What Are My Chances and Other General Questions

[SStorm]

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Just picked up my MCAT scores today, so I figured I'd post and see what I might be in for.

GPA: 3.6, Science GPA: 3.5. Honors Biology/Chemistry

Due to my honors thesis, I should graduate with high or highest distinction.

In an honors biology program at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, max enrollment of 15 students. Have to take a year of organic chem, a year and a half of calc, statistics, and intensive labs. We did stuff like RNAi, really cutting-edge work.

In the campus honors program at school. Nothing super intensive, just need to keep a GPA over 3.5 consistently and finish an honors project every semester. Honors projects are things like literature reviews.

MCAT: 37R, 13V, 11P, 13B

Extracurriculars:
-Speakers coordinator in a global health club for a year, organized 2 speaking conferences focused on integrating several professions into healthcare
-Lab member at a cell biology lab for 1.5 years, working ~20hrs/week. Writing my honors thesis on phthalate poisoning of stem cells.
-Lab member at environmental science lab for 1.5 years, working ~20hrs/week. Listed author on one publication
-Hospital volunteer in ER & Oncology for 2 years, plus another 2 years in HS, 4-6hrs/week
-Internship at the Global Student Health Survey at the World Health Organization this summer. Staying in Switzerland and working at the main office there.
-Special Undergraduate Research on the Environment fellow 2 years running. Provides research funding in exchange for a conference poster presentation
-First place at a research conference poster exhibition.

I should have 3 strong rec letters. One from the biology program coordinator, one from my research head, and one from my WHO supervisor.

Take a look at my mdapps. My overall resume is fairly similar to yours. I think you have slightly better extracurriculars than me, but the MCAT difference roughly balances that out.

 

[DesertSonata]

NOT trying to flame, but interesting how many people are not aware that Howard is an HBCU.

What does HBCU mean? And whats Non-trad applicant?

 

[mrmandrake]

What does HBCU mean? And whats Non-trad applicant?

I think HBCU means "historically black college" or something to that effect. A non-traditional applicant generally means someone who doesn't take the traditional route to medical school (bio degree, apply junior year of college). I have a computer science degree and worked for 2 years before deciding on medicine.

Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[nu2004]

What does HBCU mean? And whats Non-trad applicant?

i've never seen "HBCU," but HBC stands for "historically black college"

A non-traditional applicant generally means someone who doesn't take the traditional route to medical school (bio degree, apply junior year of college). I have a computer science degree and worked for 2 years before deciding on medicine.

that's my understanding as well, but if you check the nontrad forum it turns out you have to be 40+ and sexually frustrated to be considered "non-traditional" nowadays. who knew?

 

[guitarologist]

HBCU = Historically Black College or University

 

[scarletgirl777]

i've never seen "HBCU," but HBC stands for "historically black college"



that's my understanding as well, but if you check the nontrad forum it turns out you have to be 40+ and sexually frustrated to be considered "non-traditional" nowadays. who knew?

Haha I have never seen HBC. The U adds something extra 😀 Edit: This is a real acronym by the way, not just SDN specific.

And though that's the caricature of non-trads, I have heard directors of admissions talk about being a little confused about people who take a LOT of time off (like 5 years), it's not necessarily an automatic bonus and your story has to be very clear. I think most people who apply to US allopathic med school are still probably in their mid to early 20s.

 

[DesertSonata]

HBCU = Historically Black College or University

Damn!! I was planning on applying to those schools, but I'm not black. This changes everything.

mrmandrake, why are you worried about schools? Can't you just hack your way in?!? I know you didn't get that CS degree for nothing 😉

 

[mrmandrake]

Damn!! I was planning on applying to those schools, but I'm not black. This changes everything.

mrmandrake, why are you worried about schools? Can't you just hack your way in?!? I know you didn't get that CS degree for nothing 😉

Nah ... I only learned how to hack into D.O. schools ...

 

[scarletgirl777]

Damn!! I was planning on applying to those schools, but I'm not black. This changes everything.

mrmandrake, why are you worried about schools? Can't you just hack your way in?!? I know you didn't get that CS degree for nothing 😉

Just as for undergrad, although the majority of your classmates will be black, you need not be black to apply to HBCUs. So as long as your comfortable with it, I don't see the problem.

 

[DesertSonata]

Just as for undergrad, although the majority of your classmates will be black, you need not be black to apply to HBCUs. So as long as your comfortable with it, I don't see the problem.

So you're saying that both black and non-black people can apply to those schools, however, the majority will be black students in those schools since they're the majority that apply to them? So I still have a chance to apply to them, right?!?

 

[Begaster]

Okay, I'd like to know which schools would be considered reach schools for me, which would be considered safety schools, which would be probable acceptances.

Assume I'm OOS everywhere I apply, since I'm Canadian. ECs, volunteer, work experience, research are all good. Standard LORs.

GPA - 3.88
MCAT - 36S

This is not me trying to show off. I know my numbers are fairly strong. I just have absolutely no idea which American schools are worth applying to with my stats. I honestly know nothing. I need a good, solid list, so that I can start contacting them and asking them about their Canadian policy.

