What Are My Chances and Other General Questions

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Step 1: Lose the URL for SDN for the next three years.
Step 2: Get laid.
Step 3: Repeat step 2 as often as possible.
Step 4: Relax. If necessary, may I recommend a low dose benzodiazepine or maybe Paxil?
 
I think your doing a little too much with the summer thing. Slow down and don't be in a hurry. Take your time and make sure you do it right. God bless.
 
BlackDr2b said:
I think your doing a little too much with the summer thing. Slow down and don't be in a hurry. Take your time and make sure you do it right. God bless.
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No, take classes in the summer. You'll knock them out of the way and be able to take higher level classes come your later years. Lots of difficult high level classes = better medical schools.
 
The dangerous thing about your summer class schedule is that it is too much. Summer classes move VERY quickly. Taking 12 credits (They add up to 12, not the 11 you have) in the summer is equivalent, in daily work, to taking 18 during a normal semester. One illness or unexpected event can wreck your entire summer. What often happens is that students either burn out during the summer or have a delayed reaction and have difficulty pulling through the fall semester, just because they are worn out.

Go ahead and take a summer classes, just not so much at once.
 
I wanted to put my info out there and see what you guys thought. I'm a little worried because I don't have stellar grades or MCAT scores and I don't have that much clinical experience.

Gender: Female
Major: Biology
Overall GPA: 3.65
Science GPA: 3.57
MCAT: VR:11 BS: 12 PS: 11 WS: R = 34R

EC:
-By end of the year, will have volunteered in the emergency room for 2 years
-shadowed 2 doctors, but only for a total of probably 20 hours
-Also worked as an optometric technician for 3 years (all in HS, except one summer) --> don't know if this can count as clinical experience
-Also worked as an orthodontic assistant for a semester in college --> also don't know if this can count as clinical experience
-big sister for a girl in transitional housing for 3 years
-participated in a spring break trip to nicaragua
- in a couple of premed clubs - no leadership or anything
-in a christian fellowship club
-in a couple of asian cultural orgs - no leadership
-didn't do any research, but did this sort of thing where I came in and observed/helped out with research of an old professor -- so research shadowed for a semester? (don't know if this can count)
-dean's list 5/7 semesters
-robert c. byrd honors scholarship recipient
-studied abroad in south africa/mozambique for a summer

I'm worried because I don't have much in terms of clinical and def. nothing to distinguish myself. I also haven't had any leadership positions.

My BCMP grades would be better too, but my second year took a dip in grades getting C+'s in orgo labs and in a bio class. Nothing to blame, just didn't do well in those classes even though I tried.

I also am a senior and will be applying next cycle. So I am taking a year off. Not sure what I'm doing yet, but I was trying to get some international medical volunteering. However, I don't think it's going to work and it looks like I'll probably be teaching english in france. I know it's not medically related (though I would like to see if I can volunteer while I'm there), but I wanted to know if that would hurt me.

So, in conclusion, what I would like to know is what kind of schools do you think I'd be able to get into? What schools do you think I should apply to? Is there anything I should be doing now to make myself better?

I know this was A LOT of info, but thanks sooo much for looking and I'd really appreciate any input at all!

oh and btw, I have advanced standing and advanced placement in english and I took one semester of english in college. Will that still count for the year of english that most colleges require? I got a really cryptic answer from my prehealth advisor, so I really don't know.

Again, any help is appreciated! Thanks! :laugh:
 
Here's a tip you probably don't know: Good professors do NOT teach during the summer. It's a break for most students, and it'll be a "break" for the professors as well.

Another tip: You will do better in classes which you have friends. Organic chemistry and Physics are NOT easy subjects and should never be taken in summer unless it's a last resort.

Final tip: Do NOT take the second part of a course series in Fall. Again, the whole "good professor" bit comes into play again. A "good" professor will usually only teach a large section in the Fall for the first part of a series and then another large section in the spring for the second part. This applies for intro bio, intro chem, ochem, physics and biochemistry as well(if it's a two-part course).
 
TheRealMD said:
Here's a tip you probably don't know: Good professors do NOT teach during the summer. It's a break for most students, and it'll be a "break" for the professors as well.

Another tip: You will do better in classes which you have friends. Organic chemistry and Physics are NOT easy subjects and should never be taken in summer unless it's a last resort.

