Unique non-trad...should I (continue to) bother?

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spixn

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I'm trying to calculate the incalculable here, and I'm having a hard time just going by other people's experiences. Ultimately, it would be nice to hear from an ADCOM type or someone with similar experiences.

Question: What should I do from here? What are my odds of getting into a DO school?

My stats:

-28 year old white female, no distractions (husband, kids, health problems, etc), ex-Air Force (8 years), divorced, foreclosed on a house, crappy GPA as a result of using my military GI bill to help supplement my income in the past (stupid, I know).

-My cumulative GPA is 2.95, science GPA is 2.93.

-Over 200 college credits already:
-90-ish credits from Community College of the Air Force (no grades awarded for those credits, just 2 CCAF associate degrees)
-Got a mix of C's/F's in community college back in '05-'07, about 56 credits
-Online bachelor of health science with a GPA of 3.0 in 2011, 32 credits
-Finishing up a biology associate's from my current community college with a cGPA of 3.75, 56 credits total so far.

-I'm planning to transfer to a Texas state university to finish a bachelors in biology. My ridiculous amount of credits means even another 60 credits of A's will barely bring my GPA above 3.1 (not trying to sound discouraged yet... just realistic).

-Took the practice MCAT a few times, got 28-30, but am still way early in the game as far as studying.

-I live in Texas, which kinda screws me over because I want to stay in state but the DO school here (TCOM) doesn't allow grade replacement. Also not sure about my chances with allopathic schools here. However, in-state is not an absolute must.

-I work full time in a hospital as a respiratory therapist at night, so my days are free to pursue classes/EC's

-About to get into either chem or biomed research this Spring

-Know/work with docs...helpful for shadowing/LOR purposes?

HELP ME, GUYS. I want this.

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You should definitely continue. I have around your grade stats, and a 33 on the MCAT, minus all of your life experience. I applied literally the last day possible, and even I walked away with an interview. Work to get your GPA above a 3.0 with solid A's for the rest of your academic career, be sure to be scoring in the 30's consistently before you take the MCAT, and APPLY EARLY. Texas is an amazing state to be in for medical school, and you're on the right track.

Keep it up!
 
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definitely still possible! don't give up.

if I were in your shoes, I would not be focused on MD schools at this point. Even if you get your GPA up to a 3.1 when you finish your bachelor's, it will be really tough to get into an MD school with that GPA. I do know someone who did it with that exact GPA, but they had a 36 MCAT and did an SMP (special master's program)

also, you probably didn't meant to come off this way, but the "even a DO school" comment could be interpreted the wrong way. it's not like DO schools are easy to get into. my local DO program has an average GPA of 3.6 and MCAT of 28.

also, great job at maintaining a 3.75 GPA for your last 56 credits! an upward trend like that always looks good.
 
OP, your situation (poor previous grades, now trying to make up for them) is extremely common. In fact, the vast majority of your fellow nontrad posters are also attempting to overcome poor prior grades. The good news is that nontrads with academic backgrounds like yours can get into medical school *if* they are willing to do what's necessary to rehabilitate their records. Since you're open to DO schools and willing to do another two years of classes, the quickest, easiest solution to making your record competitive for med school apps is to employ a strategy of grade replacement of all those Cs, Ds, and Fs for the next two years, followed by a broad, well-targeted AACOMAS app. As an RT who regularly works with physicians, a ton of shadowing won't be especially high yield for you, but volunteering (clinical or nonclinical) is a must.

On a side note, I am considering asking Lee (founder of SDN) to ban the word "unique" from being posted in this entire forum. :smuggrin:
 
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also, you probably didn't meant to come off this way, but the "even a DO school" comment could be interpreted the wrong way. it's not like DO schools are easy to get into. my local DO program has an average GPA of 3.6 and MCAT of 28.

Ugh, you're right, and my apologies. I dunno why I even phrased it that way. My own physician is a DO.

Thank you for the encouragement! I might turn out like your friend with the 36 MCAT/SMP--I have seriously considered UNT's SMP, but I hear it's rough. I'll probably just apply there simultaneously with the med schools I'm shooting for, since it requires an MCAT and a med school-level application anyway, but I'd rather avoid ANOTHER two years of school before med school.
 
...a ton of shadowing won't be especially high yield for you, but volunteering (clinical or nonclinical) is a must.

