Advice needed.

[YoungDoc25]

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Finally decided to make an account after reading on threads for the last year. I'm stuck on where to apply and how to approach applying with my situation. I'll lay out the normal details and then explain.

Undergrad cGPA and sGPA around 3.4-3.5 including retakes from my freshman year (I'll explain later)

MCAT is to be taken in April and I'll start applying this summer after I graduate in May.

My first semester in college was at a large D1 state school where I was playing baseball. Grades were fine until finals. I had a friend die the week before finals and unfortunately didn't perform well on them, dropping almost all my classes half to a full letter grade. Left at semester to get a fresh start (had a 2.1 GPA and needed to leave). Next semester I was still playing baseball, had a career ending injury, missed classes due to surgery and ended up almost dropping out due to depression and poor grades (had a 2.7 GPA that semester). The next year consisted of me trying to continue to play ball (didn't work out) and pull my life together (switched from engineering to biology major) and finished with around a 3.25 average for the year. Baseball career ended due to continued shoulder problems and I wanted to do as well as possible my last two years during my toughest classes. Since baseball I've taken my organic sequence, biochemistry, and all of my upper level credit classes while maintaning a 3.82 GPA. This last semester was Inorganic Chemistry, Physics 1 (retake because I had a C), Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, and my own personal cancer research project with faculty. I pulled a 4.0 and worked my butt off. I also had an internship last spring with my in state MD school where I got to follow around residents and their attendings while they interacted with patients. I have around 60 hours of shadowing residents/physicians.

I know it's a lot, but I feel like most of it is relevant and can explain some of my early mishaps. I also don't want it to sound like excuses. I know I messed up, but it has definitely taught me how to deal with adversity and to work hard, both of which I feel like are truly applicable to med school. I need some feedback on how my app will look (MCAT pending) and what to do in my year off after graduating this spring. Sorry for the novel, but I appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks!

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

GPA is fine. Work on acing the MCAT. Boost your ECs. Get LORs and you are fine.

 

[YoungDoc25]

GPA is fine. Work on acing the MCAT. Boost your ECs. Get LORs and you are fine.

Ok thanks! Any advice for my year off as far as jobs go? Just make sure it's in a hospital/clinical environment?

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

Go big. Scribing is the way to go.

1) You get in the faces of patients and doctors; experience the patient-physician relationship. Learn how to ask the right questions to get the precise answers.
2) Ask questions on down time. Great way of learning medicine and their thought process behind each diagnos(es) and/or treatment
3) Learn how to document a medical record which youre going to learn anyways....so why not learn it early? You'd be ahead of the game once you get into rotations
4) Do a great job, get a GREAT LOR 🙂. The key is to be one step ahead and dont let stress get to you.
5) If you have an ego, DROP IT. Be nice to everyone and take all criticisms as motivation to do better.

I worked in the ER for the past 2.5 years under +13 MDs and LEARNED a ton. Physician assistants & nurses have even turned to me for advice because I worked under a doctor. Its great...... but also a humbling experience.

Now, I will say. Scribing is not for everyone. During orientation, I was in a group of 8 students, primarily females. Only 1 made it out alive. It's a difficult job.

If you dont like scribing..... being an ER tech, EMT, or nurse aid would also help too.

 

[YoungDoc25]

Go big. Scribing is the way to go.

1) You get in the faces of patients and doctors; experience the patient-physician relationship. Learn how to ask the right questions to get the precise answers.
2) Ask questions on down time. Great way of learning medicine and their thought process behind each diagnos(es) and/or treatment
3) Learn how to document a medical record which youre going to learn anyways....so why not learn it early? You'd be ahead of the game once you get into rotations
4) Do a great job, get a GREAT LOR 🙂. The key is to be one step ahead and dont let stress get to you.
5) If you have an ego, DROP IT. Be nice to everyone and take all criticisms as motivation to do better.

I worked in the ER for the past 2.5 years under +13 MDs and LEARNED a ton. Physician assistants & nurses have even turned to me for advice because I worked under a doctor. Its great...... but also a humbling experience.

Now, I will say. Scribing is not for everyone. During orientation, I was in a group of 8 students, primarily females. Only 1 made it out alive. It's a difficult job.

If you dont like scribing..... being an ER tech, EMT, or nurse aid would also help too.

Thanks a lot! I'll look into all of that. Any chance a lab position would be looked upon as a positive use of time as well?

 

[oOKawaiiOo]

I only did a year of research. Never spoke about it during my interviews. So I dunno.