Any help would be supremely appreciated guys.

 

[nu2004]

Just as for undergrad, although the majority of your classmates will be black, you need not be black to apply to HBCUs. So as long as your comfortable with it, I don't see the problem.

agreed. but be prepared to explain WHY you want to attend an HBC... and you can't say "because your GPA and MCAT medians were lower than mine" 🙂

scarletgirl - the first time i heard "HBC" was in an african-american studies class at my university. i was one of only two or three non-black students. the discussion turned to HBCs and after a minute i raised my hand and asked "sorry, but what is an HBC?" the rest of the class got a good laugh out of that and i was embarrassed 😳

 

[scarletgirl777]

So you're saying that both black and non-black people can apply to those schools, however, the majority will be black students in those schools since they're the majority that apply to them? So I still have a chance to apply to them, right?!?

Exactly. I once read this article about an HBCU (undergrad, not med school) that could not find enough white people to apply, so they were going to like Russia to hand out diversity scholarships. EDIT: I do not necessarily endorse this practice (state-funded institutions giving diversity scholarships to foreigners to fill some arbitrary quota because of lack of interest among domestic white people????), but the point of me bringing it up is that you can be white and still get accepted. Copy of article here. http://www.nyfiskalumni.com/HBCU.htm

Just like any applicant, you need to show you really want to go to that school...so obviously you could be at a disadvantage because you can't say "my father, and my grandfather, and my great grandfather have all gone to Howard," but if you're sincere and you agree with their mission and values, you should go for it.

 

[scarletgirl777]

agreed. but be prepared to explain WHY you want to attend an HBC... and you can't say "because your GPA and MCAT medians were lower than mine" 🙂

scarletgirl - the first time i heard "HBC" was in an african-american studies class at my university. i was one of only two or three non-black students. the discussion turned to HBCs and after a minute i raised my hand and asked "sorry, but what is an HBC?" the rest of the class got a good laugh out of that and i was embarrassed 😳

Awwwww...it's ok, you get points just for being in that class to begin with. It's all about the effort. 😀

 

[nu2004]

Okay, I'd like to know which schools would be considered reach schools for me, which would be considered safety schools, which would be probable acceptances.

Assume I'm OOS everywhere I apply, since I'm Canadian. ECs, volunteer, work experience, research are all good. Standard LORs.

GPA - 3.88
MCAT - 36S

This is not me trying to show off. I know my numbers are fairly strong. I just have absolutely no idea which American schools are worth applying to with my stats. I honestly know nothing. I need a good, solid list, so that I can start contacting them and asking them about their Canadian policy.

Any help would be supremely appreciated guys.

Case Western is quite friendly toward Canadian students with strong numbers. I believe this is reflected in the MSAR.

 

[Begaster]

Wrote it down.

I guess I'm just looking at it from the vantage point of an OOS student, since I've heard many places don't distinguish between Canadians and OOS. I can email schools, one at a time, and find out if they accept Canadians or not. Just want a list based on my stats to narrow it down a bit.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Wrote it down.

I guess I'm just looking at it from the vantage point of an OOS student, since I've heard many places don't distinguish between Canadians and OOS. I can email schools, one at a time, and find out if they accept Canadians or not. Just want a list based on my stats to narrow it down a bit.

wayne state.

 

[Begaster]

Would you label Wayne as a reach, safety, or probable?

 

[Bretzel]

But I understand why you'd want to drop one of those 4 Chicago schools if you think you have excellent chances at all of them anyway...unfortunately I know nothing about them other than that they are in Chicago...

I think those are my thoughts too.....Any opinions on ranking Rush, Loyola, University of Illinois, and Rosalind Franklin? I have no idea which is better, best, worst, etc.....

 

[ChubbyChaser]

Would you label Wayne as a reach, safety, or probable?

probable

 

[scarletgirl777]

I think those are my thoughts too.....Any opinions on ranking Rush, Loyola, University of Illinois, and Rosalind Franklin? I have no idea which is better, best, worst, etc.....

Honestly, I see them all as the same level, except that University of Illinois is actually your state school, so that's your best chance. But that's the one I would definitely NOT eliminate, it's cheapest probably, and the best shot....Sorry I can't be more helpful.

 

[Bretzel]

Honestly, I see them all as the same level, except that University of Illinois is actually your state school, so that's your best chance. But that's the one I would definitely NOT eliminate, it's cheapest probably, and the best shot....Sorry I can't be more helpful.

Sorry...meant to open that question up to all readers. Thanks for your help scarletgirl.

 

[Begaster]

probable

Thank you! 🙂

 

[sherruns]

https://www.mysearchfunds.com/apply001.asp?Friend=75100

i made 7.50 in 2 days. cool way to make extra cash or what?
an entire medical school class told me about this.
what do you think?????????
one guy makes $200 per month on searches
pm me what you think after investigation

 

[nu2004]

https://www.mysearchfunds

i made 7.50 in 2 days. cool way to make extra cash or what?
an entire medical school class told me about this.
what do you think?????????
one guy makes $200 per month on searches
pm me what you think after investigation

what does this have to do with the WAMC thread?

