2013 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread

Discover Your Odds of Getting into Medical School
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Nope - Combined Peds/OB core rotation. About 1/3 of my class got HHMI/Sarnoff/Doris Duke type research grants and so are off this year. Research next year for me. No clue what I want to do it in. Finally got around to doing the on-line self-assessment thing to help choose your residency from AAMC. After all the hoop-jumping, it literally suggested I "highly consider": Peds, Internal Med, Psychiatry, Surgery-Gen, Surgery-Ortho, and Pathology. :d Thanks, AAMC. You are such a help.
 
Thank you for putting my mind somewhat at ease! I've got 2 ii's so far, but since I'm not verified yet, they don't really count now do they? I get my MCAT scores in 2 days, so you're right, it was not my last scary moment. I'm just going through this whole process (post bacc classes and application) on my own since I don't have any advisor and am not in an official program so I was unsure of the weight of my mistake.

I guess you're saying it's not that big of a deal. Would like to hear some other opinions, too.
 
I should probably make a little signature thingy like you guys have....that's my project this afternoon.

EDIT: Done. At the risk of looking like it is self-serving - ours is such a strange program, I thought I would put some detail in it. Two more days of Peds...then 100% OB for the next Month.
 
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Hello everyone,
I am in a similar situation of not having an adviser to ask questions to, (I did a self made post-bac).

I am a little nervous I'm missing something. I applied to 10 schools when I got verified on august 12th. I got most of my secondaries within 24 hours (about 8). I submitted immediately, but I have only received one email saying my application was complete. How long does it usually take to process after you pay? For example NY medical college says it has not received my LORs but I know they're just waiting in AMCAS.

I have since added 4 schools because it seems like many people apply for 20 and 10 seemed like maybe too few. Should I apply to more before it gets too late?

My stats are listed earlier in this thread, but the summary:
32R
3.8 undergrad GPA, non science major (computer science minor)
Science GPA 4.0 (all except one taken at CC because I live 1+hrs from the closest 4yr state school. The CC I went to is considered one of the colleges of science for the state and has special transfer agreements with top schools for science. It was one of a handful of CCs certified as equivalent to 4year science credits by the state medical school if that matters at all.

My ECs seem solid to me- tons of paid and unpaid clinical experience over last 2 years.

My current job is in IT for a major teaching hospital. I also have been a panelists at HIMSS for training physicians on EHR/EMR implementation. I also started a moderately successful health IT startup 2 years ago and am currently working on a HIT research project related to my startup with Sloan Kettering.

Do you think 14 schools are enough, and when should I expect my applications to be under review having submitted 2 weeks ago?


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impact2d said:
Hello everyone,
I am in a similar situation of not having an adviser to ask questions to, (I did a self made post-bac).

I am a little nervous I'm missing something. I applied to 10 schools when I got verified on august 12th. I got most of my secondaries within 24 hours (about 8). I submitted immediately, but I have only received one email saying my application was complete. How long does it usually take to process after you pay? For example NY medical college says it has not received my LORs but I know they're just waiting in AMCAS.

I have since added 4 schools because it seems like many people apply for 20 and 10 seemed like maybe too few. Should I apply to more before it gets too late?

My stats are listed earlier in this thread, but the summary:
32R
3.8 undergrad GPA, non science major (computer science minor)
Science GPA 4.0 (all except one taken at CC because I live 1+hrs from the closest 4yr state school. The CC I went to is considered one of the colleges of science for the state and has special transfer agreements with top schools for science. It was one of a handful of CCs certified as equivalent to 4year science credits by the state medical school if that matters at all.

My ECs seem solid to me- tons of paid and unpaid clinical experience over last 2 years.

My current job is in IT for a major teaching hospital. I also have been a panelists at HIMSS for training physicians on EHR/EMR implementation. I also started a moderately successful health IT startup 2 years ago and am currently working on a HIT research project related to my startup with Sloan Kettering.

Do you think 14 schools are enough, and when should I expect my applications to be under review having submitted 2 weeks ago?


