What chance do I really have

[MechEng2Doc]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hey everybody,

I've been working on getting together my ECs and pre-req courses for the last six months and I have been checking out this site off and on (although I haven't really posted that much). I was checking out some of the profiles on mdapplicants and saw a bunch of really impressive applicants and it's making me wonder what my chances really are at getting into med school. So I'll give my profile and ask anyone to voice in on whether you think I have a chance at getting in. Here goes.

I'm a 30 year old Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering. I also did a masters degree in mechanical engineering. I have a 3.55 undergrad GPA,a 3.65 science GPA and a 3.7 grad GPA. By the time I finish my Ph.D. I should have about 4 first author publications, 1 second author and 6 conference presentations (roughly). I haven't written the MCAT yet since I still have to take a couple of pre-reqs. I'm working on ECs but have done some volunteering in hospitals, currently shadowing a doc, done various non-medical related charity work since I was a kid. I won't be applying until 2008 so I hope to boost my ECs by then.

I have two things that really concern me. First my wife has a very good job on Long Island which I can't ask her to give up, so I'm limited to applying to the following schools:

NYMC
Stonybrook
SUNY downstate
NYU
Mt. Sinai
Einstein
Columbia
Cornell
Yale
U. Conn

The other BIG thing I'm worried about is that I'm not an american citizen or permenent resident (Canadian). I've talked to a couple of the private schools and most of them say they treat Canadians like US citizens.

The "international student" thing and the fact that my options are limited make me wonder what my chances really are at these schools. That combined with seeing a bunch of (younger) applicants with 3.9 GPAs and some impressive ECs makes me wonder if I really have a shot. I really need some advice about now.

 

[njbmd]

Hey everybody,

I've been working on getting together my ECs and pre-req courses for the last six months and I have been checking out this site off and on (although I haven't really posted that much). I was checking out some of the profiles on mdapplicants and saw a bunch of really impressive applicants and it's making me wonder what my chances really are at getting into med school. So I'll give my profile and ask anyone to voice in on whether you think I have a chance at getting in. Here goes.

I'm a 30 year old Ph.D. candidate in mechanical engineering. I also did a masters degree in mechanical engineering. I have a 3.55 undergrad GPA,a 3.65 science GPA and a 3.7 grad GPA. By the time I finish my Ph.D. I should have about 4 first author publications, 1 second author and 6 conference presentations (roughly). I haven't written the MCAT yet since I still have to take a couple of pre-reqs. I'm working on ECs but have done some volunteering in hospitals, currently shadowing a doc, done various non-medical related charity work since I was a kid. I won't be applying until 2008 so I hope to boost my ECs by then.

I have two things that really concern me. First my wife has a very good job on Long Island which I can't ask her to give up, so I'm limited to applying to the following schools:

NYMC
Stonybrook
SUNY downstate
NYU
Mt. Sinai
Einstein
Columbia
Cornell
Yale
U. Conn

The other BIG thing I'm worried about is that I'm not an american citizen or permenent resident (Canadian). I've talked to a couple of the private schools and most of them say they treat Canadians like US citizens.

The "international student" thing and the fact that my options are limited make me wonder what my chances really are at these schools. That combined with seeing a bunch of (younger) applicants with 3.9 GPAs and some impressive ECs makes me wonder if I really have a shot. I really need some advice about now.

Don't dwell on those profiles on MDApps. Those are self-posted and as with anything on the internet, take them with "a grain of salt". Some people really inflate themselves on that site. You should be fine.

Your list of schools is great. Now you need to concentrate on finishing your degree and preparing for the computerized MCAT (new and improved). If you are planning on taking the January test, registration should open in November.

Resist the urge to compare yourself to others. Make that AMCAS application sell you in the best positive manner and you will be on your way. You have some maturity so relax, get your MCAT prep under your belt and float that application with confidence.

Good luck! 👍

 

[blee]

I can't comment on your chances as a Canadian, but I'm sure others will have some input. As for the rest of your concerns, don't be. Your academic profile is excellent and you have a good variety of schools in your list, all the way from basic through elite.

I'll second njbmd's advice -- focus on the MCAT and your AMCAS application. Compared to many of us, you are in an enviable position of having no need to defend your history or your academic record. I had to make up for my past mistakes with the MCAT and a strong personal statement; if you do well in both of those, you will probably have little trouble in being accepted. Good luck.

 

[daeojkim]

I am a non trad like yourself. I don't have a PhD but I have worked few years and got 2 masters degree before entering med school. Your academic background is better than most. You are older and more mature so that is a plus in many ways.

From what I see, MCAT and personal statement is what is going to make you or break you. Don't worry about profile of other applicants. Academically you are more than qualified.

 

[RxnMan]

Your GPA looks good enough and your ECs look great. The next big thing is the MCAT. As is, if you get a passable score (28-31), your application will be looked at by most schools and that's what gets you interviews.

