Did any of you get into med school?

[Juniebee]

Hi! I'm currently in my 3rd semester of college. Being a doctor has always been my dream, and I had a 3.6 gpa freshman year.

But this year, I had to W orgo chem and take it again ( I have space in my schedule due to ap credit). And I had to W a cell bio class due to a terrible prof ( will retake over summer) Hopefully I will pull myself up after this semester ( i do have 3 more semesters left before I apply to med school). I've heard 1 or 2 W's is not ideal, but with an overall strong gpa and good MCAT score, it's okay. Especially, if you retake the class and do well, explain how you used outside resources, changed your study habits, learned from the experience, etc.

I am searching for a hospital to volunteer at for my clinic hours, currently.I just applied to a nearby hospital, and am waiting to hear back.

My question is, did any of you get into med school? What did your apps look like? Did you have any W's/retakes, etc.? I'd love to know for some comfort right now, lol

Edited December 9, 2016 by Mwsapphire

[CharliesGirl]

I'm a Dr but not an MD. My career choice involved getting into a program that was notoriously selective, and even though I didn't think I would, I got in! I withdrew from a literature class undergrad and took 2 incompletes one semester undergrad as I struggled with drinking and mental health issues. But my GPA was good. I just tried to make myself as unique as possible with my extracurriculars and to come across as "real" as possible, if that makes any sense. I had to take the GRE and did well, but nowhere near perfect! 

I just wanted to reach out to you and quell the uneasiness. If you know that taking a W is the best thing for you in the long run, then by all means, do it! I'm sure it beats the alternative. 

I know my story is pretty vague, but I hope it helps! 

Edited December 9, 2016 by CharliesGirl

[Juniebee]

12 hours ago, CharliesGirl said:

I'm a Dr but not an MD. My career choice involved getting into a program that was notoriously selective, and even though I didn't think I would, I got in! I withdrew from a literature class undergrad and took 2 incompletes one semester undergrad as I struggled with drinking and mental health issues. But my GPA was good. I just tried to make myself as unique as possible with my extracurriculars and to come across as "real" as possible, if that makes any sense. I had to take the GRE and did well, but nowhere near perfect! 

I just wanted to reach out to you and quell the uneasiness. If you know that taking a W is the best thing for you in the long run, then by all means, do it! I'm sure it beats the alternative. 

I know my story is pretty vague, but I hope it helps! 

Are you a PhD doc? PhD docs and MD's are different

[CharliesGirl]

Nope, I'm a veterinarian  

[Juniebee]

7 hours ago, CharliesGirl said:

Nope, I'm a veterinarian  

Oh, haha...ofc, you love kitties. Okay, well, in a way vet schools are more selective than meidcal school because there are so few of them

If you dont mind me asking, what was your gpa? I hope I can get mine to a 3.6

( Only answer if you want to,lol)

[SomethingClever]

I'm a Speech-Language Pathologist and masters programs for SLP have a similar acceptance rate to MD programs... It's a competitive world out there, sounds like you're taking some great steps to prep yourself! I didn't have that great a GPA (3.4, most schools won't look at you if you're under 3.5 in my field... too many applicants for programs that are too small) but I got really close with a few professors, got great recommendations from them, and was involved in undergraduate research which looks great on a resume. Suck up to your professors, ask them about their research, become friends with them... it is part of their job to help you succeed  I also got a decent GRE score by taking a class, I highly recommend an MCAT prep class! They can be expensive, if that's and issue see if your university offers scholarships. In addition to your clinic hours, see if your school has any other extracurricular activities that are related to medicine, like a MedLife club, volunteer hours in a free clinic etc... (my undergrad had a rescue squad and a lot of my pre med friends became EMTs)

Also,  I don't think withdrawals are bad provided that you do well the second time you take the class, so study study study! In my undergrad there were medical students who provided tutoring for harder pre-med classes like orgo and such. Good luck with the application process! It's so stressful but so worth it!!

[CharliesGirl]

My GPA was about 3.9

[Juniebee]

17 hours ago, CharliesGirl said:

My GPA was about 3.9

Damn ...I can probs get mine to a 3.8...I hear the diff as you get closer and closer to 4 is less and less ( like a 3.4 to 3.6 is a big difference but a 3.7 to 3.9 is not as much).

I go to a nominal state school, and so I hope doing really well on the MCAT will balance that out ( the MCAT IS the "eqaulizer" across majors and schools). 

If I cant be a doctor I feel like I'd be devestated

[Juniebee]

Any other MD's on here?I really wanna assuage myself

[Juniebee]

On 12/9/2016 at 0:24 AM, CharliesGirl said:

I'm a Dr but not an MD. My career choice involved getting into a program that was notoriously selective, and even though I didn't think I would, I got in! I withdrew from a literature class undergrad and took 2 incompletes one semester undergrad as I struggled with drinking and mental health issues. But my GPA was good. I just tried to make myself as unique as possible with my extracurriculars and to come across as "real" as possible, if that makes any sense. I had to take the GRE and did well, but nowhere near perfect! 

I just wanted to reach out to you and quell the uneasiness. If you know that taking a W is the best thing for you in the long run, then by all means, do it! I'm sure it beats the alternative. 

I know my story is pretty vague, but I hope it helps! 

OKay I know I keep pestering you but just to be clear- W's and I's do not count in your gpa calculation, right? Just the new grade ( the one that comes after you take the W) , and the I shows up along with the grade that you got once you finished the coursework

[CharliesGirl]

It's ok; you're not pestering me! The W's and I's weren't factored into the GPA ? The grade I eventually got in the incomplete courses is what ultimately showed up on my transcript for those courses. I honestly forgot how the W was presented on my transcript.