Advice? Parents/students insight appreciated

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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<p>I am kind of in a tricky situation. I am a Caucasian Female first generation college student and come from a broken home. Parents are divorced and I’ve lived with my grandmother since I was 11. When I was in high school, although I was a good student and in honors courses, I was not encouraged to apply to Ivy League schools, I was just encouraged to try my best and that they would still be happy even if I made only Bs and Cs. I can’t blame my Grandmother though since she just didn’t know and was unaware of how competitive it was to get into Ivies, top schools, etc. Basically, my first year of college I started out as a Computer Science major at a private school (not a brand name or top UG). I had a hard time adjusting because I had gotten diagnosed with a genetic issue that was causing some complications for me and ended up with a very bad GPA freshman year (3.30— all from non-science courses EXCEPT a B- that I had received in Calculus I which I am still kicking myself at for today…) and to the advice of my geneticist, ended up having to take a couple of Ws (medical Ws) and a medical leave of absence for a semester. It was definitely a time where I spent a lot of time adjusting to my condition, managing my symptoms, and also importantly, researching and recognizing that I needed to be my own advocate and come back strong. I transferred to a private school known for its sciences and associated medical school and became a Biology major(again not a brand name or top UG) Due to the transfer, I am not sure what my overall GPA actually is because I am aware that medical schools are going to take all college courses into account… My sophomore year I received a 3.85 for the first semester and a 4.0 the second.<br>
So far, my grades in my pre-reqs are as follows: (With the exception of Organic Chemistry 1 &2, Biochemistry, Genetics, and Statistics)
Calc I (B-… Still upset about this one)
BIO 101
BIO 101 Lab A-
BIO 102
BIO 102 Lab A
Chem 101 B+ (Not happy with this at all…)
Chem 101 lab B+
Chem 102 A
Chem 102 Lab A
Physics A
Physics Lab A
My ECs:
Research assistant at a top UG for one year- present
2nd author on paper published by medical students from another top UG
Immunology research at another top UG-present
Hospice volunteer- present
Vice President of Biology Club (Starting this in the fall)
Secretary for Refugee club (1 year-present)
Tutor for economically disadvantaged 3rd grade children (1 year-present)
Camp leader (1 summer and also this summer)
American Cancer Society Relay For Life Fundraiser Chair (Started that in fall- present)
Nature center volunteer ( 2 years) *Can this be considered a hobby of mine or would it just be considered nonclinical volunteering?</p>

<p>I am worried about any possible red flags such as the Ws I have received, the fact that I switched majors and now have been needing to play catch up by taking summer courses, not coming from a top UG or Ivy etc… I also know that I am lacking in clinical volunteer experience/clinical work experience and also interesting hobbies (I don’t think my nature center volunteering would be considered a hobby) so any advice or suggestions about that would be much appreciated! Most of the hospitals that I have called and visited only allow pre-med students to be greeters and assist in patient transport… I have tried seeking out other types of clinical volunteering such as free clinics although, most of them are closed Sundays, and are only seeking people available during the school week during the hours that I am in classes… Thus, I am definitely concerned and seeking out any sort of help and advice about significant types of clinical volunteering. I also am keeping pharmacy in the back of my mind in case I am not competitive enough for medical schools, however, I shadowed a pharmacist for over a year and still felt that being a doctor was more for me albeit it is much more of a competitive process. Honestly, not a day goes by that I don’t think about how horrible of a freshman year I had and how the odds are stacked against me… I do lose sleep over the thought of not getting into medical school and I am just really upset about all of this and don’t know what to do. Parents- if I was your son/daughter what would you recommend I do? Any specific research programs or volunteering you can recommend for me? Peers- What are you doing and/or what do you recommend I do differently? I feel really in the dark about all of this and am just so worried…</p>

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<p>Edit: I forgot to add in that I still need to take Physics II and also, I received an A in Bio 101 lecture and an A in Bio 102 lecture. In the original post, I accidentally forgot to fill it in. I am also a little behind due to the one year being a Computer Science major and additionally, needing taking a leave.</p>

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<p>1) The first thing you need to do is to calculate your actual cumulative and science GPAs. Do this using ALL your grades from all college level courses, including any dual enrollment classes from high school. Once you have these GPAs, it will be easier for readers to comment of your next academic steps.</p>