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It can take quite a while for applications to be marked complete at this stage. I wouldn't worry about it. For the most part, an actual person has to look at your file and make sure everything is in order, and that takes time, unfortunately. I would give it a couple more weeks before worrying. Good luck!
 
Feeling pretty good. I have heard back from WesternU-COMP NW, LECOM, and AZCOM with interview invites for all three! 😀 I am actually getting to decide how far back to push one of my interviews in hopes of hearing from Western (one of my top 2)! I really can't describe how happy I am right now!
 
Hi fellow nontrads ! :hello:

I still have about 10+ secondaries left to do (why oh why did I leave all the HARD ones for last?). I've been rejected from 3 schools pre-secondary, still waiting to hear from one more that pre-screens, put on hold for CCLCM <cries>, but I'm excited for my first two interviews next week!
 
ladymich said:
Hi fellow nontrads ! :hello:

I still have about 10+ secondaries left to do (why oh why did I leave all the HARD ones for last?). I've been rejected from 3 schools pre-secondary, still waiting to hear from one more that pre-screens, put on hold for CCLCM <cries>, but I'm excited for my first two interviews next week!
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Congrats on the II.

UPDATE:
I finally received all secondaries, except for Drexel and Stamford(a reach for me anyway, but since I'm going to be there to present at a conference this October I figured I had to try)

I submitted some over two weeks ago, but I'm only complete at my state schools so far.

I bumped up my apps to 17 from 14 by adding a couple of more reaches. After talking to people I think I was being a little too realistic and not shooting for any schools with a median above my stats-I realized that was too conservative of an approach and added a few more. I will feel much better when I get my first interview invite, it doesn't seem real until then.
 
Justin Stuart said:
In your opinion, what sort of EC's are considered desirable by an AdCom?
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I don't know if you were asking me or in general. From what I've heard:
-Clinical Experience that is actually hands on in some form is very beneficial.
-Community Service Volunteerism
-A good, constructive hobby that shows you are a grounded balanced individual who has a method of blowing off steam (this is one overlooked by a lot of people, but the adcom I spoke to told me they actually look for this)
-Leadership positions
-Research

For us non-trads we tend to be stronger than average on leadership roles and life experience. We also tend to have developed healthy hobbies (or maybe some unhealthy ones lol)-so the most important for us is to find clinical experience and research
elevenses said:
It can take quite a while for applications to be marked complete at this stage. I wouldn't worry about it. For the most part, an actual person has to look at your file and make sure everything is in order, and that takes time, unfortunately. I would give it a couple more weeks before worrying. Good luck!
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Thanks for the encouragement 🙂
 
-Clinical Experience that is actually hands on in some form is very beneficial.
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Where do you think that the typical applicant is obtaining the "hands on clinical experience" that you talk of?
 
I'm finally churning out the secondaries. Yes, I'm a bit behind and I will be complete about 3 weeks after getting the secondary invites for most of these schools, which is that's much later than I had anticipated. But I just couldn't make myself write anything until I had a fire under my butt...such as it's essentially September already! And people have already interviewed at some schools. Yikes!
 
ladymich said:
I still have about 10+ secondaries left to do (why oh why did I leave all the HARD ones for last?)
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I totally know the feeling! SDN is making me stress about where I should be in the process, so it's kind of nice to see someone else still working on secondaries when I thought I was the only one. Good luck finishing those up!
 
Submitted my last secondary last night! Prepping for my two interviews while I wait for the possibility of more. Feeling pretty good about my odds this cycle.
 
Justin Stuart said:
Where do you think that the typical applicant is obtaining the "hands on clinical experience" that you talk of?
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Well depending on your state, you can be a medical assistant by training on the job. Free clinics will often let volunteers have a pretty hands on roll (e.g. help take history, blood pressure, weight, height). Obviously by hands on I don't mean performing surgery, I just mean something a little more than pure shadowing is an extra benefit.

