I just want to be happy

[BldbrnPthgn]

Hi Fellow Non-Trads,

I would like some advice. I've been working in research for a long time even though I despise working in the lab. This year I applied for medical school but I took the MCAT late and after I had filled out all of the secondaries found that I had only gotten a 27. Needless to say, I have no interviews. During the time between being complete with my applications and now I have applied for some jobs outside of research. Honestly, the thought of spending another year in the lab makes me want to cry. To my excitement, I actually landed a well-paying management position that I can see myself being extremely happy with. I hang on to the hope that an interview may come, but worry that it won't. Would you take the job? Would you retake the MCAT and apply again next year? Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Catalystik]

I would take the job.

Without the details of the rest of your application, it's hard to tell you to retake the MCAT when there may be other elements that need work as well. You could get accepted with a 27 depending on the state you live in and how solid the other relevant factors are, though you did not help yourself by applying later in the cycle.

Don't reapply to med school because you dispise working in the lab. Rather, reapply to med school because you can't see yourself being happy with any other career path.

 

[icalz]

Hi Fellow Non-Trads,

I would like some advice. I've been working in research for a long time even though I despise working in the lab. This year I applied for medical school but I took the MCAT late and after I had filled out all of the secondaries found that I had only gotten a 27. Needless to say, I have no interviews. During the time between being complete with my applications and now I have applied for some jobs outside of research. Honestly, the thought of spending another year in the lab makes me want to cry. To my excitement, I actually landed a well-paying management position that I can see myself being extremely happy with. I hang on to the hope that an interview may come, but worry that it won't. Would you take the job? Would you retake the MCAT and apply again next year? Thanks!

What's your gpa? A 27 isn't that bad...with you experience in medicine you should've received a few interviews. Were your lor's solid...I mean good quality?

Why wouldn't you reapply next year? Find the weak points in your app and work on them.

 

[EricH]

Your tone sounds a little cavalier. Are you really committed to medicine? I have been told by a depressingly large number of people that medicine is only for people who truly can think of doing nothing else. If you think you will be happy elsewhere, you probably will be.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Hi Fellow Non-Trads,

I would like some advice. I've been working in research for a long time even though I despise working in the lab. This year I applied for medical school but I took the MCAT late and after I had filled out all of the secondaries found that I had only gotten a 27. Needless to say, I have no interviews. During the time between being complete with my applications and now I have applied for some jobs outside of research. Honestly, the thought of spending another year in the lab makes me want to cry. To my excitement, I actually landed a well-paying management position that I can see myself being extremely happy with. I hang on to the hope that an interview may come, but worry that it won't. Would you take the job? Would you retake the MCAT and apply again next year? Thanks!

Well, if you're a researcher then I'm sure you've researched premed-dom and the application process. That said, you must have your other ducks in a row. If I were in your position I'd take the new job, study for the MCAT in your spare time, challenge it and do well, and re-apply. If you get in then great all you'll have to do is make a decision. If you don't then you've got your new happy job. I don't see what the problem is.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Your tone sounds a little cavalier. Are you really committed to medicine? I have been told by a depressingly large number of people that medicine is only for people who truly can think of doing nothing else. If you think you will be happy elsewhere, you probably will be.

Or you can do the other things in life that you think you want to do only to find that albeit enjoyable you're not completely satisfied so you go on to medical school. I had a careers to-do list. I saved the best for last.

 

[EricH]

Or you can do the other things in life that you think you want to do only to find that albeit enjoyable you're not completely satisfied so you go on to medical school. I had a careers to-do list. I saved the best for last.

As a non-trad I agree, I had another life I left for med. Because med was all I really wanted.

If this is you, chase med with all your heart.

 

[BldbrnPthgn]

Your tone sounds a little cavalier. Are you really committed to medicine? I have been told by a depressingly large number of people that medicine is only for people who truly can think of doing nothing else. If you think you will be happy elsewhere, you probably will be.

I've been getting a lot of that lately, but those same people also told me to have a back-up plan. I thought about my plan B and C and D..... so much I convinced myself that though I would be extremely disappointed about not getting into medical school I'd be content doing any of the hypothetical options. Are there truly people who can not see themselves being happy without working in medicine? Yes, I'm a researcher and though I hate that job I love my time volunteering with hospice patients or building a new Habitat for Humanity house. These are the tiny beautiful moments that help me get through my week. So, even if I didn't have another job lined up I would stay where I am right now and probably be content. Does that mean I shouldn't go into medicine?

