Help will it hurt me?!!

[cutie360]

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Hello,

Thanks for taking the time to help me out a lil backround on myself...
NON TRADITIONAL PRE MED STUDENT

************ BACKGROUND INFO*******************
* Overall undergraduate GPA 3.1

*I haven't taken any science classes yet planning to start Jan 2010. SO I have yet to establish a science gpa!

Now did i mention that I have ZERO CLINICAL EXPERIENCE NADA NOTHING I've never volunteered in a clinical setting, I don't have any exposure to medicine at all other than my own personal experience from doctor visits.

Im starting my post bacc program in January so im currently unemployed I found A GREAT JOB. AN ER SCRIBE which means I'll get to follow doctors all day and record things such as patient history, lab exams, and basically take notes during the entire medical visit.I get Learn the responsibilities of being a physician, get exposure to all field of medicine. But there is a negative or at least thats what I'm being told. It's a one year 40 hour a week commitment which means there is no way I can take full time classes. I would probably end up taking one class two at most for the winter of 2010 semester which I dont mind doing. But having my 3.0 undergrad GPA means I need to ACE my sciences and have a very high Science gpa. My friends are telling me that even if I got two A's medical schools wont be impressed because I only took two classes and anyone can get two A's and regardless of how high my science gpa is it won't impress them because I didnt go "full time".

***************** QUESTION**************
Will taking only one class a semester or possibly two while working as an ER Scribe where I will get great medical experience for 40 hours a week(Working full time) hurt my credibility? I mean will getting A's still not look good enough considering I only took one or two? I think that taking two classes and getting A's Looks impressive when working 40 hours a week but I've been told that it doesn't matter how much I work part time student is a part time student. And that even if I managed getting a 4.0 science gpa by taking one or two classes a semester while working wont really do me any good is this true? Does the pace of classes matter that much to medical schools? Even when working full time? PLS HELPE ME OUT I NEED SOME SOLID INSIGHT/ADVICE. If it's going to hurt me to do the scribe program then I will just do the post bacc then volunteer after Im done because I got really lucky with this job it's very hard to get!

 

[Substance P]

Working is not as tangible as GPA. If you are working 40 hours a week while attending classes you will need to be sure to state that in your personal statement and/or secondary essays (if the schools you apply to have them). I think getting all A's in your situation would be very important, because it would allow you to bring up that gpa a bit. A "B" would sink you right back down, so just take what you can handle and don't worry about what people say.

When you look at an AMCAS print out it has the dates the classes were taken, but it's not as easy to see them as it is the grades you get in them. For instance, on the far left hand side of the page it has the year and semester, but on the far right hand side of the page it has your grades listed. It would take a bit of work to try to count how many classes you have taken per semester, but what will be very apparent is the grade you achieve in each of those classes. For instance, it would look something like this:

A
A
A
A
A

Etc, all in column. So, getting good grades will make a far more robust impact on someone just glossing over your file.


As far as your job as a scribe, you should also make sure to find time to volunteer in a department or two and make some contacts to do a little bit of shadowing. Research and leadership experiences are also important, so don't neglect these. I think with your pacing for classes, at 1 to 2 per semester, you will have plenty of time to get some solid experience under your belt by the time you apply. Just don't let that GPA slip any and work your ass off to make sure you get A's in the few classes you are taking each semester.

Good luck!

 

[drareg]

i worked 48 hrs a week and took 3 classes each semester (usually 9 to 12 units). I think one or two wont cut it - try to go for 3. So far it hasnt raised any red flags for me this applications cycle. And its not that bad - its completely doable. Just be ready to work hard and sacrifice a little bit (actually alot lol) of your social life.

 

[Entropic]

I am kinda in your situation, Cutie360. My undergrad gpa is around 3.2, but I have worked full-time in clinics and taken informal and a graduate-type program to improve my gpa. My advice is if you can handle the workload of 40-hr job and a few classes then do it. But make sure you get all A's in the postbacc program thats in January. People like us need to work our butts off to compensate for the past. BTW what is the name of the post-bacc program?

 

[RunningDiva]

I don't do a lot of posting but I felt compelled to help a fellow post-bacc...

I worked full-time during the day and took evening classes in my post-bacc program. I had 2 classes per semester but each had a lab, so effectively 4 different class meeting dates per week. It was a little crazy but I worked really hard.

I don't think taking only 2 classes per semester and working full-time is going to be detrimental to your application. In fact, schools are becoming much more friendly to non-trads, and this group includes part-time students who also work. I agree with you, its impressive because there is something to be said for students who can handle the demand of work + school. It will not go unnoticed in your application (in a good way). My personal advice...consider and judge for yourself...is to take the 2 classes the first semester or two and see how it goes. If you do well and have reserve time, money, and energy, then maybe take 3 the next. Don't let anyone convince you that there is one right way to take classes - do what works best for you.

I thought of my app as a layered argument for my case to be a physician. Since I had 2 years before I was going to apply, I looked for experiences that helped me to determine why I wanted to do medicine (besides the argument that I liked it since I was 8). I made sure that these experiences/thoughts went into my personal statement. I included all the activities to justify my decision to apply to med school in my app. So far, so good. Sitting on 5 interview invites with the verdict still out on most of my secondary applications.

Good luck and work hard!

 

[nadiahasanin]

Hey, I was wondering how did the ER scribe work out for you?
I just got offered a position for scribing at Harris Methodist Southwest.
I was hoping you would give me a little bit of feed back.
I am so overwhelmed on school and work, I really dont want to quit my position as a radiology transporter at the hospital for being a scribe if it is not worth it. You are going through the same thing I am.
I have no science classes, but I just enrolled for the spring 2010, Anatomy and Phys. and thats it, until I figure out what I really want to do.

its awesome that we are going through the same experience.