wshelton

[wshelton]

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Originally posted by murpsha

Hi,

I did not get in this year, and I would like some advice as to how I can improve my chances for next year.

I have a 2.7 (2.3 science) but 35P on the MCAT (14p/10v/11b). I’ve graduated (dumb) so my ungrad GPA is frozen. I failed out of school after my freshman year, and have gotten better, but I still had to work so my GPA never became stellar. With a 3.0 for my last 60 credit hours.

So, I am weighing my options. I’ve gotten confilcting advice from various sources, but I need something to do this summer and fall.

I’m currently doing a masters, but it is not science-heavy (public health) in Michigan. I’m getting straight A’s, but I dont know if that will impress anyone.

I’m contemplating the following:
1) Retake some of the classes that I failed and other science classes to show Medschool’s that my MCAT is not a fluke and that I was just going through some growing pains.

2) Start a PhD in physiology or immunology. I want to get into academic medicine later, it is not necessary for that…but it wont hurt. I’d rather not go this way because of time, but the money may make it worth it.

I would be finishing my MPH with either option 1 or 2, because an MPH is not too hard, I can do both things at once.

I was also thinking about retaking the MCAT and trying to get a 40 or above on it…which I think I can do, I just have to study bio.

My extra currics are good, showing cultural competance, and I have some patient contact. I do not have any research though.

Any advice that you can give me would be great.

What services do you guys offer?

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Dear Murpsha,
Thanks for you inquiry. It is not so easy to give you quick answers to so many complex questions without more information, but I’ll do what I can. Your MCAT scores are fine and I suggest you not bother retaking them for now. In general, my hunch is that you should consider doing some more upper level course work in basic science. This would allow you to demonstrate your potential to do well in medical school courses. Graduate school may be another option as you suggest.
Let us know if we can help with a full assessment of your situation.
Best wishes,
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

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Originally posted by pn1000

I have a few questions about my MCAT, Coursework, and EC activity. Also would like to know what my chances are of getting into med school?

I took the MCAT in Jan 07.

Here is the breakdown of score:
MCAT: 33M (11-Verbal, 12-BS, 10- PS).

The “M” on writing, how much will it impact the admission process?
Can I explain it using the 11 on verbal?

On EC, I have 1 year part-time research in lab at my school, and am a member of Future Physicians Society, and have shadowed a DO for 20 hours. I volunteer at a clinic for 3-4 hours a week for last 2 semesters. Does MD programs look down upon shadowing a DO?

I have a GPA 0f 4.0 (for all collage courses). When I got into Undergrad program, I was given about 50 hours of collage credit for my AP classes from High school. How is this college credit for AP courses impact admissions process? Do med schools weary of high school AP course credits in undergrad programs?

Any insight will be appreciated.

Regards.

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Dear pn1000,
Your MCAT score of 33 is good, and the “m” on the writing sample shouldn’t pose too much of a problem. Your EC’s look fine, and shadowing a DO shouldn’t pose a problem either. Your grades will be assessed in light of the ranking of your UG institution. To make sense of each of these factors, they have to be viewed together as a total package. Let us know if you would like more detailed advice.
Best,
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

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Originally posted by yaoming315

Dr Shelton
Do you know roughly when Texas schools and out of state schools start reviewing applications? If it is by early July, then it wouldnt hurt to apply early since by then they would have a new MCAT score. Also, is it true that some med schools take the best out of each section to use for your MCAT score? Thanks

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Yaoming315,
Most schools start reviewing applications in September. The overall MCAT score is assessed but so are low scores from each section.
Best,
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant

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

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by yaoming315

i took the mcat on aug 2006 and made a 24N, (8phy, 7 vrb, 9bio). I was very uneasy and just didnt feel right. I applied and sent in everything before the mcat, so with that low of a score, I did not get in.
but i retook it in january, and i didnt feel like i was THAT much more prepared than the first time and i made a 27R (11phy, 4 vb, 12bio). Obviously im a little frustrated with the 4, but i improved 3 points on my other section. I plan on retaking the mcat on late may, so my new mcat score will be available late june. What do you think i should do regarding this? I wanted to send in my complete application as early as possible, as soon as TMDSAS opens up, but with this mediocere score on the mcat, should i wait till my new mcat score comes in or apply early and indicate on my application that i’am retaking it on may? I’m just afraid that if i apply with 27, they will put me on hold for the new mcat, and when the new score comes in, my application will actually be even later when they finally look at it with the new mcat score. I’m even more afraid that with a 4 on verbal that I won’t even pass the cutoff to be reviewed by most schoo. What is my best bet regarding this? thanks

