Hello!

[NerdyAndrea]

Hi there! I am new to SDN, and am an older student completing my last 5 semesters of a Biology Degree geared towad pre-med. I want to be a DO, it's my big dream I went to massage therapy school and did incredibly well there, and did a hospital internship with my school. It was great for me. I loved working in the hospital. The Docs and Nurses were super nice to us (could have been all the free student intern massages) My dream is to work with rural and underserved populations. I'd like to provide very holistic care which could inclde massage therapy as part of treatment combined with OMT someday. I think that people should have access to care for optimum wellness, and it shouldn't be a luxury.

I have been on the end of not having health insurance or care. I enjoyed doing massage therapy, and am enjoying my pre-med coursework, even though it's tough. I returned to school this Spring Semester, and my first two classes of the morning are math heavy. I haven't had a math class in ten years, so I struggled for a bit, but I am learning so much.

I was wondering if anyone here is attending Pacific Northwest Health Sciences University? If so how are you liking it? That's my dream school, because they cater to underserved and rural populations. I want to do Family Medicine/Primary Care, and maybe one day start my own clinic with many types of care available to those who would not normally be able to get it.

Well Hello everyone and I am happy to be here!

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[JaggerPlate]

Sup ... welcome to the Thunderdome ... err, I mean SDN.

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Thank you for your welcome.....Thunderdome...hhhmmm maybe it's like the Tacoma Dome.....



Nada's up but te sky and myself trying to be ahead when I'm off Spring Break

A

 

[JaggerPlate]

Thank you for your welcome.....Thunderdome...hhhmmm maybe it's like the Tacoma Dome.....



Nada's up but te sky and myself trying to be ahead when I'm off Spring Break

A

Spring break huh??? Maybe you can do some shadowing or volunteering or something to start beefing up the app while you're off school??

 

[mechanictodr]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=643112

Lots of PWNU students here. Though I don't believe that they cater to the underserved of the NW. Thier goal is to produce physicians that may work in the rural NW, but no one who attends there will be forced to go that route.

 

[wannabeaDO]

I believe West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine would also be a great school for you!
If you are in the 5 states in the Northwest then PNWU would be a great choice too. However if you are out of those states, I would try to apply to other schools.

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Hey Jagger:

That is a great idea, I have a couple of volunteer positions over the Summer, and I have volunteered a lot of massage too, especially for patients whom are terminally or chronically ill.

Spring Break is my time to mke sure that everything is done to complete perfection so I have no more homework for a while when I return

I attend a very small conservative christian with wonderful class sizes, but I have some different core graduation requirements than some at the state universities. It's a bit more on the credits because of that.

We are also required in our junior year for graduation to visit another country and set up a clinic as a cross cultural scientific experience. So I am hoping that will also count for something on apps.

I am a resident of Washington State, I was born and raised here. I actually live in one of te most medically underserved communities in the state. There is a huge drug, unemployed, nonisured working poor, HIV and teen pregnancy rate here. In fact I think I am about the only one that was not pregnant in or right after high school. All of these folks lack access to medical care, so hence my passion being in rural and underserved populations. Yes I was looking at PNWU's site and they state preparing people for any specialty. I thought that there focus seemed to be on rural and underserved populations.

I want to go there very much. I have looked at WVSOM too. I am very attached to my family, and love being within 1 -3 hours of them, currently I am studying in Kirkland, WA. I am sure that WVSOM is an amazing school.

I will go where I am acceppted, but I am very hopeful to make it to PNWU and be in Yakima. I am working on some volunteer positions here in Cowlitz County which since the mill closures has only upped the medically needy population, the population on or selling drugs, and some other prevalent issues. It's really a social medical microcosm here. Lucily I have insurance at this time in my life, but I have had things that would have devastated me and my family financially had I not.

Thank you all for writing back

A

 

[The Poet Sings]

i know this isn't going to be very helpful (as i don't attend pnwu), but you're definitely doing the right thing by looking for help here. sdn has been the best resource for me! as soon as i get some money (aka loans once med school starts) i'm donating. this place is so much more helpful than my school advisers were (aka those people who told me to not even bother applying...). i wish you the best!
ps - the search button is your friend! learn to use it and LOVE it because almost everything you can think of has already been answered. and if not, there are many people on here who are willing to help .

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Dear Poet:

Thanks for the reply! I am lucky and have Fabulous pre-med faculty, and a fabulous small school who is REALLY focused ont heir students, my biggest class is 15 people. I feel VERY blessed my teachers are always available, and my advisor is like okay has every picked 2 -4 schools they wnt to go to? Then the advisor goes and builds a relationship with those schools and works personally with everyone in the pre-med cohort.

