30 year old with strong GPA & MCAT but less than pertinent degree. WAMC?

[Ethan1000]

I'd like to apply to med school in 2015, to start in 2016. Below, I've listed some points that might be relevant to an application. I'd really appreciate learning what you think about my odds and where you would apply if you were me (to keep everything on the table assume money and travel are no issue).

• 30 year old from Ontario, Canada (but, again, willing to travel)
• Studied like hell for the MCAT and scored 35.
• Presently studying math and philosophy. GPA is 3.85
• Zero science credits (which I could begin changing as of this summer term)
• I can effectively explain why I want to become a doctor to educated lay-people: two out of four were blistery-eyed afterward (that's the most objective thing I can say about its effectiveness).

Background:

• Started a maintenance business in high school and ran it while I was at school for my first degree (BA psych)
• I, unwisely, regarded school as an after thought and focused on my company.
• Consequently, the grades I earned in my first degree are mixed: A to D+ (avg C+)
• Bought my first house at 21, a commercial building at 24, and was employing 14 people at 25.
• Spent 26-29 caring for my wife who had become terminally ill. Aside from my effort in that, I don't have anything additional to show for that time.
• Worked closely with a partner (pro-bono) at an elite law-firm to make federal law enforcement aware of, and helped them acquire the information they needed to break-up, a long standing bid-rigging ring and prosecute its participants.
• I sold my business about a year and a half ago and returned to school to boost my GPA and contemplate what I wanted to do.
• I considered medicine throughout that time, but usually dismissed it as too far fetched. I didn't think I'd interest med schools.
• Last year I decided I'd apply to med-school if I could do well enough on the MCATs.
• I'll have completed 2 years of courses at the end of this term (the GPA I mentioned above is based on the grades I've earned during the last two years).

I think that I'd most like emergency medicine, psychiatry, or neurology. I'd prefer to study at a Canadian university, but I don't know that I qualify. From what I understand, most Canadian schools want young candidates who've completed bio-science degrees while participating in extra-curriculars. Accordingly, I'm open to studying in the US or farther abroad. However, I'd like to have the option to return to work in Canada without having to redo residency.

I'd very much appreciate your thoughts and suggestions.


Thank you.

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[mcmed315]

You current GPA and MCAT scores are great! But the downfall in all of this is that you don't have any science pre-reqs that are required for medical school. No matter how outstanding your numbers are, if there are no science courses in your curriculum, I'm not so sure they'll look deeply into your application.

Also, if your current GPA is 3.85 you may have to average this out with your undergrad GPA. The way the GPA factors into your application is that it is averaged and you are given two separate GPAs - cumulative and science. If you don't have any science courses under your belt, you won't have much of a science GPA to show. This may weed you out of the application process pretty quickly.

 

[Ethan1000]

Also, if your current GPA is 3.85 you may have to average this out with your undergrad GPA. The way the GPA factors into your application is that it is averaged and you are given two separate GPAs - cumulative and science. If you don't have any science courses under your belt, you won't have much of a science GPA to show. This may weed you out of the application process pretty quickly.

That might be a good thing. If my current grades are mixed in with my previous grades, then perhaps it's a good thing that SGPA is separate. It'll give me an opportunity to ensure that at least one of the two GPAs is competitive.

 

[mcmed315]

If you show an upward trend and progress, I don't think you are out of luck =)

 

[Doctor Dream]

• Studied like hell for the MCAT and scored 35.
• Zero science credits (which I could begin changing as of this summer term).

You got a 35 without taking ANY pre-reqs?

 

[jb94mg]

You got a 35 without taking ANY pre-reqs?

I know, right? I was pretty impressed by that as well. I'd be interested in knowing how he self-taught himself all of that. Feel free to share, if you're willing, OP.

With regard to US schools, OP, you could look into applying to some of the medical schools that are no longer strictly requiring courses since you haven't taken the "pre-reqs" (which is a term that I think medical schools should stop using so much anyway). Here's a list that @gyngyn compiled: East Tennessee State, The Medical University of South Carolina (in Charleston not Columbia), USC, University of Virginia, Stanford, Tulane, UCSD, U of Cincinnati, SIU, Rush, Einstein, U of Chicago, NYU, U Conn, Hofstra

 

[gyngyn]

I know, right? I was pretty impressed by that as well. I'd be interested in knowing how he self-taught himself all of that. Feel free to share, if you're willing, OP.

