<p>I am currently an Exercise Science major at the university of connecticut. I started out my college career as an engineer but I realized that was not my calling in life. I have always loved the human body and caring for individuals sick, recovery etc etc. I was never a fantastic student in high school graduated with a 3.2 but finding myself and what I wanted to do in life gave me a motivation I never had before. I planned to go into physical therapy after I graduated but than i started looking into possibly a medical school route, but I have a few questions that i really do need answered..but first I will list my current GPA and classes.</p>
<p>-Gen Chem 1 - B+</p>
<p>-Gen Chem 2 - B+</p>
<p>Anatomy/physiology 1 & 2 - A</p>
<p>Kinesiology - A</p>
<p>Physics 1 - B</p>
<p>Bio 1 - A</p>
<p>Bio-molecular science 1 - A</p>
<p>Statistics - A</p>
<p>I currently still need to take Orgo, and another physics.</p>
<p>My university GPA is a 3.65 but the past 5/6 semesters I have had over a 3.8 my first semester wasnt very good because I hated engineering.</p>
<p>1) Can I graduate and than take other pre-reqs or will this be frowned upon during review of my transcript by med schools</p>
<p>2) Is my GPA going to be competitive.. I don't know what else I can do to beef up my resume.. I have 500+ Hours at a physical therapy clinic as well as 50+ hours at a old folk home in a rehabilitation setting</p>
<p>I think your GPA is fine. It’s around average, so it’ll be moderately competitive Just try to get at least A-'s (preferably A’s) in orgo and physics II. MCAT score will be just as important as well.</p>
<p>I am just curious about the pre-reqs being done after graduation or if that will cause issues… I feel like finishing things and than focusing on my last few remaining pre-reqs would be easiest… I am also not a huge fan of the physics professor and he has a monopoly over phys 2 which makes life miserable… do med schools care about transfer credits or anything like that…</p>
<p>Med schools expect key pre-reqs to be completed before applying (particularly OChem and physics). Some schools say flat out they won’t consider applicants without those grades.</p>
<p>(BTW, both physics and Ochem are covered in the MCAT. Unless you have very strong physics background from high school [AP Phys B or C with a 5], you’ll need to have finished that second semester of physics before taking the MCAT.)</p>
<p>You can complete any other pre-reqs (biochem, genetics, upper level humanities, etc.) while you are going thru the application process; however, all admissions to medical are conditional on you satisfactorily completing all required coursework. And satisfactorily typically means with a B or better.</p>
<p>1) if by after graduation you mean: can you take Phys 2 somewhere other than your home school after you’ve graduated? The answer is you can, but it will be a ding on your application. (How badly that ding will hurt your chances will depend on how many other dings you have on your app.) If you take it at a less competitive college (e.g. community college) than the one you currently attend, then it will be a red flag on your application since there is no good reason why you couldn’t take it before graduation. </p>
<p>2) your GPA looks competitive. </p>
<p>Some of the courses you’ve listed won’t be considered as BCMP courses when calculating your science GPA. Kinesiology won’t be and any coursework that has a a course prefix other those shown inside the yellow box in the official AMCAS couse classification guidelines. (See link below.)</p>
<p>Your ECs are weak. You need to do some physician shadowing and be able to strongly articulate why you want to be physician and not a PT since your resume looks like a PT resume. If you have not done any clinical volunteering outside of PT setting, you need to get involved in some before applying.</p>
<p>I suppose i am still stuck between PT school and Med school… because if I cant get in than… well that would be awful.</p>
<p>So do you think that shadowing a doc would help to boost my EC? That is the area that i figured would be the most weak for me. </p>
<p>So the best option for me would to hold off graduation/take the classes at another campus and transfer them over? I have never taken classes anywhere else so I am not entirely sure if that is what i would do</p>
<p>Shadowing will be very important for you since you will be asked over and over: Why medicine? Unless you have an excellent answer to that, your application won’t get very far.</p>
<p>Clinical volunteering in other than a PT setting will also be important to demonstrate your exposure to the wider range of medical practice than just PT.</p>
<p>Are you a senior right now? </p>
<p>If you are, then consider either delaying graduation to take your remaining pre-reqs; or if that is not financially possible, go ahead and graduate and find a local 4 year college campus near to where you live/work and take your coursework there. (Part-time while working is OK.) You won’t the only student to change their mind about career plans after graduating. (D1 did. She was a non-trad. About 1/3 of her med school class are non-traditionals.) Just don’t go to a CC for the rest of your pre-reqs.</p>
<p>As for getting in—please remember the odds are not terrific for even the best of students. Every year over 100,000 unique individuals take the MCAT. Of those, more than 45,000 apply to medical school. There are only 19,000 seats available. This means at least 60% of all applicants are not accepted anywhere. Your chances of getting into med school are going to depend on many factors outside of your control–including what state you live in.</p>
