options or lack thereof...

[erotangos]

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I am currently a second-year 7-year BA/MD student, but I'm heavily considering applying out of my program to a different medical school.

My Stats:
cGPA= 3.96; sGPA= 3.91 [should be able to keep this for applications)
Major: Biology (contemplating a switch to physics?)

I took the January MCAT, and my aamc practice tests the week of the test were at a low of 32 and a high of 37.

EC's/Experiences:
Medical
Shadowed an Oncologist for over winter break freshman year (one month)
Shadowed a Surgeon abroad (Taiwan) for two months (summer 08)
Research Lab (Colorectal Cancer; Taiwan) for two months (summer 08)
Volunteer at Oncologist's office (scholastic year; one day a week)

Non-Medical
College Marching Band; section leader/soloist
Graduate Music Conservatory Jazz Ensemble; soloist
College Pep Band; section leader
Brother in Honorary Music Service Co-Ed Fraternity

Paid Work
Private Music Teacher (5 students; paid weekly one-hour lessons)
Staff Member at Local High School's Marching Band (fall only)

Other
Volunteer teaching leadership seminars at local high school
Had an original science fiction short story published last summer

Major Drawbacks to applying:
- I am young (will be 20 this year)
- I will not have taken upper-level courses in the sciences (Will my high GPA make up for this?)
- I lose my guarantee to the med school in the program once I fill out an AMCAS to other schools

Things I think add to my app:
- VERY diverse, full courseload every semester (lots of classes and still did well)
- Diverse extra-curriculars (skilled musician)
- Unique experiences abroad
- Work experience both in medicine (non-paid but a commitment) and outside of medicine (paid)
- Teaching experience (responsible, have to think outside the box to teach and work with different age groups)
- I have already been informed that my school's premed committee would give me a very strong recommendation letter, the doctors I shadowed will both contribute to that letter
- I have unique personal experiences in medicine (diagnosed with cancer while still in the womb, so to speak; operation at the age of 2 weeks; other things) that will make a strong personal statement


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Though my list of drawbacks is short, I do realize that it is a list of three VERY IMPORTANT things to consider. I know I have time, but the anticipation for MCAT scores is just killing me.

I just want to know what you guys think. What kind of score do I need to get to have a decent shot at Columbia P&S? I'd also be really happy to get into Mt. Sinai. NYC area schools are top choice for me. I just really want to explore my potential.

Thanks for your thoughts!

 

[MilkmanAl]

Your chance to get in somewhere are excellent. With a 34 on the MCAT, you'd be very competitive at Sinai and Columbia in terms of numbers, but with schools like that, the higher, the better. They have all the academic high rollers applying, so it's hard to say for sure what you'd need.

I'd recommend against switching to a physics major. The risk that you'll sink your GPA is too high. Maintain your GPA, and be happy that you're on your way to becoming a doctor no matter what.

 

[erotangos]

Thanks a lot for the advice. I guess I'm just really afraid that I'm going to risk a good thing and end up with nothing.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Do you forfeit your spot in the class if you apply elsewhere? If so, there's not a snowball's chance in hell I'd apply anywhere else, and that goes double given the selectivity of the programs you're looking at. Ride that automatic acceptance all the way to your MD.

 

[erotangos]

I do forfeit my spot if I apply elsewhere, but I would still apply to a lot of safeties as well. It's just that on the one hand, I know exactly what you mean, but on the other hand I know I will always wonder what happened if I tried. I know this other guy in my program had similar stats and got into Harvard a couple of years ago, but I also know there's a lot of luck involved.

 

[virusgirl]

I agree with Milkman, unless you have a compelling reason for feeling that you would NOT be happy at your school and would NOT do well. You seem very qualified and I think it is highly likely you would get in to other places... but nothing is ever a sure thing. If I were fortunate enough to be in your position, I absolutely wouldn't risk what I had unless I really thought staying at my school would be a disaster.

