What are my chances?

[ChronicShine]

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I recently graduated with my B.S. in Biomedical/Cellular and Molecular Biology. I started college when I was 16 and I received a few C's because I was too immature to realize the importance of maintaining a high GPA. As a result, my cumulative GPA is around 3.3 and my science GPA is around 3.5. I have taken all of the required coursework to apply to medical school; however, I am retaking Organic Chemistry II to attain a better grade. This is the only course I have had to repeat, I did not fail it, but I want an A. Will repeating this course negatively affect my chances of getting into medical school? I have almost 100 hours of shadowing orthopedic surgeons, pathologists, and medical laboratory scientists. I have around 200 hours of volunteer work with the Red Cross and I have received the presidential volunteer award. Additionally, I have close to 100 hours volunteering with an organization that helps low-income individuals as well as numerous hours volunteering with various college clubs. I have clinical experience as a phlebotomist and I was allowed to assist in a medical laboratory for approximately 40 hours. I currently work in the ER. My job in the ER gives me direct patient contact, experience with health insurances, experience with doctors, patient family members, nurses, and administrative staff. I have published research where I am the primary researcher. I assisted in another research project and my name is on the publication. Additionally, I have assisted in four other research projects, but my name is not on the publications. I have presented my research at conferences as well.
I am really worried that my GPA is going to drag me down, that medical schools will not want me because my GPA is low for medical school. Do you think my chances are good? What could I do to improve my chances? I have not taken the MCAT yet, but I have been studying and plan to take it in Jan of 2019 and apply to medical schools Fall of 2019.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

I recently graduated with my B.S. in Biomedical/Cellular and Molecular Biology. I started college when I was 16 and I received a few C's because I was too immature to realize the importance of maintaining a high GPA. As a result, my cumulative GPA is around 3.3 and my science GPA is around 3.5. I have taken all of the required coursework to apply to medical school; however, I am retaking Organic Chemistry II to attain a better grade. This is the only course I have had to repeat, I did not fail it, but I want an A. Will repeating this course negatively affect my chances of getting into medical school? I have almost 100 hours of shadowing orthopedic surgeons, pathologists, and medical laboratory scientists. I have around 200 hours of volunteer work with the Red Cross and I have received the presidential volunteer award. Additionally, I have close to 100 hours volunteering with an organization that helps low-income individuals as well as numerous hours volunteering with various college clubs. I have clinical experience as a phlebotomist and I was allowed to assist in a medical laboratory for approximately 40 hours. I currently work in the ER. My job in the ER gives me direct patient contact, experience with health insurances, experience with doctors, patient family members, nurses, and administrative staff. I have published research where I am the primary researcher. I assisted in another research project and my name is on the publication. Additionally, I have assisted in four other research projects, but my name is not on the publications. I have presented my research at conferences as well.
I am really worried that my GPA is going to drag me down, that medical schools will not want me because my GPA is low for medical school. Do you think my chances are good? What could I do to improve my chances? I have not taken the MCAT yet, but I have been studying and plan to take it in Jan of 2019 and apply to medical schools Fall of 2019.

If you don't mind the letters you gonna have behind your name (DO or MD), your chances are great with Osteopathic schools with an MCAT of 505+. If you absolutely wanna go MD, you might wanna have a 515+, and your chances will always be better with your state MD school(s).

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[ChronicShine]

Say that I do score 515+ when I take the MCAT and I apply to MD schools that are in my state, are my chances markedly lower due to my GPA?
Should I volunteer or shadow more? There are a few other research opportunities I can participate in, if that would help my chances.

 

[Toutie]

I recently graduated with my B.S. in Biomedical/Cellular and Molecular Biology. I started college when I was 16 and I received a few C's because I was too immature to realize the importance of maintaining a high GPA. As a result, my cumulative GPA is around 3.3 and my science GPA is around 3.5. I have taken all of the required coursework to apply to medical school; however, I am retaking Organic Chemistry II to attain a better grade. This is the only course I have had to repeat, I did not fail it, but I want an A. Will repeating this course negatively affect my chances of getting into medical school? I have almost 100 hours of shadowing orthopedic surgeons, pathologists, and medical laboratory scientists. I have around 200 hours of volunteer work with the Red Cross and I have received the presidential volunteer award. Additionally, I have close to 100 hours volunteering with an organization that helps low-income individuals as well as numerous hours volunteering with various college clubs. I have clinical experience as a phlebotomist and I was allowed to assist in a medical laboratory for approximately 40 hours. I currently work in the ER. My job in the ER gives me direct patient contact, experience with health insurances, experience with doctors, patient family members, nurses, and administrative staff. I have published research where I am the primary researcher. I assisted in another research project and my name is on the publication. Additionally, I have assisted in four other research projects, but my name is not on the publications. I have presented my research at conferences as well.
I am really worried that my GPA is going to drag me down, that medical schools will not want me because my GPA is low for medical school. Do you think my chances are good? What could I do to improve my chances? I have not taken the MCAT yet, but I have been studying and plan to take it in Jan of 2019 and apply to medical schools Fall of 2019.

