Will Fulbright make the difference for me?

[QiasTheKid]

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Yoooooooo. My name is Qias, and I'm a graduating senior. I used to use College Confidential, loved it, tried SDN the first semester I was in college, got so overwhelmed by the 3.9+ 36+ that I haven't been back here in ages. But I now have reason to!

I'd say I'm the posterchild for borderline MD Applicant, 3.63 cGPA, 3.40 sGPA, 31 MCAT (on second try, first MCAT was a 21).

Good EC's, good (not great) LOR's, excellent essays (Though this post might not paint me as a good writer, I do think writing is one of the few things I really excel at when I put my mind to it).


So I'd planned on moving back to my home state (Vermont) to start taking post-bacc classes at UV, and apply this summer. I need need need to pull that sGPA up, it blows!

But then, I was unexpectedly given a Fulbright ETA to Thailand.

So yes, not a research Fulbright, but an ETA. I've been told this is not that prestigious, and my pre-med advisor told me to decline it and take my post-bacc classes because it's not that prestigious, and I need to work on my sGPA. She also told me adcoms know that the Fulbright ETA is given out to many people (For thailand, it's like a 20% chance of getting it, I thought it was sorta exclusive?) and that it's not really a worthwhile use of my time because my science GPA is so low. She also told me that my science GPA is at the 10th percentile for admitted Medical Students, can anyone corroborate that or offer up some AAMC link I can refer to?


No matter what, I will be applying to 20 schools this cycle no matter what (UVM, EVMS, Rosalind Franklin, Quinnipiac, Oakland, Tulane, Loyola, Albany, NYMC, Penn State, MCW, VCU, Hofstra, Creighton, Cooper, Drexel, Dartmouth, Cincinnati, Wright State, Commonwealth, Virginia Tech).

My #1 School is Dartmouth, but honestly, I'm obviously down to go anywhere. I'd love to apply to UT-Austin because my fiancee is going to grad school down there, but I know as a non-texan that's not going to happen.

Anyways, should I do the fulbright? Could it possibly end up making or breaking my application if I take this award? Or truck my butt to Vermont to fix up the sGPA as my premed advisor wants?

 

[breakintheroof]

You are about to graduate from college, and you have been offered an all-expenses-paid year in Thailand through a Fulbright ETA.

Your premed advisor thinks you should stay home.

What do you want, @QiasTheKid?

 

[QiasTheKid]

You are about to graduate from college, and you have been offered an all-expenses-paid year in Thailand through a Fulbright ETA.

Your premed advisor thinks you should stay home.

What do you want, @QiasTheKid?

To get into Medical School....lol

 

[hoihaie]

you should go, then take your postbacc work afterwards

 

[cactus8910]

Your postbac work won't matter if you apply before you have grades.
Could you defer the Fulbright for a year while you do postbac work, then go and apply that year? When will your MCAT expire?

 

[breakintheroof]

To get into Medical School....lol

All right then. I have known several Fulbright ETAs who have gone on to success in the medical school application cycle. Here is an MDApps example.

More important, though is the life experience you stand to acquire. I personally find it hard to imagine that someone in your position would say no to this chance, especially just to get started on some postbacc coursework.

I do have to recognize that some people have a timetable they want to stick to. But I have to ask then, why are you so set on yours? Why didn't you apply to med school this year? And, of course, why did you throw your name in for the Fulbright?

 

[QiasTheKid]

Your postbac work won't matter if you apply before you have grades.
Could you defer the Fulbright for a year while you do postbac work, then go and apply that year? When will your MCAT expire?

Nope, no deferments for Fulbrighters.

 

[tiedyeddog]

A full year paid for in Thailand... I would take that, just from a personal development side of things. That sounds awesome.

 

[QiasTheKid]

All right then. I have known several Fulbright ETAs who have gone on to success in the medical school application cycle. Here is an MDApps belonging to someone I know IRL--note the stats, I can vouch for the MCAT.

More important, though is the life experience you stand to acquire. I personally find it hard to imagine that someone in your position would say no to this chance, especially just to get started on some postbacc coursework.

I do have to recognize that some people have a timetable they want to stick to. But I have to ask then, why are you so set on yours? Why didn't you apply to med school this year? And, of course, why did you throw your name in for the Fulbright?

Wow, that's interesting. See I don't know how a Fulbright is perceived by adcoms. Will they consider me foolish for taking that over trying to better my grades stateside?

I was a CLS Scholar last year in Indo, applied for the Fulbright through workshops set up there. I didn't apply for Medical School this year because I didn't have the MCAT score I needed.

 

[breakintheroof]

Wow, that's interesting. See I don't know how a Fulbright is perceived by adcoms. Will they consider me foolish for taking that over trying to better my grades stateside?

That I don't know. I am sure that the cross-cultural experience and evidence of adaptability will look good though. And make you more interesting to talk to.

I was a CLS Scholar last year in Indo, applied for the Fulbright through workshops set up there.

I don't know what that is, but it sounds cool. Since you've already gotten some international experience, you should be able to judge how valuable it would be to you to have this year.

I didn't apply for Medical School this year because I didn't have the MCAT score I needed.

