Another Adcom, ask me (almost) anything

[pokemanz]

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God I don't want this to sound pretentious, but I know it's going to -_-;; I have supervisors and PIs who I am very well-acquainted with, and they have graduated from and worked with people from highly respected universities (PhDs and/or MDs from Cambridge, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Northwestern, University College London to name a few). Likewise, they are very well known in their fields of expertise both domestically and internationally. Not to mention a good portion of them are directors of particular schools or departments at universities. I am certainly asking them to write letters for me, and I know that they are going to speak very highly of me based on my accomplishments and conversations with them. I'm curious to what degree you might consider an applicant who has letters from individuals like some of my letter writers as opposed to someone who might just have "generic" letters from professors they took classes from. I should mention that it was mostly by chance that I became acquainted with these people as opposed to seeking them out purely for their status. I imagine since I've be acquainted with my letter writers for quite a while and have worked with them full-time that they will be able to say more about my competencies than a typical applicant.

I ask because my GPA is phenomenal, my ECs are exceptional, my clinical experience is excellent, but my MCAT is meh.... My practice test average is through the roof, but I can't even break 30 on the real deal :\ My verbal tanked on test day, so I'm retaking it. Not to mention I've tutored physics and chem for four-five years, I read furiously, and I've been in biomed research for years. I submit regularly to a global health journal, and I've got research publications on the way. I know I'm capable of a medical education, but my MCAT apparently isn't reflecting that, which is really bothering me.

Or more simply: Does the reputation of the letter writer play a part in the decision factor? Would my letters be able to compensate at all for sub-par MCAT scores...

Curious for your input. :]

 

[mct2762]

@hushcom What do admissions committees think of an applicant who was accepted to a DO school and turned down the acceptance to try and reapply MD the next cycle?

 

[bearded frog]

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[bearded frog]

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[bearded frog]

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[bmy]

Hi,

Does it matter what med. school I do my SMP in? I am having a hard time picking an SMP, but feel that if I were to do well in any one of them, it should be helpful. Should I pick one with more prestige like the Georgetown SMP or just pick one that I like and do well in it (say, the one at Rosalind Franklin or NYMC)?

Thank you very much for your input!

 

[hushcom]

Hi hushcom,
I have a question for IA. I have an IA because I lend my lab report to my friend. I know it's very serious and my chance is very slim now. How do you view academic related IA, is it an auto rejection? Do you think I could still apply?
Thank you very much!

What sort of sanction/punishment did you receive? It's a bit difficult to reply without any details, but I can say that incidents involving academic dishonesty are viewed pretty harshly. It would make applying directly out of undergrad rather challenging. You may need to have a gap year (or three) so you can put some time between yourself and the IA and mature a bit more.

 

[hushcom]

First off, thank you for taking the time to answer so many questions. I was surprised to still see answers 21 pages in!

My question is this: if I did poorly on the MCAT (I won't be disingenuous, I got a 23. 9 VR, 8 BS, 6 PS) on my first try, and currently have a retake planned in June, is it better to still submit my secondaries as soon as possible?

On one hand, I am worried about being perceived as too weak. I'll be seen with a 23 and an upcoming date. I feel like I may just get put into some "review pile" almost doomed to be forgotten.
On the other hand, getting in that application as soon as possible has been the most common and universal advice I've received.

Would it be better to wait until my results are back in July to submit my secondaries? Or go ahead and submit my secondaries on day 1? I've already reviewed all the schools I am applying to, and it seems like I at least meet their cut-offs, so I'd receive a secondary. I'm also confident I will do much better on my retake.

I guess to word the question differently, do you think there is a negative perception to that pending score? Would an applicant who submitted a secondary in late July, assume average GPA, average MCAT (28-31), and strong clinical background look better than an applicant with an average GPA, strong clinical background, and that 23 I mentioned with a pending score who applies day 1?

The advice from bearded frog sounds like a reasonable course of action. To put it bluntly, a non-URM with a 23 MCAT is dead in the water, and your fear that your application will be triaged prior to the new score may be justified. When school's see your application for the first time it should contain a newer, higher MCAT score.