Honestly, I think most people could be happy at most med schools, because they are very similar. You learn the same stuff the first two years, and do the same rotations during clinical years. Sure, there are things that schools are very strong or weak in, but you're going to get largely the same education and have the same experiences anywhere. I've interviewed at a bunch of places, and while there were some schools that seemed a better fit than others, I didn't visit ANY school where I came away thinking "Whoa. That is a bad, bad place."

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

I am currently a second-year 7-year BA/MD student, but I'm heavily considering applying out of my program to a different medical school.

it's sad to hear this. you're already in, and there's millions of better things (for you and for the world) that you could be doing with your time...things which you haven't done yet, and may never have a chance to do again.

do you have any compelling reason to not go to this school, or are you just looking to get into a more "prestigious" one? this school was good enough for you to apply initially, so what changed since then?

 

[UVAbme2009]

The only drawback I see is the amount of research you've done. Two months can only teach you so much. Everything else looks great though.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I do forfeit my spot if I apply elsewhere, but I would still apply to a lot of safeties as well. It's just that on the one hand, I know exactly what you mean, but on the other hand I know I will always wonder what happened if I tried. I know this other guy in my program had similar stats and got into Harvard a couple of years ago, but I also know there's a lot of luck involved.

Let's get one thing straight: there is no such thing as a "safety" when it comes to medical school admission. Even if your credentials are way above the school's average, there's still a pretty good chance you're going to get rejected. If you're not going to med school for research, it doesn't matter at all where you go. You're going to learn the same material at Harvard and at your state school. Connections in academia and research are about all the school name is good for, and granted, that could be a big deal depending on what you want to do with your career. Don't be silly and gamble with something so difficult to achieve just so you can say you tried. Take your acceptance and run.

 

[Mobius1985]

The only drawback I see is the amount of research you've done. Two months can only teach you so much. Everything else looks great though.

If you are aspiring to research-intense institutions, to have a realistic chance, it might be good to get another 1-2 years of research experience first.

 

[erotangos]

I am not planning on going to med school for research. I think the issue at hand for me is that I don't know if I believe that you can boil down an education to just the curriculum, i.e. the knowledge they feed you. Yes, all medical schools have the same curriculum, but they have different student populations, different philosophies, etc. You can see it as a means to an end, or you can also see it as an experience. To say that there is zero difference-- I'm just having difficulty wrapping my mind around that concept.

Reading your posts, though, I do see that maybe I am just naive. I really appreciate the honesty. I think I will just wait until the MCAT score is released and reconsider. This is all speculation anyway unless I can, at the very least, manage a spectacular score.

 

[MilkmanAl]

I think the issue at hand for me is that I don't know if I believe that you can boil down an education to just the curriculum

Actually, that's pretty much the only tangible thing that's noticeably different between schools - the curriculum. They all have to teach you the same stuff, but they can teach you that stuff in different ways. Finding a school that promotes a style you like is definitely important. Personally, I wouldn't tolerate a PBL-based curriculum well, but I enjoy UAMS's system-based integrated curriculum.

I'm not all that well versed in school philosophies, but the ones I've seen basically boil down to community service and primary care. Well, you're going to be serving the community no matter what you do, and not everyone wants to do primary care. That is to say a school's philosophy probably isn't going to have a huge impact on what you do with your education and your career.

It's going to be pretty difficult to accurately gauge a student population or the environment at a school. You can get a hint of it, but you'll need to know someone who goes there to give you the scoop if you want useful information.

 

[erotangos]

Actually, that's pretty much the only tangible thing that's noticeably different between schools - the curriculum. They all have to teach you the same stuff, but they can teach you that stuff in different ways. Finding a school that promotes a style you like is definitely important. Personally, I wouldn't tolerate a PBL-based curriculum well, but I enjoy UAMS's system-based integrated curriculum.

My comment was in response to when you said that you learn the same material at every med school. "How they teach you" is what I mean by school philosophies. Ah, but in any case, you advise against applying out of the program, so I have a lot of rethinking to do here.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Okay, sounds like we're on the same page, then. Just please don't underestimate med school application. It's a grueling, taxing, exceptionally expensive process, and not even the best applicants are guaranteed a spot at all, let alone at top programs.