Hi everyone,
I have beed searching and reading, searching and reading and finally decided to post my question and introduce myself 
I gradated in '03 with a BA in Comp Sci and am “trying” to find a 4 yr that will take me in so I can work on my pre-reqs for med school. I live in SD, originally from New Orleans, married and have a 4 mth old.
Since I am a “non traditional” student, my 1st step was contacting UCSD Medical School to see if they could advise me in my pursuit to attend medical school. Since they don’t offer advising (makes sense), I started to call the local 4 yr colleges to try and meet with a Pre Med Advisor…
Step 2, I emailed SDSU Pre Med and they said I had to be accepted before I could meet with an advisor. Ok, np… but I found out that I wouldnt even get acceptance until March 2013, for the Fall 2013 semester. Yikes… so I then called UCSD
Step 3… UCSD doesnt have a specific pre-med, so I called Admissions, seeking an advisor. Go figure, they tell me the do not accept students that already have degrees. YIKES! I asked them what other colleges in SD do, and she said she doesn’t know of any. I mentioned SDSU and she said she is pretty sure they do not, but to try USD.
Step 4, look up USD – o.m.g, $1300 per unit… I can’t afford that.
Step 5 tomorrow, call SDSU and seek Admissions Advisor. I also ruled out that I am not eligible for the PB programs
I did ask SDSU, who were so very nice actually, what to do in the meantime, and they said to retake classes where I had a C at a junior college. I don’t have Cs, except for in a couple of my BIO labs. Everything else I have a B in.
I am kind of at a stand still… I honestly just want to know if I even will have a chance to get into UCSD Med School if I attend a junior college (not bc I want to, but bc I am forced to). Of course I will apply to many places though, but that is my first choice.
Sorry for the length. I needed this novel written for my sanity I look forward to keeping up with everyone!
- PB2012 Said:
Welcome to the journey.
The junior/community college question is often asked and there is no straight answer. The answer is "it depends." You have to find out from each school that you are interested in if they accepted JC credit for the pre-req courses. Many do not, some do.
Hey, welcome!
Honestly, state schools in California are really tough to get into. For instance, UCSD medical school’s median MCAT is 34 (national median is 32) and their GPA is 3.8. I got that information from my subscription to MSAR online. Out of a total of 5,513 verified applicants, they interviewed 660 and 125 matriculated. If you’re in state, your chances of getting an interview are around 14% (521 out of 3,660 applicants). Let’s compare that school to Loma Linda, a private medical school in California. Their median MCAT is 30 and their GPA is 3.7. As a frame of reference, a MCAT score of 34 puts you in the top 8%. A MCAT score of 30 puts you in the top 20%.
Now, stats aren’t everything. Maybe you have research experience, volunteer experience, etc that makes you stand out. But if I were you and UCSD was my first choice I would take my courses at a 4 year college. I would take them one at a time from science faculty so I could concentrate on getting A’s and receiving strong letters of recommendations. You’re shooting high so you want to bolster your records as much as possible.
I don’t mean to be the bearer of bad news or discourage you at all. I’m sure you’re smart, able, and willing to do what it takes to get into medical school. Good luck.
Thank you both! I love when people are very up front with me.
I know the CC subject is completely exhausted… I am exhausted thinking about it. I hate even mentioning it. I went to undergrad in TX and LA and I never experienced a school saying I couldn’t go back and take classed. I was shocked at first, but I completely get it.
My next step is calling UCSD and asking them if they accept JC credits(I hope they answer my question). If not, then my husband and I have some talking to do. UCSD would be my gold mine if I were ever so fortunate, however, I know I have to keep other options in mind for sure. It is ever so competitive (you can see it in your stats )
- PB2012 Said:
Step 5 tomorrow, call SDSU and seek Admissions Advisor. I also ruled out that I am not eligible for the PB programs.
I don't have Cs, except for in a couple of my BIO labs. Everything else I have a B in.
When you talk about acceptance to SDSU in Mar 2013, are you talking about a second undergrad degree? Because to my knowledge, CA public schools will not enroll for a second undergrad, and SDSU really does not have post-bacc (it is suspended, right? Or has it resumed now?)
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/preprof/Postbacc%20Pr ogram...
And when you say "I also ruled out that I am not eligible for the PB programs" what do you mean? Formal PB programs in general because you've already taken pre-req courses, or do you mean SDSU in particular?
Anyway, if you have general questions about the UCSD MD program, let me know. My cousin graduated from there last year but he would not know anything about admissions and whether CC credits are acceptable. However, I guess he could answer any questions you have about faculty, resources for med students etc. One thing I do know is that it's definitely possible to get in with CC credits - some folks on this forum have done it. Specifically UCSD, none that I know, but other places, yes. As syr_end2med mentioned, CA is very competitive so you need to be prepared to move out of CA, or at least San Diego, if you absolutely want to do this.
I want to add - you don’t need to be part of a formal postbacc etc. You can choose to be a student-at-large and try your luck enrolling in the pre-reqs. What this means is that you will have to crash the course during the first class meeting, but I am led to believe that some professors (at SDSU) will accommodate crashers. Or you could try your luck with CC credits. I was going to suggest Point Loma Nazarene, but it costs about the same as USD and is parochial, so probably would be harder to get in if you don’t belong to that church, I’m assuming. Anyway, post again if you have other questions, and good luck to you.
PB2012,
Sure, no problem. My cousin is now at UCLA’s Olive View Med Ctr in Santa Clarita, CA. He’s in the first (intern) year of an IM residency. One of those 40-yr old UCSD grads was his classmate, and in fact from his town, Victorville, CA. It’s good to know that they did not look down upon CC credits, especially since they are so competitive. And everything you wrote is absolutely right. It is possible, they have to accept someone, and it might as well be you. And so you just do your best and try. If you decide to go the CC route, there are several in the SD region. SD City College, Grossmont-Cuyamaca, Southwestern and Palomar. Good luck, and keep us posted on your progress.