What I wish I had known...

[Sikara]

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Ok, so I admit I'm bitter about the whole med school admissions process, or particularly the criteria for admittance as presented here on SDN.

Like many nontrads, I have a low uGPA. Little did I know as a fresh faced high school senior that going to one of the most difficult and prestigious undergraduate institutions in the country, and getting a degree in engineering, would actually hurt my chances for medical school admittance. Not that I was even thinking about med school at the time (which is why a lot of intelligent people have less-than-stellar GPA's to begin with).

I am now 1/2 of the way through my postbacc pulling a straight 4.0 taking about 16-20 credits per semester of all science classes. I'm going to no-name U, where the overall quality of students is low (in comparison to my original school), and thus it is very easy to be in the top 5% of the class.

Things I have learned so far on my journey:

1. It is infinitely better to be an exceptional student in a class of average students, rather than an average student in a class of exceptional students.
2. Undergraduate institution name means almost nothing when applying.
3. Your original degree doesn't matter. Have a degree in chemical engineering? Might as well gotten a degree in theater while taking pre-med reqs. It's all about maximizing GPA.
4. With a lower uGPA, be prepared to take the same class 3 times. For example, you take A&P as a postbac as part of your GPA repair. Then, take it again in an SMP. Finally, take it again in your first year of med school. Seriously...
5. http://www.ratemyprofessor.com. Use and abuse this. Dodge as many hard professors as you can. Even if the professor is a good teacher but hard, avoid at all costs. At the end of the day, your transcript still says "General Physics" on it.
6. Go to a large university that has a lot of sections. This maximizes your choice of professors, and gives you the most flexibility for scheduling and choosing the easiest one.
7. Take classes with business majors.
8. Repairing a low GPA is a long journey, and it will be a LONG time before you start learning what you really need to know to be a doctor. 1-3 years of post-bacc/SMP + 4 years of med school until you finally get to the part of your education that really matters.
9. You will go crazy if all you think about is your goal is becoming a doctor. You have to truly enjoy taking classes and learning to make this worthwhile.

I wish I was wrong on some of these points, and maybe after applying I'll find out that I was wrong. But at this point it feels like playing a game, and it sucks to be the people who don't know the rules of the game.

 

[bold text]

What's the advantage of #7?

 

[Sikara]

I have anecdotal evidence (n=1) that you will stand out as being exceptional more in a class with business majors.

I'm currently taking a class that has both business and non-business sections. The business section average, with more then 150 students registered in each, is 10% lower than the non-business section. The content is virtually identical in both courses, and is taught by the same instructor.

 

[ShyRem]

You're right about your list unfortunately. Getting in is a game. Staying in takes work. Honoring clinicals takes something special, and I think it's easier for nontrads to have "it" than for traditional students. We have just seen more, lived more, cried more, overcome more. It gives us an empathy, a viewpoint that many younger students just don't have.

So yeah, getting in sucks. But being in is more fun. As is the work.

 

[jl lin]

You're right about your list unfortunately. Getting in is a game. Staying in takes work. Honoring clinicals takes something special, and I think it's easier for nontrads to have "it" than for traditional students. We have just seen more, lived more, cried more, overcome more. It gives us an empathy, a viewpoint that many younger students just don't have.

So yeah, getting in sucks. But being in is more fun. As is the work.

Nice reply. I think you may be on to something w/ regard to clinicals--and well, just going through more stuff as well as severe stuff.

 

[MLT2MT2DO]

You're right about your list unfortunately. Getting in is a game. Staying in takes work. Honoring clinicals takes something special, and I think it's easier for nontrads to have "it" than for traditional students. We have just seen more, lived more, cried more, overcome more. It gives us an empathy, a viewpoint that many younger students just don't have.

So yeah, getting in sucks. But being in is more fun. As is the work.

Always love hearing from you, very few negatives from you. Would love to see you blog more.

 

[Nasrudin]

What's the advantage of #7?

Because they think--curriculum wise--a group study project and presentation is tough studying. Whereas science dorks scale a steeper cliff alone against stiff competition.

B school is flufftastical to the extreme.

OP. Excellent post. Couldn't agree more.

The process elevates the gpa to such an extent that it rules out context altogether. To even get them to consider the other factors with a low gpa you need years of reconstruction. With A's. Nothing less. And doesn't matter if you shove grandma off the sidewalk to get to them. Nobody seems to be comfortable stating that as fact.

