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[ithinkso]

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i have 3.3 gpa
what mcat do i need to be competive?
and more specifically for robertwood johnson and nj med school???????

 

[turtleboard]

So long as you're asking as a NJ resident, this information would apply to you.

A 3.3 cumulative GPA for any medical school is on the low-end of accepted students. My undergraduate premedical advisor told me that a 3.3 GPA from NYU, based on his own analysis of the college's placement, gives a 20% chance of being admitted. I don't know what or how we correlated that with specific MCAT score ranges, but it should give you an idea of how well you must do on the exam.

RWJ and NJMed have MCATs of 29/30 for matriculated students, >95% of whom are NJ residents, I believe. Their average GPA is a little over 3.5, again, from what I've been able to find. NJMed traditionally has been a little less-favored by applicants, but I think it offers a slightly better education. But of course applicants sometimes care more about the community/environs/surroundings than their education, so NJMed being in Newark, is at a disadvantage.

If I were you I'd try to hit an MCAT of 35+, but that's difficult. What year are you now in college? What's your major? And how likely is it that you'll be able to pull that GPA up?


Tim W. of N.Y.C.

 

[Mango]

Dude, my GPA was 3.3 (at a small liberal arts college with an excellent reputation) and I was accepted to every school I interviewed at. My MCAT was a 10-10-10. I will agree that a 35 would have been much better, but not necessary.

Here's what's necessary: Get a job in patient care for at least a year. That's what I did. I was a nurse's aid in a major hospital. It DEFINATELY was what got me into so many schools.

Think of it as an equation: GPA + MCAT + Life Experience = admission. If one of those three things is lacking, you'll need to make up for it with one of the others.

Good Luck to you, Mango

 

[gower]

From reading your posts, Mango, I am not surprised you were accepted everywhere you interviewed. This is a compliment, not sarcasm. You write well, thoroughly and with evident knowledge. I'll bet you also speak well and have "presence." That is a large part of what interviews are about; they have the facts on the application.
Let me offer you some words of wisdom from the Dalai Lama on the outset of the new millenium: "Live a good, honorable life. Then, when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time." And a few words from Mr. Spock: "Live long and prosper."

 

[ithinkso]

uhmmm..
im mid sophomore.. and my gpa sucks
im hoping to bring up to 3.3 well its seem like i might be able to do it..
uhmm
can someone give me a time frame of things to be done??
like
when do i do that patient care thing and when i start studying for mcat and when i start applying to schools?????

oooo
kuk ki kuk ki yum yum~!!!!

 

[Doc Oc]

For patient care experience, another idea is to take a phlebotomy course at a local tech school or community college, and get a job at a hospital drawing blood. The course is 7 weeks long, and you can take it during the summer. Most hospitals hire per diem employees in teh lab, which basically means that you work irregular hours. As a per diem employee while i was in school, they let me make my own schedule. Also, they cannot schedule you unless you agree to it ahead of time, so you can work around your school schedule and change it each semester. You'll interact with all hospital personnel, and have patient contact with inpatients, outpatients, ER patients, and ICU patients (depending on the hospital you work at). At the one I worked at during undergrad, i was also responsible for responding to codes and traumas in the ER, and for helping the nurses upstairs start IV lines when they were having trouble. (After all, when you draw blood form 50 people a day, 40 hours a week, you get pretty good at finding veins.)It's a good skill to have, and its interesting to see what patients say about all of the other health care professionals. You see how everything you do as a doctor actually affects your patients. Every patient I see has a story to tell about their doctor, some good some bad, but all useful. Being a CNA, as Mango mentioned, is another great idea.

[This message has been edited by Doc Oc (edited 01-18-2001).]

 

[Mango]

Baylor, I would say that most of my classmates have at least some clinical experience. But I will add that my experience is the exception, not the rule. Most of my classmates were volunteers, and therefore not in the position to give direct, hands-on patient care as I was.

The reason I believe that my experience was essential to my acceptances, was due to my low GPA (3.3), and average MCAT (30). I needed that experience to "push me over the top," into the accepted pile, not to mention supplying me with an amazing personal statement topic, as well as things to talk about during interviews. Add in a great rec letter from my nurse manager, and all the sudden adcomms forget about that 3.3!

Since finding SDN, I have advocated working in patient care to as many posters as possible. And I would hope that those who choose to pursue working as a Nurses Aid, would do so because they want to, not just to try and sneak into med school. Working in patient care will teach you so many things about nursing care, doctor/patient relationships, medical procedures, as well as the day-to-day operations of a hospital. I feel that having learned all of these things before med school has given me a substantial advantage over my classmates. This will become even more apparent when third year clinical rotations begin.

