To apply or not to apply...

Applying to Med School? Get In Or Your Money Back
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KHep

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I'm looking for some feedback as to whether or not I should apply to DO school this year. When I was originally in school (10 yrs ago), I was not headed in this direction. I was a psych major. Between my junior and senior year I was assaulted. I went back to school to complete my senior year, but hadn't completed the trial against my attacker and ended up falling into a depression...took a medical first semester. I got counseling over X-mas break, went back again, didn't complete my classes because I admitted myself to a psych ward for suicidal ideation. This was in 1996. I got married had two kids, became a housewife. My entire adult life has been spent in Dr's offices. First, taking care of my Grandmother and then problems with my kids' health. I went back to school to do my prereqs last year. I completed my year of Bio, Gen Chem, Organic, and Physics. I got A's in all of my classes for a total of like 38 hrs. But, that last semester in the Spring of 1996 accounts for 17 hrs of F. So, here I am, 30 years old, with 139 semester hours, but no degree. I took the MCAT in April and only got a 25O.
V-10, PS-7, BS-8 WS-O. Is there any chance in hell that I would be accepted to a DO school? I also started a Pr-med club at my school last year and was President of the club. I don't know how much that will help. I'm a foster mom, I went on a medical mission to Honduras in Feb. Did some volunteering at a nursing home. But, that is it for ECs. I know you guys probably get sick of looking at people's statistics and life stories, but I would so so appreciate your comments. I don't know what to do. I feel like I should just throw in the towel. But, I REALLY want to be a Dr.

Thank You!
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if you REALLY want to become a doctor then APPLY. you have nothing to lose.
 
Ya, I guess you are right. I would just lose time, money, and maybe some dignity when I get rejected :D I guess I am afraid of wasting the effort.

So, I failed to mention that my Cum is only a 2.76, but my science is a 3.76; not that it necessarily makes anything different. Thanks again.
 
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First, I really think you are going to need to finish your degree. VERY few people get accepted without completing their bachelors, and those who do have stellar stats. Secondly, what is your overall gpa and science gpa like. I would have to say if it they are below like 3.4, your going to have to get your MCAT up to compensate. Admissions people have told me they like to see a 27+ with people that have GPA's in the 3.1-3.4 range.


Edit: I see your gpa now. I stand by the advice I gave. Finish that degree, get that overall up to a 3.0, and get a 27+ on the MCAT and you should be good to go. The 25 may be ok if you get that gpa up, its up to you if you think retaking would be beneficial.
 
i agree. if you want to be a doctor, definitely apply. you have finished the prereqs and done well, you have clinical experience and real life experience. i think you should base your decision completely on whether or not osteopathic medicine is something you truly want to do and not just on whether or not you think you can get in somewhere. no one here can say with any certainty whether any of us will get in somewhere.

as far as not having a degree, that may cause some concern. is there any way you can finish the few credits you need to complete your degree? but regardless, i think many schools would be willing to overlook that since you have shown good academic achievement recently especially in the prereq science classes. so i would say go for it.
 
Thanks for the comments; I definitely appreciate it.

I plan on taking courses towards the completion of my BA this year. Presuming all goes as planned, I should have a BA by May 2005. The very latest would be July2005.

I guess I was hoping that the adcoms might forgive the fact that I don't have a Bachelor's degree yet, because of my age and background.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to best go about explaining that awful senior year? I'm not sure how I should approach it. Do I talk about the assault?

Thanks,

Kelly
 
KHep said:
Thanks for the comments; I definitely appreciate it.

I plan on taking courses towards the completion of my BA this year. Presuming all goes as planned, I should have a BA by May 2005. The very latest would be July2005.

I guess I was hoping that the adcoms might forgive the fact that I don't have a Bachelor's degree yet, because of my age and background.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to best go about explaining that awful senior year? I'm not sure how I should approach it. Do I talk about the assault?

Thanks,

Kelly
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You just need to complete it before you matriculate. I would not mention the assault, but maybe say you had personal issues at that time.
 
But, how many people with "personal issues" would just up and fail their entire semester. Will adcoms buy that?
 
KHep said:
But, how many people with "personal issues" would just up and fail their entire semester. Will adcoms buy that?
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Talk about the assault if you feel its right. IMHO it is too personal to write about in an application to a peofessional school, but it is your decision, so do what you think is best :D
 
I'm sure you are right. I am just looking to find a solution to that explains those dismal grades. I don't want them to think that I just said, "Aw, hell, I don't give a blink'n ....whether or not I graduate."
 
KHep said:
I'm sure you are right. I am just looking to find a solution to that explains those dismal grades. I don't want them to think that I just said, "Aw, hell, I don't give a blink'n ....whether or not I graduate."
Click to expand...

I had a bad junior year. What I said was something like "My junior year was especially challenging because my wife and I had medical problems that demanded our time, money, and attention" Just keep it simple, and if you did well during all the other years, I don't think they will hold the bad year against you too much. However, you really should get back in school to finish that degree, and let the ADCOMS know you are doing it.
 
Yep. I'm registered for Fall at University at which I began my degree. I only need 20 hrs to complete the requirements for my major, so I think I'm OK in that department. Thanks for the feedback!
 