But the OP and I will do it.

 

[eablackwell]

Because they think--curriculum wise--a group study project and presentation is tough studying.

B school is flufftastical to the extreme.

This made me laugh, because it is sooo true. 👍

 

[FiremedicMike]

So I'm going to take your post and try and ask this question without hijacking. It is said many times that it is "preferred" that science classes not be taken at a community college, although I've never actually seen a firm answer on this, especially in regards to a non-trad.

So with your above statement, wouldn't a 4.0 in pre-req's at community college be better than a 3.5 in pre-reqs at a major university? My community college has a schedule that is easier to work around and only costs $79/hr. They also happen to have ALL of the pre-req's.

I know I'm still 2 years off from being done with my degree in underwater basket weaving (Public Safety Admin) and starting pre-req's, but I'm a bit obsessive, so bear with me..

 

[Sikara]

So with your above statement, wouldn't a 4.0 in pre-req's at community college be better than a 3.5 in pre-reqs at a major university? My community college has a schedule that is easier to work around and only costs $79/hr. They also happen to have ALL of the pre-req's.

I know I'm still 2 years off from being done with my degree in underwater basket weaving (Public Safety Admin) and starting pre-req's, but I'm a bit obsessive, so bear with me..

That's a tough one. I've heard directly from 1 med school admissions office that they prefer classes be taken at a 4 year university. (Kind of ridiculous, considering their are adjunct professors at my 4 year that teach full time at CC).

However, I believe that a 4.0 beats a 3.5 any day of the week, so if it's literally impossible to get a 4.0 at your 4-year, go to CC. HOWEVER...use ratemyprofessor, I'm sure you'll find a way to get that 4.0...... Oh, as an aside, I've literally gone to department offices and asked the people there about professors, especially if they aren't listed on ratemyprofessor. This HAS worked...got some great info about a professor I should avoid, and who I should take instead. I didn't ask, in this case, about difficulty, just quality of professor. (I feel like I'm getting a degree in "how to get an A").

 

[EdLongshanks]

So I'm going to take your post and try and ask this question without hijacking. It is said many times that it is "preferred" that science classes not be taken at a community college, although I've never actually seen a firm answer on this, especially in regards to a non-trad.

When the schools look at your course work on your AMCAS application, they see a list of courses topped by the name of the school in small print.

A third or more of my course work and almost all of my pre-reqs are at a CC. We'll see, but I doubt it's a problem. I've asked at several name schools (Stanford, Mayo, Baylor) and no one seems to care very much.

On the other hand, I would hate to be asked about why I took my courses at a CC in the interview and my only reply was "I wanted to get an A"

My reason is that I work full-time and so have to go to the school where the courses are offered at night. So far, everyone's response has been. Oh, shrug. I think the MCAT score tells them whether or not you can handle coursework.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Taking pre-req courses at a cc places much more emphasis on your MCAT. A good cc GPA combined with an excellent MCAT and it should not hold you back. I wouldn't go so far as to say that a 3.5 from an Ivy League is worse than a 4.0 from a cc. If you start attending med school interviews, you'll notice a ton of Ivy League grads get interviews (cc are under-represented especially given the proportion of ccs relative to Ivies in the country... of course this could just be because the average cc grad is not aiming to go to med school).

My reason is that I work full-time and so have to go to the school where the courses are offered at night. So far, everyone's response has been. Oh, shrug. I think the MCAT score tells them whether or not you can handle coursework.

 

[mzblue]

Yeah, i'm also curious as to why the OP says this. wish the OP had made this post back when i was an undergrad.

What's the advantage of #7?

 

[Simplify]

MCAT is the equalizer. There are plenty of people who went to prestigious universities and achieved stellar (3.8+) grades yet have a sub-par (<29) MCAT. Grading schemes and curve structures (or lack thereof) are so different among institutions. I have attended 4 different academic institutions in several states throughout my college career. In every case the schools have required widely varying amount of effort to achieve As. I can say with relative certainty that grades alone are a mediocre metric at best.

 

[EdLongshanks]

Taking pre-req courses at a cc places much more emphasis on your MCAT. A good cc GPA combined with an excellent MCAT and it should not hold you back. I wouldn't go so far as to say that a 3.5 from an Ivy League is worse than a 4.0 from a cc. If you start attending med school interviews, you'll notice a ton of Ivy League grads get interviews (cc are under-represented especially given the proportion of ccs relative to Ivies in the country... of course this could just be because the average cc grad is not aiming to go to med school).