To answer some of the other posters questions...
undergrad cGPA:3.5 sGPA:3.6
grad GPA:3.7
7 years of research
two first author publications, several posters and presentations at national meetings
worked as a OR tech for a year
Volunteered with hospice, ER, Ronald McDonald house, Habitat for Humanity, local zoo all recent and for over a year
Ample shadowing experience
Mentoring experience with technicians in my lab
I'm sure my LORs are great

I didn't come across this website until after I applied and have come to realize my major problems are MCAT and time of applying... I also didn't know much about DO school.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

I've been getting a lot of that lately, but those same people also told me to have a back-up plan. I thought about my plan B and C and D..... so much I convinced myself that though I would be extremely disappointed about not getting into medical school I'd be content doing any of the hypothetical options. Are there truly people who can not see themselves being happy without working in medicine? Yes, I'm a researcher and though I hate that job I love my time volunteering with hospice patients or building a new Habitat for Humanity house. These are the tiny beautiful moments that help me get through my week. So, even if I didn't have another job lined up I would stay where I am right now and probably be content. Does that mean I shouldn't go into medicine?

To answer some of the other posters questions...
undergrad cGPA:3.5 sGPA:3.6
grad GPA:3.7
7 years of research
two first author publications, several posters and presentations at national meetings
worked as a OR tech for a year
Volunteered with hospice, ER, Ronald McDonald house, Habitat for Humanity, local zoo all recent and for over a year
Ample shadowing experience
Mentoring experience with technicians in my lab
I'm sure my LORs are great

I didn't come across this website until after I applied and have come to realize my major problems are MCAT and time of applying... I also didn't know much about DO school.

I agree. I've either done or am doing all the other jobs I've ever been curious about. Well, no, I was never an army officer / Apache helicopter aviator, but then I'm red-green color blind so that's not going to happen. At any rate, the only other thing I've ever considered that I'd also like to do (read: really want to do) is be a doctor. I went to college wanting to do that, but I gave up for a myriad of reasons. Could I be happy doing something else? First, define happiness. I've been content in all of my jobs, but the fulfillment didn't last. I've spent an indeterminable amount of time researching other career options from skilled trades to professions. None of them make me perk up and really say "hey, I wanna do that!" Medicine does though. I wish it didn't honestly because it's such a pain in the ass to get there. I don't care about the money associated with it either, but you can bet I'll have ambitions to pay off those school loans as rapidly as possible. I like my current lifestyle so tripling my income or something is irrelevant to me. I just want to learn and do. Could I be content at another job? I'm sure I could, and so could a lot of others, probably all those premeds saying they couldn't. It's all a matter of want. If this is what you want to do then do it. If it doesn't work out then there's nothing in the wrong with having "plan B" waiting on the backburner. It's the smartest thing anyone could do. I didn't want to have to quit the job I've got, because it's a really good one by a lot of standards, but I simply cannot EVER take the four remaining prereqs that I need without relocating so I'll have to . So for me, once I put in my last day at work there is no other option. I will school myself, apply, and I will get in somewhere - MD, DO, prestigious or not doesn't matter because the end result is the same.

 

[riverjib]

I agree. I've either done or am doing all the other jobs I've ever been curious about. Well, no, I was never an army officer / Apache helicopter aviator, but then I'm red-green color blind so that's not going to happen. At any rate, the only other thing I've ever considered that I'd also like to do (read: really want to do) is be a doctor. I went to college wanting to do that, but I gave up for a myriad of reasons. Could I be happy doing something else? First, define happiness. I've been content in all of my jobs, but the fulfillment didn't last. I've spent an indeterminable amount of time researching other career options from skilled trades to professions. None of them make me perk up and really say "hey, I wanna do that!" Medicine does though. I wish it didn't honestly because it's such a pain in the ass to get there. I don't care about the money associated with it either, but you can bet I'll have ambitions to pay off those school loans as rapidly as possible. I like my current lifestyle so tripling my income or something is irrelevant to me. I just want to learn and do. Could I be content at another job? I'm sure I could, and so could a lot of others, probably all those premeds saying they couldn't. It's all a matter of want. If this is what you want to do then do it. If it doesn't work out then there's nothing in the wrong with having "plan B" waiting on the backburner. It's the smartest thing anyone could do. I didn't want to have to quit the job I've got, because it's a really good one by a lot of standards, but I simply cannot EVER take the four remaining prereqs that I need without relocating so I'll have to . So for me, once I put in my last day at work there is no other option. I will school myself, apply, and I will get in somewhere - MD, DO, prestigious or not doesn't matter because the end result is the same.

