Hitting Rock Bottom.... :(

[Nerdeka]

Summing up 4 years at a "top" *gag* school:
3.15sGPA (with lots of fluff, any actual science = B-/C+).

Taking a year to do postbacc.
First semester 4.0 with 12 credits.

This semester I'm taking 21 credits (one BS 5 credit Bio 1 class shouldn't even count) and I'm there for like 30 hours a week. The courseload is more than manageable. I have one difficult class (Developmental). Taking higher level Bios and repeated Chem/Phys. I should have a 3.4sGPA by May. May take one or two summer classes.

I want to apply in June/July. Issue is the MCAT. I was supposed to take it in January but I let a personal issue affect me too much (my "sister" got hooked on heroin.. twice). So I'm just wondering if studying for the MCAT gradually and taking it in May (or June?) would be early enough?

I still have to shadow which I'm thinking I can do when school/MCAT is over for and I'm applying?

Research: more than I care for
Clinical volunteering: enough
Exec positions: yep
Other volunteering: not really.. I wanted to volunteer in a local homeless shelter but ****ed that up.

I'm just really doubting myself right now. I get into this cycle of feeling terrible for not doing anything so I waste time not dong anything about it.

Edit: I forgot to mention I basically put all my school and personal **** on a credit card. So I'm SUPER tight on cash.. As in I don't have any and need to postmate at least once a week to pay the minimums (interest free for now).

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[Scrizzy]

May is slightly late, but should be fine. Though I don't know how you're going to study for the MCAT with 21 credits and those personal issues. But I wish you all the best!

 

[deleted801953]

Why would May be late for the MCAT?

 

[DrDarce]

Good luck, from your post it looks you're on track and doing all the right things. However, you seem very stressed and it's understandable but it's also not productive. This isn't rock bottom, not even close. It's definitely a rough patch but you have a plan. So follow it: ace your classes, smash the MCAT, send out those applications, charm the interviewers, get into med school and you'll feel rock bottom again when you're two weeks in studying for your first exam .

 

[Scrizzy]

Why would May be late for the MCAT?

Applications start on May. But it takes 1 month for you to get your MCAT score back, so you won't be able to send everything until June.

 

[redsox93]

May isn't too late. You can submit AMCAS without MCAT scores but I would recommend prewriring secondaries during that month you're waiting on your scores. I applied with a May MCAT and was fine

 

[ciestar]

Applications start on May. But it takes 1 month for you to get your MCAT score back, so you won't be able to send everything until June.

....which is not late

 

[stickgirl390]

I took the MCAT May 14, but still submitted my AMCAS application the day it opened (June 2). They didn't even get around to my application until after my MCAT score loaded in due to the high volume of applicants. I ended up being complete at all my schools (13 schools including secondaries) by the 3rd week of July, and received an II the 4th week of July.

So no, May is not too late. Honestly, June isn't too late either. Just make sure you don't take the MCAT until you are truly ready. That is far more important than rushing to get your app in right on day 1.

 

[Mclovin0351]

Why not wait a year? Work to pay some of that debt off, focus on the mcat and crush it, and add some shadowing and volunteering to your app. Will probably be much more successful like that.

 

[kb1900]

I took the MCAT June 18 and didn't have trouble getting interviews and acceptances. Having said that, I would not do it again.

 

[Nietzsche's Barber]

Here is my two cents: wait a year...or two. Wait until your life 'evens out' and give yourself some time to recover from your circumstances/situation (this will also give you time to shadow and volunteer).

More importantly, and this may not be what you want to hear, but: you cannot allow yourself to be negatively impacted by family members. This is not a forgiving endeavor and your future patients and colleagues will be even less forgiving. Distance yourself or learn how to cope. Trust me, I speak from experience.

Also, if you are tight on cash, learn a trade (barbering, for example) or become an EMT. Credit card debt can ruin your life and your chance of obtaining grad plus loans (which you will almost certainly need) if you default. Even if you obtain FAP, the process is still VERY expensive. ***And putting your schooling and expenses on a CC is extraordinarily foolish...you probably already know this. Transfer to a different school if possible.

Medical school isn't going anywhere. Get yourself up and dust yourself off (emotionally + financially) before throwing yourself in the mix.

 

[Medic741]

You should talk to a financial professional asap before those interest rates kick in & you get super screwed.

