Worth It?

[pandabear]

So I'm just looking for honest advice from people who know how this works so I've decided to ask this here. No one in my life is familiar with medicine or the application process, so I haven't really asked them. With my lowest year removed I will have a 3.6 GPA by the time I graduate this year. I have average EC's and I wrote the MCAT but will be rewriting this summer. I'm just wondering if I even have a shot (specifically at U of C) an an IP applicant or if I should be going for something other than medicine. I've put in so much time and money (MCAT prep courses/practice exams, taking an extra year to improve my GPA) and I just don't know if I'm heading towards a dead-end. Am I being unrealistic and wasting my time on this? I know nobody can give me a definitive answer, but I think I just need honest advice. Thank you in advance. 

[Bambi]

Yes, you have a shot. Just look at the stats in this thread: http://forums.premed101.com/index.php?/topic/10465-acceptedwaitlistedrejected/page-24

[MSWschnoodle]

Unfortunately the only way to know where you stand is to put in a good application and see what comes back. If you don't get an interview invite you will at least get to see how you scored which will give you at least a ballpark about where you stand in relation to other applicants (though these scores aren't a perfect barometer). As long as you meet the minimum cutoffs you have a chance at admission. EC scores are really a wild card so it's almost impossible to predict how you will score unless you apply.

 

It sounds like you have done a lot so far to get ready for this application and you have invested a lot of time and money in this path. If you are still passionate about going down the route to medicine then it would be a shame to see you get this far and not apply. If you are at the point where you are still interested in med but also exploring plan B options there is nothing to stop you from submitting an application and proceeding on with your life as though you are not going to go to medical school (aka don't put your life on hold) - if you get in then you can make a choice about which path you want to take. If you don't get in you will have another year of life experience to draw from should you decide to reapply or you will be one year into your new path if you decide not to reapply. If you have had second thoughts and you don't think medicine is for you, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that and you should allow yourself to explore what other options are available to you.

 

Really I think my whole sentiment is to not let the fear of having an application rejected stop you from aiming for what you really want out of life but if you are not sure that medicine is the right route for you there is nothing wrong with pursuing other options. I thought my chances were pretty much nil when I applied. I focused on the areas of my application I could control (aka my "Top 10" write up and finding people to provide strong references). For me the potential benefit was worth the gamble of the application fee... but only you can decide if that is true for you as well. 

 

Good luck in deciding! There are a lot of great U of C students floating around on this forum, so if you have specific questions I'm sure you can find lots of folks willing to chat :-)

[bearpuppy]

So I'm just looking for honest advice from people who know how this works so I've decided to ask this here. No one in my life is familiar with medicine or the application process, so I haven't really asked them. With my lowest year removed I will have a 3.6 GPA by the time I graduate this year. I have average EC's and I wrote the MCAT but will be rewriting this summer. I'm just wondering if I even have a shot (specifically at U of C) an an IP applicant or if I should be going for something other than medicine. I've put in so much time and money (MCAT prep courses/practice exams, taking an extra year to improve my GPA) and I just don't know if I'm heading towards a dead-end. Am I being unrealistic and wasting my time on this? I know nobody can give me a definitive answer, but I think I just need honest advice. Thank you in advance. 

 

 

You definitely have a shot but it'll depend on your MCAT rewrite most likely (hopefully you'll ace CARS). Work hard on your EC descriptions as well, choose great referees that can attest to the category they've been chosen for, etc.

[MountainAmoeba]

Think on it this way. If you don't get in, you will have had the opportunity to have tried. You will also get feedback on what areas you scored lesser in compared to other applicants. While this itself isn't necessarily useful, it might help direct you to improving future applications. It might help confirm thoughts you have your self on areas you think you want to be better at.

 

What is that worth to you?

[BoopityBoop]

There are people who were okay not getting into medical school, got in, and fell in love with their career. There are others who were gung-ho about a career in medicine, eventually got in, and realize during their schooling/training that they would have been much happier in a less demanding career. There are also those who were gung-ho, got in, and never ever fell out of love with what they do/did.

From a personal opinion, I agree with others who think you should at least apply with the best application you can submit and reassess. I think it's definitely worth applying to UofA and UofC because they are schools who are nice enough to give detailed feedback and guidance for unsuccessful applicants.

I think we are often blinded by GPA and think a 3.6 GPA will kill us and a 4.0 GPA will get us in. And I'm not saying that GPA is not a crucial factor, because it is. But I would say that it is over exaggerated in it's abilities to get someone into medicine. I also think a  "subpar" GPA and MCAT score also negatively affect our self-esteem and confidence as applicants for medical school. Really more than it should.

 

What I'm trying to say is this: Yes your GPA isn't remotely close to a 4.0 (neither is mine). But how much time, money, and effort do you want to spend making up for your GPA by improving the other sections? Remember that you can do everything you can possibly do and still not be guaranteed admission. If you don't think it's worth it, then you should start thinking of a plan B.

 

As someone who comes from the fine arts, I really see SO MANY parallels in pursuing a career in medicine and pursuing a career in acting, singing, dancing, and visual arts. Society likes to think pursuing a career in the fine arts is bonkers, but I really don't think it's more delusional than pursuing a career in medicine. Luck plays a crazy role in an acting career, but it also plays a crazy role in every step of a medical career.