 

[hushcom]

@hushcom What do admissions committees think of an applicant who was accepted to a DO school and turned down the acceptance to try and reapply MD the next cycle?

To my knowledge I would have no way of finding this out. The only possible mechanism of learning this information would be a question on our secondary application about prior acceptances, but we don't ask such a thing. Other schools might. If not I would leave it in the "don't ask, don't tell" file.

 

[hushcom]

God I don't want this to sound pretentious, but I know it's going to -_-;; I have supervisors and PIs who I am very well-acquainted with, and they have graduated from and worked with people from highly respected universities (PhDs and/or MDs from Cambridge, Johns Hopkins, Harvard, Northwestern, University College London to name a few). Likewise, they are very well known in their fields of expertise both domestically and internationally. Not to mention a good portion of them are directors of particular schools or departments at universities. I am certainly asking them to write letters for me, and I know that they are going to speak very highly of me based on my accomplishments and conversations with them. I'm curious to what degree you might consider an applicant who has letters from individuals like some of my letter writers as opposed to someone who might just have "generic" letters from professors they took classes from. I should mention that it was mostly by chance that I became acquainted with these people as opposed to seeking them out purely for their status. I imagine since I've be acquainted with my letter writers for quite a while and have worked with them full-time that they will be able to say more about my competencies than a typical applicant.

I ask because my GPA is phenomenal, my ECs are exceptional, my clinical experience is excellent, but my MCAT is meh.... My practice test average is through the roof, but I can't even break 30 on the real deal :\ My verbal tanked on test day, so I'm retaking it. Not to mention I've tutored physics and chem for four-five years, I read furiously, and I've been in biomed research for years. I submit regularly to a global health journal, and I've got research publications on the way. I know I'm capable of a medical education, but my MCAT apparently isn't reflecting that, which is really bothering me.

Or more simply: Does the reputation of the letter writer play a part in the decision factor? Would my letters be able to compensate at all for sub-par MCAT scores...

Curious for your input. :]

bearded frog's reply (again) matches my own opinion. A big reason why standardized test scores are heavily weighted in admissions is that standardized testing is a key element to establishing and maintaining medical careers. Residency program directors will look at your Step scores as an indicator of how you will do on specialty boards (the pass rates of which are the primary means that said program directors get evaluated), and medical schools will look at someone with a lousy MCAT score as being higher risk for struggling on the Steps. While you sound extremely accomplished in your current arena, I can assure you that medical school is a totally different game.

So no, your letters will not make up for a sub-par MCAT score, but with the rest of your resume you could possibly find some love with a balanced 28+.

 

[hushcom]

Hi,

Does it matter what med. school I do my SMP in? I am having a hard time picking an SMP, but feel that if I were to do well in any one of them, it should be helpful. Should I pick one with more prestige like the Georgetown SMP or just pick one that I like and do well in it (say, the one at Rosalind Franklin or NYMC)?

Thank you very much for your input!

Goro mentioned some while back that the best SMPs are the ones that have you take actual medical school courses, either with current med students or taught at the same level. If at all possible you should go with one of those.

 

[zlyu]

This is the type of IA looked at most seriously by ADCOM's. Weather its an insta-reject will depend on the details of the infraction (more detailed than you have written here), how long ago it occurred, what the punishments were, and what you've done since the action.

Hi thank you for your reply, may I talk to you privately? Thanks!

 

[PKU]

DELETED. GOT ANSWER FROM A DIFFERENT ADCOM.

 

[Amel0616]

@hushcom Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.

I am new to SDN, but I'll try my best to be as clear as possible. 🙂

I have a fairly competitive GPA >3.7 and sGPA >3.8. I am currently a sophomore at a community college, planning to transfer to a state 4-year university for my BS. I have taken Math, English and General Chemistry requirements at the community college, but plan to take the majority of my science courses at the 4-year.

I have been working full-time through college, thus I have taken a lighter class load (11-12 credits) for the last two years, with mostly As (few Bs and 2 Cs). Also, I took a break from college (about 6 months) between my freshman and sophomore year due to problems in my family. Is this, both the light course load and time off, something I should bring up early on during the application process, say PS?

