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I'm filling out secondaries now, and I'm not sure how to proceed with this essay question. I'm pulled in two different directions.
On the one hand: my science GPA isn't stellar (I passed everything, but I have mostly B's and a few C's), so I thought this might be a good place to note that, and explain that while I was taking my core sciences, I was also working 40+ hours a week at the hospital, teaching classes, and researching/writing my doctoral dissertation. In the semester that I wasn't doing these extra activities, my grades went up (B+ in Human Physiology, B in Orgo 2, A- in Lab Physics, A in teaching general chemistry), so the low GPA isn't due to misunderstanding the material or an inability to study and apply the sciences, but primarily due to an inability to devote the time necessary to do well. Since I will not be doing all of these extraneous things in medical school, I don't want to project the image of someone who struggles with the sciences.
On the other hand: I have been working with a clinical research group for the past few months, am the principal investigator on two studies (one on medical decision-making, the other on the efficacy of a particular psychometric in intensive care settings), am writing an ethical analysis of the impact of technology designed to improve cardiopulmonary transplant organ viability, and in the coming months will be working on up to eight chapters for a textbook on critical care (including topics like the genetic impact on critical illness, oliguria, liver and kidney dysfunction, sepsis, complex acid-base disorders, etc.). Human physiology and pathophysiology have never been a problem for me.
So, which direction do you think I ought to follow? Should I try to find some third approach? Or do you think they have something else in mind?
On the one hand: my science GPA isn't stellar (I passed everything, but I have mostly B's and a few C's), so I thought this might be a good place to note that, and explain that while I was taking my core sciences, I was also working 40+ hours a week at the hospital, teaching classes, and researching/writing my doctoral dissertation. In the semester that I wasn't doing these extra activities, my grades went up (B+ in Human Physiology, B in Orgo 2, A- in Lab Physics, A in teaching general chemistry), so the low GPA isn't due to misunderstanding the material or an inability to study and apply the sciences, but primarily due to an inability to devote the time necessary to do well. Since I will not be doing all of these extraneous things in medical school, I don't want to project the image of someone who struggles with the sciences.
On the other hand: I have been working with a clinical research group for the past few months, am the principal investigator on two studies (one on medical decision-making, the other on the efficacy of a particular psychometric in intensive care settings), am writing an ethical analysis of the impact of technology designed to improve cardiopulmonary transplant organ viability, and in the coming months will be working on up to eight chapters for a textbook on critical care (including topics like the genetic impact on critical illness, oliguria, liver and kidney dysfunction, sepsis, complex acid-base disorders, etc.). Human physiology and pathophysiology have never been a problem for me.
So, which direction do you think I ought to follow? Should I try to find some third approach? Or do you think they have something else in mind?
