i need some help....

[Guest Hilde]

i'm a regular in the pre-med forum. Having read so many messages posted people who are pulling their hair out over such high GPAs and such great personal achievements, I'm just wondering if at this time there is anyone out there in my boat. I'm about to enter my third year in Biochemistry at University of Toronto. My first year GPA was a 3.56 and second year I had a 3.41 and I'm not an idiot, I know with these marks, I should probably kiss med school goodbye, no way in hell would I get in. Many people have always discouraged me and told me if i want to get into med school, doing a biochemistry program is probably not very smart. Heck, even my high school teacher told me that a few years ago. I like the challenges of a hard science program, but I'm not getting the marks. I do have a solid research experience, and since I was 13, I've always been actively involved in my community, helping out the sick, poor and the less fortunate. This record is probably not stunning, because I'm not a concert pianist who has been teaching piano since god knows when or a coach of some sport like many people I know. It seems like everybody who gets into med has a talent of some sort, they are either star athletes or piano teachers. I don't have anything like that. I spent this past summer at a hospital, and I kept on hearing so and so got into medicine and was a gifted musician. Are there just average people out there who can also get in?

 

So people, back to my original question, what am I going to do now with this GPA thing? Do I stand a chance? I'm not expecting to miraculously score perfect 4.0's after a pretty terrible year.:rolleyes . How can I save my GPA?

[Guest Chowchilla]

well, some schools (such as western and queens) look at your best two years so you still have a pretty good shot at getting into medschool. and i'm sure not everyone who gets into medschool is a star athlete or musician or has gone to africa to save kids.

 

somebody back me up here. :\

[Guest LIPOSUCTIONATOR]

I hope my "disgustingly sick" comments on the "what should I focus on" post weren't discouraging. My main point, was that in general, to get into meds with lower GPAs, you have to make up for it in the EC department.

 

But thank goodness for schools like Western and Queens, as they give a fair chance to those with lower GPAs even if they aren't "supermen/women". I'm sure there are many people with 4.0 GPAs AND gifted muscians/athletes who don't even have a chance at these 2 schools because they couldn't make the MCAT cutoffs.

 

Queens cutoff has been hovering around the 3.6 range for the past couple of years. If you make their posted GPA and MCAT cutoffs it's an automatic interview. And once you're at that stage, everyone is equal. In other words, once you are granted an interview at Queens, your 4.0 GPA and 45 MCAT will not help you anymore in your quest for acceptance.

 

My advice to you is this: make sure you do well on your MCAT! There is still hope!

[Guest UWOMED2005]

Yeah, that's what I thought before getting into med schoo: Simple equation - GPA + +MCAT + EC > cutoff = admission.

 

It's not that simple. I know plenty of people who had 'normal' ECs and 3.6 GPAs and are in the class. And I know people who had wicked ECs and GPA and didn't get in. No shame for that.

 

The interview is the key. ECs will help but no means guarantee an interview. If you are haughty about your accomplishments, seem like you don't have the emotional stability to survive medicine based on the fact you are too obsessed with getting in, or just plain don't gel with the interviewers, you won't get in. But if you are borderline in everything else but have a good interview, you'll be fine.