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I'm still a newbie around here, and have been debating my options for preparing for med school (essentially taking the pre-req sciences, preparing for the MCAT). Some days I'm all for going the informal route (and saving the $$), but in the back of my mind I feel the formality and structure of a formal program could be quite beneficial for a career changer like myself.
I'm in my mid-20s. With that in mind, being able to get the BCPMs complete quickly would be ideal--medical school is already such a long road.
I've scanned the boards and haven't really found someone with my situation, so I was hoping to get some advise about my chances at a top program (Goucher, Scripps, Bryn Mawr, etc.).
I'm an MPH student with a 3.9 GPA (and 4.0 GPA in the public health science). My undergrad GPA (very little science involved), from a top 30 school, is roughly a 3.8. I was ill (and ill-prepared) when I took the GRE, so my score isn't great--I did OK on the verbal and writing portions, but the QR not so much--around 1200 total; knowing that I only applied to one MPH program for Spring entrance (thinking I'd retake the GRE and apply for Fall entrance to more programs if needed). Since I got in, I didn't sweat it. Now I'm worried it will hurt my chances for a formal program. Is my non-stellar GRE going to kill me? I have a low-30s ACT (I can't remember that far back), if that's of any use.
I'm starting a non-paid internship with a public health non-profit in the Fall (my last semester), but that's the extent of my recent volunteer/internship experience. No research background. Have spent about 9 months in Africa doing humanitarian work, but the last of that was one summer in college (mid-2000s). My reasons for medical school now are personal (and I don't want to go into too much detail, in effort to retain anonymity) but I feel they are very compelling. Plus I knew I was inching that way when I decided to pursue an MPH, already very different from my publishing career. One parent, now long deceased, was a doctor, so I spent a lot of time around a medical office as a child.
Thoughts? (and sorry for the length!)
I'm in my mid-20s. With that in mind, being able to get the BCPMs complete quickly would be ideal--medical school is already such a long road.
I've scanned the boards and haven't really found someone with my situation, so I was hoping to get some advise about my chances at a top program (Goucher, Scripps, Bryn Mawr, etc.).
I'm an MPH student with a 3.9 GPA (and 4.0 GPA in the public health science). My undergrad GPA (very little science involved), from a top 30 school, is roughly a 3.8. I was ill (and ill-prepared) when I took the GRE, so my score isn't great--I did OK on the verbal and writing portions, but the QR not so much--around 1200 total; knowing that I only applied to one MPH program for Spring entrance (thinking I'd retake the GRE and apply for Fall entrance to more programs if needed). Since I got in, I didn't sweat it. Now I'm worried it will hurt my chances for a formal program. Is my non-stellar GRE going to kill me? I have a low-30s ACT (I can't remember that far back), if that's of any use.
I'm starting a non-paid internship with a public health non-profit in the Fall (my last semester), but that's the extent of my recent volunteer/internship experience. No research background. Have spent about 9 months in Africa doing humanitarian work, but the last of that was one summer in college (mid-2000s). My reasons for medical school now are personal (and I don't want to go into too much detail, in effort to retain anonymity) but I feel they are very compelling. Plus I knew I was inching that way when I decided to pursue an MPH, already very different from my publishing career. One parent, now long deceased, was a doctor, so I spent a lot of time around a medical office as a child.
Thoughts? (and sorry for the length!)
