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[pjd9779]

I’m in my first year in an Anatomy & Cell Biology PhD program, and I’ve quickly realized that research is not my thing. The completion time for the degree is averaging 6 years at the moment, and unfortunately the program does not offer a 2-year masters. My thought is that it would make more sense for me to leave now and explain in my personal statement and interviews that my heart is in medicine, and not in research. I have degrees in Biology and Psychology from undergrad, and I was pre-med all the way through. I took the MCAT 3 times (25R, 25O, 24R). My current science GPA is 3.6 and my overall GPA is 3.58. I had lots of extracurriculars in undergrad, a semester’s worth of volunteer experience at a local hospital, and 3 years of tutoring/teaching experience in human anatomy and general chemistry.

I still want to go to med (DO) school, especially so since I’ve now realized that research is not an avenue I wish to take to further pursue medicine. What do you think my chances are getting into some osteopathic schools? Especially if I leave the PhD program after 1 year?

Also, I recently got accepted into a 2-year MS program in Physiology. I could transfer there, graduate much sooner, boost my MCAT score, and continue to gain volunteer/clinical experience. Would that scenario fare any better with AdComs?

Thanks for your input!

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by splolsp

Hello,

I am wondering what my chances are at getting accepted into the carribean school SABA.

My cGPA is: 3.64
My sGPA: 3.4

Did not write MCAT BUT I do have a C in organic and it says that it is recommended for those who have gotten a C in the pre-reqs to write the MCAT

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Dear Splolsp,
Thanks for your inquiry. Assuming you get a reasonable score on your MCAT (say, high 20’s) my sense is that you would have a great chance of getting accepted into a Caribbean school. And with a really good MCAT score (32+) you may be competitive for some U.S. medical schools. If you would like more detailed assessment and advice about your situation, contact our office and ask for a one hour consultation.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

Keep up with us on:

[wshelton]

quote:

---

Originally posted by pjd9779

I’m in my first year in an Anatomy & Cell Biology PhD program, and I’ve quickly realized that research is not my thing. The completion time for the degree is averaging 6 years at the moment, and unfortunately the program does not offer a 2-year masters. My thought is that it would make more sense for me to leave now and explain in my personal statement and interviews that my heart is in medicine, and not in research. I have degrees in Biology and Psychology from undergrad, and I was pre-med all the way through. I took the MCAT 3 times (25R, 25O, 24R). My current science GPA is 3.6 and my overall GPA is 3.58. I had lots of extracurriculars in undergrad, a semester’s worth of volunteer experience at a local hospital, and 3 years of tutoring/teaching experience in human anatomy and general chemistry.

I still want to go to med (DO) school, especially so since I’ve now realized that research is not an avenue I wish to take to further pursue medicine. What do you think my chances are getting into some osteopathic schools? Especially if I leave the PhD program after 1 year?

Also, I recently got accepted into a 2-year MS program in Physiology. I could transfer there, graduate much sooner, boost my MCAT score, and continue to gain volunteer/clinical experience. Would that scenario fare any better with AdComs?

Thanks for your input!

---

Dear Pjd9779,
Thanks for your inquiry. If you decide to leave your PhD program, my sense the best thing to do is to get involved in some aspect of clinical experience for a sustained period of time. It sounds like you might have the numbers necessary to be competitive at some D.O. programs. Also you might take a look at some of the better Caribbean M.D. programs. An M.S. program might be helpful but it may not be necessary.
Hope this was helpful.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

Keep up with us on:

[AdmissionsConsultants]

Hello everyone!

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Best of luck on your applications!

Sincerely,

David Petersam
President
AdmissionsConsultants, Inc.
DPetersam@admissionsconsultants.com

AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

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[JenBDeacon]

My daughter went to an excellent school and worked full time. She was a molecular bio major and ended up with a 3.30 gpa but had honors in bio. Her MCAT score is 34. She is applying to medical schools now but not hearing back from too many. She isn’t being rejected anywhere but only received one interview and is on hold for that. She is now doing research but what else can she do to improve her chances if she doesn’t receive any additional interviews for the next time? We are thinking her gpa is a drawback, but she did go to a very difficult school that had no grade inflation.

[Alves]

Hi,

I want to go to medical school. My biggest problem is that my undergrad was at a prestigious, rigorous school. I took a broad range of classes, studied abroad a few times, and graduated with a biochemistry major and sociology minor, but due to personal struggles as well as the demanding coursework, I ended up with a 2.9 cGPA, 2.7sGPA. I did have considerable volunteer experience in undergrad.

I’m just about to finish an MS in Biology, where I have been maintaining a 3.76 GPA. My MCAT was 31Q. I’m wondering if I still have a chance, and if so what I need to do?

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by JenBDeacon

My daughter went to an excellent school and worked full time. She was a molecular bio major and ended up with a 3.30 gpa but had honors in bio. Her MCAT score is 34. She is applying to medical schools now but not hearing back from too many. She isn’t being rejected anywhere but only received one interview and is on hold for that. She is now doing research but what else can she do to improve her chances if she doesn’t receive any additional interviews for the next time? We are thinking her gpa is a drawback, but she did go to a very difficult school that had no grade inflation.