<p>It’s wise to develop a Plan B. Just in case. (And, yes, that is exactly what i tell/told both my children.)</p>
<p>Are you willing to consider Osteopathic medical schools? What about PA programs?</p>
<p>If you are truly undecided between PT and MD/DO, you need to get clear in your head which you want before you apply to either.</p>
<p>Well I think i have a pretty decent “Elevator Speech” to why medicine, but TL;DR is essentially i’ve lived around health problems ranging from diabetes to congenital heart defects. I always have been able to relax and reassure those that have been around me and I know that there is a greater purpose for me in my life and medicine is that path that needs to be walked. </p>
<p>-I am essentially fine with delaying graduation but I am currently scheduled to graduate next Spring so i still have 5 semesters (Spring,Summer,Fall,Winter,Spring) if I need to knock it out prior to graduation.</p>
<p>-I never thought I was “smart” enough to go into something like medicine, but that was because what I was learning was not something that clicked with me so i never even had the idea of going into medicine other than PT until this past semester. The pre-reqs for PT and DO/MD are essentially the same the only difference is the way the resume is drawn up.</p>
<p>-I have looked into DO schools and i would def try that if MD didnt work out but The odds of DO are pretty limited atleast that is what my knowledge in the area tells me.</p>
<p>-But I do have time I just want to have more information and be able to write out some goals and see them accomplished</p>
<p>“I always have been able to relax and reassure those that have been around me”</p>
<p>Maybe you shortened it too much but this doesn’t scream MD to me. I see how it could fit in with psych or with an interest in PM&R which would fit in with the PT background, but it’s not enough on it’s own to convince me you need an MD. Plenty of easier ways to help people relax and reassure them. You’ve got years to work on your answer though so no stress.</p>
<p>Yeah I did shorten it and it is difficult to shorten something that you believe so much in. It is also hard to be able to capture those feelings and put them into words especially something that is changing someones life and helping them.</p>
<p>I guess I really just needed to hear that i could do it I just have to do the pre-reqs and come up with a great elevator speech. I suppose once I do the MCAT’s and pre-reqs ill be back for help with my essay… like what do they actually care about i suppose. </p>
<p>-Are there study guides/resources available for MCAT’S? I still am some time away before I can take them but should i be holding onto my chem books, calc, physics etc? or is there a 1 stop hop for studying?</p>
<p>There are all sorts of study guides for the MCAT. Princeton Review, Kaplan, ExamKrackers are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. If you go to amazon and type in MCAT prep, dozens will pop up. Different people have different preferences.</p>
<p>There are also review courses you can take either in person or online.</p>
<p>D1 didn’t used her texts to review. I think D2 used her gen chem text and worked thru the chapters over the summer since it’s been a while since she had chem and had forgotten basically everything.</p>
<p>alright awesome ty so much you have been a huge help.my last question is how do they calculate chem grades? I ask because my school has a separate chem lecture and chem lab grade will they combine these or leave them separate?</p>
<p>Is the lab a separate class when you register the lab class at the beginnig of the year and a standalone class with its own course number in the course listing? If yes, it has its own separate grade. If not, it is a combined grade.</p>
<p>AMCAS guidelines say that you must list your courses EXACTLY as they appear on your transcript. (If you don’t it will delay your verification by weeks.) </p>
<p>If chem course has a separate lecture grade and lab grade and it appears on your transcript that way, you will list each individually with the course name, number, grade and credit value. </p>
<p>(HINT: before you fill out your AMCAS application, get a unofficial copy of your transcript and have it at hand when you fill out your class listing on your app.)</p>
<p>Alright interesting so will they recalculate the gpa for the lab and the lecture being they are seperate. I was also curious if I take classes at another university during the summer (I go out of state) would that be fine?</p>
<p>Medical schools will red flag your application for </p>
<p>1) taking a major pre-req during the summer. Summer courses often truncate the material covered, have a reputation–rightly or wrongly-- for being easier and for having less competitive students in them. Taking pre-reqs in summer is only acceptable if you plan on taking a more advanced level of the same subject afterwards–which you’re not.</p>
<p>2) taking a major pre-req at a school other than your home institution</p>
<p>Both look like you’re trying to “game” the system by avoiding a tough teacher/course or the tougher competition at your home school. Med schools hate that!</p>
<p>If you’re serious about med school, take OChem your senior year. Take Phys 2 in any of the 3 remaining regular session semesters you have left before graduation. Overload if you have to, but don’t take the pre-reqs during an abbreviated session or at a different school before graduation.</p>