I am a student at UC San Diego and after my freshman year I have achieved a 3.82 overall GPA and a 3.90 science GPA. I took the general chem series and the full calculus series and a gen chem lab class. I know this may seem like an odd question, because nobody can predict the future, but is getting into a top-tier medical school something that could likely be in my future if I keep this up and do well on the MCAT (along with ECs of course). Do I need to study more and try very hard to improve my GPA (and stress), or should I be comfortable and confident heading into my sophomore year to take O Chem and physics. Basically, I would love if someone who’s been here before or knows about med school admissions to tell me basically where I am at. Am I doing good? Should I worry?
I’m still a high school student, but my brother and dad have gone through med school and have alot of knowledge about the process, so I’m currently recounting their advice to you. Top tier medical schools are looking for 3.8+ gpa for science GPA. Since the hardest year for many people is their first year, It’d say you’re at a good start! Just keep working as you have so far and you should do well.
Med school doesn’t need to be “top tier”
Tell us what difference you know of graduates of “top tier” versus “middle tier” or “lower tier” medical schools. Will you want an MD or DO? Or is a DO considered “lesser” too?
This hierarchy mentality about undergrad simply has very little relevance in med schools.
Some better known schools are more geared for research or academia – and retention rates for some of the lesser tiers may be lower – but what does that mean to you? Upon graduation, everyone takes the same board exams.
I’m not saying there’s NO difference. I’m saying there should be little difference to you at this moment.
Med schools care about two main things: undergraduate GPA (mainly science GPA) and then MCAT score. Everything else is pretty much fluff. The ECs you do will help make your application more interesting to read. But if you don’t have the basic stats you won’t get in.
Keep up the good work on your grades. Study hard for the MCAT and you should be fine. Getting into a top tier medical school vs a local state school has almost no impact on your future prospects as a doctor. Most patients simply don’t care where their doctor went to medical school. As long as you are board certified and completed a residency it doesn’t matter.
All Medical schools in the US are top tier.
If you haven’t already, go see the career advising office for Medical and Health Professions at UCSD as soon as school is back in session.
These guys should be your new best friends for the next three years:
http://career.ucsd.edu/undergrads/interest-areas/pre-med.html
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That is like asking …“I got a 3.9 my freshman year of HS and I think I can do well on my ACT so does it look like I get into an Ivy League school?” The answer is “who knows”. It is way too early to have a sense of where you will end up. You haven’t even taken organic yet.
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Agree that any US med school would be a “win”.
OP and @17scotts Since Med School apps are still a bit away, speak w/your relatives who are in the medical profession or to their personal doctors. Ask them about their experience. My FIL (now retired) and his practice preferred med school grads from UMich and Indiana – they found them having much better hands on experience (while in med school) than similar applicants from some “top name” med schools. Also, some of those latter grads with their pedigree acted more entitled than others. But when it came time for the heavy lifting and nuts and bolts of patient care, their pedigrees meant nothing.
It’s a small anecdote of a very small sample but their (very successful) practice preferred MDs/DOs from the larger state schools (UM and IU are the largest)
Back in my premed days (when dinosaurs roamed the earth), there was a joke:
Know what they call the person who graduates at the bottom of the class at the worst medical school in the US?
Doctor.
Many facets become the ingredients of a good doctor. Schooling is not the only factor, the residency, the fellowship and the personality of the doctor all accounted for a good/successful doctor. “Top Tier” schools are more research oriented, so you could be a well known doctor who invent the cure for aids or cancer. But, as a practicing MD, there is little difference between the doctor from Harvard or Howard.
Thank you all for the responses. I think you guys are focusing more on the fact that I said “top-tier” rather than just any medical school. Getting into a top tier school is my preference, not my focus, getting into ANY med school is the goal. I should have made that more clear. The main question I’m asking is whether I am on track to succeed in the medical school admissions process GPA-wise.
You are asking if you should worry (on purpose?). Worrying is not helpful Your goal is ALWAYS the same at college, no matter where you are heading, to the medical school, engineering firm, any other place. Your goal is to have an A in every class, because of why not. Pretty simple, no reason to make it complicated. You have to take care of other things in your life. You have to take care of yourself, make sure that you are as much relaxed as possible, knowing what relaxes you is very helpful. You have to grow personally, broaden your horizons, meet interesting people, whatever else is really up to you. I would not include “worrying” in this list. Having a good plan for achieving in various aspects of your life is more helpful than worrying.
It’s really too early for this question. My suggestion would be to revisit this topic after two semesters of orgo and physics, as that’s usually “the wall” most pre-med students need to overcome. If your GPA doesn’t tank with orgo and physics, then you would seem to be on-track for any med school, provided you also have a top MCAT score. Best of luck your sophomore year!
@domhak24 UC San Diego med school fits the top tier billing and I assume you have premed advising.
Have you asked them the question?
Theoretically, 3.8 and 38 (on the old MCAT scale) were considered to make someone competitive at most schools. In practice, many schools are looking to find students who fit their mission. If you have not done the additional things they are looking for in terms of research or service or you are not interested in their special programs, they may not consider you.