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Dear JenBDeacon,
Thanks for contacting us. At this point I suggest you let the application process play out and see where you are in 6-8 weeks. It’s still possible that you will get some good news. The numbers you gave are good enough for her to have a competitive chance for admission. If you still don’t have any definitive, positive news after 6-8 news, I suggest you contact us and set up a consultation for your daughter so we could do a thorough review of her situation.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

Keep up with us on:

[wshelton]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Alves

Hi,

I want to go to medical school. My biggest problem is that my undergrad was at a prestigious, rigorous school. I took a broad range of classes, studied abroad a few times, and graduated with a biochemistry major and sociology minor, but due to personal struggles as well as the demanding coursework, I ended up with a 2.9 cGPA, 2.7sGPA. I did have considerable volunteer experience in undergrad.

I’m just about to finish an MS in Biology, where I have been maintaining a 3.76 GPA. My MCAT was 31Q. I’m wondering if I still have a chance, and if so what I need to do?

---

Dear Alves,
Thanks for your inquiry. It sounds like you are making some progress and it continues it is possible that you could become competitive for medical school admission. I would suggest you contact our office and sign up for a one hour consultation. We would be glad to review you situation in detail and help you come up with a strategy.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

Keep up with us on:

[idkwhattoput]

Hello,
I want to get into medical school under the MD/Phd program. i have research quite a few places and have talked to several professors about schools. However I have several concerns right now. Mainly my gpa. I am getting my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Microbiology. Currently my cGPA: 3.2, and sGPA,3.1.I have one more year left which will be my 5th year. I know for the MD/Phd programs this is not high enough nor competitive. My MCAT was 31Q. I also did not do done well in Gen Chem and Organic Chem. I have been doing research for 3 years under different professors in behavioral neuroscience, and microbiology. My freshman and sophomore year i was really involved in student government and held 3 leadership position however I have gotten a lot busier these past 2 years. I volunteer once a week and have been doing this for about a year.

I am wondering what my chances of getting into a MD/Phd program or med school is? I am debating about doing a 2-3 years master program as well.

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by idkwhattoput

Hello,
I want to get into medical school under the MD/Phd program. i have research quite a few places and have talked to several professors about schools. However I have several concerns right now. Mainly my gpa. I am getting my undergraduate degree in Psychology and Microbiology. Currently my cGPA: 3.2, and sGPA,3.1.I have one more year left which will be my 5th year. I know for the MD/Phd programs this is not high enough nor competitive. My MCAT was 31Q. I also did not do done well in Gen Chem and Organic Chem. I have been doing research for 3 years under different professors in behavioral neuroscience, and microbiology. My freshman and sophomore year i was really involved in student government and held 3 leadership position however I have gotten a lot busier these past 2 years. I volunteer once a week and have been doing this for about a year.

I am wondering what my chances of getting into a MD/Phd program or med school is? I am debating about doing a 2-3 years master program as well.

---

Dear Idkwhattoput,
Thanks for your inquiry. My sense is that you would be better off if you just focused one degree at a time–either the M.D. or Ph.D. Your chances of getting into one of these degree programs is greater than getting into a combined degree program. And completing one of these degrees first does not preclude going on for the other one. And regardless of which degree you pursue, it is possible that you will need to do a Masters degree in science first to get your grades up a bit. If you want more detailed advice based on a comprehensive analysis of your situation, please contact our office about a one hour consultation.
Best wishes.

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

Keep up with us on:

[jeffliu0]

Hi there!

I am extremely interested in a medical degree and will be graduating this May with a BSc Biology Major. Although I am currently attending University of British Columbia, I am hoping to attend a US Medical School. I am not sure if I am allowed to post here or not but I thought it was worth a shot. All values were calculated with a AMCAS GPA calculator. My cumulative undergraduate GPA is 2.88, and my cumulative undergraduate BCPM is 2.74. I know these grades are rather horrible, but they are much due slacking in the first 2 years (2.2ish). However, I have made major improvements starting in my 3rd with 3.3+. I am not entirely sure if Canadian letter grades are equivalent when used to calculate GPA but I do have the spreadsheet saved if there are any problems. I received a 29P (7/11/11) on my first MCAT attempt but am planning to retake the exam to increase my reading comprehension score. At the moment, I do not have much relevant work/volunteer experience but am thinking of taking a year off to make up for it. However, I did do quite a bit of volunteer and semi-pay work relating to voice performances. I know these numbers do not make me competitive enough for most decent US medical schools, but I do not have the freedom to choose with my current grades. I am quite confused about what I should be doing now. Are there any Medical School that I am able to apply to? If not, what are your recommendations? Please let me know and thank you for your time.

NOTE: The GPA I have calculated are not official because UBC reports our grades as a percentage + letter grade rather than a GPA.

Regards,
Jeff

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by jeffliu0

Hi there!

