too late to apply for med school? CA and ORM applicant

[herewego253]

I am currently a rising junior and a double major at a UC. I have a 3.65 at my college but during highschool I took cc classes and have a 3.0. So my overall gpa is 3.48 and if I get a 4.0 for the next 2 years I will end up with a 3.7. I was looking at my friends MSAR and a 3.7 is no where near the avg for a lot of the med schools I wanted to apply to. I only have cookie cutter EC's and a couple unique ECs and 400 hours of clinical hours and 100 research hours (non-science). Especially as an ORM and CA applicant, I feel really screwed. Is there any way I can get into med school with a 3.7 and hopefully (studying hard and praying to god) a 520 MCAT?

EDIT: My freshman gpa was super low but I received a 4.0 throughout my sophomore year.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[InfectiousDiseasesH&TM]

I am currently a rising junior and a double major at a UC. I have a 3.65 at my college but during highschool I took cc classes and have a 3.0. So my overall gpa is 3.48 and if I get a 4.0 for the next 2 years I will end up with a 3.7. I was looking at my friends MSAR and a 3.7 is no where near the avg for a lot of the med schools I wanted to apply to. I only have cookie cutter EC's and a couple unique ECs and 400 hours of clinical hours and 100 research hours (non-science). Especially as an ORM and CA applicant, I feel really screwed. Is there any way I can get into med school with a 3.7 and hopefully (studying hard and praying to god) a 520 MCAT?

EDIT: My freshman gpa was super low but I received a 4.0 throughout my sophomore year.

It depends on what your aspirations are:
1) Given your residence in California, are you aiming for medical school in the UC system, or Stanford, or USC?
- due to the competitiveness of California schools, I would improve your stats as much as possible to secure an interview; however, once you receive an interview, the process becomes much more focused on your personal story, on your vision for your medical career, and on your personality/communication skills.

2) What is your contingency for receiving grades in the next two years that do not get you to that 4.0 mark? Or if your MCAT score is below 520? What then?
- I would aspire to the highest standard, while realizing that other variables may impact your plan
- Would you be willing to complete a post-bac to reach that 3.7 mark?
- Are you okay with submitting DO applications?

So, this "is there any way" question really depends on if you want to only apply to MD schools, to MD and DO schools, or to only DO schools. Without knowing what your ultimate goals are, it becomes difficult and imprudent to give you advice without having a much deeper conversation about your plans for a career in medicine

 

[Goro]

I am currently a rising junior and a double major at a UC. I have a 3.65 at my college but during highschool I took cc classes and have a 3.0. So my overall gpa is 3.48 and if I get a 4.0 for the next 2 years I will end up with a 3.7. I was looking at my friends MSAR and a 3.7 is no where near the avg for a lot of the med schools I wanted to apply to. I only have cookie cutter EC's and a couple unique ECs and 400 hours of clinical hours and 100 research hours (non-science). Especially as an ORM and CA applicant, I feel really screwed. Is there any way I can get into med school with a 3.7 and hopefully (studying hard and praying to god) a 520 MCAT?

EDIT: My freshman gpa was super low but I received a 4.0 throughout my sophomore year.

Have you taken biostats yet? Because you don't need a 3.9 to get into med school.

You're fine for DO schools right now and rising GPA trends are always good. Many med school weight the last 2-3 years more than the entire cGPA.

 

[deleted555445]

3.7 is fine for medical school, especially if its being weighed down by CC classes taken in high school because that's so far removed from who you are today. If you get a 517+ on the MCAT you have an 80% chance of getting into medical school according to AMCAS data. Those 20% who didn't get in probably had bad school lists (thought they should only apply to top 20's and nowhere else), bad or no EC's, or bad communication skills that came through in essays or interviews. Basically, your stats wont hold you back, assuming you can actually do well on the MCAT and keep your GPA rising.

 

[herewego253]

It depends on what your aspirations are:
1) Given your residence in California, are you aiming for medical school in the UC system, or Stanford, or USC?
- due to the competitiveness of California schools, I would improve your stats as much as possible to secure an interview; however, once you receive an interview, the process becomes much more focused on your personal story, on your vision for your medical career, and on your personality/communication skills.

2) What is your contingency for receiving grades in the next two years that do not get you to that 4.0 mark? Or if your MCAT score is below 520? What then?
- I would aspire to the highest standard, while realizing that other variables may impact your plan
- Would you be willing to complete a post-bac to reach that 3.7 mark?
- Are you okay with submitting DO applications?

