Should I even apply?

[molecularbiolog]

Hey All,

I am a molecular biology major with a 3.65 GPA and a 31 MCAT. I pay for my own food during the year and my rent 4 months out of the year. Also, I work in a neuroscience lab (electrophys) and I have done a lot of volunteer work until recently (due to my financial situation). I see some of things my competition is doing and it is CRAZY. I cannot afford to do half of the things these people (the competition) are doing and I feel like a wimp for saying so, but I am honestly doing all that I can. One upside is that I will probably have my name on a paper (or two) by Juneish assuming that no other labs publish our same findings. Should I even apply? Any advice is happily appreciated. Thank you.

The Dude

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[TriagePreMed]

Yes, apply. You're in good shape, but I'd recommend applying to a few Osteopathic schools too.

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Stop being a baby and apply. There are much worse people stat-wise who have gotten in.

 

[crazyasian]

Hey All,

I am a molecular biology major with a 3.65 GPA and a 31 MCAT. I pay for my own food during the year and my rent 4 months out of the year. Also, I work in a neuroscience lab (electrophys) and I have done a lot of volunteer work until recently (due to my financial situation). I see some of things my competition is doing and it is CRAZY. I cannot afford to do half of the things these people (the competition) are doing and I feel like a wimp for saying so, but I am honestly doing all that I can. One upside is that I will probably have my name on a paper (or two) by Juneish assuming that no other labs publish our same findings. Should I even apply? Any advice is happily appreciated. Thank you.

The Dude

Your stats are solid, according to the AAMC MCAT GPA grid you have a 74.1% chance. Just apply broadly, DO schools would increase your chances but you have a pretty good chance at an MD school

 

[flatearth22]

I had similar stats and did fine. Your numbers and EC's put you "in the running" but it's all about how you sell yourself through your PS, activities descriptions, and interview + the quality of your LOR's that will decide whether you will get in and where.

 

[Catalystik]

Hey All,

I am a molecular biology major with a 3.65 GPA and a 31 MCAT. I pay for my own food during the year and my rent 4 months out of the year. Also, I work in a neuroscience lab (electrophys) and I have done a lot of volunteer work until recently (due to my financial situation). I see some of things my competition is doing and it is CRAZY. I cannot afford to do half of the things these people (the competition) are doing and I feel like a wimp for saying so, but I am honestly doing all that I can. One upside is that I will probably have my name on a paper (or two) by Juneish assuming that no other labs publish our same findings. Should I even apply? Any advice is happily appreciated. Thank you.

The Dude

Adcomms will appreciate the load you carry if you include your work positions on the application.

Could you break down your volunteer hours into clinical and nonmedical and when you started each? Do you have shadowing hours?

If you feel your application won't measure up, remember that there is no rule about when you need to apply. Many apply after junior or senior year, but others are in their late-20s, 30s, and 40+ before they are ready. So don't feel that you are under pressure to hurry the process. There's even an advantage to being older and more mature, with more life experience, in adcomm eyes.

 

[molecularbiolog]

Wow thanks everybody for your support and advice. It's easy to get caught up in the chase, I will take this to heart and do my best to make it in this crazy game. Thanks again

 

[molecularbiolog]

I was volunteering in a hospital (palliative care and BMT) about 3-5 hrs per week all of Freshman and Sophomore year. Last summer (going into junior year) I decided to leave the hospital and I have been doing Habitat for Humanity builds ever since. In all honesty, I feel like I have made way more of a difference doing habitat than working at the hospital (truly one of the best decisions I've ever made). My grandmother died very suddenly recently and she had been previously funding my food budget. She did not have the opportunity to will me food money (I know she wanted to) so it has put me in a financial situation where I have to pay for my own food, all the while saving up enough money to cover rent during the non-school months. This has obviously been a concern for me so volunteering has taken a backseat (I've got to eat). I hate to be the guy tugging on heart strings in my application, but my ECs really cannot hold a candle to many other candidates due to my current financial situation. As for shadowing, I have shadowed my girlfriend's father several times (he is a vascular surgeon, chief of surgery) as well as a well-respected cosmetic surgeon in the Madison, WI area. Lastly, I will have some pretty good LORs. My PI is medical school faculty at UW and she told me she wants my name on this publication when we submit it (god knows I've done most of the leg work, haha). I have another LOR from my organic chemistry professor, and I will have two more from two different virology professors (i'm considering becoming an I.D. specialist). I am just concerned about getting in right away because I have acquired a significant amount of student loans (>60k by the time I graduate), and I would really love to have a solid plan by the time loan repayment begins. Thank you for your time, I really appreciate it.

 

[Catalystik]

It might reassure you to know that your clinical experience and nonmedical community service both appear to be above the average generally listed. The shadowing is on the sparse side, but that could be fixed anytime up to the last moment, and it would be nice to see some diversity of specialty if possible. About a year of research is average, and few are able to list a publication in a regional or national journal. if you have any leadership (even at work) or teaching (mentoring, TA, tutor, coach, trainer), be sure to list that too.