I agree with you that CC pre-reqs put a higher emphasis on MCAT scores.

At med-school interviews, you would not be hearing about CC courses anyway, since the interviewee is talking about the 4-year institution he graduated from. But I don't disagree with you that the proportion of Ivy-league students to non-Ivy's is increased in graduate school applications and interviews. A graduate from Podunk University college of petroleum engineering is more likely to get a job down in Louisiana somewhere than apply to med school

 

[EdLongshanks]

MCAT is the equalizer. There are plenty of people who went to prestigious universities and achieved stellar (3.8+) grades yet have a sub-par (<29) MCAT. Grading schemes and curve structures (or lack thereof) are so different among institutions. I have attended 4 different academic institutions in several states throughout my college career. In every case the schools have required widely varying amount of effort to achieve As. I can say with relative certainty that grades alone are a mediocre metric at best.

At one point my city had only and extended campus of one public university offering a degree in my field. So I went and took some courses there. The level of rigor was embarrassingly low. This is in upper-level computer sciences classes that should be hard. A person should have to do a little homework in Data Structures II in order to get an A. I then took some courses at the CC in our city and was surprised by their difficulty.

I hear that Harvard has suffered from such grade inflation, that Harvard Med school is actually discriminating against students from their own school. That is only a single sourced opinion, so it might not be so.

 

[TriagePreMed]

You can't get a BA at a community college. It is completely within reason that someone may go to community college and transfer Dartmouth.

Taking pre-req courses at a cc places much more emphasis on your MCAT. A good cc GPA combined with an excellent MCAT and it should not hold you back. I wouldn't go so far as to say that a 3.5 from an Ivy League is worse than a 4.0 from a cc. If you start attending med school interviews, you'll notice a ton of Ivy League grads get interviews (cc are under-represented especially given the proportion of ccs relative to Ivies in the country... of course this could just be because the average cc grad is not aiming to go to med school).

 

[EdLongshanks]

You can't get a BA at a community college. It is completely within reason that someone may go to community college and transfer Dartmouth.

I just went to MDApps and looked up Case university. I use Case as an examplar, because it is a private university with no regional bias and also is not itself an Ivy league institute.

There were 231 interviewed and 112 accepted. So, if there is no ivy-league bias, then the ivy-league interviews to acceptances should be 2:1.

With a quick eyeball count, I see 19 Ivy-league interviews and 11 acceptances. Doesn't look like a "killing" to me.

 

[DitchDoc73]

You can't get a BA at a community college. It is completely within reason that someone may go to community college and transfer Dartmouth.

Depends on what state you are from. In Florida you can now get a BA from a community college (usually in somthing like interior design, etc.), but then again the community colleges are now called "state colleges."

 

[mspeedwagon]

I don't disagree with you, but Case is not a good example. Based on my undergrad there were virtually no applicants to Case... 6 out of 10 go into Case in the last 3 yrs (Tufts, NYU, Mt. Sinai all would have been better examples).

I just went to MDApps and looked up Case university. I use Case as an examplar, because it is a private university with no regional bias and also is not itself an Ivy league institute.

There were 231 interviewed and 112 accepted. So, if there is no ivy-league bias, then the ivy-league interviews to acceptances should be 2:1.

With a quick eyeball count, I see 19 Ivy-league interviews and 11 acceptances. Doesn't look like a "killing" to me.

 

[CanadaDrToBe]

That it is better not to go back to school until you know what you want to do. I failed my first year and did poorly for the next few because I had no idea what I wanted to do and thus did nothing. Those Fs and Ds will haunt me for the rest of my life.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Should have been more specific and said pre-reqs taken at a cc versus Ivy... granted, this is a hard comparison to make (since it's entirely possible that someone took pre-reqs at a cc and graduated from an Ivy).

You can't get a BA at a community college. It is completely within reason that someone may go to community college and transfer Dartmouth.

 

[mspeedwagon]

As someone that took classes at Harvard, I don't agree with this. I have gotten an A- or higher at ever institute I have ever taken classes at (and I've taken classes at several) EXCEPT for two (Harvard and Brown).

Also, there are more Harvard students at Harvard Med than any other undergrad institution.

I hear that Harvard has suffered from such grade inflation, that Harvard Med school is actually discriminating against students from their own school. That is only a single sourced opinion, so it might not be so.

