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Q. How is choosing Northwest University as a pre-med school?A. It seems to be a mid tier religious school in Washington State. Achieving endorsement by the Pre-Med committee is a challenge. The school seems to weed out applicants with weak credentials. Only those receiving endorsement will obtain a strong recommendation letter. Others who fail to meet established criteria self-deselect.If you do well at this school, you probably have a good chance to get into medical school. If you need academic help, this school may be less forgiving.Some schools will endorse any candidate. They provide help, whether a lot or a little is needed. (My alma mater Rice University is such a school. When I went through, there was 100% acceptance - even for Chemical Engineering major with below 3.0 GPA, and mediocre MCAT. The quality of graduates and the reputation of the school with a national ranking helps when GPA/MCAT are not stellar.)I don’t know whether Northwest University will allow you opportunities for EC’s, like research, leadership, community service etc.The cost is reasonable,Tuition: $30,320 (2017-18)Room and Board: $8,400 (2017-18)Total Enrollment: 1,226Northwest University (United States) - WikipediaNorthwest University (usnews.com)ENDORSEMENTPre-application to Pre-Med Endorsement (Freshman year, or upon transferring to Northwest)1. As soon as you have decided to pursue the pre-med endorsement, meet with your advisor to inform him or her of your intent.2. After meeting with your advisor, file a declaration form with the Chair of the Natural Science Department.3. Work with your advisor in planning your academic schedule to complete the science pre-requisites for admission to the endorsement.4. In meetings with your advisor and the department chair, discuss and plan for service learning opportunities that support admission to medical school. These will need to be evident in your formal application to major.Steps to formal admission (End of Sophomore year. Transfer students must do 1-4 and complete one Northwest University science class before applying).1. Complete all GER sciences (38 credits) with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5, and a science GPA of 3.5 before submitting admission to major application. Students who do not meet the GPA may still apply only if other aspects of their application are exceptional.2. Take the TEAS test and score greater than 80%.3. Prepare the formal application and submit it to the science department chair.a. On the cover page include your name, overall GPA as of the last semester before application, your science GPA, and the TEAS score.b. Attach official transcripts documenting all of your previous collegiate academic work.c. Submit a, one page maximum, typed statement of personal and professional interest.d. Submit two professional reference letters (Northwest University science professors or members of immediate family may not be used for reference letters) speaking to the applicant’s character, leadership activities, and service commitment so that an assessment of the applicant’s potential for success can be made.e. Include a well-organized list of medical related volunteering, shadowing, jobs, and other life experiences with brief descriptions of each. Letters from people you worked with may be attached to this page.4. Once the application is complete and submitted, the applicant will set up an interview with the PreMed Committee through the Natural Science Department Chair. After deliberation, the committee will formally notify the applicant of either acceptance or rejection within two weeks of the interview.Following Acceptance1. Upon being accepted the student will set up a yearly review with the Pre-Med Committee through the Natural Science Department chair and submit a one page maximum, typed statement of progress in meeting the pre-med requirements.2. The student will continue to maintain a list of medical related experiences and service.3. Because of the cross cultural experience component all science majors must:a. Secure and maintain a valid passport. (The passport must be valid for the time period covering all expected international travel.)b. Authorize the science department to conduct a criminal background check.c. Provide a complete health history including immunization and vaccination documentation.d. Provide proof of health insurance for the personal cost of health care and maintain insurance through the duration of the program.Following RejectionIf the candidate is rejected, the formal notification from the pre-med committee will describe the deficiencies leading to the rejection. The student should meet immediately with his or her advisor to plan a course of action leading toward either pursuit of the Biology major (Environmental Science, or General Studies with a science concentration are also suggested), or outlining steps that should be taken in order to remedy the noted deficiencies and prepare for re-application. The student may re-apply after one semester and upon completing the necessary steps. Send reference letters to: Natural Science Department Chair Northwest University 5520 108th Ave NE Kirkland, WA 98083.Northwest University (Gradereports.com)

I’ll attempt to dissect this question and share my opinion, as a current data scientist, a former engineer, and a forever student:People say whatever nonsense all the time. It's sometimes wise to ignore what people say. Also people tend to say “people say” to deceptively push their personal opinions without actually having any backing from those ‘people’ referenced. Trump does it all the time.Data scientist is not a dead role, but it's evolving. The skills required (or supposed to be) from a data scientist, such as SQL, Programming, advanced statistics, ML, communication, analytical thinking, research, mathematical modeling, etc., are highly sought in the industry. The demand for these skills is continuously increasing, while the supply of talent remains in shortage. Just ask anyone who works for big tech how hard it is to fill such positions despite the fat paychecks and incentives offered. What seems to be dying is the job title itself, for reasons I'll discuss in the next paragraph. The job title is evolving