Final tip: Do NOT take the second part of a course series in Fall. Again, the whole "good professor" bit comes into play again. A "good" professor will usually only teach a large section in the Fall for the first part of a series and then another large section in the spring for the second part. This applies for intro bio, intro chem, ochem, physics and biochemistry as well(if it's a two-part course).
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Do you really need a good professor for ochem or physics? Those classes aren't exactly rocket surgery. They're the prereqs to it.
 
TheRealMD said:
Here's a tip you probably don't know: Good professors do NOT teach during the summer. It's a break for most students, and it'll be a "break" for the professors as well.
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I disagree. I have taken seven classes over the summer and only had one questionalbe prof and that was anthro. The history, physics, and philo profs were all great.

My advice: evaluate where you are standing. If you are on course to graduate in four years, think if you actually want to spend your summer in the classroom. I am getting two degrees so I needed to take a few summer classes so that I could still graduate on time. Some may say you won't retain as much from your summer classes, but I would argue I don't retain a lot from any of my classes.
 
Cegar said:
Do you really need a good professor for ochem or physics? Those classes aren't exactly rocket surgery. They're the prereqs to it.
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If your orgo prof isn't up to par, get a copy of Janice (some really lnog G name) Smith's organic chemistry textbook. By far one of the best textbooks I have encountered in my college career.
 
shiftingmirage said:
If your orgo prof isn't up to par, get a copy of Janice (some really lnog G name) Smith's organic chemistry textbook. By far one of the best textbooks I have encountered in my college career.
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51oK6tEP8pL._SS500_.jpg


Damn right.
 
Dienekes said:
Step 1: Lose the URL for SDN for the next three years.
Step 2: Get laid.
Step 3: Repeat step 2 as often as possible.
Step 4: Relax. If necessary, may I recommend a low dose benzodiazepine or maybe Paxil?
Click to expand...

Use your own discretion with this rather than a demographic stereotype. Also, use condoms and ask about STDs.
 
Cegar said:
Do you really need a good professor for ochem or physics? Those classes aren't exactly rocket surgery. They're the prereqs to it.
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I think I found my new speciality. :meanie:
 
I would not take Organic and Physics over the summer. I mean it is bad enough to have those classes together during a regular semester and if you take it over summer, it would be insane. It is ok, they you took less credits this year. You are only 2 credits behind and besides it takes time to adjust to a new environment.
 
Dude, PLEASE just enjoy college for awhile. Don't get all caught up in this yet...

Also, you said its "too late" for hospital volunteering because freshman year is almost over? I never stepped foot inside a hospital until my Junior to Senior summer, and I have never heard a criticism about it.
 
I took the MCAT once and got 37R (11VR / 12PS / 14BS)

Both my total GPA and science GPA are 3.6.

Extracirriculars:

Two years as a student library assistant with a knack for helping other people find research articles on their topic (I can get a good recommendation from the reference librarian)

Two years lab experience with transgenic mosquitoes. Mostly I maintain transgenic lines and the mice they feed on, as well as do the mice feedings. But I do have one unpublished internship involving screening, DNA extraction, amplification, and sequence analysis I can talk about.

30hrs volunteer in medical-surgery ward of a hospital. Nonshadowing and I won't be able to get a recommendation here because the doctors I worked with was different every shift. But I did interact with patients and can write about my experience seeing healthcare being delivered.

Volunteer writing tutor at my school's Center for Academic Success. I can get a strong letter of recommendation here because they usually only offer this position to people with degrees.

---------------------------------------------------------

So, I'm in Maryland right now and would love to pay the in-state at University of Maryland. What are my chances?

Should I aim higher and apply to Hopkins?

I'm also interested in University of Florida, Albert Einstein, and SUNY Buffalo.

Also, I realize shadowing is something I am missing from my application, but any other advice would be appreciated. Thanks.
 
grumpydoc,

I think you're in good shape, but you might want to get a little bit more clinical exposure. 30 hours is not much. do you have plans to shadow or continue in the med surg ward?

as far as schools to apply to, you need to check out the MSAR. find schools that have average stats closer to yours. that 37 will probably open a few more doors, so you could probably stand to apply to more "top tier" schools. i would say apply to 12-15 schools with a good mix of state schools, private schools, and "elite" schools. you should get in somewhere if you can improve your clinical exposure.
 