 

[superior olive]

I thought I had posted last night, and I can't seem to find my post. I've searched a couple times, now. Is there a functionality that can let me see what I've posted & where?
Anywho --
I guess I'll do a brief summary again:

23 y/o female,
graduated from Wesleyan University 2006
Neuroscience & Behavior major
GPA: 3.45
MCAT: likely 33-39 range. (taking it next week.. practice exams are 38 but I get anxiety during tests so it makes me slower.)

employment history:
6/2007 - present: UCSF, Staff Research Associate, Neurology. I work in a developmental neurobiology lab studying WNT signaling.
6/2006 - 6/2007: Gilead Sciences, Scientific Communications Assistant. Worked on publication for studies, posters for conferences, etc.
4/2005 - 8/2005: Affymetrix, Grant Coordinator. Went through all past & present grants for compliance measures. Put together new grant proposals.

other relevant information:
- I graduated undergrad in 3 years. I attended school for my freshman and sophmore years, when I got kickass grades (3.8) and was on national deans' list.
- My junior year, I had a traumatic rape that I went on medical leave to deal with, and did so quite well, I'd say. I am definitely glad I took the time off, but I feel I may have returned too soon, if only because my brain still felt a little fuzzy. My GPA in this last year plummetted to 3.45 (average for all years). At this point I felt it was most important to just get through school and finish my undergrad; furthermore, I didn't want to strain myself by trying to be a perfectionist about it.
- I have much laboratory experience, because I have been thoroughly considering a MD/PhD program. However, I have less direct clinical experience than a lot of other people, it seems. I did get my EMT certification in 2004, but I never got a chance to work as an EMT because I moved from CT to NY and CA where they do not accept the national registry's standards, but rather have their own.
- I have volunteered at hosptials, but most of my relevant experience is through my family. My dad is an ophthalmologist and put together a nonprofit foundation and a hospital in Iran. (I'm first generation American.) Consequently, my siblings and I spent much time in learning how to run hospitals, how to manage a foundation, fundraising, etc. My most memorable experiences in medicine have been just seeing the extreme need for medical care in other countries, and I have felt fortunate that I had my dad to show that to me. Growing up, I would spend summers working at his office and did things like learning to give patients exams for cataracts, and assisting in minor in-office procedures.
- I have a wealth of medical background just from being my mothers' daughter --- it is a miracle that she is still alive! She has emphysema, hypothyroidism, diabetes, empty cella syndrome, and schizophrenia. I grew up being my mother's mom, in a sense, and it made me really develop my sense of taking care of people. Moreover, it taught me that I can not help people that do not want to help themselves -- she still smokes 3 packs a day. (At least it is down from five a day... yes. Five.) It makes it just that much more rewarding to be able to help someone that really is looking for help.

what my goal is for med school:
UCSF! UCSF! UCSF! I know that it is not an awesome idea to be centered on one school in particular, but my husband is fairly committed to staying in the Bay Area. He works in Menlo Park/Palo Alto, which leaves me with UCSF and Stanford as nearby schools. I love UCSF -- I love working here, I love being here... hell, I'm at the library here right now. I'm also a CA resident, so an in-state school would be a *huge* plus to me (financially). I'm willing to apply over and over for a few years, and to do what they felt like I needed to in order to be a more appealing candidate.

things I'd like to know:
Is this a reasonable goal? Well, I guess I should be asking how much of an unreasonable goal it is....
If I can do my best on the MCAT (I feel like if I really applied myself and don't lose focus, I could get a 39 or so), would that help show that I have been able to master skills that may not be clear from my GPA? (i.e. I got a C+ in organic chemistry... but I had the most terrible teacher! I originally thought that I'd never do well in orgo, but reviewing for the MCAT has actually made me realize that I *do* understand it.)
What should I be mentioning in my personal statements about my medical leave? I feel like that experience has been one of the most powerful ones I've had, but I don't know what to make of it in terms of what to say to prospective schools about it. All I know is that I feel like a stronger person (as cliche as that sounds), and that I've become more resolute in my goals and clearer about what is important to me.

And if you've read through this monster post, you are totally great. 🙂

 

[nkhan]

Hey All,


Looking for some advice on what schools I might be competitive to apply too.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Memphis
Major: Civil Engineering, Chemistry w/Biochemistry concentration, Biology
Minor: Mathematics

Credit Hours upon graduation: 230-240
GPA: 3.9

EC's:

Vice President Fraternity (SAE)- 2 Years
Inorganic Chemistry Teaching Assistant - 1 Semester
Engineering Teaching Assistant- 2 Years
Shadowed Surgeon- 1 Summer
Volunteered at ER in local hospital- 6 months
Worked with University's IT department- 2 years
Performed research study on seismic waves w/ engineering dept- 1 summer
Tutored Undergraduate students in Physics, Math, Chemistry- 1 semester
Engineering Internship - 3 Years

Awards:

Dean's List (all semesters but one)
AED Pre Health Honor Society
Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Phi Kappa Phi Student of year award 2007
Chi Beta Phi Excellence in Chemistry Award 2008
Who's Who in American Colleges & Universities
Civil Engineering Featured Student for 2007
Various Scholarships


MCAT: Making on average 35 on practice tests, studied 6 months so far for it, slated to take it July 8. I know practice tests don't mean anything really, but after spending 500+ hours for this thing I can't see me getting under a 30.... (can you say jinx ? 🙂).

