I am currently a high school student 11 grade junior, below are list my medical related activities and achievement during my high school.
4.4 GPA
SAT over 1500
Health and Medical Sciences classes that I took during high school at Local Community College
HIM 111 Medical Terminology: 3 credits, Pass final test: A = Excellent – 4 grade points
HLT 105 Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation: 1 credit, Pass final test: A = Excellent – 4 grade points
HLT 106 First Aid: 2 credits, Pass final test: A = Excellent – 4 grade points
MDL 100 Introduction to Medical Laboratory Technology: 2 credits, Pass final test: A = Excellent – 4 grade points
RAD 100 Introduction to Radiology and Protection: 2 credits, Pass final test: A = Excellent – 4 grade points
Pharmacy Technology: 3 credits, Pass final test: A = Excellent – 4 grade points
AP Biology
AP US History
Precalculus Honors
Two Years of summer Healthcare Informatics Internship at Inova Hospital which is top 10 of the nation’s
Over 1000 of work experience as Home Health Aide (CNA)
Made over 10K each year from internship and work related and filed my own Tax at the age 16
Over 200 hours Volunteer Experience at healthcare and community program
Completed Cyber Security and Computer science summer course
The George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences Medical Laboratory Sciences Summer Immersion
Member of Health Occupation Students of America (HOSA)
Competed regional concerning health and medicine related subjects seminars
Financial manager of Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) at my high school
President on Inter-Faith at my school
Sports: Soccer
3rd place in national competition improv as group performance
A 4.4 GPA pretty much has to be weighted. However, different high schools weight so differently that it is difficult to know what this means.
However, I think that the main thing that you need to do is to have a realistic goal in terms of which premed programs to apply to. There are a LOT of very good universities in the US, and a LOT of them have very good premed programs. Some of the top ranked (eg, MIT, Chicago) are also very academically very challenging and difficult schools to get a high GPA. GPA and MCAT scores are key to getting into a good medical school. Of course MIT and to a large extent Chicago (and Ivy’s, and a few others) are also very difficult to get into, and perhaps worse very difficult to predict whether you will get in.
Given that your local in-state university probably has a very good premed program, I think that you are in very good shape for getting in a very strong premed program. Which one is rather hard to predict at this point.
You should apply to a research university where your stats gets you significant merit. That way the cost of undergrad is reduced. Med school is expensive.
You should do well in your classes and get involved in research and volunteering.
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admission into a good Pre-Med program
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Not really a thing exists.
Being premed is an intent, not a program. Premed prereqs are regular classes, nothing special, that are offered at virtually all good schools and community colleges.
Your question is like asking, which supermarkets has the best milk. They all do. The milk is fine at virtually all.
Med school is expensive and admission is difficult. Unless you’re wealthy, try to minimize undergrad costs.
Talk to your parents about how much they’ll pay each year for undergrad college. Avoid loans for undergrad.
Pick a college that you like, but not one that’s a reach or where there will be so many top-stats premeds. Although the premed prereqs are difficult everywhere, it can be more difficult to get those needed A’s at a college where all of your classmates are stars.
You’re taking on a mountain, why make it Everest? Pick Whitney
I forgot to add my AP class GPA. My final GPA for 11 grade is 4.7. My school district is categorizing GPA on scale of 4.3. My cumulative GPA is 4.25. I am also on the top 10% on my school. My GPA is boasted due to dual enrollment classes and AP classes.
I have offered some research opportunity with NIH and NASA but refused them due to the paid internship, maybe that was a mistake. VCU which is an in state university promised me guaranteed Medical admission. If I choose to go for GW and GMU or local community college I can transfer my dual enrollment classes and save over 30K in year while staying in my parents home and work as nurse aid. But, my parents is pushing me for prestigious universities which I am not sure if have any chance to be accepted.
It will depend on the policies of the individual schools, what classes you you took dual enrollment and whether they are required for your degree program.
Unfortunately all of these classes are vocational classes and will not count towards your undergrad degree. (Intro to medical lab tech might, but only if you major in MLS.)
Prestige is of very minor importance when it comes to med school admissions; however, going to a CC then transferring means you will have to delay applying to med schools until after college graduation. If it is financially feasible, you should go to a 4 year college since that is the more common–and less pitfall ridden–path to medical school.
Choose a college that offers you the best combination of fit, affordability and opportunity.
Choose an academic major that you enjoy, that you can do well in academically (med school admission is very GPA-conscious) and that will offer you a Plan B career (75% of freshmen pre-meds never actually apply to med school and of those who do apply, 60% are rejected everywhere they apply.)
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But, my parent is pushing me for prestigious universities which I am not sure if have any chance to be accepted.
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Accepted or not, that’s not a wise strategy for a premed. Have your parent read this thread.
Much of the “premed - to - med school” process is counter-intuitive and missteps can derail the goal.
Med schools do not care where you go to undergrad college. A student from a top school with a lesser gpa will be at a disadvantage over a student from, say their state flagship, with a higher gpa.
Your parent likely wrongly thinks that a prestigious school will do a better job preparing you for the MCAT and med school. Not true. Your parent may also wrongly think that med schools are impressed by applicants from top schools…not true.
Thanks for your recommendation. I did calculate if I choose to go to local university I will save so much such as:
No housing and meal expenses.
My parents and myself can pay for all of Tuition and other expenses.
If I stay local I can continue to work in my current part time job which pay me very well.
Downside of local university according to some people, it will be very hard to accept into M.D programs after finishing my Bachelor because they are not as academically rigorous as prestigious schools.
@Mojo1 Since you are keen on pursuing medicine profession, are you considering applying for BS/MD programs?
