Honest Advice Needed!

[kbenji]

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Ok here's my background (it isn't pretty):

I am a 35 year old single mother of two preteens. I work full time in retail and am a full time geology 2nd year undergrad. My overall GPA is 3.412 (econ, yuck), and my science GPA thus far is a 4.0. Geology because it's always been a passion and I was told by med schools to study what I love. I am consulting the pre-professional health dept. at my university as I complete my degree.

I dropped out of high school in '89 and didn't complete my hs diploma until a couple of years ago. I worked full time as a retail manager and raised my family until then. I also volunteered in the Geology Dept. at a prestigous museum, and also at a local public school tutoring grades k-6. Starting next month I will be volunteering at my local hospital once per week.

I have never had a problem with studying or testing so right now I have no fear of the MCAT. I know, that may change. I am a fairly intelligent person who for a variety of reasons was just not motivated. Even when I was in grammar school I had an interest in medicine and geology but was told by a teacher that those career options were not open to African Americans, and I guess I took that to heart.

I guess my question for you is: Could I possibly be a competitive prospect for medical school? I know it's early in the process still. I generally have no problems with the grades (math is my weak spot though). I am deathly afraid that my sordid background will work against me.

Any advice and feedback will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Dr.Detroit]

I am deathly afraid that my sordid background will work against me.

Don't be, unless your "sordid" background includes criminal activity.

Turn your story into a compelling personal statement and this very thing that is worrying you now will work to your advantage--make you stand out from the crowd. Try to get as much clinical exposure as possible. Keep spanking those science pre-reqs. Don't bomb the MCAT. Let it worry you just enough to give it its dues in preparation.

Good luck!

 

[ExtremeUnderdog]

Kbenji,

Congratulations on everything you have accomplished so far - raising 2 kids alone, working to support your family, having the courage to go back to school years after leaving high school without a diploma, a sparkling 4.0 science GPA, and finding time to volunteer! As you can see, not only is none of this sordid, but quite the opposite - it is admirable and commendable (especially when you spin it into a strong and positive personal statement, come application time 😉 ).

Keep improving your overall GPA, keep your science GPA where it is. Based on what you have written here, I would also recommend sticking to courses that you like (as much as possible) so you can perform well in them. Ask for help whenever you are challenged to a point where your grades might suffer, whether the challenges are academic or personal. If math is a problem for you, go to prof. office hours, meet with TAs, ask for a tutor, etc. at the first sign of difficulty.

When it comes time for the MCAT, if you can afford it at all (it may go on a credit card or come from a loan, but the 1-2K will be peanuts compared to all the debt that will come standard with a medical education), I recommend taking a prep course. Even those of us who have gotten acceptable scores, as a result of decent brains, strong test taking skills and some luck, would have probably benefited from a good prep course.

Keep your spirits up! From everything I have learned about med school admissions - talking to admissions staff, pre-med advisors, successful applicants (including people here on SDN), you are not too far from being a competitve applicant when it comes to your GPA. You just need to pull that 3.4 up a little more, then get the MCAT off your shoulders without breaking your back, everything else is much more easily manageable. And for once in your life, believe it or not, being an African American woman may give you some help rather than roadblocks. (DISCLAIMER: ExtremeUnderdog will not engage in any discussions/debates about AA policies on this board. The previous comment was made solely as an encouraging observation. Anyone compelled to turn this into a flame war, please take a deep breath and get a cold drink instead - I will even pay for it, just PM me to make arrangements. 😀)

Back to the OP, there are a number of med school hopefuls around here (present company included) who have much more ugly and mangled backgrounds.

Good luck to you...

 

[Tired Pigeon]

Provided you keep the grades up & do a respectable job on the MCAT, I think you would make a great applicant. Look at all you have accomplished -- after raising 2 kids alone + full time work & school, med school will be a piece of cake.🙂

I think adcoms will like you because you are so DIFFERENT from the run-of-the-mill applicant. You will bring life experience and maturity to your med school class that someone who's 22 and just out of undergrad can't contribute. You are going to stand out in the applications process.

Keep up the good work & good luck to you. Please keep us posted on your progress.

 

[Scottish Chap]

Ok here's my background (it isn't pretty):

I am a 35 year old single mother of two preteens. I work full time in retail and am a full time geology 2nd year undergrad. My overall GPA is 3.412 (econ, yuck), and my science GPA thus far is a 4.0. Geology because it's always been a passion and I was told by med schools to study what I love. I am consulting the pre-professional health dept. at my university as I complete my degree.

I dropped out of high school in '89 and didn't complete my hs diploma until a couple of years ago. I worked full time as a retail manager and raised my family until then. I also volunteered in the Geology Dept. at a prestigous museum, and also at a local public school tutoring grades k-6. Starting next month I will be volunteering at my local hospital once per week.

I have never had a problem with studying or testing so right now I have no fear of the MCAT. I know, that may change. I am a fairly intelligent person who for a variety of reasons was just not motivated. Even when I was in grammar school I had an interest in medicine and geology but was told by a teacher that those career options were not open to African Americans, and I guess I took that to heart.

I guess my question for you is: Could I possibly be a competitive prospect for medical school? I know it's early in the process still. I generally have no problems with the grades (math is my weak spot though). I am deathly afraid that my sordid background will work against me.

Any advice and feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Congratulations on such amazing accomplishments! Academically, you're fine. As I see it, only two things are going to affect your ability to win an offer of admission to medical school and successfully complete the program: 1) your desire to be a physician and your perseverance, 2) the support that you have around you - this will be critical since you have a family.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

 

[t-funk]

Just wanted to say that I am a mother of two who has a BS in Geology and a BA in Anthropology and I am applying for 2008. I love Geology and have passed the fundamentals exam, but just don't see myself doing Geology as a career. I may be wrong, but I do not believe that having this type of academic background will be viewed upon as any less than Biology or Chemistry. In addition, geology has got to be one of the most fun degrees available with all of the field trips and camping for every class. I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. I say do what you love and take the pre-reqs on the side. Good luck.

 

[kbenji]

Thanks so much for the comments from you all! Honestly my first thought was that my background would detract from my chances with an adcom. I never thought to play it up as an asset and will definitely take the advice. I look forward to meeting you all at the OldPreMeds Conference!