As a fellow engineer -> MD, unless you've been on the job hunt trail before, work on your interview skills. They way engineers are trained to do presentations and make decisions (a response to rational thought process and impersonal data) is not the way to present yourself in a med-school interview. I've posted a number of timeson the subject, so search for the posts or PM me for advice.

As njbmd said, MDApps profilers self-select, and profiles are not confirmed.

I would also say that my school has been taking Canadians for years (Albany Med), so you might want to add them to your list.

 

[MJB]

I would just say that as another 30 year old applicant, I'd take that resume. I'm just hoping at this point that I didn't screw myself by not studying in undergrad.

 

[little_late_MD]

I have done the computations, and you have a 67.89361% chance of being accepted at one of those schools.

Seriously, your stats seem great, and as long as you have a good reason for switching from Mechanical Engineering to medicine (or perhaps you're interested in bio-medical equipment?) I think you'll be fine. Being Canadian might hurt non-citizen might hurt a bit, but certainly not enough to distract from your competitive application.

 

[Sol Rosenberg]

There is no way that anyone can tell you what your chances are before you have an MCAT score. Have you taken any practice tests? Your stats are otherwise competitive (I am a fellow engineer -- an EE with similar (though trivially higher) GPAs (all 3 of them) currently applying, so we'll see how it goes.)

Also, I want to follow-up on something that the last poster mentioned. I would hope that you have a REALLY good explanation of why you want to pursue medicine as a career after going all the way to getting a PhD in Mech.E. After coming this far, why not try out a career in MechE to see if you like it?

Personally, I would be biased against someone who seems to not want to leave academia, and continue pursuing degree after degree, but I am not on an ADCOM, and have no idea how ADCOM members would see this. My advice would be to have a good explanation with facts/experiences to back it up.

I don't mean to seem harsh, but as you know, we engineers like to call it the way we see it. Best of luck to you, though!

 

[nanomed]

I am in a similar boat...I differ in that I am a American-Puerto Rican student in my last year of graduate school (towards a PhD in Chemistry), at a top notch university, and I am re-applying to medical school this year. I have published several (~6) really good papers so far, a book chapter based on my graduate work, attended several international conferences on nanobiotechnology (my area of research), great letters of rec., I have done a lot of volunteering and community service...however, I do not think I have what it takes b/c my GPA and MCAT are not as competitive.

GPA (Sci - 3.37, All Other - 3.64, overall - 3.42, and grad school GPA - 3.6)
MCAT (Ver - 7, Phy Sci - 8, Bio Sci - 7, Essay - N === Overall - 22N)

I believe these scores to be low, I am have re-taken the MCAT this past August, and I am currently waiting for these new scores. Does anyone think that I have a chance or not at all? 😕

 

[spicedmanna]

I am in a similar boat...I differ in that I am a American-Puerto Rican student in my last year of graduate school (towards a PhD in Chemistry), at a top notch university, and I am re-applying to medical school this year. I have published several (~6) really good papers so far, a book chapter based on my graduate work, attended several international conferences on nanobiotechnology (my area of research), great letters of rec., I have done a lot of volunteering and community service...however, I do not think I have what it takes b/c my GPA and MCAT are not as competitive.

GPA (Sci - 3.37, All Other - 3.64, overall - 3.42, and grad school GPA - 3.6)
MCAT (Ver - 7, Phy Sci - 8, Bio Sci - 7, Essay - N === Overall - 22N)

I believe these scores to be low, I am have re-taken the MCAT this past August, and I am currently waiting for these new scores. Does anyone think that I have a chance or not at all? 😕

There's no absolute way to determine your, or anybody's, chance of getting into a US medical program. That said, I think you are correct, your numbers aren't compelling. I'd say your undergrad GPA is on the low end, while your grad GPA is about average for med school. Most cut-offs seem to occur through undergrad GPA, as unfair as that sounds (yes, they look at your undergrad GPA even if you are many, many years removed from that time). Also, adcomms consider the grad GPA's to be inflated, even if it is not actually the case in your school; this means that they might take it with a grain of salt. As it stands, your current MCAT is not competitive for MD programs; the average MCAT for matriculants is around a 30. This is not to say that you can't get in with a 22, it's just a long shot. However, if you scored well during the August administration, this could help significantly and you do have a better chance in that case. (in any case, for you, I'd say that increasing your MCAT score will exponentially increase your chances of getting accepted.) If you qualify for URM status, that, too, would boost your chances significantly, even with your current numbers; do check on that!

While your EC's sound good, the key is getting your foot into the door; unfortunately for most MD programs in the US, numbers are what they look at first. This means there is a good chance that they might not even consider your EC's, despite that they are awesome. DO programs are less dependent on numbers and more inclined to look at the whole applicant, so you might consider that approach, if getting an "MD" after your name isn't a critical factor in your decision.

But I really hope that I'm really wrong about all of this and that you will get a fair shake at it.

Good luck!