Ask AdmissionsConsultants

[DruBlu]

Dear Dr. Shelton,

I am trying to develop a list of medical schools to which I want to apply, but I am not sure (a)what to look for in a medical school, and (b)where I would be competitive. I am very impressed by the thoughtfulness of your responses in this thread, and look forward to hearing whatever you may have to say about my situation.

While my MCAT score is 39S (12P/13B/14V), my GPA is ~3.5, both in science and overall. My coursework has been very challenging (Molecular Biology, with minors in Neuroscience and Russian Studies), but my semester marks have been declining over time, from ~3.75 freshman year to ~3.35 now. I go to a top Ivy league institution, but I am not sure how much that will be taken into account when looking at my GPA. I have not volunteered extensively, but rather have been more involved in leading other student organizations (martial arts, singing). I do volunteer in a hospital once a week, but I only started this year. My only other major medically related experience was volunteering full time in a clinic for three weeks over last summer. I am a senior now, and will be spending next year teaching English in Russia.

So, in sum, my major areas of weakness are a lack of consistency in volunteering, and a declining GPA. I have a relatively high MCAT score, a prestigious degree, diverse coursework, colorful extracurriculars, and interesting plans for next year. Do you have any recommendations as to where I should apply, or where I have a good chance of getting in? All I know right now is I want to apply to my in-state school, and perhaps somewhere in Boston (I like the city). Medical school prices also worry me — hence the in-state school.

Any advice on my prospects or pointers on affordable medical schools would be much appreciated! This is a great thread, and it’s easy to see why there are so many responses.

Thanks in advance!

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ellemnop7685

Dear Admissions Consultants,

I graduated from law school about 2 years ago and I have decided to attend medical school. I knew before I graduated law school that I didn’t want to practice. So for the past year I have been working at alternative legal jobs. I know going to law school and not practicing will be a red flag for my med school applications. Do you think I should try to practice law for a year so that I can say in my interviews/applications that I did it and I hated it. Or should I just do what I really want to do and that’s to start working full time in a medical clinic. I’m planning to apply in 2 years (the 2011-2012 cycle) and I want to try and bandage any holes in my application.

Thank you in advance!

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Dear Ellemnop7685,
Thanks for your inquiry. Overall, it doesn’t sound like you are necessarily in a bad situation with respect to medical school application. If you wish to proceed toward a medical career then you should focus everything you do in that direction, including work and volunteer experience. You don’t mention anything about your premeds so that is a big factor too. You will need to make sure you have demonstrated you are ready academically. So keep plugging away and if you need more specific advice contact our office.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

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[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by DruBlu

Dear Dr. Shelton,

I am trying to develop a list of medical schools to which I want to apply, but I am not sure (a)what to look for in a medical school, and (b)where I would be competitive. I am very impressed by the thoughtfulness of your responses in this thread, and look forward to hearing whatever you may have to say about my situation.

While my MCAT score is 39S (12P/13B/14V), my GPA is ~3.5, both in science and overall. My coursework has been very challenging (Molecular Biology, with minors in Neuroscience and Russian Studies), but my semester marks have been declining over time, from ~3.75 freshman year to ~3.35 now. I go to a top Ivy league institution, but I am not sure how much that will be taken into account when looking at my GPA. I have not volunteered extensively, but rather have been more involved in leading other student organizations (martial arts, singing). I do volunteer in a hospital once a week, but I only started this year. My only other major medically related experience was volunteering full time in a clinic for three weeks over last summer. I am a senior now, and will be spending next year teaching English in Russia.

So, in sum, my major areas of weakness are a lack of consistency in volunteering, and a declining GPA. I have a relatively high MCAT score, a prestigious degree, diverse coursework, colorful extracurriculars, and interesting plans for next year. Do you have any recommendations as to where I should apply, or where I have a good chance of getting in? All I know right now is I want to apply to my in-state school, and perhaps somewhere in Boston (I like the city). Medical school prices also worry me — hence the in-state school.

Any advice on my prospects or pointers on affordable medical schools would be much appreciated! This is a great thread, and it’s easy to see why there are so many responses.

Thanks in advance!