So to answer your second question, I would say that the level of experience I had is not essential to most applicants. However my classmates who had very little experience also came in a neat little package that included a 3.9 GPA and 32+MCAT. So as I said before, if you need to bring up a low GPA or MCAT, consider clinical experience. I think you will find that it is very difficult work, but that you will learn enough to make it worth you while!

Good Luck, Mango

 

[BioAggie]

Thought I would add my input to the topic

. I would say that any experience in the working world is extremely helpful to those applying to med school. I got my Master's degree three years ago and have been working ever since. Two of those years were in medical research, but this last year has been in the engineering field.
I can't tell you how many applicants I heard complaining during interviews about "having to take 14 hours". I think working 40 hours a week shows dedication that med schools like in their applicants. By the way, my undergrad GPA was a 3.67 and my MCAT was 27. I truly believe my life experiences as well as my work experience is what "pushed me over the edge" and gained me acceptance for the Fall of 2001.
Hope this helps!!

 

[BioAggie]

Baylor21,

I'm working as a biomedical engineer. My master's is in bioengineering, and my undergrad is in electrical engineering. I think it helps to come from a background outside the mainstream (bio, chem, etc.). It really helps, though, to also show that you know how to apply that knowledge, i.e. by having worked in that field (can also be through an internship).

Did you apply this year? If not, where do you plan on applying. I'll be headed to Texas Tech in the fall. Can't wait!!!!

 

[baylor21]

bioaggie,

I haven't applied yet, I am going to be applying this year for the entering class of 2002.

Congrats on your acceptance!

I am actually an Oklahoma resident going to college in TX, so my best shot is at OU Med(2000 NATIONAL CHAMPS COLLEGE FOOTBALL WOOOHOOOO).

I will apply to the TX schools and others as well, but I realize I dont have much of a shot there being out of state. I have heard a couple of people say that out of state applicants have a decent shot at getting admitted to TX schools, but I've looked at their admissions stats and just dont see that.

For the time being, THE DREAM IS STILL ALIVE!!


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"There is nothing more powerful on this Earth as a man who has nothing to lose. It does not take ten such men to change the world--one will do." Elijah Mohammed

[This message has been edited by baylor21 (edited 01-19-2001).]

[This message has been edited by baylor21 (edited 01-19-2001).]

 

[BioAggie]

Baylor21,

You may not be a Texas resident, but I think being an OK resident is the next best thing when applying to Texas schools. I can tell you that Tech gives special preference to certain bordering counties in OK (as well as New Mexico).

Also, the match lists from several schools (UTMB and UT San Antonio in particular) show that those schools have accepted the full complement of 10% non-residents this year.

Another option would be to work in Texas full time for a year (without going to school) to establish residency. I worked in Dallas for two years after grad school at A&M. This established my residency and look at me now

. My personal opinion is that you would have a better chance as a resident applying to TX schools versus an OK resident applying to OK schools (how many schools are there in OK?).

 

[Mango]

baylor, in response to your question about working during school, I would say that it is possible. I always heard that having a job in med school was suicide, so I was shocked to see that many people did actually have part-time jobs. One of my classmates is an EMT advanced, a fireman, and is currently in classes to become a full paramedic. And his grades haven't suffered a bit.

I also know people who work as bartenders, waiting tables, one guy works at a gym, and several others. Also, my school allows med students to add one course to our schedule free of charge (through the undergrad college). I know several students are taking language classes (mostly Spanish), dance classes, poetry, etc. I am considering signing up for wine-tasting!!

That would be a fun class.

Anyhow, I guess the answer is that you can do whatever you think you can handle. Those that do have jobs tend to be strong students, who have very good study habits (ie they don't procrastinate by doing things like joining internet forums!). I hope that info helps!

Mango

 

[layne20]

I just wanted to say that not all admitted med students have hospital experience. I have been accepted for entrance in the fall to West Virginia University Med School and Marshall (another university in WV). I did no hospital work at all; however, my stats were okay (3.97 GPA and MCAT: V=12 P=10 B=12), and I am graduating with a B.S. in chemistry in only 3 years. So, even though I KNOW that it helps a great deal, hospital work is not ALWAYS necessary. However, I think that it is EXTREMELY important if you plan to apply to a very prestigious school such as Johns Hopkins, Harvard, etc. Anyway, I hope this helps and good luck!!!!

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I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Phil. 4:13

 

[baylor21]

Bioaggie,

Unfortunately there is only 1 MD and 1 DO program in Oklahoma.



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"There is nothing more powerful on this Earth as a man who has nothing to lose. It does not take ten such men to change the world--one will do." Elijah Mohammed