 

[murfettie]

there are more UCLA undergrads at UCLA med.....
it's not just the fancy ivies who do this.

 

[mspeedwagon]

Yes, most schools favor their own undergrads (Colubmia is an exception to this and Columbia is not the most represented school at Columbia Med). However, if Harvard had a bias against their own undergrad we would NOT expect this to be the case (as is, or at least was, the case for Columbia).

there are more UCLA undergrads at UCLA med.....
it's not just the fancy ivies who do this.

 

[EdLongshanks]

Yes, most schools favor their own undergrads (Colubmia is an exception to this and Columbia is not the most represented school at Columbia Med). However, if Harvard had a bias against their own undergrad we would NOT expect this to be the case (as is, or at least was, the case for Columbia).

You are right. Harvard is, obviously, not discriminating against their own students.

As a former Harvard student, you would know if grade inflation has afflicted them more than other places.

Grade inflation HAS afflicted every place. I had never heard of dropping the lowest test until recently. I had one class where you got 8% for SHOWING UP.

Back in the '80's (when we walked five miles to school in the snow, uphill both ways) it was harder. I remember one semester when I actually got 3 B's. The fact that I got married in the middle of the semester has nothing to do with it. I'd have a 4.0 today if those classes hadn't been so hard.

(BTW, for the humor impaired, the last paragraph was a joke)

 

[Simplify]

It's kind of hard to say that grades have inflated without providing some kind of study to support it. I don't have an opinion either way, but I would like some evidence. 🙂

As far as dropping exams, I think that basically amounts to a lazy method for curving a class. Dropping the lowest exam raises the class average. I've been in several classes where there was a set grading scale with no curve but the prof would drop an exam. By dropping an exam the professor is accomplishing the same thing.

I've had class difficulty all over the spectrum. In the Biochem class I'm finishing tomorrow the class average for the midterm was just over 60%. This professor does not curve and he has a set grading scale. He does not drop exams. I'm doing well but and should get at least an A- but this definitely classifies as one of my hardest courses in undergrad!

 

[EdLongshanks]

It's kind of hard to say that grades have inflated without providing some kind of study to support it. I don't have an opinion either way, but I would like some evidence. 🙂
!

I'm not motivated enough to look up studies on grade inflation. I'm sure that they exist, but I don't care enough to find out. This particular opinion of mine is worth about 5 minutes of typing and could be overturned by any reasonable argument.

 

[Don Draper]

1. It is infinitely better to be an exceptional student in a class of average students, rather than an average student in a class of exceptional students.
2. Undergraduate institution name means almost nothing when applying.
3. Your original degree doesn't matter. Have a degree in chemical engineering? Might as well gotten a degree in theater while taking pre-med reqs. It's all about maximizing GPA.
4. With a lower uGPA, be prepared to take the same class 3 times. For example, you take A&P as a postbac as part of your GPA repair. Then, take it again in an SMP. Finally, take it again in your first year of med school. Seriously...
5. http://www.ratemyprofessor.com. Use and abuse this. Dodge as many hard professors as you can. Even if the professor is a good teacher but hard, avoid at all costs. At the end of the day, your transcript still says "General Physics" on it.
6. Go to a large university that has a lot of sections. This maximizes your choice of professors, and gives you the most flexibility for scheduling and choosing the easiest one.
7. Take classes with business majors.
8. Repairing a low GPA is a long journey, and it will be a LONG time before you start learning what you really need to know to be a doctor. 1-3 years of post-bacc/SMP + 4 years of med school until you finally get to the part of your education that really matters.
9. You will go crazy if all you think about is your goal is becoming a doctor. You have to truly enjoy taking classes and learning to make this worthwhile.

I wish I was wrong on some of these points, and maybe after applying I'll find out that I was wrong. But at this point it feels like playing a game, and it sucks to be the people who don't know the rules of the game.

I don't think there are any shockers here. You can learn this info by looking at any medical admissions data that breaks down GPA's or majors that gain acceptance.

#9. You mean you shouldn't do this if you think it is hell until you become a doc?

Well... yeah.

 

[ftrflyr29]

I also think it depends on what you did in your time between undergrad and applying to med school. If you have done something "hard" during that time, I don't think you have to go to such extremes to repair a bad uGPA.