Personal Statement: Great PS , thanks to SDN ps readers I think its very strong at this point. I owe alot to the SDN'er's that helped me out.

My worst thing is that I don't come from a top tier school (we almost won in basketball 👍), in fact some of my friends told me not to even apply anywhere out of the state. I was just looking for some honest opinions on what my chances are and where I might be competitive so that I don't waste alot of my time and money on hopeless applications. I know I'm not the best applicant , but I have worked my tail off and any input would be appreciated 🙂. Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[supertrooper66]

Hey All,

My worst thing is that I don't come from a top tier school (we almost won in basketball 👍), in fact some of my friends told me not to even apply anywhere out of the state. I was just looking for some honest opinions on what my chances are and where I might be competitive so that I don't waste alot of my time and money on hopeless applications. I know I'm not the best applicant , but I have worked my tail off and any input would be appreciated 🙂. Thanks in advance for any help.

memphis is sorry. so sorry you lost! rock chalk!

 

[Begaster]

To anyone following what I've already posted, what would you rate Mayo? Yale? Columbia? Harvard? Dartmouth? Cornell? JHU? Stanford? Possible or reaches?

I thought I had posted last night, and I can't seem to find my post. I've searched a couple times, now. Is there a functionality that can let me see what I've posted & where?
Anywho --
I guess I'll do a brief summary again:

23 y/o female,
graduated from Wesleyan University 2006
Neuroscience & Behavior major
GPA: 3.45
MCAT: likely 33-39 range. (taking it next week.. practice exams are 38 but I get anxiety during tests so it makes me slower.)

employment history:
6/2007 - present: UCSF, Staff Research Associate, Neurology. I work in a developmental neurobiology lab studying WNT signaling.
6/2006 - 6/2007: Gilead Sciences, Scientific Communications Assistant. Worked on publication for studies, posters for conferences, etc.
4/2005 - 8/2005: Affymetrix, Grant Coordinator. Went through all past & present grants for compliance measures. Put together new grant proposals.

other relevant information:
- I graduated undergrad in 3 years. I attended school for my freshman and sophmore years, when I got kickass grades (3.8) and was on national deans' list.
- My junior year, I had a traumatic rape that I went on medical leave to deal with, and did so quite well, I'd say. I am definitely glad I took the time off, but I feel I may have returned too soon, if only because my brain still felt a little fuzzy. My GPA in this last year plummetted to 3.45 (average for all years). At this point I felt it was most important to just get through school and finish my undergrad; furthermore, I didn't want to strain myself by trying to be a perfectionist about it.
- I have much laboratory experience, because I have been thoroughly considering a MD/PhD program. However, I have less direct clinical experience than a lot of other people, it seems. I did get my EMT certification in 2004, but I never got a chance to work as an EMT because I moved from CT to NY and CA where they do not accept the national registry's standards, but rather have their own.
- I have volunteered at hosptials, but most of my relevant experience is through my family. My dad is an ophthalmologist and put together a nonprofit foundation and a hospital in Iran. (I'm first generation American.) Consequently, my siblings and I spent much time in learning how to run hospitals, how to manage a foundation, fundraising, etc. My most memorable experiences in medicine have been just seeing the extreme need for medical care in other countries, and I have felt fortunate that I had my dad to show that to me. Growing up, I would spend summers working at his office and did things like learning to give patients exams for cataracts, and assisting in minor in-office procedures.
- I have a wealth of medical background just from being my mothers' daughter --- it is a miracle that she is still alive! She has emphysema, hypothyroidism, diabetes, empty cella syndrome, and schizophrenia. I grew up being my mother's mom, in a sense, and it made me really develop my sense of taking care of people. Moreover, it taught me that I can not help people that do not want to help themselves -- she still smokes 3 packs a day. (At least it is down from five a day... yes. Five.) It makes it just that much more rewarding to be able to help someone that really is looking for help.

what my goal is for med school:
UCSF! UCSF! UCSF! I know that it is not an awesome idea to be centered on one school in particular, but my husband is fairly committed to staying in the Bay Area. He works in Menlo Park/Palo Alto, which leaves me with UCSF and Stanford as nearby schools. I love UCSF -- I love working here, I love being here... hell, I'm at the library here right now. I'm also a CA resident, so an in-state school would be a *huge* plus to me (financially). I'm willing to apply over and over for a few years, and to do what they felt like I needed to in order to be a more appealing candidate.

things I'd like to know:
Is this a reasonable goal? Well, I guess I should be asking how much of an unreasonable goal it is....
If I can do my best on the MCAT (I feel like if I really applied myself and don't lose focus, I could get a 39 or so), would that help show that I have been able to master skills that may not be clear from my GPA? (i.e. I got a C+ in organic chemistry... but I had the most terrible teacher! I originally thought that I'd never do well in orgo, but reviewing for the MCAT has actually made me realize that I *do* understand it.)
What should I be mentioning in my personal statements about my medical leave? I feel like that experience has been one of the most powerful ones I've had, but I don't know what to make of it in terms of what to say to prospective schools about it. All I know is that I feel like a stronger person (as cliche as that sounds), and that I've become more resolute in my goals and clearer about what is important to me.

