2020 Non-Trad Applicants Progress Thread

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A-Fib said:
1 II so far though I cling to the hope that I submitted most of my secondaries within the last two weeks so I still have time for IIs to trickle in. I know that one of my target schools doesn't do anything until October.
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Already receiving an II within a two week turnaround sounds like great progress to me! My first one was over a month out, and then a handful more followed shortly after. Fingers crossed you will have the same experience!
 
Non trad, screwed up my chances this cycle by not getting a good mcat score so have to retake and apply next cycle.

29, masters of social work in 2016, cGPA 3.1 sGPA 3.53 after doing a DIY post bac cause money. Not much I can do about the cGPA but I have a strong upward trend and 4.0 in masters program. Starting a social work job part-time to continue clinical experience in field and allow time to study for mcat retake.

I’d be happy with DO or MD but it’s nice seeing other non trads going for their dreams and getting interviews.
 
Just discovered this thread! Graduated 2 years ago with a non science major, intended to go to PA school but the doctors I worked with convinced me to go med school. Did a soul crushing DIY post bac of orgo II, biochem, and Physics in the same semester while studying mcat and applying to schools. Currently have 6 interviews and 1 acceptance. Below average gpa and mcat but with some finesse and excellent writing skills, rec letters, etc, schools will give you a chance!
 
Pstar9 said:
Just discovered this thread! Graduated 2 years ago with a non science major, intended to go to PA school but the doctors I worked with convinced me to go med school. Did a soul crushing DIY post bac of orgo II, biochem, and Physics in the same semester while studying mcat and applying to schools. Currently have 6 interviews and 1 acceptance. Below average gpa and mcat but with some finesse and excellent writing skills, rec letters, etc, schools will give you a chance!
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Do you mind sharing what your GPAs and MCAT are?
 
Joining in on the fun.

Lower stats, tons of extracurriculars, veteran, Psychology major (got science minors and some CC post-bacc classes) and applied MD only this cycle! Still waiting to hear back from my dream school, but I have received way more love than anticipated this cycle. Any other vets out there feel free to reach out if you have any questions about my app/process.
 
tyooos said:
Let's do this!! Currently on vacation so can't really seriously pre-write secondaries, but I was verified by AMCAS two days ago. Everything looks on track for AACOMAS. Non-trad yada yada recovering from a low undergraduate gpa 10+ years ago...
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Did you mean to copy/paste what I wrote on June 5th??
 
Wow, I did not realize theres a support thread for us non-traditional applicants. I am Texas resident with nursing and military experience. My stats are in my signature. Wish you all good health to cope with the stress of this application cycle!
 
Checking in. Non-trad, URM.

507, 3.5
We’ll see how this cycle goes. Submitted 29. No responses yet.
 
hopefulstudent321 said:
URM, 28 y/o.....feeling A LOT of pressure as I try to prepare for my first interview. I definitely feel that being a non-trad applicant has made this process more stressful for me because I do not want to have to wait another year.
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Remember that being a non-trad means you have a lot of life experience compared to many traditional applicants, so the interview is a place where that experience is likely to shine through (along with maturity). You got this!
 
Hey all, non-trad transitioning from a non-medical field. I was complete in mid September due to a late MCAT retake. Applying DO and MD, no news besides a Hold so far. So happy to hear everyone is having a successful cycle so far!
 
So far just rejections and pre-II "holds." The only love I've gotten is my IS school who screens for secondaries. If you get one, you'll get an II at some point.

That's all I'm hoping for tbh lol. I'll have to come back when things (hopefully) look up for me!
 
FutureSurgical said:
So far just rejections and pre-II "holds." The only love I've gotten is my IS school who screens for secondaries. If you get one, you'll get an II at some point.

That's all I'm hoping for tbh lol. I'll have to come back when things (hopefully) look up for me!
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Same boat, I’m not throwing in the towel on this cycle, but I’m ensuring my application will be better next cycle. I’d hate to have an unsuccessful cycle and turn around and apply with the same app.