to reflect the particular expectations from the applicant with more precision, which the term ‘data scientist’ failed to do. For example, you’ll see job titles for ‘Decision Scientist” and ‘Operations Research Analyst’ at Disney. A huge tech company like Amazon has positions for ‘Machine Learning Scientist’, ‘Machine Learning Engineer’, Business Intelligence Engineer’, ‘Operations Research Scientist’, ‘Research Scientist’, ‘Applied Researcher’, and more. If you look at all these positions you’ll find many similarities, sometimes identical, in the skills required and educational qualification. What these positions communicate uniquely are the specific job duties and expectations; some are more on the ‘applied’ software engineering side, others or more on the ‘theoretical’ or ‘experimental’ research side (like a PhD dissertation), while others are just purely about ‘analytical’ data interpretation/communication and decision making. I must also note that even Amazon continues to offer many positions for the general ‘Data Scientist’ despite all of the above refined titles. My manager, whom I respect very much, once said ‘We don’t care about employee titles, they don’t reflect what we look for’.Companies used to hire data scientist when they just need data analyst or ML engineer, and they still do! Although I don’t like to bring the terms ‘data analyst’ and ‘ML engineer’ together in the same sentence due to the vast difference between those two roles, this is a true statement. This is probably the main reason behind the shift away from the term ‘data scientist’. This might be attributed to two main reasons: The first is the (surprisingly common) employer’s ignorance, where the employer had just realized the possibilities of data and is either trying to join the race lead by competitors without having the adequate training, so they seek that magician ‘data scientist’ to claim a position in the race at any cost, or the employer is just trying to get someone to merely manage or analyze the data but doesn’t want to miss out on luring big talents (or so they think). The second main reason is the absence of government regulations. The US department of labor has just recently started to wrap its head around what’s happening in this area, but currently employers are free to post any position, using any title, paying any salary they like. No one can stop them. So in the same region, you can find a ‘data scientist’ job paying 50k and another paying 250k! I really hope to see the day when the government or some other authority finally steps in to put minimum skill and pay requirements to specific job roles to curb this stupidity. A funny thought: I tend to see the ‘data scientist’ promise similar to that of the hollywood star dream; Every talentless wannabe thinks they can move to hollywood believing they’ll become the next big celebrity star, while misjudging both their talent and the industry demand, to become in the end ugly spiderman street performers dancing for change! Meanwhile con artist producers and porn directors are exploiting the situation for easy gains, just like bootcamps! (YES, I place bootcamps and porn industry in the same bucket: 1- They make money by screwing naive dreamy young people, 2- Their contents are available for free online anyway)Data scientist can of course do BI work, but not the other way around. I don’t think I understood the point of this statement. I can however confirm that both DS and BI support better decision making using technology and data. However, as mentioned in the above 2 paragraphs. It is better to separate BI from DS due to specific skill and task requirements. BI uses tools, while DS creates tools. I wouldn’t expect BI to create the tools, that’s not the talent sought in BI. As for DS, while they can of course use the tools they create, it wouldn’t be the best utilization of their time, plus it’s better left to someone of better business domain knowledge.Any programmer can quickly pick up how to make REST API, as I did myself, although I don’t have any software engineering education. That’s not really a thing of science. If I am looking for a scientist, I wouldn’t really be concerned with this part, I’d have higher expectations for other tasks. However, if I am looking for an engineer, specifically a machine learning engineer or a software engineer, then this knowledge is important to assess. It’s true that anyone can pick up anything quickly nowadays given some basic decent education, but it would be naive to think that this is sufficient. Similarly, you may argue that anyone can quickly pick up data science, but what you really mean is that anyone can “import sklearn” and yes, they’ll be able to give you a result, perhaps even the result you are looking for. This all goes back to my third paragraph where I mentioned that employers abuse role titles and overseek talent for some simple roles. To finally put things in perspective here: let’s ignore buzzwords like AI, ML, big data, etc. and stick to the principle definitions. There are clear differences (in principle) between a ‘Scientist’, an ‘Engineer’, and an ‘Analyst’. I’ll just address the first two: while both of them can sometimes share the same level of education, a scientist is involved with making NEW discoveries ADDING TO SCIENCE, often through research, testing, and experimentation, as in finding a new cure for a new/old disease. Differently, an engineer APPLIES SCIENCE, often through designing and building to bring the scientist’s discoveries into a consumable product, as in creating the device for the best ingestion of the discovered cure. In my opinion, these main principles should be upheld whenever these terms are used, regardless of the word preceding them. Getting back to our topic here: If I am looking for someone to conduct research, prototype, and make discoveries, then I am looking for a SCIENTIST. If I am looking for someone to deploy, scale, fix, and maintain, then I am looking for an ENGINEER. If I am looking for someone to interpret charts/results, record, and make reports, then I am looking for an ANALYST. If an employer comes to me asking for all three in one person, then I turn the opposite way and run as fast as I can before I become an ugly spiderman street performer!

