Here's a summary of my current situation.
Undergraduate track record is dismal. I can only point to three or so semesters where I did fairly well (more on this later). It also took me about 6.5 years to graduate with a B.S. The reason for this performance is because I dealt with chronic major depression for 8.5 years, from when I was 18-26. I am now in remission. I have been for almost three years now.
Initially in my undergraduate I was stubborn and isolated. I thought I needed to isolate myself in order to get my work done. This wasn't the case. By the time I realized the error in my ways it was too hard for me to get out of the pit I had created but I kept on struggling trying to overcome it. I was stubborn in that I didn't want to give up, period. I did take a few semesters off but they weren't productive/developmental; I just mulled. Initially I wanted to overcome depression without any prescription drugs, then I tried them for a bit but I went on and off them a few times due to stubbornness and getting the boost I thought I needed to finally overcome depression once and for all. Eventually I was prescribed Adderall and I took it for a year. Horrible drug. Constant rebound effect and it seemed the dose needed to be continually upped for the same effect. I'd have 1 day of being productive and then the next day I would be destroyed energy wise along with not being able to concentrate. It certainly didn't level me out. It was an extreme approach. God knows why I took it for a year.
Anyways, I could go on and on and analyze what I think didn't work and what I should've done differently.
Here's more back to the question at hand.
I have repeated classes. I have failed/withdrawn from classes. I have dropped out of classes. I have taken semesters off.
However, I know personally when I was dealing with depression I can point to three semesters when I did well, took a full load or one credit short and got between a 3.3-3.5. I know there's not a fault in terms of my ability to comprehend and utilize health/science related information.
So... starting last summer I decided to kick things into gear more and prove myself a bit and be more representative of what I could've done academically/otherwise in my undergrad if I hadn't been dealing with depression.
Last summer I worked full time (nothing special... dental claims associate), volunteered 10 hours a week as a Clinical Research Associate in a metropolitan hospital ER, and I went to school full time too (statistics & microbiology... both of which I'd never taken before). I excelled in this venture. I got a 4.0 in terms of GPA & I was well liked as a Research Associate that they accepted me into the program again for the fall. That fall I no longer worked at my job simply because of scheduling issues with me wanting to go back to school full time for another semester. So that fall I went back to the University of MN again, full time, took a full load (American Literature 1, Nutrition, Immunology, Common Prescription Drugs & Diseases, and Public Health - Personal and Community Health). I also continued to volunteer in the ER and did that 8 hours/week with 1-2 overnights a month (~10 hours/week average). I did extremely well academically that fall, 3.834 GPA. I had never done that well before and was proud of what I could do when I wasn't depressed off my ass. So, I had 7 months of continuous progress, no regression in terms of depression...
Anyways... that's my situation as of last December. Initially I was going to apply to PA school immediately last summer but decided to wait to get a job with patient care experience (now I've been working as a dialysis patient care tech for 3 months). I have taken practice GRE tests and have scored ~157. My test is scheduled for the 24th of this month. I will apply to PA school next year.
I'm just wondering though... if I shouldn't take the MCAT. My reasoning would be that taking it would further prove I know the material representative of what I should've learned in my undergraduate. That even though I have failed/withdrawn/etc. I know (well can relearn) the material representative of a doctor but I want to go the PA route (hopefully surgical PA).
Any comments would be much appreciated. I have no idea how schools would view candidates like myself. In the past I definitely had a disability. Luckily I was able to overcome it and now have a loving fiance.
Undergraduate track record is dismal. I can only point to three or so semesters where I did fairly well (more on this later). It also took me about 6.5 years to graduate with a B.S. The reason for this performance is because I dealt with chronic major depression for 8.5 years, from when I was 18-26. I am now in remission. I have been for almost three years now.
Initially in my undergraduate I was stubborn and isolated. I thought I needed to isolate myself in order to get my work done. This wasn't the case. By the time I realized the error in my ways it was too hard for me to get out of the pit I had created but I kept on struggling trying to overcome it. I was stubborn in that I didn't want to give up, period. I did take a few semesters off but they weren't productive/developmental; I just mulled. Initially I wanted to overcome depression without any prescription drugs, then I tried them for a bit but I went on and off them a few times due to stubbornness and getting the boost I thought I needed to finally overcome depression once and for all. Eventually I was prescribed Adderall and I took it for a year. Horrible drug. Constant rebound effect and it seemed the dose needed to be continually upped for the same effect. I'd have 1 day of being productive and then the next day I would be destroyed energy wise along with not being able to concentrate. It certainly didn't level me out. It was an extreme approach. God knows why I took it for a year.
Anyways, I could go on and on and analyze what I think didn't work and what I should've done differently.
Here's more back to the question at hand.
I have repeated classes. I have failed/withdrawn from classes. I have dropped out of classes. I have taken semesters off.
However, I know personally when I was dealing with depression I can point to three semesters when I did well, took a full load or one credit short and got between a 3.3-3.5. I know there's not a fault in terms of my ability to comprehend and utilize health/science related information.
So... starting last summer I decided to kick things into gear more and prove myself a bit and be more representative of what I could've done academically/otherwise in my undergrad if I hadn't been dealing with depression.
Last summer I worked full time (nothing special... dental claims associate), volunteered 10 hours a week as a Clinical Research Associate in a metropolitan hospital ER, and I went to school full time too (statistics & microbiology... both of which I'd never taken before). I excelled in this venture. I got a 4.0 in terms of GPA & I was well liked as a Research Associate that they accepted me into the program again for the fall. That fall I no longer worked at my job simply because of scheduling issues with me wanting to go back to school full time for another semester. So that fall I went back to the University of MN again, full time, took a full load (American Literature 1, Nutrition, Immunology, Common Prescription Drugs & Diseases, and Public Health - Personal and Community Health). I also continued to volunteer in the ER and did that 8 hours/week with 1-2 overnights a month (~10 hours/week average). I did extremely well academically that fall, 3.834 GPA. I had never done that well before and was proud of what I could do when I wasn't depressed off my ass. So, I had 7 months of continuous progress, no regression in terms of depression...
Anyways... that's my situation as of last December. Initially I was going to apply to PA school immediately last summer but decided to wait to get a job with patient care experience (now I've been working as a dialysis patient care tech for 3 months). I have taken practice GRE tests and have scored ~157. My test is scheduled for the 24th of this month. I will apply to PA school next year.
I'm just wondering though... if I shouldn't take the MCAT. My reasoning would be that taking it would further prove I know the material representative of what I should've learned in my undergraduate. That even though I have failed/withdrawn/etc. I know (well can relearn) the material representative of a doctor but I want to go the PA route (hopefully surgical PA).
Any comments would be much appreciated. I have no idea how schools would view candidates like myself. In the past I definitely had a disability. Luckily I was able to overcome it and now have a loving fiance.
