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- Mar 23, 2018
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Hi everyone.
This is my first time creating a thread on sdn with the hope of getting some encouragement because I am shattered, confused and extremely discouraged. I hope I can get some real advice.
My story is very unusual and someone told me today that I have literally 0 chance of getting into a medical school in Texas or any school in the US.
I’ll start with my stats:
-3.74 cgpa with a downward trend (4.0 community college and 3.58 university) - 3.6 science gpa and 4.0 non science gpa.
-600+ hours clinical work (US and abroad- volunteered at st. Jude abroad)
-volunteered in the ER for 3 years
-100 hours shadowing (shadowed NFL orthopedic surgeon and a nephrologist)
-officer at a premed organization
-teacher assistant for microbiology
-lead teacher assistant
-2 research internships (health psyc and genetics)
-currently doing molecular biology research
- currently tutoring micro and ochem at a community college
-first generation student
-Texas resident
The guy I spoke to today told that I have no chance. I started with my undergrad career in 2011 really strong. Made As in all my prereqs, volunteered in a county hospital Er, did research, held some leadership positions etc. everything went well up until the fall if 2014. I still made As in 2014 but I dropped my first science class ever even though I had a B in the class because I thought I couldn’t continue for my aunt who’s handicapped got sick. In addition to my aunt who I live with got sick and was classified by the doctors as permanently handicapped because of hip dislocation, several life events were induced. I started stressing out, I had to work to support the house, I started losing track of my academics, got in a toxic relationship and started going out in my free time to relieve my stress. Despite the fact that i still received 3 As on my other classes things only got worse for my last three semesters where I only needed couple classes to graduate.
In took 4 classes in the spring of 2015 ( Lit, speech, viro, plant science.) due to my loss of motivation, work that I wasn’t used to (I drove limousine and shuttles for hotels), getting into a toxic relationship, and going out the whole time(partying) to escape, I dropped both virology and plant science at the beginning of the semester, even before the first exam, not because I was failing but because I wasn’t in a position to focus on school. During the Fall of 2015, same viscous loop, I received my 1st C ever in Biochem and received a B in plant science. During my last semester (Spring 2016), I took Biochem 2 and toxicology where I dropped Biochem 2 during the beginning of the semester and ended up with a B in toxicology.
I realized that I should stop school and focus on getting my life back on track, even though I still had calculus to take in order to get my degree and started getting doubts on whether I want to pursue medicine. My mom moved to Texas inorder to help my aunt and I decided to move to California in order to try something new and escape my super hard two years that I have passed through.
After the spring of 2016, I decided that I wanted to experience life outside academia. I turned down a research assistant job position that I received and moved to California for 5 months. I worked as tutor to support myself, volunteered in a homeless shelter, made amazing friendships, but most importantly I learned how to be an independent adult who can rely on himself in a new city. I wanted to explore my options of pursuing a phd so I joined a chemistry lab at a UC , lived with Phd students, took the GRE and met prominent professors who encouraged me to apply to their Phd Program in microbiology. As much as I love research, I realized that a PhD is not what I want to pursue because I enjoyed the human interaction factor that was missing. After my stay in Cali that lasted for 5 months, I moved to a country abroad where I realized that my initial passion to medicine was keen. I have spent my 7 months volunteering at St. Jude children cancer hospital that was one of the most sad, yet uplifting experiences I had. I hadshadowed an NFL affiliated and a Harvard graduate orthopedic surgeon at the in addition to several volunteer events with the blind. My trips taught me many lessons about myself, gave me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world who left a drastic impact on my life, and made me realize my past mistakes that I consider as a learning opportunity. Most importantly, I realized that medicine is what I want to pursue.
After moving back to Texas I was very determined to work hard again and continue what I started. I got a job as a tutor for microbiology, organic chemistry and physiology at a college, joined a microbiology research lab that studies microbial resistance and started studying for MCAT wholeheartedly and I believe I will score 515+.
My only other downside is that I haven’t taken my calculus yet and I am planning on taking a CLEP in mid April inorder to get my degree.
I have done a lot of mistakes in 2015 and 2016. My academic performance dropped exponentially as I was on the top of my class and extracurriculars before. I received an A in ochem by the time the class average was F. I have learned from my past mistakes, I am back on track and I know that the phase that I have passed through was a Learning opportunity and I will never go back to it ever again.
The guy that I spoke with today told me that I have a 0 chance of getting in anywhere. He shattered me and I don’t know what to do because I am studying for my McAT wholeheartedly, I have great LORs and I am planning on applying this cycle.
I need your input please, I hope that you can give me some encouragement guys. I have learned from my mistakes and I am a stronger individual today.
-Thank you and I apologize for my long thread.
