I have a question about premed colleges

[spitfire1114]

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I'm a high school junior, going to be a senior next year and my gpa and SAT score are less than stellar (my gpa so far is a 3.6 and my SAT score the first time i've taken it is 1970).

My question is what colleges do you think I should apply to in order to have the best chance of being accepted into medical school? Also what else can i do to make myself look like a better candidate for colleges?

thanks in advance.

[Compassion MD]

3.6 out of 4.0 1970 out of 2400 That's not bad at all.

Going to Harvard University with 2.0 doesn't mean you will get into medical school for sure. But going to a community college with 4.0 doesn't either.

Regardless which college you go to, GPA and MCAT are one of the most important factors.

Find the college that fits you the best. To become a better candidate for college? I say volunteer and take AP classes (but make sure you do well in those)

[oishii_onigiri]

Originally Posted by spitfire1114

I'm a high school junior, going to be a senior next year and my gpa and SAT score are less than stellar (my gpa so far is a 3.6 and my SAT score the first time i've taken it is 1970).

My question is what colleges do you think I should apply to in order to have the best chance of being accepted into medical school? Also what else can i do to make myself look like a better candidate for colleges?

thanks in advance.

Going to a less challenging school will give you a better chance for a high GPA. But if you aim for a top tier school with a solid science program, it will give you the strong background needed to be competitive in medical school; I've seen a lot of people go for the BA, thinking that they'll just learn the sciences when they get to med school. But then they get there only to realize that they essentially have 2 years to learn 10-20 bachelor degrees' worth of basic sciences. Some make it, but the rest... yeah.

The more difficult science programs will also better prepare you for the MCAT.

Colleges imo like well rounded invididuals; as well as GPA and SAT, they look at sports, volunteer work, leadership experience, and how well you utilize your time, to list a few things.

Hope that helps. GL w/ your apps

-Calvin

[spitfire1114]

Originally Posted by oishii_onigiri

Going to a less challenging school will give you a better chance for a high GPA. But if you aim for a top tier school with a solid science program, it will give you the strong background needed to be competitive in medical school; I've seen a lot of people go for the BA, thinking that they'll just learn the sciences when they get to med school. But then they get there only to realize that they essentially have 2 years to learn 10-20 bachelor degrees' worth of basic sciences. Some make it, but the rest... yeah.

The more difficult science programs will also better prepare you for the MCAT.

Colleges imo like well rounded invididuals; as well as GPA and SAT, they look at sports, volunteer work, leadership experience, and how well you utilize your time, to list a few things.

Hope that helps. GL w/ your apps

-Calvin

What do you mean by challenging courses? like im in AP Bio, AP Calc AB, and AP Psychology this year and im gonna be taking AP Chemistry, AP Physics B, and AP Calc BC next year, do u mean difficult science courses in college?

[seattle]

Dear "spitfire1114",

Regardless of where you go to college, and what you end up deciding as a major (Bacheor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science track); there is a universally agreed upon science course requirement referred to as "premed". All US and Caribbean Medical schools require:

General or inorganic Chemistry (1 full year with labs)
Organic Chemistry (1 full year with labs)
Physics (1 year with labs)
Biology (1 year, with labs)
English (1 year)
Math (at least one semester, usually 1 year equivalent)

In terms of Biology; you have a wide choice in college, however, "Anatomy & Physiology", "Genetics", and "Microbiology" tend to cover almost all bilogical questions on the MCAT exam.

Regarding Math, you should plan on taking at least 1 year of Calculus. This will NOT be tested on the Physical Sciences section of the MCAT, but does enhance your application in terms of quantitative reasoning abilities, compared to taking easier Algebra courses in college.

The most important point to remember is that your cummulative GPA and especially SCIENCE GPA, is absolutely crucial to keep as high as possible.

For U.S. Medical schools, when you apply the GPA must be over a 3.60 to be competitive. Most matriculants will be around a 3.70+

There is no such thing as an ideal school for Pre-Medical courses. It is better to go to an average college and get a 3.7 GPA versus going to M.I.T. in Boston and then getting a 2.7 because it is so hyper competitive. Medical School Admission Committees tend to look at GPA much more heavily than where you went to school.

[swimchick]

Wherever you end up...make sure your med school application shows your sincere interest to pursue medicine. Most successful applicants, in addition to strong grades and MCAT, have a blend of clinical experience, volunteer experience and research. Leadership also helps.

Make sure your school also has a record of students successfully gaining admission to medical school. The first college I attended only had a 17% acceptance rate...and this wasn't advertised until I arrived for orientation...needless to say, I got out of there fast.

Second...learn about your college's policy for writing medical school recommendation letters (often called the pre-medical committee letter, and is the recommendation preferred...or even required letter format). Some schools, like my alma mater, will write a letter for any students who wishes to apply to medical school. Some schools will only write such a letter for students who meet a minimum GPA. Other schools don't even have a pre-medical committee.

To sum up...choose a college where you feel you can thrive academically and personally and make sure this college provide appropriate services to medical school applicants and, most importantly, has a strong track record of getting them in to medical school.