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arjusmc said:
Same boat, I’m not throwing in the towel on this cycle, but I’m ensuring my application will be better next cycle. I’d hate to have an unsuccessful cycle and turn around and apply with the same app.


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As per SDN wisdom, I'm planning for plan B right now to improve my app for the next cycle. Which will be for 2021-2022. I'm not in a rush to get into medical school. I have a supportive fiancé and family
 
FutureSurgical said:
As per SDN wisdom, I'm planning for plan B right now to improve my app for the next cycle. Which will be for 2021-2022. I'm not in a rush to get into medical school. I have a supportive fiancé and family
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A good support system should be the first thing that is mentioned when talking about med school prerequisites. I’ll be applying again next cycle. For now though, I have to start prepping for an mcat retake.


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Chiming in here:

AACOMAS & AMCAS c/sGPAs: <3.0 😉
Masters GPA > 3.9
Post bacc GPA > 3.9
MCAT 50X

3 IIs (2 MD, 1 DO).

Alternate list for the DO, hopefully will hear back from MD this week, with next (and hopefully not last) interview next month.
 
Nugester said:
Chiming in here:

AACOMAS & AMCAS c/sGPAs: <3.0 😉
Masters GPA > 3.9
Post bacc GPA > 3.9
MCAT 50X

3 IIs (2 MD, 1 DO).

Alternate list for the DO, hopefully will hear back from MD this week, with next (and hopefully not last) interview next month.
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May I ask what masters program you did?
 
Quit my full time corporate job last July (after 4 years) and began prerequisites last August with 1st semester Bio, Chem, and Physics. Officially accepted to my first DO school! And have 1 more DO interview and 1 MD interview at the end of this month. Happy to help with questions on how I approached the process. Good luck everyone!



Finance degree in 2014 - GPA 3.6
Post Bacc GPA (all science) 3.9
MCAT: 508
 
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Just throwing my info in the ring for support/perspective.

26 y.o career changer
cGPA - 3.22
sGPA - 3.24
SMP GPA - 4.0 (all science)
MCAT - 500 --> 507 --> 517 (each score 2 years apart)

25 School (20 MD, 5 DO) - MDs complete early August, DOs complete early Sept (1 in Oct)
1 MD II, 1 R, silence from the rest
 
Update: One interview. Went well. Will potentially have a decision from them in a month. Hoping some other Texas schools widdle through the stack of applications in front of me and get to mine before interview season concludes. Looking forward to University of Houston accreditation status to change and begin accepting applications.
 
Hi Everyone!

Here's my story -- I am five and a half years out of undergrad. I'm an applicant here in Texas. I've been working in business since graduating. I started taking my post-bacc courses three years ago. I studied political science / economics / business in undergrad, so I had to pick up the whole set of prerequisites. I took intro bio, chem, physics, and organic chem online actually, and I finished the full complement of prerequisite courses plus some electives at the local 4-year public university. I had a 3.95 undergrad GPA and I have a combined 3.96 post-bacc GPA. I took the MCAT in July and got a 517. I applied to six schools throughout Texas, and I have interviewed at all but one so far and thankfully have received one offer!

To everyone here, I wish you all the best of luck! We got this. Not an easy journey to do it all again, but it'll definitely pay off so keep your heads up high!
 
Been posting on school-specific threads but just now realized this one exists. I'm a 30 year old PhD to MD, finished my PhD in 2015 and been doing a postdoc ever since. I have several papers, a couple first authors, several middle authors but none in super high impact journals (all impact factor less than 10). Now trying to pursue a career as a physician scientist. ORM, married but no kids, MCAT 509 cGPA 3.7. My husband did an MD/PhD program and is now an internal medicine resident at Stanford. Hoping for some love from Stanford, but no interviews yet and no heavily screened secondaries sent my way. I guess if I don't succeed this cycle, I'll improve my clinical ECs in California (currently in Houston, Texas) and apply again next cycle.

Any other PhD to MDs out there??
 