This is my first time creating a thread on sdn with the hope of getting some encouragement because I am shattered, confused and extremely discouraged. I hope I can get some real advice.
My story is very unusual and someone told me today that I have literally 0 chance of getting into a medical school in Texas or any school in the US.
I’ll start with my stats:
-3.74 cgpa with a downward trend (4.0 community college and 3.58 university) - 3.6 science gpa and 4.0 non science gpa.
-600+ hours clinical work (US and abroad- volunteered at st. Jude abroad)
-volunteered in the ER for 3 years
-100 hours shadowing (shadowed NFL orthopedic surgeon and a nephrologist)
-officer at a premed organization
-teacher assistant for microbiology
-lead teacher assistant
-2 research internships (health psyc and genetics)
-currently doing molecular biology research
- currently tutoring micro and ochem at a community college
-first generation student
-Texas resident
The guy I spoke to today told that I have no chance. I started with my undergrad career in 2011 really strong. Made As in all my prereqs, volunteered in a county hospital Er, did research, held some leadership positions etc. everything went well up until the fall if 2014. I still made As in 2014 but I dropped my first science class ever even though I had a B in the class because I thought I couldn’t continue for my aunt who’s handicapped got sick. In addition to my aunt who I live with got sick and was classified by the doctors as permanently handicapped because of hip dislocation, several life events were induced. I started stressing out, I had to work to support the house, I started losing track of my academics, got in a toxic relationship and started going out in my free time to relieve my stress. Despite the fact that i still received 3 As on my other classes things only got worse for my last three semesters where I only needed couple classes to graduate.
In took 4 classes in the spring of 2015 ( Lit, speech, viro, plant science.) due to my loss of motivation, work that I wasn’t used to (I drove limousine and shuttles for hotels), getting into a toxic relationship, and going out the whole time(partying) to escape, I dropped both virology and plant science at the beginning of the semester, even before the first exam, not because I was failing but because I wasn’t in a position to focus on school. During the Fall of 2015, same viscous loop, I received my 1st C ever in Biochem and received a B in plant science. During my last semester (Spring 2016), I took Biochem 2 and toxicology where I dropped Biochem 2 during the beginning of the semester and ended up with a B in toxicology.
I realized that I should stop school and focus on getting my life back on track, even though I still had calculus to take in order to get my degree and started getting doubts on whether I want to pursue medicine. My mom moved to Texas inorder to help my aunt and I decided to move to California in order to try something new and escape my super hard two years that I have passed through.
After the spring of 2016, I decided that I wanted to experience life outside academia. I turned down a research assistant job position that I received and moved to California for 5 months. I worked as tutor to support myself, volunteered in a homeless shelter, made amazing friendships, but most importantly I learned how to be an independent adult who can rely on himself in a new city. I wanted to explore my options of pursuing a phd so I joined a chemistry lab at a UC , lived with Phd students, took the GRE and met prominent professors who encouraged me to apply to their Phd Program in microbiology. As much as I love research, I realized that a PhD is not what I want to pursue because I enjoyed the human interaction factor that was missing. After my stay in Cali that lasted for 5 months, I moved to a country abroad where I realized that my initial passion to medicine was keen. I have spent my 7 months volunteering at St. Jude children cancer hospital that was one of the most sad, yet uplifting experiences I had. I hadshadowed an NFL affiliated and a Harvard graduate orthopedic surgeon at the in addition to several volunteer events with the blind. My trips taught me many lessons about myself, gave me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world who left a drastic impact on my life, and made me realize my past mistakes that I consider as a learning opportunity. Most importantly, I realized that medicine is what I want to pursue.
After moving back to Texas I was very determined to work hard again and continue what I started. I got a job as a tutor for microbiology, organic chemistry and physiology at a college, joined a microbiology research lab that studies microbial resistance and started studying for MCAT wholeheartedly and I believe I will score 515+.
My only other downside is that I haven’t taken my calculus yet and I am planning on taking a CLEP in mid April inorder to get my degree.
I have done a lot of mistakes in 2015 and 2016. My academic performance dropped exponentially as I was on the top of my class and extracurriculars before. I received an A in ochem by the time the class average was F. I have learned from my past mistakes, I am back on track and I know that the phase that I have passed through was a Learning opportunity and I will never go back to it ever again.
The guy that I spoke with today told me that I have a 0 chance of getting in anywhere. He shattered me and I don’t know what to do because I am studying for my McAT wholeheartedly, I have great LORs and I am planning on applying this cycle.
I need your input please, I hope that you can give me some encouragement guys. I have learned from my mistakes and I am a stronger individual today.
-Thank you and I apologize for my long thread.
In the words of the late, great MJ, you are not alone.