Thanks for the feedback Jolie,

Currently I do the library, lab, and tutoring on top of being full-time student graduating in May and applying this summer. I will definitely get some shadowing right after I graduate but right now I don't have the time. Will it be enough if I can say along these lines on my application: "Clinical exposure is something I am starting and will plan to continue in my year off school?"
 
GrumpyDoc said:
Thanks for the feedback Jolie,

Currently I do the library, lab, and tutoring on top of being full-time student graduating in May and applying this summer. I will definitely get some shadowing right after I graduate but right now I don't have the time. Will it be enough if I can say along these lines on my application: "Clinical exposure is something I am starting and will plan to continue in my year off school?"
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I think it might be better to get some before then. You want to prove that you know what you're getting yourself into. could you scale back one of your other activities to get in a few shadowing hours in before graduation?
 
Jolie South said:
I think it might be better to get some before then. You want to prove that you know what you're getting yourself into. could you scale back one of your other activities to get in a few shadowing hours in before graduation?
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If I have to, then I will. So, that shadowing is a must have?
 
beenie said:
I wanted to put my info out there and see what you guys thought. I'm a little worried because I don't have stellar grades or MCAT scores and I don't have that much clinical experience.

Gender: Female
Major: Biology
Overall GPA: 3.65
Science GPA: 3.57
MCAT: VR:11 BS: 12 PS: 11 WS: R = 34R

EC:
-By end of the year, will have volunteered in the emergency room for 2 years
-shadowed 2 doctors, but only for a total of probably 20 hours

I'm worried because I don't have much in terms of clinical and def. nothing to distinguish myself. I also haven't had any leadership positions.

My BCMP grades would be better too, but my second year took a dip in grades getting C+'s in orgo labs and in a bio class. Nothing to blame, just didn't do well in those classes even though I tried.

So, in conclusion, what I would like to know is what kind of schools do you think I'd be able to get into? What schools do you think I should apply to? Is there anything I should be doing now to make myself better?
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What have you been doing in an emergency room for 2 years that you don't have much clinical experience? Maybe we define "clinical experience" differently. My definition (for pre-meds, anyway) is "the observation of or assistance with patient care." Surely you observed a lot of patient care in your time at the ER? Don't you feel comfortable in a hospital setting and understand the roles of physicians there? These are the most important lessons from pre-medical school clinical experiences.

I had similar stats to yours. Based on numbers alone, you could be a competitive applicant at many schools, but you will really have to sell yourself well in your personal statement, secondary essays, and interviews. If you want to go to France, GO TO FRANCE. Interacting with people of another culture is a great experience and one that matures us and broadens our perspectives. While you're there, research the health care system (universal) and make notes about what you do and don't like, then compare that to what you do and don't like about the US health care system. Because health care reform is such a huge topic right now (and I worked in an ER for a year and a half), it came up in several of my interviews. Because I had given it a lot of thought, I was able to have some great conversations with my interviewers and was accepted everywhere I interviewed.
 
nevercold said:
Use your own discretion with this rather than a demographic stereotype. Also, use condoms and ask about STDs.
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Did I say it had to be with more than one person? But you're right, use protection.
 
Here is my stats

MCAT: 2006 - 9 Phy, 9 Verbal, 7 Bio - 25P
2007 - 7 Phy, 8 Verbal, 9 Bio - 24M
2008 - 12 Phy, 8 Verbal, 9 Bio - 29P (After PR course)

GPA: Science 3.63, Overall 3.73

Experience:

50 hrs Hospital Volunteer (ER)
Over 1000 hrs EMS Rescue Squad
TA for EMS class

Resident: VA

Advice?
 
CrewBHB said:
Here is my stats

MCAT: 2006 - 9 Phy, 9 Verbal, 7 Bio - 25P
2007 - 7 Phy, 8 Verbal, 9 Bio - 24M
2008 - 12 Phy, 8 Verbal, 9 Bio - 29P (After PR course)

GPA: Science 3.63, Overall 3.73

Experience:

50 hrs Hospital Volunteer (ER)
Over 1000 hrs EMS Rescue Squad
TA for EMS class

Resident: VA



Advice?
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Apply early and Broadly to MD and DO.
 
Hey Guys,

Here are my stats, which is not great but workable. Advice would be appreciated.

