Transferred from MIT

[vbseller]

I transferred from MIT to a local university in Virginia my sophomore year being unsatisfied with exposure to medicine at MIT, including lack of patient contact experience. My transfer was not due to poor performance at MIT (I had about a high B average there). Now I have a 4.0 average at the local university.


Through volunteering as an EMT in the local rescue squad, I’ve worked with patients from all walks of life, from the poor to the rich, from the terminally ill to the common cold, from motorcycle accidents to suicidal patients. I’m also volunteering with a doctor in a free clinic, working with below poverty level patients stricken with common life-threatening diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cirrhosis, and heart diseases. My key role is in educating these patients to lead healthier life styles, even with limited financial resources.

Will certain medical schools view this as a negative aspect/weakness? If so, which schools do I stand a better chance?

What would be the best way in explaining my situation in the interview and essay? What questions should I be prepared to answer for adcom?

I still have the opportunity to return to MIT this upcoming spring semester (begins in Feb) to finish my degree. I certainly recognize the importance of research and clinical experience; but at this point, I’m already a junior at the local university, and preparing to take the MCATs in May. If I were to return, it would certainly lengthen my undergraduate education by 3 more years. Instead of applying this summer, I would have to hold off on my application for 2 years, as I finish my biology degree there. Also, it’d obviously lower my gpa slightly. Would returning be beneficial or harmful towards my application process?

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[GraC_undr_PrsR]

Seems as though you have reasons that you transferred to another undergraduate. I don't know why this would be a negative on your application. I don't know the statistics, however in my undergraduate several premeds transferred to more prestigious schools and I assume continued on that path.

The real question is how the admissions committees will weigh your gpas from the two undergraduate institutions. For example, if MIT is viewed as more rigorous then the Bs might be excellent.

Why would you go back to MIT if you are happy where you are? I chose not to play the prestige game back when I was choosing an undergraduate (and even while I was there I was tempted to apply to another higher tier school). Then I realized that I was getting a good deal where I was. I ended up doing very well there and have no regrets!

~GraC

 

[vbseller]

GraC_undr_PrsR:
Do you mean students transferred from more prestigious schools to your undergrad program? By the way, where was your undergrad / med school, and where are you now?

 

[spicedmanna]

I transferred from MIT to a local university in Virginia my sophomore year being unsatisfied with exposure to medicine at MIT, including lack of patient contact experience. My transfer was not due to poor performance at MIT (I had about a high B average there). Now I have a 4.0 average at the local university.


Through volunteering as an EMT in the local rescue squad, I've worked with patients from all walks of life, from the poor to the rich, from the terminally ill to the common cold, from motorcycle accidents to suicidal patients. I'm also volunteering with a doctor in a free clinic, working with below poverty level patients stricken with common life-threatening diseases including diabetes, hypertension, cirrhosis, and heart diseases. My key role is in educating these patients to lead healthier life styles, even with limited financial resources.

Will certain medical schools view this as a negative aspect/weakness? If so, which schools do I stand a better chance?

What would be the best way in explaining my situation in the interview and essay? What questions should I be prepared to answer for adcom?

I still have the opportunity to return to MIT this upcoming spring semester (begins in Feb) to finish my degree. I certainly recognize the importance of research and clinical experience; but at this point, I'm already a junior at the local university, and preparing to take the MCATs in May. If I were to return, it would certainly lengthen my undergraduate education by 3 more years. Instead of applying this summer, I would have to hold off on my application for 2 years, as I finish my biology degree there. Also, it'd obviously lower my gpa slightly. Would returning be beneficial or harmful towards my application process?

I don't see a compelling reason for you to return to MIT, provided you are receiving a good education and are happy where you are right now. It doesn't appear to be worth the cost to you in terms of time. For the most part, medical schools don't care so much what school(s) you have attended, or are attending; they care more about your performance. If you look around here in the non-trad forum, you'll find that a number of successful candidates who went to multiple undergraduate institutions. It's not too big of a deal, and you had a compelling reason. Some schools do have a formula where they assign a few extra points to your admissions composite score if you went to a top tier undergraduate institution, or had a difficult major, but this is not by any means the norm, I wouldn't think. Mostly, I would think it's just subjective name recognition on the part of the admissions committee. Your undergraduate GPA and MCAT are by far the more determining factors in admissions, not the school(s) you attended.

EDIT: When AMCAS calculates your undergraduate GPA, it will average in all of your undergraduate classes from every post-secondary school you have ever attended. It does NOT list, or calculate, separate GPA's for each school you attended. Instead, your undergraduate GPA is broken down by status, i.e., Freshman, Sophomore, etc.

 

[Lebesgue]

You should have good reasons for direction. That includes leaving MIT and potentially going back. Not many people get to train at MIT - I can't imagine leaving that school to get more volunteer exposure. Don't people get sick near MIT?... I'm sure your 4.0 is due in no small part to the bar being held much lower.