Hello! I'm sorry I'm new to this so I'm just replying to this with my own problem that I need help in. I'm currently in community college and I have taken quite a few classes and wish to take most of the major classes like physics 1, bio 1 & 2, calc and general chemistry 1 & 2 this upcoming year, Spring 2020. I am thinking if applying to med school in July of 2020 is a good idea for me or not. I have a 4.0 gpa in science classes and a cumulative gpa of 3.85. I plan on taking my MCAT in January/March of 2020. I am very hopeful that I will do good because I'm very strong in my sciences and math. I have a lot of volunteering hours, clinical and non clinical and paid (3000+ all together). I am also starting to scribe and I have 60 hours of experience, shadowing 4 specialities. And I am starting research next semester, as well. How strong of a candidate would I be for med school? Would med schools consider taking me or not at all? Do you think it's better that I wait till 2021, after completing my bachelors then apply or would it be worth it to try? Please help! I'd love all the feedback I could get. Thank you!
 
Izna said:
Hello! I'm sorry I'm new to this so I'm just replying to this with my own problem that I need help in. I'm currently in community college and I have taken quite a few classes and wish to take most of the major classes like physics 1, bio 1 & 2, calc and general chemistry 1 & 2 this upcoming year, Spring 2020. I am thinking if applying to med school in July of 2020 is a good idea for me or not. I have a 4.0 gpa in science classes and a cumulative gpa of 3.85. I plan on taking my MCAT in January/March of 2020. I am very hopeful that I will do good because I'm very strong in my sciences and math. I have a lot of volunteering hours, clinical and non clinical and paid (3000+ all together). I am also starting to scribe and I have 60 hours of experience, shadowing 4 specialities. And I am starting research next semester, as well. How strong of a candidate would I be for med school? Would med schools consider taking me or not at all? Do you think it's better that I wait till 2021, after completing my bachelors then apply or would it be worth it to try? Please help! I'd love all the feedback I could get. Thank you!
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I would not try to squeeze in the MCATs in march 2020 and then apply in june 2020, it appears you will not have completed the vast majority of topics covered on the MCATs, and if you just start taking your classes in the fall, how wlll you start studying in January when you have only taken 1 semester of pre-med courses.

There is a lot of material on the MCATs surrounding orgo 2 and physics 2, and according to your schedule you will only be taking gen chem this year, which is a requirement for orgo and biochem. Also you will not have time to take biochemistry which usually comes after orgo 2. Also, if you are still taking community college classes, how will you be able to get your bachelor's degree with just 1 year at a 4 year college? What science classes have you taken so far? Since bio 1&2, calc, gen chem 1&2 are really first pre-med classes people usually take.

How many shadowing hours do you have? You realistically only need around 50.
Your volunteering hours are great, but what kind of clinical and non- clinical volunteering have you done?
Also be aware that some medical schools do not accept community college credits (I am unsure of which ones though)
It will also heavily rely on your MCAT scores as to where you should apply.

I am not trying to be mean or cruel, so please do not take it that way. I am just critically looking at what you wrote and described, and that is my feedback!
 
Izna said:
Hello! I'm sorry I'm new to this so I'm just replying to this with my own problem that I need help in. I'm currently in community college and I have taken quite a few classes and wish to take most of the major classes like physics 1, bio 1 & 2, calc and general chemistry 1 & 2 this upcoming year, Spring 2020. I am thinking if applying to med school in July of 2020 is a good idea for me or not. I have a 4.0 gpa in science classes and a cumulative gpa of 3.85. I plan on taking my MCAT in January/March of 2020. I am very hopeful that I will do good because I'm very strong in my sciences and math. I have a lot of volunteering hours, clinical and non clinical and paid (3000+ all together). I am also starting to scribe and I have 60 hours of experience, shadowing 4 specialities. And I am starting research next semester, as well. How strong of a candidate would I be for med school? Would med schools consider taking me or not at all? Do you think it's better that I wait till 2021, after completing my bachelors then apply or would it be worth it to try? Please help! I'd love all the feedback I could get. Thank you!
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I agree with @nli53 here, and just want to say you could be a great candidate. Don’t rush your MCAT because much of your success will depend on doing well on that test. Good luck!
 
