I suppose I'll start off with some basic Stats so I can get the bad news out of the way..
Using the amcas GPA calculator that was posted in another thread, my current GPA's are as follows:
cGPA: 2.8
sGPA: 3.5
Wait! I can explain!
My first year out of high school (~7 years ago) as a nursing major I had recently joined a band in hopes of becoming a "rock star"... as we can all see now, that dream didn't exactly pan out... after several months of playing shows on weekends and touring during my breaks while attempting a full time schedule, my GPA suffered tremendously (ultimately leading to an academic suspension that i was not aware of at the time). During this time I left the university and went for the musician lifestyle with all I had (a legitimate tour under an independent label), leading to an eventual realization that this was not going to work out and that I needed to get my life together.
Fast forward to where I focus myself and do well enough to be accepted into my local community college Surgical Technology program (which only accepted 16 applicants out of several hundred after a GPA screening as well as a panel interview process) in which I set myself apart enough to be hired by a hospital before I even graduate from the program (in 2011). This program is what makes me realize I am capable of academic success and also would love to become a physician.
Fast forward again to where I decide to stop taking night classes while working full time and decide to go back to my university I originally attended full time and go PRN at work (I currently work two 12-hour shifts on saturday and sunday nights). This is where I start the bulk of my pre-reqs for medical school as well as start doing volunteer hours and have been VP of a biological honor society on my campus for a year now as well as shadowing during last summer and research that I started this spring.
Here are my current stats after this long explanation of that terrible cGPA:
MCAT: I plan to take it this July ( I have taken a practice MCAT with kaplan and scored a 30 without having studied much at all yet, I have all of their prep material as well as TPR's book set)
Physician Shadowing: 50+ hours over last summer with a Family Practice Physician (my pre-med advisor said that since I have such a high amount of clinical experience in surgery that Family Practice would be the route to go to be more well rounded as an applicant).
Research: Currently doing biochemical research after being asked to come onto the research team by my Biochem professor due to high performance in his course. (roughly 8-10 hours per week)
Nonclinical volunteer activities: Several community outreach programs that are ongoing to clean up local parks and streams in the area throughout the past 2 years (most of which I actually organized myself as VP of the group mentioned previously) as well as highway clean up and participation in programs to go to local public schools and teach them about science and medical careers available.
Employment: 4 years experience as a Certified Surgical Technologist (with an Associates degree) with easily over 2000+ hours in all surgical specialties both as a surgical tech and as a first assist in some cases (most of which are trauma/emergency cases due to me working nights).
I plan on applying to all Texas MD and DO schools and am currently trying to find out of state schools that wouldn't laugh at that cGPA. I also have been looking into doing the Post-Bac program at UNT as a back up plan if all else fails after I graduate next spring.
My advisor seems to think that all hope is not lost, and I would love to be optimistic, but I would really like to possibly hear from some other people with experience what, if anything, can be done or is to be expected from this point on.
Do I stand a chance or will my terrible first year doom me for eternity? Do these medical schools have a computer that just automatically deletes my application with a GPA that low? Are my work experience and EC's enough to weigh in at all?
Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!
Using the amcas GPA calculator that was posted in another thread, my current GPA's are as follows:
cGPA: 2.8
sGPA: 3.5
Wait! I can explain!
My first year out of high school (~7 years ago) as a nursing major I had recently joined a band in hopes of becoming a "rock star"... as we can all see now, that dream didn't exactly pan out... after several months of playing shows on weekends and touring during my breaks while attempting a full time schedule, my GPA suffered tremendously (ultimately leading to an academic suspension that i was not aware of at the time). During this time I left the university and went for the musician lifestyle with all I had (a legitimate tour under an independent label), leading to an eventual realization that this was not going to work out and that I needed to get my life together.
Fast forward to where I focus myself and do well enough to be accepted into my local community college Surgical Technology program (which only accepted 16 applicants out of several hundred after a GPA screening as well as a panel interview process) in which I set myself apart enough to be hired by a hospital before I even graduate from the program (in 2011). This program is what makes me realize I am capable of academic success and also would love to become a physician.
Fast forward again to where I decide to stop taking night classes while working full time and decide to go back to my university I originally attended full time and go PRN at work (I currently work two 12-hour shifts on saturday and sunday nights). This is where I start the bulk of my pre-reqs for medical school as well as start doing volunteer hours and have been VP of a biological honor society on my campus for a year now as well as shadowing during last summer and research that I started this spring.
Here are my current stats after this long explanation of that terrible cGPA:
MCAT: I plan to take it this July ( I have taken a practice MCAT with kaplan and scored a 30 without having studied much at all yet, I have all of their prep material as well as TPR's book set)
Physician Shadowing: 50+ hours over last summer with a Family Practice Physician (my pre-med advisor said that since I have such a high amount of clinical experience in surgery that Family Practice would be the route to go to be more well rounded as an applicant).
Research: Currently doing biochemical research after being asked to come onto the research team by my Biochem professor due to high performance in his course. (roughly 8-10 hours per week)
Nonclinical volunteer activities: Several community outreach programs that are ongoing to clean up local parks and streams in the area throughout the past 2 years (most of which I actually organized myself as VP of the group mentioned previously) as well as highway clean up and participation in programs to go to local public schools and teach them about science and medical careers available.
Employment: 4 years experience as a Certified Surgical Technologist (with an Associates degree) with easily over 2000+ hours in all surgical specialties both as a surgical tech and as a first assist in some cases (most of which are trauma/emergency cases due to me working nights).
I plan on applying to all Texas MD and DO schools and am currently trying to find out of state schools that wouldn't laugh at that cGPA. I also have been looking into doing the Post-Bac program at UNT as a back up plan if all else fails after I graduate next spring.
My advisor seems to think that all hope is not lost, and I would love to be optimistic, but I would really like to possibly hear from some other people with experience what, if anything, can be done or is to be expected from this point on.
Do I stand a chance or will my terrible first year doom me for eternity? Do these medical schools have a computer that just automatically deletes my application with a GPA that low? Are my work experience and EC's enough to weigh in at all?
Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated!
