Extremely late applicant

[Dropit]

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Hello everyone,
I really need some serious advice. I am 26 yrs old and I gave up my dream to go to medical school a while ago. I did decide to enroll in a master program (more like a Post-bachelor) at Boston University but I never had a chance to finish it. My mother was laid off from work 2 yrs ago and my father is still back in Asia. Basically, I am the only one that support both of them. I am currently working as a full-time lab technician (I have so several jobs before that: bank teller, medical interpreter, pharmacy technician, even power Ebay seller 🙂 ). And my father was recently diagnosed with lung cancer stage IV, and his dream is to see me become successful (he always wanted me to become a doctor). I know it's SUPER DUPER late to apply to medical school, but I really wanted my father to be proud of me for once before it's too late. I signed up to take the last MCAT (Sept 12). But since it's my first time applying, I am really confused with everything. Here are some of the questions that I have, and hopefully I can get some answers from you guys:

a) How do I ask professors for letters of recommendation? I am very timid and I don't know my professors very well.
b) Do you think my graduate school (BU) committee would write a composite letter in such a short notice?
c) The school that I want to apply is November 1 - Deadline for applications to be received by AMCAS. What is the timeline that I need to put my application together? Any advice?
d) My undergrad ac GPA = 3.7 (science GPA = 3.8-3.9 not sure because I haven't calculate yet, but I got 3.7 because I have a C and B in writing 🙁), my graduate GPA right now is 3.6
- ECs: several hours volunteering when I was an undergrad, no shadowing experience
have a lot of exposure to medical setting (medical interpreter), working on a publish paper as first author in my lab right now, volunteering on another meta-analysis paper for another doctor right now. Currently holding 3 jobs (1 full-time job at the lab, 1 part-time weekend job at CVS, morning job at an internship at a biotech company)
e) I only need to complete my thesis to get my master degree at Boston University, but will the medical school accept me even though I didn't graduate yet? If I do get in, I can comfortable write up a quick thesis to graduate in a couple of months

Please do give me any feedback, any advice, what I should do to complete my application for medical school? I just want to have a chance to make my father proud (I have been feeling like a failure for the past 3-4 years). Thank you and I am looking forward to any responds.

One more thing, I have to stay in-state to take care of my mother (she is 63 yrs) and we don't have DO schools here. The only schools that I can have a shot is: Tufts, Umass medical school, or maybe Harvard (just kidding ). Any other schools that are closer to MA is fine. BU is out of the questions because my advisor told me it's too late for BU now.

 

[ApplyPerfectly]

First off, it is not too late for you to apply to medical school age-wise! I have classmates in my medical school class who are in there late thirties and early forties. I think you should get that notion out of your head. 26 is the new 21 🙂

That being said, it is getting late in the application cycle, and many schools use a rolling admissions process--the earlier applicants have better chances of being accepted compared to the later applicants. If I were you, I would move your MCAT exam date back until January of 2014 and study your guts out to do really well on the MCAT. Getting a good MCAT score will help you stay instate for medical school. Then, I would be one of the first applicants to apply in June of 2014 to medical school. This will increase your chances of acceptance and of staying instate.

My responses to your other questions:
a) How do I ask professors for letters of recommendation? I am very timid and I don't know my professors very well.
You should approach them in person and ask them to write you a letter, ideally while you are currently taking a class from them. Then, in writing, supply them with good information about you to use in their letter. You can remind them of how well you did in their class, your strengths, why you want to go into medicine. You should practically write your own letter of recommendation and give it to them to make their job easier and to increase your chances of getting a good letter from them.
b) Do you think my graduate school (BU) committee would write a composite letter in such a short notice?
I wouldn't rush it. You need to appear calm, collected, and like you have a plan. Talk to them now about writing one for you next spring. That will give them and you time to do things right. Plus, that way they may be able to meet with you in person to do a mock interview or something to better get to know you.
c) The school that I want to apply is November 1 - Deadline for applications to be received by AMCAS. What is the timeline that I need to put my application together? Any advice?
Again, I would submit your AMCAS application next year on June 1, 2014. Be the first applicant in next year's application cycle instead of the last one in this year's. Trust me 🙂
d) My undergrad ac GPA = 3.7 (science GPA = 3.8-3.9 not sure because I haven't calculate yet, but I got 3.7 because I have a C and B in writing ), my graduate GPA right now is 3.6
- ECs: several hours volunteering when I was an undergrad, no shadowing experience
have a lot of exposure to medical setting (medical interpreter), working on a publish paper as first author in my lab right now, volunteering on another meta-analysis paper for another doctor right now. Currently holding 3 jobs (1 full-time job at the lab, 1 part-time weekend job at CVS, morning job at an internship at a biotech company)
Nice! Publications and medical exposure are great. Try to sneak in some shadowing and some volunteering if you can--it sounds like you already have your plate full.
e) I only need to complete my thesis to get my master degree at Boston University, but will the medical school accept me even though I didn't graduate yet? If I do get in, I can comfortable write up a quick thesis to graduate in a couple of months
Many medical schools want you to complete your graduate program before medical school begins. There are ways around this, but I wouldn't risk it. Finish you graduate program, get everything else in order, and then apply perfectly next year. You'll save yourself time, money, and from frustration in the long run.