For example.....I have a increasing number of my peers who have applied to medical school with low uGPA's from many different universities--some perceived difficult, some liberal arts state schools and some no-name SMALL private schools who have spent many years as military officers--pilots, nfo's, swo's, nukes, submariners, etc.

Most of us have have only had to take (or re-take due to time since graduation) the pre-req classes (and most of those being done at a CC due to work/deployment schedule), do well on the MCAT (>29), do some shadowing and (maybe) some volunteering, and we've all successfully been admitted. Off-hand, I can count 11 (quickly off-hand) with all receiving multiple MD acceptances--schools such as.......Dartmouth, UCSF, UCSD, UCF, FSU, USA, Tulane, USUHS, Georgetown, GWU, Vermont, Harvard.

I think what the schools like is they see these people who have successfully completed something "hard," survived adversity (being deployed, wartime, difficult working environments, etc) and are mature, well-spoken/written with great LORs. I'm not saying everyone of you should join the military, but if you've done something, been dedicated to it and successful, you can capitalize on that experience without having to break yourself for years before you can even apply. Just my 2cents.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I've got to disagree about the business courses. Perhaps because I've never had much exposure to what business majors teach or perhaps because I didn't at all care about what they were trying to teach, but I think the business and upper level accounting classes I took were about the hardest courses I've ever had.

 

[EdLongshanks]

I don't think there are any shockers here. You can learn this info by looking at any medical admissions data that breaks down GPA's or majors that gain acceptance.

#9. You mean you shouldn't do this if you think it is hell until you become a doc?

Well... yeah.

That is an important point and worth repeating. Some people on here have expressed their fervent desire to become a doctor and yet express dismay at every step along the way to become one. They haven't asked me to judge them, but I wouldn't care to be in their shoes.

 

[jinx520]

That is an important point and worth repeating. Some people on here have expressed their fervent desire to become a doctor and yet express dismay at every step along the way to become one. They haven't asked me to judge them, but I wouldn't care to be in their shoes.

I tend to suspect that that particular reaction is a function of the younger generation's focus on instant gratification and getting a medal just for showing up. Not to start a flame war or anything, but my kids came home from the end of school with a whole folder full of "awards". Apparently they had some sort of ceremony where everyone got awards for brightest smile, nicest to classmates, etc. I mean, I understand the meaning behind the action--to raise the children's self-esteem--but I think they are going about it the wrong way. I try my best to raise my kids to know and appreciate who they are, and to base their sense of self-worth on that and not on essentially meaningless external praise.

I've read a lot of articles lately about this phenomenon in the workplace, where kids straight out of high school with no work experience show up to their interview in cutoffs and flipflops and expect to be placed into a management position with executive pay and perks.

I think that this phenomenon is showing up, to a lesser extent (or maybe just more subtly), in the medical profession as well. More people are clamoring for the "lifestyle specialties" and even in specialties like surgery people want to be able to make the career hours fit their lifestyle instead of the other way around. I'm not saying this is necessarily a bad thing, especially trying to achieve a work-life balance, but IMO the younger generation either doesn't understand or refuses to accept the trade-offs/compromises necessary to achieve this balance.

At any rate, I do believe that this phenomenon is seen less in premeds/med students in general, and even less in this forum. So I'll get off my thread-derailing soapbox now. Back to your regularly-scheduled discussion.

 

[DitchDoc73]

Really? They are doing this in the area I am from (The Peninsula of the Bay Area, California), but the degree comes out saying "San Francisco State University" even if you took all classes at the community college.

Yup, and the degree is from the school you attended. They changed the classifications of community colleges to state colleges so that they may confer Bachelor's degrees. So, for example, instead of the school being called Valencia Community College it is now Valencia State College. Nothing changed other than the school names. There were some programs similar to what you mention, but most were taught by university professors that taught at the community college in a combined type program.

 

[Sikara]

That is an important point and worth repeating. Some people on here have expressed their fervent desire to become a doctor and yet express dismay at every step along the way to become one. They haven't asked me to judge them, but I wouldn't care to be in their shoes.

Thanks EdLongshanks, that is what I meant by writing it. I think this is particularly true given how many myths surround what it's like to be a doctor. People fall in love with the idea of being a doctor, while having no clue what it actually means. Yes, I'm in that category, and I don't think shadowing or volunteering gives you enough perspective. I've watched doctors make decisions. I won't pretend to know what its like to make those decisions....I'm sure its a lot more engaging then just watching it 🙂

For me, what makes it worthwhile is how much I am truly enjoying going back to school again. Even if I discover that doctoring isn't for me ... I am not regretting my postbac experience. Despite my cynicism, I am enjoying focusing on my education, as opposed to my income. Yes, to a small extent I'm gaming the system, but I still put everything I have into learning the material.