And if you've read through this monster post, you are totally great. 🙂

If you do well on the MCAT and explain your circumstances in the PS, I can't imagine many schools faulting you for your last year. Good luck and sorry to hear about your incident.

 

[nkhan]

No sore losers here, Kansas deserved the win. They came out to play, made the right decisions when it counted. Just happy we had a great year, I wouldn't trade the fun we had for anything 👍.

 

[supertrooper66]

No sore losers here, Kansas deserved the win. They came out to play, made the right decisions when it counted. Just happy we had a great year, I wouldn't trade the fun we had for anything 👍.

man...uhhh...why do you have to respond so positively to my hating....well at least your #1 player is basically guaranteed to do a lot better in the nba than any of ku's. i mean, we had awesome players but rose...my god! altho, rose is really arrogant if you haven't noticed ehh

 

[ChubbyChaser]

All those schools you listed are pretty much reaches for everyone.

 

[raydar510]

Hey everyone. I know these personalized questions that are "all about me" come up all the time, but I really do need some advice on what schools to apply to. I've lived in California all my life and will be applying to all the med schools here, but I need to figure out where else would be a good match for me. I've looked through the MSAR book several times, but there's only so much you can get from that. Also, what is an appropriate number of schools to apply to if I want to avoid re-applying (my 2006 MCAT scores expire if I don't get in this round)? Here is some info about me, so you can judge possible matches...

• 22 yrs, white, female, type I diabetic since age 10
• Cognitive Science major from UCSD
• 3.76 Cum GPA
• MCAT 29R
• Strong letters of rec from 2 science profs, 1 non-sci prof, UCSF PI, Ph.D supervisor at biotech company
• Founded non-profit organization to help kids/teens with diabetes through mentorship programs, group activities, and raising awareness about the disease
• On the board of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (SD)
• Neuroscience Research Associate in Biotech company for 2.5 years
• Summer research at UCSF Diabetes Center
• Cognitive Science Student Association Officer (President, Vice Pres, Treasurer, Social Chair) for 4 years
• Sorority Officer (Vice Pres Finance, Scholarship Chair) for 4 years
• Airline Ambassador trip to help at orphanage in Honduras for HIV+ kids (one time)
• Summer volunteer at UCSD Cognitive Neuro lab
• Presented at Society for Neuroscience annual meeting
• Provosts honors every quarter of college

Thank you in advance. This is my first post on SDN and from the looks of things you all have very valuable advice.

 

[clinicallabguy]

Here's my info:

Science GPA: 3.98
Overall GPA: 3.98
MCAT: 35N VR:11 BS:12 PS:12
Utah Resident

EC Highlights: (to read more check out my mdapp)
40 hrs Doctor Shadowing
Tutoring 1 semester
Anatomy Lab Instructor 2 semesters
Worked in a medical laboratory for 2 years
2 yr proselyting mission
Volunteer piano teacher
Volunteer choir accompanist/organist for my congregation

Schools I'm considering:
Baylor
University of Utah (of course)
Mayo
Washington University
Ohio State
University of Pittsburg
Uniformed Services University
University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
University of Colorado
Oregon Health & Science University

Someone wrote on my mdapp that I might want to consider dropping Colorado and Oregon, because I'm OOS. I really like these schools, however. What do you think? Are there other schools that you would look into if you were me? Do I have a shot at these?

 

[c5837]

What are my chances?

Here's the situation: I have wanted to be a doctor since high school, but I decided to do pharmacy instead. I got accepted early admission to a pharmacy program for 2008, but I have thought it over very well, and I might decline my pharmacy acceptance if I feel like I can get into med school. So my first question is, how much do you think my application will be negatively impacted by switching suddenly from pharmacy to medicine, especially with declining an early acceptance?

Here are some facts and figures for you:

Female, white, Ohio resident
Attending a large public university in Ohio
Degree: BS in Biology

GPA: BCPM 3.77, cumulative 3.74
(They were 3.9/3.8 until this past semester when I suffered an illness and my grades were much lower than usual. I got a C+ in OChem Lab, should I retake?)

MCAT: 31Q (10B/11P/10V)

I am very much lacking in extracurriculars, and I do not have any volunteer experience. My only health-related experiences are pharmacy club and working in a pharmacy. I have job shadows and a volunteer job at the hospital lined up in case I decide to go for it, but I admit that it will all be very last-minute. I will have one glowing reference, but I am not sure about the others. My personal statement will be good, and I tend to interview very well.

