Nontraddy2020
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2019
- Messages
- 2
- Reaction score
- 1
Disclaimer: This is a bit of a read
Hello,
So I am a relatively young (23 going on 24) non traditional applicant. It has actually been a bit of a ride for me and medicine. I had been pre-med in undergrad but was in it for the wrong reasons (parental pressure, comfortable salary, pride). I had also been diagnosed with depression and anxiety at this time which put a lot of emotional stress on my life. Long story short, I realized this wasn't what I wanted, at least not in this way, and decided not to pursue medicine unless I returned to it on my own terms. However, I decided this late (second half of junior year), and my grades were already less than stellar because I just wasn't truly motivated to study. I was in a major I didn't truly care for and pursuing a career that I wasn't sure I wanted. I picked up a second major in Human Development and started doing far better. I was engaged in the classes and became a very strong student. It was through these courses that dealt with societal issues that I learned how important healthcare was to individual success. And ultimately through this major, a non-science major, that I began to recommit to the idea of medicine. After my double degree was complete, I pursued work experience in various fields, nonprofit through Americorps, and then a temporary job as an administrative assistant in a college advising office, and then as a medical scribe in a clinic. I was already creating a path to med school but my medical scribe job was what really pushed me to want to be in the field. It was not a typical emergency room scribe job, as we were in a clinic and it was extremely hands on. I did vitals, ran tests, and assisted with procedures. I was able to see medicine put into practice and feel at least one aspect of the field. I won't ramble on about this job (because I can). But I had to leave after 4 months because I was attending graduate school 3 hours away. I got a job in a Detox clinic to get some clinical experience from a different spectrum of treatment and I believed I was on the right track in terms of experience for medical school.
Recently I've been feeling unsure of my path. I am currently enrolled in a Graduate Health Systems Science Program in order to gain some knowledge and experience I feel will be useful in my career. I'm doing well in the program, but I've been wondering if I should have done a post-bacc instead to boost my undergrad science GPA which is around a 3.0/3.1. I'm getting ready to take the MCAT in April, and I've been studying (shooting for a 514 or above) but I'm starting to feel as though even with a good MCAT score I won't get in. I feel like if I get to the interview stage I could prove myself a worthy candidate. But at this point I don't know if my current grades will even get me there. Should I drop out of my Masters and pursue a Post-bacc? or stick with my path, work hard, and hope for the best?
Hello,
So I am a relatively young (23 going on 24) non traditional applicant. It has actually been a bit of a ride for me and medicine. I had been pre-med in undergrad but was in it for the wrong reasons (parental pressure, comfortable salary, pride). I had also been diagnosed with depression and anxiety at this time which put a lot of emotional stress on my life. Long story short, I realized this wasn't what I wanted, at least not in this way, and decided not to pursue medicine unless I returned to it on my own terms. However, I decided this late (second half of junior year), and my grades were already less than stellar because I just wasn't truly motivated to study. I was in a major I didn't truly care for and pursuing a career that I wasn't sure I wanted. I picked up a second major in Human Development and started doing far better. I was engaged in the classes and became a very strong student. It was through these courses that dealt with societal issues that I learned how important healthcare was to individual success. And ultimately through this major, a non-science major, that I began to recommit to the idea of medicine. After my double degree was complete, I pursued work experience in various fields, nonprofit through Americorps, and then a temporary job as an administrative assistant in a college advising office, and then as a medical scribe in a clinic. I was already creating a path to med school but my medical scribe job was what really pushed me to want to be in the field. It was not a typical emergency room scribe job, as we were in a clinic and it was extremely hands on. I did vitals, ran tests, and assisted with procedures. I was able to see medicine put into practice and feel at least one aspect of the field. I won't ramble on about this job (because I can). But I had to leave after 4 months because I was attending graduate school 3 hours away. I got a job in a Detox clinic to get some clinical experience from a different spectrum of treatment and I believed I was on the right track in terms of experience for medical school.
Recently I've been feeling unsure of my path. I am currently enrolled in a Graduate Health Systems Science Program in order to gain some knowledge and experience I feel will be useful in my career. I'm doing well in the program, but I've been wondering if I should have done a post-bacc instead to boost my undergrad science GPA which is around a 3.0/3.1. I'm getting ready to take the MCAT in April, and I've been studying (shooting for a 514 or above) but I'm starting to feel as though even with a good MCAT score I won't get in. I feel like if I get to the interview stage I could prove myself a worthy candidate. But at this point I don't know if my current grades will even get me there. Should I drop out of my Masters and pursue a Post-bacc? or stick with my path, work hard, and hope for the best?
Feel free to PM me if you have any questions or want more details!