MCAT (January 25 2008): 11BS 11PS 9VR R WS = 31R
overall GPA: 3.65
BCPM GPA: 3.60

Came from a community college transferred to UC Davis
Major: Exercise Biology with a minor in Nutrition Science

ECs:

Usual pre-med stuff: 🙂
Volunteered at 2 hospitals (ER, Rehab, In-Patient Unit) (+200 hours)
Lab assistant at a clinic(+100 hours)
Research assistant (Respiratory Medicine) (+100 hours)
Shadowing (family, internal, cardiologist, dermatologist) (+75 hours total)

Community service work for senior citizens(+30 hours)
Physical education assistant for middle school kids (+30 hours)

Worked for the past 6 years ranging hours from 15-40 hrs/week:
Jobs ranging from managerial positions to customer service

Fun stuff : 😀
Intercollegiate sports -- Cross country + Track and Field (1 year)
Training for marathons and triathlons (ongoing...)
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
Car designing/art illustrations
Learning to play the guitar
Traveling (Canada, China, and South Africa)


So with all my stats out of the way I need your opinion on whether or not I should apply this coming cycle or next cycle. I am a CA resident and would love to stay in CA. Here are my current schools I want to apply to:

Stanford
UCSF
UCLA
UC Davis
UC Irvine
USC
NYMC
Albert Einstein
Rosalind Franklin
Albany
UMDNJ -- Newark
Michigan State

Some advice on where to apply to would also help a lot but I prefer to be either on the west or east coast.

So overall what is your advice? Am I good enough to go this cycle? Is my MCAT score high enough for CA med schools or apply next cycle and retake my MCAT/improve ECs?

Thank you again in advance for your help guys.
 
SilentNight said:
Hey Guys,

Here are my stats, which is not great but workable. Advice would be appreciated.

MCAT (January 25 2008): 11BS 11PS 9VR R WS = 31R
overall GPA: 3.65
BCPM GPA: 3.60

Came from a community college transferred to UC Davis
Major: Exercise Biology with a minor in Nutrition Science

ECs:

Usual pre-med stuff: 🙂
Volunteered at 2 hospitals (ER, Rehab, In-Patient Unit) (+200 hours)
Lab assistant at a clinic(+100 hours)
Research assistant (Respiratory Medicine) (+100 hours)
Shadowing (family, internal, cardiologist, dermatologist) (+75 hours total)

Community service work for senior citizens(+30 hours)
Physical education assistant for middle school kids (+30 hours)

Worked for the past 6 years ranging hours from 15-40 hrs/week:
Jobs ranging from managerial positions to customer service

Fun stuff : 😀
Intercollegiate sports -- Cross country + Track and Field (1 year)
Training for marathons and triathlons (ongoing...)
ACSM Certified Personal Trainer
Car designing/art illustrations
Learning to play the guitar
Traveling (Canada, China, and South Africa)


So with all my stats out of the way I need your opinion on whether or not I should apply this coming cycle or next cycle. I am a CA resident and would love to stay in CA. Here are my current schools I want to apply to:

Stanford
UCSF
UCLA
UC Davis
UC Irvine
USC
NYMC
Albert Einstein
Rosalind Franklin
Albany
UMDNJ -- Newark
Michigan State

Some advice on where to apply to would also help a lot but I prefer to be either on the west or east coast.

So overall what is your advice? Am I good enough to go this cycle? Is my MCAT score high enough for CA med schools or apply next cycle and retake my MCAT/improve ECs?

Thank you again in advance for your help guys.
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Your stats arent really competitve at Stanford and UCSF. Michigan state and UMDNJ pretty much take only instate, but the other ones seem like good choices.
 
Thanks for the response amwatts

I know Stanford and UCSF are really out of my league but then what would you say is a competitive applicant for Stanford or UCSF?
 
SilentNight said:
Thanks for the response amwatts

I know Stanford and UCSF are really out of my league but then what would you say is a competitive applicant for Stanford or UCSF?
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Stats wise... 35, 3.8. Plus you definitely need research for those schools, Stanford has a place on their secondary for you to list your publications!?!?!

I think you have a decent shot at the other schools but if you would be willing to leave cali, I think you should apply to a few more
 
Thanks nu2004!

Hahaha. I guess I felt like I didn't have that much clinical experience because I've been talking to my friends who have done medical missions trips, interned at children's hospitals, done intense shadowing, and EMT. That's probably why I should NOT talk to them!

