Thread: Surviving SGU

Hi, I just finished the MCAT yesterday, and now I am waiting for my scores. I am planning to apply for the January 2006 class but I have a few concerns. Is the attrition rate at SGU very low? I heard that the admissions office looks at your MCAT score to assess and predict your potential performance on the USMLE. I heard the average MCAT score for admitted students is 26, if I get a slightly higher score, would this mean that I can handle the academics at SGU without too many problems? I really want to be a doctor, and I know that getting into a US school is probably not an option. SGU might be my best chance but I am worried that I am not going to make it. Does anyone have any input?

I was thinking of delaying my application and taking classes in Nursing to get some clinical experience as well as obtaining some medical science knowledge before applying. Would this help smooth the transition to medical school?

just apply. SGU looks at the whole package. the only way you will know is to apply.

and as far as medical science knowledge...trust me in 1 month of med school it will cover just about everything you can possiby learn outsdie of med school on the same topic. dont bother. but the clinical experience with patients might help out in the long run.

i was an EMT and all the stuff i learned in emt classes were like pre-k materials comapred stuff in med school.

Taking a few nursing classes prior to applying to medical school.

Pros:
1) You learn how to wash your hands/clean bottoms/give a bed bath.
2) You learn basic A&P and gloss-over a lot of diseases.
3) You get to see how things work in a hospital/nursing home.

This is assuming that you would be taking classes toward a RN degree. LPN classes would move along faster with less in-depth study in anatomy/diseases in the early classes.

Cons:
1) You would be starting something that you would not be able to complete. Thus, probably taking a spot from someone who really wants/needs it.
2) Then you need to be able to comfortably explain this decision to a medical school interviewer. ( I was asked about this due to the nursing shortage.)
3) After 1 semester of nursing, you still aren't qualified to do more than clean bottoms.

Personally, EMT training is more fun. Plus, there's no huge shortage of EMT's. It can be completed during your time frame. And lastly, they give you a PATCH! Just like Cub Scouts! Have fun!

if you want just the patch or the badge..i can sell you mine! i can use some extra money! did i tell you that the patch and badge is the FDNY EMS one? =]

Sorry, I mis-read your question. Delay applying for nursing? I wouldn't. If I had known of SGU prior to nursing school, I wouldn't be sporting this cool "code name". Sure, you can get a lot out of nursing. However, you have to put in the time. If you have 4-6 years to spare, go ahead. Remember, there are people here with math and art degrees. So, nursing probably won't put you over the top. In our class, I think that I'm the only nurse.

Originally Posted by USIMG2008

Hi, I just finished the MCAT yesterday, and now I am waiting for my scores. I am planning to apply for the January 2006 class but I have a few concerns. Is the attrition rate at SGU very low? I heard that the admissions office looks at your MCAT score to assess and predict your potential performance on the USMLE. I heard the average MCAT score for admitted students is 26, if I get a slightly higher score, would this mean that I can handle the academics at SGU without too many problems? I really want to be a doctor, and I know that getting into a US school is probably not an option. SGU might be my best chance but I am worried that I am not going to make it. Does anyone have any input?

I was thinking of delaying my application and taking classes in Nursing to get some clinical experience as well as obtaining some medical science knowledge before applying. Would this help smooth the transition to medical school?

Only time will tell if you can handle the academics of SGU. An MCAT won't tell you that and only offers a suggestion of how well you will do. I did classes in medical technology and worked in a hospital lab and ER. That experience was priceless but i did it because i enjoyed it and needed to kill some time between applying and hearing back from US schools. You might encounter some hostility when your nursing classmates find out you really don't want to be a nurse. Plus you might find it to be too much work for little purpose. If anything, learn ways of learning. Find out what kind of learner are you and whats the best way you learn new material. Most students find this out (often the hard way) during 1st term, but knowing it ahead of time can go a long way. There are many people in my class who have probably never stepped foot inside a hospital except to shadow some docs. The end up doing ok although the learning curve is pretty steep when it comes to clinical application.