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Thank you for that reply. I ask the question about "clinical experience" because as a registered nurse and a paramedic, I have had much hands-on clinical experience. I have gone so far as to spending 3 years assisting in surgery (which was noted in my application essays). Yet nobody has every asked me about this experience. Instead, they seem to prefer to focus on what I perceive to be less relevant things such as my hobby as a radio control helicopter pilot. I am beginning to feel that perhaps my clinical experience was in some way inadequate--and that other applicants had "better" clinical experience.
 
Justin Stuart said:
Thank you for that reply. I ask the question about "clinical experience" because as a registered nurse and a paramedic, I have had much hands-on clinical experience. I have gone so far as to spending 3 years assisting in surgery (which was noted in my application essays). Yet nobody has every asked me about this experience. Instead, they seem to prefer to focus on what I perceive to be less relevant things such as my hobby as a radio control helicopter pilot. I am beginning to feel that perhaps my clinical experience was in some way inadequate--and that other applicants had "better" clinical experience.
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I believe they feel that with 10 years of training, they can teach you everything you need to know. So at this point their primary concern is to understand you as a person, and whether your personality and character is suited for this career. Hence the focus on things that from your perspective look to not be important. My thoughts.
 
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Is it safe to say that having hands-on clinical experience makes no difference to an AdCom? Because I know many a premed who struggled to find physicians to shadow. Perhaps they should have focused their time on other things instead?
 
vc7777 said:
Oooh, I hear that's a pretty nice program. Too bad. Are you from Michigan?
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I see what you did there vc. 😉 I'm a regular stalker of the case specific forum. Convince the adcom to give me a shot! :laugh: Really thought I would fit in well with the program.

Nah, from California, it's just an old nn.
 
Justin Stuart said:
Is it safe to say that having hands-on clinical experience makes no difference to an AdCom? Because I know many a premed who struggled to find physicians to shadow. Perhaps they should have focused their time on other things instead?
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Yes, clinical experience such as long term shadowing, hospital, clinic or hospice work/volunteering is essential to get some perspective of what you are embarking on. You need to have meaningful patient experiences to discuss (if asked). But it probably doesn't need to be as hands on as you think. Remember, no hospital or doctor will let you do anything that requires a licence, and adcoms are fully aware of that. As LizzyM says...if you can smell patients then its clinical experience!
 
Justin Stuart said:
How about research experience? What is considered sufficient? A PhD?
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Research is considered a major plus for your application at many schools, however many non-trads have been accepted without it. You certainly do not need a PhD. My suggestion is that you spend several hours (months?) reading about all topics pertaning to med school admissions on here. Search the forums, or do what I did...read through most threads going back several years in the non-trad forum 😀. You will become a great candidate after learning from those that have gone before us and those that have shared their experiences and methods for success.
 
Reading old threads is no substitute for an ongoing discussion about topics relevant to all of us.
 
I think that clinical experience is not a major focus during interviews, but it is a major factor at determinig if you get an interview.

I spoke to a doc on admissions at Einstein. He told me your clinical experience tells them that you know what you're getting in to. Once you interview they are more interested in getting to know you. I'm not surprised they were interested in your hobby, he also told me establishing a healthy hobby is the most overlooked factor that is important.

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Justin Stuart said:
How about research experience? What is considered sufficient? A PhD?
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Research depends on the school, for most schools top 50 in research it matters. At schools like Yale and Stanford, it's rare to get in without research. Cornell tends to be more friendly to non-trads with no research.

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Justin Stuart said:
Reading old threads is no substitute for an ongoing discussion about topics relevant to all of us.
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Ugh. But it does help focus that discussion into areas that are more helpful and nuanced rather than treading ground that has been tread suffiiciently and ad nauseum in other threads.

5-10m of use of the search function makes the current threads tons more useful and less painful to read for all of us.
 
Also, this thread is getting of topic. I blame myself for derailing it. But we should refocus on progress of nontrads, please. Folks are welcome to start new threads if they feel these topics haven't been covered yet - or need to be revisited.

Sent from my phone
 
This thread is entitled "2013 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread". Therefore it can be assumed that the topic for discussion is about nontraditional applicants applying in 2013.

What wastes my time is reading a post by someone who says, "I just got denied to 3 osteopathic schools". That's the kind of information that should be shared with your grandmother, and not with the rest of us. We are not your pitty party.