Khep:

I agree with Medic170. Keep any explanation of a difficult year simple AND apply to school. You may say something like you had some personal issues that affected your performance, but the personal issues and school issues for that year taught you how to balance your life better.

Wook
 
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KHep said:
I don't know what to do. I feel like I should just throw in the towel. But, I REALLY want to be a Dr.!
Click to expand...

If that is what you really want you will have no problem achieving it. Your problems are behind you, you have shown can achieve academically, and you have overcome a personal struggle.

There is nothing that can stop you if you want it badly enough. You just have to be willing to explore all the alternatives.

I even applied to a school in Australia because that is how far I was willing to go to get the degree.

:)
 
I had one bad semester when I earned 3 C's. They were the only bad grades so I had to explain what happened in my personal statement. I wrote a brief paragraph stating that my grandmother decided she didn't want to live anymore and that she basically stopped eating, drinking and taking meds. It was a slow process that affected me strongly. She died during my finals and I got 3 Cs and 1A. It was a brief, to the point explaination, without whinning or blame. Just a staement of facts. The DO schools have been fine with my explaination. As to the MD schools, well I felt like I was being interegated by the FBI. They are not quick to accept human weakness.

You may be ok to apply to DO schools. You might need some more clinical ECs. You still have 20 hours of courses so try to bring up your GPA. It may be hard but you really need to increase your GPA. Luckily your science GPA is high. A letter from a DO that you have shadowed or interviewed with is something that would add to your application. Also you are going to need great LORs and a great personal statement.

I think you have your work cut out for you. You still have time before you apply, so try really hard to add a clinical EC and great LORS and bring up that GPA. Don't give up. If it is what you want to do, you are going to have to work really hard to achieve your goal. It is an uphill battle with lots of pitfalls in the road. Don't give up.

All my best.
 
medic170 said:
I had a bad junior year. What I said was something like "My junior year was especially challenging because my wife and I had medical problems that demanded our time, money, and attention" Just keep it simple, and if you did well during all the other years, I don't think they will hold the bad year against you too much. However, you really should get back in school to finish that degree, and let the ADCOMS know you are doing it.
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Medic, thanks for sharing. That's good advice. My whole academic career is a mess, and I wanted to explain in my PS, without over explaining or whining that much of my focus for the ten years it has taken me to get through undergrad has been on raising my family. It's hard to find a balance. I don't want to NOT address my lackluster GPA and spotty transcript, but I don't want to appear to want special consideration just because I have kids. I guess it helps that I want to go to TCOM, and I hear they're non-trad friendly. :thumbup:
 
You'll probably get asked about what was going on when you interview, and maybe then you'd get into it in abit more depth depending on how you feel then. But mostly your PS is about your strengths. Go for it!
 
Thanks everybody! It's really great of you to take the time to respond. :)
 
APPLY! Check out the www.aacom.org web site. Your GPA and MCAT scores are by no means unheardof.
 
Don't apply this year. Don't throw in the towel, either, though. Your bad year is explainable, but it's still a big, black mark on your GPA. Only exceptional, outstanding students get admitted before finishing the bachelor's degree, and unfortunately your bad year takes you out of that category. Finish the bachelor's, take some hard sciences and get some kick-ass grades to show you really can cut the mustard, and THEN apply. You want this, and you can do this, but you need to prove that.

Your volunteer record is just fine, it seems to me; I wouldn't worry about that. Spend your effort on new, shiny grades.

It may also be remotely possible to pull out the records from your bad semester and talk personally and persistently to your old school and see if they will change any of the old F's into W's. It's a long shot, but strange things do happen. W's are easier to explain than F's, and they won't pull your GPA down so low that schools may not bother to give you a second look. Good luck! It's a bit too early to apply, but WAY too early to give up!
 
I disagree with the last post. Apply, what can it hurt? I would talk about your medical release and how you hadn't fully recovered. Go for the gold! Schools love non-trad students.
 
samenewme said:
Don't apply this year. Don't throw in the towel, either, though. Your bad year is explainable, but it's still a big, black mark on your GPA. Only exceptional, outstanding students get admitted before finishing the bachelor's degree, and unfortunately your bad year takes you out of that category. Finish the bachelor's, take some hard sciences and get some kick-ass grades to show you really can cut the mustard, and THEN apply. You want this, and you can do this, but you need to prove that.

Your volunteer record is just fine, it seems to me; I wouldn't worry about that. Spend your effort on new, shiny grades.

It may also be remotely possible to pull out the records from your bad semester and talk personally and persistently to your old school and see if they will change any of the old F's into W's. It's a long shot, but strange things do happen. W's are easier to explain than F's, and they won't pull your GPA down so low that schools may not bother to give you a second look. Good luck! It's a bit too early to apply, but WAY too early to give up!
Click to expand...

I agree. This is some good advice.
 
I tried to get my university to change my grades to W's, but I waited too long so they said that it would be impossible. I was thinking of writing a letter to the Dean to plead my case. I figure it couldn't hurt.

Too, in case it wasn't clear; I will have a Bachelor's by May. And I did just complete 38 hours...all A's. Does anyone have any idea of what schools place an emphasis on the most recent grades? I know that SIU (But, it's an MD program) looks only at the last 60 hrs of credit earned. Surely there must be a few DO programs that do the same?
 
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