Hmm, good to know! I'm sure I can find volunteer work somewhere around here.

On a side note, I am considering asking Lee (founder of SDN) to ban the word "unique" from being posted in this entire forum. :smuggrin:

You're right--I did see a slew of other "unique non trad" posts. Yeah, I guess it goes without saying that your situation is going to be pretty different from everyone else's the longer you've been around. ;)

Thanks, QofQuimica!
 
You should definitely continue. I have around your grade stats, and a 33 on the MCAT, minus all of your life experience. I applied literally the last day possible, and even I walked away with an interview. Work to get your GPA above a 3.0 with solid A's for the rest of your academic career, be sure to be scoring in the 30's consistently before you take the MCAT, and APPLY EARLY. Texas is an amazing state to be in for medical school, and you're on the right track.

Keep it up!

Thank you, Vakarian! And good luck. I wish I was in your shoes, applying and getting interviews already.
 
I love this, Q! "Unique" is bandied about here like "rare" is used on eBay.

On a side note, I am considering asking Lee (founder of SDN) to ban the word "unique" from being posted in this entire forum. :smuggrin:[/QUOTE]
 
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I love this, Q! "Unique" is bandied about here like "rare" is used on eBay.
Would be great if the word could be automatically replaced with something else like we do with the cuss words. Lol.

All kidding aside, OP has a point. After a decade, I should know better than to actually expect something unique. But hope still springs eternal for all of us. :p

But again, don't worry, OP. You really are in good company, and it's not too late to turn things around, especially if you do AACOMAS grade replacement.
 
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OP, your situation (poor previous grades, now trying to make up for them) is extremely common. In fact, the vast majority of your fellow nontrad posters are also attempting to overcome poor prior grades. The good news is that nontrads with academic backgrounds like yours can get into medical school *if* they are willing to do what's necessary to rehabilitate their records. Since you're open to DO schools and willing to do another two years of classes, the quickest, easiest solution to making your record competitive for med school apps is to employ a strategy of grade replacement of all those Cs, Ds, and Fs for the next two years, followed by a broad, well-targeted AACOMAS app. As an RT who regularly works with physicians, a ton of shadowing won't be especially high yield for you, but volunteering (clinical or nonclinical) is a must.

On a side note, I am considering asking Lee (founder of SDN) to ban the word "unique" from being posted in this entire forum. :smuggrin:
I love this, Q! "Unique" is bandied about here like "rare" is used on eBay.

On a side note, I am considering asking Lee (founder of SDN) to ban the word "unique" from being posted in this entire forum. :smuggrin:
[/QUOTE]


OK then, how about distinctive? When you're special, who cares what synonym you use? :p;)
 
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OK then, how about distinctive? When you're special, who cares why synonym you use? :p;)
How about "sweet"? As in, "really sweet nontrad seeks advice" or "nontrad with sweet situation". The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Too bad April is still so far away....

(with apologies to the OP now that we have entirely derailed her thread)
 
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Hilarious Q.

Better yet, have SDN automatically replace "unique" with "cliche". We'd see lots of funny threads about "Non-trad in somewhat of a Cliche situation, PLEASE HELP!!!" pop up.
 
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Hello Everyone,
This is my 1st time on SDN. I am a hopeful Non-Trad prospective student at the beginning of my journey. I would appreciate anyone who could advice me on my situation. My stats are I am 33 years old, with a foreign course work(bachelor in chemistry& entomology). Both of my CGPA and SGPA suck all the way around.(2.5). I am more mature now, and I really want to pursue my education to become a medical doctor. I know it probably sounds stupid for someone with my stats, BUT I have learned from my mistakes. I am working on getting a second bachelor degree from the US( from scratch). My GPA is really hurting me, but I took almost 16 credit hours so far. My current GPA for those 16 credit hours is 4.0. I was thinking about doing around 90 credit hours to apply to a medical school in the US.I am also thinking about Texas medical school since the state law exclude foreign coursework from the calculation of GPA.However, I do not know what are my chances in getting into Texas medical school because I am not Texas resident. Also I work full time job right now so my time is very tight to do any extracurricular , and I am taking around 12-13 credits during spring, fall semester and 6 credits during summer. Any idea if I should continue doing what I am doing or just consider something else?. Am I on the right track?.
 
