How to negotiate application process for this?

[iamavase]

Greetings all. I have a problem and need some help. I have been involved in service to the impoverished for many years as a social worker and a missionary. I have seen the need--as many of you have in these under served communities for health care. My father is a medical doctor who has a free clinic in Africa. I have worked with him in the USA, and visited him abroad where he works. I have founded a clinic here in America to serve the needs of the impoverished and have chosen to enter medical school so that I could add a needed health component, since some of the people that I serve are dying or are in ill health and I have not been able to address these needs because of my more social work background. This is the problem, I sat for my MCAT last month, without having completed any of my pre-requisite courses and I had three weeks prior to the exam to prepare(will save the details). As you can imagine I scored very low. i had hoped even for a high 20's to get accepted in any school that would accept me; I had lower than that.

I am older and do not want to wait several more years for medical school, and just calling around a thirteen will not get me an interview. I have a PhD, a masters in social work, this wonderful center, and years of service working with the destitute. My GPA is around 3.5. Is there some approach I can take to let schools know that this score does not represent me so that I can get an interview? I complete my pre-requisites in August 2011.

What do you think is a good approach, what would you suggest. I know the bottom line is that I should just finish my prerequisites and re sit for the exam next August and God-willing just be the class of 2012. However I was just thinking to apply to school with my low score and let schools know that I had not had the pre-requisites, and share with them my story, what do you think about that, or can you offer another approach? Thank you for any and all help. I recognize everyone has a unique story and is worthy.

I feel concerned.

Peace and Blessings

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[FrkyBgStok]

ok, first. BIG mistake not taking the prereqs, but you probably know that. second, schools aren't going to care that your 13 was because you didn't take them. they are going to think you are a fool. not to be mean, but that is how it is. you won't get an interview anywhere with a 13. schools probably won't even read your personal statement so you are wasting your time and money. you may not even get an interview with a 21. you may, but it is very unlikely.

you have a great story, but unfortunately you need to play the game and there is no way to speed your way to medical school. what you need to do is finish your prereqs, take the mcat, get a >25 for DO schools and a >30 for MD schools. then you may be able to apply next year. the biggest problem is that medical schools want to see that you are willing to jump through the hoops. it sucks but it is what it is.

i wish you the best of luck. stick around here and you will learn much.

 

[iamavase]

@ FrkyBgStok thank you for your response. I guess my next question is, is it completely a waste of time to apply. Some of the schools I am applying to state that they do not focus on the MCAT, but on the qualities of XYZ. I know basically what I am up against, I just wanted a better way to approach a most difficult situation. I am willing to go through the hoops to show my dedication--currently I am living at my school library to enable me to make this an actual possibility--while I know that these are not the hoops they want me to go through to show dedication ( I guess I am just letting off some steam, smile).

I guess I'll be more selective of places I may apply to...there must be someplace that would understand...

 

[DoctorJDO]

not to rain on your parade, but there will be absolutely ZERO places that will interview a 13 MCAT with no pre-reqs, even if you apply selectively. out of 114,000 aplpicants to med school from 2005-2007, 8 were accepted with your GPA and MCAT.
http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table24-mcatgpa-grid-3yrs-app-accpt.htm
pre-requisites are what they sound like...required courses to go to medical school. you can't have a science GPA if you haven't taken any of the courses. take them, study for the MCAT after and you will do better guaranteed. There really is no other option. Unless you want to apply with your 0.0007% chance of acceptance (8/114,000), which may be even lower because they can't judge your ability to do well in medical school due to a lack of science courses. it's tough but we all have to jump through the same hoops.

 

[ChE04]

Bottom line is: very poor planning on your part. With a 13 and no pre-req's, how are schools going to know you can make it through med school? Take your word for it? And how does the 13 not represent you? You took the test, got your score, and that's that. All of us want to get into med school "right now" but it just doesn't work that way.

 

[DrMidlife]

OK, first, you don't have to be a doctor to help the poor. You've already made a difference as a social worker, and if you bail out for 8 years of medical training, that's 8 years of doing not much. Also, you should expect to have $250k to $400k debt on the other side of residency, which means you can't take a low-paying job for several years. Try really hard to make friends with a non-physician path to doing great things for the poor. How about law school?

If you can't see yourself doing anything other than medicine, then do it right. Stop expecting med schools to be delighted to see you. Figure out what the hoops are and then jump through them. Nobody owes you a medical education, no matter how humanitarian your record.

There are 40k to 45k med school applicants every year, and 55% get rejected. Assume that in the rejection pile, there are swarms of incredibly compelling candidates with pretty good stats. Your incredibly compelling story gets you nothing if you don't have pretty good stats - med schools need to know that you're going to be successful under a crushing load of basic science and long, painful board exams that make the MCAT look like a day at Disney World. You have to demonstrate that you're a good risk or they very simply won't take you.

Lastly, make friends with DO. I can't see you getting a solid MCAT score and being ready to apply MD before late summer 2011 - which imho is too late in the app cycle, and you might as well not apply MD until June 2012. But if you do well on the MCAT next summer, you can have a solid DO app in September 2011. This guy started at UNE at age 55: http://une.edu/spotlights/display.cfm?customel_datapageid_37554=41957

Best of luck to you.

 

[Genesea]

if the MCAT is a hurdle that you can't overcome there's always PA (physician assistant)

you would still have to complete prerequisites, but i believe some PA programs don't require standardized admissions tests and others take test results from the GRE instead of the MCAT.

