<p>Bowlesman,
I think it’s fabulous that you want to do Teach for America! I have many friends who did it after college and they said it was challenging but that they really made a difference in the lives of young people. There are plenty of medical schools that will allow you to defer your acceptance for 2 years. Check out the TFA website for more info. I’m sure there are more schools that would allow this as well. You may want to call the admissions committees of schools that you’re interested in ask them if they would allow you to defer. Then, you can apply to med schools at the same time you’re applying for TFA and defer any acceptances for 2 years while you’re doing the program. THis is the route I would recommend; I know someone who is trying to apply to grad school during her last year of teaching and she said it’s pretty difficult.</p>
<p>faraday,
I don’t get the feeling that premeds think their GPAs are “an absolute and accurate measure” of their abilities at all. The MCAT isn’t either. But these are what med schools are using to evaluate students. And students who want to be doctors are forced to play the game to a certain extent. Imperfect? Yes. </p>
<p>As far as them straying from difficult classes to keep their GPAs up, I personally never did this. I definitely audited a very difficult class once. But I really see college as the last chance to experiment academically, so I took whatever classes interested me. And as far as some classes being “harder” than others, that is very individually variable. I would have probably failed a painting course, but I would not have expected to see very many of art kids in Organic chemistry either.</p>
<p>HanStar,
I’m not sure biochem helps all that much for the MCAT. I think genetics and human physiology are more helpful. But I think once you have Bio, Chem, Orgo, and Physics you should be okay.</p>
<p>Hi,
I have just finished my second year of medical school (today) and I can’t believe it. In two years, I will be PrincessND, MD. As I look back, I realize that this has been and will continue to be a very long journey. As I am reflecting on the end of my life as a classroom student and the beginning of my life as a clinician, I’m hoping that I can shed some light on succeeding at this whole becoming a doctor thing. </p>
<p>I will never forget my first college exam. It was general chemistry. I had always done so well at high school chemistry, so I probably didn’t study as hard as I should have. I raced to my computer the day after the exam, much to my chagrin, the posted score was a 74. With the curve, that was a C+. I felt that I should rethink medicine and contemplated switching majors. I continued to struggle for the next couple tests in gen chem, not sure if it was for me. Then I met a life changing patient. I started working on a diabetes project aimed at helping patients with uncontrolled disease. Diabetes is a potentially devastating disease and can cause blindness, heart and kidney failure, and is currently the leading cause of lower limb amputations in this country. Many of these devasting sequelae can be prevented by maintaining normal blood sugar levels. My patient for the project was a 70 year-old woman who was going blind and was nearing end stage renal disease. Her husband had passed away, so she lived by herself and had little support. I would call her everyday and ask if she was taking her medicines. A proud woman, she always sounded irritated when I called, like another medical person nagging her about her diabetes. I didn’t feel like I was getting anywhere at all. One day, I got a call from her doctor saying that her most recent hemoglobin A1C levels had shown excellent glycemic control for that month (this basically means that she had maintained her blood sugar appropriately for that month). When he asked her how she managed to gain such great control over such a short period of time, she said my name. The doctor asked how I got her to comply with treatment when he had been struggling with her for so long. In my relationship with this patient, I felt that I had helped someone in a very real and meaningful way. In my interactions with her, I realized how much getting to work with patients everyday and help them make meaningful changes in their lives really meant to me. I knew that being a doctor was worth it. I sought out study skills specialists, time management counselors, and others who could help me succeed and I ended up getting an A- in that class. From then on, I did really well in college, though I worried in the moment about the next obstacle I would face. I struggled with other courses, but I now felt that I was learning for a higher purpose. I was learning for all of the patients I would have in the future. Because I’m too passionate about healthcare to do anything else. Because this is for me. It gets hard, but I WANT THIS. And I have too much to contribute to let my dream slip by me. </p>
<p>I get so many private messages of self doubt. I want everyone to know that it is normal to feel this way. There are times when I get so frustrated with how much I have to do that I just have to suck it up and go meditate and stuff. Seriously. But the next day, I wake up and continue on because this is worth it. If I can motivate anyone to take this journey, I will. With the 50 million uninsured in this country we need good doctors and people who are passionate about fixing the system. I have come into contact with so many amazing people on this forum and want you all to be my future colleagues. Together, I believe, good doctors can change the world 
</p>
<p>But getting that MD can come at a cost to your personal life. You’ll have to sacrifice partying at times and even some relationships to get there. But you are capable, you are intelligent, and you can do it. If I can in anyway offer support, guidance, or even just a quick pep talk, please feel free to drop me a line. </p>
<p>My patient from the first year of college passed away during my first year of medical school. But she died with both legs, with intact vision in both eyes, and peacefully in her sleep. She also died fully unaware of the impact she had had on my life. I am still inspired and motivated by her. Medicine is profound. I know I’m in the right field because I personally can’t understand why anyone would want to do anything else. :)</p>
<p>I have not gone through this whole thread yet but I just have a simple question. I am interested in “majoring” in pre-med. I am a senior in high school and am going into college next year. I chose Biology as my major and the pre-med path. Do you think this was a smart choice in terms of importance to being a doctor (I don’t know exactly what I want to do yet, maybe become a surgeon)? I am really open I just do not know exactly what my “major” should be, I just know I want to be on the pre-med track.</p>
<p>Thank you.</p>
<p>Hi Monkeyaone,
You may major in whatever you want. For med school, you need to have taken a year of biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics with labs. Some schools also have English, math, and biochemistry requirements. As a bio major, most of the medical school prerequisites are already integrated into your curriculum. Premed programs at different schools vary, but usually contain all of the courses that students need to get to medical school.</p>
<p>At most medical schools, there are a mix of majors represented, so there is absolutely no need to major in biology, biochemistry, etc if you’d prefer a different course of study. If you like biology, go for it. </p>
<p>Everyone who wants to be any kind of doctor needs to go to medical school first. So that should be the focus in college. From there, you will get to try out surgery and decide if you like it. Then you’ll do a residency program in surgery and possible subspecialty training.</p>
<p>Some FAQs from private messages</p>
<p>1. How do I get into Harvard medical school?