---

Dear DruBlu,
Thanks for contacting us. In spite of your declining GPA and your lack of volunteer experience, you do have a lot going for yourself. But it’s hard to give the detailed advice that you really need in this forum. I will say this: I do think you have a lot potential for being a competitive applicant. You really might want to consider contacting our office and setting up a consultation. That way we could delve into your situation and give you some specific and meaningful advice that you are looking for.
Best,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

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[lucy09]

Hi,
I am new to this but I am hoping to get some advice. I am a sophomore in college, but it is my first year. My GPA is not very impressive- it stands at 2.69. Now, this semester I feel like i’m not going to get the grades I want on some of my classes. I was thinking of changing majors to improve my chances of getting into med school while still fulfilling the med requirements, and/or retaking some classes. If I change my major to psychology and maybe even get a masters or more and then applying to med school, can that help me? I want to go to Johns Hopkins and I know it is very competetive. When changing majors, does that mean I can retake some of required classes for med school, like chemistry, or do they still count? Also, would it be frowned upon if I retake more than one class throughout my college career? I am really frustrated and upset I hope you guys can help me.

Thanks

Luz Elena Fernandez

[wshelton]

Quote:

Originally posted by lucy09

Hi,
I am new to this but I am hoping to get some advice. I am a sophomore in college, but it is my first year. My GPA is not very impressive- it stands at 2.69. Now, this semester I feel like i’m not going to get the grades I want on some of my classes. I was thinking of changing majors to improve my chances of getting into med school while still fulfilling the med requirements, and/or retaking some classes. If I change my major to psychology and maybe even get a masters or more and then applying to med school, can that help me? I want to go to Johns Hopkins and I know it is very competetive. When changing majors, does that mean I can retake some of required classes for med school, like chemistry, or do they still count? Also, would it be frowned upon if I retake more than one class throughout my college career? I am really frustrated and upset I hope you guys can help me.

Thanks

Luz Elena Fernandez
—

Dear Lucy09,
Thanks for contacting us. I don’t recommend changing majors just for the purpose of getting better grades. Stay with the major that truly interests you, and take the most challenging courses you can. JH is an elite school, and most applicants would not be competitive there. But not being competitive at JH doesn’t mean you can’t become a physician. For now I would focus exclusively on becoming a better student, and not look too far ahead. Things have a way of working out if you work hard.
Best,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

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[reihm]

Just an FYI. In case anyone out there has a subpar MD mcat score. I scored a 28 and still was accepted and now attend an MD program in Florida. Thanks to the consultants for the advice, but know that there is still hope, even if you don’t score that magic number of 30.

quote:

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Originally posted by reihm

I actually was just browsing the site but the consultant answers were too excellent to pass up the bit of advice.

I am a 32 year old finishing up the last couple months of a masters degree as an acute care nurse practitioner at the University of Miami. I returned to school a few years ago after a few years working for the federal government as a geologist to become a nurse and eventually nurse practitioner. In my clinical role as an ARNP I felt that I had just scratched the surface of what I could learn and do and needed to sacrifice a few more years and earn the md/do degree. I have applied to a variety of MD/DO programs of the highest to lowest tiers and have just finished submitting 4 secondaries. I have a 3.9 arnp grad gpa, 3.8 nursing undergrad gpa, and a 3.3 overall from my long history of college courses. I earned a 28 on my Mcat (v11,b10,p7,wO) which I just found out about today. I have some very good recommendations such as the Dean of the school of Nursing at Um and a professor at the UM school of medicine. I also have close to 2000 hours of nursing and ARNP clinical hours spent in assessing, ordering, interpreting dx studies, etc. OK after all that…very curious how this looks to the typical admission board. I have very good experience but not so great of an mcat. I am obviously not the traditional premed student that just got out of the basic physical sciences (pretty obvious from my p7) but was curious what an outsider would think of the overall picture…Any advice would be extremely appreciated!
Chad

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Hi Chad,
Thanks for your inquiry. You definitely have some great experience and a solid academic background. But the MCAT score could be a problem for medical school admission. I can’t say you definitely will not be accepted however. Your chances for DO programs should be better so you may want to channel your energies there. Let us know if you need our help in the application process.
Best,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

AdmissionsConsultants
http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/medical/blog.aspx
703.242.5885

[ns2675]