And I think I will go to France! And I will definitely keep the health care reform in mind. =)

Also, I'm a virginia resident. What do you think my chances of getting into UVA are? Will I be ok as I am or will I have to have a killer personal statement, secondaries, and interview?

Well, thanks again! =)
 
Hello,

I have the option to spend a year taking undergrad science courses to upgrade my GPA from 3.30 to about 3.50. My overall during that time will only go up from 3.53 to 3.60 (assuming I get a 3.9 during the year).

I have a very strong upward trend, with my last 26 classes yielding an overall GPA of 3.9, and my last 36 credits of science will also have 3.6 but due to my overall stupidity the first couple years, my overall GPA will only be 3.54 or so even after the trend.

So spend a year going from 3.54 to 3.6 overall, and 3.3 to 3.5 science, or spend that year doing SMP or something else?
 
You should take the MCAT ASAP and find out whether you need to. Your MCAT may make admissions possible without SMP, or it may make admissions impossible even with. But prepare for the worst, and if you don't take the MCAT before July, plan on doing SMP anyway. If you apply with that 3.3, consider adding DOs as safeties, regardless of your MCAT score.

In my opinion, gap years should be spent correcting the problems in your application, so if you were to take a gap year, SMP would be smart.
 
I think that's a great idea. Take the extra undergrad classes to raise your gpa, and do your best on the MCAT. Your low science gpa would be a likely factor holding your back at a bunch of schools even if you got 30+ on the MCAT, so I think that would be a great thing to improve. Now, you've certainly got a shot at getting in with your current science gpa, but if you've got the option to raise it, I think you'd definitely improve your chances. Good luck!
 
Phoenix. said:
I think that's a great idea. Take the extra undergrad classes to raise your gpa, and do your best on the MCAT. Your low science gpa would be a likely factor holding your back at a bunch of schools even if you got 30+ on the MCAT, so I think that would be a great thing to improve. Now, you've certainly got a shot at getting in with your current science gpa, but if you've got the option to raise it, I think you'd definitely improve your chances. Good luck!
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Would raising it by .2 be worth spending a year on, especially if my overall will only increase by .05 (due to the massive # of credits I have)? My other options are a masters program of some kind (traditional masters or SMP).

So .2 science and .05 increase overall vs. a masters degree vs. a SMP.
 
overall gpa: 3.3
im taking the mcat this june... what should i aim for to make up for my gpa?
i am taking 2 years off after graduation this summer
ec:
publicity chair in healthy club for 2 years
1 year internship at a hospital
2 years at research (still there) hopefully ill get published but i dont know yet
after my mcat, i will start working in the ER as a scribe
travel study in chile/argentina last summer
intern for 1 year in the school's student body
volunteered as a tutor for 1 year


i know these are nothing major but i just wanna know if there is something else i should try to do to improve my chances...

thanks
 
Hey guys, I have a question that's eating me up inside...

I am a 2nd year and was recently at a friend's dorm where there was drinking occurring. I was not drinking, but when the Resident Officers came, I was written up for simply being present (and of course, accused of alcohol consumption). I had a meeting with the Resident Supervisor and he determined that there was not enough information to implicate me in the offense, so he wrote that I was "Not held responsible".

I asked him if this would be on my student record and he said that it stays with me until the day I graduate, that if someone (such as med schools) were to do a background check, it would show up that I was accused but found not responsible for the alcohol violation. This doesn't go on my transcript or anything, but it stays with my student record. My question is whether I'm required to note this on the disciplinary action section of AMCAS and whether it will impact me in med school admissions? (I guess it's kinda like being a suspect in a crime and being found not guilty, but it's still on record that you were a suspect lol).

Sorry if this sounds like a paranoid post, but this is the first time it's happened to me and I wanted to make sure I didn't really screw myself over. I know everyone is going to say "don't worry, you'll still get in", and I realize that, but will this impact me for the really top schools or anything? Thanks in advance!
 
an alcohol-related offense on your school record probably won't hinder your chances of admission.

as far as amcas goes, i'm not sure, but i don't think you'll have to report it. it sounds like sort of similar to being charged with a crime and then found not guilty.

find someone higher up in your school's administration and find out what will really be on your record. a) you need to find out if you were "not held responsible" on paper and b) to see if this is even an issue. it might not even be on there.
 