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Dear Yaoming315,
Your question (Should you go ahead and apply early, or wait until your latest MCAT score comes in?) is hard to answer without a lot more information and discussion. There are pros and cons to either option, and you will have do what you think makes more sense. But I can say that you are right to assume that a verbal score of 4 is likely pose a problem. If you need our assistance just contact our office.
Good luck,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by marcp

What is the timeline for the med school application process? Specifically, if I sent in my application by mid-June of a certain year, when would most schools send me secondaries and interviews, and when would I have to interview (if I did actually receive these, of course)? And are there any other aspects to the application process, and when would they occur?

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Dear Marcp,
Thanks for your inquiry. If you get your application in by mid-June, you should receive secondaries pretty soon thereafter. Assuming you have everything complete by late summer, you should know by the fall, at least by November in all likelihood, if a medical school wants you to come for an interview.
For more information about the time line of the application process, check out http://www.admissionsconsultants.com/medical/timeline.asp. This site is updated about every two months, so keep checking in for updates.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by bourland1023

Here’s my situation. GPA=3.4 1st MCAT=14p 2nd MCAT=26p.. Over 400 hours spent in operating rooms. Worked for many clinics/private practices (cardiology and family practice). Have 100’s of hours of volunteer service, including instructing disabled kids how to snowboard. Bachelor of Exercise Science, minor in Biology. Good leadership roles… Any advice is helpful…Applied to 10 M.D. schools this year; refused by 4 so far. Don’t want to pursue D.O.

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Hi Bourland1023,
Sounds like you have some good qualifications. Unfortunately, in spite of your very nice improvement on the MCAT, your score of 26 will probably be a concern to most medical school committees. You might consider retaking the MCAT again, and if you are really determined to get an MD degree, you might consider looking into some of the post-bac or master’s of medical science programs.
Best wishes,
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by sbender333

Hi,

I’m currently a sophomore and plan on eventually applying to med school. But, I really want to take two years off after graduating to join the Peace Corps. So, my question is how long is the MCAT valid? I had planned on taking the MCAT April of my senior year, so the coursework and such would still be fresh in my head. Then, directly after graduating, I would commit to the Peace Corps for two years. I have heard that it’s not feasible to apply while abroad in a remote country because it’s difficult to coordinate interviews and such. I’m not sure about the timeline of the application process (I suppose I would apply in June while abroad, but then be back in the states for interviews?), but when would it be ideal to begin the application process and still have my scores valid?

Thanks,
Sam

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Hi Sam,
Thanks for your question. As a rule of thumb, MCAT scores are valid for about 3 years. So if you took the exam your senior year, and applied for medical school two years later, your scores should be valid. Applying for medical school while you are finishing up the Peace Corps could be challenging in terms of coordinating the interviews, but it can be done. There are medical students and physicians who have gone through that experience, and you might consider finding some to talk to for some tips. Sounds like an exciting plan.
Best of luck,
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by TheSky

What are my chances of getting into med school?
3.85 BCPM, 3.9 overall. MCAT: 30M (7-Verbal, 11-BS, 12- PS).
I’m afraid that the verbal and writing scores will keep me out of med school. Other than that, I have two years of research experience, involvement in on-campus healh-related organizations, and some volunteer experience in a hospital. Any thoughts or insights?

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Thanks for your question.
You have some impressive qualifications overall but you are right to be concerned about the low verbal score. You will definitely have to address this issue in the application process. Is there a reasonable explanation for this score? Do you have other evidence that supports your ability to write and speak effectively? This is where having the right letters and personal statement can make a huge difference in your application. Let us know if we can help.
Best wishes,
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by BeverlyHills

Hi,
I was wondering if my verbal score is keeping me out of many med school interviews (ie many rejections without an interview including one from the ALBANY Medical College) My BCPM and overall GPA are both 3.75+, and my MCAT is 29 (with 8 on Verbal and 10 and 11 on Sciences). I was a molecular bio major at one of the better UCs. I have more than a year of abroad experience, 9+ months of clinical volunteering, 400+ hours of research (but no publication), other community works, etc. What do you think was the biggest problem this time around? My PS? LOR? Verbal score? My not being a MINORITY or UNDER-PRIVILEGED is hurting my chances? I am already studying to re-take the MCAT to improve the verbal to 10+; I know I can do better than eight since the lowest score I got on my practices was 8 and I didn’t perform as well as I hoped on the real deal. Your honest opinion and advice would be greatly apprectiated. Thank you very much.