Also, I have worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator (direct contact with patients inc. blood draws, ECG, taking vitals, witnessing physical exams, taking medical history, etc.) for about 3 1/2 years (40 hrs/week). I am responsible for supervising and training new employees as well. Would this count as clinical exposure and/or cover for lack of other ECs/shadowing experiences? Count in about 250 hours of volunteer work somewhere else.

 

[orangeman25]

@hushcom

In one of your posts, you mentioned that a high gpa is in the 3.7-4.0 GPA range. Do you think a 3.7 is judged in the same way as a 3.9 or 4.0? I'm sorry if this seems like a minutiae question, but maintaining a 3.7 over 4 years is a lot less work than maintaining a 3.9 or 4.0. Thank you!

 

[bearded frog]

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[orangeman25]

I think he meant it like "3.7, this person did great in undergrad" vs "3.4, this person occasionally struggled in undergrad". 3.9 or 4 will obviously be better than 3.7, but im thinking once you hit the 3.7 range, your MCAT, EC's and other things can put you on equal footing with the 3.9 crowd.

Okay, yeah i genuinely agree with that. Adcoms probably see it in a similar light.

 

[bjt223]

Hey hushcom,

What is your inputs on retake classes? I did not do too well in community college and got all C's. But when I took upper division courses, I got mostly A's. Is it a good idea to retake those lower divisions classes?

Currently, have 2.8 sGPA, 3.0 cGPA, 35 mcat.

 

[hushcom]

@hushcom Thank you so much for taking the time to do this.

I am new to SDN, but I'll try my best to be as clear as possible. 🙂

I have a fairly competitive GPA >3.7 and sGPA >3.8. I am currently a sophomore at a community college, planning to transfer to a state 4-year university for my BS. I have taken Math, English and General Chemistry requirements at the community college, but plan to take the majority of my science courses at the 4-year.

I have been working full-time through college, thus I have taken a lighter class load (11-12 credits) for the last two years, with mostly As (few Bs and 2 Cs). Also, I took a break from college (about 6 months) between my freshman and sophomore year due to problems in my family. Is this, both the light course load and time off, something I should bring up early on during the application process, say PS?

Also, I have worked as a Clinical Research Coordinator (direct contact with patients inc. blood draws, ECG, taking vitals, witnessing physical exams, taking medical history, etc.) for about 3 1/2 years (40 hrs/week). I am responsible for supervising and training new employees as well. Would this count as clinical exposure and/or cover for lack of other ECs/shadowing experiences? Count in about 250 hours of volunteer work somewhere else.

You should not feel compelled to discuss your employment in your PS, although if you feel that it is part of your story you obviously can. Listing the employment and hours/week in the Experiences section will show that you have been working while going to school, and anyone reading the application can put two and two together. The six month break is probably worth explaining, as mysterious gaps sometimes make the mind wander.

I would absolutely count your CRC job as clinical exposure.

 

[hushcom]

@hushcom

In one of your posts, you mentioned that a high gpa is in the 3.7-4.0 GPA range. Do you think a 3.7 is judged in the same way as a 3.9 or 4.0? I'm sorry if this seems like a minutiae question, but maintaining a 3.7 over 4 years is a lot less work than maintaining a 3.9 or 4.0. Thank you!

The work differential between a 3.7 and a 3.9/4.0 may or may not be vast, depending on the major(s), institution, course load, and class selection. While it is true that nothing tops the magic 4.0, my earlier post intended to say that in making a rough appraisal of someone's academic performance, once the GPA climbs above a certain level there is diminished return in nitpicking every hundredth of a point.

 

[hushcom]

Hey hushcom,

What is your inputs on retake classes? I did not do too well in community college and got all C's. But when I took upper division courses, I got mostly A's. Is it a good idea to retake those lower divisions classes?

Currently, have 2.8 sGPA, 3.0 cGPA, 35 mcat.