This is an extra and VALUABLE resource I can already tell that. I am learning tons here. I am learning tons in classes, and that really is important to my vitality to simply be learning all the time. My Biostatisitcs course has been phenomenal, and I've lucked out. Ithink that no matter what school someone is at they have valable input about something. We all have a piece of something valuable to add. I feel lucky to have found SDN, and be getting more of those pieces.

This is something I am focused on doing, and is the primary focus of my life along with my family, everything else is secondary, and it will be like that until I've finished my residency. I have already decided I am going and I will, I just have to cmplete my necessary steps to get there!

I've wanted to be a octor since I was 2, I thought I'd just get a nice 9-5 life, but the desire never left me. I forgot how good it felt to do what you were supposed to be doing until I went to massage school and got a small taste again, a divorce and some life experience later, I am kicking myself a little for putting it off, but realize that everythig is accomplished in it's own time; and this is my time.

Andrea

 

[The Poet Sings]

Dear Poet:

Thanks for the reply! I am lucky and have Fabulous pre-med faculty, and a fabulous small school who is REALLY focused ont heir students, my biggest class is 15 people. I feel VERY blessed my teachers are always available, and my advisor is like okay has every picked 2 -4 schools they wnt to go to? Then the advisor goes and builds a relationship with those schools and works personally with everyone in the pre-med cohort.

This is an extra and VALUABLE resource I can already tell that. I am learning tons here. I am learning tons in classes, and that really is important to my vitality to simply be learning all the time. My Biostatisitcs course has been phenomenal, and I've lucked out. Ithink that no matter what school someone is at they have valable input about something. We all have a piece of something valuable to add. I feel lucky to have found SDN, and be getting more of those pieces.

This is something I am focused on doing, and is the primary focus of my life along with my family, everything else is secondary, and it will be like that until I've finished my residency. I have already decided I am going and I will, I just have to cmplete my necessary steps to get there!

I've wanted to be a octor since I was 2, I thought I'd just get a nice 9-5 life, but the desire never left me. I forgot how good it felt to do what you were supposed to be doing until I went to massage school and got a small taste again, a divorce and some life experience later, I am kicking myself a little for putting it off, but realize that everythig is accomplished in it's own time; and this is my time.

Andrea

my smallest class had to be around 30 people, with the largest being like 200? to say my school is huge would be an understatement (it's a public school you can find on these lists http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_United_States_university_campuses_by_enrollment). i swear they only want/expect the 4.0 kids to succeed. oh well, i showed them!

 

[RTaspiringDO]

william carey is all for primary care physicians geared to help underserved communities.

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Dear Poet Sings:

You made it without 4.0 congratulations!!!! I am happy to hear you persevered. I aim for a 4.0 and am happy with between a 3.0 and 4.0. In other words I don't beat myself up I've done enough of that.

Good job, and yes you're going to medical school! they'll probably list you as a successful alumni or something to that effect, talk about the best revenge being living well.

I was told I was stupid in high school. I decided to live up to it and I checked out. I wish I hadn't, but, here I am ten years late going after my dream. I haven't gne to my reunions and such, I hate no one, but why dredge up the negative past? One day I am sure I will see the educator that said that to me as a patient. If this is the case I'll happily give that person the best care they have ever experienced, and they will leave healthier and happier. That is what I hope to accomplish.

Just imagine getting one of those people who shunned you in for care? Then you can do a phenomenal job of caring for them, and maybe the next student they think about discouraging they'll encourage, and BAM! You've made a HUGE difference in someone's life indirectly.

I hope you get to have that experience!

If you want to see where my school is t's here http://www.northwestu.edu I have to say they have wonderful faculty, staff and everyone is helpful. Living on campus is amazing, I have one of the best views of Lake Washington, the grounds are beautiful and your istructors care what happens to you. I jumped through their admissions hoops and it was worth it. I am going to stay here, and go through their program. In state and out of state tuition is the same.

I feel that sometimes if you want a great education there are sacrifices to be made, and for this one I am making a lot.

A

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Hi There RT:

I'll definitely check them out too. Thank you for the tip.

A

 

[The Poet Sings]

i will be attending william carey in the fall, and i'm at the univ of florida right now (i guess no point in being *that* anonymous). i didn't suggest william carey since you want to stay close to home, but seriously look into the curriculum. i instantly fell in love with them and how they intend to run the school. i don't know how important it is for you to be at another christian school, but wcu is a baptist school. and for those who are not christian, they said that won't be a problem (like you won't feel them shoving jesus down your throat or anything).

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Hey thanks Poet for the second reccomendation on William Carey, I'll be looking into it too! Just wanting to try and stay on the West Coast as much as possible

A

 

[Morsetlis]

Well you sure look nerdier than me.