When you’re in college, you should set your sights on getting into a medical school, not a specific medical school. I get a lot of messages from people are who just entering college, yet already have a dream medical school in mind. That’s great, and you can definitely apply to those schools in the future. But it’s important to put things into perspective. Remember that only about half of those who apply to medical school will get in, and those who have survived the rigorous curriculum to get to the application process are some of the smartest and most able college graduates. Whereas your freshman college class had about 2,000 students in, your starting med school class will have around 130 or so students (depending on the med school) and each school starts with anywhere from 4,000-10,000 applications for those spots. Med school admissions is tough, much tougher than college admissions, even at the most competitive undergraduate institutions. With that many applicants applying for so few spots, it ends up being a crap shoot who gets in at so many med schools. And while it never hurts to go to Hopkins for med school, it also doesn’t hurt to go to a state med school. At the end you will be a doctor at any med school, and that, after all, is the goal. So rather than piling on unnecessary pressure, work on doing the best you can and have the general goal of “med school” in mind, rather than a specific school. </p>
<p>2. Can my high MCAT score make up for my low GPA and lack of EC activites?
No, No, and No. There is way too much competition out there. You need to have the full package, as stressed several times in this thread. Again, med school admissions are extremely competitive and to be successful you need to do your best in all areas. If you get to the point where your GPA is too low and you aren’t DO school range, or you’d really just prefer an MD program, do a post bac. Many people do these programs for a couple of years to raise their science GPAs and boost their skill set for medical school. Afterwards, most are successful in applying to medical school. Medical schools like to see your dedication and perserverance toward the goal of being a doctor.</p>
<p>hey PND. im going to UCF(the university of central florida) next year and will be in its honors college. i got accepted into their bs/md program in that, after 3 years of undergrad at ucf, i transfer to med school at usf. or i can do 4 years UG then go to usf. however, the program reqs are very stringent. (link: [UCF/USF</a> Program Admissions](<a href=“http://www.honors.ucf.edu/Admissions_UCF-USF_Require.asp]UCF/USF”>http://www.honors.ucf.edu/Admissions_UCF-USF_Require.asp)). id have to get a 30 on the mcat, a 3.5 gpa freshman year, 3.6 soph, and 3.7 junior. also, id have to major in molecular biology/microbiology. that is my main concern. is that a very tough major? im thinking of majoring in psychology as i enjoy it more and i wouldnt want a crapload of labs/i think itd be easier to get a better gpa in psych. what’s your opinion? my dad thinks i should do the ucf/usf program since its guaranteed if i follow the standards, and also because a psychology degree is worthless. thanks.</p>
<p>PrincessND,
It appear that in my D situation the question “How do I get into Harvard Medical school?” is very relevant. She hopefully will have her spot at state Med. school, she will need to get MCAT = 27 to seal a deal. Is it reasonable / average score? So far her GPA is highest possible, while she needs only 3.45 (she is finishing her sophomore year). As you may have guessed correctly, she is in combined bs/md program. However, if she get much higher MCAT than 27, she would like to apply out (still retaining her spot at state Med. school). She wants to apply to U of M, and I encourage her to apply to other selective schools (if MCAT is sufficient). I wonder what is your opinion if it is even worth while to try to get to selective Med school, is Medical school curriculum much harder there or it is pretty much the same anywhere you go? And what kind of stats / ec’s they are looking for? She has been volunteering, shadowing, and has been set up to intern in Med. Research lab next year and has whole tons of other EC’s.</p>
<p>bump 10char</p>
<p>…</p>
<p>Hey Neely,
From what I’ve read in your post, this is not the program for you. You can be just as successful at getting into medical school by taking a more traditional approach and doing well. And that way, you get to medical school doing what you seem to be interested in, psychology (although I’m not sure I’d be so convinced that it’s so easy). While I think the requirements are reasonable, it’s a lot of pressure to go in knowing you have to get a certain grade point average. What if you bomb a test in a class you really like? Would you need to drop that class midsemester in order to keep your GPA up and stay in the program? Many students struggle assimilating into college academic life, so that might be an unnecessary pressure going in. </p>
<p>I am very much against college being pre-med bootcamp where the focus is solely on getting into medical school. College should be some of the best years of your life, where you’re growing socially and academically–which includes taking seminars and discussion classes to broaden your horizons–and dare I say it, having fun. If you don’t think this is a program where you can have the full college experience, I think you would be doing yourself a disservice by participating. </p>
