Pre-Med, what do I need to become a more attractive applicant

[JoshH]

Currently I am a junior in school but I will have an additional year due to athletics. I plan on having a biology major with psych and business minors. I have around a 3.1 GPA at the moment and am really focusing on course work to increase that GPA. I am an NCAA division 1 athlete and work as a phlebotomist. I have around 50 hours OR experience and some decent connections from my home town. I have been researching for 6 months and will continue to do so. I try to volunteer often just at local food shelves and am going to Peru for medical volunteering over spring break. Is there anything anyone recommends to do to become a more attractive applicant? If there is anyone else who has gotten in with a low GPA I would appreciate any advice.

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[Psai]

Makeup

 

[gyngyn]

"Mission" trips do not make you a more attractive candidate.

 

[Goro]

Currently I am a junior in school but I will have an additional year due to athletics. I plan on having a biology major with psych and business minors. I have around a 3.1 GPA at the moment and am really focusing on course work to increase that GPA. I am an NCAA division 1 athlete and work as a phlebotomist. I have around 50 hours OR experience and some decent connections from my home town. I have been researching for 6 months and will continue to do so. I try to volunteer often just at local food shelves and am going to Peru for medical volunteering over spring break. Is there anything anyone recommends to do to become a more attractive applicant? If there is anyone else who has gotten in with a low GPA I would appreciate any advice.

Service to others less fortunate than yourself.

 

[Catalystik]

Service to others less fortunate than yourself.

. . . . in your own country.

Volunteering at a food pantry is a good activity, with bonus points if you interact with the population you serve.

 

[Catalystik]

Currently I am a junior in school but I will have an additional year due to athletics. I plan on having a biology major with psych and business minors. I have around a 3.1 GPA at the moment and am really focusing on course work to increase that GPA. I am an NCAA division 1 athlete and work as a phlebotomist. I have around 50 hours OR experience and some decent connections from my home town. I have been researching for 6 months and will continue to do so. I try to volunteer often just at local food shelves and am going to Peru for medical volunteering over spring break. Is there anything anyone recommends to do to become a more attractive applicant? If there is anyone else who has gotten in with a low GPA I would appreciate any advice.

-Peer leadership (like, team captain or organizer of a food drive for the food pantry)
-Any form of teaching (coaching, TA, tutor, mentor).
-Physician shadowing. Include a DO physician and a someone in primary care (could be the same doc)

 

[OrthoTraumaMD]

Jesus. Reading through all of these makes me so glad I didn’t have to do (most of) this. Pre-meds have to jump through so many hoops.


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[Robin-jay]

Jesus. Reading through all of these makes me so glad I didn’t have to do (most of) this. Pre-meds have to jump through so many hoops.


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Speaking as someone who had to earn a chemistry masters degree to even have a chance, I'm glad I'm done with this absolutely horrendous process.

It's a mentally draining process.

OP should make GPA and MCAT top priority at this point.

 

[Goro]

Jesus. Reading through all of these makes me so glad I didn’t have to do (most of) this. Pre-meds have to jump through so many hoops.


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It's an arms race. Seller's market an all that.

 

[Angus Avagadro]

Currently I am a junior in school but I will have an additional year due to athletics. I plan on having a biology major with psych and business minors. I have around a 3.1 GPA at the moment and am really focusing on course work to increase that GPA. I am an NCAA division 1 athlete and work as a phlebotomist. I have around 50 hours OR experience and some decent connections from my home town. I have been researching for 6 months and will continue to do so. I try to volunteer often just at local food shelves and am going to Peru for medical volunteering over spring break. Is there anything anyone recommends to do to become a more attractive applicant? If there is anyone else who has gotten in with a low GPA I would appreciate any advice.

Research? You weren't very specific in your post

 

[smukke]

GPA.

Stop everything else if you have to, most other things you can fix in a year or 2 but GPA fixing takes a long long time.

 

[JoshH]

Thanks all, and for research its movement patterns of Anoles and 23 different species of them. The purpose of the research is to analyze and prove the argument that stride length is more important than cycle speed in sprint mechanics. I am interested in orthopedics and I thought sprint and movement patterns would be the best relation.

 

[gyngyn]

Thanks all, and for research its movement patterns of Anoles and 23 different species of them. The purpose of the research is to analyze and prove the argument that stride length is more important than cycle speed in sprint mechanics. I am interested in orthopedics and I thought sprint and movement patterns would be the best relation.

That's all great.
Remember to diversify your experience.
A specific interest in ortho doesn't make anyone a more desirable candidate.
It can make a modest candidate somewhat less desirable...