Post "What are My Chances?" Here Only - Page 7

jaywalk81 · #61 (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scylin

Yet another "what are my chances" post.....

- 3.2 GPA from Stanford University - I got sick sophomore year and went on AMA leave fall of junior year after getting hospitalized. So, my sophomore year grades screwed my GPA but I did bring it back up junior year and got great grades in the organic chem classes I took after graduation (3.7 GPA from orgo).
- 33T MCAT from June 2007
- first-authored & published astrophysics poster from summer research at Lockheed Martin (although this was in 1999)
- author (not first) on neurobiology paper published last fall in Journal of Neuroscience
- 3+ years of work in biotech (2 years as research associate/lab tech, 1+ year of project coordination)
- volunteer medical relief work in Vietnam one summer in college
- summer research biotech internships 3 summers in college
- I think good LORs, including one from Donald Kennedy (editor of Science and former pres. of Stanford) - they're confidential so I can't be completely certain they're good

I'm worried because my GPA is below average (and my sGPA is a bit lower than my cGPA), but my MCAT scores, work experience, publications, and LOR I'm hoping will make up for it. Do you think they will? Otherwise I'm going to have to consider Ross and I'd DEFINITELY prefer SGU.

Sent in my materials this week, hopefully my application will be complete next week. Keeping my fingers crossed.

you are good for sgu

but i woud suggest taking some post-bacc class perhaps and try for US schools with your mcat score

AngryBaby · #62 (**permalink**) 02-28-2008, 04:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scylin

Yet another "what are my chances" post.....

- 3.2 GPA from Stanford University - I got sick sophomore year and went on AMA leave fall of junior year after getting hospitalized. So, my sophomore year grades screwed my GPA but I did bring it back up junior year and got great grades in the organic chem classes I took after graduation (3.7 GPA from orgo).
- 33T MCAT from June 2007
- first-authored & published astrophysics poster from summer research at Lockheed Martin (although this was in 1999)
- author (not first) on neurobiology paper published last fall in Journal of Neuroscience
- 3+ years of work in biotech (2 years as research associate/lab tech, 1+ year of project coordination)
- volunteer medical relief work in Vietnam one summer in college
- summer research biotech internships 3 summers in college
- I think good LORs, including one from Donald Kennedy (editor of Science and former pres. of Stanford) - they're confidential so I can't be completely certain they're good

I'm worried because my GPA is below average (and my sGPA is a bit lower than my cGPA), but my MCAT scores, work experience, publications, and LOR I'm hoping will make up for it. Do you think they will? Otherwise I'm going to have to consider Ross and I'd DEFINITELY prefer SGU.

Sent in my materials this week, hopefully my application will be complete next week. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Agree with Jay that you've got to be a shoe-in for SGU but that you should consider (if you haven't already) taking post-bacc classes or a medicine specialized master's program to up the GPA. Get a 3.5 in the master's programs and you'll get in somewhere in the US.

multigrain23 · #63 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 12:36 AM

I don't know if this has been mentioned previously on this thread or site (I didn't go through all the pages), but I just thought I'd mention that on the SGU application they just ask you to list what you've done in the last 4 years. So the things you've done back in 1999 don't count for the application (though perhaps you could mention them in the interview, I don't know).

As a current applicant, I had asked SGU's counseling office about this, as I had extensive leadership, clinical and volunteer experience as an undergrad. But since I'm now finishing my grad studies... there's a lot of cool accomplishments I just have to let go of and not mention (as you have to list the dates of start/end, and they only want stuff in the last 4 years). I suppose one could still list older stuff if they chose to, but I'd almost wonder if the admissions committee would look down on you for disregarding instructions.

HOWEVER, that being said, you can use anything that you started over 4 years ago if it ended less than 4 years ago. For instance, if you worked in a lab from 2002 - 2005, then you can list it (since 2005 is less than 4 years ago). That's what the office told me, so I just thought I'd clear it up.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scylin

Yet another "what are my chances" post.....

- 3.2 GPA from Stanford University - I got sick sophomore year and went on AMA leave fall of junior year after getting hospitalized. So, my sophomore year grades screwed my GPA but I did bring it back up junior year and got great grades in the organic chem classes I took after graduation (3.7 GPA from orgo).
- 33T MCAT from June 2007
- first-authored & published astrophysics poster from summer research at Lockheed Martin (although this was in 1999)
- author (not first) on neurobiology paper published last fall in Journal of Neuroscience
- 3+ years of work in biotech (2 years as research associate/lab tech, 1+ year of project coordination)
- volunteer medical relief work in Vietnam one summer in college
- summer research biotech internships 3 summers in college
- I think good LORs, including one from Donald Kennedy (editor of Science and former pres. of Stanford) - they're confidential so I can't be completely certain they're good

I'm worried because my GPA is below average (and my sGPA is a bit lower than my cGPA), but my MCAT scores, work experience, publications, and LOR I'm hoping will make up for it. Do you think they will? Otherwise I'm going to have to consider Ross and I'd DEFINITELY prefer SGU.

Sent in my materials this week, hopefully my application will be complete next week. Keeping my fingers crossed.

stephew · #64 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 01:57 AM

clearly this thread is working very well of its own accord so ill change my mind and sticky it.

Scylin · #65 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 03:01 AM

Thanks for the replies, I really appreciate it.

I have been considering getting a master's but for various reasons I'd prefer to not delay starting med school if I can do it this year in the Caribbean. This isn't the first year I've applied to med schools and I'm sure many other people are in a similar boat (being a non-minority from California doesn't help my case much either). As for the 4 years issue, in filling out the application I did pretty much stick to the past 4 years, but I also included my resume in the packet. I felt that the single line they gave me to list my employment wasn't really adequate to describe what I've been paid full-time to do for the past several years (and I know that I do have some additional room in the personal statement to go into details like this). They may read the resume or completely disregard it, but it does contain a publications/posters section where the 1999 astrophysics poster is included.

We'll see what they say when they get back to me. Thank you again for your help and advice, the comments have been very useful!

StriveToBeDr · #66 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 04:43 AM

why don't u try some DO schools

FBIDoc · #67 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 10:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephew

clearly this thread is working very well of its own accord so ill change my mind and sticky it.

I'd like to thank the Academy, and especially Stephew for recognizing the stickiness of this thread, and for giving me the opportunity to resuscitate such an important work...thank you all!

AngryBaby · #68 (**permalink**) 02-29-2008, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stephew

clearly this thread is working very well of its own accord so ill change my mind and sticky it.

the war is over!!!!!!! (again)

grad.student.08 · #69 (**permalink**) 03-02-2008, 07:55 PM

Your MCAT score is good enough to take a shot at US schools. If not, as others suggest, apply to SGU and Ross. They are best two schools by far.

lostcase · #70 (**permalink**) 03-03-2008, 11:13 PM

I graduated from Rutgers this past may with a 2.8 sci gpa and 3.0 overall gpa and I have a 26 mcat. Im currently in a masters program and my grades for the past semester were A, B, B, B+ and one D (all science classes). I know the D is really going to screw me over but I really cant do anything about it now. I just finished my first round of exams for this semester and so far im doing really good.

Ive done research for 3 years in undergrad, and have about 400+ hours of clinical experience.
What do you guys think?

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