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My stats:
-Got a mix of C's/F's in community college back in '05-'07, about 56 credits
-Online bachelor of health science with a GPA of 3.0 in 2011, 32 credits
-Finishing up a biology associate's from my current community college with a cGPA of 3.75, 56 credits total so far.

-I'm planning to transfer to a Texas state university to finish a bachelors in biology. My ridiculous amount of credits means even another 60 credits of A's will barely bring my GPA above 3.1 (not trying to sound discouraged yet... just realistic).
-I live in Texas, which kinda screws me over because I want to stay in state but the DO school here (TCOM) doesn't allow grade replacement. Also not sure about my chances with allopathic schools here. However, in-state is not an absolute must.
I'm sure you've heard of it, but if you haven't taken classes in Texas yet, wait just a little bit longer (I know you don't want to) and try to take advantage of the Fresh start program to get some of those old, bad grades off your record. I'd talk with an academic advisor before delaying, but it really appears to be a viable option for you. This would only help you in Texas, but since that's where you want to stay, it's worth a look. https://www.tmdsas.com/medical/texasAcFrshStrt.html

If you've already taken classes there, think about going to a DO school outside of TX that will accept grade replacement. You can still try in the TMDSAS system, but unless you get your GPA over 3.0, a lot of schools nationwide wouldn't even look at your application as that seems to be part of the applicant screening process.
 
He's already done coursework, so he isn't eligible for it. It's a great program, but grade replacement is a safe bet too. (Apply to D.O. schools, and TX schools seems to be your best route).
 
I'm trying to calculate the incalculable here, and I'm having a hard time just going by other people's experiences. Ultimately, it would be nice to hear from an ADCOM type or someone with similar experiences.

Question: What should I do from here? What are my odds of getting into a DO school?

My stats:

-28 year old white female, no distractions (husband, kids, health problems, etc), ex-Air Force (8 years), divorced, foreclosed on a house, crappy GPA as a result of using my military GI bill to help supplement my income in the past (stupid, I know).

-My cumulative GPA is 2.95, science GPA is 2.93.

-Over 200 college credits already:
-90-ish credits from Community College of the Air Force (no grades awarded for those credits, just 2 CCAF associate degrees)
-Got a mix of C's/F's in community college back in '05-'07, about 56 credits
-Online bachelor of health science with a GPA of 3.0 in 2011, 32 credits
-Finishing up a biology associate's from my current community college with a cGPA of 3.75, 56 credits total so far.

-I'm planning to transfer to a Texas state university to finish a bachelors in biology. My ridiculous amount of credits means even another 60 credits of A's will barely bring my GPA above 3.1 (not trying to sound discouraged yet... just realistic).

-Took the practice MCAT a few times, got 28-30, but am still way early in the game as far as studying.

-I live in Texas, which kinda screws me over because I want to stay in state but the DO school here (TCOM) doesn't allow grade replacement. Also not sure about my chances with allopathic schools here. However, in-state is not an absolute must.

-I work full time in a hospital as a respiratory therapist at night, so my days are free to pursue classes/EC's

-About to get into either chem or biomed research this Spring

-Know/work with docs...helpful for shadowing/LOR purposes?

HELP ME, GUYS. I want this.

Don't stress. You're on the right track.

-finish the bachelors and continue to get good grades
-retake any classes with a C or below (focus on Ds and Fs)
-get some volunteering and research if possible
-try to shadow a least a few hours in other fields (docs you don't work with as an RT)
-do your best on the MCAT

If you keep up the good grades, get a 27+ MCAT, and apply early to 15+ schools, you should have no trouble getting into multiple DO schools.

Good luck!

-fellow CCAF grad
 
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OP, you're on the right track, forge ahead. The uGPA situation is sadly all too common (myself included). And the massive amount of units is hurdle many share (again, same here). You likely won't be auto-screened out. Upward trends are good. And SMP is another option. As Q and others have pointed out, DO route with grade replacements might be the best/most direct path.

Funny, I haven't nearly the experience of others here, and indeed the "unique" situations are quite common. I wonder what actually constitutes unique at this point. I imagine this is even more obvious to those with many more years of reading apps/sdn forums. Ugh. Makes my head spin.

How about "sweet"? As in, "really sweet nontrad seeks advice" or "nontrad with sweet situation". The more I think about it, the more I like the idea. Too bad April is still so far away....

(with apologies to the OP now that we have entirely derailed her thread)
 
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