What matters is the reason you got denied. What happened in your interview? What questions did they ask? Did they look highly upon your Iraq war medic experience? Did they look negatively on your previous bank teller position? Can you explain to us in further detail what was good or bad about your application?

Using the search function, and reading through a 2007 non-trad application thread is of course useful, but has little bearing on what is happening in September of 2012. Faculty and ad-com membership changes from cycle to cycle. School mission statements change from year to year. Opinions change daily.

There is nothing more valuable than finding out a person's opinion on such matters as "what constitutes good clinical experience" or "what constitutes good research experience" the moment that person leaves the campus at which they are interviewing.

So when I ask what someone's current opinion is on what constitutes "adequate research experience", this applies specifically to their experience in a September 2012 interview (and not what they read about from a 2005 or 2006 thread). An appropriate response would be something like, "I had an interview to TCOM yesterday (September 1st)--they seemed to like my undergraduate research experience in a neuroscience lab where I sequenced the DNA for zebrafish--what they didn't seem to like was my experience volunteering at a community mental health clinic".
 
Justin Stuart said:
This thread is entitled "2013 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread". Therefore it can be assumed that the topic for discussion is about nontraditional applicants applying in 2013.

What wastes my time is reading a post by someone who says, "I just got denied to 3 osteopathic schools". That's the kind of information that should be shared with your grandmother, and not with the rest of us. We are not your pitty party.

What matters is the reason you got denied. What happened in your interview? What questions did they ask? Did they look highly upon your Iraq war medic experience? Did they look negatively on your previous bank teller position? Can you explain to us in further detail what was good or bad about your application?

Using the search function, and reading through a 2007 non-trad application thread is of course useful, but has little bearing on what is happening in September of 2012. Faculty and ad-com membership changes from cycle to cycle. School mission statements change from year to year. Opinions change daily.

There is nothing more valuable than finding out a person's opinion on such matters as "what constitutes good clinical experience" or "what constitutes good research experience" the moment that person leaves the campus at which they are interviewing.

So when I ask what someone's current opinion is on what constitutes "adequate research experience", this applies specifically to their experience in a September 2012 interview (and not what they read about from a 2005 or 2006 thread). An appropriate response would be something like, "I had an interview to TCOM yesterday (September 1st)--they seemed to like my undergraduate research experience in a neuroscience lab where I sequenced the DNA for zebrafish--what they didn't seem to like was my experience volunteering at a community mental health clinic".
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Well said

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Justin Stuart said:
This thread is entitled "2013 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread". Therefore it can be assumed that the topic for discussion is about nontraditional applicants applying in 2013.
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Well, it is usually for people applying for matriculation in Summer/Fall of 2013. But in reality - some context should be given: This forum represents the entire breadth and depth of nontrads at EVERY stage of the journey. While it is "filed" under pre-med we are in fact a welcoming and open community of students at every stage of the journey across all fields (just check out our surveys to get some appreciation of who posts here. This is what sets us apart from most other parts of SDN. So - it isn't uncommon for folks like NTF, Q, Shy, and myself to post updates for our applications to jobs, residencies, or otherwise contribute too.


Justin Stuart said:
What wastes my time is reading a post by someone who says, "I just got denied to 3 osteopathic schools". That's the kind of information that should be shared with your grandmother, and not with the rest of us. We are not your pitty party.
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I really have to be honest - I kind of bristled at this remark. I am not sure you should be so quick to say it is a "pitty party".

First, if they post in a thread which was properly titled - you could avoid having to read it. It gets back to the idea that if the threads stay on-topic then it is easier for both people seeking advice and those with advice to give to actually connect. For particularly unsavory people who seem to not follow these rules - you can use the "ignore" function to block their posts so as to not be "bothered" by them. But first and foremost using threads to organize information and discussion is crucial to keeping things orderly.

Second, I would still suggest reading these posts at first, at least. Mainly because you can often glean a lot from the "postmortem" discussions of what went wrong, or how they would do things differently.

