Does Allied Health experience look good on apps?

[Protoman2050]

Does Allied Health experience look good on apps? I'll be studying non-invasive cardiovascular technology at Orange Coast College (I'm currently waitlisted), and plan to work as an echocardiographer at my local hospital while earning my ** in physiology and completing my medical school pre-requisites at CSULB. I hope to apply to Meharry, Rosalind Franklin, St George's University, and AUC.

I have not completed any medical school pre-reqs nor the MCAT, just my GEs. My current GPA is 2.95, b/c I started college a little too early, and my GE course are just very unmotivating...I'm bored. All my profs say that I'll do better once I start on my major courses, based on their personal experience with themselves.

How true is the [(sGPA*10)+MCAT >= 65] formula in determining whether you'll get into any medical school?

In addition to getting my GPA up and working in a clinical field, should I do research as well? Maybe I could see if a staff cardiologist is willing to conduct a small clinical experiment with me.

[jameslynton]

Look at allied health as a way to pay ouyour bills. It may or may not help a medical school application. There is no fixed formula to getting into medical school with grades and MCAT as a predictor. Your best bet is very good grades and working hard to do well on the MCAT. A bad start may or may not be held against you.

[Protoman2050]

Look at allied health as a way to pay ouyour bills. It may or may not help a medical school application. There is no fixed formula to getting into medical school with grades and MCAT as a predictor. Your best bet is very good grades and working hard to do well on the MCAT. A bad start may or may not be held against you.

Well, I do enjoy the cardiovascular system (I've wanted to be a cardiologist ever since I can remember), so I decided to become an echocardiographer so I can do something that pays well and is related to that while completing my degree and pre-med requirements.

If my GPA somehow stayed the same, would the only Carribean med schools like SGU, Ross, and AUC accept me?

And I've taken practice exams for both the MCAT and USMLE Step 1...the latter is easier for me? Is that a bad thing, or a good thing?

Why is getting into med school the hardest part about becoming a doctor?! That's backwards...it's should be the easiest part; completing med school should be the hardest.

[axeon]

Seriously? Step 1 is easier than the MCAT? o_o They are two completely different tests, maybe with your CV background some parts were easier for you to understand.

One alternative you can take is do a masters degree to help improve your GPA, because you'll need that and a very good MCAT score to make it past their screening process that some schools have. Having experience in the field is also very good; it shows you have genuine interest and are committed, just don't make it seem like you are narrowminded and only thinking about cardiology and that cardiology is the only thing that exists in medicine when interviewing and applying. Research is a plus, but don't force it upon yourself. GPA and MCAT are the two important things right now. If you can work on a clinical project with one of the doctors, then that would be a great thing. Some clinical projects end up with you looking through patient records and doing stat work on it, but it's not too time consuming.

I don't think you should settle for those medical schools, have some confidence in yourself! It does not hurt to apply to schools you want to get into (eg the California schools).

[Protoman2050]

Seriously? Step 1 is easier than the MCAT? o_o They are two completely different tests, maybe with your CV background some parts were easier for you to understand.

Probably. The fact that my Mom's a former nurse, and more than a few of our friends are doctors, I guess I picked up quite a few pieces of medical knowledge. I like to watch medical dramas, and laugh at how incorrect they are.

One alternative you can take is do a masters degree to help improve your GPA, because you'll need that and a very good MCAT score to make it past their screening process that some schools have. Having experience in the field is also very good; it shows you have genuine interest and are committed, just don't make it seem like you are narrowminded and only thinking about cardiology and that cardiology is the only thing that exists in medicine when interviewing and applying. Research is a plus, but don't force it upon yourself. GPA and MCAT are the two important things right now. If you can work on a clinical project with one of the doctors, then that would be a great thing. Some clinical projects end up with you looking through patient records and doing stat work on it, but it's not too time consuming.

I'm interested in general internal medicine too, you know. It's quite fascinating having to manage so many different comorbidities at once, and balancing out the treatments. As well as neurology (I suffer from a fascinating iatrogenic neurologic condition called periventricular leukomalacia [causing covert ataxic CP], which really isn't all that noticable if you're not a neurologist) and radiology (without these guys, the rest of us would be flying blind).

My CVT program involves us doing case reports. Would that count?

I plan on seeing if I can do that with my cardiologist friend at the hospital, like see if CPR can be titrated using CW Doppler of the carotids...ie figure out how hard you need to thrust to get CPP to >= 70 mmHg, and whether that leads to improved outcomes in witnessed collapse. Any other ideas?

I don't think you should settle for those medical schools, have some confidence in yourself! It does not hurt to apply to schools you want to get into (eg the California schools).