Q. Do medical schools take into consideration your institution while looking at your undergraduate GPA? Will going to a grade-deflated school hurt my chances of getting into medical school?A. In general, medical school acceptance hinges on how high your MCAT score and undergraduate GPA are. High GPA is valued, regardless of your school or your major. Passing the first hurdle, other qualities make a difference of your gaining admission into a top tier medical school.If your GPA is in the lower range, allowance is made for the prestige of your undergraduate institution, the challenge of your major and whether there is known grade “deflation.” Even Princeton University reversed course. In 2014, the university made the decision to end grade deflation which had hindered the prospect of many graduates in past years.What can you do if you happen to be an engineering major in a school with serious grade deflation? Score extremely well on the MCAT!What is different about medical school admission compared to law school, business school and undergraduate admissions?Medical school ranking matters little in the medical field. US News Rankings do not make or break a school’s reputation. There is no consensus as to the actual order of the top schools. There is vague reputation as being the top 25, but no order. Schools do not have to worry about having the highest GPA, highest MCAT, lowest acceptance rate, highest yield so that the rank moves up a few notches. There is not even a recognized ranking of top schools. There is a ranking of schools with the highest NIH research funding, and a ranking of best schools in primary care. Both lists matter little in the opinion of those in medicine.Does the reputation of the medical schools matter in the career of graduates, like in law where graduates from Yale or Harvard dominate court clerkships and the Supreme Court bench? Medicine is a bit more complicated. The goal of every physician is to become board certified in a specialty of his/her own choosing. Schools are not strong across all disciplines. The Department of Surgery may be top tier, but the Department of Medicine may not be. The Department of Anesthesiology may be on probation, in part because of the supremacy of the Department of Surgery, causing difficulty in recruiting top quality Anesthesiology Staff. And even in the Department of Surgery, the Division of Plastic Surgery may be top tier, but the Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery may not be. The loss of several stars in a Division may change the fortune of that Division overnight.How do you pick the right school that has a top tier residency program in your chosen medical specialty when only 20–40% of students actually specialize in the specialty that made them want to become a physician in the first place?Does attending a less renowned medical school affect your career? The equalizing factors are successes on the USMLE exams and class rank (or membership in Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, medicine’s equivalent of Law Review). With those credentials, a graduate of any medical school can enter any coveted specialty (currently Dermatology, Orthopedic Surgery, ENT etc.) Graduates of prestigious medical schools do dominate matching into the top tier residency programs in the top medical specialties upon review of recent match cycles. Pedigree does matter if you choose an academic career, where attending the best residency program, the best fellowship program and the connections lead to faculty appointments at prestigious institutions. Successes then may lead to leadership at institution, national and international levels in medical and specialty organizations.Back to the question of acceptance into any medical school, the process is “holistic”. The following are what medical college admission committees look for in candidates. First article is from the American Association of Medical Colleges. The second from the University of Minnesota. At the end is a short Kaplan discussion regarding GPA and MCAT in the application process.How Medical Schools Review Applications (AAMC)What are admissions officers looking for?While expectations, missions, policies, and requirements are unique to each medical school, many schools look for students who demonstrate an ability to handle challenging coursework and have the personal attributes needed to work with people. It’s important for applicants to show that they’ve done well in upper-level science courses, and “doing well on the MCAT® exam shows that you can handle medical school coursework,” says Irene Tise, admissions officer in the Office of Medical Student Admissions at Wake Forest School of Medicine.Lori Nicolaysen, assistant dean of admissions at Weill Cornell Medical College, adds that they “seek students who have also demonstrated exceptional personal initiative. Such initiative may take the form of leadership, creativity, research, community service, motivation, or other life experiences.”Mickey Foxwell, M.D., associate dean for admissions at University of Maryland School of Medicine says, “Each applicant needs to be as sure as possible that this is what they want to do with their life. That motivation can be demonstrated through academic achievement and also through exposure to clinical medicine and community service. Does the applicant know what it’s like to take care of someone? Does the applicant have an idea about the advantages and disadvantages of a career in medicine?”Schools also look for evidence that an applicant has demonstrated good judgment, compassion, and selflessness— qualities every physician should embody. Applicants can show evidence through their involvement in extracurricular activities, letters of evaluation, and their personal statement.What happens when my application is received?Each medical school has its own