You mentioned about VCU. GW also has BS/MD program which is 7 years (save 1 year tuition in UG). Your profile has better odds to get BS/MD admission. There are separate threads in CC under multiple degree programs if you are interested.
https://honors.vcu.edu/forms/ga/instructions.aspx
According to VCU’s website: The Guaranteed Admission Program (Medicine) has many more qualified applicants than it can possibly accept… (my emphasis)
In addition, in part,:
Two applications are required for admission to the Guaranteed Admission Program (Medicine)
Qualified applicants are also selected for an interview
Have you applied? Interviewed? If no and if you don’t mind, what was VCU’s promise to you as a junior in hs?
You need:
Strong Calculus AP if possible
Strong Physics AP if possible
Strong Biology AP if possible
Strong Chemistry AP if possible
Strong English AP if possible
Statistics would be helpful
2+ years of the same Foreign Language
If you have a strong Chemistry background and want to face a dragon early, try Organic Chemistry at community college.
You need to take the strongest curriculum possible at your high school.
You’ve got community service, and probably recommendations in the bag.
Make sure your core transcript is STRONG. Don’t worry about a million additions. Worry about your core.
Don’t go to a crappy college. (But you don’t necessarily have to go to a brutally competitive one, either, a lot of middle of the road good schools will prepare you very well) Look at MCAT scores being generated by students at each college when deciding. This can be an indication of how well they prepare their students. Favor schools with strong research.
Good luck!
This is bad advice.
Colleges do not prepare students for the MCAT. Students prepare themselves for the MCAT. In fact, even Harvard students complain their classes don’t prepare them for the MCAT
See: [Premeds in Search of MCAT Prep Say Harvard Classes Provide Insufficient Instruction](Premeds in Search of MCAT Prep Say Harvard Classes Provide Insufficient Instruction | News | The Harvard Crimson)
Also MCAT scores are private information that are not posted publicly so any data about MCAT scores is hearsay.
I also strongly recommend you do NOT take ochem at a CC while you’re still in high school.
What local university are you talking about?
GMU? Mary Washington? James Mason? NOVA?
You don't need to go to UVA or GWU to get into med school, but community college is a non-ideal route.[QUOTE=""]
Thanks for your recommendation. I did calculate if I choose to go to local university I will save so much such as: No housing and meal expenses. My parents and myself can pay for all of Tuition and other expenses. If I stay local I can continue to work in my current part time job which pay me very well.
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What is your local school?
I didn’t mean to imply that even if you have other affordable options that you should commute to your local school. It’s ok to do so, but other options may be good too.
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Downside of local university according to some people, it will be very hard to accept into M.D programs after finishing my Bachelor because they are not as academically rigorous as prestigious schools.
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Who are these “some people”? And what school is this?
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Look at MCAT scores being generated by students at each college when deciding. This can be an indication of how well they prepare their students
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No @MaryGJ
What’s your EFC?
Please realize that being premed does not mean you’re taking medical classes. You’re taking regular Intro to biology with biology majors, regular Intro to Physics with physics majors… The difference is that you have to be top 10-20% in every class.
You major in anything you’re strong at. There’s no benefit to being a biology major (in fact there are so many if them that you probably should pick something else.)
Being a CNA will allow you to get experience. Research experience is also useful.
A good school for Premeds is collaborative, limits weedout, and offers plenty of support/resources (such as free tutors, learning assistants, review sessions, etc.)
You want to avoid colleges that weed and if possible take your premed pre-reqs at a 4-year college, not a community college.
Those classes will be spread over 3 years if not 4, and will include two semesters each of biology, inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and English (composition and communication), as well as one semester each of biochemistry, sociology, psychology, a diversity-focused class, calculus, biostatistics or statistics. Some med schools appreciator if you have fluency in a world language or a class in neuroscience.
As far as making your profile stronger, I’d take AP calculus AB and AP chemistry.
I was thinking of BSHS Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a Major in Bioinformatics with George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Ashburn Northern VA campus. Because I am currently doing some research with them and already took summer camp and volunteering work in this location.
My other option is doing BS in neuroscience with George Mason University which is also very good Pre-Med program. If I stay in Northern VA I am 90% sure that I don’t need college loan and finish my BS without debt.
Is George Mason the school you mentioned that you’d commute from? If not, which school is that?
Yes both George Mason and George Washington University are local and I am living less than 30 minutes commute from the main campus.
“Med schools do not care where you go to undergrad college. A student from a top school with a lesser gpa will be at a disadvantage over a student from, say their state flagship, with a higher gpa.”
Exactly right. For premed, you don’t want to go to a university for undergrad where 75% of the incoming freshmen have a higher GPA and higher SAT/ACT scores than you do. Premed is tough everywhere and you will need to excel wherever you are to get into medical school.
“If I stay in Northern VA I am 90% sure that I don’t need college loan and finish my BS without debt.”
Finishing your B.S. without debt is a very good plan.
Since you mentioned that GMU is fine for premeds, who spoke against it?
GMU has a lot of weeding out of students that are in premed classes. Do not underestimate the caliber of students attending the school. If you consider applying there make sure you apply to their honors college. Approximately 15 to 20 students in the freshman class get selected for the Scholars Program.
GMU has identified its most outstanding entering first-year students as University Scholars. These students receive a four year, full-tuition scholarship.
https://honorscollege.gmu.edu/admissions/university-scholars
I know someone who graduated this past year with a neuroscience degree and got accepted into the MD program at George Washington University’s School of Medicine.
GMU also has early selection/ guaranteed admission agreements with VCU and GWU for med school. There is an extensive amount of research activity going on in this school as well. This past May a 17 year old girl graduated with a Masters degree before even graduating from high school.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/17-year-old-earns-masters-degree-before-graduating-from-high-school/ar-BBBnDW8
Medical school is expensive. You want to make sure you finish your undergrad degree with limited debt.