Which Schools to Pick ?

[Sherille]

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Hi You guys, I am new to this SDN thing... but have been reading other people posts so I know this is probably the best place to ask these questions.

I am applying this year and am somewhat lost as to what schools to apply to. I have a very low gpa (3.0) and expecting at least a 30 on the MCAT.

Should i just apply to low tier schools? Any ideas as to what schools I should actually throw my money on ?

 

[Bradleyp]

Not to sound too pessimistic, being from CA with low numbers I would call your chances extremely small at best. You may consider graduate work or something of that nature before applying and then getting your MCAT up. You can do it with effort. Good luck.

 

[SMW]

Welcome to SDN, Sherille. 🙂 Your GPA puts you at a huge disadvantage. If you are determined to apply this year, I would say you must have a stellar application in every other aspect than GPA. So, your MCAT should be at least 32, your EC's, LOR's and essays fantastic, and you'd best have some sort of reason for that GPA which should definitely have an upward trend to it. Unless your app outside of your GPA is superb, then you should probably concentrate on applying to lower tier schools and lots of them. But you should also seriously consider Bradleyp's suggestion of getting your GPA up. Good luck, whatever you decide to do!

 

[oldman]

If I were you, I'd go for a grad degree. With a good grad degree transcript, the med schools might forgive a bad ugrad transcript.

i had a 31 and about a 3.6

i applied to about 26 places with a wide dispersion of prestige levels. i ended up with about 16 rejection letters.

 

[gbey]

Hello,

I am in similar situation:
GPA 2.75
MCAT 36
*3 years of clinical work (greeting patients and taking them to exam rooms and do vitals, ask 3-4 relevant questions,then whatever the doctors decide I do, including CBC,Sed Rate, Mono screening, Urinalysis, ECG, X-Rays,Preg testing, Phlebotomy, etc.)
*1 year research in Boston University School of Medicine (not so a fancy one).
*Founded a free clinic in remote part of Ethiopia in 2000.
*1 year of volunteer work, also in an orthp. clinic in New Hampshire.
I think I am ok on my other stuff, or am I not?
But like the original poster, I am having trouble picking up schools. And I am getting depressed about my GPA. But, I am going to try anyways.
If I don't get any luck this year, I will take a year worth of science courses to bring up my GPA.
Persistence is important. Right now, I am focused on getting the best LOR's I can find, and writing a great personal statement (having trouble starting). Because like the above poster said, the only thing you can do at this point is make the rest of your package great. The GPA cannot be changed now. If you have to, you can improve for the next cycle.

People, I do not know where to apply because my GPA is below any of the schools reqirments. Do you have any suggestion please?

Gebe

 

[atsai3]

Sherille:

Going to "grad school" will not help your GPA unless you specifically enroll in those Master's programs designed as first cousins to post-baccalaureate programs. So, for example, the Master's programs at BU, Georgetown, and Case Western Reserve University could help you -- I think the degree is in "anatomy" or "biomedical sciences" or something. (To draw an explicit contrast, going to Harvard, GWU, or Berkeley for an MPH would not help you, GPA-wise.) Unfortunately, most of these Master's programs take 2 years, are extremely difficult to do well in (since most people who enroll are also studying their butts off to get into medical school), and cost a lot of money. Perhaps some of the others on SDN have a full list of these types of Master's programs.

gebe:

Your 36 MCAT should help you get past many MCAT hurdles, and your post-graduate experiences should help you navigate the interviews. I say go for it. If you really want to boost your GPA then you could enroll in a Master's program as I descrbe previously.

Regards
-a.

 

[oldman]

since you are going for it. you're gonna have to make those essays shine! feel free to bounce some basic themes or outlines for a personal statement off people here either through PMing or posting it here. I had lots of people look at my essay. It really helped me to refine it into a very clean and powerful essay. 🙂

•••quote:•••Originally posted by gebe:
•Hello,

I am in similar situation:
GPA 2.75
MCAT 36
*3 years of clinical work (greeting patients and taking them to exam rooms and do vitals, ask 3-4 relevant questions,then whatever the doctors decide I do, including CBC,Sed Rate, Mono screening, Urinalysis, ECG, X-Rays,Preg testing, Phlebotomy, etc.)
*1 year research in Boston University School of Medicine (not so a fancy one).
*Founded a free clinic in remote part of Ethiopia in 2000.
*1 year of volunteer work, also in an orthp. clinic in New Hampshire.
I think I am ok on my other stuff, or am I not?
But like the original poster, I am having trouble picking up schools. And I am getting depressed about my GPA. But, I am going to try anyways.
If I don't get any luck this year, I will take a year worth of science courses to bring up my GPA.
Persistence is important. Right now, I am focused on getting the best LOR's I can find, and writing a great personal statement (having trouble starting). Because like the above poster said, the only thing you can do at this point is make the rest of your package great. The GPA cannot be changed now. If you have to, you can improve for the next cycle.

People, I do not know where to apply because my GPA is below any of the schools reqirments. Do you have any suggestion please?

Gebe•••••

 

[oldman]

While grad school might not help your cumulative GPA. It might show that you have matured (assuming you do well in grad school) and can handle graduate level (i.e. medical school level) courses.

Even with really bad grades you can still make it in if you have the will to go for it. I've talked with a doctor doing his ENT residency at Hopkins Hospital who went to Vanderbilt Med and transfered to Stanford (cause his wife went to Stanford for residency) who said he did crappy in his first two years of ugrad. He started off majoring in art and being a ski bum. While they questioned his grades at interviews, he simply told them that he grew up. He kicked his butt into gear.

•••quote:•••Originally posted by atsai3:
•Sherille:

Going to "grad school" will not help your GPA unless you specifically enroll in those Master's programs designed as first cousins to post-baccalaureate programs. So, for example, the Master's programs at BU, Georgetown, and Case Western Reserve University could help you -- I think the degree is in "anatomy" or "biomedical sciences" or something. (To draw an explicit contrast, going to Harvard, GWU, or Berkeley for an MPH would not help you, GPA-wise.) Unfortunately, most of these Master's programs take 2 years, are extremely difficult to do well in (since most people who enroll are also studying their butts off to get into medical school), and cost a lot of money. Perhaps some of the others on SDN have a full list of these types of Master's programs.

gebe:

Your 36 MCAT should help you get past many MCAT hurdles, and your post-graduate experiences should help you navigate the interviews. I say go for it. If you really want to boost your GPA then you could enroll in a Master's program as I descrbe previously.

Regards
-a.•••••

 

[brickmanli]

just need a little more to give good advice: what significant EC's have you done, do you have any special skills (e.g. sports, music, etc), are you in a disadvantaged minority group?

 

[Sherille]

Guys,

Thanks for the advice. Maybe I should tell you a little more about my situation. I have 5 years of research 3 years with UC Davis, National Institute of Health, 1 year with Stanford and 1 year with UCSF. I also co-authored one of these researches.

As far a clinical experience I co-founded and was director for 2 years of a student-run clinic in a homeless community of San Francisco. I also do community outreach for the California Transplant
donor network.

So I am hoping that my EC's would help me out. I don't know if I am a URM. I am filipino so I have no idea if we are considered underrepresented.

 

[none]

Filipinos may very well be under-represented, I don't know. They are NOT, however, considered URMs formally and thus won't gain any admissions benefits. I concur with Oldman, a grad degree might help and it doesn't have to be at one of those post-bacc places. Any sort of grad degree will help your app.