<p>Here’s one to get you started: <a href=“http://gpacalculator.net”>http://gpacalculator.net</a></p>

<p>2) The name or prestige of your undergrad isn’t all that important for med school admissions–unless you’re only aiming for tippy top medical schools. (FYI, medical education is the US is relatively flat. That is, all US med schools teach the same curriculum and their students must all pass the same licensing exams.) </p>

<p>3) It’s OK to change majors. Med schools will not hold that against you. They will also not hold it against you if you wait to apply to med school after you’ve graduated. (This will give you a bit of extra time to improve your GPA if you need to. Also it will give time to fluff up your ECs.) </p>

<p>4) The medical Ws. These may or may not hurt your application. You don’t need to disclose your exact reason/medical condition, but you will need to explain the Ws and assure med school adcomms (in either your primary or secondary applications) and demonstrate (thru no more medical withdrawals) that your condition is well-controlled and it will not in any way affect your ability to perform in med schools. </p>

<p>If your condition places significant limitations on your physical or mental activities, you will need to read the technical performance requirements for various medical schools you think you may want to apply to–especially those in your home state. If you cannot meet these technique specifications–you may not be eligible for med school admission.</p>

<p>5) Nature center–can be both a hobby or non-clinical volunteering. You get to decide how you want to classify it when you fill out your AMCAS or AACOMAS application.</p>

<p>6) Clinical volunteering can be done in places other than a hospital or free clinic. Try nursing homes, rehab centers, a physicians’ office, hospices, group homes (for the physically or mentally disabled), cancer treatment centers, blood banks, etc. (BTW, why can’t you volunteer on a Saturday?) </p>

<p>7) Lastly, you need to step back and distance yourself a bit. If you are seriously losing sleep over the possibility of not getting into medical school–you’re in for a world of sleepless nights, unhappiness and angst. Most pre meds don’t get into med school. (This is simply a fact–and not a knock on you or your ambitions.) You need to learn some stress management techniques so you don’t make yourself crazy. Accept that you can’t change the past and move on. Remember medical school admission is a marathon, not sprint. Also make sure you have a viable Plan B that you’re happy with.</p>

<p>(BTW, #7 is exactly what I told both my kiddos–who are now both med students.)</p>

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<p>WayOutWestMom, thank you for the wonderful advice! You have made some great points there. No, my condition doesn’t physically or mentally handicap me and is not degenerative. It can cause unpleasant symptoms but mine have been controlled through treatment. Do you think there is a disadvantage/advantage to bringing up my medical condition as for the medical withdrawals?
Also, do you recommend various types of clinical volunteering such as hospital, nursing home, hospice, physician office etc or sticking with one throughout?</p>

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<p>Update: I calculated my GPA according to the AMCAS GPA calculator excel file. Right now, my cumulative GPA is a 3.63 and science is a 3.65 unfortunately, which puts me about average applicant GPA for the majority of schools right? I plan and hope on maintaining an upward trend.</p>

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<p>What I’ve usually seen advised to to mention it as a reason but only in generic way: I was took a medical withdrawal from second semester of my freshman year to deal with a diagnosis of an illness/injury. I sought treatment from my physician and my illness/injury is now controlled through medication/ surgical intervention/ physical therapy/whatever.</p>

<p>Otherwise you have this red flag of a bunch of Ws just waving out there. It really needs explanation.</p>

<p>Medical schools like to see a long term commitment to an individual activity. Your hospice work (if ongoing) may fulfill this. Assuming you do already have one or more long-term activities, then you might expand your range of clinical volunteering to give you a broader exposure to different types of medical practices. But really, it’s up to you. If you find a particular activity interesting and fulfilling, don’t change it simply for the sake of changing it.</p>

<p>There is no single “right” answer. There is only what’s the right answer for you. (Corollary: the path is medical school is as individual as you are. Follow your own path and don’t try to follow anyone else’s.</p>

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<p>What State are you from residency wise.</p>

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<p>Texaspg, thanks for replying! I pmed it to you.
Thanks, WayOutWestMom. That is good sound advice.</p>