Could I get into med school?

[PreMed206!]

Ok, so I am a junior in Undergrad (I go to a small public university in NYC) I have 3 semesters left. I started undergrad off with a 1.8 GPA and the following semester wasn't much better, it was probably like a 2.8 (cumulative). It's not like I just didn't care - my father went into the hospital the day before classes started and died in early / mid-November. In December of that same year, my great aunt died. In the following February, my aunt sued me because she was greedy and didn't want to give me my inheritance from my great aunt and that is still going on. I've gotten my grades up and have had pretty much straight As with the occasional A- or B+ and the max cGPA I could have would be a 3.51 and, sGPA would be a 3.6. I haven't taken my MCAT yet but every practice exam I have taken was a 518 or better. I decided to be a doctor relatively late so I am going to take a gap year in addition to the extra semester ill have since I am graduating early. That time I plan on volunteering in a hospital and hopefully finding someone to do research with. Currently, I have 200+ volunteer hours as a teaching assistant and I did 3 weeks of collecting and handing out masks due to the COVID-19 pandemic( it was a solo project so I don't know how anyone could verify it). Honestly, do I have a shot at medical school? I'm not aiming for NYU or Hopkins or anything like that. My top choices are Dartmouth, SUNY downstate, SUNY upstate, Mount Sinai, University of Iowa, Quinnipiac, Mayo (MN), and Tufts, any advice would really help!

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[Faha]

You need to accumulate 50 hours of physician shadowing (including primary care) and 200+ hours of clinical volunteering or employment with patient contact before you apply. Where you apply will depend on your actual MCAT score. Post your score here in the future.

 

[candbgirl]

What are your current cGPA and sGPA. Every grade earned is included, even courses you retook and got a better grade! And we can’t really tell you your chances without a MCAT score!
As to ECs you’ll need at least 200 hours of clinical experiences! You also need about 50 hours of physician shadowing. Make sure you get several hours of shadowing with a primary care doc! You also need at least 200 hours of nonclinical volunteering helping the unserved/underserved in your community. Look for places like soup kitchens, homeless shelters, meals on wheels etc. Don’t worry about research unless you really love it and want to pursue research in med school.

 

[PreMed206!]

What are your current cGPA and sGPA. Every grade earned is included, even courses you retook and got a better grade! And we can’t really tell you your chances without a MCAT score!
As to ECs you’ll need at least 200 hours of clinical experiences! You also need about 50 hours of physician shadowing. Make sure you get several hours of shadowing with a primary care doc! You also need at least 200 hours of nonclinical volunteering helping the unserved/underserved in your community. Look for places like soup kitchens, homeless shelters, meals on wheels etc. Don’t worry about research unless you really love it and want to pursue research in med school.

Unfortunately, my school won't let me retake a course if I passed it (which really sucks). I don't know if they can check this but would it look bad if I shadow my former pediatrician? Also, any advice for getting clinical? COVID-19 is making hospitals in my area not accept volunteers. Also, my current cGPA is a 3.2 and sGPA is a 3.5 (they would have been a lot higher if everything that happened freshman year did not happen). Also, for nonclinical hours, I won't mind helping the homeless or elderly its just that I checked those and there aren't any in my area which is why I chose to volunteer as a teaching assistant at my old high school. Is that an ok start? I really am not sure.

 

[Goro]

Unfortunately, my school won't let me retake a course if I passed it (which really sucks). I don't know if they can check this but would it look bad if I shadow my former pediatrician? Also, any advice for getting clinical? COVID-19 is making hospitals in my area not accept volunteers. Also, my current cGPA is a 3.2 and sGPA is a 3.5 (they would have been a lot higher if everything that happened freshman year did not happen). Also, for nonclinical hours, I won't mind helping the homeless or elderly its just that I checked those and there aren't any in my area which is why I chose to volunteer as a teaching assistant at my old high school. Is that an ok start? I really am not sure.

You're fine for DO
For MD, see my post on reinvention for premeds

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

Unfortunately, my school won't let me retake a course if I passed it (which really sucks). I don't know if they can check this but would it look bad if I shadow my former pediatrician? Also, any advice for getting clinical? COVID-19 is making hospitals in my area not accept volunteers. Also, my current cGPA is a 3.2 and sGPA is a 3.5 (they would have been a lot higher if everything that happened freshman year did not happen). Also, for nonclinical hours, I won't mind helping the homeless or elderly its just that I checked those and there aren't any in my area which is why I chose to volunteer as a teaching assistant at my old high school. Is that an ok start? I really am not sure.

It would be fine to shadow your former pediatrician. It's not frowned up and adcoms has no way of telling anyway. Thanks HIPAA!

When it comes to looking for volunteer or even clinical opportunities, play the game. What's going to make your essays and interviews sound better? Sounds trite but find experiences that push you out of your comfort zone. The insights and growth from those experiences are excellent essay fodder. I wouldn't recommend framing helping unhomed people or older adults as something you "wouldn't mind" from now on. Why do you want to do that? What do you hope to gain from it? Teaching assistant is good, especially if you're working with kids from different backgrounds. Aim for 200+ hours and the sense that you could write a good essay about what you learned from the experience.

For clinical, I know a lot of scribing services have resumed hiring (ScribeAmerica etc).

Don't forget research and more leadership!

 

[PreMed206!]

It would be fine to shadow your former pediatrician. It's not frowned up and adcoms has no way of telling anyway. Thanks HIPAA!

When it comes to looking for volunteer or even clinical opportunities, play the game. What's going to make your essays and interviews sound better? Sounds trite but find experiences that push you out of your comfort zone. The insights and growth from those experiences are excellent essay fodder. I wouldn't recommend framing helping unhomed people or older adults as something you "wouldn't mind" from now on. Why do you want to do that? What do you hope to gain from it? Teaching assistant is good, especially if you're working with kids from different backgrounds. Aim for 200+ hours and the sense that you could write a good essay about what you learned from the experience.

For clinical, I know a lot of scribing services have resumed hiring (ScribeAmerica etc).

Don't forget research and more leadership!

Thank you so much! This really helps me out a lot.