Rough Start, but I'm trying :)

[deleted508066]

The thing is I had a very rough start to my undergraduate degree. I was extremely undecided on what I wanted to do and as a result, my grades aren't the best and my classes are pretty general or random.

Next May, I'll be graduating with a B.A. in Biology and Physical Science with a Spanish minor, and at best I think the highest GPA I'll be able to achieve will be somewhere around a 3.5.

As far as EC's:
- I have about a year's volunteer experience in a local hospital
- I recently took a humanitarian trip to Guatemala
- Some tutor experience and some extracurricular activities (I'm not big on campus life)
- I'm working on my emt certification and hope to volunteer at a nearby ambulance service
- I'll be starting my first internship at the same hospital I volunteer at in about a week or two
- Currently looking for doctors to job shadow
- Planning on assisting a professor with research either this summer or fall
- I'll also have an upward trend. Since I've decided this is what I want to do, I've had one B (Spanish), and the rest of my grades have been A's and A-'s.

I'm really wanting to take the MD route, and if anyone has any experience with it, my ideal school would be the Indiana University School of Medicine. What are my chances?

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[Noggin]

I think it will come down to your MCAT score in the end. Finish up your undergrad as strong as you possibly can. Yes a 3.5 is on the lower side, but if you can get a steller MCAT score you should be good to go. It looks like you have the clinical volunteering under your belt. However, you may want to consider taking up a leadership position. Have you thought about starting a campus organization or something similar? Leadership is highly valued because it proves to the admissions committee that you are capable of taking the initiative to organize and accomplish things.

 

[SpartanGuy]

If that is your ideal school I would also suggest getting in touch with one of their admission counselor a to see what else you can do to really stand out as an applicant. Also are you a URM?

 

[darkjedi]

If you can manage a 3.5 by the time you graduate, and if you can crush the MCAT, you should be able to do well in the application cycle. As long as you're an Indiana resident, and you can get a 32+ on the MCAT, Indiana University is certainly within reach.

 

[deleted508066]

I think it will come down to your MCAT score in the end. Finish up your undergrad as strong as you possibly can. Yes a 3.5 is on the lower side, but if you can get a steller MCAT score you should be good to go. It looks like you have the clinical volunteering under your belt. However, you may want to consider taking up a leadership position. Have you thought about starting a campus organization or something similar? Leadership is highly valued because it proves to the admissions committee that you are capable of taking the initiative to organize and accomplish things.

To tell you the truth, I have so little experience with clubs, I wouldn't know where to begin in that department. I'm at a really small campus, and the clubs there are pretty lame or they don't do much. Also campus life is pretty much nonexistent so honestly, with it being my last year I'd rather look for leadership roles in areas I am already in.

 

[deleted508066]

If that is your ideal school I would also suggest getting in touch with one of their admission counselor a to see what else you can do to really stand out as an applicant. Also are you a URM?

Nope. White female. But thanks for the advise. Aren't admission counselor's too busy to answer those kinds of messeges though?

 

[GypsyHummus]

what is your science GPA?

 

[SpartanGuy]

Not at all, admissions counselors exist to help out potential students, that being said do your research before just blindly calling but it never hurts to establish a relationship with someone that may help you later on.