Applicants feel unprepared for medical school despite strong clinical experience and grades

“I’m at CC, will transfer to 4 yr as a junior and most likely will have very few research hours. submitted by /u/15civicse [link] [comments]”

“Title, mostly! I just started my freshman year of college and the amount of work I need to do in order to be even slightly competitive for med school admissions is super daunting. If you could go back to freshman year, what would you change? What would you keep the same? How can I stand out? Any advice appreciated! submitted by /u/Select-Difficulty836 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone, I'm an MBBS grad from India and want to apply to PhD programs in translational medicine and public health. Is it realistic for me to be ready to do it all by December 1, I've just started preparing my application. Also, how realistic is it for someone like me with a few research experiences in the US? What can I do to show a strong profile over-all? I'd really appreciate any insights! (Public health programs also need a WES verification and since my marksheets are in per”

“Quick context: I graduated undergrad this past year and I was a part of a wet lab that focused on nutrition in my school. Once we get results i'll be a co-first author for our publication. Now I'm on my two gap years studying for the MCAT and I had applied to a bunch of labs over the summer but none replied back so I picked up working as an EMT instead. Now, I just got an email back from one that is offering me a position and I'm not sure what to do. My main focus is studying for my”

“I am a 3.96 GPA, 516 —> 514 mcat (please don’t ask😭), 2000 hours of research, 500 clinical hours and clinical research gap year, 200 volunteering, ORM, T20 school. I have 2 interviews so far at Tulane and VCU and submitted secondaries on Sep 16th and week before, but one of my letter of rec writers ghosted me and finally wrote her letter 2 days later. How cooked am I, honestly? Is this normal or if I submitted at this point, should there be more? I’m a first time applicant and I have no clue”

“Anxious about applying this year, I’m worried my experiences are all over the place/lack direct clinical research. I applied for 2025 and was waitlisted for one school, didn’t hear back from others (other than the research program I’m currently in) Education & GPA BA (Honours) in Psychology, 2024. Gpa 3.4 psych 3.8 gpa. Honours thesis & independent research project. MA in experimental psych (currently in program) gpa 3.9. Masters thesis. Research Experience - Approximately 4+ years of re”

“I hope someone will somewhat understand what I’m gonna say but here I go: so I get good grades, do challenging coursework, and have good ecs to get into a good school. however, everyone always tells me that going to my state school would be goood to save money for med school. but honestly sometimes i just want to get out of my state (plus i sometimes feel like my application would be above average for state schools). if i do want to go oos, tuition would be extremely expensive so i’ll have to ha”

I’m low stat but my ECs are pretty good. It’s October 9th and I have 8 II and 1 A 🥹🥹 cGPA: 3.35 sGPA: 3.31 MCAT: 487/493/VOID/502 ~650 volunteer hours ~5500 hours…

“first gen, low income, my parents and everyone i know hasn’t ever done anything like this before. i was told to not apply and to take my mcat again. thank god i didn’t. submitted by /u/ComprehensiveSkirt17 [link] [comments]”

“Hi all, Im a few years out of undergrad. I had a lot of difficulty finding research experience, and it’s making me pretty anxious about my extracurriculars. I have about 3000+ clinical hours and strong nonclinical volunteering with minor leadership, but no research at all. Anyone have success in their previous cycle with little to no research experience? If so, how do you think you made up for it in your application? submitted by /u/FireFerret6521 [link] [comments]”

“I have a low cGPA and sGPA, I’m going to start a science masters and take the mcat within the next year. I’ve had zero luck with gaining clinical experience post grad. I worked as an RA but the commute was insane and leadership was not being reasonable about my hours, I was an MA with a physician who didn’t want to pay until she thought I was suitable for the role, and now I just got fired from another CRC role due to company limitations. My PI also told me that I’m not outgoing enough because I”

“So I scored a remarkable 498 (shoot me), which was 12 points less than my last FL (idk what happened but I’m figuring it out). I have really stellar stats other than my MCAT: - 3.98 cGPA/3.97 sGPA - 1200 good clinical (CNA) - 400 research + one poster + anticipated authorship - 300 volunteering hours - 1500 non clinical job hours (school gym) - only 1 10 hour shadowing ED, but anticipated Ortho surgery and Cardiothoracic surgeon shadowing - 3 really strong LORs (department of neuroscience head,”

