Convoluted admissions question

[Biocompatible]

I am in great need of advice. I was recidivous until I had a near death experience in the form of a car crash in 2005, which I feel saved my life. I have an assault charge (never hit anyone), two simple possession of marijuana charges, and a DUI along with other more trivial offenses such as noise violation and leaving the scene of an accident (my wreck - I was incoherent and do not remember this) from my misguided youth that date back over a decade. After my wreck, I sobered up, got my head on straight, and got back in school.

At this point, I am a completely different person in all regards and am sure the people in my professional life would be shocked to learn of my criminal history. I was even selected by the chair of the biomedical engineering department to be his teachers aid while he served as interim dean for the engineering college.

My undergraduate GPA is low (~3.3) due to coursework that extends back to 2001 from my first (failed) attempt at college, but I earned a 3.9 during my junior and senior years, including my med school prereqs. I have an undergrad BCMP of ~3.75. I went on to earn a Masters in Biomedical Engineering in Dec 2013 with a 3.9 overall GPA as well. I have since been interning in engineering industry well enough to get a feel for the lifestyle and have decided that I will regret not pursuing a career in medicine. My reasoning for not directly following this career path regards my mile-long wrap sheet, as I was operating under the logic that my chances were/are/will be nil.

Due to timing conflicts, I will have to wait to apply to medical school until the 2017 cycle. I know it doesn't affect my eligibility, but for perspective - I am currently 32. I plan on taking the MCAT in the Spring of 2016.

The questions I have are:

Does my criminal record bar me from matriculation?

How would performing well in a one year Masters of Public Health or Masters of Pharmacology program during the 2016 school year aid me in being accepted and would it be recommended?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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[GreenDuck12]

Hopefully others who are more knowledgeable with ADCOMs will chime in but, from a novice perspective, it seems as though you have already shown your academic abilities with your junior/senior/graduate years. Your graduate program, while useful in demonstrating your academic abilities, does not have an impact on your undergraduate cumulative gpa. Doing an additional masters program will add very little to your application as you already have a high graduate gpa. I think your energy would be better spent preparing for the MCAT.

I am in great need of advice. I was recidivous until I had a near death experience in the form of a car crash in 2006, which I attribute to saving my life. I have two simple possession of marijuana charges and a DUI from my misguided youth that date back over a decade.

My undergraduate GPA is low (~3.3) due to coursework that extends back to 2001 from my first attempt at college, but I have a 3.9 during my junior and senior years and an overall BCMP of ~3.75. I went on to earn a Masters in Biomedical Engineering in Dec 2013 with a 3.9 overall GPA. I have since been interning in the engineering industry and have decided that I will regret not pursuing a career in medicine. Due to timing conflicts, I will have to wait to apply to medical school until the 2017 cycle. I know it doesn't affect my eligibility, but for perspective - I am currently 32. I plan on taking the MCAT in the Spring of 2016.

The questions I have are:

Does my recidivous past bar me from matriculation?

How would performing well in a one year Masters of Public Health or Masters of Pharmacology program during the 2016 school year aid me in being accepted and would it be recommended?

Thank you for your time and consideration.

 

[Biocompatible]

I understand that my performance on the MCAT is crucial, however I was unsure if being out of school for so long would reflect negatively on me. There will be almost 4 years between the completion of my Masters and matriculation in 2017. I do appreciate your suggestion as the cheaper option though, and would much rather spend my efforts volunteering and gaining clinical experience while preparing for the MCAT.

Hopefully others who are more knowledgeable with ADCOMs will chime in but, from a novice perspective, it seems as though you have already shown your academic abilities with your junior/senior/graduate years. Your graduate program, while useful in demonstrating your academic abilities, does not have an impact on your undergraduate cumulative gpa. Doing an additional masters program will add very little to your application as you already have a high graduate gpa. I think your energy would be better spent preparing for the MCAT.

 

[Goro]

No

Does my criminal record bar me from matriculation?

It will depend upon the schools you apply to. DO schools will view these more favorably, but personally, I think the MS in Pharm will be more useful should you find/decide that Medicine isn't for you. The problem with MPHs is that they're not as rigorous as they could/should be.


Ideally, you should do a SMP, preferably one at a medical school. In essence, they're auditions for med school. Ace this, and the MCAT, and there are MD (and all DO) programs that reward reinvention.

How would performing well in a one year Masters of Public Health or Masters of Pharmacology program during the 2016 school year aid me in being accepted and would it be recommended?

 

[CajunMedic]

Does my criminal record bar me from matriculation?

One thing that I did, that might help you when it comes up in an interview (trust me, it will) is research where you want to go to school or may possibly consider residency. Then look at those states medical licensing boards and see if any of your charges will keep you from getting licensed in those states. It was a good way to conclude the explanation of my record.

 

[Biocompatible]

The local MD school here offers a SMP which has a 75% acceptance rate. From what I have heard from the Assistant Dean for Admissions, they do consider individuals like myself who have turned over a new leaf. Maybe there is still hope!

Ideally, you should do a SMP, preferably one at a medical school. In essence, they're auditions for med school. Ace this, and the MCAT, and there are MD (and all DO) programs that reward reinvention.

From what I have read, my state would allow me to get my license as long as I have no felony convictions, provided I was honest with them about my situation and no longer exhibit signs of moral turpitude. I am definitely going to speak to a lawyer that is more knowledgeable on the matter before I sink 30-40 grand into this SMP, though. If you know of states that have less strict licensure policies, I would like to hear them. Thanks!

One thing that I did, that might help you when it comes up in an interview (trust me, it will) is research where you want to go to school or may possibly consider residency. Then look at those states medical licensing boards and see if any of your charges will keep you from getting licensed in those states. It was a good way to conclude the explanation of my record.

 

[Goro]

I think that you're good to go!

The local MD school here offers a SMP which has a 75% acceptance rate. From what I have heard from the Assistant Dean for Admissions, they do consider individuals like myself who have turned over a new leaf. Maybe there is still hope!!