<p>Hello. I already posted this thread, but I think my title was slightly confusing, so I decided to repost it again. This is my first time using this forum, so I am not completely sure how it works.
I read through quite some of the discussion pages, and I know this questions has probably been asked over and over again already, but I just wanted to get an opinion about my chances of getting into a decent medical school.
I am a third-year neuroscience and cognitive science double major. My current cumulative GPA is 3.56, and if I get 4.00's until I graduate, I can get roughly 3.7. I have been volunteering at a hospital on and off at the emergency department and shadowed a surgeon. I am mainly doing research at a lab at my university and will probably get a paper or two published by the time I graduate. I have yet to take my MCATs as I plan to take a year off, so I am going to take the exam in the fall. Would I still be able to get into a decent medical school? Thank you so much!</p>
<p>Your GPA will end up around average. Your EC’s right now look pretty average. Right now, you’re on pace for an average med school. I don’t believe in factoring in “if I get 4.00’s from here on out” and “I will probably get two publications” until they actually come to fruition. Your MCAT score might move you from a low-tier med school to a mid-tier med school. Probably not much more unless you drastically improve your GPA and EC’s.</p>
<p>I see. Thank you for the advice. What are some good EC’s that you would suggest? I have been working at various research labs since my first year in college, but my labs have all moved. Would publications help the application? Or would community service/clinical experience be better?</p>
<p>For ECs you can participate around campus maybe get into some frats, community based ECs are important, sports, and I heard on here some people being EMT. I think community based ECs</p>
<p>Oh, I see. So I am guessing volunteering at a hospital would not be enough?</p>
<p>Probably not…you must do that, but to get into med school you have to do much more than just that. And apparently you need a hook, which is an incredible EC…I mean incredible…something that sets you apart from other applicants. Since your taking a whole year off I would suggest using that time to develop your hook…</p>
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<p>We can’t tell you want you should be doing in your free time. Hospital volunteering, research, and shadowing are necessary but not sufficient. Your other EC’s should come from your personal interests.</p>
<p>Also, pay attention to your science GPA, for a average med school I read around the forum that a 3.5 is around average. Thats your BCMP (Bio/Chem/Math/Phys) GPA. Im trying for a top so mines needs to be around a 3.75-3.8, but I would suggest trying to get as close to that range as possible to increase your chances. With a 3.56 and the average MCAT of 30-32, 55.5% of applicants were admitted into a med school. Apparently you want to increase those chances. I got those stats from the following link
<a href=“https://www.aamc.org/download/157450/data/table24-mcatgpagridall2008-10.pdf.pdf[/url]”>https://www.aamc.org/download/157450/data/table24-mcatgpagridall2008-10.pdf.pdf</a></p>
<p>Oh, I see. So it is my understanding that it does not have to be medically related at all? As long as it is something that is extraordinary?</p>
<p>I see. Thank you very much!</p>
<p>Thats right its just like the high school days where you could play basketball or play the trumpet and that would be an extracurricular activity, which is what EC stands for. Although, you do need some medical related ECs</p>
<p>I see. Is it like high school where whatever you write counts or would you need official approval? For example, if I have been playing piano since early grade school but have not professionally competed in my college years, would that not count or be as significant?</p>
<p>Your piano would NOT be an EC since you have really done anything with it since you started college. ECs are things you’ve done during your college career.</p>
<p>Oh, I see. So then, the ECs that count do not include normal hobbies? I would have to compete and have awards for it to count, right?</p>
<p>As a little motivation to get you to work even harder, as of now your on the cusp for even getting accepted into med school, so I recommend that you buckle down and work, work, work for this last year, as if you don’t get into a med school your basically screwed. 3.5=could go either way, 3.7=as a good chance at getting accepted into a med school.</p>
<p>Piano certainly is an EC. But, there’s no shortage of musicians in med school.</p>
<p>Thanks. I have been working hard for my classes, but I have also been doing a lot of other things in the meantime. I just have a big problem balancing my schedule so that I always end up shorting myself out.</p>
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<p>Can you elaborate on that? Perhaps there’s something meaningful hidden in there that you overlooked in writing your post. </p>
<p>For example, if you’re spending a huge amount of time with a significant campus leadership position (student body president), or working four jobs, or starting a club, or volunteering at a community agency–that could improve your med school application markedly. </p>
<p>Obviously, you need a variety of medically-related ECs that are excellent in terms of quality and quantity too.</p>
<p>Maybe I’m being too optimistic, but I wonder if you have something else going for you that you just haven’t mentioned yet.</p>
<p>Thank you for your optimism. I am not sure if I had already listed everything, but here is what I have been doing for the last three years:
I have been serving as a campus tutor for my university’s core writing program since the second quarter of my first year. I have also been involved as the co-founder of a club at my university, so I have held events since my second year. I regularly volunteer at the hospital and this year I was involved in a clinical research internship in which I devoted a lot of time interacting with patients. I am currently finishing up the data analysis and will probably present my findings at a conference in December.
I know I already have research in my activities, but I did an international research project abroad in Japan last summer in which I scanned and analyzed mice spines that went to space.
For what it is worth, I indulge in creative writing every year (NaNoWriMo) competition and completed three novelas. However, none of these stories have been published, so I am not sure how much that counts. I also am self-teaching myself latin and working with a literature professor to translate old latin stories in my free time. I think that sums up most of the things I have done so far. Thanks for reading!</p>
<p>Thank you for your optimism. I am not sure if I had already listed everything, but here is what I have been doing for the last three years:
I have been serving as a campus tutor for my university’s core writing program since the second quarter of my first year. I have also been involved as the co-founder of a club at my university, so I have held events since my second year. I regularly volunteer at the hospital and this year I was involved in a clinical research internship in which I devoted a lot of time interacting with patients. I am currently finishing up the data analysis and will probably present my findings at a conference in December.
I know I already have research in my activities, but I did an international research project abroad in Japan last summer in which I scanned and analyzed mice spines that went to space.
For what it is worth, I indulge in creative writing every year (NaNoWriMo) competition and completed three novelas. However, none of these stories have been published, so I am not sure how much that counts. I also am self-teaching myself latin and working with a literature professor to translate old latin stories in my free time. I think that sums up most of the things I have done so far. Thanks for reading!</p>