Cali schools...no way. Way too expensive, and competition is so bad that even 4.0 students can't get in. But I will apply to every MC in the country, and the top 3 Carribean schools. Not DO, though...I don't believe in their philosophy, and I really want MD behind my name.

Schools I want to get in are, in order: NYMC, Meharry, SGU, AUC, Ross.

As long as I earn my MD, can practice in all 50 states, and can get into a good IM residency, I'm ok.

[AUCMD2006]

no secret formula...look at the avg stats for each school and you will have in idea. usually gpa 3.5 and mcat of 28 or higher gets you in school.

also dont limit oon those us med schools apply widely to all schools with lower acceptance stats but a sub 3.0 will be the kiss of death at most and may or may not be overcome by a really high mcat. use teh carib as last resort. also therte are quite a few allopath and oestopath schools opening or planned on opening in the next 2-4 years and typically founding classes maybe easier to get into. look at virginia tech, and william beaumont in michigan for future openings

and as a gyn surgeon i can tell you that even with radiologists we often fly blind because all rad reports end with "can not rule out_(fill in a laundry list of unlikely dx)"

[Protoman2050]

no secret formula...look at the avg stats for each school and you will have in idea. usually gpa 3.5 and mcat of 28 or higher gets you in school.

also dont limit oon those us med schools apply widely to all schools with lower acceptance stats but a sub 3.0 will be the kiss of death at most and may or may not be overcome by a really high mcat. use teh carib as last resort. also therte are quite a few allopath and oestopath schools opening or planned on opening in the next 2-4 years and typically founding classes maybe easier to get into. look at virginia tech, and william beaumont in michigan for future openings

and as a gyn surgeon i can tell you that even with radiologists we often fly blind because all rad reports end with "can not rule out_(fill in a laundry list of unlikely dx)"

I don't think I want to go to Virgina Tech...some schizo mass murderer is always out there.

Really...how come everytime I read an echo report, it doesn't end with "cannot r/o". Or maybe echocardiogram data is very precise.

[axeon]

Case reports will get you published, that's a plus. But it doesn't hurt to do a clinical study, it's sort of original research, something you did yourself, rather than writing about a case (which is good in a different light). You're a non-traditional application, it looks like, and you have a lot of experience, and should be able to answer the question of why you want to be a doctor (which I know I myself, and probably other ugrads applying straight out of college have trouble with). I wish I had more exposure to medicine during undergrad, would make medschool and pathology much less confusing.

California schools - you have in-state tuition, that will make it very cheap. Under $20000 tuition, and then room/board it separate. Talking about OSU, out-of-state tuition with other expenses is $60000!

[Protoman2050]

Case reports will get you published, that's a plus. But it doesn't hurt to do a clinical study, it's sort of original research, something you did yourself, rather than writing about a case (which is good in a different light). You're a non-traditional application, it looks like, and you have a lot of experience, and should be able to answer the question of why you want to be a doctor (which I know I myself, and probably other ugrads applying straight out of college have trouble with). I wish I had more exposure to medicine during undergrad, would make medschool and pathology much less confusing.

California schools - you have in-state tuition, that will make it very cheap. Under $20000 tuition, and then room/board it separate. Talking about OSU, out-of-state tuition with other expenses is $60000!

Still, it's so bloody impacted...even 4.0 students with good MCATs and stelar ECs don't get in.

Any ideas on what I could do for clinical research? Maybe I could ask a cardiologist if he's willing to do a study with me on whether a glutathione infusion during an AMI reduces infarct size after five days as measured by delayed contrast-enhanced inversion recovery gradient echo cardiac MRI.

Or if carotid CW Doppler can be used to titrate CPR, by giving feedback on whether your thrusts are maintaining CPP >= 70 mmHg.

Any ideas?

My goal is to get my GPA up to 3.3 at least, and score at least 30 on my MCAT.

[Protoman2050]

Would earning my ** degree in Echocardiography from Oregon Institute of Technology, and then returning to Orange Coast College to complete my medical school pre-reqs, be looked down upon by medical colleges? Oregon Institute of Technology | Echocardiography, Bachelor Degree In Echocardiography, ** In Echocardiography (http://www.oit.edu/default.aspx?DN=3163,3153,2937,1,Documents)

It's an online degree, yes, but it's for working echocardiographers, and it's from OIT, which was ranked on of the Top 10 baccalaureate institutions on the West Coast by US News and Report in 2008 and 2009.

And besides, if I can't get into medical school, this'll open up opportunities in management, teaching, and equipment sales.

Perhaps I can get a publication out of my senior project.

[swimchick]

I don't think I want to go to Virgina Tech...some schizo mass murderer is always out there.

Was that comment really necessary?

[Protoman2050]

Was that comment really necessary?