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Thanks for your question. A verbal score of 8 is low and could be the reason you are not getting more interviews. At the same, I have occasionally seen applicants with a verbal of 8 accepted into medical school. Successful applicants with a verbal of 8 have demonstrated in their application that their score does not reflect their true ability to speak and write effectively.
I think you are wise to retake the MCAT exam, and hopefully you will improve your score.
Best wishes.
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by fortaras

Hi everyone.
I was just wondering if anyone can tell me if it makes any difference what undergrad school you come from? Does it decrease your chance of getting into the med school if you have BS in biology from an average college ?
Thanks in advance.
Taras.

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Dear Taras,
You raise a very good question. The ranking of the applicant’s undergraduate institution is a factor, and may be viewed as a negative depending on the exact ranking. However, other positive factors such as strong grades, MCAT scores and letters of support, can compensate for a low undergraduate ranking, especially with a well-crafted application. Please contact the office of Admissions Consultants if you would like for us to look at your situation more closely.
Hope this helps.
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

quote:

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Originally posted by dukekid

hi, I have a question
I go to Duke and on our pre-health advising center website, they say that a BCPM gpa above 3.6 is competitive for a top school (like duke med) along with strong MCATs (35 and above). I was a little confused because I thought that the average BCPM gpa for accepted med schools nationally was in the 3.5’s. Doesnt 3.6 sound too low? Or does going to Duke help that much? I know that our acceptance rate to duke med is usually above 20% each year and to schools like JHU, harvard, washu and other top private schools are like 12-16%. So do you think above the BCPM 3.6 gpa is competitive? (I know that this is in context with a good overall gpa and extracirriculars that really show who I am as a person, show my characteristics of leadership, intellectually, service, etc.) So i’m jsut wondering if that’s a good estimate (even know our pre-health office has the real statistics). I also have another question. I go to a campus that is known to be homophobic and ive been harassed and threats have been made at me. I took 4 BCPM classes my first 2 years during my situation of not feeling physically, emotionally safe, etc. and got a 3.075 in those classes. My junior year, i took 6 classes and got all A’s and one A- so i rasied it to a 3.6 I’m taking a year off and will be taking an additional 5-6 classes (becuase they interest me, not to raise my gpa, this will jsut be a good side-effect). I calculated that the highest BCPM gpa i can get is a 3.77 or so, but will most likely get around a 3.70 (not to put unnecessary pressure on me). I was jsut wondering if my first 4 relatively low grades would make me not a competitive student for top med schools (I know im trying to think of all this in context of the gpa’s of students from duke who get into top med schoosl are). I’m jsut wondering if my perosnal statement will basically, in a sense erase my first 4 bad grades. And that they will focus on my last 13-15 good grades (around a 3.9 or so). The reason is that all my leadership, the events ive done, groups ive formed, social changes ive instigated stem from the maturity i have gained form my initial conflicts with homophobia. I really think that even tho i didnt do academically as well as I could have, i gained a lot more form those years than from other places where i woudl have been “happy” and woudl have have been challenged to re-evaulate my value system and theoretical framework. This all ties into my perspective on academics and what ive learned from my classes: to challenge the epistemological frameworks, not to turn them down, but to learn more about them and to take away what i can use for my own understanding and to make up new things that go along to help me understand intellectual thought better. I guess this is a hodgepodgy way to say everythign and im sure ive left out a lot of stuff and im sure leaving out stuff might retract from waht im trying to ask/trying to show u about me so that u can evaulate my situation. So I’m asking, do I still have a god chance at a top med school with almost a 3.6 BCPM and most likely above or at a 3.7 when i apply to med schools. I guess im jsut freaked out cuz i see that the overall average is so close to waht duke says is competitive for us to get into harvard, duke, JHU, etc. and I guess it feels good to ask someone to validate if waht im feeling, learned from my situations are actually valuable, even tho i shoudlnt need outside validation, ok ill stop, so will my gpa hurt me? lol (with MCAT 35 or above, most likely in the 38 range)
thanks

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Hi and thanks for your question.