“So my GPA is bad, leftover from a garbage first attempt at college 10 years ago that left me with a GPA of 1.9 over 100 credits. I'm testing well for the MCAT, have tons of clinical experience. I'm volunteering, I have a research gig lined up for next summer, but facts are facts. It would take another 100 credits of straight As to get my GPA above 3, and I only have another 60 credits lined up. I could do a post bacc, but I can't imagine that's my best path. I'd have to do 1-”

“Hi there! I'm a first semester sophomore undergrad interested in MSTPs but also plan to apply to MD and DO programs. Freshman year was a bit rocky and my cGPA is currently 3.5. BCPM is a little lower. No Cs, just even As and Bs. I hate making excuses, but objectively I am chronically ill and spent a lot of last year in and out of hospitals. Some of my professors weren't super lenient about that, which is fine, but I didn't score as high as I know I could have. I'm doing a lot bet”

“First MD/overall II! Reapplicant, 3.1x cGPA, 2.9x sGPA, 505 MCAT (twice), no masters or SMP, 15 credits of DIY postbacc online with a 4.0, submitted secondary late August. Was debating posting anything here, but I have gotten a lot of hope from seeing other posts like this, so I’m hoping I can do the same. Heading into my fifth gap year and just wanted to say that there is hope for people who didn't have it together in undergrad! I will not share the school or in depth details of my app just”

“Hi everyone! I’m feeling pretty lost in my pre-med journey and could really use some advice. I recently graduated with a B.S. in Biochemistry. My overall GPA is around a 3.4 and my science GPA is around a 3.0, so I know my stats aren’t the strongest. I recently accepted a job in biotech working in clinical diagnostics, which I’m excited about, but I was also wondering if this type of job would be helpful at all for medical school applications, even though it’s not directly patient-facing. I’m st”

“Just casually get a pre med major, have good enough grades to get into med school, get a good enough MCAT as well, figure out how to pay the hundreds of thousands for med school, dont fuck up during med school and crash out, easy. I can do that with SWE too really, go to a good school, study CS, do enough leetcodes to pass the technical interviews, get a couple internships, get a return offer, easy lol”

“Hey everyone. I’m entering my second year of undergrad and really want to do med. I’m in a professional health program so I don’t have time to do research like everyone typically does on top of clinical and zero summer break. Is it still likely to get into Dalhousie with a high GPA and MCAT, as well as clinical experience. I’m scared for the future, and would like some suggestions or tips. Thanks you :) submitted by /u/Competitive-Head3347 [link] [comments]”

“If so what’s the best way to get into the case study research and stuff. Side note, I am genuinely interested in meaningful research. But on the other side med schools and residency programs look at numbers. submitted by /u/Matevsz556 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone, I started the pre-med sequencing late as a junior, meaning my course sequencing would be Gen Chem 1/2 this current academic year, Bio 1/2 & Orgo 1/2 senior year. That being said, would yall recommend that I take Physics 1/2 this summer and then Biochemistry Summer 2028 after I graduate,, or should I just go into a post-bacc program? I don't have an advisor at my university who can help me, so any advice or thoughts is genuinely appreciated. submitted by /u/Cheap_”

“Hello everyone! I don't know if this will even post due to karma, but let's see. I am an ORM who recently scored a 513 (130/126/129/128), and I want to know whether it's worth retaking. Since my P/S was so low, it might be worth targeting my review toward CARS and PS over the next couple of months and maybe retaking it in January. My FL average was 515, and I was really hoping for 515+ to open doors to schools near family(WA resident, but establishing residency in Texas due to my fam”

“Thinking of yolo-ing an app to UChicago Pritzker lol. 506 MCAT, ~3.5 cGPA (3.91 last 110 credits), nontrad hospice RN, 6.5 years as nurse, 11.5 years in healthcare, basically no research, and applying very late for this school. The reason I’m even considering throwing the application in is that I have a genuine connection to the community they serve. I regularly go to UChicago Medical Center to assess/evaluate patients recommended for hospice, and I care for a lot of patients on the South Side,”

“Hey y'all. I'm a very long time lurker (and occasional poster on my main) at this subreddit and I'm filled with memories of tweaking about letters of recommendations, standardized testing, taking APs, essays back when I applied to college. I've had a long day of clerkship, and I'm pretty tired, so this post might not make that much sense. I've seen a lot of really, really sick patients. I saw people die today. It's funny how everything that you thought was important f”

“Hi! I’m looking for realistic advice about whether applying MD in the 2027–28 cycle is reasonable for me, or whether I really need additional academic repair first. I’m a Maryland resident currently in my final semester at a public state university and will graduate with a BA in Biology. Academics Institutional GPA: ~3.07 Estimated current AMCAS cGPA: ~2.88 Estimated current AMCAS sGPA: ~2.71 12 upper-level science credits currently in progress If I earn a 4.0 this semester, my estimated final A”