You have an unusual set of numbers. Your MCAT and upper level performance shows you can handle the material, but your GPA will get you screened out of many places. A post-bacc would probably serve you better than retakes.

 

[Amel0616]

You should not feel compelled to discuss your employment in your PS, although if you feel that it is part of your story you obviously can. Listing the employment and hours/week in the Experiences section will show that you have been working while going to school, and anyone reading the application can put two and two together. The six month break is probably worth explaining, as mysterious gaps sometimes make the mind wander.

I would absolutely count your CRC job as clinical exposure.

Thanks!

 

[koolkat89]

Hello! Do adcoms really look down upon reapplicants who has had an acceptance from the previous cycle (but turned it down)?

 

[ridethecliche]

If you have submitted something I think it is valid to list it on your application. Do not include anything that is just in preparation.

Thanks for the insight! How do adcoms weigh and/or use publications?

 

[hushcom]

Hello! Do adcoms really look down upon reapplicants who has had an acceptance from the previous cycle (but turned it down)?

I believe I answered this one on a page long ago, but it depends on the reason. There are some legitimate reasons to turn down an acceptance, most of which relate to spouse/family, but anything outside of those would be viewed quite negatively.

 

[hushcom]

Thanks for the insight! How do adcoms weigh and/or use publications?

Publications are good, although they are not all measured equally. A paper in Cell carries a more weight than a letter to the State Medical Society.

 

[phunky]

@hushcom

In one of your posts, you mentioned that a high gpa is in the 3.7-4.0 GPA range. Do you think a 3.7 is judged in the same way as a 3.9 or 4.0? I'm sorry if this seems like a minutiae question, but maintaining a 3.7 over 4 years is a lot less work than maintaining a 3.9 or 4.0. Thank you!

This is the problem with grades, and the reason the MCAT is weighted so heavily. They're so subjective in that they vary vastly from school to school and major to major. As a double major in college, I can definitely say that maintaining a 3.9-4.0 in my Anthropology classes was the same difficulty, if not easier, than maintaining a 3.7 in Pure Mathematics. However, it's impossible for adcoms to really know the difficulty of any given program compared to every other.

 

[ridethecliche]

Publications are good, although they are not all measured equally. A paper in Cell carries a more weight than a letter to the State Medical Society.

Thanks. I'll keep this in mind. I should probably have atleast one publication and a few submissions (atleast one first author) by the time I apply and interview.

This is the problem with grades, and the reason the MCAT is weighted so heavily. They're so subjective in that they vary vastly from school to school and major to major. As a double major in college, I can definitely say that maintaining a 3.9-4.0 in my Anthropology classes was the same difficulty, if not easier, than maintaining a 3.7 in Pure Mathematics. However, it's impossible for adcoms to really know the difficulty of any given program compared to every other.

I think there's historical data for these, i.e. grad schools have some idea.

I think it'd be an interesting exercise to look at SAT/ACT, Major, GPA, MCAT, GPA in med school, and Board Scores.

It wouldn't be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I bet some of this data exists at programs but isn't really broadcast.

 

[phunky]

Thanks. I'll keep this in mind. I should probably have atleast one publication and a few submissions (atleast one first author) by the time I apply and interview.


I think there's historical data for these, i.e. grad schools have some idea.

I think it'd be an interesting exercise to look at SAT/ACT, Major, GPA, MCAT, GPA in med school, and Board Scores.

It wouldn't be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but I bet some of this data exists at programs but isn't really broadcast.

http://internationalgme.org/Resources/Pubs/Donnon et al (2007) Acad Med.pdf

0.6 correlation between MCAT and Step 1 score. Surprisingly high if you ask me.

 

[Steeeeeve]

Hushcom,

How does an expunged drug possession (misdemeanor) influence an applicant's application? The offense happened over 4 years ago, and was an isolated incident. I experimented with the drug psilocin with a friend, he freaked out and called 911, cops came, etc., and then I ended up with a charge. I had it expunged, but I still have to disclose it when secondary applications ask about my criminal record. I have a 3.7 sGPA (and cGPA) and a 33 MCAT and a great variety of ECs and clinical experience. Also, there is significant improvement in my grades and ECs since the incident, and I can speak about how the experience of having my future in jeopardy motivated me to mature and get my life together. I know a drug charge will definitely put me at a disadvantage, but will it ruin my chances? Thank you for your input.

