:/ So hesitant to apply. 3.45 cGPA sGPA 32S MCAT.

[jpham247]

Short and sweet. Whaddya guys think? Do I have a fighting chance if I apply to as many schools will take a CA resident?

GPA:
3.45 cGPA
3.5 sGPA

MCAT:
32S

Post-Bac: Masters in Biomedical Engineering

ECs:
Volunteering - 2 years volunteering at the hospital
2 yrs volunteering with the a Program teaching elementary school kids about heart disease and obesity.

Work - Lots of clinical work experience; EMT (1 yr), Phlebotomist (1 yr), Pharmacy Technician (3 yrs) , few summers as a Dental Assistant.
6 months work teaching Autistic children.

Others:
Pre-med Honors Society 2 yrs

Research:
2.5 years research in Learning and Memory Research; 1st author paper in one of the smaller Neuroscience Method Journals.

My plan is to just hit that AMCAS w/ as many schools as I can afford. But I really want to know ... is it worth it? It's going to cost me like 3k when all is said and done, and I'm going to have to take out a loan.

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[canjosh]

What's your post-bac GPA? I think you have a shot, given your good MCAT, as long as you apply wisely. What's the score breakdown by section?

 

[tncekm]

The GPA will hurt some for the MD programs, but apply very broad and make sure you've got good LOR's, etc, and you've got a good shot. If your post-bacc GPA is good, you do all of the above, and it still doesn't work for you, then get more clinical volunteer time under your belt.

 

[jpham247]

What's your post-bac GPA? I think you have a shot, given your good MCAT, as long as you apply wisely. What's the score breakdown by section?

MCAT Breakdown was VB 10 PS 10 BS 12 Wr S

The GPA will hurt some for the MD programs, but apply very broad and make sure you've got good LOR's, etc, and you've got a good shot. If your post-bacc GPA is good, you do all of the above, and it still doesn't work for you, then get more clinical volunteer time under your belt.

Ahh see thing is, because I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I switched to Engineering from a almost purely Neurobio background so my Master's GPA isn't so good since I struggled learning ... math and programming (it's kinda hard). its about the same 3.5.

And when you say more clinical volunteer time... Does my shadowing and clinical work not count as much as volunteering would?

It's just that I had to pay my way though college and it was far more efficient to work while gaining clinical experience than to volunteer when I had free time. Between that and my research.. I was pretty swamped.

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

It seems like your app is fairly solid. Don't let the GPA naysayers hold you down, yet apply to realistic schools.

Did your clinical experience afford you sufficient opportunities to observe the doctor-patient relationship? That is want schools really want to see. Maybe add in a little shadowing to your app, and it would be even better.

 

[rbnsafsadgf]

And when you say more clinical volunteer time... Does my shadowing and clinical work not count as much as volunteering would?

Work is fine, maybe even better. It was unclear what you did in those contexts from your original description.

 

[jpham247]

It seems like your app is fairly solid. Don't let the GPA naysayers hold you down, yet apply to realistic schools.

Did your clinical experience afford you sufficient opportunities to observe the doctor-patient relationship? That is want schools really want to see. Maybe add in a little shadowing to your app, and it would be even better.

Ahhh thanks man. hahah maybe i just need some self confidence. I definitely know what the doctor-patient relationship is like. My family is ... pretty much all doctors, and with all the work I've done in hospitals I'm pretty sure I've seen it all.

Also, as for official shadowing I think i have ~50 hrs on the surgical / emergency floors of UCI....

 

[tncekm]

MCAT Breakdown was VB 10 PS 10 BS 12 Wr S

Ahh see thing is, because I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do. I switched to Engineering from a almost purely Neurobio background so my Master's GPA isn't so good since I struggled learning ... math and programming (it's kinda hard). its about the same 3.5.

And when you say more clinical volunteer time... Does my shadowing and clinical work not count as much as volunteering would?

It's just that I had to pay my way though college and it was far more efficient to work while gaining clinical experience than to volunteer when I had free time. Between that and my research.. I was pretty swamped.

I hear they don't actually give the graduate GPA too much weight. That's actually different from a post-bacc program.

Clinical work and shadowing is important, and I think it's better than "volunteering" personally. However, I do remember some weirdo interviewers while I was out on the interview trail that wanted to make sure I had plenty of "volunteer" time, specifically. I think volunteering is a safer bet.

And, remember, there are PLENTY of elitists that you'll be interviewing with who never worked through college and had a silver-spoon life who won't understand, or even give much thought to, what you went through by putting yourself through college (I was in a similar situation). All they will see is that your (more advantaged) competition spent every summer saving trillions of babies in Africa while you lined your pockets. It's sad but true, many of your interviewers -- while intelligent -- are going to be very short sighted.

 

[jpham247]

Man thank you everyone who replied to this.... I think that I will just suck it up and apply since if I don't I'm sure I'll regret it. Just gotta stay hopeful.