“Hi guys, I’m a canadian who just recently got a green card, and was going to apply to med schools in the us soon. my stats 3.9gpa, 517 mcat, and i really wanna get into a top30 school. i was just wondering how many clinical hours you need to be competitive, since in canada it’s super hard to get paid clinical experience as a pre med, so i can adjust my expectations a bit. I would rlly appreciate it sooo much if anyone knows a ballparkish figure submitted by /u/Potential_Owl363 [link]”

“Ok no troll and I’m hella chill and nonchalant I swear. I’m reaching for top 10 med school and currently go to t20 undergrad. I got a 518 with a 126 cars which was lower than all my other subsections. I was averaging 520 on my FLs and pretty confident in getting that if I was to retake, but I did already finish UWorld and AAMC materials. Should I retake it? submitted by /u/DapperCarrot3900 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone , I am posting for a friend on here cause he didn't have enough karma. He is in a bit of tough situation and is looking for advice. Took his mcat 8/15 and got a 508. GPA is a 3.97 and his last FLs were 509/509/514. He is a current senior in college and doesn't know if he should retake or just apply DO+MD this cycle. (MD would be a bit late now). His other option is holding off entirely until next cycle and applying broadly both MD and DO. However, his only concern with waitin”

“I have a 3.68 GPA and a 3.5 science GPA. I only have 56 volunteer hours, 34 paid clinical hours, 14 shadowing hours, and 8 research hours (I literally just joined a lab). I'm a junior premed and only decided to become premed during my sophomore year, so I wasn't preparing for this the minute I entered college. I'm a chemistry major, and my last two semesters killed me with physics, which is by far my worst subject. I find it very difficult to obtain regular volunteering, so I essenti”

“How am I under qualified for MD schools and over qualified for DO schools? That’s it. That’s the post. submitted by /u/NothingPristine36 [link] [comments]”

“Posted on r/premedcanada but thought it'd be helpful to post on here as well. Have been lurking on this subreddit since high school.... First time posting I think ? I'm originally from Vancouver and currently going into my second year of undergraduate studies at Oxford studying math and statistics. In high school, I had a slight interest in medicine but didn't explore it further because I was mainly into math research / competition / skiing / (insert other things high schoolers are i”

“Is it worth explaining my two withdrawals or three pass fail classes that I passed (I actually ended up with A's in all of them. None were prereqs)? I also increased my MCAT by 13 points in two months, but I don't think it's worth drawing attention to my initial score? I'm also a little worried about someone asking about my intial mcat in interviews. It wasn't a bad score by any means but it was lower than the average matriculant. The truth is that I burnt out before testing”

“quick stats: gpa: cum: 3.99 science: 4.0 MCAT: 516 - 131/126/130/129 major: biochem (current senior) clinical hours: 1000 research: 700 volunteer: 500 Based off that Im curious what your thoughts are about my strength of my applications is (planning on applying MD only). Additionally, I am curious how you guys created your school list and if anyone has a spreadsheet they used to keep track of apps etc. I am planning on applying 2027 cycle for Fall 2028 start, I am curious what else I should do f”

“Just curious ! If anyone had a low gpa and got in, I’ll love to know if you did a post-bac, or was it the MCAT that helped, etc. share tips & advice. Also, did yall have research ? submitted by /u/Express-Nectarine255 [link] [comments]”

“2027 freshman here. Aiming for t20s (as everyone is seems like) I have the opportunity to do research at a medical school for 4 months at a t2 research school. I also have my emt basic. Should I try to balance both? Should I do the research? Will adcoms take research done in freshman year serious? For ref I have a 1580 and 45 DE credits. submitted by /u/Otherwise-Parking566 [link] [comments]”

“I’m a rising senior and a history major (chem minor) with a 3.83 GPA (sciences a bit lower) at an Ivy. I have been a volunteer EMT since high school and have racked up some 2000+ clinical hours with two agencies and have also done two summers of EMS research (with an abstract presented at a major conference). If you want to know why I am a history major — it’s because I love history, plus I thought it would be more unique than classic premed majors. I am considering writing a thesis this year. I”