 

[jjtheairplane]

Hi!

My Questions are

1) Do stats come up again in evaluating the candidate post interview? In other words, once you receive an interview invite, do test scores/GPA still play a role?
2) How badly is a 28 to 26 MCAT drop on a retake seen? Assuming the 2nd try was during school/Job/EC's and the first wasn't. Same VR of 7 pulling both scores down..

 

[hushcom]

Hi Hushcom, I was recently forced to resign from my hospital volunteer position. The reason? Parking violation, not even on the hospital campus itself, but on the university campus associated with the hospital. I've been going through a gamut of emotions ranging from disbelief to self-criticism, but what's done is done I suppose.

My question is: Should I still list my experiences volunteering at that hospital on my application, or should I find another clinical volunteering experience ASAP to make up for it? I don't know how in-depth adcoms follow up on EC contacts, but I'm afraid that that one parking violation will give my entire application a negative aspect if they contact the volunteer office to confirm my hours. Hospital volunteering over the years has been a major part of why I decided to pursue medicine, and I really want to include the experience in my app, just not sure now :/

There must be more to the story than a simple parking violation, but to answer your question I would go ahead and list the volunteer experience. AMCAS is the organization that audits EC's, but their only concern is whether you actually did what you said you did, not the details of why you left.

 

[hushcom]

Hushcom,

How does an expunged drug possession (misdemeanor) influence an applicant's application? The offense happened over 4 years ago, and was an isolated incident. I experimented with the drug psilocin with a friend, he freaked out and called 911, cops came, etc., and then I ended up with a charge. I had it expunged, but I still have to disclose it when secondary applications ask about my criminal record. I have a 3.7 sGPA (and cGPA) and a 33 MCAT and a great variety of ECs and clinical experience. Also, there is significant improvement in my grades and ECs since the incident, and I can speak about how the experience of having my future in jeopardy motivated me to mature and get my life together. I know a drug charge will definitely put me at a disadvantage, but will it ruin my chances? Thank you for your input.

Consult an attorney. I would be surprised if you had to disclose and expunged charge on a secondary, but I am not much of a legal resource.

 

[hushcom]

Hi!

My Questions are

1) Do stats come up again in evaluating the candidate post interview? In other words, once you receive an interview invite, do test scores/GPA still play a role?
2) How badly is a 28 to 26 MCAT drop on a retake seen? Assuming the 2nd try was during school/Job/EC's and the first wasn't. Same VR of 7 pulling both scores down..

1. I understand that at some schools your numbers are ignored post-interview, but they are the exception.
2. That's not very good. It looks like a 28 with a VR of 7 is your ceiling, and unless you are disadvantaged or have something else to bring to the table it's going to be difficult with those scores.

 

[Laureatebarrel]

Hi, I have two questions:
1/ How would a semester of Ws look? I do have extenuating circumstances that I can explain. It is has nothing to do with academics, I do retake a few courses and get As on them.
2/ I often sweat on my hands when I'm nervous or tense, which should happen during interview. What is your advice?

Thank you!

 

[jjtheairplane]

1. I understand that at some schools your numbers are ignored post-interview, but they are the exception.
2. That's not very good. It looks like a 28 with a VR of 7 is your ceiling, and unless you are disadvantaged or have something else to bring to the table it's going to be difficult with those scores.

For 2. : What would "something else to bring to the table" constitute? I figured adcoms felt this way, as I really did max out there. I am an over-represented minority, not disadvantaged, and have had no crazy life experiences. I just have moderately strong EC's and average GPA from top 30 undergrad, and live in the northeast.. I predict no love from MD schools, but should I try anyway?

and thank you for your response 🙂

 

[Steeeeeve]

Consult an attorney. I would be surprised if you had to disclose and expunged charge on a secondary, but I am not much of a legal resource.