Excellent answer, AR! Do whatever you need to do to support yourself (and improve you application, if necessary) but stay focused. I'm in a similar situation...6 years full-time (and four more years per diem) experience first-assisting in surgery and participating in international medical missions, and four years of research with one pending first-author publication and over 20 poster/power point presentations at big conferences. I hope to break a 30 on my MCAT, but it's hard while taking a huge course load, doing research, and working just enough to pay the bills.

I'd like to think that they'd overlook your MCAT given your experience and publications, but I suppose that's wishful thinking on my part! If you can get a 27, you can definitely break 30. Where you'll find the time is beyond me...let me know if you figure it out

 

[EricH]

You EC's are amazing, and that research sounds outstanding. I have questions for the OP. Was your MCAT balanced or did you have a low area? When was your app released to the schools? How many schools did you apply to?

The application process is a game and I am curious about how well you are playing.

 

[BldbrnPthgn]

You EC's are amazing, and that research sounds outstanding. I have questions for the OP. Was your MCAT balanced or did you have a low area? When was your app released to the schools? How many schools did you apply to?

The application process is a game and I am curious about how well you are playing.

I didn't play very well... I took the MCAT in August and had 9's in every section. I only applied to 10 schools because it was difficult for me to adequately fill out the secondaries in a timely fashion. These are the schools I applied to:
Michigan State
UofM
Wayne State
Loyola
Rush
UIC
Rosalind Franklin
Northwestern
Eastern Virginia
Virginia Commonwealth

I'm a resident of Illinois, but I have family in Virginia (hence the two Virginia schools). So far, I have been rejected by Eastern Virginia and remain on hold at all the other schools. I happen to work at one of the private schools in the Chicago area and I asked a person close to the admissions committee about my application. They told me that my MCAT needs work because this year the applicants are extremely competitive. They also told me that I haven't taken classes in a while (3 years) so that is a "big black mark" on my record.

It's amazing to me that schools stress numbers so much. I can understand the issue about getting back into the swing of classes but a 27 MCAT doesn't seem like it should make or break my application. Live, learn and then apply DO I guess.

 

[Catalystik]

With your cGPA of 3.5, MCAT of 27, and terrific ECs, I think you'd have had a good chance at UIC had you applied early in the cycle (and maybe even Loyola which loves strong community service). It's my observation that late applicants don't do well at UIC, as they don't finish working through the pile of 7000+ applications until May.

While the season isn't over and there's always hope, it's a good idea to strategize what to do in order to have a better application for the next cycle. With no additional work other than acquiring a DO LOR (required by some osteopathic schools), you'd have a great chance at DO schools. The easiest way to upgrade your application for MD schools is to retake the MCAT and score 3+ points higher. Taking a night class in upper-level science and getting an A would reassure adcomms that you can still perform academically after your hiatus. Naturally, you'd want to continue in some form of clinical experience and community service for 3-4 hours per week to keep that current.

I'd still take the new job. You have enough research activity and the management experience you'll gain is a good leadership activity. Besides that, you'll be happier if you're destined to wait another cycle before an acceptance.

 

[EricH]

It's amazing to me that schools stress numbers so much.

Numbers come down to three things:
1.How well you can handle the material (and therefore how likely you are to graduate and be successful on boards/residency),
2. Numbers attract numbers....the higher the school stats the more people want to go there. The schools get a larger chunk of the better students (see #1).
3. Reputation.....they all want it! (see #2)

It sounds like you have done all you can for this cycle. If I were you I would hedge my liabilities should you have to reapply next year. Take an anatomy, immunology, or biochem class at a local school. This should reduce the big black mark.....and all of these are useful during M1. If you think you can improve the MCAT score consider retaking. Finally, have your writing ready to go on 5/1/10 and order your transcripts as soon as you have an application number. This way you are first in line to be verified and released to the schools. Best of luck!

 

[BldbrnPthgn]

Thanks for all your great opinions! I really appreciate all the encouragement!