Ask AdmissionsConsultants

[twu]

quote:

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Originally posted by zephryin

2) If I do decide that I want to go to medical school after I get my M.S., would I be competitive? Or would my uGPA still bring me down considerably?

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You would be competitive if you had a good GPA during your graduate coursework, of course, but only marginally. What most applicants don’t realize is that graduate level coursework (leading to a Masters or Ph.D.) is typically curved up, as at most quality institutions in the U.S., a grade of less than B+ (less than 3.3) is usually not counted toward degree requirements.

Your undergraduate GPA will always be a factor on your applications, but there’s a way to explain away all that of course. You will need to allay the AdCom’s fear that you won’t perform up to level in med school and you’ll be admitted.

Good luck.

Timothy Wu, MD
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[twu]

quote:

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Originally posted by vnewberr

Do you think it is a reasonable plan to take a couple of years to work and gain clinical/research experience and also to prepare for the MCAT? What score should I aim for on the MCAT (32+)? Would that increase my chances enough (with solid recommendations and a really good MCAT score)? Also, I have volunteering and extracurricular experience if that helps. Thanks for your advice.

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The data we have for med school admissions shows that cumulative GPAs of less than 3.3 have a fewer than 20% chance of admission. Moreover GPAs less than 3.0 have a fewer than 2% chance of admission. There is no data available for MCAT score correlation, as this tends to vary to a great degree. The average entering medical student, however, had a composite MCAT score of 29-30.

Without knowing much more about your application than what you’ve provided for us, I can’t give you an accurate answer as to the best strategy. You may be able to get away with just killing the MCAT if you’ve got a story that’s so compelling you were pretty much born a physician.

If you don’t want to take extra coursework to raise your GPA, then aim to do well on the MCAT (>35).

Good luck.

Timothy Wu, MD
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[twu]

quote:

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Originally posted by jekyll123

I commute from Philadelphia to Manhattan each day, so it I am limited on choices. I’m trying to find work in the Philly area. What do you suggest? Drexel has some special programs that I may or may not qualify for. Maybe if I get a great MCAT, they or someone else can forgive my low GPA. Thank you.

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With a GPA of 2.85, you’ve got some work to do (now and when you interview).

I agree that taking graduate level courses in your case would help you since your primary undergraduate degree is in a science (I assume). Instead of a plain old Masters in Biology, I’d suggest applying to the Masters program at Drexel University where they put you in the classroom to compete against Drexel medical students for grades. It sounds like a bad concept for a reality television show, but if you do well against medical students, you’ll look like a superstar.

Good luck.

Timothy Wu, MD
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[twu]

quote:

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Originally posted by mingchi96
or would my application just look to them like a normal 3.5 GPA applicant?

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All your undergraduate grades will be lumped together on your AMCAS application, whether they were taken at a junior or senior college.

Good luck.

Timothy Wu, MD
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[twu]

quote:

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Originally posted by reticular

GPA a bit low: 3.11 from UC Berkeley, major in integrative biology
MCAT: 31M

2.5 years at Lawrence Berkeley lab staging various experiments
7+ years as a paramedic, am now a field training officer, a preceptor and a paramedic supervisor.

I started as a carpenter, fell in love with medicine and have spent seven years working toward this. I worked simultaneously with school in a J.C., and then transferred to Cal.

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Without more specific information than that which you’ve provided on this forum, I can’t give you an accurate estimation on your med school candidacy.

A 3.11 cumulative GPA is a bit on the low side, but that may be tempered by the fact that you’ve advanced far in your career as an EMT and, perhaps, have some compelling reason to enter medical school at this point in life. The data we have on med school admissions shows that a GPA less than 3.3 garners a 20% chance at admission and lower than 3.0 sports only a 2% chance. This data, of course, corrects for other variables such as MCAT scores and extracurricular activities, but it’s powerful as an illustrative tool.

If you’re truly curious about your chances, have one of our expert consultants take a look at your life and help you decide.