Agreed, not held responsible means you probably don't have to disclose it, and I doubt the schools would hold it against you in any case.
 
Actually, from what I understand and according to LizzyM, you must disclose any and all of it. Its not going to make a difference for admissions purposes, but I am prettys ure you have to disclose it.

Ask lizzyM to make sure.
 
Thanks Rooter76 for the comments. Here is my information again,

and the list of schools I am planning to apply, any schools should I add or subtract?
Thank you all in advance.


I graduated from Berkeley Last December in Biology, and taking some post bac classes right now, here will be my stats at end of this post bac:
Acum GPA: 3.39
BCPM: 3.35
MCAT: 33Q(10VR,10BIO, 13PS)
I nave upward trend at Berkeley except BCPM in sophomore year

volunteer 500 hours at a Free Clinic before I apply
2 summers of research (1 of them medical), no pub
1 summer intern in medical device company
2 semesters of volunteering at University medical center
6 months of free clinic physician assistance at the time of application this year and ongoing. Total clinical hours will be around 500+ hours at the time of application
1 semester volunteering none medical related 2 hours a week

no awards
no leadership positions


Loma Linda
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UCLA
George Washington
Georgetown
Howard
Morehouse
Rosalind Franklin
Loyola
Rush
Kentucky
Louisville
Tulane
Tufts
Saint Louis
University of Missouri--Kansas City
Creighton
Albany
New York
Rochester
Wake Forest
North Dakota
Toledo
Drexel
Jefferson
Temple
Meharry
Utah
Vermont
East Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth
Marshall
West Virginia
 
I would drop Univ Misso- KC, Louisville, Rush, North Dakota, Utah, and Marshall.

Those schools either dont accept any OOS (ND, unless you are part of WICHE) or very very few.

Also through in USC
 
watergirl1202 said:
overall gpa: 3.3
im taking the mcat this june... what should i aim for to make up for my gpa?
i am taking 2 years off after graduation this summer
ec:
publicity chair in healthy club for 2 years
1 year internship at a hospital
2 years at research (still there) hopefully ill get published but i dont know yet
after my mcat, i will start working in the ER as a scribe
travel study in chile/argentina last summer
intern for 1 year in the school's student body
volunteered as a tutor for 1 year


i know these are nothing major but i just wanna know if there is something else i should try to do to improve my chances...

thanks
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You definitely want to break 30 to prove you can handle the material. The higher the better. Keep in mind that a great MCAT score won't make up for a low GPA. I doubt a 3.3 will keep you out of med school but no one can underestimate just how number-centric this process can be sometimes.

You can consider a post-bacc to raise the GPA, but I personally wouldn't recommend it. Bolster your clinical experience and rock the MCAT. Hands down, those two things must be accomplished. Other than that, be prepared to apply early and broadly. 👍
 
Hello all! A friend just linked me to this site a few days ago, and I’ve loved reading everything. Figured I’d tell ya’ll my life story now to find out how far behind I am in the process:

I’m worried that I’ve started thinking about med school too late in my college career, unless I take a year off after graduation. I’m a junior, and I’ve thought for the past several years that biomedical research was my calling. I figured that I’d get my PhD and maybe one day run my own lab, perhaps teaching or maybe industry. I have publications, posters, and conference attendances toward this goal. Maybe I’d been working on inertia for a long time and just didn’t want to stop and reevaluate my plans. But after slowly growing disillusioned with a life of research, I’ve turned back toward what I wanted to do in high school and my college freshman year, before I became caught up in research: I want to practice medicine.

I’m a Biology major with a Chemistry minor, and I have no concerns about my GPA (3.9 on a very challenging courseload). I only scored a 28 on my diagnostic MCAT with zero preparation, but I have confidence that I can pull that up to the mid-30s with a few months of intense review. As mentioned, my application will show these things plus a great background in research… but that’s about it. And that’s what worries me. Sure, there are the normal honors, a couple of nice scholarships, some intramural sports, pretty standard med school fare here. But the two *huge* voids on my application are volunteer work and clinical experience. I'm more worried about the latter.

I’m trying to find some shadowing opportunities for the second half of this semester, and I plan to shadow full-time over the summer in order to make certain that this is the lifestyle I want. My sister is a Vet, so I have some idea of the responsibilities and laurels, but there is no replacement for firsthand knowledge. I have confidence that I will find some place to work, and someone there to write me another good recommendation (in addition to the great one I’ll get from my PI). But my medical experience will be necessarily limited until May, after classes end and I can start full-time.

