My stats:
cGPA: 3.1
sGPA: 3.4
MCAT: 24M (PS 7/V 8/BS 9)
Texas resident
BS in Biology '11
Options:
Option 1: Apply for the Master's program at UNTHSC/TCOM school (I want to be a DO for primary care in underserved areas)
Option 2: Study OAT, take OAT, and apply for optometry school (ideally U of Houston)
Option 3: Apply for Master's somewhere and maybe teach?
Option 4: Other (suggest one)
Background:
GPA
-I played a lot of WoW in high school (8+ hours a day) and have thus accumulated and suffered form the aforementioned bad habits. My GPA is definitely an upward trend from high school GPA, to each successive year respectively: (2.6 -> 2.8 -> 3.1 -> 3.4 -> 3.7+ (hopefully))
MCAT
-I only studied for 2 weeks for the MCAT...basically I bought a set of Exam Krackers, Princeton review and Kaplan on craigslist for $150 and was only able to briefly cover the chemistry and biology portions -- because of this, I believe there is MUCH more room for improvement! (24M --> ???). The reason I only studied for two weeks, was because I took courses over the summer (Parasitology, Parasitology Lab & Elementary Biochemistry)
-I also did not take a diagnostic test, and only took a practice test (Practice Test 3) 2 days prior to taking the actual MCAT -- I also was given access to my friend's practice MCAT's (which he bought all) the day before and scored an 18/20 lol, so I was actually happy that I got a 24 on this MCAT.
Financially disadvantaged (URM?)
-I come from a financially disadvantaged family (living off my mom's $30k and no financial support from my father since I was 6), also have a brother. My mother and brother will be able to support themselves for a while, hopefully. (Brother has a GED, no college, but is a smart guy and business has been working well for him)
Premonition of graduating GPA
-I expect my final GPA to be somewhere at 3.3 cGPA and 3.7 sGPA, as I'm currently taking endocrinology, pharmacology, neuroscience, cell biology, cell biology lab and biochemistry lab, and doing fairly well in all courses -- 14 hours, but all upper level biology courses and are quite difficult. I work great under pressure (a huge procrastinator).
-If I were to apply for the aforementioned Master's program, it's structured very similar to first year medical students -- I tend to do very well with classes when classes are back-to-back. If I were accepted, I strongly believe I would be able to do very well in the classes. After all, I'm already taking undergrad/grad classes that will be in the program.
Extra-curricular/Volunteer
- I have been active in many organizations on campus. I have helped lead and was one of the founding members of our campus-initiative UNICEF group (which have won the national competition in raising over $10,000 for UNICEF)
Other groups include: AED (Premedical Honor Society), BBB (National Biological Honor Society), ASA (Asian Student Association), Emerald Eagle Scholar (Program & Scholarship to help financially disadvantaged students), BLIA (Buddha's Light International Association; since age of 6)
-- Among these organizations, many I have participated in with countless hours of volunteering for various activities
- I have applied to be an ER scribe to two places, one of them have waitlisted me to begin working next semester (Extra: I type over 150+ WPM with 99% accuracy)
- I have just applied to volunteer at a baylor surgicare and will be volunteering 8 hours and be able to observe surgeries
- I have years of work experience, though none are medical related
- I have interned at a hospital back in high school for a few months
Thank you for your time in reading this, and perhaps helping me make the best possible decision in this arduous process -- including any inputs you may give me, whether they be critical or supportive.
-SacTu
cGPA: 3.1
sGPA: 3.4
MCAT: 24M (PS 7/V 8/BS 9)
Texas resident
BS in Biology '11
Options:
Option 1: Apply for the Master's program at UNTHSC/TCOM school (I want to be a DO for primary care in underserved areas)
Option 2: Study OAT, take OAT, and apply for optometry school (ideally U of Houston)
Option 3: Apply for Master's somewhere and maybe teach?
Option 4: Other (suggest one)
Background:
GPA
-I played a lot of WoW in high school (8+ hours a day) and have thus accumulated and suffered form the aforementioned bad habits. My GPA is definitely an upward trend from high school GPA, to each successive year respectively: (2.6 -> 2.8 -> 3.1 -> 3.4 -> 3.7+ (hopefully))
MCAT
-I only studied for 2 weeks for the MCAT...basically I bought a set of Exam Krackers, Princeton review and Kaplan on craigslist for $150 and was only able to briefly cover the chemistry and biology portions -- because of this, I believe there is MUCH more room for improvement! (24M --> ???). The reason I only studied for two weeks, was because I took courses over the summer (Parasitology, Parasitology Lab & Elementary Biochemistry)
-I also did not take a diagnostic test, and only took a practice test (Practice Test 3) 2 days prior to taking the actual MCAT -- I also was given access to my friend's practice MCAT's (which he bought all) the day before and scored an 18/20 lol, so I was actually happy that I got a 24 on this MCAT.
Financially disadvantaged (URM?)
-I come from a financially disadvantaged family (living off my mom's $30k and no financial support from my father since I was 6), also have a brother. My mother and brother will be able to support themselves for a while, hopefully. (Brother has a GED, no college, but is a smart guy and business has been working well for him)
Premonition of graduating GPA
-I expect my final GPA to be somewhere at 3.3 cGPA and 3.7 sGPA, as I'm currently taking endocrinology, pharmacology, neuroscience, cell biology, cell biology lab and biochemistry lab, and doing fairly well in all courses -- 14 hours, but all upper level biology courses and are quite difficult. I work great under pressure (a huge procrastinator).
-If I were to apply for the aforementioned Master's program, it's structured very similar to first year medical students -- I tend to do very well with classes when classes are back-to-back. If I were accepted, I strongly believe I would be able to do very well in the classes. After all, I'm already taking undergrad/grad classes that will be in the program.
Extra-curricular/Volunteer
- I have been active in many organizations on campus. I have helped lead and was one of the founding members of our campus-initiative UNICEF group (which have won the national competition in raising over $10,000 for UNICEF)
Other groups include: AED (Premedical Honor Society), BBB (National Biological Honor Society), ASA (Asian Student Association), Emerald Eagle Scholar (Program & Scholarship to help financially disadvantaged students), BLIA (Buddha's Light International Association; since age of 6)
-- Among these organizations, many I have participated in with countless hours of volunteering for various activities
- I have applied to be an ER scribe to two places, one of them have waitlisted me to begin working next semester (Extra: I type over 150+ WPM with 99% accuracy)
- I have just applied to volunteer at a baylor surgicare and will be volunteering 8 hours and be able to observe surgeries
- I have years of work experience, though none are medical related
- I have interned at a hospital back in high school for a few months
Thank you for your time in reading this, and perhaps helping me make the best possible decision in this arduous process -- including any inputs you may give me, whether they be critical or supportive.
-SacTu
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