Best of luck!

 

[shopsteward]

Sorry to hear about your father.

Here's my take on your situation in relation to an application to med school this cycle. You have an OK uGPA (about average for MD). You have no MCAT yet, and only a short time to study for it while holding down three jobs. You have an masters thesis which will take at least 2 months to finish after you take the MCAT and professors you don't know well and who presumably don't know you well either, which will make it difficult for you to get the good LORs you need from them. You have very good research experience and good clinical exposure, but very limited volunteering. You would be a very late applicant, applying after some schools have stopped accepting any applications and others have filled most of their places. You would be applying to a very limited number of schools.

I think you could solve all your potential negatives by applying next year. If you put a solid plan in place for the next year (finish your masters while making good contact with your professors, study for an MCAT next spring, cut out one job and put some volunteering in its place, apply as widely as you feel is geographically possible and at the beginning of June) I think that would be a better demonstration of your likely future as a doctor than a rushed application now.

You have no reason to feel like a failure, and there is no reason your father should not be proud of you. You know that your time with him may be short. Would it be possible for you to take the time now to visit him, with a firm plan in hand for you to become a doctor, rather than spend the next couple of months rushing round trying to put together an application for this year in a great hurry and in less than ideal circumstances? An application next year would also give you and your mother time to work on a plan for her well-being and financial security while you are busy in medical school and unable to earn.

Best wishes for whatever you decide.

 

[Goro]

Very sorry to hear of your troubles, but I see some signs that concern me. Do NOT go medical school just because you wan to please your dad.. Do it ONLY because you want to do it.

Please do give me any feedback, any advice, what I should do to complete my application for medical school? I just want to have a chance to make my father proud (I have been feeling like a failure for the past 3-4 years). Thank you and I am looking forward to any responds.


In medical school, you're going to have to be selfish. Is your mom capable of taking care of herself? Can she drive, and write checks? if so, back off and let her live her life. Do you have siblings? Extended family? if so, they can help you mom.

I've seen tons of students like you, well-meaning, very bright, capable of handling a medical education get killed by having family issues clobber them. Brown, Dartmouth, UNECOM, U VT, U CT, Albany, Yale, Quinnipac, and the NY schools are all pretty much within driving distance or a short flight away.

One more thing, I have to stay in-state to take care of my mother (she is 63 yrs) and we don't have DO schools here. The only schools that I can have a shot is: Tufts, Umass medical school, or maybe Harvard (just kidding ). Any other schools that are closer to MA is fine. BU is out of the questions because my advisor told me it's too late for BU now.[/QUOTE]

 

[Dropit]

Thank you so much for everyone's response. I decided to fly back to Asia to see my father, maybe spend some quality time with him. When I come back, I will definitely study my ass off for the MCAT. I think I am pretty good with science, that's why I definitely would love to become a doctor. My only weakness is English, anything that requires writing often switch me to a procrastinator. But I have to work on that (with the rest of my life).

In medical school, you're going to have to be selfish. Is your mom capable of taking care of herself? Can she drive, and write checks? if so, back off and let her live her life. Do you have siblings? Extended family? if so, they can help you mom.

I've seen tons of students like you, well-meaning, very bright, capable of handling a medical education get killed by having family issues clobber them. Brown, Dartmouth, UNECOM, U VT, U CT, Albany, Yale, Quinnipac, and the NY schools are all pretty much within driving distance or a short flight away.

[/I][/QUOTE]

Nope, my mother doesn't speak a single word of English, I handled everything for her, from applying for insurance, take her to the hospitals, buy medications, I even managed her banking (she got more money than I do and she only made $8 an hour before she was laid off, amazing rite???). My mother wants to go back to live with my father in Asia, but I really don't want her to leave. But at the same time, it's so hard for me to concentrate on my future with her around (I know it sounds mean, but it's a lot of effort to take care another person).

Thank you every for your honest responds, I feel much better now. I will go off to study for the MCAT now and I will be back to post my scores. Hopefully I can at least get a 9-10 on my Verbal section. Thanks once again.