basilmarket

aznseal

@NonSonoFronz: Sadly very little, if any. There are many factors though. Like if a GPA is the same or close, then the student from a more prestigious undergrad is preferred. However, a 4.0 at State University is still better than a 3.5 at Harvard. Also, getting a GPA under 3 from the best universities in the word won't even be good for medical school. However, ADCOM knows it's like comparing apples to oranges so the only way to do apples to apples is MCAT score. Regardless of where you went to school, MCAT weighs in and it sort of lowers the GPA problem. A student at a state school who scores a 35 is theoretically just as good as a Princeton grad with a 35.

If you want to go to a TOP medical school, do well at an undergrad institution that grade deflates because those are usually the most prestigious, or random...(lol Auburn). If you want to to A medical school, it's easier from an easier institution. Although medical schools may see where you went for undergrad, they like higher GPAs overall.

Reply December 15, 2013

NonSonoFronz

[quote=aznseal]1) You can have any major and still go to medical school as long as you do the per-requisites. The only reason a science major is recommended is because it gets you used to the rigor of med school and familiarity in the med school courses and MCAT. I majored in zoology and it was fine. It was a good conversation starter because people would ask why I wasn't pre-vet. Also, some people will tell you not to be a science major because statistically, a higher % of non-science majors get accepted, but it's skewed. Maybe 2 English majors apply and 1 get in while 300 science majors apply and 99 get in. Although 50% of English majors got in as opposed to ~33% of science majors, science majors are still the majority.

2) Anything that interests you and that you can passionately talk about. For me, I worked at a nursing home, taught chemistry, tutored athletes, shadowed doctors, youth leader at church, played intramural basketball, and earned an undergraduate research fellowship. I made my personal statement about how my experiences at the nursing home, as a researcher, and as a teacher lead me to medicine. Just do what you like and stick with it. Remember, quality > quantity. I'd say the only "required" extracurriculars are research, volunteer, and shadowing. Everything else is icing on the cake.

3) Don't sweat it. Just make more As down the road. If you have a 3.7+ GPA and a 30+ MCAT by the time you graduate then you'll be fine. Don't let early Bs discourage you. Just remember that you need to make mostly As, if not all As, from now on.

Source: I got accepted and I'll be a M1 in the fall.

PS: Why do you want to be a doctor?

EDIT: Also, crazypoorer is wrong. Medical schools look at the entire transcript and they pay attention to the rigor of your curriculum; not just your pre-reqs.[/quote]

I have a question about GPA that I've heard mixed answers about.
Do med schools actually take the institution you went to into consideration for your GPA? Because I've heard a mix of yeses and nos.

Because I go to a school that goes hard on grade deflation and it's going to be even worse next year.
I did well this semester but no way could I get this lucky further down the road. So I'm actually thinking about transferring to an easier school if that's the case.

Reply December 14, 2013

aznseal

@letshavesomefun: My stats were above the med school average. I started preparing 2 semesters before I took it, so around 8 months, but I only got to hardcore serous studying like the 2-3 months before.

Reply December 14, 2013

smiles1337

1. The general consensus is that your major really doesn't play much in the application process. As long as you satisfy the school's prerequisite requirements in terms of courses, provided they have any to begin with, then you should be fine whether you choose to pursue a science or non-science degree. Of course it's a little more advantageous to pursue something in science just so that when it comes time for your MCAT, you'll be a bit more adept at learning the material and much of it will be very familiar. I chose to pursue Chemistry because it always interested me in high school and although I equally enjoyed biology, I liked how chemistry made you think and constantly apply your knowledge. I love math so it also gave me the opportunity to take quite a few math classes to satisfy my major, enough so that I only had to take one more math class to have my minor. Additionally, pursuing chemistry allowed me to be much more selective in which biology courses I wanted to take and it exposed me to a new field with courses I would have probably never taken otherwise. There are a lot of other reasons that went into my decision, but I think ultimately academic coherence, pursing something you're interested in (and will likely succeed in), and rigour of your program are much more important in the application process than any specific program.

2. Don't quote me on this, because I'm currently in the application process myself, but I've always felt that there shouldn't be/isn't a set list of extracurricular or volunteering activities that you pursue for the sake of medicine. What's more important is that you choose to pursue activities that you feel passionate about, because after all, if and when it comes time for your interview, sharing these experiences with the interviewers will give them much more insight into who you are as a person, your motivation(s) for pursuing medicine etc. With that being said, I'd imagine the interviewers would be much more interested in the quality of the work you've done, not the quantity. An added bonus, and again don't quote me on this, but if you're able to relate how the activities you've pursued have led you/guided you/will help you on the path to medicine then I think that's great. For me, I've always been a very directed individual and I'm really selective with how I choose to spend my time because I've always wanted to be true to my commitments and be passionate in whatever cause I'm working towards. I've had the opportunity of volunteering over the last couple of years with the Canadian Blood Services, and have led the student group at the university in organizing the monthly blood clinics. I volunteer at the hospital, I'm a tutor for second year Physical Chemistry I and II with a nationwide organization, and I've been working in a research lab since my second year and have received two NSERC summer research grants. I know friends who are currently in medical school who did completely different things from being a dancer teacher, to teaching piano, to being lif3guards (Basil is censoring me), and one barely had any extracurricular activities going for her but did a lot of shadowing etc. It's the experience that matters, not what that experience particularly is, granted you should probably aim to do something that's somewhat relatable, probably dealing with people. It's also important to remember that you'll probably be needing a few reference letters later on, so choose activities that you want to contribute to, develop strong relationships with the coordinators/employers/leaders so that when the time comes you'll be set.

