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Many questions about Medical School and/or PA school...?

I've tried finding an online forum to post these in, but I can't find one with enough relevant information and users....so I'm hoping someone on here can assist. Alright, so I'm going to be blunt here....I was a pretty bad student for my first two years of college. I'm currently in my junior year now working on a degree in Liberal Arts (officially). I suppose I could change my major whenever I want...but that's not really what this is about. My current GPA is under 3.0. When I graduate, it MIGHT barely be at or above 3.0. this, of course, will make it difficult to be accepted into most medical schools from what I understand. Now, the thing is, my grades over the summer and this semester have been impeccable...also, all my grades in health-related fields have been A's (granted, its only Developmental Psychology and Biology 201 w/ lab). I am interested in the health field and already scheduled two classes that are considered prerequisites at most schools for next semester (Microbiology and Genetics). My main issue is, I don't really know how things are going to play out. I am a poor college student...and Medical school is EXTREMELY expensive. PA school is less expensive, but also less appealing to me. While I wouldn't mind working under the supervision of a licensed physician, I would especially enjoy the more challenging cases associated with an MD or a DO. I currently attend Penn State University. I am looking for guidance both on the application process: Who should I get to write letters of recommendation? For PA school, it normally lists 200-500 hours of patient-contact health care experience as a prerequisite for applying. How do you get that kind of experience? What sorts of things are schools looking for in the essay? Like I'm assuming they don't want to just read another well-written "I want to be a doctor to help people" essay. ...and on my abilities to get into a medical school or PA program. I'm looking for recommendations in or close to Pennsylvania of schools that would be reasonable for me to consider. In addition, I've had the following questions: How likely is it that a hard-working individual with a GPA <3.0 would even get an interview at a decent Medical School? How difficult are the MCATs? What about the GREs? Some PA schools require the GRE. Thanks for any help in advance!

Public Comments

1. You definitely sound focused, well thought out in terms of goals and conscientious. All of which are great attributes for potential doctors or PAs. GPA will be an issue unless you can really "knock it out of the park" on your MCAT score. Definitely consider a prep course for the EMCAT. I did a quick search on a website that shows some results of known applicants with similar academic records. If you can swing a 30 on your EMCAT you should be okay. Just don't expect a narrow choice geographically (like only Pennsylvania schools). Some good legit med schools in this area of the country to consider, based on your final GPA and a decent EMCAT score are: Virginia Commonwealth U *** Albany Medical School Albany,NY East Carolina U *** Ohio University (Osteopathic) University of Maryland University of Virginia *** = best fit Good luck!
2. Realistically speaking, I don't think your chances of getting into med school are very good. You got A's in two of the easiest courses in the premed prerequisites. An A in Developmental Psych is not going to impress anyone. But, on the other hand, you haven't taken most of your premed prerequisites yet, so your GPA at this moment is not very significant. When you have completed calculus, physic with calculus, two terms of chem, two terms of organic chem, biochem, and the other prerequisites, then you will have a better feel for whether you have any possibility of getting accepted to med school. If you can do those classes with A's then you can do well on your MCAT and then you will have a fighting chance. If you do poorly on those classes, then you will know that MD or PA are not the career for you. If you do well in those classes, then your essay will be a minor point. If you do badly, then the best essay in the world won't get you in. I must say, it doesn't seem that you have planned this program too well. Have you talked to the pre-health-sciences advisor on your campus? That person should have approved your academic program and made sure that you were taking the premed prerequisites that you need before the MCAT and before applying to med school. Generally speaking, genetics and microbiology are not on the required prerequisite list. For reliable information about applying to med schools, see the website of the AAMC - that is the official organization that coordinates info about all US accredited med schools.
3. I agree with Matt's post in its entirety. At this point, your desire to go to either medical school or PA school is just wishful thinking. You need to come to grips with the fact that you're going to have to repeat your courses to bring up your GPA.