Business Major needing advice with Med-School

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>So i just graduated from a California State University majoring in Business management with a minor in Marketing. And for the past six months i have been "searching" for my true passion in terms of a career and finally gave in to my family influences and decided to pursue a M.D.</p>

<p>So now my question is how hard would it be for me to get into a medical school in CA and what are some of the things that i need to do in order to improve my chances. </p>

<p>Currently I have very few science classes completed and my GPA is 3.0.</p>

<p>Thanks in advance to the replies</p>

2

<p>Your GPA seems too low, but it does not mean you do not have chance.
Before you apply a medical school, I think you need one year general biology, one year general chemistry, one year organic chemistry, calculus I may be II, physics I and II. For detail you can google premed curriculum. Good luck.</p>

3

<p>You should look into a ‘post-bac’ program so you can take the science prereqs. Post-bacs are offered by UC and Cal States. But given your current gpa, you will need to earn nearly all A’s to demonstrate to med schools that you can handle the rigors of their courses.</p>

4

<p>CA is notoriously difficult for medical school admissions. Successful instate applicants need sky high GPAs and excellent MCAT (33+) scores to even be considered. </p>

<p>I assume the same is true for non-traditional applicants. (Which is what you will be.)</p>

<p>If you have access to your university library yet, go look at the most recent copy of MSAR (Medical School Admission Requirements </p>

<p><a href=“https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/msar/[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/students/applying/requirements/msar/&lt;/a&gt; </p>

<p>or buy online access to it for about $25) to see exactly what various CA med schools require/expect in terms of grades/MCATs.</p>

<p>You say you have only a “few” science classes. What are they? What is your science GPA. (You count ALL biology, chemistry, math and physics grades in courses you’ve taken at any college, community college or as dual enrollment in high school. If you’ve retaken any classes, you must include both the original and replacement grade in your calculations.) Your sGPA is equally, or perhaps even more, important as your overall GPA.</p>

<p>If you have not completed your medical school science pre-reqs, your best option might be to look at formal post-baccalaureate programs. But…your GPA may not be high enough to get you admitted to one.</p>

<p>Another alternative would be to apply to a university for second bachelor’s degree–this one in science. You will need excellent science grades (think all As) to raise both your overall and sGPAs. (Also to gain strong LORs from your professors.) While pursuing your second degree, you will need to get involved in those things expected of a med school applicant–medical volunteering/shadowing, lab research, community service, leader positions in your ECs.</p>

<p>You could do the second path part time while working if finances are an issue since there is no FA except for Stafford loans for a second bachelor’s. (And you want to minimize your borrowing. There is little to no merit aid for medical school. Most students have to borrow heavily to finance it.)</p>

<p>Finally, you sound like you’re succumbing to family pressures. Medical school requires a lot of dedication and time and effort, please be sure this is really what you want to do.</p>

5

<p>You need to do a post-bac.</p>

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<p>mom:</p>

<p>UC Davis has a mean of 31 mcat for matriculants, with a mean gpa of 3.55. Irvine is slightly higher, 32/3.66. Of course, SD and SF have number befitting their top tier status, nationally.</p>

<p>Riverside is due to open in a year or two.</p>

7

<p>Thank for all the responses, i am looking into a Post-bac program right now and i am gonna use it to get my prereqs out and also raise my GPA. Does anyone know a post-bac program in CA that i can get in preferably around LA?</p>

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<p>Search engine for post bacc programs here:</p>

<p>[Postbaccalaureate</a> Premedical Programs - Search](<a href=“http://services.aamc.org/postbac/]Postbaccalaureate”>http://services.aamc.org/postbac/)</p>

<p>You need to select “career changer” for type of program.</p>

<p>Also USC has one: <a href=“http://chem.usc.edu/postbacc/index.html[/url]”>http://chem.usc.edu/postbacc/index.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>As does Cal State LA <a href=“http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/biol/certprehealth.php[/url]”>http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/biol/certprehealth.php&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

9

<p>If this student has graduated from a CSU and has a 3.0, that suggests that he has at least 120 credits (at 3.0).</p>

<p>It would seem almost impossible for him to get his GPA up to any reasonable level (at least a 3.5) to become a serious med school applicant.</p>

<p>What science classes have you taken and what grades did you get?</p>

<p>You’ll need:</p>

<p>2 semesters of Biology
2 semesters of General Chem
2 semesters of Organic Chem
2 semesters of Physics
1 semester of Calculus</p>