I am in a pretty unique situation, although I feel fortunate to have a lot of time ahead of me, I want to make sure I am taking the correct path. I’m gonna be 22 in the summer, and I’ve spent the last four years in the Marine Corps, as an enlisted infantryman. I’m going to school in California; I applied at UCLA and UC Santa Cruz. I got into Santa Cruz but not LA, although I appealed the latter. I am now not so sure I want to go to a UC, because of my GI Bill benefits. With the GI Bill I am afforded 36 month’s tuition at the rate of the highest-costing undergraduate university in-state, although that can be directed to a graduate or, in my case, medical school, plus a monthly stipend for living expenses. I am considering going to a community college to save myself some financial heartache in the long run, by saving some of my GI Bill for medical school. I know that many medical schools frown upon courses taken at community colleges, I was wondering if it would be a safe option to enroll in one for my first two years, and transfer to UCLA in order to graduate. This option would save me at least 20,000 dollars in student fees, that being the amount paid for with my GI Bill for the first two years at a UC. My other option is to attend UC Santa Cruz from start, then transferring within the UC system to UCLA, but then I will be paying for all of medical school out of pocket. At the same time, however, I would be completing all courses at a senior university level. I would be ok with this, but I am planning on getting married in the next couple of years, and I want to incur the least amount of debt possible.

[adoc2be]

Good Morning,

I’m currently an older student enrolled in basic sciences for first time. My ugrad science courses did not exist. My ugrad GPA is a bit “funky” primarily due to death in immediate family.

At this time, I believe I will average a 3.7+ in chem, ochem, physics, biochem. Given the lousy overall ugrad GPA with no bcpm, will that be too low for obtaining interviews no matter how well I do on the MCAT?

The intangible qualities on my application are solid. I was a VP of a public company (leadership), started and sat on a few boards for inner city children, volunteer at pediatric cancer units, solid LORs, etc. I will address my age separately, as I plan on working well into my 70s as I cannot imagine sitting still.

Thank you for your insight.

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by adoc2be

Good Morning,

I’m currently an older student enrolled in basic sciences for first time. My ugrad science courses did not exist. My ugrad GPA is a bit “funky” primarily due to death in immediate family.

At this time, I believe I will average a 3.7+ in chem, ochem, physics, biochem. Given the lousy overall ugrad GPA with no bcpm, will that be too low for obtaining interviews no matter how well I do on the MCAT?

The intangible qualities on my application are solid. I was a VP of a public company (leadership), started and sat on a few boards for inner city children, volunteer at pediatric cancer units, solid LORs, etc. I will address my age separately, as I plan on working well into my 70s as I cannot imagine sitting still.

Thank you for your insight.

---

Dear Adoc2be,
Thanks for your inquiry. It sounds like you are making progress, so keep at it. You don’t provide enough details for me to say much, which is an inherent problem of a sight like this. In general, if you continue to make A’s, and do well on MCATs, and perhaps are willing to take some additional advanced science courses beyond your BS, then it’s possible you could be competitive for medical school admission. All you can do now is to keep working hard, and take it one day at a time. If you need a more detailed analysis please contact our office.
Best,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

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[Ms. M-McNeil24]

Dear AdmissionConsultants:

My name is Mia and I have a pretty sticky situation. My career goal is to become a Registered Nurse. I am currently a NCMA( National Certified Medical Assistant). I have a true passion for the medical field. Now here is the sticky part. In 2004 I was lashing out and running with the wrong crowd.My father passed away 2003 from a heart attack.I was getting into it with the law over and over. I have 3 different misdermeanors and one felony.I have completed my probation for the felony charge but, I have one year of summary probation left. Now I am in the process of enrolling into a community college to get the ball rolling. I plan to get my whole criminal record expunged.

Now my question to you is:
If my whole criminal record is expunged and I dont have any violent charges, do I still have a chance of becoming a LVN or RN? What steps should I take or perform to ensure a better chance of getting a license as a LVN or RN? Please give me some guidence!!![V]

Mia***

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by Ms. M-McNeil24

Dear AdmissionConsultants:

My name is Mia and I have a pretty sticky situation. My career goal is to become a Registered Nurse. I am currently a NCMA( National Certified Medical Assistant). I have a true passion for the medical field. Now here is the sticky part. In 2004 I was lashing out and running with the wrong crowd.My father passed away 2003 from a heart attack.I was getting into it with the law over and over. I have 3 different misdermeanors and one felony.I have completed my probation for the felony charge but, I have one year of summary probation left. Now I am in the process of enrolling into a community college to get the ball rolling. I plan to get my whole criminal record expunged.

