Medical School

[Anonymous]

One of the dirty secrets about medical school is not how much you know but who you know.  Several members of my relatives got accepted into medical schools with average GPA and MCAT scores over folks with much better GPA and MCAT scores.  It turned out that their parents are friends with people on the admission committee or friends of big donors of the university medical research program.  It happens more than you think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Another physician here who sits on a Virginia medical school admissions committee. I agree with most of the comments here. The 3.2 GPA will make it very difficult for this applicant to gain admission given the competition and volume of applicants. Padding the GPA with "easier classes or majors" is also not a strategy as we are really looking at the grades of the pre-medical science requirements. Our program and I think the majority of others like to see non-traditional applicants who don't come right out of college (if they do, they must be very strong candidates). She would likely benefit from taking a year(s) off to improve her application with a post-bacc program, medical mission, or a scribing job that demonstrates a commitment and maturity to the field. I have seen a number of applicants who failed to gain admission on their first try, stepped back and did an EMT program for a year, re-applied, and were accepted on their second or even third try. She should also really try to blow the MCAT away. Good luck to her as it seems the Pandemic has only increased our applications.

Are those who are successful digging themselves out of a hole as deep as a 3.2 GPA? Asking just to make sure that sinking 2-6 years into such a plan are realistic.

Not the PP but no guarantees... Since she is a NU grad, she can consider other lucrative careers like health care consulting or health law. Medicine isn't worth it anymore anyway. Especially in this new work from home era, it stinks to have to get up at 5 AM and head to the hospital while everyone else rolls out of bed for work.

so change to law school?

Just so you know, law school works similarly with admission to the top schools strongly correlated with GPA/LSAT. Low undergrad GPA and/or LSAT will make entry to a good law school exceedingly difficult.

The ugly truth here is that she can probably get into A law school, but no guarantees she can then find employment after graduating from a tier two or three law school to cover her student loans.

[Anonymous]

"3. The poster who mentioned an applicant at community college who transferred to state school-yes, he/she should consider applying. Clearly they are tenacious and with a great MCAT, work experience, volunteerism, recommendations, would be considered by me for admission speaking personally."

I'm going to push back on this.

Are you saying that an applicant who took many/most pre-reqs at a community college and got a 3.8 GPA in these classes is going to have a stronger shot at admission, over someone who got a 3.5 in these classes at a place like Northwestern? Have you any idea how much easier it is to outscore your classmates at a community college than at Northwestern?

[Anonymous]

The poster who mentioned an applicant at community college who transferred to state school-yes, he/she should consider applying. Clearly they are tenacious and with a great MCAT, work experience, volunteerism, recommendations, would be considered by me for admission speaking personally."

I'm going to push back on this.

Are you saying that an applicant who took many/most pre-reqs at a community college and got a 3.8 GPA in these classes is going to have a stronger shot at admission, over someone who got a 3.5 in these classes at a place like Northwestern? Have you any idea how much easier it is to outscore your classmates at a community college than at Northwestern?



Sorry, yes I was assuming pre-reqs at the state school, not at that community college. I appreciate the rigor of these classes taken at a school like Northwestern.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"3. The poster who mentioned an applicant at community college who transferred to state school-yes, he/she should consider applying. Clearly they are tenacious and with a great MCAT, work experience, volunteerism, recommendations, would be considered by me for admission speaking personally."

I'm going to push back on this.

Are you saying that an applicant who took many/most pre-reqs at a community college and got a 3.8 GPA in these classes is going to have a stronger shot at admission, over someone who got a 3.5 in these classes at a place like Northwestern? Have you any idea how much easier it is to outscore your classmates at a community college than at Northwestern?

Unfortunately, this is often the case. GPA matters more than the school one attends. You have a better shot at a med school with a 4.0 from community college plus high MCAT vs 3.2 from a top school. They can weed applicants by GPA. The best position to be in is top college plus strong GPA, if possible. There is a back door that is too late for the OP, which I took advantage of. I did a humanities major at HYP then decided later to go to med school and did my science classes at an easy program and had a 4.0. Accepted into top med school w/ full ride with this path as this allows for a top college on application plus a high science GPA. Many people know this dirty secret and even if they are premed in college- they major in an easy subject then plan to do a postbacc right after at Bryn Mawr or UVA (though this path is more expensive).

[Anonymous]

There are a lot of new DO schools out there, especially in rural locations. Could easily get into one of those with a good enough MCAT score. Even the most obscure, brand new of those would still be a better option than the Caribbean.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"3. The poster who mentioned an applicant at community college who transferred to state school-yes, he/she should consider applying. Clearly they are tenacious and with a great MCAT, work experience, volunteerism, recommendations, would be considered by me for admission speaking personally."

I'm going to push back on this.

Are you saying that an applicant who took many/most pre-reqs at a community college and got a 3.8 GPA in these classes is going to have a stronger shot at admission, over someone who got a 3.5 in these classes at a place like Northwestern? Have you any idea how much easier it is to outscore your classmates at a community college than at Northwestern?

Unfortunately, this is often the case. GPA matters more than the school one attends. You have a better shot at a med school with a 4.0 from community college plus high MCAT vs 3.2 from a top school. They can weed applicants by GPA. The best position to be in is top college plus strong GPA, if possible. There is a back door that is too late for the OP, which I took advantage of. I did a humanities major at HYP then decided later to go to med school and did my science classes at an easy program and had a 4.0. Accepted into top med school w/ full ride with this path as this allows for a top college on application plus a high science GPA. Many people know this dirty secret and even if they are premed in college- they major in an easy subject then plan to do a postbacc right after at Bryn Mawr or UVA (though this path is more expensive).

