I don’t know my next steps

[11BtoMD]

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So here’s some background. I’m currently a junior with 69 credits. I have a 2.7 cGPA and a 3.0 sGPA. I got a .56 my freshman year and then I left school and joined the army where I served for 8 years. I got out and became an EMT and have been working as an ER tech. My GPA since the army has never been lower than a 3.66. So it is a strong reinvention/upward trend. I just don’t know what I need to do next. I’m currently working on my pre reqs, my PS and LOR from former commander. I am not taking the MCAT until I knock out some more classes, such as orgo 1-2 and stats. Any constructive advice is welcomed.


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[Tenk]

Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

So you want to be a doctor, but your GPA is terrible. Is that the end? Rule #1: Take a deep breath, and stop fussing. The sky is not falling. But you are going to need to reinvent yourself. This will take both time and money. And always remember that you’re in a marathon now, not a sprint...

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[Goro]

So here’s some background. I’m currently a junior with 69 credits. I have a 2.7 cGPA and a 3.0 sGPA. I got a .56 my freshman year and then I left school and joined the army where I served for 8 years. I got out and became an EMT and have been working as an ER tech. My GPA since the army has never been lower than a 3.66. So it is a strong reinvention/upward trend. I just don’t know what I need to do next. I’m currently working on my pre reqs, my PS and LOR from former commander. I am not taking the MCAT until I knock out some more classes, such as orgo 1-2 and stats. Any constructive advice is welcomed.


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First off, many thanks for your service to our country. Hoooooahh!

From this point onwards, consider your cGPA to be a 3.66. Rising GPA trends are always welcome.

 

[11BtoMD]

First off, many thanks for your service to our country. Hoooooahh!

From this point onwards, consider your cGPA to be a 3.66. Rising GPA trends are always welcome.

Thanks man. I’ve read many of your posts and have gotten many answers from your responses. I am in Florida and was planning to apply to all state MD schools and like 7 DO schools. I just don’t have any research and I haven’t done any volunteering since I left the army but I had 600 hours coaching high school lacrosse and raising money for wounded warrior.


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[KnightDoc]

Thanks man. I’ve read many of your posts and have gotten many answers from your responses. I am in Florida and was planning to apply to all state MD schools and like 7 DO schools. I just don’t have any research and I haven’t done any volunteering since I left the army but I had 600 hours coaching high school lacrosse and raising money for wounded warrior.


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Schools love ex-military, and most of the adcoms say that research is very overrated unless you are shooting for Harvard level schools, but I think you're still going to need the usual shadowing and volunteering. Your EMT and ER work probably satisfies the clinical experience they look for. Assuming you do reasonably well on the MCAT and get those EC experiences, you should do very well in spite of your 0.56 a lifetime ago. Hopefully an adcom can weigh in on whether your 600 hours satisfies the volunteering expectations.