With my MCAT preparation requiring several months (organic was a year ago, after all) and my only intensive period of clinical experience not beginning until this summer, I can’t see my application going out until August at the absolute earliest. From what I’m reading here, such a late application will have a much lower chance of getting an interview than the same application going out in June. How much will this hamper me at a top school like Yale, Baylor, Duke, Mayo, etc.? How can I minimize the damage here? These are the kinds of schools I was hoping to enter for my PhD study, but I’m now thinking that they might simply be unreasonably lofty, considering my extremely late refocus on med school. Like, not even a "reach" school anymore. Factor in the end-of-August application submission that will likely have to occur, and do I even have a chance anymore?

I’m pretty much open to any suggestions on what I can do to improve my application, since I’m still absolutely new to this area.
 
A 28 on your diagnostic as a Junior is pretty hot ****.

You have a few years/summers of research under your belt. Any publications? What did you research?

Any volunteer work or activities not related to research/medicine? Have you worked?

If you spend a year beefing up your application and receive a good MCAT score (Which you most likely will), you will stand a good chance during the next application cycle.

Keep in mind that most matriculants at the top 10 medical schools are a few years past 21 and often have graduate degrees. The median age for Harvard matriculants is 24.

So, if you want to aim for a top 10, there's nothing wrong with spending a year or two to study for the MCAT, volunteer, shadow, and do some graduate work.
 
I have one minor publication, and I'm just finishing up a major one that should be sent out in the next couple of months. Those are probably the only two that I'd have before this Fall. I've been researching Parkinson's Disease, specifically as it relates to dopamine homeostasis.

I tutored in Calculus last semester for about six hours a week. But it wasn't through the school's official mentoring service, just a friend of a friend who needed help. So I'm not sure I can list something unofficial like that on my application, even though he'd obviously vouch for me if the med schools asked. And it was only a single semester. Beyond that, I have no volunteer work since high school. I was thinking of contacting my local Red Cross and putting in a couple of hours a week, but I don't have an extended period of volunteerism, and that will show on my application. I had a job in high school, but not in college; research was basically my job and my volunteer hours (I don't get paid in the lab or anything) rolled into one.

I would really like to avoid taking a year off if at all possible. I guess I need to decide if going to a place like Yale or Baylor is worth waiting around for a year versus a place like UCONN, where I'm much more likely to get in this Fall (I'm a CT resident). Damn I just don't want to wait around for a year, med school and residency are going to take long enough as it is...
 
Lokhtar said:
Would raising it by .2 be worth spending a year on, especially if my overall will only increase by .05 (due to the massive # of credits I have)? My other options are a masters program of some kind (traditional masters or SMP).

So .2 science and .05 increase overall vs. a masters degree vs. a SMP.
Click to expand...

Lokhtar said:
Hello,

I have the option to spend a year taking undergrad science courses to upgrade my GPA from 3.30 to about 3.50. My overall during that time will only go up from 3.53 to 3.60 (assuming I get a 3.9 during the year).

I have a very strong upward trend, with my last 26 classes yielding an overall GPA of 3.9, and my last 36 credits of science will also have 3.6 but due to my overall stupidity the first couple years, my overall GPA will only be 3.54 or so even after the trend.

So spend a year going from 3.54 to 3.6 overall, and 3.3 to 3.5 science, or spend that year doing SMP or something else?
Click to expand...

Could use help deciding on whether .05 overall and .2 science are worth spending a year on raising, vs. SMP, or masters.
 
beenie said:
Thanks nu2004!

Hahaha. I guess I felt like I didn't have that much clinical experience because I've been talking to my friends who have done medical missions trips, interned at children's hospitals, done intense shadowing, and EMT. That's probably why I should NOT talk to them!

And I think I will go to France! And I will definitely keep the health care reform in mind. =)

Also, I'm a virginia resident. What do you think my chances of getting into UVA are? Will I be ok as I am or will I have to have a killer personal statement, secondaries, and interview?

Well, thanks again! =)
Click to expand...

UVA is a top school, but your numbers are within their range for sure (GPA a little below, MCAT a little above).

And yeah, I would recommend having a killer personal statement 😉
 
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