3.5 GPA, Timeline Question

[Hawkey_J.D.]

I am trying to ask a question about timeline to medical school 2016, but I need to provide some background first. I am just going to go with the tired, list of my situation. I am under the impression I am two years late.

Wow, I nearly have a novella here, simply writing this and seeing it all laid out has helped however.

//////////////Skip to other divider for question/////////////////////
School
I am a rising junior at Binghamton University, but I intend to graduate in three semesters, ie. Fall 2016.
Integrative Neuroscience Major
3.557 GPA
Lower sGPA - slightly north of 3.0
Been having trouble lately, a C+ in Cell Biology and a C+ in Anatomy & Physiology (ouch)

Extra Curricular
Treasurer of Red Cross Club
Student Conduct Board Member
Discontinued 20 hours nonclinical volunteering (intend to pick back up)
Discontinued basic research (no publications)

Work Experience
Jan 2014 - present per diem patient transport aide (nonclinical, hoping to move up into nursing aid)
Farm work (full time), retail job, Automotive garage job

Medical Exposure
Discontinued 100 hours at local Emergency Department
1 week (25 hours) shadowing pulmonologist

Letters
preHealth advisor (weak)
1st Undergraduate PI (weaksauce) (left university after 1 semester, no contact for 2 years now)
2nd Undergradutate PI (meh)

Add to the above, belonging to well represented demographic (white, male, but first Bachelors in family, working class upbringing, or what I am deluded into thinking is middle class, mom is RN and dad owns small automotive garage [w employees, does most labor himself], $100,000 / year between the two)

My goal would be a public NY state school (UB as top), considering applying to DO schools ( vaguely considering going abroad to medical school (non-Caribbean) for Fall 2016. I believe I am interested in family medicine. My current timeline I just drew up.

Summer 2014
Study for MCATs (haven't started)
Shadow physicians (currently haven't even contact a physician. Pulmonologist has hinted at wishing to have me shadow again, which makes me surprised because I don't feel it went all that well)
Took summer A&P (C+, ugh)
Work increased hours as patient transport aid (near University meaning little family time this summer, which is getting me down)

Fall 2014
Neuroscience
Calc-Physics
Intermediate Inorganic Chem
Gen Ed
per diem hospital job
MCAT studying
Yearlong alumni shadowing program
Nonclinical volunteering
LETTERS

Winter 2015
MCAT studying
Hopefully CNA employee training, else quit job and find work near home)

Spring 2015
Calc-Physics 2
Neuroscience seminar
Gen Ed
MCAT Studying
per diem hospital job (or not)
Yearlong alumni shadowing program
Nonclinical volunteering
LETTERS
Graduate

Summer 2015
Take MCAT (August or September) (I have seen that this is later than recommended for 2016 admissions, truth or BS?)
Begin Admissions

Fall 2015 - Summer 2016
???

Add to the above
Write personal statement
LETTERS
EDIT: build interview skills, I suck at these and have been turned away after a Tim Hortons (to-go coffee chain) interview before haha.
///////////////////////////////////

I am very confused at this point in my life. Compared to others, I am in a pretty poor position. My goals aren't as high as others, but may be stupidly unrealistic. I am only now beginning to look at this path in detail and I remain on the fence even now whether or not I would like to continue towards becoming a physician in the first place. I have never previously exerted the discipline required to follow the above timeline. It would be a struggle and I am constantly bombarded by bad news about physician being a ****ty job.

Plan Bs are vague, but include pharmacy, PA school, pharmacology, and epidemiology, alternatively find work or Peace Corp. Can imagine myself being happy in a variety of jobs, hell I enjoy the kind of work I can do with my HS diploma. No strong affinity for money really.

I don't have cool story like some narrow field of medicine has been my sole passion since I was first spoon-fed. My passions include things like reading, video games, my faith, hiking, and 4chan and drug exploration for chrissakes and although I am willing to consider suffering throughout my education, I am uncomfortable thinking about giving up other interests for duration of career. Uncomfortable thinking about marriage, children, friendships will be sacrificed for sake of career even after getting job as fully fledged doctor.

I am slightly depressed about a poor sophomore year grades-wise. Graduated third/150 from public high school without much real effort and I am reeling from sensation of never being able to identify as "smart" among my SUNY Bing peers. I want to actually learn what we do in class and nevermind the marks but the winning strategy at University seems to be to game the whole thing and get As without coming to truly understand, but memorize. Or more likely I am just lazy. I enjoy working heavy physical labor 60+ hours a week on a farm, but I struggle to put in hours sitting at a desk doing schoolwork.

Enough of my rant, clearly I am trying to sort out some issues. I do have reasons for wishing to go to medical school but I seem to be on an anti-med school slant tonight. My actual question, and the reason this thread belongs here is: do I have a ghost of a chance going to medical school Fall 2016? Am I over/underestimating the amount of catchup I have to do.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[M12B]

**Side note: sorry its also a novel...

It is true that taking the MCAT in August/September of the year you plan to apply is considered late. The reason for this being that it takes a month to receive your score. So lets say you take it late August, your score won't come in until late September. For those schools that automatically send secondaries, assuming you have already submitted your AMCAS and that it has been verified, your application will be complete with your MCAT score in late September... Late in the game. In regards to the schools that are selective of who they send secondaries to, they may not send you one until they've received your score, leaving you to complete it and send it back, making your application complete around mid-October... Super duper late in the game.

Now it is important to realize that deadlines for secondaries and LORs etc are typically end of the year (Nov/Dec), however, you must also consider that most schools run on rolling admissions... If your application isn't complete until October, and then you still have to interview (if invited), when that school has already been interviewing and accepting students for a whole month or two... Your chances of acceptance decrease. As spots are filled, fewer spots are left, and it is generally the belief that this causes adcoms to become even more selective the later it gets. Best chances are to apply as early as possible.

Of course that doesn't mean throwing together an application as fast as possible, but rather to apply as early as you are able to while still putting together the best prepared application you can.

 

[M12B]

First of all, I don't think your timeline sounds bad at all, it actually looks pretty standard for preparing to apply, but that's just my opinion.

In regards to everything else... Just wondering...

Have you considered taking a gap year (or two) to really focus on figuring out if medicine is right for you?

I graduated in 2012. I was Pre-med from day one of college, knew I wanted to be an MD since HS, but I didn't know why. It took 2 years outside of school, working in the health care industry, volunteering, and just living for me to grow up a bit and really understand why medicine is for me.

Not to say you're in the exact same boat I was, but you remind me of myself. I discovered that you can learn a lot about who you really are when you're not trying to force yourself to be who you think you want to be.