I politely request that in the future that these posts be kept much more concise. For one thing, you’re not helping your cause by posting so much information about your candidacy here on this public forum and for another thing, it’s really beyond the scope of this thread.

This thread is designed to give prospective applicants a quick sanity check on their overall candidacies to ensure they are moving in the right general direction and showcase a small amount of our proprietary knowledge of the admission process.

I can tell you that you are focusing way too much on the academic qualifications component. You will find a fairly broad range of admitted applicants GPAs and MCAT scores with a good number of applicants above these averages being denied admission each year.

If you overlook the “soft factors” of the admission process or bomb your admissions interview, it won’t matter what grades or MCAT scores you achieve.
Best wishes,

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

Quote:

Originally posted by everstaysred

I have a question regarding selecting the correct post bacc program.

I am 26 years old, i graduated from Arizona State U in 2003 B.S. with a major in finance. My cumulative GPA is 4.0. About a year ago during the course of traveling overseas with a missions organization i came to the realization that i want to be a doctor.

I did not take any sciences courses in college so i began applying to post bacc programs with the intention of beginning in the Fall of 2007

So far i have been accepted to the following programs:

NYU, American University, Bennington College, Georgetown U, Washington U in st. Louis.

I have two Questions:
1. Given my undergraduate work at ASU (not a very reputable school) how much weight should i place on the name recognition of the school i choose for post bacc work vs. the overall quality of the post bacc program itself? Do you have any knowledge or preference of the above programs?

2. Most of the above schools offer both 1yr and 2yr approaches. My thinking was that i would take the 2yr approach in order to get more electives beyond pre reqs as well as allow more time for volunteer experience.

Is this the best decision or do Med schools respect the one yr approach more do to its intensity?

Sorry for the lengthy post

Hi and thanks for your question.
Congratulations on taking the initiative to create these options for yourself. I would recommend that you choose a program where you will be taking at least some of your courses medical students in a medical school curriculum. If you do well in that environment, you will remove all doubt about being ready to start medical school in terms of your preparation in science. I am familiar with the Georgetown program, and have known students to come out it and go on to medical school. And I think you are right to think of this as a two-year program. I would be careful about deciding now about how much time to set aside for volunteering during this time. Remember your goal is to prove yourself in basic science academically and the work will be demanding.
Hope this helps and let me know here what you decide.
Best,
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

Quote:

Originally posted by lin0442

I think I posted this in the wrong place the first time, so please bear with me!

As a freshman undergrad at RPI (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), I can vouch that the coursework is very demanding, and there is NO grade inflation here. Therefore, a GPA of 3.0 is able to get you on the Dean’s List, a B in ochem is more than a considerable task, and the labwork is technically demanding. I’m currently holding a 3.0, which I hope to bring up. I currently volunteer on the ambulance and participate in dance club, and work at a low-income health clinic over the summers. I am a bio major with a psychology/Japanese minor.

My question is that since the GPA’s at my school tend to be lower than those at many other schools, but the popularity and rank of the school is rising (i.e. 10k applicants for fall 07 as opposed to 6k for fall 06), would this work for or against me to continue studying at the school? Should I sacrifice a lower GPA for a more rigorous course of study?

Thanks for your question.
I am very familiar with RPI and fully appreciate your situation. Based on the information you are providing, it seems to me you are doing well overall. You are only a freshman and have plenty of time to bring up the GPA. My sense is that most admissions committees have a high regard for applicants that pursue the most challenging curricula and tend to take that into consideration when assessing GPA’s. And you’re not only in a demanding program academically, you are broadening you horizons with other academic areas and experiences. I think you should just keep doing what you are doing, and trust that you are on the right track.
Best,
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

Quote:

Originally posted by volver

Hi Dr. Shelton,
I could use your advice in taking my next steps towards med school. First, I’m a non-trad applicant, with a 3.0 science and 3.1 cumulative in a Post Bac. My last years undergrad were all about 3.7-8, my philosophies and logic all A’s, Math A’s, B’s. I’m a native Spanish speaker, with a third language in Russian and strong French. I’ve worked in both biomedical research and have a well paid job in finance and technology. My degree is formally in music and philosophy and I studied fine arts at a highly regarded school. I’ve written several plays that have been well received in various festivals and have published several works of poetry. On the dark side, my Post-Bac transcript is peppered with W’s, I’ve failed organic I and received F incomplete in a Physics. I retook both of these and got B’s. I’ve always loved science but felt/was incompetent in it. After many years of soul-searching I’ve learned much about about my approach to studying and the hard sciences and the failings of my psyche – basically, I didn’t really know how to study – things like Survey, Question, outline etc. I was ‘winging’ it. Because of this, I avoided the work (fear) – However, just learning how to study has worked miracles for me – because I now have a ‘technique.’ I’ve re-started down this road again and intend on finishing my sec deg in Bio.
My questions are:
Is finishing this post bac a good idea?
Should I focus only on hard science courses and GPA?
Would I be better off doing a few more courses then an MS (med school level courses) as you suggest elsewhere?
I’d like to know how you see my chances, and the best course of action, given this record, if I were able to bump up my GPA to about 3.3-4 over the next couple of years.

Regards,

Thanks for your question, and I hope I can be of help.
Let me first start on a positive note: many medical school admission committees are impressed by applicants with broad backgrounds and talents. So you should be strong in that respect. But of course the key component is demonstrating that you have mastered the basic areas of science to the point of being ready for medical school. As you more or less admit yourself, you have not yet done that. If you are really serious about going to medical school then you need to immerse yourself in science and remove all doubt about what you can do. And, given your string of W’s, you may need to give yourself some extra time–maybe a couple of years of solid “A” work.
Now to your specific questions:

Is finishing this post bac a good idea?
ANSWER: I would say yes. It’s almost always a good idea to finish what you start, and do as well as you can. But you will have to make the final decision based on what you want to do.

Should I focus only on hard science courses and GPA?
ANSWER: Yes. This is your area of weakness for now.

Would I be better off doing a few more courses than an MS (med school level courses) as you suggest elsewhere?
ANSWER: You might consider a Master’s in medical science. In your case this might be a good option.

I’d like to know how you see my chances, and the best course of action, given this record, if I were able to bump up my GPA to about 3.3-4 over the next couple of years.
ANSWER: If you could do solid work in advanced science courses for two years that would make a big difference. And of course, at some point, your MCAT scores will have to be taken into account.

If you really want to be a physician, you will likely be successful. But it may take some time.
Good luck.

Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

[wshelton]

Quote:

Originally posted by Amk

Hello,

I’m looking into medical school and wanted to know my chances. My cumulative GPA will be around 3.15 (up from a cumulative GPA of around 2.1 when I was a jr). As you can see, I have really turned my grades around. I had around a 2.1 with around 80 hours and it was VERY hard to get into the 3s after taking so many classes. Obviously the lower GPA was in my core classes (hist, poli sci, etc). My science GPA should be around 3.9. I have a little research along with volunteering, etc. I have yet to take the MCAT but by doing practices I anticipate around a 35/36. I want to know if my recent turnaround in GPA and rather high MCAT scores will grant me admission into a medical school or if my first 80 hrs will haunt me for the rest of my life. I realize that the avg. cumulative GPA is around 3.5 and mine is below that but do I still have a good (not slim) chance of getting in?

Thanks in advance

Thanks for your question.
After a rocky start, it sounds like you are definitely doing a lot of things right. My sense is that your chances of medical school admission are on the rise. You should definitely not feel that your GPA during your early years in college will always haunt you. With continued perseverance, you can accomplish your goals. You seem to be confident in your ability to do well on the MCAT exams. If you do as well as you anticipate, you may have a chance for an interview at a mid level medical school. So I would say, do the best you can on the MCAT and then see where you are. With a good MCAT score and your current excellent science grades, and some strong letters of support you may be competitive. And of course, you would benefit from having a polished application that makes the strongest case possible for your potential as a medical student and physician.
Stay in touch and let us know how it goes.
With best wishes,
Dr. Shelton
Senior Consultant
Admissions Consultants

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

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