But besides that point - I think you do not understand our community. This isn't a clearinghouse of information. We are a bunch of people supporting eachother, plain and simple. We are here for each other. The information is being provided - free of charge might I add - by other members.

Q and I read all of the posts - it is what we have volunteered to do. You might not see us - but we are around. NTF is emeritus and is a past moderator of this forum too and has been posting in good-faith. We can tell you that everyone has setbacks and challenges. Hell - If you search my posting history you will find many posts where I am attempting to reach out for help when I've been stuck.

I hope people feel like they can share their thoughts. I think it makes us a stronger community. I am here to not just celebrate but support my peeps in their journey.
Justin Stuart said:
What matters is the reason you got denied. What happened in your interview? What questions did they ask? Did they look highly upon your Iraq war medic experience? Did they look negatively on your previous bank teller position? Can you explain to us in further detail what was good or bad about your application?
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We have a interview feedback system, in case you didn't know. It can be found at the top of the page in the tab next to the "Articles & Interview" tab. I encourage people to contribute and read that as well.👍

Justin Stuart said:
Using the search function, and reading through a 2007 non-trad application thread is of course useful, but has little bearing on what is happening in September of 2012. Faculty and ad-com membership changes from cycle to cycle. School mission statements change from year to year. Opinions change daily.
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Actually, this is a little off-mark. Medical schools faculty may vary - but usually there is great continuity in admissions and vetting of new adcom members. What I said before for re: the job of a Dean of a medical school being similar to someone blending different vintages - trying to maintain consistency with applicants also holds true for vetting and "hiring" adcom members. In short, cultures at every institution is different but it doesn't really vary quickly (even when it is desired).

Justin Stuart said:
There is nothing more valuable than finding out a person's opinion on such matters as "what constitutes good clinical experience" or "what constitutes good research experience" the moment that person leaves the campus at which they are interviewing.
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Meh - I think you will find that applicants are often the worst at evaulating their own performance at interview day.

Justin Stuart said:
So when I ask what someone's current opinion is on what constitutes "adequate research experience", this applies specifically to their experience in a September 2012 interview (and not what they read about from a 2005 or 2006 thread). An appropriate response would be something like, "I had an interview to TCOM yesterday (September 1st)--they seemed to like my undergraduate research experience in a neuroscience lab where I sequenced the DNA for zebrafish--what they didn't seem to like was my experience volunteering at a community mental health clinic".
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Again, I would suggest 1) you check out the interview feedback pages and 2) applicants are notoriously bad evaluators of their own interview performance.

Sorry I gotta go, I apologize for the typos and the brevity.
 
Justin Stuart said:
This thread is entitled "2013 Nontrad Applicants' Progress Thread". Therefore it can be assumed that the topic for discussion is about nontraditional applicants applying in 2013.

What wastes my time is reading a post by someone who says, "I just got denied to 3 osteopathic schools". That's the kind of information that should be shared with your grandmother, and not with the rest of us. We are not your pitty party.

What matters is the reason you got denied. What happened in your interview? What questions did they ask? Did they look highly upon your Iraq war medic experience? Did they look negatively on your previous bank teller position? Can you explain to us in further detail what was good or bad about your application?

Using the search function, and reading through a 2007 non-trad application thread is of course useful, but has little bearing on what is happening in September of 2012. Faculty and ad-com membership changes from cycle to cycle. School mission statements change from year to year. Opinions change daily.

There is nothing more valuable than finding out a person's opinion on such matters as "what constitutes good clinical experience" or "what constitutes good research experience" the moment that person leaves the campus at which they are interviewing.

So when I ask what someone's current opinion is on what constitutes "adequate research experience", this applies specifically to their experience in a September 2012 interview (and not what they read about from a 2005 or 2006 thread). An appropriate response would be something like, "I had an interview to TCOM yesterday (September 1st)--they seemed to like my undergraduate research experience in a neuroscience lab where I sequenced the DNA for zebrafish--what they didn't seem to like was my experience volunteering at a community mental health clinic".
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I also suggest you take a look at the Sticky threads in the nontrad forum if you haven't already, especially http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=532079 and go through the "Nontrad Awesome Advice Threads"

Some things might change from year to year in terms of adcom preferences, but those threads have tons of great information/advice regarding how to make your application stronger. Specifically, there are opinions from people who have gone through the process and have been successful or unsuccessful and what they thought mattered most.
 
