I need some honest opinions.......

Question

I'm curious as to what you guys think my chances of getting into a good medical school are. I dropped out of high school in 11th grade and returned to college after recieving my GED. I spent 3 years earning my AA because I was really far behing in math. My second year didn't go to well because I couldn't find anything that I really wanted to do. There was no major that I could really see myself focusing on and I started to doubt my decision to earn a bachelors. That was until my father had a heart attack. Some events that occured in that time pointed me in the direction of medicine. Since then I've maintained a 4.0 GPA, but that second year saw 3 F's. I stayed an extra year after the third to be with my father who died this past November and attended classes although I had already earned my AA . I maintain a high overall GPA (3.57) and a 4.0 in my science classes. I earned a 41T on my MCAT and I'm going to start applying to schools this year. I volunteer as a math and science tutor 10 hours per week and have been doing so for over a year. I'm president of my school's science club, founded the school's model UN, and was a winning team member at two state math competitions. I've worked no less than 30 hours per week since I was 12, and I completed a research project on computer aided drug design that's being presented at the Philadelphia ACS meeting this month. I coauthored another project that was presented in Amsterdam at the ICC conference, I am currently working on publishing my own original research in the journal of medicinal chemistry, and I coauthored a paper with another researcher that has already been published.

As a side note, I also plead no contest to the charge of carrying a concealed weapon (a pocket knife) during my first year of school. I contested and defeated a charge of possesing marijuana. The first charge is a simple misdemeanor and I did some community service for it.

My goal is to attend Hopkins. Do you think it's possible, or will my mistakes allow admissions officers to overlook my accomplishments.

Answer 1

If I was an admissions officer, you'd be high on my list.

Answer 2

nothing is impossible..nd i think u have a gr8 chance...i guess u repented ure mistakes and understood ..so u have a future

Answer 3

The improvement in academic performance is impressive, you will need a bachelor's or better degree to get into most medical schools though.

The research experience alone is juicy. Most graduating seniors with bachelor's degrees can't match that. I've seen people get into my graduate school with this kind of performance, though it's not a medical program.

I would say, get yourself a glowing letter of recommendation or two and you should be able to at least get an interview - which is where a lot of decisions seem to be made.

Color me impressed. Also, I don't know that most med schools check criminal backgrounds other than felonies and violent crimes, if even that.

Answer 4

41T, is that even possible?

Well, that aside........you have a tough road due to your inconsistencies with school, work, and some legal issues.

I'm sure your a great guy, you need letters of rec confirming that from people in high places.

Try schools that have a four plus one program.

It gives you a chance to prove yourself for a year. Make the grade and your in, don't and you get a masters degree. Rosalind Franklin has a program like this.  

Answer 5

OK, frankly you have some very strong positives and some very strong negatives.  Selecting you would involve taking a gamble, or a chance, with one of a relatively few openings.  As an admissions adviser - why would I want to take that chance when there are many other applicants with far less risk.  You sound like a bit of a genius, which is good, but you don't have to be a genius to get through med school, you have to be consistent and hard working over a long time.  So I agree with the answer above that you may find the road harder.  Paradoxical as this may sound, you may have more trouble getting into a mainstream medical school than one of the outliers - at either end.  A place like Hopkins, Harvard or Michigan which has a strong research focus might be more willing to tak a chance on your "genius" than a school that only strives to produce competent physicians.  In fact, applying for a combined MD/PhD might even be an option.  At the other end, the lower end schools might also be more willing to  take a chance.  But, honestly, I do think you have a disadvantage that might be hard to overcome.  I'm sorry you lost your father, but I expect he would be glad to see how you have turned around.  A masters, also with a solid GPA, might help convince a school that you are serious and can perform over the long haul.

Answer 6

The decision would be up to the school.  Have you considered talking to someone in admissions about these concerns?  Some schools would not look too kindly on the weapon charge.  I would talk to them and the state medical society to address these questions.  Good luck!