nuanced process for reviewing applications. For example, “Weill Cornell invites all applicants to complete the secondary application,” Ms. Nicolaysen shares. “Once the file is complete (including secondary application, letters of evaluation, and MCAT scores), the application is moved to screening. A number of experienced admissions committee members serve as screeners. Although Weill Cornell has fourth-year medical students on the admissions committee, the students do not screen applications.”Dr. Raquel D. Arias, associate dean of admissions at Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, explains, “In order to give every candidate a fair review of their personal qualities and accomplishments, a single screener evaluates all candidates with a particular MCAT score at our school. This controls for the inevitable influence that this important test has on the process. An admissions officer reads every application submitted to the school.” (There is no automated filter.)At Wake Forest School of Medicine, Ms. Tise explains, “Because of the large number of applications we receive, we use a formula that separates and groups applicants based on their AMCAS® primary application. The groups are: 1) Proceed and send a secondary application, (2) Hold for MCAT score or other extenuating circumstances and notify candidates, and (3) Risk, based on academics.Those candidates in the “risk” category are reviewed individually by the associate dean and an executive committee of five faculty and admissions committee members. From there, a decision is made to either proceed with the application process or reject the application.” Typically, after secondary applications are submitted, the associate dean and a committee review the applications and place candidates into interview pools. Because of the large number of applicants, only a small percentage is asked to interview.How do reviewers decide whom to interview?Medical schools consider each applicant’s academic proficiency, whether they are likely to thrive in the culture of the institution, and if their experiences, attributes, and goals are in line with the school’s mission and goals. Inevitably, medical schools receive many more qualified applicants than they can interview and matriculate. The decision to interview one student over another can be very difficult to say the least.“It is incredibly challenging because there are so many admirable candidates,” Ms. Nicolaysen explains. “Ultimately, the committee screeners attempt to identify the best qualified applicants from diverse academic and personal backgrounds whom we deem most likely to build a dynamic learning environment at Weill Cornell and to become leaders in medicine.”Dr. Foxwell adds, “At University of Maryland, outstanding grades and MCAT scores do not guarantee that an applicant will be invited to interview. Just as important are extracurricular activities and life experiences, essays and personal comments in AMCAS, and letters of recommendation.”Dr. Arias says, “The path to becoming a physician is unique to each applicant; therefore, we do not mandate any particular course of study. We have no preference for a particular major (or minor). Evidence of the personal attributes of integrity, adaptability, language skills, collaboration, and a commitment to service are evaluated with an eye toward the development of physician scientists. We infer the desired applicant qualities from both the content of the application and the care with which it is delivered. Every aspect of the application is important. Applicants who speak in their own voice, without “spin,” is especially valued.”Additionally, some public medical schools also may consider an out-of-state applicant’s ties to the state or institution if non-state residents are not typically considered for matriculation. (For more information, check with individual medical school websites or consult the AAMC's Medical School Admission Requirements.)What are some common mistakes applicants make?The same tips you might have received for undergraduate or job applications hold true for medical school applications. Always tell the truth and be sure to mention activities and volunteer, research, or work experiences that are most important, and if possible, occurred within the last few years. “Take your AMCAS essay questions seriously,” counsels Ms. Tise. “These essays are not creative writing exercises. You may start off with a descriptive experience, but, move quickly into how and why you want to become a physician and how this experience helped determine that. Also, proofread carefully. There are no excuses for punctuation and grammatical errors. We know you are applying to several schools, but be careful to include the correct name in secondary materials.“Redundant information is a waste of space. Inconsistencies can call an applicant’s authenticity into question,” cautions Ms. Nicolaysen. “We advise not including high school activities or activities in which your participation was minimal. Also, try to avoid boasting or exaggerating.”Dr. Foxwell advises that “Applicants must begin to think like professionals. If a photograph is requested in a secondary application, make it a good one, not one that may call your professionalism into question.”What advice does the review committee have?