am i going in the right direction???

[CSAP33]

I took the mcat on apr 04 and did HORRIBLY...too embarrassed to post the score. I graduated on may 04 w/a 3.25 GPA cumulative and now I'm working full time. In addition, I'm thinking about public health and medicine; therefore, I'm taking graduate level public health courses. I am intending to take the GRE in either March or April so that I can matriculate. I do however plan to take the MCAT on either April or August 2006. Overall, I am aiming to become a full time grad student by 2006 and med student by 2007 or 2008. During the meantime, I'm studying for the GRE and MCAT with more focus on the GRE, but after the GRE i'll be concentrating on the MCAT. Am I going in the right direction? What do you think I should do? Help.....

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[mddoc]

Perhaps you could focus now on studying for the GRE if in fact you do want to go to grad school first then med school and then study for the MCAT later this year to prepare for the Apr 06 MCAt (or in summer of 06 for the Aug mcat). Studying for both, esp if you want to take the mcat next year I think is too much and may hinder your performance on on or both exams.

 

[firebird69guy]

I recommend studying for the MCAT, even if you don't take it this year.. it may help you ace the GRE since it is much easier.... my humble opinion.

 

[momo7430]

I took the mcat on apr 04 and did HORRIBLY...too embarrassed to post the score. I graduated on may 04 w/a 3.25 GPA cumulative and now I'm working full time. In addition, I'm thinking about public health and medicine; therefore, I'm taking graduate level public health courses. I am intending to take the GRE in either March or April so that I can matriculate. I do however plan to take the MCAT on either April or August 2006. Overall, I am aiming to become a full time grad student by 2006 and med student by 2007 or 2008. During the meantime, I'm studying for the GRE and MCAT with more focus on the GRE, but after the GRE i'll be concentrating on the MCAT. Am I going in the right direction? What do you think I should do? Help.....

Dear CSAP,
I'm here to tell you DON'T GIVE UP. If you want to be a doctor, then do it! Have you looked into review courses? If no, it helps a lot... if yes, I was in your shoes last year. Let's just say I got 25 or less on the MCAT (with 3.35 GPA), and although I hadn't really thought about it before, my advisor said "Hey if you just want to be a doctor, then apply MD and DO, at the end of four years, either way- you will be a doctor and get to do what you dream about." (Not that DOs are less of physicians, but the fact is that the requirements are sometimes a couple points less and for me that made the difference of Doctor -vs- No Doctor). He was right and so I looked into it, applied to both and I'm still waiting for (3) allopathic schools to decide... I got 3 interviews for DO, and got into all 3. I got very discouraged after the MCAT bombing, but I ignored my snobby competition and gave it a shot anyway. Now in August I'll be in med school no matter what. MD, DO was not to big a deal for me b/c I want to do family medicine, BUT many DOs specialize... and the top thoracic surgeon in my town is a DO! So, that's the pep talk... if you want to be a doctor- at least apply. THEN if they reject you, go for the masters thing to improve your package. Either way... best of luck to you, and hats off if you don't let the damn MCAT stop you.

Momo

 

[Doc Martins]

Dear CSAP,
I'm here to tell you DON'T GIVE UP. If you want to be a doctor, then do it! Have you looked into review courses? If no, it helps a lot... if yes, I was in your shoes last year. Let's just say I got 25 or less on the MCAT (with 3.35 GPA), and although I hadn't really thought about it before, my advisor said "Hey if you just want to be a doctor, then apply MD and DO, at the end of four years, either way- you will be a doctor and get to do what you dream about." (Not that DOs are less of physicians, but the fact is that the requirements are sometimes a couple points less and for me that made the difference of Doctor -vs- No Doctor). He was right and so I looked into it, applied to both and I'm still waiting for (3) allopathic schools to decide... I got 3 interviews for DO, and got into all 3. I got very discouraged after the MCAT bombing, but I ignored my snobby competition and gave it a shot anyway. Now in August I'll be in med school no matter what. MD, DO was not to big a deal for me b/c I want to do family medicine, BUT many DOs specialize... and the top thoracic surgeon in my town is a DO! So, that's the pep talk... if you want to be a doctor- at least apply. THEN if they reject you, go for the masters thing to improve your package. Either way... best of luck to you, and hats off if you don't let the damn MCAT stop you.

Momo

Good advice.