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What do you guys think of the importance of having a nice suit for the mmi interviews. I only applied to two schools and they both use the mmi. I have a suit that is pretty old but still fits. My thinking was that I would not be scrutinized as closely for my appearance in the mmi format. Should I buy a new suit or not, and yes money is tight three kids and stay at home wife. Thanks in advance for your opinions.
 
drkennyj said:
What do you guys think of the importance of having a nice suit for the mmi interviews. I only applied to two schools and they both use the mmi. I have a suit that is pretty old but still fits. My thinking was that I would not be scrutinized as closely for my appearance in the mmi format. Should I buy a new suit or not, and yes money is tight three kids and stay at home wife. Thanks in advance for your opinions.
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In MY opinion, and I am the last person you want fashion advice from, if the suit looks good (not tread-bare, not stained, fits well, etc.) even if it is a little old, it should be fine. I would hope that the people that are doing the interview would understand the financial situations that we are in.

Take the old suit to a place that tailors, and make sure it still fits properly. I know that as I aged I added about 20 lbs. The suit that I had from 10 years ago when I was last job hunting did not fit perfectly and was a little "outdated" according to the guy at Men's Warehouse (where I bought it the first time and took it back to get it adjusted). They altered it so that it fit nice. The shirt that I used with the suit was starting to show threads at the collar, so I threw it away and got a couple of different new shirts to go with my old suit.

That being said, I also bought a second suit at the same time. It is my newer suit that I am going to take on the interview trail.

dsoz
 
drkennyj said:
What do you guys think of the importance of having a nice suit for the mmi interviews. I only applied to two schools and they both use the mmi. I have a suit that is pretty old but still fits. My thinking was that I would not be scrutinized as closely for my appearance in the mmi format. Should I buy a new suit or not, and yes money is tight three kids and stay at home wife. Thanks in advance for your opinions.
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I would splurge on the new suit. With MMI, you will have even more people seeing you for a short period of time and making judgements. Most people will judge you at least partly on how put together you are. It sucks, for sure, but I am chalking it up to a drop in the bucket for what it's worth in the long run.

If by chance the suit still looks new and is fashionable, then go with that.
 
As we are now in Sep., isn't it time to start up the 2013 interview thread? I'm curious where my fellow non-trads will be heading for interviews!
 
hopeful22213 said:
As we are now in Sep., isn't it time to start up the 2013 interview thread? I'm curious where my fellow non-trads will be heading for interviews!
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I have said much of this before, but here I go again...

Non-trad, 41 years old. High school science teacher for 18 years. 3.6 GPA, 31R MCAT. Applied to about 12 DO schools, and 8 MD schools.

Interviews currently scheduled in the following places. on 9/10 LECOM-B, 9/11 NOVA Southeastern (nice that they could be scheduled back to back so I only had to fly to Florida once for the two of them), Western University COMP- NW campus in Lebanon, Oregon on 9/29, and last on my schedule, for now, is LECOM-E on 10/19.

I have tried to keep my MDApps up to date for those that are interested.

dsoz
 
I am very happy to have four interviews! I do wish, however, that one of my 3 local schools would give me some love. (It would make my husband and kids much less stressed.)

I'm convinced that whatever happens, it will be for the better.

Also, if it makes anyone feel better, I got those 4 interviews within about a week...and nothing since. It's very easy to worry about it all, but I try to gain insight from others' experiences too.

Oh, and I got my first rejection last week. It stung because I was very interested in the school and area. There are a few schools I haven't heard from yet that I would have traded!

Good luck to all of us!
 
dsoz said:
Non-trad, 41 years old. High school science teacher for 18 years. 3.6 GPA, 31R MCAT.
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Similar here. 🙂 You've got a few years on me (but not many!). I used to teach HS science. 3.6/32.