 

[Lazarus]

Thanks EdLongshanks, that is what I meant by writing it. I think this is particularly true given how many myths surround what it's like to be a doctor. People fall in love with the idea of being a doctor, while having no clue what it actually means. Yes, I'm in that category, and I don't think shadowing or volunteering gives you enough perspective. I've watched doctors make decisions. I won't pretend to know what its like to make those decisions....I'm sure its a lot more engaging then just watching it 🙂

For me, what makes it worthwhile is how much I am truly enjoying going back to school again. Even if I discover that doctoring isn't for me ... I am not regretting my postbac experience. Despite my cynicism, I am enjoying focusing on my education, as opposed to my income. Yes, to a small extent I'm gaming the system, but I still put everything I have into learning the material.

Just my 2cents, a little bit of my soul dies whenever a pre-med or postbac pre-med states they want to be like House.

 

[familyaerospace]

Yup, and the degree is from the school you attended. They changed the classifications of community colleges to state colleges so that they may confer Bachelor's degrees. So, for example, instead of the school being called Valencia Community College it is now Valencia State College. Nothing changed other than the school names. There were some programs similar to what you mention, but most were taught by university professors that taught at the community college in a combined type program.

I went to Broward Community College for a semester. I was surprised when they changed their name a few years ago (to Broward College) and started offering some BAs! 🙂

 

[familyaerospace]

Just my 2cents, a little bit of my soul dies whenever a pre-med or postbac pre-med states they want to be like House.

Part of me dies when someone mentions either "ER" or "Grey's Anatomy."

I've never seen someone mention "Scrubs," "MASH," or "Royal Pains" in a personal statement. If they did, I would probably have to squee before suggesting they remove it.

 

[DitchDoc73]

I went to Broward Community College for a semester. I was surprised when they changed their name a few years ago (to Broward College) and started offering some BAs! 🙂

Crazy isn't it?!

 

[familyaerospace]

Yup! Not overly impressed by their BA offerings but I never was going to get a degree from them. 🙂

It still boggles my mind because I still can't help calling it BCC! $5 says I will write Broward Community College on my AMCAS at least once before I realise that isn't the name anymore.

 

[mmz737]

It's funny but apparently even the reputation of the 4 yr school for pre-reqs may matter. My in-state med school, I didn't get an interview despite volunteering for them and having LOR from faculty. I met to find out why, and they mentioned (besides my MCAT score,which was brought down by physics), that the 4 year school where I took some of my pre-reqs wasn't as good as the state school or where I did my undergrad. Though that school, the professors I had taught at the school I went for undergrad (which has a better reputation). But the lesser school was cheaper, and would let continuing ed students register in advance whereas my alma mater would only let me register 2 weeks before classes and most science reqs were filled or only the worst teachers had spots left. Interesting as I thought as long as you did the pre-reqs at a 4 yr school,you'd be ok, but apparently some med schools want you to do them at the hardest 4 yr school in your area, especially if you are a non-trad student. (interestingly, none of my state schools are on the list o accepted students for this year - maybe they aren't as non-trad friendly).

 

[apumic]

Part of me dies when someone mentions either "ER" or "Grey's Anatomy."

I've never seen someone mention "Scrubs," "MASH," or "Royal Pains" in a personal statement. If they did, I would probably have to squee before suggesting they remove it.

I think I'd like to be like Dr. Cox from Scrubs. He's so charming and witty, with a great sense of when others just aren't fit for a career saving lives. As a result, he makes a great leader and, in effect, has prevented many, many patients from dying unnecessarily due to others' foibles....

j/k j/k... but at least if someone wrote their PS around a Scrubs character it'd be obviously satirical!

 

[familyaerospace]

I think I'd like to be like Dr. Cox from Scrubs. He's so charming and witty, with a great sense of when others just aren't fit for a career saving lives. As a result, he makes a great leader and, in effect, has prevented many, many patients from dying unnecessarily due to others' foibles....

j/k j/k... but at least if someone wrote their PS around a Scrubs character it'd be obviously satirical!

Honestly, I'm a big Scrubs and MASH fan, but it's not in my personal statement.

