How to get accepted as non traditional Medical

[Flippinski]

30 yr old, 3.5 under gpa, 3.7 masters gpa, 3.95 post bach prerequisite gpa. No MCAT score yet (april 2015). Just got hired as medical scribe in local ER. No other medical work history. Previous competative skier, was on US Ski Team, Traveled worldwide, been ski coach, ski instructor, published 5 papers in international journals on ski safety research, started non-profit to address need of ski safety research, a top researcher in the world inski safety research..have great LOR's. Volunteer history with engineering education at Boys and Girls Club. Completed Graduate Teacher Program at University of Colorado Boulder, certified teaching at college level. Have extensive hours and history of tutoring. Want to go into Academic and clinical Medicine, pediatric subspecialty. Stanford and Dartmouth top schools. Went to UC Davis Pre Health Conference, heard Standford assistant director say they want GAMECHANGERS. How can I highlight my history to make my application stand out and show I'm a gamechanger. Any advice?

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[connerm]

Get a good MCAT score. Everything else looks good especially with the positive trend between uGPA and postbacc GPA

 

[Flippinski]

Yep. MCAT is where it comes down to. Taking the first new test of the MCAT on April 18. EEK! Kaplan test prep? Exam crackers...anyone think that the Exam Crackers Audio Osmosis was great? worth the steep price to buy it?

 

[feeling-dizzy]

Yep. MCAT is where it comes down to. Taking the first new test of the MCAT on April 18. EEK! Kaplan test prep? Exam crackers...anyone think that the Exam Crackers Audio Osmosis was great? worth the steep price to buy it?

Nope, my friend has those Audio Osmosis tape. To be honest, listen to it is very sleepy at best; and I know i cant study while sleeping

 

[dsoz]

You look good on paper. Be that good in person.

I am a former high school teacher, and now a second year med student. I didn't have nearly as much in the way of accomplishments, and I had three acceptances before I canceled all my other interviews. Granted, I did not set the bar as high as you are in the way of schools that I applied to.

One thing that I used to my advantage was my teaching background. A theme that I used in almost all my secondary essays was "In the original Latin, the term Doctor meant Teacher. I am an experienced teacher, and would like to use that communication skill to better the lives of my patients."

Good luck with the MCAT. I don't envy you for taking the new exam.

dsoz

 

[Rocketdog]

Here's a hint what I think "gamechangers" means:
Take in to consideration there has been, and continues to be, a shift in medical education: What adcoms USED to look for: the perfect 4.0 GPA, Science UG degree, yada. yada....

The SHIFT is: They want Doctors who can communicate well, in a more approachable level with patients. They want people who studied more than science. Why do you think the MCAT is changing? More sociology and psychology related courses are now being added to medical school requirements.

I think there used to be unrealistic expectations of future Doctors. Not everyone can get the most perfect scores. I'd lay bets that more and more schools out there are looking beyond the numbers to fill slots, especially since the number of new schools to open soon continues to rise.

 

[Goro]

Concur. You're doing everything the classic successful non-trad should have done.

Get a good MCAT score. Everything else looks good especially with the positive trend between uGPA and postbacc GPA

 

[Flippinski]

Thanks!

You look good on paper. Be that good in person.

I am a former high school teacher, and now a second year med student. I didn't have nearly as much in the way of accomplishments, and I had three acceptances before I canceled all my other interviews. Granted, I did not set the bar as high as you are in the way of schools that I applied to.

One thing that I used to my advantage was my teaching background. A theme that I used in almost all my secondary essays was "In the original Latin, the term Doctor meant Teacher. I am an experienced teacher, and would like to use that communication skill to better the lives of my patients."

Good luck with the MCAT. I don't envy you for taking the new exam.

dsoz

I agree. I think being a great communicator and teacher is very important, guess that's why there is more sociological and psychological aspects added to the new exam. 6 hrs isn't bad, considering to be a civil engineer, its an 8 hr exam, 8am to 530, with only one 30 minute break (it was brutal). And if you need to get your structural, its 2 days of 8 hr exams.