 

[NerdyAndrea]

LOL thanks Morsetlis I'll take that as a compliment I kept saying I wanted one of the Weird Al White And Nerdy Sweatshirts, but alas I shall have to probably wait an eternity for one. My friends and faily did not support that choice of garment.

A

 

[fitz0809]

Welcome to SDN Andrea.

 

[Irishfan]

I applied to PNWU and got an interview, but I ended up turning down the interview because the class was pretty much already full and I got in to LMU-DCOM, which I loved. I would definitely recommend checking out LMU, but it won't keep you near California.

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Hi Irish:

I am actually in WA. I've been born and raised here. I am currently attending NU in Kirkland, WA for pre-med. PNWU is attractive because it's only 144 miles away. Currently I am about a 2 - 3 hour drive from my family.

I am going to try PNWU, I may apply to UW and OHSU too, although I'd like to learn OMT. I think it would be very valuable, so my goal is actually to apply to as many DO schools as possible, so I think I am going to have to go out of my comfort zone, which is probably a good thing.

A

 

[Irishfan]

Hi Irish:

I am actually in WA. I've been born and raised here. I am currently attending NU in Kirkland, WA for pre-med. PNWU is attractive because it's only 144 miles away. Currently I am about a 2 - 3 hour drive from my family.

I am going to try PNWU, I may apply to UW and OHSU too, although I'd like to learn OMT. I think it would be very valuable, so my goal is actually to apply to as many DO schools as possible, so I think I am going to have to go out of my comfort zone, which is probably a good thing.

A

Ahh my mistake. Good luck in the app process. It can be a strange, exciting journey. Heading into this year I figured I would for sure wind up going where I'm currently getting my Master's, but instead I'll be moving to East TN.

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Good luck Irishfan! Anytime we change where we are it's something big! I am excited. This is the first time in my life I've been to a University and lived on campus. I am enjoying it immensely. I have 3 great roommates in student housing, and am thrilled, but they are graduating this year and I'm losing them.

It's really a whole new experience, so Fall Semester is going to be another new experience! I had 4 Semester's left after this Spring, and Spring Semester is flying by really fast.

Good luck on your move to Eastern, TN!

I am excited for you.

A

 

[Emerald84]

Hi Andrea,

Welcome! Sounds like you will be a great fit for DO programs! Keep plugging away with the math, don't be afraid to get the help you need to do well in your courses.

I would say that DO schools in general will have more of a lean to the type of practice you are interested in. Personally, I had my heart set on one school before I started interviewing and totally fell in love with another place. My best advice is to continue to do well in your classes right now, keep volunteering ( but not at the sake of your grades), take an MCAT prep course and..... apply broadly!! You'll get a better sense when you interview where is a good fit. I found what I wanted from my school shifted a ton as I went through the process.
And, keep in touch. There are lots of great people on here that can offer you support (and other to take with a grain of salt).

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Hi Emerald:

Thanks! No, I will not volunteer at the sake of grades. I will go on Mission trips with people from my school on a Saturday, and those sorts of things. I am trying to correlate volunteering with Summer breaks.

Thanks for the saying good fit with DO, it is what I'd really like to do.

I am so happy you got acceppted. I keep the schools in mind, and am doing some MCAT study too. Which means I keep up on classes, and in spare moments study up on MCAT stuff, and I will during the Summer too. I just don't want my brain to decide it's time to be lax. I'm afraid of forgtting though I don't!

Luckily I loved A&P and Kinesiology and I still actually remember that.

The encouragement is well received!!!! I like being here, I read a lot, and try to take the good, and leave the bad.

I am really happy in school, and yes I am nippig the math in the bud. My Instructors seem totally into my success, and are always avlable to help. In fact this is the first place I've ever really been like that. I spent 2 hurs yesterday with the Biostats teacher going over the data on a project, and he actually gave me a hug the first time I got it and told me I knew you would.

Emerald thank you thank you!!!!!

 

[Emerald84]

Awwwww, fellow stats nerd, you are in good company. I work as an analyst now

Let us know if you need anything. I am glad you are in a supportive environment, it really makes a big difference. I had great classmates and professors and consider myself really lucky. I took an honors ochem class (yes, I am a crazy person), but the class was capped at 15 people, no tests, just problem sets. I learned sooo much and it was less stressful. We did more of a problem based learning style which really helped in figuring out my learning style. I loved LECOM's PBL, so that's where I picked....

 

[NerdyAndrea]

Emerald I'll remember that! Yes I love the supportiveness. hehe I have never had a stats class in my life I am way prod of myself.

I am so glad you got the chance for honors Ochem that rocks....yeah I a crazy too. I've done some things that in retrospecct I wonder if I'd survive it again.....I guess the answer is yessince am taking classes and being crazy again in my life!

A