“This probably gets asked a lot, but has anyone here been accepted to medical school with little/no formal research experience? I’m currently a senior and planning to take a 1–2 year gap period before applying. I have 1,000+ hours of paid clinical experience, a good amount of volunteer experience, other ECs, and one poster presentation, but no formal research experience beyond that. But, I’m wondering if I should still shoot my shot in the upcoming application cycle, or if my lack of research wou”

“Hey guys, I’m in sort of a pickle. My undergrad (I graduated a few years ago, non-trad applicant) offers a committee letter, but to get it you have to take the MCAT February at the latest. That feels super soon, and I’d have to self-study a lot of content. I’d definitely feel more comfortable about talking the exam in March/April/May. However, I don’t want to raise any eyebrows by not having a committee letter. What would you guys do in my situation? Does MCAT prep trump everything? Or is the co”

“I have a question about how medical schools would view one of my research experiences. I previously completed an R&D internship at Bayer Pharmaceuticals, where I worked on a Parkinson’s disease drug/cell therapy project involving human brain cells. The project had progressed into clinical trials, and the therapy ultimately received approval to skip a clinical trial phase and move forward to Phase 3. I was involved with the research team, and my name was included as part of the project/team.”

“Hey guys! I had some quick questions since I feel like my undergrad GPA as a double major isn't as good since I don't have the best grades. I'm a senior and want to show an upward trend again since my last semester grades were terrible. I don't know how med schools (T20s and above) especially look at them and I know they say they look at it holistically, but I'm not sure given the fact my GPA isn't as strong currently. I'm also preparing for the MCAT and in terms of e”

“Hello! I will Graduate this semester with a 3.5 gpa, but most of my prerequisites were B or C. I calculated my science gpa based on an Excel sheet and it is 2.7. Don't have any excuses? just the lack of foundational knowledge from high school, moving to the US 6 years ago and didn't know any English. I was very excited doing the extracurriculars but I didn't seem to enjoy and put effort on the science courses. I haven't taken the mcat and I know I must have a competitive score. I”

“hi! i'm currently a freshman in college on the pre med track. i've had a record of being bad at science all through high school, but my drive to be a doctor is what made me think i could do pre med. so far, my science courses are good, but when i think of all the others i have to do, i get filled with dread. i don't care about chem or physics, or anything, i only really get excited about clinical experience/being in the hospital. the more i hear about what the med school application”

“I went to a cc and UCLA and graduated with a biology degree with a 3.3 and 3.0 gpa respectively. I know they are not great at all but considering MD schools, is post-bacc really worth it for me? I'm thinking UCI post-bacc but im thinking if I really lock in for my MCAT studying instead of post-bacc, and aim for like idk 518-520+ score for mcat. How realistic is this? I've heard from some that post-bacc isn't all that worth it and some say it is, I would really love some mental clarit”

“Hi there, I am kind of confused on what is good for research experience. I want to attempt to get into t20s for med school, and I have kind of got a hand on the other stuff, but research is the experience I am most confused about. I have 3 years of medicine left due to general education dual enrollment courses (no problem if I get rejected in first cycle, I can still apply during that fourth year). Overall, I am just looking for tips you guys would give me for research experience because my degr”

“Currently a US non traditional student with two years left in my microbiology degree. I have a 3.67 gpa and plan to take the mcat next year. I have 5 hours of shadowing, but have multiple opportunities in the future. I have no clinical/volunteer/research hours but I plan on getting them in the next two years. Research hours are not an issue as my college has them bakes into my degree path. Being a non traditional student it can be hard to find the time outside of school and life for clinical and”

“Have a cGPA of 3.57 and a sGPA in the 3.4x with a 512 (aiming for mid tier MD). While I have an upward trend in the last 3 sems, just worried that it’s not good enough and could use some more stories on top of the hundreds if not thousands I’ve already read. submitted by /u/Used-Paint6621 [link] [comments]”

“My gpa is 3.65 and I applied MD + DO. I do have 1 DO interview coming up but I'm paranoid I won't get accepted because of low service hours (50). I do have 5000+ clinical hours working with underserved + disadvantaged patients which is part of why I applied anyways. If I do have to reapply would it be worth retaking? On some FLs I managed to get 128 in CP and 130 in CARS. I think I could get that consistently with more practice. I really wanted a 515 and I think that would have helped fo”

“My entire undergraduate life was centered around being a good applicant for med schools. I maintained a 3.97 GPA alongside a 518 MCAT score. I started our unis pre med club and made connections with hospitals, volunteer communities, hosted mock interviews with the help of some adcoms members to allow our members to gain the hours necessary to become a competitive applicant. My volunteer hours are around 200, shadowing around 35, clinical work around 250 (working on increasing them now), and over”

