it come hell or high water.

My EC's arent great - I am in a couple pre-med clubs and some intramural sports - I did have a little pal all this year (about an hour a week) - Last year I volunteered in the ER for a total of about 40 hours. Also, I was a phlebotomist for four or five months (it was too much once I was back in school).

so, 1. How much will that C hurt me? Can I still get in?
2. Does anyone have any good ideas for this summer? I am doing good enough financially that I could afford to volunteer rather than work if there was a good enough opportunity
3. on a seperate note, If I take the MCAT in early June would I have time to retake in time to apply that fall (say maybe take it again in August) or would all of the slots be filled for august before I could register again (you can't be registered for two sessions at once)

Thanks for any help! its great to have a community out there thats done this before!

 

[UTKD]

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[UTKD]

1

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

Hmm. Your overall gpa is good. however the C in Orgo II will hurt you. Just get an "A" in the retake and you'll be fine.

MCAT: No, you won't have time to retake it most likely. I believe (I could be wrong so don't hold it to me) that June is the last admission of the MCAT for each upcoming admissions cycle. So, depending on the school just shoot for a 31+ and I think you'll be fine.

ECs: I think you are very very below average. Pre-med club, intramurals, low volunteering hours, and a little brother program (which is very cool and admirable) is significantly behind the average applicant.

Since you are going into your senior year soon and probably applying this summer or early fall you need more leadership experience, research (some schools like to see this), and something that sets you apart from the crowd.

Everyone is different, however I will compile some of my ECs (which I found to be above average) to give you an idea of what a successful applicant will have.

I hope this helps and sorry if it does not.

-UTKD

does not.

bad advice on retaking the class. of course it doesn't look good to have a C, but it's not worth retaking if it is your only one. you have a 3.7+; i'd say you're fine. most schools will only average your grades for a retake, so at best you would end up with an average of B in the class.

mcat: june is NOT the last date accepted for an admissions cycle. it is recommended to have taken it by june, though, so that you have a completed application as soon as possible. you can take it as late as september for the cycle, but this is considered late in the game.

ECs: yes you are lacking in EC's, but i'm not sure how impressive that list of 15 items is. adcoms look for time commitment (hrs/wk), duration commitment (what length of time), quality of activity, leadership components, and uniqueness. so things like "filing clerk", "hospital volunteer", "food pantry", and "_____ volunteering" are not exactly "above average" unless you've lead/directed some of these programs or done them for extended periods of time.

 

[NotAndrew]

Don't retake the class if you only have one C.

 

[Mobius1985]

You could retake the MCAT in August, but getting the result back in September would mean schools will put your application on hold and not consider you (assuming you checked the box that you plan to retake) until the retake score is available. A lot of the available interview spots might be gone by then, putting you at a disadvantage. It would be best to get a great score the first time you take the test.

Your ER volunteerism is sparse, but fortunately your time employed as a phlebotomist counts as clinical experience. You need more community service and some shadowing time. You also need a leadership experience. Research is desirable, but not required. For the summer, why not try to get some research time, and maybe volunteer at the hospital for 3-4 hours/week. To have a stronger application, you might want to consider waiting a year and applying June 2010, as it will take you awhile to beef up your extracurriculars.

The C in Orgo II will not hurt you at all if you retake the class and get a better grade (for those schools that care).

 

[Sully21]

thanks for the ideas and help! Now i'm second guessing retaking organic II =/ Too late now though, i'll just do the best that I can with it.

With the shadowing part, are they interested in seeing that you've shadowed a few doctors for about a day each, or more interested in long term shadowing like shadowing a particular dr. for 40+ hours?

I think I ran into my problem with EC's because I transferred schools after my sophomore year - I didnt really have any time to get into leadership positions. Now I am hurting on EC's - does anyone have any good suggestions? I am thinking there has to be a good summer volunteer program somewhere, just a matter of finding it and getting accepted.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

With the shadowing part, are they interested in seeing that you've shadowed a few doctors for about a day each, or more interested in long term shadowing like shadowing a particular dr. for 40+ hours?

ideally, both. the purpose of shadowing is to help you develop a realistic perspective of what it's like to be a doctor. since you really don't know in what field you will end up, i'd recommend shadowing something like 2-4 specialties for a few days each. if you find something you like, then of course extend it. but it always worries me when i see applicants that have like 250+ hours of shadowing because it seems wasteful. remember, you're not really DOING anything when you shadow.

I am thinking there has to be a good summer volunteer program somewhere, just a matter of finding it and getting accepted.

it might be late in the game for some of the more well-known, formal programs this summer, but you can always just contact a clinic/hospital/private practice/other volunteer organization and try to develop something on your own.