Good luck.

Timothy Wu, MD
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[twu]

quote:

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Originally posted by catherine

My cum GPA is 3.9, my science score is higher than my CUM.
But my MCAT is only 26 (PS 10, BS 10, VR 06)

IS there a chance for me to get accepted to a medical school?

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Such a wide variation between your GPA and your MCAT tells the AdCom one of two things about you as a candidate. And how they interpret this information and label you (read: good or bad) depends on how you spin your application. It’s important to be sure that your story gets out ahead and you take away attention from the fact that your MCAT scores are low.

A 26 composite MCAT score only correlates with your GPA in a handful of cases, so it’s a bit unusual. I’d consider taking it again, if all else fails.

Good luck.

Timothy Wu, MD
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[twu]

quote:

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Originally posted by jannahz

Hi, I need advice from an admissions expert. I scored a 30M on the MCAT (12, 12, V6). My gpa is 3.93. Should I retake the mcat in august, or go with the scores that i have. thanks

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As with many other posters, unfortuantely, I can’t make decisions like this for you without knowing much more about your application. You may not need to retake the MCAT at all. A 6V on the MCAT won’t necessarily blow you out of the running. I’ve had clients get in with a 6V and lower GPAs.

There isn’t any good data on how each of the sections are weighed in admissions, but an even distribution across all three sections is always ideal.

Good luck.

Timothy Wu, MD
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[twu]

quote:

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Originally posted by inspiri29

My question is- will it hurt/help me to not finish my BSc and BA here in the US? How do admissions committees view studying abroad on a this kind of scholarship? Will it be very difficult to apply while abroad? I will return to the US in November 2006 and plan to submit my application in the summer of 2006 for entrance in 2007.

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It should help you as this type of honor seems to have identified you as being pretty darn smart. Congratulations.

So long as you’ve finished off your prerequisites here in the US or Canada, and you have permanent resident status in the US, all you need to do is to have your grades certified by some external agency and you’ll be set to apply to med school in the US.

Interviews for the Fall of 2007 can begin as early as September 2006 and run until March of 2007. You do not want to be outside the United States during these months. You also should not reschedule your interviews for a later time (fewer seats will be available to you then).

Get back by Summer 2006 for your application if at all possible.

Good luck.

Timothy Wu, MD
AdmissionsConsultants
703.242.5885

[mingchi96]

quote:

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Originally posted by twu

All your undergraduate grades will be lumped together on your AMCAS application, whether they were taken at a junior or senior college.

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I’m hopeful that med schools would look toward the end of my schooling and be more lenient towards my earlier yrs in college. Am i correct in assuming this? also, i plan on taking the august MCAT and applying that same yr to med school. How big of a disadvantage in your opinion is it to apply late after taking the august MCAT? I really wanted to take it in April, but there’s no chance I would be ready and I want to take it only once. Thanks

[cd10]

I got a 36Q (PS14 B12 V10) on the MCAT and have a 3.96. I also have taught English as a second language in a developing country, am working on clinical research, have worked in a doctor’s office, and have done a plethora of work in underserved areas. I plan to apply to some of the top schools and the less competitive schools. My father is cynical like many other doctors, and says that I shouldn’t say too much during the interview about wanting to serve the poor as a doctor because it is too cliche and just seems like a line that everyone says. Working in underserved areas is what I’m interested and passionate about, but I think my parents think it’s some sort of phase. In addition, some of the doctors I’ve talked to about my goals have either directly or indirectly been like “b*llsh*t.” My question is, to what extent do I have to tone down my idealism when I interview since medicine is such a conservative profession? Also, is this mcat score enough for an interview at some of the ivies?

[downcycle03]

I am a neuroscience major with a 3.5 GPA. I just got a 27 N on my MCAT. I also have 3 publications in the field of stem cell research. I have pretty good letters of recomandation, I have been on four mission trips to Ecuador, and I speak spanish and french. My question is, should I apply to med school with this or should I try to take the MCAT again? Is a 27 N a good score? I am applying to East Carolina U, and Chapel Hill, both in NC. I live in NC. Thanks for any advice that I can get.

