Very low GPA, high MCAT--What do you think?

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ajd86

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I got a 41P on the MCAT but my GPA is 3.0 overall, 2.2 for my upper division biochem requirements at UCLA. I have been working full time as an EMT-basic while also enrolled as a full time student at UCLA. I have no research or volunteer experience. What are your thoughts?

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Congratulations on the great MCAT score. I can understand why you have a B average, considering you work full time, but adcomms may not appreciate this unless they dig deeper into your application. Could you elaborate on your BCPM GPA and year-by-year GPA? I'm wondering if you have a recent upward trend, or one really bad semester that brought your GPA so low. Having no research is not so much an issue, but having no community service is likely to be a problem for your application. Are there other moderating factors of having a family to support, non-traditional age, etc?
 
High MCAT scores alone do not make you qualified for medical school. Especially without real experience in the field aside from EMT work (which is not the same as shadowing and other clinical experiences) and a low GPA reflecting a strong downward trend...you at the very least need to consider the fact that with low GPAs adcoms want to see upward, not downward trends and substantial community and clinical involvement. Work, though substantial, does not excuse this performance. Tack on a year at school, pull up those grades, and get some activities in there, even if it means cutting back your time at work. You have a great MCAT working in your favor but you have little to show for how you know medicine is what you want to do.
 
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