MD, rough middle, heartache, but still chasing the dream!

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WastedPremed

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So, this is weird, but let me tell you all a bunch of stuff about me!


Graduated in 2014 with a B.S. in Biology and a concentration in Education. Was torn between Medicine/Education, decided to teach for a bit, decide my future from there. Currently a Teach for America Fellow in Honolulu, Hawaii teaching 7 grade science. I love it here, all the teachers are young professionals, and oddly enough... a few of us have medical ambitions! I assistant coach Basketball, and am the club the sponsor of Academic Quiz Bowl! I'm very fulfilled right now.


Now, onto the stats. I've taken the MCAT 3 times (I know, OUCH). The first time I took it, I scored a 22, the second time was a month later, I scored a 25. The reason behind this was I was scrambling to activate a Guaranteed Acceptance Medical thing, I needed a 26, but never made it. In the end, it's the best thing that could've happened to me! I've changed a lot this past year, become a real adult, gotten into fitness, take care of myself, am kinder to others, care more about morality, and I just recently got engaged. None of that would've happened to me if I was sitting in a Medical School lecture that I didn't really deserve anyway. So, after that catastrophe, me having an existential crisis, and finally changing my life, I took a year to teach, and studied for my MCAT during that time. Thankfully, I scored a 35 (VR- 11, BS – 12, PS – 12). Everyday after lesson plans, I used to study for three hours, and an acceptance to medical school will finally be one I truly deserve.


Anyways, as far as extracurricular, I volunteered at a hospital in my homestate of Virginia for 400 hours over 5 years. And, I've been an Emergency EMT in Honolulu for a year. I also volunteer at our local food pantry, and have been shadowed a Pediatrician, Cardiologist, and General Internist, one of whom is writing my recommendation. My other three recommendations are strong as well, one from a professor, one from a boss involved in my teaching career, and the last from my hospital coordinator.


GPA...Ok, so I really slacked junior year because of personal problems with a boyfriend at the time. That led to me getting a C+ in Organic I and II and a C on Anatomy. At Graduation, my cGPA is 3.71, and my sGPA is 3.58. Also, I am currently pursuing my M.Ed at University of Hawaii at Manoa.


In my personal statements, I write about how I want to be a National Health Service Corps Scholar, and want to practice in underserved areas. I also speak about coming from a poor family and facing issues of Islamaphobia (should I not talk about this?? I feel like I am a URM because I've faced so much adversity in school because of this and racism).


My list of schools that I am applying to are (in order of how bad I want them):


UMD

Georgetown

GWU

UVA

Pittsburgh

Chicago

University of Illinois

VCU

Howard

Carbondale

Rush

University of Kentucky




So, in the list, I am a bit geographically limited, basically because I have to think about my fiance's career as well, he's a computer engineer who wants to stay on the East Coast as much as possible..



Realistically, what do you all think my chances are? I've had issues with MCAT as well as GPA. Also, I would be applying for next cycle, I have to finish my TFA agreement.

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Since you're a Virginia resident, you should remove SIU since they are strongly biased towards residents of Southern Illinois. I believe that it is a similar story for Kentucky.

You have an interesting story, but some schools may hold your initial MCAT attempts against you. However, your score improvement is significant.
 
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Thank you. Bump. Any other advice? Really scared abou tnumber of MCAT trials.
 
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Thank you. Bump. Any other advice? Really scared abou tnumber of MCAT trials.
That is a reasonable concern. The combination of geographic restriction and 2 bad scores ties our hands for further recommendations, though.
 
The retakes are probably going to be averaged by most schools, which will hurt.
Goro suggests:


VCU
Rush
EVMS
VCOM
Any other DO school, especially VCOM-SC, PCOM, PCOM-GA, KYCOM
LMU-DeBusk, LECOM, NYCOM, Touro-NY, LECOM-B, NOVAcom,
Wake Forest
NYMC
Albany
Penn State
Drexel
Jefferson
Tufts
Temple
Va Tech
Hofstra
Rosy Franklin
Creighton
U Miami
Tulane

Note: beggers can't be choosy
 
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