I was just pointing something out.

Still, it sounds like a good school. Hopefully murderers and the dangerously mentally ill don't get admitted to med school.

[tegraphile]

I was just pointing something out.

Still, it sounds like a good school. Hopefully murderers and the dangerously mentally ill don't get admitted to med school.

Wow... I'm sure the students and family of that tragic event would love your comment. I hate to break it to you, but has nothing to do with the school.

I really think trying to work and go to school at the same time is a bad combination; one will end up suffering. It would be better to take the time off to study for school and apply, instead of trying to do a little of both. You could even consider working after undergrad for a year or two and then apply.

[Protoman2050]

Wow... I'm sure the students and family of that tragic event would love your comment. I hate to break it to you, but has nothing to do with the school.

I really think trying to work and go to school at the same time is a bad combination; one will end up suffering. It would be better to take the time off to study for school and apply, instead of trying to do a little of both. You could even consider working after undergrad for a year or two and then apply.

Well, the ** degree I'm talking about is purposely designed to allow you to work in the field of cardiac sonography while earning your degree. In fact, that is it's requirement.

And I'll take time off to complete my med school pre-reqs.

[AUCMD2006]

I was just pointing something out.

Still, it sounds like a good school. Hopefully murderers and the dangerously mentally ill don't get admitted to med school.


bad form..

and yea echo reports dont ask radiogists for interpretation just a bunch of numbers up there.

try sending an ultra sound request, a ct, mri or even a cxr..lol

[Protoman2050]

bad form..

and yea echo reports dont ask radiogists for interpretation just a bunch of numbers up there.

try sending an ultra sound request, a ct, mri or even a cxr..lol

ECHOs are read by cardiologists. Usually the same one who's seeing the patient, so he probably can figure out what's going on exactly.

Doesn't the ordering clinician give the radiologist all the pertinent clinical info of the patient, so the radiologist can be more exact with his impression?

[jameslynton]

[QUOTE=Protoman2050;1161949]Still, it's so bloody impacted...even 4.0 students with good MCATs and stelar ECs don't get in....{QUOTE]Ah yes - the great myth of the student with a 4.0 and 45 MCAT not getting in medical school. What they don't tell is about all the ones that do. I would say about 99.999% do. As A. J. F. the great stock car/Indy driver use to say "there is not substitute for cubic inches". Look at it this way - a 4.0GPA, 45 MCAT is a position of power. Below a 3.0GPA and 28 MCAT is not a position of power. Sort of a bitter dose of reality.

[jameslynton]

Wow... I'm sure the students and family of that tragic event would love your comment. I hate to break it to you, but has nothing to do with the school.

I really think trying to work and go to school at the same time is a bad combination; one will end up suffering. It would be better to take the time off to study for school and apply, instead of trying to do a little of both. You could even consider working after undergrad for a year or two and then apply.AUCMD2006 once wrote a wonderful bit on where you go to school does matter. I agree about the working and school bit. I tried it long time ago. Basically, 1 out 1,000,000 pulls it off. Those are really bad odds. I don't play lotteries 1 out 42,000,000 is really, really bad. Yet lots of nut balls pony up there money every week to lose it in lotteries. Their justification is somebody has got to win. Even AUC, SGU and Ross are getting more competitive with admissions.

[swimchick]

AUCMD2006 once wrote a wonderful bit on where you go to school does matter. I agree about the working and school bit. I tried it long time ago. Basically, 1 out 1,000,000 pulls it off. Those are really bad odds. I don't play lotteries 1 out 42,000,000 is really, really bad. Yet lots of nut balls pony up there money every week to lose it in lotteries. Their justification is somebody has got to win. Even AUC, SGU and Ross are getting more competitive with admissions.

I think the post on "having nothing to do with the school" was in response to the OP's asinine comment about not wanting to consider Virginia Tech as an option for his/her education because of the shooting that occurred there.

But I will add that working while going to school is incredibly difficult and I have the highest admiration for those that do it and succeed. I worked around 20 hours a week while in undergrad and it was probably the worst thing I could have done. I'm currently working part-time while taking medical school gross anatomy and I basically have no life.

[Protoman2050]

I think the post on "having nothing to do with the school" was in response to the OP's asinine comment about not wanting to consider Virginia Tech as an option for his/her education because of the shooting that occurred there.

But I will add that working while going to school is incredibly difficult and I have the highest admiration for those that do it and succeed. I worked around 20 hours a week while in undergrad and it was probably the worst thing I could have done. I'm currently working part-time while taking medical school gross anatomy and I basically have no life.

I just said I was worried about going to a school that has those kinds of incidents. What is so wrong with trying to avoid getting killed or injured?