I love Dr. Cox from Scrubs and I think I've learned more from Dr. Cox than I have some of the attendings I've shadowed. Sad but true. One attending asked me several questions which I answered correctly because of things I learned from Scrubs. I didn't tell him that is where I learned from. 🙂

 

[EdLongshanks]

Honestly, I'm a big Scrubs and MASH fan, but it's not in my personal statement.

I love Dr. Cox from Scrubs and I think I've learned more from Dr. Cox than I have some of the attendings I've shadowed. Sad but true. One attending asked me several questions which I answered correctly because of things I learned from Scrubs. I didn't tell him that is where I learned from. 🙂

I want to be a doctor because, like Dr. House, I want to be surrounded by gorgeous women like 13 and Dr. Cuddy.

 

[MrsLongshanks]

I want to be a doctor because, like Dr. House, I want to be surrounded by gorgeous women like 13 and Dr. Cuddy.

Ok, that's it, you're going to law school. Where the women are only strong, only the men are good looking and all the students are above average.

 

[CougarMD]

Ok, that's it, you're going to law school. Where the women are only strong, only the men are good looking and all the students are above average.

QFT.

 

[eikoro2]

Ok, so I admit I'm bitter about the whole med school admissions process, or particularly the criteria for admittance as presented here on SDN.

Like many nontrads, I have a low uGPA. Little did I know as a fresh faced high school senior that going to one of the most difficult and prestigious undergraduate institutions in the country, and getting a degree in engineering, would actually hurt my chances for medical school admittance. Not that I was even thinking about med school at the time (which is why a lot of intelligent people have less-than-stellar GPA's to begin with).

I am now 1/2 of the way through my postbacc pulling a straight 4.0 taking about 16-20 credits per semester of all science classes. I'm going to no-name U, where the overall quality of students is low (in comparison to my original school), and thus it is very easy to be in the top 5% of the class.

Things I have learned so far on my journey:

1. It is infinitely better to be an exceptional student in a class of average students, rather than an average student in a class of exceptional students.
2. Undergraduate institution name means almost nothing when applying.
3. Your original degree doesn't matter. Have a degree in chemical engineering? Might as well gotten a degree in theater while taking pre-med reqs. It's all about maximizing GPA.
4. With a lower uGPA, be prepared to take the same class 3 times. For example, you take A&P as a postbac as part of your GPA repair. Then, take it again in an SMP. Finally, take it again in your first year of med school. Seriously...
5. http://www.ratemyprofessor.com. Use and abuse this. Dodge as many hard professors as you can. Even if the professor is a good teacher but hard, avoid at all costs. At the end of the day, your transcript still says "General Physics" on it.
6. Go to a large university that has a lot of sections. This maximizes your choice of professors, and gives you the most flexibility for scheduling and choosing the easiest one.
7. Take classes with business majors.
8. Repairing a low GPA is a long journey, and it will be a LONG time before you start learning what you really need to know to be a doctor. 1-3 years of post-bacc/SMP + 4 years of med school until you finally get to the part of your education that really matters.
9. You will go crazy if all you think about is your goal is becoming a doctor. You have to truly enjoy taking classes and learning to make this worthwhile.

I wish I was wrong on some of these points, and maybe after applying I'll find out that I was wrong. But at this point it feels like playing a game, and it sucks to be the people who don't know the rules of the game.

so if my gpa is a 2.85 at my current big university, I'm an RA and right now (in my home city.not the same place as my schol) I just landed an awesome internship at a nice hospital, I would also be able to get exponentially more volunteer hours. My dad thinks I should switch to a junior college or something along those lines to put myself in a better position to go to med school. I know if I switch my new gpa and my old one will be factored in but I am more likely to get that 4.0 at a smaller school which would ultimately be better .. right? .. what should i do ? 😕😕😕😕 Do you think med schools care if you transfer? if i stay will i seem like a fighter. .. does that even matter.

 

[Lazarus]

... think med schools care if you transfer? if i stay will i seem like a fighter. .. does that even matter.

My understanding is that they more than likely will not think you are a fighter. In regards to CC's I am under the impression a few are fine, but you want the majority at a 4yr. Its unfortunate becuse the cost difference between the two is stunning. This is just my understanding from talking to postbach advisers and from reading this board.

By smaller school do you mean class size? If so could you find a small 4yr?

Anywho goodluck.