I was looking through at other people's posts and I didn't really see one much like mine. So what do you think? No ECs, no volunteering, and no experience, plus the pharmacy thing. I would apply to every school in Ohio, and some OOS schools, but I am not sure which ones. I am not sure if I would consider DO schools or not.

Should I try it? Do you think I would get accepted? My advisers seem to think I can get in, but if I declined my pharm acceptance and didn't get into med school, that would be awful. I would very much appreciate any advice or opinions. Pretty please and thank you!

 

[scarletgirl777]

What are my chances?

Here's the situation: I have wanted to be a doctor since high school, but I decided to do pharmacy instead. I got accepted early admission to a pharmacy program for 2008, but I have thought it over very well, and I might decline my pharmacy acceptance if I feel like I can get into med school. So my first question is, how much do you think my application will be negatively impacted by switching suddenly from pharmacy to medicine, especially with declining an early acceptance?

Here are some facts and figures for you:

Female, white, Ohio resident
Attending a large public university in Ohio
Degree: BS in Biology

GPA: BCPM 3.77, cumulative 3.74
(They were 3.9/3.8 until this past semester when I suffered an illness and my grades were much lower than usual. I got a C+ in OChem Lab, should I retake?)

MCAT: 31Q (10B/11P/10V)

I am very much lacking in extracurriculars, and I do not have any volunteer experience. My only health-related experiences are pharmacy club and working in a pharmacy. I have job shadows and a volunteer job at the hospital lined up in case I decide to go for it, but I admit that it will all be very last-minute. I will have one glowing reference, but I am not sure about the others. My personal statement will be good, and I tend to interview very well.

I was looking through at other people's posts and I didn't really see one much like mine. So what do you think? No ECs, no volunteering, and no experience, plus the pharmacy thing. I would apply to every school in Ohio, and some OOS schools, but I am not sure which ones. I am not sure if I would consider DO schools or not.

Should I try it? Do you think I would get accepted? My advisers seem to think I can get in, but if I declined my pharm acceptance and didn't get into med school, that would be awful. I would very much appreciate any advice or opinions. Pretty please and thank you!

You almost certainly cannot get in this cycle and thus would just be blowing hundreds or thousands of dollars. If you really want to do this, take a year off to get some real clinical experience interacting with patients and doctors. Some volunteering would help. The problem is that now, the experience is going to have to come after you applied.

You must be absolutely certain that medicine is what you want to do, far and beyond anything else. Right now, it just looks like your waffling.

 

[Vulcan]

Hey guys...I know I did this already but I got my final numbers in and the GPA looks a bit better now so heres my updated stats:

GPA 3.56
BCMP 3.46
Clear upward trend in the GPA's
MCAT 35P
PS: 11
VR: 11
BS: 13
WS P

EC's: Vice president (president next year), general manager, and captain of fencing club
Vice president of Capoeira club
Research assistant with a possible published acknowledgment, maybe two
EMT for one year working at school
400+ hours shadowing in my local emergency room
2 other shadowing jobs in surgical depts this summer
3 deans lists

Any thoughts? (again sry i know i asked before but i am wondering if the revision makes a difference)

So any ideas on which schools i should be applying to? I am a NY resident, so all of the NY schools, plus tufts, BU, Brown, Dartmouth, Jefferson, Penn State, UPitt, Temple, Drexel, Emory, Pritzker, and Ohio state.....am i missing any? Any advice would be great!

 

[MilkmanAl]

That list is a bit reach-heavy, in my opinion. If you'd really like to attend all of those schools, keep them around, but it would be very wise to include some schools with lower average stats. Tulane, RFU, the Virgina schools, and Wake Forest spring to mind as good options.

 

[c5837]

You almost certainly cannot get in this cycle and thus would just be blowing hundreds or thousands of dollars. If you really want to do this, take a year off to get some real clinical experience interacting with patients and doctors. Some volunteering would help. The problem is that now, the experience is going to have to come after you applied.

You must be absolutely certain that medicine is what you want to do, far and beyond anything else. Right now, it just looks like your waffling.

Thanks for taking the time to read&reply, scarletgirl. It's pretty much what I expected to hear, honestly, but I think I may have been slightly in denial last night when I posted. ^_^

 

[the_samrat]

Hey I understand your situation...I went to a not so prestigous uni and got like a 2.2 first year GPA....however for the next 4 years I received a 4.0 including all my science courses. I had to retake some courses that I failed first year, and when you apply to AMCAS it averages your failed and retook classes so my AMCAS GPA was 3.7 but uni GPA was 3.89, my MCAT was V = 8 P =11 B = 10, I applied to only 5 schools mostly between top 20-50 rankings, I interviewed at 3 and was accepted to 2 a now currently top 45 school. So my advice to you is dont let this discourage you....schools take into account your trend in grades seeing that you improved since first year...you just have to show that you really want it and specifically want their program

Hey thanks to you and others for replying.

I think i have a disadvantage of being a Canadian (interms of number of options), but here's my story again
I haven't calculated my AAMC GPA yet, but I believe my science GPA should be at least 3.5.