Hi Hushcom,

Unfortunately, I did consult with my attorney and they said I have to disclose it. In my state, expungement does not reverse the conviction - it only seals it from public view, so I am legally responsible to answer "yes" to the question, "Have you ever been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor?" (except on AMCAS when it explicitly says not to disclose expunged offenses) With this information in mind, will the drug charge wreck my chances if the rest of my application is very solid? Thanks.

 

[Australopithekus]

Hello Hushcom, I've got a couple questions:

1. I'm a non-traditional student who originally intended to pursue a PhD and quickly realized I want to become a physician instead. Still, I am passionate about my research and I hope to maintain a strong translational research focus throughout my career in addition to clinical work. This is the thesis of my personal statement, but I'm concerned- would it be viewed negatively by schools with more of a primary-care aim (like most of my state schools)?

2. I had a weak undergraduate GPA (cumulative: 3.49, science: 3.4), and decided to complete a physiology master's program at a top university before applying to PhD programs. I actually substituted a couple of the department's PhD classes in place of the MS classes to get them out of the way, in case I would have remained at the same school. Academically, I did very well (3.92), but ultimately decided I wanted to become a MD instead. My MCAT score is a 36, and I have 1 first author publication, six or seven abstracts/posters/conferences, satisfactory volunteering, and I'm going to be the first author on a chapter in a forthcoming tissue engineering textbook.

I'm finding a lot of discrepant information regarding how M.S. GPAs are weighted by ADCOMs against undergrad GPAs, and my situation is a bit different than most given my additional PhD classwork. Could you address how you would treat my statistics were my application to land in your hands? Would you recommend that I focus my application primarily toward low, mid, or high-ranked schools?

Many thanks!

 

[makeyrmark]

.

 

[tantacles]

For 2. : What would "something else to bring to the table" constitute? I figured adcoms felt this way, as I really did max out there. I am an over-represented minority, not disadvantaged, and have had no crazy life experiences. I just have moderately strong EC's and average GPA from top 30 undergrad, and live in the northeast.. I predict no love from MD schools, but should I try anyway?

and thank you for your response 🙂

Go play for a professional sports team, get the Albright, or get published five times in Nature. That's what he means; something of that caliber.

 

[Jr MD]

Complete the primary ASAP, apply to one throwaway school, indicate you are waiting for another MCAT. Don't complete any secondaries. As soon as you know your new score, if its way better (28+), then you can add schools to your application accordingly that you are competitive at with that score. If you excel like 31+ then you can apply to a bigger range of schools. If you do poorly on the MCAT again then don't apply this cycle. That way you don't have the re-applicant stigma at your desired schools, and can regroup for next year and save application money.

Would this work for the TMDSAS too? I am in exactly the same boat with the same MCAT score. Can elaborate on this a little bit more? Thanks so much.

 

[hushcom]

Hi, I have two questions:
1/ How would a semester of Ws look? I do have extenuating circumstances that I can explain. It is has nothing to do with academics, I do retake a few courses and get As on them.
2/ I often sweat on my hands when I'm nervous or tense, which should happen during interview. What is your advice?

Thank you!

1. When I see a whole semester of W's in an otherwise unremarkable transcript I assume there was an extenuating circumstance. No need to sweat it now, especially because it's in the past.
2. Wear absorbent gloves? Take up pre-interview meditation? Imagine your interviewer in his/her underwear? I am really not sure what to tell you. If you sweat when tense the only options are to alleviate the tension and/or mask the sweat itself.

 

[hushcom]

For 2. : What would "something else to bring to the table" constitute? I figured adcoms felt this way, as I really did max out there. I am an over-represented minority, not disadvantaged, and have had no crazy life experiences. I just have moderately strong EC's and average GPA from top 30 undergrad, and live in the northeast.. I predict no love from MD schools, but should I try anyway?

and thank you for your response 🙂

You can always try, but my prediction is the same. If you want an MD acceptance a retake is almost unavoidable, but I would suggest that your prep this time deviate from however you did it before (because whatever you did before did not work). Alternatively, you would likely be competitive at some DO schools right now. Do not go Caribbean.

