Can i get an opinion on starting MD career

Hello all, great website, glad i found it. Well I am considering a career in medicine and want to go all the way. But need advice. Grades ok, but not great. Went to a cc about 10 years ago and transferred to u of Michigan ann arbor and got a BSE chemical engineering. Here are my grades


@CC ~ 65 credits total (over GPA ~ 3.6):


Calculus 1, 2, 3, 4 - 3.75 gpa


Calculus physics 1,2 - 4.0 gpa


Chemistry 1,2 - 4.0 gpa


Orgo Chem 1,2 - 3.83 gpa


English 1, econ 1, other basics ~ 3.2 gpa


@ U of M ann arbor (about 65 credits total over gpa ~ 2.5), graduated august 2003:


6 credits in humanties ~2.67 gpa


failed computer programming twice ~ F


Core engineering classes(about 60 credits) ~ 2.9GPA AVERAGE


because of the 2 failure computer programming grades, my gpa at u of m ann arbor is slightly below a 2.5. I retook the computer programming class at a community college and got an A in it. The problem I had at u of m is that I was partying too much when i got there and started off with a low gpa, but worked it back up in my final year. I still need to take biology which i’m thinking of taking at my local CC or at a close 4 year institution such as Oakland U here in the detroit area. Oakland seems to have a pretty good pre med program it seems, which is about a year long at 24 credits and thinking about taking that. Not sure if my previous problem at of m ann arbor is going to prevent me from achieving this goal of becoming an MD especially at my current age of almost 38. Here is my outlined plan as I need to work full time till fall of 2009 when i can start school full time.


Winter 09, - biology 1


Spring/summer 09 - biology 2 and study for MCATS


Fall 09 - pre med classes full time 12 credits


Winter 2010- pre med full time 12 credits.


From what I have explained so far, is there any chance of me getting into a decent med school, or any med school for that matter. Also does my outlined plan seem any good. Any advice would be great. Thanks a lot.



An upward trend should help your application but I’ve been told, by my brother who is a Med 1 at Rosalind Franklin that 50% of the application falls on the MCAT score. With 30% going into your GPA, and the other 20% going into your volunteer/shadow work and letters of recommendation.


Even if this was true, it depends on the adcom. I was told about a student who had a 3.1 GPA and a 42 MCAT (which is basically impossible to come by) that got turned down from the schools he applied to.


Regardless of the past, if you trully want to become an MD or DO, then your gut will guide you to making the decision. I always try to collect as much data as possible before making a life decision like this one but there are situations where you aren’t going to get perfect data and just have to pull the trigger.

  • HugzMonster Said:
…if you trully want to become an MD or DO, then your gut will guide you to making the decision… try to collect as much data as possible before making a life decision … but there are situations where you aren’t going to get perfect data and just have to pull the trigger.



/hugs Hugz

You are spot on - sometimes you can get stuck ruminating in the "what if", "can I" that you just have to say, "NOW!"