“Do your homework. Know what schools are looking for, and work closely with your advisor,” cautions Dr. Foxwell.Your application needs to be complete and truthful. When it comes to your personal statement, Ms. Tise recommends, “There is no secret checklist or formula. Remember, you are the applicant, and we want to know why you think you are a good one.”Furthermore, Ms. Nicolaysen advises applicants, “Before submitting your application, ask some trusted mentors, friends, or family members to give you feedback about your experiences and essays. You might ask them questions like, ‘How would you describe me based on what you read? Did my essay hold your attention? Was anything confusing? Did you notice any typos?’”Most importantly, relax. Most applicants have one or two items that they wish they’d changed or perhaps a mistake they think they might have made. If you have further concerns or anxiety over the application process, check out the Aspiring Docs fact sheet on helpful tips for dealing with application anxiety.Essential and Desired Qualities of medical school candidates:Strong academicsHigh GPA and MCAT scores. See AAMC MCAT site for students.A commitment to improving the human conditionEssential:Sustained and meaningful commitment to human service demonstrated through volunteer activities, scholarly pursuits, employment, academic endeavors, or other experiencesUnderstanding of medicineSubstantial independent research experience(s) (MD/PhD applicants)Desired:Commitment to care of the underservedCommitment to community and global patient careProfessional conductHonesty and integrity, particularly regarding instances of personal failings or mistakes (essential)Compassion, evident through evaluations, prior employment, or experience in other roles that require compassion (essential)Self-awareness, evident in a student’s knowledge of their own strengths, weaknesses, and when to ask for help (essential)Ethical behavior (essential)Outstanding interpersonal skillsOral and written communication skills must be excellent, both to share knowledge and to convey empathy (essential)Teamwork skills require acknowledging other team members’ expertise, accurate self-assessment, assuming leadership when appropriate, and subsuming individual interests to the work of the team (essential)Cultural humility and inclusivity (essential)Leadership & diversity experiences (desired)A dedication to lifelong learningIntellectual curiosity (essential)Demonstrated scientific aptitude—a fundamental appreciation of how the scientific method is applied to the discovery of medical knowledge and to medical practice (essential)Potential for academic success (essential)Psychological resilience as demonstrated through emotional stability, skills to cope with stress, an ability to deal with sacrifice and hardship, maturity, good judgment, and an ability to defer gratification (essential)Creativity (desired)What’s the Average GPA for Medical School | Kaplan Test PrepNOVEMBER 30, 2016EMILY HAUSEAdmissions officials receive three different GPAs when reviewing applicants.A previous version of this article was originally published by Alex MacNow.While we’ve tackled the topic of medical school admissions by the numbers in the past, we turn our attention today to the average GPA for medical school. It’s stressful to think that a few bad grades in your undergraduate career can impact your chances of getting into medical school; however, it’s important to know that a low GPA can be overcome.Remember, the AAMC keeps GPA information public through their FACTS tables. In addition to what we’ve covered here, there is a lot more information you can glean from these resources. In the world of medical school admissions, knowledge is power!Breaking down the average GPA for medical schoolMedical schools are actually given three GPAs when they look at your application. Your science and math courses are considered according to what is called the BPCM (Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Math) GPA, and your non-science courses (humanities, social sciences, language, etc.) are considered as a separate GPA. The third GPA that schools see is the overall aggregate.While each medical school has its own average GPA for the incoming class (information for MD programs can be easily found in the Medical School Admission Requirements guidebook), the national averages for 2015–2016 were as follows:BPCM GPA: applicants 3.45, matriculants 3.64Non-science GPA: applicants 3.68, matriculants 3.77Overall GPA: applicants 3.55, matriculants 3.70What can I do if I have a below average GPA?Unlike the MCAT, for which many of you still have a clean slate, GPA is set during your college career. So what can you do if you’re applying and your GPA isn’t quite in the range above?1. Explain the GPA tactfullyYou have the opportunity to bring up any blips in your GPA on both the primary application (as part of the Personal Statement) and your secondary applications (in one of the essays or as an addendum to the application). Some secondary applicationseven provide a space for pieces of your application that you’d like to explain.When talking about a problem in your GPA, explain the reason behind the drop, but don’t make excuses! Medical schools want mature applicants who can take ownership of the problem, and—perhaps more importantly—can explain how it served as a learning experience. Did getting a not-so-great grade in Organic Chemistry I teach you how to study better, utilize office hours, or find new ways to learn so that you knocked Organic Chemistry II out of the park? These skills will help you become a better medical student. Explain that to the medical schools.2. Become an MCAT rockstarAccording to Kaplan’s latest medical school admissions officer survey, two of the most important factors in admission are the GPA and MCAT score. Thus, falling below the average GPA for medical school matriculants can be significantly abated with a stellar MCAT score. Prepare wisely and work towards your target MCAT score.3. Retake courses or consider post-bacc workThere are a number of post-baccalaureate programs in the country that can be optimal for a student who needs to boost their GPA (especially the BPCM GPA). Masters and post-bacc programs may also afford you opportunities to become involved in research or shadowing, thus helping your application portfolio that much more.