Undergraduate Sophmore: Too late to decide to go to medical school?

[Thenewguy02]

Hi,

I have always floated the idea of medical school around in my head, but never really took the next step. I am finally beginning to think that medical school may be for me, however, I feel I may be too late.

In my current situation, I am a sophomore, majoring in Bioresource Research, with a biotechnology option, and a chemistry minor. I recently switched to this major from Radiation Health Physics. I have done no real volunteering and extracurricular activities(Save for club baseball my freshman year, but I had to drop due to commuting problems). My GPA is at a 3.98 currently, and i am on track to graduate in four years, while fulfilling all the premedical course requirements.

I think I will end up somewhere in the 3.8 to 3.9 GPA range. Is it too late? What should I start doing to get a solid application? I can get good letters of recommendation, although I am at a large state school, so during the year, clinical experience is not as easily available on campus. Where should I get this experience? And will this late experience set me off as a "shallow" applicant?

I have currently applied for both a hospital research internship, the Honor's college at my University, and an internship with Monsanto for this summer.

My other concern is the new MCAT's. I have taken all the basic biology, physics, chemistry, and math, through vector calculus, sociology, but not organic chemistry, and this will push back biochemistry to my senior year. Is it possible to take the MCAT's before biochemistry, and score decently?

Bottom line, in my position, what should I do? Thanks!

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[Life Sucks]

Sigh
No, it's not too late.

 

[Keladry]

It's definitely not too late! Start looking for clinical experiences now. If there aren't any on campus, what about in the community? Depending on what forms of transportation you have available, you should be able to find something nearby, whether it's a hospital or a clinic. Start contacting people there and/or their volunteer departments to see if you can set something up. If you'll be home for the summer, you can start looking into clinical options there too. Starting in your sophomore year will not look shallow - if it comes up in an interview (which I doubt it would), you can explain the situation the way you did here.

Yes, you can take the MCAT before biochem. I did, and got a 37. 🙂

Best of luck!

 

[mik30102]

Based on what I saw in my experimental section on biochem I think it would be unwise to take a 2015 mcat without biochem under your belt (though really no one knows as of now). The organic chem on the current incarnation is pretty basic so perhaps you could self teach yourself that instead over the summer and shoot for a late 2014 mcat? It's also not to late at all
.

 

[mik30102]

It's definitely not too late! Start looking for clinical experiences now. If there aren't any on campus, what about in the community? Depending on what forms of transportation you have available, you should be able to find something nearby, whether it's a hospital or a clinic. Start contacting people there and/or their volunteer departments to see if you can set something up. If you'll be home for the summer, you can start looking into clinical options there too. Starting in your sophomore year will not look shallow - if it comes up in an interview (which I doubt it would), you can explain the situation the way you did here.

Yes, you can take the MCAT before biochem. I did, and got a 37. 🙂

Best of luck!

I think OP is talking about possibly taking a 2015 mcat before biochem, which specifically will test biochemistry topics.

 

[WillburCobb]

 

[woltej1]

Well the fastest path is take MCAT and apply your junior year, so MCAT should be done by may or june. You really only have 1 year to get in clinical experiences. If you've literally done nothing application worthy your sophmore year then maybe a gap year might help you out.

Your academics are good so far. The new MCAT is going to be much different, but just either buy some books and self study along with buying a package of practice tests or look into a structured course. Depends on your study style.

To give you a short answer, no it's not late. No matter what you got to start doing community involvement now along with clinical experience. If you didn't do anything this past year a gap year is recommended to app build. If you have then study your ass off to take the MCAT right after your junior year and apply early.

 

[Thenewguy02]

Sorry if it was a poor question guys, I am brand new to the forums, and premedical in general. I assumed if you were not on top of the volunteering, than you are best shot is at low end/Caribbean medical schools. But, am I correct in assuming if I start taking a volunteer day, and shadowing a few times a week, I would be in a decent position for mid-tier medical schools?

And, I am not opposed to taking a gap year, taking the MCAT's with Organic Chem and Biochem under my belt. The other option is to take the current MCAT? Would not doing internships, and then taking accelerated organic chemistry over the summer, as well as studying for the MCAT's, and taking them late 2014, be a bad idea?

 

[woltej1]

You will need to be doing some kind of meaningful clinical experience or volunteer work no matter what. It might not be a bad idea to try and take the current MCAT later this year, then take a gap year to work on your ECs more strongly. You have a lot of work to do, but your academics are strong so far and a 32+ on the MCAT along with some EC work would make you a decent MD or DO applicant. Major downside is how long you've taken to start as it makes people wonder how much thought has gone into it.

 

[Being]

Undergraduate Sophmore: Too late to decide to go to medical school?

 

[Thenewguy02]

Thanks for the positive feedback. Would volunteering at a free clinic during the summer months be a good start? And Being, I promise you, I am not being a "troll".

 

[woltej1]

Yes, that is a start. Look into a job called a clinical scribe. It is like shadowing, but you get paid, poorly, but still paid. Hours are usually flexible and the learning experience is second to none clinically wise. Also gives you a lot to talk about during a future interview.