Starting From The Group Up, Needing Some Advice!

[Soco9087]

Hello, I am a career changer looking for some advice, a little about me first:

Age: 24
Undergrad: Accounting & Finance
GPA: 3.446
Small Liberal Arts College
Not a single science or math class taken because of A.P. credits.

Master in Finance
GPA: 3.620

I've recently became unemployed and have become enamored with becoming a physician through various volunteer positions that I have used to smooth over my period of unemployment. I need some advice about what I need to do to become a competitive applicant towards a top medical school (I very well understand what that entails). I've applied to the HES and got accepted on the grounds that I get a 30 or better on the MCAT for sponsorship and flat out rejected from JHU. I live on the west coast so HES would be a bit of s stretch, but I am wondering if it would be worth it? Should I just attend my local university and do an informal program? I understand the only difference between that and HES is that I would get sponsorship, how much weight does this committee letter carry? Maybe I'm just drawn to the HES name and should just look at something on the west cost? I am not really too sure what to do and could use a little guidance.

Thanks

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[DrMidlife]

Berkeley Extension. West coast equivalent of HES. Moving cross country to do HES is WAY too starry-eyed. Note the extension part. Moving cross country to do Bryn Mawr or Goucher might make sense, if you can get in, but between your GPA and not much volunteering that's a stretch.

Also look at Mills & Scripps. If you're a guy, don't rule out Mills - the postbac is coed.

Take some math before you start the prereqs. Prereqs: killer of the unprepared.

3.446 is low for UCs, so your premed coursework needs to raise your GPA.

Grad GPA doesn't help, doesn't hurt. It'll count as an extra-curricular.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Soco9087]

Berkeley Extension. West coast equivalent of HES. Moving cross country to do HES is WAY too starry-eyed. Note the extension part. Moving cross country to do Bryn Mawr or Goucher might make sense, if you can get in, but between your GPA and not much volunteering that's a stretch.

Also look at Mills & Scripps. If you're a guy, don't rule out Mills - the postbac is coed.

Take some math before you start the prereqs. Prereqs: killer of the unprepared.

3.446 is low for UCs, so your premed coursework needs to raise your GPA.

Grad GPA doesn't help, doesn't hurt. It'll count as an extra-curricular.

Best of luck to you.

I have roughly about 180+ of volunteering experience in the University ER. I've audited my way through algebra, trig, and calc 1, it was $150 to audit a class couldn't really beat that and I figured I'd just get an A in calc 2 and call it good? Thanks for your help, I am a guy so Scripps won't work, I'll take a look at Mills.

 

[johnnyscans]

Hello, I am a career changer looking for some advice, a little about me first:

Age: 24
Undergrad: Accounting & Finance
GPA: 3.446
Small Liberal Arts College
Not a single science or math class taken because of A.P. credits.

Master in Finance
GPA: 3.620

I've recently became unemployed and have become enamored with becoming a physician through various volunteer positions that I have used to smooth over my period of unemployment. I need some advice about what I need to do to become a competitive applicant towards a top medical school (I very well understand what that entails). I've applied to the HES and got accepted on the grounds that I get a 30 or better on the MCAT for sponsorship and flat out rejected from JHU. I live on the west coast so HES would be a bit of s stretch, but I am wondering if it would be worth it? Should I just attend my local university and do an informal program? I understand the only difference between that and HES is that I would get sponsorship, how much weight does this committee letter carry? Maybe I'm just drawn to the HES name and should just look at something on the west cost? I am not really too sure what to do and could use a little guidance.

Thanks

As Dr. Midlife said, I would not recommend moving out to Boston just for HES. Yes, the price and quality of instruction is pretty top-notch, but the lack of linkages and cost of living in Boston are pretty astronomical - the weather also sucks. That said, if you do decide to make the move out here, Boston is absolutely top-notch for premeds. MGH is one of the top hospitals in the world, and the rest of the HMS affiliated hospitals aren't too shabby either. If you cannot get research and clinical volunteer experience in Boston you simply aren't cut out for this career path.

Let's think about yourself as a business whose plan of action ends with you being accepted to a top medical school. In order to prove your value to investors (admission committees) you need to achieve the following: top marks, especially in your science classes, an MCAT score of at least a 32, accrue multiple hours volunteering in both clinical and non clinical settings, and solid research experience. They also want assurance that you can be a leader, a teacher and a team player. Hopefully your prior work experience helps demonstrate this. These experiences will help earn you solid letters of recommendation that demonstrate your value as a medical school applicant. These letters + grades + MCAT + well-rounded application = interview invite.

Right now, would you invest in a business that has no history of success in your line of work? My recommendation to you is to enroll in a single lab science class at a local 4-yr university (general chemistry is usually pretty self-contained). Get an A in that class. Teach yourself how to study effectively and efficiently so you can reproduce that grade across two or three classes. The last thing you want is to get accepted into a formal post-bacc program and find that you simply cannot handle the courseload. I too was an undergraduate finance/IS major - studying for portfolio management or banking is a cake walk compared to learning cellular respiration or fluid statics/dynamics. The key to scoring well on your MCAT (from what I've read/heard) is absolutely acing and comprehending your undergraduate science courses.

That said, if you kick some serious ass in your science classes you stand to apply with an astronomical sGPA (since you have not taken any previous science classes). This can also be a curse. If you bomb a science course and get a C (or C-) your sGPA drops to a 2.0 or 1.7 instantly.

Unfortunately, I'm unfamiliar with the west coast programs. My advice: poke around the threads within this forum and ask detailed questions. People are more than willing to help, especially with the asker has done his/her research.

Good luck.

 

[DrMidlife]

I am a guy so Scripps won't work, I'll take a look at Mills.

Whoa. I had no idea Scripps was a women's college. But, like Mills, the premed postbac is co-ed. http://www.scrippscollege.edu/academics/postbac/index.php

Assuming you can actually "just get an A" in calc 2 you'd be fine. If you didn't take exams in those audited classes, you may be in for a reset. Take calc 1 unless you're really sure you already have the material mastered (which usually results from working massive boatloads of problems).

Best of luck to you.