I have 2 DROPS, What are my chances at a U.S. MD school?

Question:I will be a Junior at the Univeristy of Florida in fall 2007. I'm in UF's honors program. Microbiology and Cell Science Major. Asian American male(does being this hurt my chances?)

All my nonsciences are all A's (Fresh and Soph)

Fresh:
Gen Chm 1 &lab A
Calc 1 B+
6 cred nonsci

Gen Chm 2 &lab A
Calc 2 A
6 cred nonsci

Summer:
Stat A
Bio 1 &lab C &C+

Soph:
Bio 2& lab DROP
Orgo 1 DROP
8 cred nonsci

Orgo 1 C+
Physics 1 &lab B+ & A
10 cred nonsci

Right now my science gpa is 3.48 and overall is 3.73

Summer: (current)
Analytical Chem &lab
Bio 2 &lab
Phyics 2 lab
Research 3 cred

Junior: (future)
Physics 2
Orgo 2 & lab
Research
nonsci

Biochm
Inorganic chm
Research
nonsci

Extracur: hospital-pediatric, mentor, tutor elementary, 2 officer pos in clubs, camp couns for those w/ terminal illness, flag fball, research

I mess up my soph year, it was b/c lazy. I know if i try i can get A & B+. If i get 3.63 sci & 3.8 overall by time i apply will this be enuf or my drops hurt 2 much? & mcat?

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Answers:
First of all, do not tell the admissions board that you screwed up b/c you were lazy. The best predictor of future behavior is previous behavior so in reading this it sends up a red flag to me that you aren't serious.

To answer your question, it's not just the fact that you have 2 dropped courses, but it's the courses you dropped, and how you did when you retook them. You Word of caution, if ever you retake a class you should make an A in it. If you weren't in the class for long the first time, then it's a little more understandable. My problem with your academic performance is that you have done poorly in your science pre-reqs and have yet to complete most of them (physics, orgo, bio). However, this is a good thing because it gives you time to improve. The fact that you have A's in your non-science courses doesn't really say much b/c IMO admissions committees expect that. Non-science only comes into play when it's a bad grade or your major. To be honest, it appears that you need assistance in the sciences, so why not go to tutoring or something if that's offered at your school? The good news is that acceptance isn't solely based grades and your volunteer work and non-science seems excellent! I think that you should try your best over the next semester and try to improve those science grades.

To answer your question about your ethnicity, it does not help that you are Asian, but it doesn't hurt either. Ethnic minorities are helped a little, but Asians fall into the same category as whites and Indians...the majority.

In order to receive an interview I would rank the qualifications in this order:
1) GPA(is an indicator of how well you will perform in classes)/MCAT (is an indicator of how you will score on boards)
- to elaborate, I would say an incline in grades over years (you should get better with time, unless you make all A's)
2) research (most top schools now really look at this, and may even require it)
- you don't necessarily have to have had a paper published, but it's good when they can see that you've at least give research a try, even if you hated it
3) medical experience/shadowing
4) volunteer work (have you shown that you care about people; everyone says they do)
5) campus involvement/demonstration of leadership skills
6) what lead you to want to pursue this profession
7) anything that distinguishes you from other applicants

Another biggie that's hard to rank is your personal statement.

Your personality, likeability, intelligence, and confidence are factors that will be further revealed during your interview (all med schools that i know of require an interview). Ultimately, your interview is what seals the deal. I've seen individuals with 36 on MCATs and high GPAs not get accepted to top schools based on what they revealed to their interviewers. On the flip side, those without the best application get accepted based on what was seen during an interview.

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I had 9 Ds in undergrad and I am now a 3rd year law student. It didn't keep me out of professional education. Good luck. If your MCAT score is good you will be alright. And being Asian probably helps.

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