 

[hushcom]

Hi Hushcom,

Unfortunately, I did consult with my attorney and they said I have to disclose it. In my state, expungement does not reverse the conviction - it only seals it from public view, so I am legally responsible to answer "yes" to the question, "Have you ever been charged or convicted of a misdemeanor?" (except on AMCAS when it explicitly says not to disclose expunged offenses) With this information in mind, will the drug charge wreck my chances if the rest of my application is very solid? Thanks.

That is unfortunate, and I would not say that you have exactly helped your case, but "wreck" is a strong word here. Isolated misdemeanors, even drug-related ones, are certainly possible to overlook. A fair number of us "adults" did regrettable things in the past, but were generally lucky enough not to get caught. The fact that it was four years ago and is expunged would also diminish its significance. Ultimately the best way to rehabilitate these things is time and community service.

 

[ZoeMed]

Can you comment on responses you have liked/appreciated vs. disliked/don't ever want to hear, to the interview question "Why do you want to be a doctor?"

 

[Laureatebarrel]

2. Wear absorbent gloves? Take up pre-interview meditation? Imagine your interviewer in his/her underwear? I am really not sure what to tell you. If you sweat when tense the only options are to alleviate the tension and/or mask the sweat itself.

Thank you! Is it ok if I notify the schools ahead before the interview or do you think it is unnecessary?

 

[indimuse]

Hello hushcom,
I would like to ask you a few questions and I hope you could reply to them since all the random input I get from other people is nowhere compared to what I would get from an adcom.
My situation is unique in the sense that I am an international student who transferred to a public university here in my junior year. My school transferred all my credits from my previous school which allowed me to graduate on time.
I would have preferred to take a couple more semesters and take the pre-requisites but financial difficulties didn't make it any easier so my parents rushed me to graduate.
Instead of going back home and getting married as my family wished I fought to stay here and got a job and I am waiting for a green card which I hope to get in the next year.
Until then I was hoping I could take my pre-requisites at a Community College? There is no way I can pay oos tuition at a 4-year school. I am not eligible for loans or scholarships.
My options are very limited and life is bizarre for a woman in a different country without money or a house or familial support. I am trying to make it work with ultimately hoping to get into medical school. But every step I take forward I am set two steps backwards by unforeseen circumstances. All these circumstances have obviously affected my grades. They have fallen from a 3.6 in freshmen and sophomore year to an unspeakable 3.0 in my junior and senior year. And the grades aren't averaged since they are from two different countries.
I am just hoping to go to a community college and setting my GPA straight and acing MCAT.I know I can do it but I don't know if it's worth it if eventually community courses will shed a negative light on my application.
I don't really have many extra-curricular activities apart from research experience of 1.5 years , a few college jobs and some random volunteering efforts.. It gets frustrating to have all doors closed on you because of a stupid visa but I just want to know if I am headed in direction that is not doomed to end in a giant NO from adcoms.
It would mean a lot more since your advice will have a real insight in the minds of adcoms.
So should I take courses at a community college given the situation I am in?
Also how do adcoms view such events in an applicant's life?
As an adcom would you suggest anything that can benefit my application?

I couldn't be more thankful.

 

[Goro]

One of the worst answers I ever got was "because I want to be respected"

Can you comment on responses you have liked/appreciated vs. disliked/don't ever want to hear, to the interview question "Why do you want to be a doctor?"

 

[Goro]

Do NOT do this. Talk to your doctor or a counselor.

Thank you! Is it ok if I notify the schools ahead before the interview or do you think it is unnecessary?

 

[Steeeeeve]

That is unfortunate, and I would not say that you have exactly helped your case, but "wreck" is a strong word here. Isolated misdemeanors, even drug-related ones, are certainly possible to overlook. A fair number of us "adults" did regrettable things in the past, but were generally lucky enough not to get caught. The fact that it was four years ago and is expunged would also diminish its significance. Ultimately the best way to rehabilitate these things is time and community service.

Okay, great! Thank you for your advice.