I get your point but I don't know if I buy your story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"3. The poster who mentioned an applicant at community college who transferred to state school-yes, he/she should consider applying. Clearly they are tenacious and with a great MCAT, work experience, volunteerism, recommendations, would be considered by me for admission speaking personally."

I'm going to push back on this.

Are you saying that an applicant who took many/most pre-reqs at a community college and got a 3.8 GPA in these classes is going to have a stronger shot at admission, over someone who got a 3.5 in these classes at a place like Northwestern? Have you any idea how much easier it is to outscore your classmates at a community college than at Northwestern?

Unfortunately, this is often the case. GPA matters more than the school one attends. You have a better shot at a med school with a 4.0 from community college plus high MCAT vs 3.2 from a top school. They can weed applicants by GPA. The best position to be in is top college plus strong GPA, if possible. There is a back door that is too late for the OP, which I took advantage of. I did a humanities major at HYP then decided later to go to med school and did my science classes at an easy program and had a 4.0. Accepted into top med school w/ full ride with this path as this allows for a top college on application plus a high science GPA. Many people know this dirty secret and even if they are premed in college- they major in an easy subject then plan to do a postbacc right after at Bryn Mawr or UVA (though this path is more expensive).

So you did a post-bacc? What is an "easy program" where you aced a 4.0?

[Anonymous]

how does a school make organic chemistry "easy"?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"3. The poster who mentioned an applicant at community college who transferred to state school-yes, he/she should consider applying. Clearly they are tenacious and with a great MCAT, work experience, volunteerism, recommendations, would be considered by me for admission speaking personally."

I'm going to push back on this.

Are you saying that an applicant who took many/most pre-reqs at a community college and got a 3.8 GPA in these classes is going to have a stronger shot at admission, over someone who got a 3.5 in these classes at a place like Northwestern? Have you any idea how much easier it is to outscore your classmates at a community college than at Northwestern?

Unfortunately, this is often the case. GPA matters more than the school one attends. You have a better shot at a med school with a 4.0 from community college plus high MCAT vs 3.2 from a top school. They can weed applicants by GPA. The best position to be in is top college plus strong GPA, if possible. There is a back door that is too late for the OP, which I took advantage of. I did a humanities major at HYP then decided later to go to med school and did my science classes at an easy program and had a 4.0. Accepted into top med school w/ full ride with this path as this allows for a top college on application plus a high science GPA. Many people know this dirty secret and even if they are premed in college- they major in an easy subject then plan to do a postbacc right after at Bryn Mawr or UVA (though this path is more expensive).

So you did a post-bacc? What is an "easy program" where you aced a 4.0?

I did a career changer post-bacc. There are several that are prestigious and have a 100% accepted to medical school rate. They are all grade inflated. I wouldn't do the ones at Columbia or John Hopkins but UVA, Bryn Mawr, Goucher are great. Another option is to do the classes at a state school- I had friends who successfully competed their postbaccs at Rutgers, U of Texas- Houston, and UIC and they did amazing in these courses as they are easier than at HYP. They are all at fantastic med schools. If my daughter decided on medical school, this is the route I'd suggest hands down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:how does a school make organic chemistry "easy"?

Not being on a curve. Smaller classes. Slower pace. Assignments to pad grades.

[Anonymous]

"I get your point but I don't know if I buy your story."
The med school admissions comm poster also disagrees.

Anybody who has read the Hopwood V. UTexas case knows that profs reviewing applications will adjust down for grades earned at a "lesser" school. If that weren't the case, Cheryl Hopwood's junior college 2-yr accounting degree grades and Cal State grades would have gotten her into UT Austin Law and we'd never have heard of her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"I get your point but I don't know if I buy your story."
The med school admissions comm poster also disagrees.

Anybody who has read the Hopwood V. UTexas case knows that profs reviewing applications will adjust down for grades earned at a "lesser" school. If that weren't the case, Cheryl Hopwood's junior college 2-yr accounting degree grades and Cal State grades would have gotten her into UT Austin Law and we'd never have heard of her.

You can adjust whatever you want but when you have someone who graduated with a history degree from HYP has work experience then did a Postbacc career changer with a 4.0 (smaller and grade inflated) and a top MCAT (easier to do well when aren’t worried about competing in classes) then that app looks amazing. Plenty of people in my post bacc had physician parents who did the same and are residents/ fellows now. No one cared where I did my science courses and if I did them at my competitive university I wouldn’t have done as well period. You don’t have to believe me- doesn’t change the truth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:"I get your point but I don't know if I buy your story."
The med school admissions comm poster also disagrees.

Anybody who has read the Hopwood V. UTexas case knows that profs reviewing applications will adjust down for grades earned at a "lesser" school. If that weren't the case, Cheryl Hopwood's junior college 2-yr accounting degree grades and Cal State grades would have gotten her into UT Austin Law and we'd never have heard of her.

You can adjust whatever you want but when you have someone who graduated with a history degree from HYP has work experience then did a Postbacc career changer with a 4.0 (smaller and grade inflated) and a top MCAT (easier to do well when aren’t worried about competing in classes) then that app looks amazing. Plenty of people in my post bacc had physician parents who did the same and are residents/ fellows now. No one cared where I did my science courses and if I did them at my competitive university I wouldn’t have done as well period. You don’t have to believe me- doesn’t change the truth.

I certainly don't.

[Anonymous]

My DS started medical school in 2015. Where he applied, required science pre-requisites could not be from a cc. Think about it, everyone would be taking organic chem at a cc during their summer break. Maybe the rules are different for those of you who state’s provide an automatic cc to 4 year school (VA or MD state schools).