Med school is no guarantee, even if you volunteer near a lesser university and score a 4.0. If it were me... I would likely finish out at MIT (two years is nothing), securing myself an avenue to attend any grad school I wanted in the future, and then volunteer near the campus. You could say that you missed the challenge that MIT provided and wanted to finish out there.

It does matter where you train (helps getting into med school and getting into residency) and what you train in, and MIT is doing some cutting edge research from what I understand. You could get involved with it while you’re there and probably write your ticket to med school. You should score > 30 on the MCAT, and have a GPA ~ 3.5. When I was accepted to med school and then to residency, many of my interviewers were impressed I studied math since it is perceived as being harder than the average road. It will be the same for you coming from MIT – a 3.5 from MIT will carry more weight than a 4.0 from your VA state school. Yes AMCAS calculates the whole GPA but the admissions committee is not composed of idiots – they will see you went to MIT.

Follow your own road but be careful about throwing aside great opportunities. MIT on your CV will benefit you far into the future. Of course, I went to a state school for financial reasons, and it has not hindered me in my life – I suspect if you stay in VA it will not hinder you either.

Best wishes.

 

[Pemberley]

Not many people get to train at MIT - I can't imagine leaving that school to get more volunteer exposure. Don't people get sick near MIT?... I'm sure your 4.0 is due in no small part to the bar being held much lower.

I did shadowing at Massachusetts General and volunteering at New England Medical Center. Either is a short bike ride away. I'm guessing, however, that the big obstacle for MIT students is free time, not distance. That lower bar results in more free time for volunteering.

A 3.5 from MIT will carry more weight than a 4.0 from your VA state school.

Sadly, this did not match my experience. I frequently thought that I would have been better off in medical admissions with a 4.0 in women's studies from Big State Wherever. That does not mean I would be better off overall. (SDN heresy!) And since, in the end, one school accepted me -- and an excellent one -- I have nothing to complain about. The Southwestern adcom seemed to look at the significance of my low GPA in a different light than the rest of them.

MIT on your CV will benefit you far into the future.

Most certainly true. The name "Caltech" has opened doors for me repeatedly.

The bottom line is: go where you can be happy and complete your undergraduate education in a satisfying manner. This is not necessarily equal to the speediest manner. If you really hated MIT and are looking for good reasons not to go back, that's one thing. But if you're worried about time, it's not a race! I have frequently wished that I had slowed down and taken five years to graduate. Good luck.

 

[jp7]

I graduated with a BS from MIT in aero/astro, and with a MS from Caltech in mechanical engineering.

The name factor has certainly opened many doors for me in my current career in the aerospace industry. It has also drawn a lot of attention in other non-medically related fields, whether it be finances, or consulting.... etc. It gets your foot in the door, but you have to prove yourself after that. Both institutions will train you and give you the tools to be an independent thinker in any profession you choose. Not to mention, you will be better equipped to handle the demands of any high pressure and high demands of a fast pace situation. I also know plenty of people who come from lesser known schools and are absolutely brilliant, and just as hard working. Anyone can make the most of their situation.

The names of MIT and Caltech, however, has done nothing to help me in my med school application process. By engineering standards from both of my programs, my GPA is decent, but not in the eyes of medical school admissions committee. I've had one interview so far, and only then, does it seem to help me. It depends on when they stop playing the numbers game and actually look at the rest of your file. In addition to the prestige factor, I also had a lot of amazing experiences to talk about because I really took advantage of the opportunities my schools offered.

If your ultimate goal is to go to med school, I personally think that staying where you are at may be more advantagous. Keep up your 4.0. Use the extra time you have that you wouldn't have at MIT to volunteer and study for the MCATs.

If, however, you want all the other things I've already mentioned and more, then go back. (if you can) I'm not so sure it's going to be that easy to get back in after leaving it once.

I'm also not sure why you think there were no volunteering opportunities in Cambridge and Boston. I volunteered at MGH. Just about every hospital or clinic will have volunteering opportunities. As was mentioned before, you just might not have the luxury of time.

I have yet to receive an acceptance from med school, so perhaps my opinion doesn't matter too much. I do feel that had I gone to a less difficult school, getting a higher GPA would have been much easier, and that would have opened up the doors to interviews at med schools.

Good luck.

 

[twohearted]

I would stick it out at your current university. It sounds like you were unhappy a MIT and that is a good enough reason to transfer. You have an upward trend which is good. I don't see any red flags or problems with acceptance. Maybe a little research would be nice. Doesn't your university have research opportunities? Switching back to MIT would be a bad idea. Med schools would think that you are incapable of making up your mind or that you don't think things through before doing them. You can get into great med schools with good numbers. Research is a must however. Just stick it out and you'll do fine. Also did you say you are applying this summer? You might want to apply as early as possible. Applying late is a huge disadvantage. Overall, you don't have much to worry about.