I am extremely interested in a medical degree and will be graduating this May with a BSc Biology Major. Although I am currently attending University of British Columbia, I am hoping to attend a US Medical School. I am not sure if I am allowed to post here or not but I thought it was worth a shot. All values were calculated with a AMCAS GPA calculator. My cumulative undergraduate GPA is 2.88, and my cumulative undergraduate BCPM is 2.74. I know these grades are rather horrible, but they are much due slacking in the first 2 years (2.2ish). However, I have made major improvements starting in my 3rd with 3.3+. I am not entirely sure if Canadian letter grades are equivalent when used to calculate GPA but I do have the spreadsheet saved if there are any problems. I received a 29P (7/11/11) on my first MCAT attempt but am planning to retake the exam to increase my reading comprehension score. At the moment, I do not have much relevant work/volunteer experience but am thinking of taking a year off to make up for it. However, I did do quite a bit of volunteer and semi-pay work relating to voice performances. I know these numbers do not make me competitive enough for most decent US medical schools, but I do not have the freedom to choose with my current grades. I am quite confused about what I should be doing now. Are there any Medical School that I am able to apply to? If not, what are your recommendations? Please let me know and thank you for your time.

NOTE: The GPA I have calculated are not official because UBC reports our grades as a percentage + letter grade rather than a GPA.

Regards,
Jeff

---

Dear Jeff,
Thanks for contacting us. You will very likely have to do more advanced course work in the sciences to show that you are academically ready for medical school. And before you do that I would not advise you to retake the MCAT exam. My advice to you, if you want to go to a U.S. medical school, is to check out some of the M.S. programs in medical science or other post bac programs. Just do a google search and you will find a number options.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

Keep up with us on:

[jeffliu0]

quote:

---

Originally posted by wshelton

Quote:

Originally posted by jeffliu0

Hi there!

Dear Jeff,
Thanks for contacting us. You will very likely have to do more advanced course work in the sciences to show that you are academically ready for medical school. And before you do that I would not advise you to retake the MCAT exam. My advice to you, if you want to go to a U.S. medical school, is to check out some of the M.S. programs in medical science or other post bac programs. Just do a google search and you will find a number options.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

---

Hi,

Thank you for the response. If I were to complete a M.S. program, would my admission GPA be based solely on post bac, or would it in combination with my undergraduate GPA? Please let me know and thanks in advance for the clarification.

Regards,
Jeff

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by jeffliu0

quote:

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Originally posted by wshelton

Quote:

Originally posted by jeffliu0

Hi there!

Dear Jeff,
Thanks for contacting us. You will very likely have to do more advanced course work in the sciences to show that you are academically ready for medical school. And before you do that I would not advise you to retake the MCAT exam. My advice to you, if you want to go to a U.S. medical school, is to check out some of the M.S. programs in medical science or other post bac programs. Just do a google search and you will find a number options.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

---

Hi,

Thank you for the response. If I were to complete a M.S. program, would my admission GPA be based solely on post bac, or would it in combination with my undergraduate GPA? Please let me know and thanks in advance for the clarification.

Regards,
Jeff

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Jeff,
Thanks for your follow up. If you complete the M.S. all of your grades would still be taken into consideration–that will always be the case. But with a strong record of improvement the early grades will matter less.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

Keep up with us on:

[strawberry22]

Hi,
I am a senior at the University of Connecticut. I am a dual degree (biology and psychology) with a minor in neuroscience. I have always wished to pursue medical school but have struggled with school my whole life…turns out I had ADHD I just got it diagnosed a month ago. I was put on my medication and literally my life has changed, I can actually listen in class and block out everything around me and not cry during exams. So if you can understand until now school has been difficult for me…I had the determination to do well and considering how severe my ADHD is my doctor was dumbfounded that I had lasted this long. My GPA is a 3.345 but my science GPA is low basically a B-. I have gotten a B- in all organic chem classes, biochem, etc, Bs in cell biology, genetics, and a C+ in anatomy last fall (that was when my ADHD got really bad and I finally went to a doctor about it). I also transferred from UDel (GPA- 3.0) and my first semester at Uconn my ADHD became significantly worse and I was hospitalized after finals because I was so sick and failed all of them- creating 3 D+ in genetics, orgo, and calc 1. I retook those classes the next semester. I havent taken my mcats yet and I am going to take the GREs in a month. I have limited clinical hours because I have worked about 40 hours a week to support myself since I was 16 and during summers I would work 2-3 jobs. My only significant things on my resume would be President of my sorority and research for the past two years in labs on campus.

I feel like this is going to be a great semester for me and I can finally live my life the way I have always wanted to. I just could use some advice, my pre-med advisor said I should try to get into graduate schools…but I dont even know if I would get in. He said that an extra year doesnt look as good as graduate school because you arent challenging yourself enough.

I just feel really lost and upset that it took this long to figure out what was wrong with me. There is nothing I want more in the world than to work hard and get into medical school eventually.

I suppose my basic question is whether I should pursue a postbac/graduate program or just stay at Uconn another year, take challenging courses (maybe retake my 2 C+s) and start with all my volunteer work etc?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Author]

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