Now my question to you is:
If my whole criminal record is expunged and I dont have any violent charges, do I still have a chance of becoming a LVN or RN? What steps should I take or perform to ensure a better chance of getting a license as a LVN or RN? Please give me some guidence!!![V]

Mia***

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Hi Mia,
Thanks for contacting us. I wish I could be helpful but I am afraid you are asking questions outside of my area of knowledge. I encourage you to contact some nursing programs and ask them your questions. I’m sure they can give you specific answers. My general advice is to pursue your goal one day at a time, and don’t ever give up. Things have a way of working out.
Best,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

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[xaeun]

Dear AdmissionsConsultants,

I am currently a 3rd year PharmD student in a 6 year program and recently have decided that I would prefer to be a Physician instead of a Pharmacist. As I am standing I have a 2.7 GPA overall due to a death in the family which made me under perform this past semester.

1. Am I better off finishing the PharmD to prove I can handle a heavy workload or switching now?

2. Will I be able to enter into a Post-bacc premed program after I finish my PharmD?

Thank You

[ilovecbling]

Dear Admissions Consultants,

I’m an undergraduate student at University of South Florida.
I currently have a 3.6 science and overall gpa.
I have done several research projects and volunteer at hospitals
regularly. I work with at camps as a counselor over the summers and
try to fill in the leadership positions in my resume.

I hope to attend medical school one day.
The questions I have are:

1. Am I at a disadvantage that I did not
attend a prestigious undergraduate university, but rather
a state university which is not well-known?

2. Next one semester in the fall, I am taking some
social anthropology courses while studying abroad.
With the exception of that semester, I do not
have a very diverse list of courses I have taken, mainly
sciences and math courses. I do not have a minor or a second
major, does this hurt my chances?

and

3. My GPA in High School was a 3.06, rather low.
In my freshman year of undergrad it was a 3.4, but now at
the end of my sophomore year, it is a 3.6. If I continue
to improve it, will medical schools recognize my efforts
and not penalize me for my high school GPA too severely?

Thanks.

[Jkarl]

I graduated with a business degree in 1997 with a 2.57 GPA. At the age of 34, I now have the desire and discipline to learn. This would have been helpful 16 years ago!

Assuming in a couple years I score well on the MCAT, and since I have not taken any science classes, what is my best strategy to minimize my dismal undergrad GPA?

1.) A post-bac pre-med program where I perform very well.
2.) Transfer the maximum credits that I can to a different instituion and get a second undergraduate degree where I also perform very well.

Will the admissions committee still look at my original undergrad GPA. And could that be a good thing considering the improvement would be dramatic.

Also, I am an EMT working on becomming a Paramedic. Will they look at this as favorably as if I volunteered in a hospital?

Thanks.

[DollfaceDoc]

Hello,

Here’s some information:
I’ve graduated with a BS in Biological Sciences with 3.3 GPA. After graduation I decided to take some time off to better myself as a whole and as a potential competitive applicant. Now, I have gained substantial clinical experience and I’ve been volunteering as a counselor for kids/teens with life-issues. I’ve scored 35 on the MCAT. I also have had my own medical situation where I was VERY sick, therefore I’m not worried about explaining my reasons/motivation for becoming a physician.

My Question:
I have been accepted into a MS in Biotechnology program at Johns Hopkins. (I love the field; also got biotech certification while an undergrad). The issue here is that I’d be completing the program online. This is due to mainly the fact that I do not live anywhere near JHU. According to JHU admissions, this program is offered both online and on campus, and material taught/by whom is exactly the same for both paths of learning. Personally I believe an online program is tougher since it requires more self-discipline.

I understand that taking prereqs online is not advised, however does this also pertain to MS programs? considering the quality of school? My reasons for applying to the program in the first place were the quality of professors at JHU, lack of Biotech programs in my area, as well as the 1 year old baby in my lap

What do you recommend, enrolling or searching for a totally different program? How would you view an online JHU Masters? Thank you for your help in advance, *dollfaceDOC*

[Author]

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