“Requesting honest but kind opinions on my chances for MD, DO, or either from my listed schools and experiences Trad App, ORM from non disadvantaged background MCAT: 512 (128/127/130/127) CASPer: 4th Quartile(75-100) uGPA: 3.77, sGPA: 3.71 Graduated w BS in Neuroscience w Joint Honors College Degree Summa Cum Laude w minor in Chemistry and certificate in the Conceptual Foundations of Medicine, Deans list 7/8 semesters Experiences: Clinical: - NA/PCT: 440 hrs for first clinical job - CNA: 2 years”

“I have a very strong MCAT in the 95th percentile, but my GPA is ~3.8, and less than 3.7 for BCPM. On one hand, it's my fault. I didn't study as hard as I could have for general chemistry, and I should have locked in for it. I also didn't study as hard as I could for organic chemistry. But at the same time, my organic chemistry professor sucked straws for both semesters. My organic chemistry lab professor was a strict grader and I had the hardest time in that lab, I probably have neve”

“I just got my first invitation to a med school interview, and it's for my top choice school. Please give me any tips you have for preparing for the interview, ideally list any questions you think I need to have an answer prepared for, I know the questions vary a lot but still want to have some ready even if they are not asked. I am honestly pretty stressed as I do not know how to go about preparing for this, so please list even the obvious things. Thank you for your time. submitted by”

“Even with a lower MCAT retake score, IM GONNA BE A DOCTOR (chad me pls). Even if you have a lower retake score, it IS possible to get the A!!! submitted by /u/Trentyg428 [link] [comments]”

“3.5x cgpa, 3.3x sgpa, 514 mcat applying md+do 1.5k clinical hrs 3k research submitted by /u/thatfutureobgyn [link] [comments]”

“my freshman year was chaotic, and though I was a straight 4.0 student in high school I ended my first year with a 3.2, which I recognize isn't HORRIBLE. However, I want to go to a med school in New York where I'm from, which means I really have to hunker down and boost my GPA if I even want to be considered. I have 6 semesters left as a bio major and do feel quite a bit more confident in my abilities this time around, but I would really appreciate any advice on how to boost my GPA up hop”

“3.1 cGPA, 3.2 sGPA. Technically a 3.4 for both, but aamc counts a late withdrawal as an F. I also am at a school that doesn’t calculate gpa by plus or minus. So an 89 is worth a 3.0, as is a 79.9. Anyways… my dad struggled with addiction my entire childhood and it got worse in college. Frequently had interventions, was in and out of rehab, medical emergencies where we thought he wouldn’t make it, and then he passed away. I have about 6 withdrawals from having to cut course load drastically due t”

“Context: Senior taking a gap year after graduation. I have 1 prereq left (biochem in the fall) and I plan to study for the mcat and take it in April. I know that I will struggle greatly with the mcat as I'm not a good test taker/standardized test taker. I've been able to get by through my classes due to their easy structure. I have a 3.8 gpa and an sgpa of 3.67 (dual credits mostly at fault). I'm seriously considering buying a prep course. What would you do? How would you approach th”

“any ideas or thoughts would be excellent pls be kind submitted by /u/Hungry_Doughnut6268 [link] [comments]”

“Hope everyone is doing well! I'm currently going into my third-year of premed, and I'd like to make an important decision for my postbacc studies. My current sGPA is 3.353, and I have a plan for raising it as much as I can these next two years, hopefully closer or above a 3.6 with all the undergrad BCPM I'll be taking. I'm a Global Health major, and we have this accelerated Masters which allows me to take courses in the infectious disease field that I'm very interested in, fo”

“3.6c, 3.4s. 8 on preview. MCAT was a dumpster fire so im retaking next year. ecs are normal for a trad applicant, nothing low in any category. shooting for MD. i am looking into BU because their application is open for another week and i just got my MCAT back a few days ago lol very last minute submitted by /u/strong_star1122 [link] [comments]”

“My stats, Senior at a T50 in prestigious honors program, taking 1 gap year GPA: 4.0 MCAT #1: 510 MCAT #2: 512 Research: ~2,500 hours, mostly clinical human based 1 Publication in a highly prestigious journal A few manuscripts in submission/review Multiple posters and presentations Clinical Experience: ~1,500 hours, medical assistant, clinic/hospital volunteering Community Service: ~1,750 hours, lots of different kinds of volunteering Leadership: President of a large service organization Lead inv”