Will unique EC's get me in?

[MDwadup]

Hey all,

I've got a relatively low gpa, but will my EC's help get me in?

GPA: -3.61c/3.35s (pretty big upward trend, about 3.85c/3.75s since 4th semester. 1st semester a few close friends all passed away within a month of each other - didn't handle it well but learned a lot through it)
- Political Science major

EC's:
Non-medical:
-Missions trip to DR (non-medical)
-Lots of church volunteering (teaching, community outreach)
-Coached a youth soccer team
-Started and coached at a youth summer basketball clinic
-Interned at a local political committee
-Interned for 3 summers as a IT Contracting and Management Analyst for a federal government agency

Medical:
-ER Scribe for about 9 months
-Health Policy intern for a US Congressman on Capitol Hill
-Did general health policy and ACA research and even some Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell research (for legislative purposes of course) for a bill expanding pediatric research funds
-Research with a neurosurgeon, likely to get published
-About 40 hours of hospital volunteering
-About 25 hours of shadowing (3 different specialties)

I can get pretty good LOR's from the Congressman I worked for as well as the neurosurgeon I did research with.

I havent taken the MCAT yet. Any ideas on what score I would need for an MD admission?

Thanks so much in advance!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Jennyfishy]

Banking on ECs to overshadow your gpa/mcat is always risky. They will help get you an extra look from schools that would normally be on the fence about your app, but the health policy exp may only make a noticeable difference with schools that have well-known public health missions/curriculum. The other stuff will help you look more well-rounded than the avg cookie cutter though (however, I do not know your time commitments to these, so it's a generalization)

Be sure to look at the sticky thread on success relative to gpa/mcat for a score you should aim for to maximize your shot at the most schools!

 

[Lya]

Dartmouth and GW should show you some love, although there is always no guarantee.

Since you have a lower GPA than others, you need to score well on MCAT. 35+ will be nice, but at least 30+ for sure. In short, good ECs don't cover your low stats.

 

[alpinism]

Depends on your state of residence and which schools you plan on applying to next summer.

Generally speaking you should be in good shape with a balanced score of 31 or higher.

 

[DokterMom]

Is the congressman from your home state? That should score you an ii from your home school at least. Sounds like you've got some other pretty good connections that you'd be foolish/arrogant not to use.

Thankfully, your GPA is not that low. Not wonderful, but certainly not auto-screen territory, so I think you'll be OK with a decent MCAT.

 

[Goro]

Frankly, I'm not impressed with the ECs, but the numbers are fine. Upward trends are always good.

ECs can, in certain circumstances, make up for a weak GPA or MCAT. Service need not be "unique". If you can alleviate suffering in your community through service to the poor, homeless, illiterate, fatherless, etc, you are meeting an otherwise unmet need and learning more about the lives of the people (or types of people) who will someday be your patients.

Hey all,

I've got a relatively low gpa, but will my EC's help get me in?

GPA: -3.61c/3.35s (pretty big upward trend, about 3.85c/3.75s since 4th semester. 1st semester a few close friends all passed away within a month of each other - didn't handle it well but learned a lot through it)
- Political Science major

EC's:
Non-medical:
-Missions trip to DR (non-medical)
-Lots of church volunteering (teaching, community outreach)
-Coached a youth soccer team
-Started and coached at a youth summer basketball clinic
-Interned at a local political committee
-Interned for 3 summers as a IT Contracting and Management Analyst for a federal government agency

Medical:
-ER Scribe for about 9 months
-Health Policy intern for a US Congressman on Capitol Hill
-Did general health policy and ACA research and even some Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell research (for legislative purposes of course) for a bill expanding pediatric research funds
-Research with a neurosurgeon, likely to get published
-About 40 hours of hospital volunteering
-About 25 hours of shadowing (3 different specialties)

I can get pretty good LOR's from the Congressman I worked for as well as the neurosurgeon I did research with.

I havent taken the MCAT yet. Any ideas on what score I would need for an MD admission?

Thanks so much in advance!

 

[MDwadup]

Got it, preciate it guys!

 

[MDwadup]

Also, yeah, i'm aware that ECs seldom cover a lower gpa, probably not mine. I haven't taken biochem, psych, and sociology even though i graduate in may. If i dont get a decent enough MCAT score, I'm thinking of staying an extra semester in the fall to take those classes and spend the next spring studying for the 2015 MCAT. I doubt I'll have that much time to study for the MCAT this semester, unfortunately. At least not 30+ time