In my first year, I've taken courses like calculus and anthropology in which i ended up getting a D. LIke i said, my GPA was 1.8 in my first year. my other courses were ecology, chemistry and physics.

Then i changed to a diff. university and ended up with a 3.92 GPA for the next three years. For biology/chemistry and physics in my new university, i did quite well, ended with an A in all these courses.

I am writing my MCAT in July. I realize i need a really good score to beat my lower GPA.

I have loads of volunteering experience

I've volunteered @ different areas in a large hospital, rehab centers, for Canadian Cancer Society (who nominated me for Ontario Youth medal), several leadership roles donned over the last few years.

I'm currently working as an RA in a clinical microbiology lab.

I have listed out few schools that I would like to apply but I'm not sure what else I could do to make my application good.

It will be great if someone can point out where I could improve, in the next few months before submitting my application.

Thanks

 

[juelz721]

Hi i am a junior in college right now and my grades are pretty bad(2.57). i tried improving but i still get crappy grades i am thinking of transfering to another "easier" school and still do pre med or should i stay my school? what else can i do besides give up? i am getting discouraged...any adivce would help

I wouldn't transfer, but you can take some easier classes to boost your gpa (some liberal arts, etc). Also, you can take a year off after college and get a masters in public health or something else that might interest you. If you can pick up your grades in the masters program, you would have a good shot at med school. Also, do really well on your mcat, have great letters of rec, etc..and explain your gpa in your personal statement. Don't give up!

 

[chup12682]

Hey everyone,
I'm a non-trad student, and I know that this question mght not be right for this particular forum. But here goes anyway. My situation is as follows, I graduated with a pretty low GPA (2.5) BCPM and (2.7 overall). I got into a post bacc program, with not masters degree, and achieved a 3.984.🙂 My MCAT diagnostics have been 25, 28, 33, 32, and 31. The last three practice exams were amcas exams and the first two were kaplan. My VERY first diagnostic, believe it or not, was a 17! I think it's a gimmic by Kaplan to give you a hard test to show you your worst score that by then end, a score improvement will seem like their process works... Anyway, I was wondering, since application time is coming up, if anyone knows how medical schools view post bacc grades. I know, from calling them up, that some DO schools put strong emphasis on later grades and post bacc grades, and even fewer simply take the post bacc grades. So my question is this, does anyone know or have talked to adcoms to see if post bacc grades are viewed stronger than undergraduate grades. I know that amcas will present an averaged GPA to the adcoms, but I was wondering if they looked more deeply into later grades. I appreciate any consideration and advice that anyone gives to this question.

 

[ba23ball3r]

😱
Hey I'm pretty much the new guy when it comes to posting, but I read often. Now its my turn to get the advice.

I have been breaking my back since Spring semester ended trying to contact helpful individuals who could help me with my problem with useful advice. I left high school with a GPA in the high 2's like 2.9, but then college came. I just finished my freshman year as a pre-pharm student taking calc 1&2, bio 1&2, chem 1&2 and the labs with a 3.69. I began to do some research on some med schools and saw that the average GPA of students accepted was not very high. Next winter I will be applying to Pharm school and upon being accepted, hopefully, I dont know if I should persue an M.D. instead. I would love to leave pharm school and just become a pre-med student, but I dont have the opportunity to be accepted into med school as a sophomore. The assurance of being in pharm school is what makes it difficult to just leave and hope to get into med school.

I live in Michigan and would give an arm and a leg to go to UofM-Michigan or MSU-Michigan State for med school, but I dont know if I have the stats to get in. Help.

Advice, lots of it, different angles and everything, please.

 

[scarletgirl777]

😱
Hey I'm pretty much the new guy when it comes to posting, but I read often. Now its my turn to get the advice.

I have been breaking my back since Spring semester ended trying to contact helpful individuals who could help me with my problem with useful advice. I left high school with a GPA in the high 2's like 2.9, but then college came. I just finished my freshman year as a pre-pharm student taking calc 1&2, bio 1&2, chem 1&2 and the labs with a 3.69. I began to do some research on some med schools and saw that the average GPA of students accepted was not very high. Next winter I will be applying to Pharm school and upon being accepted, hopefully, I dont know if I should persue an M.D. instead. I would love to leave pharm school and just become a pre-med student, but I dont have the opportunity to be accepted into med school as a sophomore. The assurance of being in pharm school is what makes it difficult to just leave and hope to get into med school.

I live in Michigan and would give an arm and a leg to go to UofM-Michigan or MSU-Michigan State for med school, but I dont know if I have the stats to get in. Help.

Advice, lots of it, different angles and everything, please.

Unless you were taking college classes in high school, you have a clean slate, and as long as you can take premed prerequisites and get clinical experience while doing pre-pharm, you don't really have to "quit" the program (although aren't pharm programs 5 years? That's just an extra year you don't need, and med schools won't take you until you're done your degree). Just do well and get your ECs down.

EDIT: So I see you are not in pharm school yet. Try to make up your mind now (do some shadowing and clinical work) so you don't have to spend time in school that you don't need. You've already done most of the prereqs, and if you continue with this GPA (big if, but still) then you have a good shot. Don't just do what's easiest or most prestigious: pursue the career that you would enjoy most.