So, this "is there any way" question really depends on if you want to only apply to MD schools, to MD and DO schools, or to only DO schools. Without knowing what your ultimate goals are, it becomes difficult and imprudent to give you advice without having a much deeper conversation about your plans for a career in medicine

Thanks for you response! My goal was to go to UC Davis SOM because its close to my house but now I am looking at the avgs and I am not sure if I can get an interview. My goal is to do MD because I want to specialize in the future. In order to get a 4.0, Im going to work my butt off because I have no choice and becoming a doctor is all I want right now.

 

[herewego253]

3.7 is fine for medical school, especially if its being weighed down by CC classes taken in high school because that's so far removed from who you are today. If you get a 517+ on the MCAT you have an 80% chance of getting into medical school according to AMCAS data. Those 20% who didn't get in probably had bad school lists (thought they should only apply to top 20's and nowhere else), bad or no EC's, or bad communication skills that came through in essays or interviews. Basically, your stats wont hold you back, assuming you can actually do well on the MCAT and keep your GPA rising.

Thank for the encouragement! I saw that too before and wasn't too worried (granted I get above a 517) but after looking at the MSAR data (high stat avg) compared to the data that medical schools put on their website (avg stat) there was an extreme difference in avgs. In 2 years when I apply, I will post again about my school list, because now going to school in CA might not be an option.

 

[herewego253]

Have you taken biostats yet? Because you don't need a 3.9 to get into med school.

You're fine for DO schools right now and rising GPA trends are always good. Many med school weights the last 2-3 years more than the entire cGPA.

Hi Goro, thanks for responding! I haven't taken biostats but I have taken stats haha. Thanks, MD is where I want to be for now, and I saw on other threads you said UCSF values reinvention. What do you mean by reinvention, is that only for drastic improvement in GPA? In freshman year, I ended with a 3.5 but sophomore year (and hopefully junior and senior) I ended with a 4.0. Does that seem like an immense improvement? Also, another off-topic question I had, as if I was born and lived in another state for 10+ years, would the med school in that state value that? Without giving out too must info I am talking about MN. Thanks!

 

[deleted555445]

Thank for the encouragement! I saw that too before and wasn't too worried (granted I get above a 517) but after looking at the MSAR data (high stat avg) compared to the data that medical schools put on their website (avg stat) there was an extreme difference in avgs. In 2 years when I apply, I will post again about my school list, because now going to school in CA might not be an option.

Going to school in CA is not an option for many people even with a 4.0. 3.7 is the median MCAT for Davis, and 512 is the median MCAT, so you definitely have a shot if you continue to improve. Especially if the majority of your bad grades are before college and during freshman year. Schools consider trends, rigor of classwork, etc along with GPA.

But you need something to make you stand out in CA, there are just too many people in the state for too few spots, and big schools like UCSF and UCLA giving little preference to in-state applicants. Staying in CA will probably come down to luck. But I would say anywhere 3.65+ wont hurt your chances at Davis, especially with a good MCAT. Just be prepared to move states if needed, and remember its only 4 years and there's a lot more going on in the country outside California!

 

[Goro]

Hi Goro, thanks for responding! I haven't taken biostats but I have taken stats haha. Thanks, MD is where I want to be for now, and I saw on other threads you said UCSF values reinvention. What do you mean by reinvention, is that only for drastic improvement in GPA? In freshman year, I ended with a 3.5 but sophomore year (and hopefully junior and senior) I ended with a 4.0. Does that seem like an immense improvement? Also, another off-topic question I had, as if I was born and lived in another state for 10+ years, would the med school in that state value that? Without giving out too must info I am talking about MN. Thanks!

Beggars can't be choosy. As a reinventor, you will need DO schools on your list.

Yes, a massive rising GPA trend counts as one form of reinvention.

Yes, living in a state for ten years can count as a tie to that state.

 

[herewego253]

Going to school in CA is not an option for many people even with a 4.0. 3.7 is the median MCAT for Davis, and 512 is the median MCAT, so you definitely have a shot if you continue to improve. Especially if the majority of your bad grades are before college and during freshman year. Schools consider trends, rigor of classwork, etc along with GPA.

But you need something to make you stand out in CA, there are just too many people in the state for too few spots, and big schools like UCSF and UCLA giving little preference to in-state applicants. Staying in CA will probably come down to luck. But I would say anywhere 3.65+ wont hurt your chances at Davis, especially with a good MCAT. Just be prepared to move states if needed, and remember its only 4 years and there's a lot more going on in the country outside California!

That's true thank you!

 

[herewego253]

Beggars can't be choosy. As a reinventor, you will need DO schools on your list.

Yes, a massive rising GPA trend counts as one form of reinvention.

Yes, living in a state for ten years can count as a tie to that state.

Thanks! Are the CA DO schools as competitive as CA MD schools?

 

[Goro]

Thanks! Are the CA DO schools as competitive as CA MD schools?

Not that I'm aware of