Wait or Go?

[BUmiken12]

Okay, let me start this off by saying that I don't mean to be pretentious and I don't automatically assume I'll get into a med school. Here's my question: would you go to a med school that you were already accepted to, or would you wait a year to bring up some of your grades and then try to get into one of your top choices? The reason I ask is that I had a personal tragedy my freshman year, and have sub-par grades for my first 3 semesters. Since then, I have gotten 4.0's every semester (this being the Spring of my Junior year) and have been scoring in the mid 30's on my TPR diags. I think I'd have a good chance of getting into one of the Texas schools, but I'd really like to go to Mayo, Penn State, etc. I'm just wondering if I should just wait a year off and hopefully get 4.0's my senior year too and then apply, or just apply now. Thanks in advance...

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[deva]

I say wait, unless there is a chance that you will get into one of the good schools if you apply this year. If there is a chance, then apply this year, but don't apply to any backups (like your state school) - that way you won't be tempted to go to them. If you don't get accepted, then apply the next year.

Oh, and what exactly does sub-par mean? You probably don't need a 4.0 from every semester to get into a good school.

 

[none]

Go where ever you can get in. Do you really want to give up a year of a physician's salary? It just doesn't matter enough where you end up, certainly not enough to sacrifice 365 days of your life.

 

[medicine2006]

Just Go! Medical school admissions is a tricky process and even the best of candidates (numbers wise) sometimes get passed over. Plus wasting a year for a chance at getting into a better school is time better spent learning medicine.

 

[BUmiken12]

by sub-par, I mean 3.3-3.5

thanks for all the help so far....any others?

 

[Trek]

Bro- getting in and NOT going to the school looks terrible. Someone else said it eloquently in another thread- if you really want to be in medicine why not go to a school you're accepted to. And what's this about Penn state over Southwestern and Baylor???? Those are truly two of the best schools, especially considering the LOW tuition, in the country. Course, i'm biased, but it's the truth. --Trek

 

[johnM]

I don't see how 1 more year is going to bring up your grades. you should apply now, and go to a school you can get in to. it really doesn't matter that much WHERE you go, you'll see that pretty much every med school in the US is good.

 

[CoffeeCat]

WAIT a year. Geez, why does everyone consider it "wasting" a year? Take a year off and do somthing fun or scholarly, that way, you'll have a better GPA and you can do something in that year you're applying to improve your chances. Here are a few programs I'd suggest:

1) Americorps - a lot of schools love teachers, great fun and looks good on your resume

2) Georgetown SMP - you get to live in DC, earn a masters and take med school classes during the year, plus they WANT you to get into med school and help out with that - ie, sending your new grades plus additional letters of rec to the schools you're applying, also you have about a 20% chance of getting into Georgetown. Negatives are that it's hard and costs a whole bunch of money.

3) Anything! Travel, get a masters in public health, etc. Your application will only increase in value

 

[PunkRockDoc]

If you get in somewhere, you should go. Schools will know if you were accepted somewhere the year before. It simply brings up a question of your motivation: "This person had a chance to go to school last year, but turned it down to reapply this year. How badly does he want to become a doctor?"

But this process is a whole shot in the dark. It may not make a difference at all, but it could.

 

[oldman]

apply to medical school when you feel best prepared for it. that way you only have to do it 1x.

 

[amonkeybutt]

I say wait. It sounds like, in your heart, you would rather go to the top schools so why not wait? Ideally, you would only subject yourself to this admissions process once so take some time and enjoy yourself then apply (if you think your chances will be better). Plus if you become a physician, you will have the rest of your life to practice (and earn a physician's salary from what none says) but you only have so little time to enjoy life BEFORE medicine. I agree with a previous post, DO NOT apply and not go if you get accepted, it looks very bad. Go with your heart, I think you already know :wink:

 

[BUmiken12]

So I guess the only real consensus is that if I apply and get in, I should go, but the real question is whether or not I should apply this year? I didn't know it looked so bad to apply and then turn down a rejection. Thanks for the tips!

 

[mpp]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by BUmiken12:
•by sub-par, I mean 3.3-3.5

thanks for all the help so far....any others?•••••I got into Mayo with a 3.51 GPA (3.44 BCPM) and a 35 MCAT (11V 12B 12P M). Kill the MCAT and some schools may let a "sub-par" GPA slide by.

 

[BUmiken12]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by mpp:
• •••quote:•••Originally posted by BUmiken12:
•by sub-par, I mean 3.3-3.5

thanks for all the help so far....any others?•••••I got into Mayo with a 3.51 GPA (3.44 BCPM) and a 35 MCAT (11V 12B 12P M). Kill the MCAT and some schools may let a "sub-par" GPA slide by.•••••mpp,
ARE YOU SERIOUS????? I figured that I had no chance whatsoever of getting into Mayo (my dream school). Did you have some sort of unusual talent (able to speak 14 different languages, or play 7 different instruments, or find cure for AIDS), or what? That's so incredible; have you decided where you're going yet?

 

[Jalby]

I would say only apply to yhe schools you really want to go to. It would cost a few hundred dollars, but it could save you a year. Besides, you can send them updates on your most recent grades if you don't get an interview. But don't apply anywhere where you might turn down the acceptance to apply again.

On that subject, I do know one person who turned down an acceptance at UCSD and who is applying again right now. I personally think he was stupid to do that, but he said he has hardly been asked at all why he turned them down. (I think he said 3 times out of 8 interviews)