I second what nli53 had to say. Focus on getting through all of the prerequisites and don’t underestimate the MCAT. If you really want to see where you stand, take a 3rd party full length. I imagine it will sober any sense of taking that test before completing the prerequisite coursework.
 
Hey guys, I am considering applying to MD/DO schools during the next application cycle. I have been working as an inpatient pharmacist for the last 7 years. All of my prereqs are more than 10 years old. Was anybody in a similar situation? Do I need to retake those classes? Or will MCAT be sufficient to start application process? My undergrad (chem major) and grad school gpa~3.7. Please advise.
Congrats to those who got accepted! Good luck on interviews! And thank you for this thread.
 
RedROSE said:
Hey guys, I am considering applying to MD/DO schools during the next application cycle. I have been working as an inpatient pharmacist for the last 7 years. All of my prereqs are more than 10 years old. Was anybody in a similar situation? Do I need to retake those classes? Or will MCAT be sufficient to start application process? My undergrad (chem major) and grad school gpa~3.7. Please advise.
Congrats to those who got accepted! Good luck on interviews! And thank you for this thread.
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It’s going to vary from school to school, but as a general rule of thumb, prereqs taken more than 10 years ago are frowned upon, and possibly won’t be accepted.
 
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TwoHighways said:
It’s going to vary from school to school, but as a general rule of thumb, prereqs taken more than 10 years ago are frowned upon, and possibly won’t be accepted.
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Thank you TwoHighways
 
nli53 said:
I would not try to squeeze in the MCATs in march 2020 and then apply in june 2020, it appears you will not have completed the vast majority of topics covered on the MCATs, and if you just start taking your classes in the fall, how wlll you start studying in January when you have only taken 1 semester of pre-med courses.

There is a lot of material on the MCATs surrounding orgo 2 and physics 2, and according to your schedule you will only be taking gen chem this year, which is a requirement for orgo and biochem. Also you will not have time to take biochemistry which usually comes after orgo 2. Also, if you are still taking community college classes, how will you be able to get your bachelor's degree with just 1 year at a 4 year college? What science classes have you taken so far? Since bio 1&2, calc, gen chem 1&2 are really first pre-med classes people usually take.

How many shadowing hours do you have? You realistically only need around 50.
Your volunteering hours are great, but what kind of clinical and non- clinical volunteering have you done?
Also be aware that some medical schools do not accept community college credits (I am unsure of which ones though)
It will also heavily rely on your MCAT scores as to where you should apply.

I am not trying to be mean or cruel, so please do not take it that way. I am just critically looking at what you wrote and described, and that is my feedback!
Click to expand...

I appreciate your help! Thank you so much! I completely understand, you are just trying to guide me. I recently just changed my mind from business to biology major, so that's why I haven't taken the pre med requisites that people usually take early on. To answer your questions, I am currently in my second year of community college and I have taken bio 1, pre cal, and human a & p 1. This Spring will be my second semester of my second year at community college. I agree with the MCAT part, but I still want to try, idk if that sounds foolish or not because I will make sure I study hard for it.

I have 60 shadowing hours with a Psychiatrist, Oncologist, Family practice physician, and a Pediatrician.
In paid experience: I have worked as a dental clinic manager where I did everything from scheduling to seating patients in rooms and creating treatment plans for them and presenting it to them. I have worked at a home health care company but that wasn't much patient experience but I was speaking to them on the phone about it and I was creating their evaluation report. I am also starting to scribe in the ER for a reputable hospital.

Non Paid: I have volunteered at Atria Senior living center, Memorial Hermann, and another low cost community medical clinic.

Non Clinical: I volunteer at my religious church as a safety volunteer. I volunteered for a marathon yearly, I taught kids in a religious school and I was in management for that as well. Also, I participated in ICERV - a youth volunteering tea, that helped during Harvey and helps the less fortunate.
I live in Texas and I want to stay in state.

I am starting research this upcoming Spring.
 
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