 

[fuzzywuz]

Hey all, this is my first post in this thread...hoping to get some advice and guidance--- Here it goes--

Age-22, East Asian American, NY Resident
Cornell undergrad
Overall- 3.57 (Started weak (3.00)...maintain a STEEP upward trend till senior year)
BCPM- 3.45 (Main reason for low GPA-- Freshmen bio (B-) and Orgo (C+/B-))

ECs- Lots of clinical and volunteering in healthcare field/settings. Research in undergrad (not published). Employment as psychiatric counselor/mentor. Teaching and tutoring. Student mentor in school.

LORs- Pretty strong. Along with my committee letter, I have a letter from my humanities professor (I know personally and very well), letter from research professor (whose course I also took, known her for 3 years), and letter from a colleague in the hospital that I use to volunteer in (known him for 8 years).

MCAT- Did not take yet. Aiming for 30+

Schools:

Albany? (<-- Not feeling it..)
Einstein
Columbia
Cornell
Mt. Sinai
NYU
SUNY- Upstate
SUNY- Downstate
SUNY- Stony Brook
SUNY- Buffalo
U of Rochester
NYMC
UMich?
UMDNJ-RWJ
UMDNJ-NJMS
UPenn
UPitt
Jefferson
UConn
BU
Harvard
Tufts
Georgetown
Drexel
Dartmouth


Okay, I realize I have a lot of reach schools for me... but I'm willing to take a stab at it (also dependent on my MCAT status)... Anyway, are there other schools I should consider given my stats? Also, some of the schools are thrown in because of its proximity to home (NYC). I'm looking to apply to as many NE schools as possible. Are there any other schools that are friendly to OOS?

Thanks for reading!!! Any feedback would be appreciated!

 

[nkhan]

Hey All,


Looking for some advice on what schools I might be competitive to apply too.

Undergraduate Institution: University of Memphis
Major: Civil Engineering, Chemistry w/Biochemistry concentration, Biology
Minor: Mathematics

Credit Hours upon graduation: 230-240
GPA: 3.9

EC's:

Vice President Fraternity (SAE)- 2 Years
Inorganic Chemistry Teaching Assistant - 1 Semester
Engineering Teaching Assistant- 2 Years
Shadowed Surgeon- 1 Summer
Volunteered at ER in local hospital- 6 months
Worked with University's IT department- 2 years
Performed research study on seismic waves w/ engineering dept- 1 summer
Tutored Undergraduate students in Physics, Math, Chemistry- 1 semester
Engineering Internship - 3 Years

Awards:

Dean's List (all semesters but one)
AED Pre Health Honor Society
Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society
Phi Kappa Phi Student of year award 2007
Chi Beta Phi Excellence in Chemistry Award 2008
Who's Who in American Colleges & Universities
Civil Engineering Featured Student for 2007
Various Scholarships


MCAT: Making on average 35 on practice tests, studied 6 months so far for it, slated to take it July 8. I know practice tests don't mean anything really, but after spending 500+ hours for this thing I can't see me getting under a 30.... (can you say jinx ? 🙂).

Personal Statement: Great PS , thanks to SDN ps readers I think its very strong at this point. I owe alot to the SDN'er's that helped me out.

My worst thing is that I don't come from a top tier school (we almost won in basketball 👍), in fact some of my friends told me not to even apply anywhere out of the state. I was just looking for some honest opinions on what my chances are and where I might be competitive so that I don't waste alot of my time and money on hopeless applications. I know I'm not the best applicant , but I have worked my tail off and any input would be appreciated 🙂. Thanks in advance for any help.

Any thoughts ? Thanks!🙂

 

[Chemist0157]

To fuzzywuz,

You look pretty solid. Your GPA's not stellar, but a strong MCAT score can compensate for that. Unless you have money to burn, I would definitely cut the school list, especially Albany, NYMC, and Jefferson (I'm applying there, lol).

New York and Pennsylvania are OOS-friendly, and it looks like you have a bunch of them. I think Vermont is friendly too.

 

[DoctorPardi]

Hey everyone we have made a "What Are My Chances" subforum. It can be found here: What are my chances?? . Also here is the rules thread for the new subforum: Rules and Helpful Info

Basically all WAMC threads will be moved there as well as "what school" threads.

Thanks,
DP

 

[205127]

Hi,
I'm new on SDN and was wondering if those who have already applied in previous years or will apply this year could advise me on where to apply. Unforutnately my MCAT is 29R (9V, 10B, 10P) - so I know bad news there 🙁. My Science GPA is 3.73 and Overall is 3.83. I am a resident of Illinois and will apply to most of the MD schools here, as well as a few DO schools. I am uncertain where I could apply MD and be competitive... I think I have good and interesting ECs and my major is Social Welfare.
Please Help!!
Pinky19

 

[DoctorPardi]

I am going to close this thread and move it to the WAMC forum for reference. If you want to post a WAMC thread or similar, please post them in the new forum: What are my chances??