 

[ready2go2]

Applications start on May. But it takes 1 month for you to get your MCAT score back, so you won't be able to send everything until June.

Applications open in early June (you can access to the app in May though). A May MCAT is not late. A June submission is early, end of story.

The only issue is if your score returns in June and it's not what you expected and you would be better off delaying application and preparing for a retake.

 

[Gurby]

Here is my two cents: wait a year...or two. Wait until your life 'evens out' and give yourself some time to recover from your circumstances/situation (this will also give you time to shadow and volunteer).

More importantly, and this may not be what you want to hear, but: you cannot allow yourself to be negatively impacted by family members. This is not a forgiving endeavor and your future patients and colleagues will be even less forgiving. Distance yourself or learn how to cope. Trust me, I speak from experience.

Also, if you are tight on cash, learn a trade (barbering, for example) or become an EMT. Credit card debt can ruin your life and your chance of obtaining grad plus loans (which you will almost certainly need) if you default. Even if you obtain FAP, the process is still VERY expensive. ***And putting your schooling and expenses on a CC is extraordinarily foolish...you probably already know this. Transfer to a different school if possible.

Medical school isn't going anywhere. Get yourself up and dust yourself off (emotionally + financially) before throwing yourself in the mix.

I probably dropped around $8k on this application cycle. You don't want to half-ass it, not apply to enough schools / not attend enough II's, and have to do it again. If OP is just now in their second year post-graduation, they're like ~22 years old? Still well below the mean matriculant age. Taking at least 1 year off seems great.

Also, I think early May is the ideal time to take the MCAT. You can take it as late as June and have it not affect your timeline at all (submit primary to 1 school for verification, pre-write secondaries while waiting for the score, submit to the rest of schools after you get the score, be complete mid-July).

 

[LizzyM]

If you have not yet begun studying for the MCAT and taking practice tests, May is too soon to take the MCAT. Also, don't underestimate the time it takes to write an excellent Personal Statment (PS) and your secondary essays. Plan on getting a job after you finish your courses and spending at least 15 weeks preparing for the MCAT include taking every practice test you can get your hands on (each test takes 7 hours and, in part, this is about building your stamina for this beast).

As @Gurby says, this is an expensive process and you are already in debt with credit cards so a year or two off to pay off your cards and get on a firm financial footing is important. A poor credit rating can hurt your ability to get loans for med school so that is something to work on before you apply and through the application year.

Rushing into an application cycle at the end of the academic year could leave you empty handed at this time next year and then considering whether and when you can afford a second cycle. Do it once, do it right.

 

[Scrizzy]

Applications open in early June (you can access to the app in May though). A May MCAT is not late. A June submission is early, end of story.

The only issue is if your score returns in June and it's not what you expected and you would be better off delaying application and preparing for a retake.

You're right. Thought it was the same as Tmdsas. My bad.

 

[Goro]

One more thing to remember: this is a marathon now, not a sprint. Med schools aren't going anywhere, and by the time you apply, more will have opened their doors.

Summing up 4 years at a "top" *gag* school:
3.15sGPA (with lots of fluff, any actual science = B-/C+).

Taking a year to do postbacc.
First semester 4.0 with 12 credits.

This semester I'm taking 21 credits (one BS 5 credit Bio 1 class shouldn't even count) and I'm there for like 30 hours a week. The courseload is more than manageable. I have one difficult class (Developmental). Taking higher level Bios and repeated Chem/Phys. I should have a 3.4sGPA by May. May take one or two summer classes.

I want to apply in June/July. Issue is the MCAT. I was supposed to take it in January but I let a personal issue affect me too much (my "sister" got hooked on heroin.. twice). So I'm just wondering if studying for the MCAT gradually and taking it in May (or June?) would be early enough?

I still have to shadow which I'm thinking I can do when school/MCAT is over for and I'm applying?

Research: more than I care for
Clinical volunteering: enough
Exec positions: yep
Other volunteering: not really.. I wanted to volunteer in a local homeless shelter but ****ed that up.

I'm just really doubting myself right now. I get into this cycle of feeling terrible for not doing anything so I waste time not dong anything about it.

Edit: I forgot to mention I basically put all my school and personal **** on a credit card. So I'm SUPER tight on cash.. As in I don't have any and need to postmate at least once a week to pay the minimums (interest free for now).