What state are you from? This could improve your chances if you're from a lucky state. What grade did you get in Organic Chem 2? Retaking it will NOT replace your grade. It will just give you an additional grade to add to your GPA. Have you received mostly good grades since your rocky start? Many med schools will look past your rocky start if there has been major improvement.

Would you be interested in also applying to DO schools? If so, you should consider shadowing a DO in the near future.

And, you do NOT want to be applying in Fall of 2019...you want to be doing this as early as possible...like in June (or July) of 2019.

edit: also, more research will not help you. Taking some more courses to increase your GPA would.

 

[ChronicShine]

I am in Missouri. I don't know if it is considered a lucky state. I'm not against applying to DO school. Since my rocky start, I have only earned one C. The rest of my grades are A's and B's. I planned to apply to medical school in June of 2019.

 

[Toutie]

Missouri is not a bad state to be from. Obviously you're not Washington U material...but all the other schools in Missouri should be within reach. Plus, if you are open to DO, then your chances are very good.

Try to shadow a DO in the next several months and do as well as possible on the MCAT. You will probably need something in the 510+ range for MD. 500+ for DO.

@Goro , any advice?

 

[ChronicShine]

So, MD school is within reach? Assuming I do well enough on the MCAT to get into MD schools, which ones should I apply for? How do you find out the stats for the medical schools? There is UMKC and MU school of medicine, which are just two off the top of my head.

 

[Toutie]

So, MD school is within reach? Assuming I do well enough on the MCAT to get into MD schools, which ones should I apply for? How do you find out the stats for the medical schools? There is UMKC and MU school of medicine, which are just two off the top of my head.

Also SLU. Where to apply MD depends a lot on your MCAT score. If you don't have the MSAR, you should get it and find schools that fit your MCAT and GPA. And also wait for suggestions from @Goro about schools that tend to look past a rocky start.

 

[ChronicShine]

I will look into getting the MSAR. My GPA should go up after this semester and next semester. I didn't mention it in my initial post, but I have over 1000 hours of work experience in the medical setting and I have been working full time while taking full-time course loads. I have heard that medical schools will also look at your work load and class load together when evaluating your GPA. I do not know if that is 100% true, though.

 

[ChronicShine]

Also SLU. Where to apply MD depends a lot on your MCAT score. If you don't have the MSAR, you should get it and find schools that fit your MCAT and GPA. And also wait for suggestions from @Goro about schools that tend to look past a rocky start.

I forgot to mention that I have been taking classes since graduation to increase my gpa

 

[Goro]

I recently graduated with my B.S. in Biomedical/Cellular and Molecular Biology. I started college when I was 16 and I received a few C's because I was too immature to realize the importance of maintaining a high GPA. As a result, my cumulative GPA is around 3.3 and my science GPA is around 3.5. I have taken all of the required coursework to apply to medical school; however, I am retaking Organic Chemistry II to attain a better grade. This is the only course I have had to repeat, I did not fail it, but I want an A. Will repeating this course negatively affect my chances of getting into medical school? I have almost 100 hours of shadowing orthopedic surgeons, pathologists, and medical laboratory scientists. I have around 200 hours of volunteer work with the Red Cross and I have received the presidential volunteer award. Additionally, I have close to 100 hours volunteering with an organization that helps low-income individuals as well as numerous hours volunteering with various college clubs. I have clinical experience as a phlebotomist and I was allowed to assist in a medical laboratory for approximately 40 hours. I currently work in the ER. My job in the ER gives me direct patient contact, experience with health insurances, experience with doctors, patient family members, nurses, and administrative staff. I have published research where I am the primary researcher. I assisted in another research project and my name is on the publication. Additionally, I have assisted in four other research projects, but my name is not on the publications. I have presented my research at conferences as well.
I am really worried that my GPA is going to drag me down, that medical schools will not want me because my GPA is low for medical school. Do you think my chances are good? What could I do to improve my chances? I have not taken the MCAT yet, but I have been studying and plan to take it in Jan of 2019 and apply to medical schools Fall of 2019.

Chances fine for DO, weak for MD


Say that I do score 515+ when I take the MCAT and I apply to MD schools that are in my state, are my chances markedly lower due to my GPA?
Yes. But come back when you have a real MCAT score and we can properly advise. But stop the magic thinking.

 

[ChronicShine]

Chances fine for DO, weak for MD


Say that I do score 515+ when I take the MCAT and I apply to MD schools that are in my state, are my chances markedly lower due to my GPA?
Yes. But come back when you have a real MCAT score and we can properly advise. But stop the magic thinking.

Okay! Thank you. I’m taking the mcat in Jan, so I will stop with the magic thinking and be back around that time.

 

[DrStephenStrange]

So, MD school is within reach? Assuming I do well enough on the MCAT to get into MD schools, which ones should I apply for? How do you find out the stats for the medical schools? There is UMKC and MU school of medicine, which are just two off the top of my head.

I'm from Missouri as well, and I went to UMKC for undergrad. From what I've heard and seen, applying there is not worth it because most of their 1st year medical class is filled with people in their 6 year BA/MD program, and when you apply you're competing for very limited (usually about 10) spots. Therefore it's very competitive, and your GPA is already below there average, so... But you definitely stand a chance at MizzouMed though if you kill the MCAT.

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