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I would like help regarding whether I should apply or not and what my chances are. I am a pre-med student attending a public Ivy. Here are my stats:
Major: Neuroscience (GPA: 3.48) with a minor in Biology (GPA: 3.54)
cGPA: 3.25 (prospective by end of year: 3.34 or higher)
Sgpa: 3.15 (prospective by end of year: 3.31 or higher)
MCAT: Expecting 503 or higher
Pre-req Grades:
I have done 78 hours of clinical shadowing and plan to do more but it is kind of hard right now due to the pandemic. So far, I have shadowed a nephrologist, cardio thoracic surgeon, pediatrician, and an orthopedic surgeon. I am still waiting to get placed to volunteer at a local hospital but it seems very difficult due to COVID.
- General Chemistry I and Lab I: AP credit transfer
- Advanced Freshmen Chemistry (equiv to Gen Chem 2): B
- Organic Chemistry I and Lab I: D and B+
- Organic Chemistry I retake: C+
- Organic Chemistry II and Lab II: C+ and B+
- Biochemistry: A
- Biology I and Lab I: B and A
- Biology II and Lab II: B- and A
- Biostatistics and Lab: A and A
- Physics I and Lab I: B and A-
- Physics II and Lab II: B and B
I have 385+ hours of Research experience. I have done or helped on 4 different research studies, of which one I am still involved in. The first is from before college at a summer internship at the chemistry department. I was basically a research assistant you could say. I took notes, conducted procedures etc. I was in the lab from 9-5 am weekdays for 4 weeks. Next, I did a literature research on the efficacies of vocational programs for the disabled population in America. I focused specifically on mental health. Third, I did my own designed research on the effects of mutated p53 on the neural cell proliferations. I learned a lot during the whole thing. I wasn’t able to finish it though because semester ended and COVID. Fourth one is an ongoing public health research study my colleagues and I are doing on the efficacies of non-profit organizations in Nepal on eradicating barriers in healthcare for women. We have collected data from the non profits and are currently in the process of writing a literature report and publishing it.
I have at least 1056+ hours of community service. I actually am a member of the board of a non profit. We focus on preventing child sex trafficking and helping survivors. Through this position, I have done a lot of research on the issue, held fundraisers and worked with prominent local and global leaders. Besides that, I have also volunteered at hearing and sight screenings, health fairs, mental health facilities, rescue pet shelters, blood drives, college transportation during the night. Right now, I am trying to volunteer at local hospital but it is hard due to COVID. I would like to volunteer somewhere right now, possibly even virtually, so if someone has ideas, please let me know.
My extracurriculars consists of being a writer for the college newspaper on mental and sexual health, exec member of a religious club, community outreach chair for a community service club, member of planned parenthood, member of anti trafficking club, Undersecretary of finance for 2 years in the senate, member of financial committee for senate for 2 years.
I have worked as a teaching assistant for a scholar’s program at my school and as a preschool teaching assistant at a local preschool. I work at the preschool during my breaks to bring in extra money at home.
I am in a scholar program at my college, as well as a recipient of a summer research grant for my work with my non-profit, and have made it on the dean’s list 2 times.
Now personal backstory:
Both my sister and mother suffered from depression. This really affected me in high school and the only reason I was able to do well and get into a good college was because I went to someone else’s house to study and they helped with college apps. Freshmen yr, I was depressed. I didn’t know then though. So my GPA tanked, mainly because I took a very hard math class. However, since freshmen year, my GPA has been slowly increasing and I plan to end with at least a 3.4 cumulative gpa and 3.31 or higher science gpa. Anyways, fast forward to like sophomore spring semester, my mom had a heart attack and fell into a coma. She was in the hospital for almost a year and died during the pandemic. So this spans from my sophomore spring to junior spring semester. Obvi, I was having a hard time because my home was 3+ hours away from home and I would be going back practically every weekend to visit my mom and make sure my fam was okay. I was also the power of attorney at one point for my mom and so the doctors would often talk to me because my dad wasn’t very responsive. I signed a DNR for her and then she passed away during the pandemic. I wasn’t really allowed to see her as well because COVID restrictions. Anyways, during the whole thing, my sister was also having her depression fits and I actually had to move out of home during the pandemic because I physically got hurt. So rn I am just focusing on school and saving money. Despite all that, I managed to pull my grades up and make it on the Dean’s List. I am planning to take the MCAT this upcoming spring and hopeful for 503+. I was thinking of writing my personal statements around the death of my mom.
Here are the stats from Freshmen Fall to Senior Fall:
Freshmen Fall: 3.07 cGPA, 3.07 semester gpa
Freshmen Spring: 2.53 Cgpa, 2.06 semester gpa
Sophomore Fall: 3.46 cgpa, 2.84 semester gpa
Sophomore Spring: 2.87 cgpa, 2.85 semester gpa
Junior Fall: 3.52 cgpa, 2.97 semester gpa
Junior Spring (Dean’s List): 4.00 cgpa, 3.15 semester gpa
Senior Fall (Dean’s List): 4.00 cgpa, 3.28 gpa
Here are the programs I am considering applying to:
Georgetown SMP in Physiology
BU Masters in Biomedical Sciences Temple University ACHS EVMS One Year Program GeorgeSquared ABS Biomedical Sciences John Hopkins HIS/ MS in Biotechnology Tufts MS in Biomedicine University of Michigan Master's in Physiology
My game plan is to attend any of these if I get accepted. Afterwards, I might take 1-2 gap years to get more clinical hours/volunteering and apply to medical school. If I am not accepted, I plan to work in clinical setting like a scribe or office assistant and get more volunteer hours and apply again to the SMPs for admission the following year. Afterwards, I’d use the gap year to apply to Medical Schools.
Do you think I have a good chance at these programs? What other credible programs would you recommend? Any other things I could do to improve my application, especially since opportunities are limited during the pandemic?
SMPs are a dime a dozen. Pick one:
that has the best linkage deal
has the least tuition
is 1 year in length
is given at a host medical school.
And read this:
