<p>Ok, so i laid out my pre-med credentials and what I expect to get before the end of my junior year.</p>
<p>I', scared to apply since I have a C+ in Orgo and an overall 3.4 GPA. I also have Research experience, but no hospital volunteer or work experience.</p>
<p>Im pretty sure I won't even get an interview if I apply at the end of my junior year, but if I take two years after college to do technician work in labs or get a masters in chemistry to boost grades, I might stand a chance. Should I even apply after my junior year?</p>
<p>Have you taken the MCAT yet? And do you have any clinical experience at all (i.e. in a medical setting working with patients)?</p>
<p>Your MCAT score and the extent of your clinical experience and other ECs will determine whether you should give it a shot now or spend a year or two increasing your credentials.</p>
<p>I technically can increase to 3.5 by the end of next year, but thats a long shot...Im a pretty consistent achiever and always get 3.4 every semester no matter how hard or little I try.</p>
<p>I guess I could go nuts with the MCATS for a shot. As for clinical work, I have no experience (I did lots of research tho, and one of the labs was a clinical lab, but all i did was deal with sample and not the patients themselves).</p>
<p>Ok - yeah, so as it stands, you're going to need to spend some time getting clinical experience because you simply can't get in to medical school without it. Research definitely isn't required (I didn't set foot inside a laboratory except for my chem lab classes, and didn't think about clinical research either), but clinical experience and volunteering are.</p>
<p>So I would drop the research (unless you're about to be published or can continue while picking up other things) and start working on gaining some exposure to various aspects of medicine. Shadow some doctors, volunteer at a hospital or free clinic, etc. Find something that interests you and stick to it for a while. Med schools need to see some commitment to the medical field, and you need to have enough experience to say with any conviction why you actually want to be a doctor.</p>
<p>Your GPA is on the lower end for a lot of schools, but you should be fine with a decent MCAT (you're not a CA resident, I hope?), so don't worry about a masters or anything at this point.</p>