Research, summer school or ???

[ShynZ]

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Hi, I'm really confused of what to do for this upcoming summer. I'm a sophomore and i am in a research lab, and volunteering in a hospital. I'm not that behind in my classes, but I'm a little bit slacking on my ge.

1. Should I just take summer schools and do research for this summer?
2. Should I give a try to the summer research program?

any other suggestions would be appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[varsityblue]

Apply to tons of summer research programs. If you don't get in anywhere by April or so, pay the fees for summer classes.

 

[DrCaliBoy]

I agree with the above post, apply to summer research programs. Just know that they are pretty difficult to get accepted to especially if you are only applying to the renowned ones.

 

[kdn508]

I have the same problem too however i'm currently in my junior year, but I have zero clinical exposure or research experience!! The last couple of summers I've worked an Upward Bound camp working w/ high schoolers because i sincerely enjoyed doing it. I'm also an RA this school year and hopefully the next. So i think i have leadership experiences/qualities.

 

[kpcrew]

1. summer research program
2. keep working at the lab you're in now
3. classes

in that order, classes should be a backup and even then you should probably try to work in a summer camp or something.

 

[ShynZ]

What about taking summer school just to boost my gpa? my gpa suffers a little bit from freshman year and i wanna boost it up before I apply med school (3rd year? anyways when to ppl apply for med school if i want to go to med school right after undergra?) thx a bunch!

 

[Ismet]

What about taking summer school just to boost my gpa? my gpa suffers a little bit from freshman year and i wanna boost it up before I apply med school (3rd year? anyways when to ppl apply for med school if i want to go to med school right after undergra?) thx a bunch!

What is your cumulative GPA and BCPM GPA? You might not need to take summer courses, especially if your only poor grades are freshman year (schools will be more forgiving of a bad start if you have a strong upward trend).

If you want to start medical school right after undergrad, you start applying in the summer after your junior year (application can be submitted starting June 1). You'll interview during your senior year. Make sure you meet with your school's pre-med advisor to see if there's a pre-professional health committee or a certain process to get a committee letter!

 

[varsityblue]

What is your cumulative GPA and BCPM GPA? You might not need to take summer courses, especially if your only poor grades are freshman year (schools will be more forgiving of a bad start if you have a strong upward trend).

If you want to start medical school right after undergrad, you start applying in the summer after your junior year (application can be submitted starting June 1). You'll interview during your senior year. Make sure you meet with your school's pre-med advisor to see if there's a pre-professional health committee or a certain process to get a committee letter!

+1. If you do, in fact, have a low frosh GPA, summer courses may help you get back on track sooner rather than later. If you do have a strong GPA, consider doing something that distinguishes you from other applicants. Schools only care about your sophomore and junior summers, anyway.

 

[plumhill]

See if you can get a research position on campus. That way you can work part-time (or even full-time, depending on your schedule) and take a couple of classes (I don't know about your school, but my college offers many evening and night classes during the summer).

 

[ShynZ]

May I ask why med schools only care about ur summer of sophomore and junior year?

 

[varsityblue]

May I ask why med schools only care about ur summer of sophomore and junior year?

Personal opinion given what I've seen. Students generally leverage the stuff they did frosh summer to get a sophomore summer position and then a junior summer position. It also means that if you decide to do something completely non-medical--or nothing at all, like summering--your frosh year, it's probably not going to be held against you. I personally spent half my time doing Americorps and the rest of the time traveling; I'll be spending half of this summer in a lab and the other half doing NGO stuff.