Am I on the Right Track for Pre-Med and Beyond?

Pre-Med & Medical School High School Student Topics
1

<p>All right, I know I'm only a rising junior, but I'm going to take the SATs/ACT/PSAT in a few months, and I want to make sure that I'm a strong applicant for several Ivy Leagues, including Yale, Princeton, and Harvard, as a future Pre-Med student.</p>

<p>Am I on the right track for being a future doctor? Any advice on how I can be a competitive Pre-Med applicant?</p>

<p>BTW, I apologize if this post is too long!</p>

<p>Location: Michigan
Ethnicity: Hispanic immigrant (Cuban)
Sex: Female</p>

<p>GPA (UW): 4.0
GPA (W): 4.056
Rank: 1/491</p>

<p>I've taken the hardest courses available at my school.</p>

<p>APs:
10th
AP US History (Took the test, expect a 5)</p>

<p>11th
AP Biology
AP American Gov.
AP Spanish (Self-study)
AP Psychology (Self-study)</p>

<p>12th
AP Calculus
AP Physics
AP Statistics
AP English
AP European History
AP Comparative Gov. (Self-study)</p>

<p>ECs:
Academic Decathlon
Student Council (Will be President senior year)
Everett Excellers (Wil be President this year)
Ingham County Youth Commission (Will have a leadership position this year)
- Co-Chair of the Community Service Committee
- Co-Chair of the Government Education Committee
Class of 2009 Committee (Will probably be Treasurer or Secretary this year)
MSU High Achievers (Received college credit for taking a Biotechnology course)</p>

<p>*<em>Will be in National Honor Society this year.
*</em>I'm in the process of finding a mentor in order to do an independent health/science-related research project.
**My major in college will most likely be Biology/Biological Sciences (Pre-Med).</p>

<p>Community Service
192 volunteer hours</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Volunteer at a local library
(May 2006 - December 2006)</p></li>
<li><p>Research Volunteer at a Thoracic and Cardiovascular Foundation
(June 2007 - August 2007)</p></li>
</ul>

<p>Work Experience:
Library Page at a local library; 10 hours/week.</p>

<p>Awards:
Honor Roll
Ventures Scholar
Sophomore of the Year (School Award)
Academic Decathlon 3rd place in Speech
Academic Decathlon 3rd place in Interview
Academic Decathlon Highest Team Scorer</p>

2

<p>This thread will make more sense once you have a standardized test score.</p>

<p>Besides which, there's very little you could have done by age 16 to have disqualified yourself from medical school at this point.</p>

3

<p>You'll have the scores in a few months, but, test scores aside, am I on the right track and a competitive applicant?</p>

4

<p>What you've told us is that your grades are perfect, that your courseload was the hardest possible, and that you're an underrepresented minority. Do you really need an answer?</p>

5

<p>Don't be so mean and just tell her she's amazing. That's what she wants to hear :/</p>

6

<p>Actually, I just wanted feedback and advice. There's really no need to be rude.</p>

7

<p>Why shoot someone down who's seeking advice -- pretty classless, guys...</p>

<p>Olive_Tree, you have nice credentials, but shooting only for the hardest schools, the Ivies, may not be the wisest move. Those schools are getting even tougher. Your rank may hurt you and I don't know how competitive your HS is... there are many other very good schools that can get you on track for med school... Have you checked out MSU's Medical Scholars program? You get automatic admission into MSU undergrad and med school, together. Michigan residents, such as you, are favored.</p>

8

<p>I agree with bdm and norcalguy.</p>

9

<p>How does your school weight GPA?</p>

10

<p>My school does weigh GPA, afruff23. Quincy4, how does my rank hurt me if I'm #1? Yes, I have checked out MSU, but, quite frankly, I don't want to do my undergraduate in Michigan and would prefer to go out of state and MSU is not as academically-sound as other schools I'm looking at. Also, I'm not going to apply to only Ivy League schools, and I will definitely have safeties and matches, as well.</p>

11

<p>I'm guessing this is a troll..</p>

12

<p>Why would you guess that? Look, I came here for advice, not to have people who don't even know me say that I'm a troll or make rude comments and accusations. If you can't offer any advice, please leave this thread.</p>

13

<p>You didn't answer my question. How does your school weight GPA? AP and Honors A's count as 4.1? etc.</p>

14

<p>My school weighs AP classes only.</p>

15

<p>.....Ask this in the 'What are my chances?' thread...not Pre-Med</p>

16

<p>Olive_Tree, please don't become a doctor. I can't imagine anyone seeking an arrogant, insecure, self-centered person to be their doctor. If you like biology, work in a lab so you have less human contact. Seriously, please don't post here anymore.</p>

17

<p>Wegman is being excessively harsh. OT, I'm sure people will be more than happy to discuss this with you in the proper forum once you've got an SAT score.</p>

18

<p>I did post this in the "What are My Chances" forum. I just wanted a different opinion in the "High School Student Topics" since I am in high school and am looking towards a career in medicine. Like I said, I know that I don't have test scores, but they will come soon. I just wanted to know how I was doing so far and if anyone could offer some advice. And wegman22, please don't tell me where I can and can't post, this is a public forum, and I will do as I please. I'm not hurting anyone or posting offensive remarks, as you are. Thanks for your poor advice, but I'm extremely sure I will not need it.</p>

<p>Thanks to the few helpful people who did not choose to unrationally attack me.</p>

19

<p>"My school does weigh GPA, afruff23. Quincy4, how does my rank hurt me if I'm #1? Yes, I have checked out MSU, but, quite frankly, I don't want to do my undergraduate in Michigan and would prefer to go out of state and MSU is not as academically-sound as other schools I'm looking at. Also, I'm not going to apply to only Ivy League schools, and I will definitely have safeties and matches, as well."</p>

<p>Olive_Tree, if you're talking about reputation, OK on a level. But the Medical Scholars program at MSU -- essentially a type of MSU's renowned Honors College -- is as intense and academically sound as any school. I'd be careful of speaking in broad stereotypes rather than really checking out the program.</p>

20

<p>Quincy4, I know that the medical college is reputable, but I don't want to be in a BA/MD program, I really want to be Pre-Med before moving on to med school, and I would not want my undergraduate experience to be in Michigan but, rather, somewhere different. Not to mention, my parents don't want me staying in Michigan, either.</p>