- Joined
- May 14, 2015
- Messages
- 12
- Reaction score
- 0
I graduated in 2014 with a degree in Biology & Education Sciences. I was a mess! My gpa had slumped big time, and I had a couple of MCATs under my belt.
My story is long and convoluted by I was in an Early Assurance Program with a Medical School in my state. Wasn't able to meet the MCAT, and was cut out. Became very disillusioned with Medicine, thought I'd just go for Education, and let my grades become a bit average. But, then at graduation realized, I want to be a doctor, I always have, and that I wanted to change.
Immediately signed up for July MCAT. I had taken the MCAT 2x before, scored a 21, 25 respectively. This time I was determined, and was happy to score a 34 (12/12/10). Took MCAT in July, finished all Secondaries by end of August, received 2 interviews out of 12 schools and was waitlisted at both. (At the time, sGPA was a 3.40).
During my gap year, I worked as a Science Teacher in High School (Currently counting down the days until SUMMER!). I love the kids, and my entire PS this year is about how teaching has been a very transformative, and healing period for me. I went from a grossly overweight person at graduation (BMI of about 32...so obese even, yikes), and spent every day from the day after graduation to now working towards being a better person. BMI is down to 20, I play tennis competitively, and focus more on being a balanced person, rather than being sad about my future and prospects.
Taking a gap year is prob the best thing that's ever happened to me, and now I'm faced with TWO gap years! Which I'm OK with. Next year, I will be teaching at a Gymnasium, or grammar school, in Germany as a Fulbright ETA Scholar. Very excited about that. Interviews will be difficult, but I am game for it.
During my gap year, I also enrolled in a Premedical Studies Program at Harvard Extension School. They're all online classes, with tests taken at my local Kumon with proctors. I have taken 32 credits there, currently maintaining my 4.0 average
So my current stats are:
cGPA: 3.72 (Up from 3.65)
sGPA: 3.61 (Up from 3.40)
MCAT: 34 (Previous 21, 25)
Occupation: Public School Teacher, during time of app, Fulbright Scholar in Germany
LORs: Very strong
Volunteering: HIV/AIDS Counselor, Food Pantry Volunteer, and summers spent in Indonesia doing Aid work
Clinical: 400+ Hrs at Hospital as PEDS attendant, Shadowed 2 Doctors, one of which is an Ophthalmologist (what is what I want to pursue)
PS: Talks about Teaching, my immigrant experience, my entrepreneurial aspirations, and why I chose Medicine
EC's: Typical, Bio Club President, Newspaper Columnist, Honor Court Member, Resident Advisor
Research: Very strong with 2 publications in the field of STEM Education Studies
Schools (I am only applying to 20 schools)
My story is long and convoluted by I was in an Early Assurance Program with a Medical School in my state. Wasn't able to meet the MCAT, and was cut out. Became very disillusioned with Medicine, thought I'd just go for Education, and let my grades become a bit average. But, then at graduation realized, I want to be a doctor, I always have, and that I wanted to change.
Immediately signed up for July MCAT. I had taken the MCAT 2x before, scored a 21, 25 respectively. This time I was determined, and was happy to score a 34 (12/12/10). Took MCAT in July, finished all Secondaries by end of August, received 2 interviews out of 12 schools and was waitlisted at both. (At the time, sGPA was a 3.40).
During my gap year, I worked as a Science Teacher in High School (Currently counting down the days until SUMMER!). I love the kids, and my entire PS this year is about how teaching has been a very transformative, and healing period for me. I went from a grossly overweight person at graduation (BMI of about 32...so obese even, yikes), and spent every day from the day after graduation to now working towards being a better person. BMI is down to 20, I play tennis competitively, and focus more on being a balanced person, rather than being sad about my future and prospects.
Taking a gap year is prob the best thing that's ever happened to me, and now I'm faced with TWO gap years! Which I'm OK with. Next year, I will be teaching at a Gymnasium, or grammar school, in Germany as a Fulbright ETA Scholar. Very excited about that. Interviews will be difficult, but I am game for it.
During my gap year, I also enrolled in a Premedical Studies Program at Harvard Extension School. They're all online classes, with tests taken at my local Kumon with proctors. I have taken 32 credits there, currently maintaining my 4.0 average
So my current stats are:
cGPA: 3.72 (Up from 3.65)
sGPA: 3.61 (Up from 3.40)
MCAT: 34 (Previous 21, 25)
Occupation: Public School Teacher, during time of app, Fulbright Scholar in Germany
LORs: Very strong
Volunteering: HIV/AIDS Counselor, Food Pantry Volunteer, and summers spent in Indonesia doing Aid work
Clinical: 400+ Hrs at Hospital as PEDS attendant, Shadowed 2 Doctors, one of which is an Ophthalmologist (what is what I want to pursue)
PS: Talks about Teaching, my immigrant experience, my entrepreneurial aspirations, and why I chose Medicine
EC's: Typical, Bio Club President, Newspaper Columnist, Honor Court Member, Resident Advisor
Research: Very strong with 2 publications in the field of STEM Education Studies
Schools (I am only applying to 20 schools)
- University of Virginia (In-state, #1)
- Virginia Commonwealth University (In-state)
- Virginia Tech (In-state)
- EVMS (In-state)
- Vermont
- Loyola Chicago
- Georgetown
- George Washington
- University of Pennsylvania
- Rosalind Franklin
- Tulane
- Wake Forest
- Northwestern
- NYMC
- Albert Einstein Yeshiva
- University of Washington
- MUSC
- USC (California, not Carolina)
- Dartmouth
- Duke