<p>* finally gave in to my family influences and decided to pursue a M.D.
*</p>

<p>???</p>

<p>What does that mean? </p>

<p>Is your family aware of your GPA and that it is considered too low for a med school applicant? </p>

<p>Is your family going to pay for this post-bac?</p>

<p>What will you do if you complete this post-bac and still don’t get accepted to med school.</p>

<p>I just don’t see how you’d get your grades/GPA up to where it needs to be. Where I live, you wouldn’t even get accepted into a BSN program.</p>

10

<p>mom:</p>

<p>Sure, the OP’s current numbers are extremely low for an average candidate. But without knowing the full package, it is impossible to comment on chances. The OP could come with lotsa hooks: URM, first gen, grew up in a homeless shelter, abused, a worked for 40+ hours/week to pay the rent to earn those B’s, etc…with that background an all A’s in a post-bac science program, who knows what an Adcom might see? (Hint: the UCs just love, love, love ‘overcoming adversity’.)</p>

11

<p>let me respond to mom2collegekids first:</p>

<p>in terms of science classes that i have taken, they were all lower division classes that i took at my community college before transferring to the Cal State and since i don’t have the official record with me at the moment all i can say of the top of my head is 2 Bio classes and 1 physics.
In terms of family influence, what i meant was that most of my family are doctors or researchers and therefore been around them helped to spark my interest in the field.
I believe if i get into a Post-Bac program I will have their support no problem. And if i don’t succeed in post-bac i still have my B.S to fall back on. </p>

<p>Respond Bluebayou:</p>

<p>in terms of diversity from the list that you have provided the only ones that i would qualify for is been First-gen and working my way through college to pay for it and all my living expenses. Not sure how much these might help. </p>

<p>But I just want to make a point, I am 100% devoted to this choose and I will do all the necessary reqs in post-bac and therefore all i am looking for is a chance to show med-schools that I CAN do it. I just want to get all my options and get the first step out.</p>

12

<p>good luck to you joz. Just know that you will need (nearly) all A’s in your post-bac to receive any consideration for med school.</p>

13

<p>

Are doctors/researchers paid so poorly that their children have to work their way through college to pay for it? Hmm…since you mention you are first-gen, my wild guess is your folks are/were not practicing doctors in US. I know some MDs in some other countries could give up their practices there and immigrated to this country and, depending on how old they were and their English skills when they came to this country, they might not be able to secure the license needed for practicing medicine here even though they might have been very experienced doctors in their home country. Well…I have side-tracked.</p>

14

<p>working through college was more of a choose that a need. </p>

<p>thanks again for all the responses.</p>

15

<p>Lastly just one more question would it be better if I went back to school for a second Bachelor and get my premed that way and also use that chance to bump up my GPA?</p>

16

<p>Just work harder in your science classes.</p>

17

<p>It depends of your level of self-discipline and how quickly you want to be done and applying to med school.</p>

<p>The second degree will more effectively dilute your relatively low current grades, but it may take longer to complete (3 years vs. 2 years). It will also require more self-discipline and organization to make sure you get the requisite volunteering, community service, research, prep class done.</p>

<p>Most post-baccs are relatively “pre-packaged”, but unless you make straight As right out of the gate, may not raise your GPAs enough to make you a desirable med school candidate.</p>

18

<p>From the aamc site most of the colleges around me require a 3.0 min just to into their post-bac program thats why i am considering alternative routes in case i don’t get into any post-bac programs. </p>

<p>And just to clarify two things: </p>

<p>1) I thought a second bachelor will only be an additional 2 yrs not 3.
2) Post-bac programs will also arrange ECs?</p>

19

<p>1) How long your second degree takes depends on your major, the school and how many classes you will take each quarter/semester. There may be bottlenecks in the process due not having the necessary pre-reqs to enroll in required courses. Also some schools (esp smaller campuses) do not offer every course every semester so there may be some bottlenecks there too. 3 years is the longest it will take you. 2 years is more typical.</p>

<p>2)Some post baccs do; some don’t. (And they really don’t “arrange” ECs, but they make a special effort to make students aware of opportunities.)</p>

20

<p>I don’t see any value in a second bachelor’s for premed. If you want to switch careers and be a bio-science major, then a second degree in that field would help in finding jobs in a lab, for example. But med schools aren’t gonna care if you have a second BS/BA.</p>

<p>What you need now are A’s, and lots of them, in science courses. You could even take individual courses thru UC Extension.</p>