<p>Finally, I would not choose a major based on which one you think is easiest. For many people MoBio and micro are difficult, others find them more manageable. Overall, I would say, it depends. I definitely am an advocate for doing what you love because you are more apt to do it well. Many people enter college and major in what they think they SHOULD do versus what they WANT to do. Many of those people wind up switching majors midstream (which by the way is always an option unless you’re in the type of program you mentioned) and some never find something they truly like. Rather than deciding before you get there, it might be a good idea to have ideas but to be openminded for all of the possibilities that await you.</p>
<p>Hi Miami,
Let me stress again that all med schools are “selective”. But then there are those that are even more so. I would wait to get MCAT scores and then make future plans because you want to avoid pressure. Tell your d to do the best she can on the MCAT and to try to get the highest score possible. Then go from there. </p>
<p>In terms of how the “top” med schools are different from the others…I’m really not sure on this one. Every school needs to teach a set of standards to prepare students for the boards and the wards, but I’m not sure about other variation. I know that at my school there is a heavy research focus, so we learn about a lot of stuff that isn’t that clinically relevant, but that one should probably know for a research-based medicine career. It probably has a lot to do with quality of faculty as well. And if you’re interested in a specialty like plastics where there are only 80 or so spots every year, it might help to have a degree from a well-known med school. I’d welcome others’ opinions on this one.</p>
<p>Hi PrincessND,
so I just got back my second semester’s grades (I’m a freshman at ND) and sad to say, I did not do as well as I hoped. Actually, I did pretty bad. Basically here’s the breakdown:
Calc B: C
Intermed. Spanish: B+
FYC: A or A-? (not sure yet)
Intro to Phil: A-? (not sure either)
Last semester I made Dean’s list but for some reason this semester I became distracted and as a result my grades suffered. I’m currently SCPP with a minor in Poverty Studies. I have heard that getting a C is like a kiss of death for a premed student. My question: Do I now have little to no chance of getting into med school? What can I do to make up for this? This summer I’m taking both orgo classes as well as beginning to work in a forensics lab. Then next fall semester I’ll be tutoring GenChem1 and CalcA. So I’m trying to make sure I’m involved. Of course I don’t want to have such a bad semester again. What will med schools think? I’m very scared that I have missed my chances at getting into med school. Any info would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>One C won’t kill you. There are posters here who survived worse than that and were accepted to med school. Do the GPA math. </p>
<p>Learn from it and do your best not to repeat the mistakes that led to the “distraction”. As to your summer schedule…hmmmmm…I’ll let someone else tackle that.</p>
<p>I have thought about my summer schedule too…which brings me to another few questions: Is it a good idea to take both organic chem classes over the summer? Would med schools think that I am just taking the easy way out?</p>
<p>I can say this without a doubt and firmly. PrincessND is the most positive CC member I have EVER seen. Not to say that many people are not positive or good, but her advice just blows me away. Like literally it makes me feel so good about how nice she is and it’s just awesome to see that she does really care about people, how they feel, what situation they are in, and how they could overcome there obstacles and circumstances.</p>
<p>
She has the heart of a princess.</p>
<p>Neelyboy,
My D. is in bs/md at different school. She also loves Psychology, so one of her minors is Neouroscience, since school does not have minor in Psych. She knows that Psych is basically just for personal interest, and pretty useless as you indicated to pursue professionally. However, she also loves all her science classes with labs which are requirements for Med. school anyway. So, how are you planning to avoid them, I am not sure? Her program is NOT accelerated, actually they are not allowed to graduate in less than 4 or 5 (for engineers) years from UG. If the program that you are thinking allow to graduate in 4 years, then you can take any classes that you wish. D is Zoology major with 2 minors: Music Composition and Neuroscience, and she is very involved (too much by my measures) in all other aspects of college life, plus she works, volunteers and has been accepted to intern in Med. lab next year. All bs/md’s in her school are together with general student body and try keep low profile about bs/md because it usually causes jelousy from others. So far D was able to maintain GPA=4.0 (done with sophomore year). Everything is possible, a lot depend on you. Best luck!</p>
<p>Hi PrincessND. I have a quick question for you. First of all, I am an upcoming college freshman. What is your perspective on having a CNA license, and wanting to go to medical school? I am in the process of getting my CNA and I want to become a doctor and go to medical school. Will having a CNA hinder my chances at all going into med school admissions? I plan to make sure my application is well rounded with volunteer work, ECs, and shadowing. I also plan to work in college using my CNA license, and I just wanted to know how the effect will have on my med school admissions, if any at all. Thanks for taking the time to answer my question. :)</p>