Hi guys! I need your help before applying to medical schools.
I graduated last year (2012) with a BS in Microbiology. I took a year off to see if I would really go for medical or pharmacy school. I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that I would go for medicine. Also, I have issues that made me hesitant on applying: my age (19), my GPA, and pre-pharm dilemma. Lastly, I applied to pharmacy schools this year and got denied! Things happen for a reason I guess. My ultimate goal is to become an Infectious Disease Doctor, Orthopedic or ER Doctor.
Anyway, I'm going to share some of my experiences to help me gauge my application. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Personal:
Age - 20
Under Represented Minority
Education:
Pharmacy Technology Certificate - 2009
BS in Microbiology - 2012 (GPA: 3.40)
Clinical Laboratory Science Training (Will start in July 2013 and will end July 2014)
Work Experience:
Pharmacy Tech (600 hours)
Industrial Microbiologist in medical/pharmaceutical company (Current)
Volunteering:
Hospital Volunteer (330 hours)
HIV/AIDS Clinic (60 hours)
Sporadic Club/Org volunteer events (100+ hours)
Organizations:
Pre-Pharmacy Club (1 year)
Associated Student (6 months)
Honors Program (2 years)
Phi Theta Kappa (2 years)
Shadowing:
ER Doctor - ~15 hours
Orthopedic Doctor - ~15 hours
Research:
Microbiology/Genetics Research. No publications. (1.5 years)
________________________________
Okay now the questions.
1. Should I apply this upcoming cycle with these stats or should I wait for next cycle? (By that time I will be done with my Clinical Science training and be licensed)
2. If I work and train in the Clinical Lab, I will be working side by side with pathologists and physicians. Will this be sufficient in lieu of shadowing or should I just do shadowing?
3. With my experiences, is this sufficient enough to show my drive for medicine?
4. I can't really go back to school and improve my GPA. What other factors in med school application should I focus on besides GPA/MCAT?
5. I am studying for the MCAT. I'm usually a good test taker. What score should I target to increase my chances? When is the latest month I can take the MCAT for 2013-2014 cycle?
6. How badly will it hurt me that I have pharmacy experience? How can I tie it as to why I pursue medicine instead of pharmacy?
7. I want to stay in SoCal as much as possible. Do I have a chance at USC, UCI, UCR and UCLA? My top choice is UCI and USC. My cGPA is 3.40 :(
That's about it. Thank you for your time on reading my nonsensical stuff. I really hope to get some good advice and direction because I'm somewhat lost. Again, Thank you!
I graduated last year (2012) with a BS in Microbiology. I took a year off to see if I would really go for medical or pharmacy school. I weighed the pros and cons and concluded that I would go for medicine. Also, I have issues that made me hesitant on applying: my age (19), my GPA, and pre-pharm dilemma. Lastly, I applied to pharmacy schools this year and got denied! Things happen for a reason I guess. My ultimate goal is to become an Infectious Disease Doctor, Orthopedic or ER Doctor.
Anyway, I'm going to share some of my experiences to help me gauge my application. Your suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Personal:
Age - 20
Under Represented Minority
Education:
Pharmacy Technology Certificate - 2009
BS in Microbiology - 2012 (GPA: 3.40)
Clinical Laboratory Science Training (Will start in July 2013 and will end July 2014)
Work Experience:
Pharmacy Tech (600 hours)
Industrial Microbiologist in medical/pharmaceutical company (Current)
Volunteering:
Hospital Volunteer (330 hours)
HIV/AIDS Clinic (60 hours)
Sporadic Club/Org volunteer events (100+ hours)
Organizations:
Pre-Pharmacy Club (1 year)
Associated Student (6 months)
Honors Program (2 years)
Phi Theta Kappa (2 years)
Shadowing:
ER Doctor - ~15 hours
Orthopedic Doctor - ~15 hours
Research:
Microbiology/Genetics Research. No publications. (1.5 years)
________________________________
Okay now the questions.
1. Should I apply this upcoming cycle with these stats or should I wait for next cycle? (By that time I will be done with my Clinical Science training and be licensed)
2. If I work and train in the Clinical Lab, I will be working side by side with pathologists and physicians. Will this be sufficient in lieu of shadowing or should I just do shadowing?
3. With my experiences, is this sufficient enough to show my drive for medicine?
4. I can't really go back to school and improve my GPA. What other factors in med school application should I focus on besides GPA/MCAT?
5. I am studying for the MCAT. I'm usually a good test taker. What score should I target to increase my chances? When is the latest month I can take the MCAT for 2013-2014 cycle?
6. How badly will it hurt me that I have pharmacy experience? How can I tie it as to why I pursue medicine instead of pharmacy?
7. I want to stay in SoCal as much as possible. Do I have a chance at USC, UCI, UCR and UCLA? My top choice is UCI and USC. My cGPA is 3.40 :(
That's about it. Thank you for your time on reading my nonsensical stuff. I really hope to get some good advice and direction because I'm somewhat lost. Again, Thank you!