 

[EdLongshanks]

Greetings all. I have a problem and need some help. I have been involved in service to the impoverished for many years as a social worker and a missionary. I have seen the need--as many of you have in these under served communities for health care. My father is a medical doctor who has a free clinic in Africa. I have worked with him in the USA, and visited him abroad where he works. I have founded a clinic here in America to serve the needs of the impoverished and have chosen to enter medical school so that I could add a needed health component, since some of the people that I serve are dying or are in ill health and I have not been able to address these needs because of my more social work background. This is the problem, I sat for my MCAT last month, without having completed any of my pre-requisite courses and I had three weeks prior to the exam to prepare(will save the details). As you can imagine I scored very low. i had hoped even for a 21 to get accepted in any school that would accept me; I had a thirteen.

I am older (forty-six) and do not want to wait several more years for medical school, and just calling around a thirteen will not get me an interview. I have a PhD, a masters in social work, this wonderful center, and years of service working with the destitute. My GPA is around 3.5. Is there some approach I can take to let schools know that this 13 does not represent me so that I can get an interview? I complete my pre-requisites in August 2011.

What do you think is a good approach, what would you suggest. I know the bottom line is that I should just finish my prerequisites and re sit for the exam next August and God-willing just be the class of 2012. However I was just thinking to apply to school with my 13 and let schools know that I had not had the pre-requisites, and share with them my story, what do you think about that, or can you offer another approach? Thank you for any and all help. I recognize everyone has a unique story and is worthy.

I feel concerned.

Peace and Blessings

If you throw yourself into it, take the pre-reqs with A's, finish next summer with your courses, and take the June MCAT and score in the 20's I don't think you're going to have a problem. All you have to do is prove that you can handle the course work. With your activities you shouldn't have a problem. I suggest the June versus the Aug MCAT, because you lose the early application benefit if you take it later. If you can't take OChem I until summer, then you might be stuck with the Aug date. Just make sure that you have everything complete (letters, secondary apps, etc) before the score comes out. Don't wait to apply until you get your score. You can take enough practice exams to have a reasonably good idea of what you are going to make (+-3)

I'm 47 and will start next year - so we will be the same age starting. Yesterday, I met one of our peers who is graduating at age 52 (at the top of his class, naturally).

You have only the smallest hurdle to overcome - the MCAT.

 

[TFS]

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[rhesuspieces]

It sounds to me like you're interested in primary care. Think PA or, if you must do the med school route, DO. Even a degree in nursing seems appropriate for what you want to do. Primary care is going the way of the PA and NP (though this is debatable). If you want to directly diagnose and treat minor, common ailments, an MD is not necessary.

 

[gravitywave]

you have to look at it from the medical school's point of view. you have a wonderful story, and sound like you would make a solid addition to any number of schools that share your social mission. however, as things stand, if i were an adcom i would not admit you even if you had won the Nobel Peace Prize. you have zero track record suggesting that you would be able to complete the curriculum. You might know you can do it, I believe you can do it - but you have to show them you can do it. A seat in medical school is too valuable to give to someone such as yourself as you are now. as things stand, the chances you would not be able to complete the curriculum are quite high, and that would deprive someone else of a seat and the world of another doctor. I don't think that's what you want.

Put the idea of starting medical school next year out of your mind. Do what it takes to get good grades this year, take the MCAT next July, get your ducks in a row. I think you stand an excellent chance of becoming a member of the class of 2016.

 

[TriagePreMed]

This has to be a troll account. Nobody can have a Ph.D., 3.5, founded a clinic, and yet be stupid enough to sit for the MCAT with no practice or prerequisites and then try to "negotiate" his way into medical schol.

 

[EdLongshanks]

This has to be a troll account. Nobody can have a Ph.D., 3.5, founded a clinic, and yet be stupid enough to sit for the MCAT with no practice or prerequisites and then try to "negotiate" his way into medical schol.

If he's a troll, he's a good one. The story is just crazy enough to possibly be true. If a guy had a PhD and 3.5 in humanity type courses, then he might think he could bluff his way through the MCAT - and as those of us who have taken it know - you can't.

If he has a bunch of real-world experience, then he might not realize the hide-bound nature of the modern medical school admissions process and think that he could good-ole-boy his way in.

 

[musafirah]

with that score i think you can get into the carribean. otherwise you have to take the classes and try again if its really what you want to do..

 

[iamavase]

Dear future colleagues,

Peace. Thank you all so much for your invaluable advice and comments. I understand many of you have spoken from the heart; I can feel the passion of your responses. As forums allow the importance of a difference of opinions, I am glad that this thread has allowed this to occur; however, when I read that there was an issue of me being a troll I felt sad. I had not thought my background to be so unique.

@EdLongshanks I was very touched by your comments and camaraderie and support. I was confused when I read your comments about the troll--I guess I could be somewhat unusual in many circles. In fact, I apologize for not posting back. I was in fact going to wait to post until I could offer some feedback about what has happened. The response from med-schools has been mixed and very interesting. I really am glad you all are here, and I value your input. Regardless of the comments, I am sure people are trying to help in their own unique ways; i respect that.

Again, thank you all. May God bless each and all.


"He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their wounds" (Psalm 147:3)

Peace.

NB I am a female

@ musafirah Thank you for your information

 

[EdLongshanks]

@EdLongshanks I was very touched by your comments and camaraderie and support. I was confused when I read your comments about the troll--I guess I could be somewhat unusual in many circles.

I'm sorry I was confusing, I was saying that I did NOT believe that you were a troll.

Do I understand that you went ahead and contacted the medical schools, trying to get in? That sounds unwise and opposite to everything that everyone here, positive and negative, suggested. You say that the response was "interesting". We'd like to hear if any of it gave you any real hope of getting in this year, if so, then everyone here would be shocked and we would like to hear about it.

We would expect that more likely you got responses ranging from mocking laughter to "go ahead and apply and we will look at your application" which is a polite way of saying "no way".