3. It depends on the school to be honest. For the most part, I'm inclined to say that it won't have a drastic affect on your GPA as long as you get a lot more As. You should really look into what schools you want to be applying to as early as possibly to see if they have an guidelines regarding grades because for my application process a lot of schools handled GPA differently, and a lot of them had much different cut-offs. Like aznseal said, aim for a 3.7+ GPA and 30+ MCAT and you should be set provided the rest of your application is equally strong.

Reply December 14, 2013

letshavesomefun

[quote=aznseal]1) You can have any major and still go to medical school as long as you do the per-requisites. The only reason a science major is recommended is because it gets you used to the rigor of med school and familiarity in the med school courses and MCAT. I majored in zoology and it was fine. It was a good conversation starter because people would ask why I wasn't pre-vet. Also, some people will tell you not to be a science major because statistically, a higher % of non-science majors get accepted, but it's skewed. Maybe 2 English majors apply and 1 get in while 300 science majors apply and 99 get in. Although 50% of English majors got in as opposed to ~33% of science majors, science majors are still the majority.

2) Anything that interests you and that you can passionately talk about. For me, I worked at a nursing home, taught chemistry, tutored athletes, shadowed doctors, youth leader at church, played intramural basketball, and earned an undergraduate research fellowship. I made my personal statement about how my experiences at the nursing home, as a researcher, and as a teacher lead me to medicine. Just do what you like and stick with it. Remember, quality > quantity. I'd say the only "required" extracurriculars are research, volunteer, and shadowing. Everything else is icing on the cake.

3) Don't sweat it. Just make more As down the road. If you have a 3.7+ GPA and a 30+ MCAT by the time you graduate then you'll be fine. Don't let early Bs discourage you. Just remember that you need to make mostly As, if not all As, from now on.

Source: I got accepted and I'll be a M1 in the fall.

PS: Why do you want to be a doctor?

EDIT: Also, crazypoorer is wrong. Medical schools look at the entire transcript and they pay attention to the rigor of your curriculum; not just your pre-reqs.[/quote]
Thanks for all the helpful information. My father is a physician as well as the majority of our relatives so early on I kind of felt pressured by my family. It wasn't until he asked me to come shadow at one of the hospitals that I really fell in love with medicine. Seeing how much physicians are able to help others and the amount of respect they get just seems so worth all the effort. Plus it is an incredibly stable job. I don't know if those are the right reasons, but I really do want to go to med school. If I may ask, what was your overall GPA in college? MCAT score? When did you start preparing for the MCAT?

Reply December 14, 2013

aznseal

1) You can have any major and still go to medical school as long as you do the per-requisites. The only reason a science major is recommended is because it gets you used to the rigor of med school and familiarity in the med school courses and MCAT. I majored in zoology and it was fine. It was a good conversation starter because people would ask why I wasn't pre-vet. Also, some people will tell you not to be a science major because statistically, a higher % of non-science majors get accepted, but it's skewed. Maybe 2 English majors apply and 1 get in while 300 science majors apply and 99 get in. Although 50% of English majors got in as opposed to ~33% of science majors, science majors are still the majority.

2) Anything that interests you and that you can passionately talk about. For me, I worked at a nursing home, taught chemistry, tutored athletes, shadowed doctors, youth leader at church, played intramural basketball, and earned an undergraduate research fellowship. I made my personal statement about how my experiences at the nursing home, as a researcher, and as a teacher lead me to medicine. Just do what you like and stick with it. Remember, quality > quantity. I'd say the only "required" extracurriculars are research, volunteer, and shadowing. Everything else is icing on the cake.

3) Don't sweat it. Just make more As down the road. If you have a 3.7+ GPA and a 30+ MCAT by the time you graduate then you'll be fine. Don't let early Bs discourage you. Just remember that you need to make mostly As, if not all As, from now on.

Source: I got accepted and I'll be a M1 in the fall.

PS: Why do you want to be a doctor?

EDIT: Also, crazypoorer is wrong. Medical schools look at the entire transcript and they pay attention to the rigor of your curriculum; not just your pre-reqs.