With regard to US schools, OP, you could look into applying to some of the medical schools that are no longer strictly requiring courses since you haven't taken the "pre-reqs" (which is a term that I think medical schools should stop using so much anyway). Here's a list that @gyngyn compiled: East Tennessee State, The Medical University of South Carolina (in Charleston not Columbia), USC, University of Virginia, Stanford, Tulane, UCSD, U of Cincinnati, SIU, Rush, Einstein, U of Chicago, NYU, U Conn, Hofstra

He will need to cross reference the ones that also accept applications from internationals (unless he has a PR card!).

 

[Mad Jack]

That might be a good thing. If my current grades are mixed in with my previous grades, then perhaps it's a good thing that SGPA is separate. It'll give me an opportunity to ensure that at least one of the two GPAs is competitive.

They must both be competitive. sGPA is more important than cGPA, but most schools have cutoffs for both. In your case, your sGPA will be even more important, as your prereqs will be your only chance to prove that you can handle difficult, graduate-level science material.

Your degree doesn't matter. Your performance on your prereqs will. Worse still, if you don't pile on the prereqs soon, your MCAT will be expired by the time you apply (most schools require one within 2-3 years of either application or matriculation, depending on the school).

 

[Mad Jack]

I know, right? I was pretty impressed by that as well. I'd be interested in knowing how he self-taught himself all of that. Feel free to share, if you're willing, OP.

With regard to US schools, OP, you could look into applying to some of the medical schools that are no longer strictly requiring courses since you haven't taken the "pre-reqs" (which is a term that I think medical schools should stop using so much anyway). Here's a list that @gyngyn compiled: East Tennessee State, The Medical University of South Carolina (in Charleston not Columbia), USC, University of Virginia, Stanford, Tulane, UCSD, U of Cincinnati, SIU, Rush, Einstein, U of Chicago, NYU, U Conn, Hofstra

So far as I knew, UConn was still requiring prereqs, unless they have a page that is more current than this one: http://medicine.uchc.edu/prospective/apply/index.html

 

[Doug Underhill]

Have you ever taken an advanced biology course in your life? Biochem, physiology, developmental biology, genetics, something like that? If you haven't even taken the prereqs, how do you know you can handle the coursework?

Math is a challenging subject, but the skillset is different.

Otherwise, your app seems good, although you need clinical experience and international students are always at a disadvantage when applying US MD. Why not Canadian MD? You have the stats for it, I think.

 

[jb94mg]

He will need to cross reference the ones that also accept applications from internationals (unless he has a PR card!).

Which, unfortunately, will probably decrease his chances of admission to a US school without the pre-reqs.

They must both be competitive. sGPA is more important than cGPA, but most schools have cutoffs for both. In your case, your sGPA will be even more important, as your prereqs will be your only chance to prove that you can handle difficult, graduate-level science material.

Your degree doesn't matter. Your performance on your prereqs will. Worse still, if you don't pile on the prereqs soon, your MCAT will be expired by the time you apply (most schools require one within 2-3 years of either application or matriculation, depending on the school).

I was thinking of that too. It seems like OP will have to at least show strong performance in a couple of the pre-reqs, though I doubt he'll be able to fit all of them in without having the MCAT score expire.

So far as I knew, UConn was still requiring prereqs, unless they have a page that is more current than this one: http://medicine.uchc.edu/prospective/apply/index.html

I guess whoever added it must've been going off of the paragraph below the requirements: "While completion of these basic prerequisite courses is considered the norm, the school may consider innovative and less traditional preparations on an individual basis. The applicant must present convincing evidence for equivalent preparation in these subject areas. Courses in biochemistry, genetics, and physiology are recommended, but not required. While an applicant may present a minimum of three years of college work, ordinarily a four-year bachelor's degree is considered a prerequisite and is strongly encouraged for entry."