 

[Medic741]

Again -- be careful with your credit score!! Not taking care of "putting everything on my credit card" could royally screw you for Grad+ loans!

 

[Nerdeka]

Yeah I did let family issues affect me too much. I'm SO over it this time around.

I made the financial issues seem a lot worse than they are. I only paid one semester and won't pay the other until I need transcripts. And as terrible as this sounds, my parents will be more than happy to pay for my applications. They had a issue with me not working/applying to grad school and going to school.

I REALLY don't want to take another gap year unless I have a decent research job. Taking another gap year means I "wasted" 3 years.

 

[iwillbeadoctor!94]

I took the MCAT June 18 and didn't have trouble getting interviews and acceptances. Having said that, I would not do it again.

Yeah plz don't do this. Keep in mind that the later you take the MCAT, the less opportunity you have of taking it a second time if necessary. I took the MCAT July 9 for THIS CYCLE for the first time, because I was handling some personal issues as well and did not have time to study until the summer. Somehow it worked out, but I highly do not recommend it. I knew I was risking having spent money on my primary apps for nothing, because if I had scored lower than desired, I would have not completed any secondaries. This also left me complete at all my schools later than I wanted to be. Finally, it also made me extremely anxious.

 

[Nerdeka]

Revised Plan? Thought it kills me..

Now-May: Focus on classes
May-August: MCAT/light postmating
August-June: Good hospital/research job, volunteer, couple of classes, and then apply for medical school?

And get help for my anxiety.

 

[JPSmyth]

Make it your number one priority to destroy the MCAT. However long that takes. A 3.4 with a top schools name on it is good enough. Score high on the MCAT and the rest of your application will fall into place. Try to get some non clinical volunteering as well if you can!

 

[LizzyM]

Yeah I did let family issues affect me too much. I'm SO over it this time around.

I made the financial issues seem a lot worse than they are. I only paid one semester and won't pay the other until I need transcripts. And as terrible as this sounds, my parents will be more than happy to pay for my applications. They had a issue with me not working/applying to grad school and going to school.

I REALLY don't want to take another gap year unless I have a decent research job. Taking another gap year means I "wasted" 3 years.

What the heck does this mean?? You will need all your transcripts if you apply for medical school. You can't NOT pay your tuition bills. If failure to pay is reported to a credit agency, you are royally screwed. Pay your bills.

Don't feel you need to take more classes in the coming year. Get a good paying job in a clinical or research setting and work for a year, get your house in order and then apply.

 

[Nerdeka]

What the heck does this mean?? You will need all your transcripts if you apply for medical school. You can't NOT pay your tuition bills. If failure to pay is reported to a credit agency, you are royally screwed. Pay your bills.

Don't feel you need to take more classes in the coming year. Get a good paying job in a clinical or research setting and work for a year, get your house in order and then apply.

Sorry worded wrong. I don't pay for the semester until the end which results in a late fee but gives me more time to be interest free on a cc.

So I should take another gap year? Who will want to hire a failure college grad.

 

[LizzyM]

Sorry worded wrong. I don't pay for the semester until the end which results in a late fee but gives me more time to be interest free on a cc.

So I should take another gap year? Who will want to hire a failure college grad.

Plenty of people hire college graduates. My own kid is working during a gap year (not a pre-med but pre-another profession) in a tutoring center and picking up odd jobs. There are tons a jobs as scribes and in academic medical center research settings both at the bench and in administrative roles (keeping information flowing to meet government regulations, etc).

Take care of your anxiety /self-esteem. It is crushing you.

Also, watch those late fees.

 

[Nietzsche's Barber]

.

 

[deleted801953]

May isn't too late. You can submit AMCAS without MCAT scores but I would recommend prewriring secondaries during that month you're waiting on your scores. I applied with a May MCAT and was fine

I'm sorry-- how do I know the secondaries provided by the school if I did not receive them?

 

[redsox93]

I'm sorry-- how do I know the secondaries provided by the school if I did not receive them?

The school specific forums on here will have them posted

 

[deleted801953]

Thanks!

 

[stickgirl390]

I'm sorry-- how do I know the secondaries provided by the school if I did not receive them?

Also, the questions all tend to be the same.