👍
 
craftyconqueror said:
Similar here. 🙂 You've got a few years on me (but not many!). I used to teach HS science. 3.6/32.

👍
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Ha ha. That is funny. We are almost the same stats. 👍

I have been trying to play the teacher card throughout my applications. One of my favorite lines in my secondaries that I used over and over is "In the original Latin, the term doctor means teacher. I have been preparing to be a doctor for the past eighteen years by being a high school science teacher...."

What classes have you taught? My degree was in bio with a minor in chem. I could not find a job teaching biology, but I could find one teaching chemistry. So I became the chemistry teacher. I have also taught biology, physics, advanced chemistry (both AP and IB), and astronomy. Two years ago I also taught two semesters of Health II.

Good luck to you.

dsoz
 
Former teacher myself, but the little folks. At different points, 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grades.
 
dsoz said:
Ha ha. That is funny. We are almost the same stats. 👍

I have been trying to play the teacher card throughout my applications. One of my favorite lines in my secondaries that I used over and over is "In the original Latin, the term doctor means teacher. I have been preparing to be a doctor for the past eighteen years by being a high school science teacher...."

What classes have you taught? My degree was in bio with a minor in chem. I could not find a job teaching biology, but I could find one teaching chemistry. So I became the chemistry teacher. I have also taught biology, physics, advanced chemistry (both AP and IB), and astronomy. Two years ago I also taught two semesters of Health II.

Good luck to you.

dsoz
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I'm all over the teaching aspect of medicine! My PS revolved around that, actually. I am looking forward to mentoring further down the line, when we are assigned med students.

I also have a Bio degree. Went back to get my teaching certificate through an alternative certification program. I only taught HS 5-ish years (with no desire to go back to public school in general), but I lucked into a Bio gig my first year. Ended up teaching IPC (one sem Phys, one sem Chem) one of those years. Since then, I've done tutoring in different forms.

hopeful22213 said:
Former teacher myself, but the little folks. At different points, 1st, 2nd, 4th and 5th grades.
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That's a whole different ballgame! I found a desire to teach through subbing, but I quickly narrowed myself to middle and high school. :laugh: Of course, now that I have elementary aged kids myself, I might feel more comfortable there.


:luck: Best of luck to both of you!!!
 
Fellow teacher/ administrator here as well. Taught for 5 1/2 yrs in NYC and worked as an assistant principal part time for an after school program. 28 yrs old and applying this cycle and currently filling out secondaries. Good luck to you guys!
 
I have applied to two MD schools and so far 1 interview. 18 year Master Mechanic and 7 year small business owner. Life changing health related event with my 3rd child, gave me the motivation and convidence to pursue medicine.
3.08cGPA 3.44sGPA 30M

I appreciate all the inspiration from the non-tradional community. I feel we will be a great benefit to any medical school.
 
I enjoy reading everyone's stories. 🙂

Trying not to get too frustrated here. Just received my 3rd rejection in just over a week (1 was Vandy, but still....). Kind of a blow to the confidence for upcoming interviews too.

Crazy process: 3 interviews within 6 days of the first. One 5 days after the last. Exactly a week later, the rejections started, and those 3 have come in the space of 8 days.

Please, please someone accept me this year! :xf:

msuspartans said:
Bio bachelor degree in 2009 with 3.5 gpa. Medical science masters degree graduated in 2011 with a higher gpa. Overall 3.6 in accomas. 24 mcat. I retook it last week.
I was wait-listed last year in MSUCOM. I applied late. They received everything on October. I applied extremely early and finished my secondary early July this year.
I'm giving up after this year. I've always wanted to become a doctor but I can't waste more years of
My life trying to get accepted in these programs. I have to start paying off my school loans while working at the hospital. I need hope and I wish this is my year.
Click to expand...

I hope this is your year! :luck:
 
another non- trad here. Applied to 13 MD schools. 32P, 4.0 post bacc gpa, 3.3 gpa undergrad. 3 interviews so far. Still hoping for one of my top choices to call me. Meanwhile I refresh my inbox so much that I feel I have an addiction now.
 
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