<p>I am a Non Trad - 27 doing a post bac at Columbia. I owned and operated a Merchant Banking outfit in NYC generating 150 million in revenues for our bank. I decided to pursue medicine for a lot of reasons. I am just curious how well I would do during admissions with the following:</p>
<p>3.37 cumulative / 3.8 major GPA in MSIS (Management Science & Info Systems) from a tier 1 top 50 school</p>
<p>3.5-3.7 Science GPA from Columbia Post bac (not sure what it will be yet)</p>
<p>120+ hours research / volunteering in Hospital</p>
<p>Previous background as a successful small business owner who trained and motvated a sales staff while running a full operation in NYC. I left a more lucrative career at a young age to pursue this… Now assuming a 30+ on MCAT, and assuming I will stay on the east coast, how do you think this will stack up with the traditional and non traditional apps?</p>
<p>The most important five factors, in no particular order, are probably:</p>
<p>GPA
MCAT Score
Desire to become a doctor/reasons
Home State
Under/Overrepresented race</p>
<p>Without that information (3.5-3.7 is an awfully big range, as is a score somewhere in the thirties), it will be hard to tell.</p>
<p>I also don’t know how much your undergrad GPA matters for a non-traditional applicant; if it matters a lot, I think the 3.37 is going to be a pretty serious liability.</p>
<p>Again, it might not matter at all for a non-trad, but if it does, even a 3.42 would be a pretty serious liability.</p>
<p>Still, there’s a lot of factors involved. If Columbia’s post-bacc program is selective (i.e. if it doesn’t allow everybody to enroll), then its accepting you is probably a good sign of something, right?</p>
<p>They take 160 students per year, they claim to get about 800 apps… I am not sure if this is correct. They also have a 94% placement on 1st app to med school. I understand a 3.42 in undergrad may play a role, but I think it will be substantially less of one compared to if I just graduated. I believe the fact that one leaves a successful career to pursue medicine (not a job where they were no good) this shows the admin people that they know how to be successful. I also think being a Non-Trad they have to look at what you bring to the class you are enrolling in. Most Non-Trad will have more life and work experience than the wet behind the ear undergrad who has never had to face the real world.</p>
<p>Most medical schools value non-traditional applicants as an alternative to the usual (all the rest of you, cover your eyes) pre-med weenies. Leaving a successful and lucrative business should indicate altruism in a much more substantial way than 300 hours as a volunteer. Your essays and interviews will likely be your strongest asset.</p>
<p>Med schools vary widely in how interested they are in non traditional applicants. At those that favor such applicants, your background would be very appealing. It would be even more appealing if you could demonstrate that you have a realistic plan to use your business background in your medical career. </p>
<p>Most hospitals and practices have been run by doctors who know nothing about business. Now more and more doctors are trying to learn how to handle the financial side of the industry. So your background would be very appealing. You don’t mention whether you have an MBA, but some of the very top schools (Penn, Harvard) are pushing combined MD/MBA programs for people who want managment careers. You could be perfect for that, as long as they were convinced you were good enough at the science to make it through.</p>
<p>From the medical schools’ point of view they know you are smart, they know you are hard working, and they know you have been sucessful. The questions will be “why medicine?”, “will this person stick with medicine, or get bored after a few years and decide to to something else?”, “is she/he good enough at science to handle the work?”.</p>
<p>A 3.7 science GPA, a 33 MCAT, and applying to a large number of schools, with a range of selectivity should assure you of admittance.</p>
<p>A 3.5 science GPA, a 30 MCAT, and a limited set of schools could be risky.</p>
<p>Selecting the medical schools to which to apply will take a lot of research on your part.</p>
<p>I do not have an MBA, but I do have a consulting background, and now run the merchant banking business here in NYC. It is my desire to utilize my business knowledge to protect the interests of physicians while making sure patient care is optimal. I am very aware that this desire is not so easy due to legal and governmental restraints, as well as the health insurance industry, but I will try to leverage my business acumen to help in the industry. As far as the joint degree, it is a good option, however at places like Penn you must be accepted to both the MD program (top 5) and the MBA program (#1) individually. If you are accepted to both schools then you can do the joint program. I would have to rock the MCAT and the GMAT Since you brought this to my attention I am going to research programs were if you are accepted to the MBA you can do the joint MD program. I know there are joint programs in MBA / JD where only the GMAT or LSAT is required, not both. Thanks for your input</p>
Since you brought this to my attention I am going to research programs were if you are accepted to the MBA you can do the joint MD program. I know there are joint programs in MBA / JD where only the GMAT or LSAT is required, not both. Thanks for your input</p>