Chances of a Non-Trad?

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suchomski

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Hey Guys,
So here's my situation. I'm currently in my 5th undergrad year due to a transfer process and unaccepted transfer credits. I am currently looking at a 3.05 cGPA and a 2.96 sGPA after this semester. The trend looks sort of like a U. I did really well my freshman year at a school away from home and had to come back home to help my family financially. I was pulling about 25-30 hour work weeks my sophomore and junior year along with my studies as a biomedical sciences major. I will be EMT certified after this semester and work currently at a pharmacy as a pharmacy tech (3 years experience). I am planning on applying to a post-bacc program at Cornell and a few other schools. If I do extremely well in this program (3.8+ GPA), and the MCAT score I get rocks (38+ the program helps with studying for the MCAT), could anybody tell me what my chances might be applying to MD schools? I figured after another 32 credits of A grades my cGPA will look like a 3.21 and my sGPA about a 3.11. Is my GPA and experiences and post-bacc work enough for me to be considered for an interview?

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Hey Guys,
So here's my situation. I'm currently in my 5th undergrad year due to a transfer process and unaccepted transfer credits. I am currently looking at a 3.05 cGPA and a 2.96 sGPA after this semester. The trend looks sort of like a U. I did really well my freshman year at a school away from home and had to come back home to help my family financially. I was pulling about 25-30 hour work weeks my sophomore and junior year along with my studies as a biomedical sciences major. I will be EMT certified after this semester and work currently at a pharmacy as a pharmacy tech (3 years experience). I am planning on applying to a post-bacc program at Cornell and a few other schools. If I do extremely well in this program (3.8+ GPA), and the MCAT score I get rocks (38+ the program helps with studying for the MCAT), could anybody tell me what my chances might be applying to MD schools? I figured after another 32 credits of A grades my cGPA will look like a 3.21 and my sGPA about a 3.11. Is my GPA and experiences and post-bacc work enough for me to be considered for an interview?
Stats-wise alone, with your proposed numbers, some MD schools would interview you.

EC-wise, Pharm Tech doesn't provide much in the way of active patient experience for most who hold that position. And EMT certification won't help you if you don't use it in an employment or volunteer situation. Do you have any volunteer service, research, teaching, leadership, physician shadowing, or active clinical experience helping sick and injured folks that you haven't mentioned?
 
What are examples of active clinical experience? @Catalystik

I'm currently in the process of deciding which ECs to focus on and seeing if I need to add or take away some so some guidance in this respect would be great.
 
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What are examples of active clinical experience? @Catalystik
Active Clinical Experience comes from actively engaging patients in a helpful way.

You can get clinical experience with sick and injured folks through the workplace, for class credit, data gathering for a clinical trial, or via volunteerism. It can be gained at a free, family-planning, or private clinic, surgicenter, hospice, hospital, VA, residential home, rehabilitation facility, skilled-level nursing home, among others.

Clinical patient experience is not always gained in a medical environment, eg EMT, battle field medic, home hospice care, physical therapy aide, or special camp environments. In such a case, it's probably a good idea to acquire some experience in a clinical milieu where doctors work, like those listed above, though some med schools feel shadowing might cover this.

senzen, If you have questions specific to your own situation and whether it would qualify, feel free to post further on one of your own threads.
 
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Okay, I will! I know I ask general questions like that on other threads, is it okay if I continue to do that (because I do that often!)? I always tend to ask because I feel like that information would benefit others on the thread as well!

But when I have specific questions in regards to my own situation I will surely post a new thread!!! Thank you always for helping! I'm still trying to secure some activities this semester so I will post a thread about my situation soon! @Catalystik
 
Okay, I will! I know I ask general questions like that on other threads, is it okay if I continue to do that (because I do that often!)? I always tend to ask because I feel like that information would benefit others on the thread as well!

But when I have specific questions in regards to my own situation I will surely post a new thread!!! Thank you always for helping! I'm still trying to secure some activities this semester so I will post a thread about my situation soon! @Catalystik
Requests for generalizable information pertinent to an OP's questions probably won't be viewed as sidetracking a thread.
 
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There are MD schools that reward reinvention, along with a high MCAT.
DO schools will be more sympathetic, especially if any F/D/C science coursework is retaken for a higher grade.
Concerning that 38+MCAT, even 33+ will suffice. A 38 is like the 97th or so %ile. Words are easy, doing hard.

Hey Guys,
So here's my situation. I'm currently in my 5th undergrad year due to a transfer process and unaccepted transfer credits. I am currently looking at a 3.05 cGPA and a 2.96 sGPA after this semester. The trend looks sort of like a U. I did really well my freshman year at a school away from home and had to come back home to help my family financially. I was pulling about 25-30 hour work weeks my sophomore and junior year along with my studies as a biomedical sciences major. I will be EMT certified after this semester and work currently at a pharmacy as a pharmacy tech (3 years experience). I am planning on applying to a post-bacc program at Cornell and a few other schools. If I do extremely well in this program (3.8+ GPA), and the MCAT score I get rocks (38+ the program helps with studying for the MCAT), could anybody tell me what my chances might be applying to MD schools? I figured after another 32 credits of A grades my cGPA will look like a 3.21 and my sGPA about a 3.11. Is my GPA and experiences and post-bacc work enough for me to be considered for an interview?
 
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I was under the impression that "non-trad" was reserved for more literal non traditional routes. Does taking an extra year for your undergraduate with no breaks (i.e you didn't do 3 years then go work for 4 years and now you're back to finish your last two) consider you an non-trad?

Also, do you plan on actually using your emt-basic? Or did you get the certification to pad your app?
 
I was under the impression that "non-trad" was reserved for more literal non traditional routes. Does taking an extra year for your undergraduate with no breaks (i.e you didn't do 3 years then go work for 4 years and now you're back to finish your last two) consider you an non-trad?
The "Nontraditional" tag as SDN intends it to be used implies deciding on medicine after engaging in another career for awhile, not counting internships, student teaching, 5-7 year college experiences, postbacs, or other educational experiences. Many premeds, however, think that one is a nontraditional applicant if they don't go straight to med school after 4 years in college.
 
The "Nontraditional" tag as SDN intends it to be used implies deciding on medicine after engaging in another career for awhile, not counting internships, student teaching, 5-7 year college experiences, postbacs, or other educational experiences. Many premeds, however, think that one is a nontraditional applicant if they don't go straight to med school after 4 years in college.
Okay good, that was my interpretation of it. So the OP is not a "non-trad" then ...
 
Sorry I didn't realize what a non-trad specifically meant. Would any of you be able to give insight on the "disadvantaged" status of an application?
 
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