[jtanders]

I am currently in my fourth year of a five-year Biomedical Engineering program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison (I will be graduating in the spring of 2007). This past year, perhaps too late, I realized my passion for medicine. With a mediocre GPA of 3.33, supported by non-engineering and non-science courses, I feel I have a reason to be concerned. Yesterday I received a major blow to my application with my April 2005 MCAT score of 25Q (PS 8 V 8 BS 9). I just registered to take the August 2005 exam as my practice exams proved I could do better than a 25. I maintain good personal experiences for my application (125+ volunteer hours, student org leadership roles, research, position at GE Healthcare in respiratory care, etc.). I am a Wisconsin resident considering MCW and UW, along with several private schools around the country. I would just like a professional, honest opinion on my MCAT registration decisions and overall application status. Thank you very much for your time.

[drpchem]

I have a question concerning how medical schools truly view non-traditional applicants. I am happy to have been accepted to 2 medical schools, had interviews at 8 (middle-tier) places, but didn’t get interviews at places like Stanford, Johns Hopkins, UCLA, etc. Here are my stats:

32 years old
Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from MIT
38T MCAT
3.8 GPA (undergrad from USC, chemistry)
~ 2000 hours of volunteering (1/3 in medical setting, the rest from high school, college, and grad school where I did tutoring and community work)
Great LORs from thesis advisor, a physician whom I shadowed, and a former student who is now an M.D.

Many folks stress the importance of MCATs, grades, choosing activities that you like, but now I wonder. I certainly spent a bit of time on the amcas, secondaries, etc. explaining why I chose medicine now, and elaborated on what I have done to test whether this is the right career move; I even trained/worked as an EMT for several months (before I hurt my back).

I did hire a premed advisor, who recommeded several things that I think could have hurt my application but, unfortunately, I don’t if they did. She recommended that I claim disadvantage status on the amcas because my mother is mentally ill (schizophrenia) and to write about my childhood ‘trauma’ on the secondaries as well. I wrote about how those experiences ended up positively affecting me, but I wonder if it was so wise to claim that status and to even discuss mental health issues, which often still has stigma associated with it.

I currently teach MCAT, and have made several good friends who are non-traditional students. They have their own great life experiences, but they worry if I could only get into 2 medical schools with my strong numbers, will they have a shot? I think that they do, but I do wonder why I did not come up with more interviews. My premded advisor is of no help on this. Actually one of the acceptances was not even something I totally earned on my own; my advisor is friends with one of the school’s admissions deans and a fair number of my advisor’s clients get into that school every year. Anyways, thanks for any comments…

[Ann]

I have a question concerning Early Decision to medical school. How strong a applicant does one need to be to apply early? Are your chances better of being admitted as an ED applicant? What are the pros and cons of applying early to ones own state school?

I know as an undergraduate your chances were better applying ED over regular decision, but I’m not sure it is the same for med school.

[qkiwigrlq]

Hi-
I am an second-year undergraduate student from University of California-Irvine. I first declared my major as Biomedical Engineering (BME). However, after doing some research in several labs, I realized my love for research isn’t all that strong. Recently, I decided to shift my plan towards medicine. My school does have a BME-premed program that is related to my major BME, so that changing programs would not be a problem. However, since I won’t have time for O-chem until next summer, I will most likely have a hard time dealing with the ochem section of the MCAT next spring . Also, my current GPA right now is pretty low- 3.51. In order to get into med school, I know I will need to do really well on the MCAT. What should I do with this Ochem?? It is already too late to take it this summer, and I don’t have any room for it during the year!! HELP!! Also, would getting a BME-premed instead of the regular premed give me an advantage over other applicants? Thank you so much for you help!

[Author]

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