What are the odds?

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aircanada

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I'm gonna be straight to the point. .. don't have much to say :(

Second year's done. GPA's around 3.1-3.2 ish... :(
Will be writing my MCATs this summer
Don't have any research experience or anything .. Just a couple general non-medicine related clubs at university.

Is it even worth apply to MD schools? (even with an amazing MCAT score)

And what are the chances of DO?

Thank you for your help !

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Well I'm kind of in the same boat as you, GPA and time wise. I just finished my sophomore year and have a cum GPA of 3.2, far below what MD schools (and most DO schools) accept. That being said, it's not too late to get your grades up! I've calculated it out, and if we can get a 4.0 for our Junior year before application, that GPA can be boosted to 3.5-3.6, which is much more competitive.

As for EC's, I wouldn't fret over research, but try calling up your local hospital and ask if they have spots for volunteers for the summer, that's what I did and I got a spot in the ED with the opportunity to shadow a doctor. Try to volunteer at non-medical places over the next year too, shoot for 5-6 hours a week doing something service or community oriented.

Honestly, the thing that probably disadvantages you most right now is your attitude. You said "I'm gonna be straight to the point. .. don't have much to say", which I don't think many adcoms like to hear. They are looking for people who are passionate about medicine and service to others, as well as strong grades. More important than the stats are that you prove to them you have that passion and drive, understand the commitment, and can handle the rigor of medical school. To do this exhibit a strong upward trend in your grades, volunteer in a medical setting and shadow a doctor to see what it's all about, and get involved in community service events of high quality, not quantitity.

This is all being said with no guarantee though, as I said I'm not a pro at this, just another pre-med student, but my intuition and my conversations with those who are more experienced leads me to believe this.

Hope that helps!
 
Hmmm makes a lotta sense.. Definitely gotta work hard for the next two years ! Thanks !

So I'm guessing I still time to make up for what I missed out on in terms of marks? and volunteering / ECs? Because the only volunteering I've really done is at a hospital in highschool (do universities look at volunteering you did than? or do they prefer things you've done during your 4 years of undergrad?)

Thanks a lot !
 
aircanada said:
So I'm guessing I still time to make up for what I missed out on in terms of marks? and volunteering / ECs? Because the only volunteering I've really done is at a hospital in highschool (do universities look at volunteering you did than? or do they prefer things you've done during your 4 years of undergrad?)

I'm not positive, but I'm pretty certain things that you did in high school community service wise don't count, unless they are really significant. Either way they'd want to see a continued trend of community service/hospital work throughout college as well. Of course, you can totally use those high school experiences in your PS and at interviews to help explain why you want to be a doctor.
 
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