Got it. Well, I hope that you make the right choice for you. I'm sure some of it is my own bias, but I think that great opportunities that come along would mean more than hustling to get into school. But I'm not you.

 

[QiasTheKid]

That I don't know. I am sure that the cross-cultural experience and evidence of adaptability will look good though. And make you more interesting to talk to.

I don't know what that is, but it sounds cool. Since you've already gotten some international experience, you should be able to judge how valuable it would be to you to have this year.

Got it. Well, I hope that you make the right choice for you. I'm sure some of it is my own bias, but I think that great opportunities that come along would mean more than hustling to get into school. But I'm not you.

If you don't mind my asking, were you a traditional applicant? Like applied in your junior year of college?

Thanks for you advice by the way

 

[breakintheroof]

If you don't mind my asking, were you a traditional applicant? Like applied in your junior year of college?

Thanks for you advice by the way

Nope, I applied several years later. My bias toward going for experiences rather than matriculating early comes from a positive reflection on my own path, rather than regret about one I didn't take. 😉

 

[QiasTheKid]

Nope, I applied several years later. My bias toward going for experiences rather than matriculating early comes from a positive reflection on my own path, rather than regret about one I didn't take. 😉

This is very helpful actually, so thanks, and congratulations and much success to you.

 

[QiasTheKid]

@LizzyM @gyngyn @Goro if you all have insight, I would appreciate an adcom's opinion.

I am torn between not wanting to wait 3 years between college and medical school and going on the Fulbright.

I wonder if the Fulbright is even considered something of substance by adcoms? If I did the Fulbright, I'd have to return and take a year of post-bacc to work on my sGPA (which I'm told is 10th percentile for admitted MD students), and then apply. 3 years seems soooo long.

 

[LizzyM]

You can certainly do post-bac classes and retake the MCAT after your time abroad. That will help refresh your knowledge of biological science and get you ready for med school.

Or perhaps this experience will open your eyes to other options that you can't even dream of at this point.

 

[Lucca]

the Fulbright experience is a once in a lifetime opportunity and there will still be plenty of time to go to medical school. Improving the rest of your stats after the Fulbright could really frame your story as a strong upward trajectory into academic success.

Honestly, if anyone was going to pay me to do interesting academic things in a new place I would do it on the principle that life is short and the development, memories and experience will be more valuable than anything you can do to your application in the mean time.

 

[QiasTheKid]

You can certainly do post-bac classes and retake the MCAT after your time abroad. That will help refresh your knowledge of biological science and get you ready for med school.

Or perhaps this experience will open your eyes to other options that you can't even dream of at this point.

LizzyM, do you think adcoms know that the ETA is less prestigious than the Research Fulbright, and will take that into consideration?

I still think both are pretty hard to get, but my premed advisor has me thinking twice.

 

[LizzyM]

LizzyM, do you think adcoms know that the ETA is less prestigious than the Research Fulbright, and will take that into consideration?

I still think both are pretty hard to get, but my premed advisor has me thinking twice.

I don't about other adcoms but I was curious about it and looked into the Fulbright program and learned about ETA. YMMV.

 

[karayaa]

LizzyM, do you think adcoms know that the ETA is less prestigious than the Research Fulbright, and will take that into consideration?

I still think both are pretty hard to get, but my premed advisor has me thinking twice.

I don't think adcoms will consider prestige per se - rather, they'll focus on what you did and learned through the experience. Teaching and research are both desireable qualities in applicants.

 

[MrLogan13]

Go to Thailand and have fun.

 

[TraderDoc]

As a soon to be internal medicine resident this summer and former Fulbright scholar. I would highly recommend that you take this once in a lifetime opportunity. The Fulbright is a very prestigious award and it was extensively discussed at the majority of my residency interviews. The personal development that you will undergo will be priceless, and the Fulbright itself will be a major resume highlight for the rest of your life. Medical school will always be there for you, the Fulbright will not. It is an extreme honor and privilege to represent your country through a Fulbright, and every medical school admissions committee will look favorably upon it when you apply to their program and it will help to distinguish you from the rest of the thousands of applicants. This really is a no brainier of a decision in my opinion.

 

[xffan624]

LizzyM, do you think adcoms know that the ETA is less prestigious than the Research Fulbright, and will take that into consideration?

I still think both are pretty hard to get, but my premed advisor has me thinking twice.

You need to start living your life based on what YOU want to do, not what the ADCOM's will think of it. Do you want to do the Fulbright? If so, do it. If you don't, don't.

Don't make the decision based on some hypothetical committee's criteria (which can be extremely variable based on school) of what they expect in a medical school applicant. You can't please them all. Just be yourself.

 

[deleted643377]

I applied this season after doing a Fulbright ETA to Russia. ABSOLUTELY TAKE THE FULBRIGHT. Not only was it an unbelievable experience, but it was mentioned at every single interview I attended. It will provide amazing life experience which not only looks good, but gives you a lot of material to use in application essays. Go to Thailand, enjoy this unreal opportunity, and then come back and work on getting into med school.

Edit: I should mention that my premed advisor was one of two professors I had that really pushed me to apply for the scholarship. Zero regrets.