I'm Complicated. Opinions?

[PoisonedApple]

Hi everyone! I'm about to turn 21 and am currently a student.

I want to explain my situation and ask all of your opinions on these questions:
1. Do you think I have any chance of getting into some sort of medical program?
2. If the above answer is yes, what should I be doing from here on?

Thanks.

OK - and now for the explanation

I'm currently attending a FL community college for my A.A. Degree, with plans on transferring to Florida State University for my bachelor's. Since the A.A. is general ed, there is no real major.

I'm a woman (if that counts for anything?) and living in poverty, come from a very poor family in a very bad area with a very VERY bad family life, Idropped out of high school to try and go to work. I have since gotten my GED and have been going to school for a few years already. My tuition is currently being paid for ENTIRELY with a Pell Grant.

My main concern is that I am *terrible* - absolutely atrocious - at math. While I know for certain I will be passing with a decent (A/B) grade this semester, I am afraid that the number of attempts on a class will look very, very bad. I'm also afraid that I'll be laughed at/disregarded for doing half of my undergrad at a community college. I know that I can get through the math classes/prereqs

Aside from my math problem, I have a GPA of around 3.7 right now.

IF with all of that taken into consideration, you guys still think I have a chance, I would really love some advice as to what to do from here on. This is my dream and I would like to know if going after it would be a waste of my time or if I have some sort of an opportunity hiding.

Thanks.

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[FIREitUP]

Hi everyone! I'm about to turn 21 and am currently a student.

I want to explain my situation and ask all of your opinions on these questions:
1. Do you think I have any chance of getting into some sort of medical program?
2. If the above answer is yes, what should I be doing from here on?

Thanks.

OK - and now for the explanation

I'm currently attending a FL community college for my A.A. Degree, with plans on transferring to Florida State University for my bachelor's. Since the A.A. is general ed, there is no real major.

I'm a woman (if that counts for anything?) and living in poverty, come from a very poor family in a very bad area with a very VERY bad family life, Idropped out of high school to try and go to work. I have since gotten my GED and have been going to school for a few years already. My tuition is currently being paid for ENTIRELY with a Pell Grant.

My main concern is that I am *terrible* - absolutely atrocious - at math. While I know for certain I will be passing with a decent (A/B) grade this semester, I am afraid that the number of attempts on a class will look very, very bad. I'm also afraid that I'll be laughed at/disregarded for doing half of my undergrad at a community college. I know that I can get through the math classes/prereqs

Aside from my math problem, I have a GPA of around 3.7 right now.

IF with all of that taken into consideration, you guys still think I have a chance, I would really love some advice as to what to do from here on. This is my dream and I would like to know if going after it would be a waste of my time or if I have some sort of an opportunity hiding.

Thanks.

it sounds like you are dealing with adversity superbly. what i suggest is reserving your prerequisites to take at a 4 year college. Until then, take as many Liberal arts requirements at the community college so you don't have to take them when you transfer. After you have taken your prereqs at a 4 year college and possibly some upper level courses, study for your MCATs, and aim for above a 30. Your math problem will be an issue on the physical sciences section of the MCAT. All i can suggest is that you go in for tutoring and try to hone your mathetmatics so that you do not suffer in your physics class and on the MCAT.

As per your first question, I think whether you can get into medical school is entirely up to them. Work hard, stay focused, and definitely start getting involved in medically related activities early on.

 

[PoisonedApple]

it sounds like you are dealing with adversity superbly. what i suggest is reserving your prerequisites to take at a 4 year college. Until then, take as many Liberal arts requirements at the community college so you don't have to take them when you transfer. After you have taken your prereqs at a 4 year college and possibly some upper level courses, study for your MCATs, and aim for above a 30. Your math problem will be an issue on the physical sciences section of the MCAT. All i can suggest is that you go in for tutoring and try to hone your mathetmatics so that you do not suffer in your physics class and on the MCAT.

As per your first question, I think whether you can get into medical school is entirely up to them. Work hard, stay focused, and definitely start getting involved in medically related activities early on.

Thank you for your speedy and informative reply. I will go ahead and hold off on Chem/Bio/etc prereqs until I transfer, and I will definitely keep working hard.

All other comments are, of course, still welcome.

 

[Salt and Lime]

I have a somewhat different opinion. I'm non-trad, and I took some post-bacc prereqs at a community college (b/c they were cheaper and offered in the evenings, so I could continue to work full time.) It did not seem to hurt my application at all, as I have 10 interviews and 2 acceptances already.

Since you struggle with math, I recommend taking Gen Chem and Physics at a community college where you are likely to have a smaller class size and more personal attention. I LOVED having 15-25 people in my CC classes, as opposed to 200-500 at the 4-year institution where I did my undergrad.

One thing to be careful of, though - make sure you are taking the correct level of classes at the CC. Like, my community college had two levels of Gen Chem. Florida State should be able to tell you which one to take.

Good luck!

 

[Stratego]

Some med schools let you take Statistics (much easier, and pertinent to med school)instead of Calculus. You can also take Physics that is not Calc-based. Some schools look down on community college courses, but there's plenty that won't care, provided you do well on the MCAT. If that 3.7 GPA includes all the courses you've attempted, then you're in great shape. You're above the median for those accepted to med schools.

Before you apply, ideally you'll have a year and a half of clinical experience where you volunteer with sick people. There's more that's needed, of course, and you'll read about those ECs as you look through the posts on SDN.

 

[J ROD]

Some med schools let you take Statistics (much easier, and pertinent to med school)instead of Calculus. You can also take Physics that is not Calc-based. Some schools look down on community college courses, but there's plenty that won't care, provided you do well on the MCAT. If that 3.7 GPA includes all the courses you've attempted, then you're in great shape. You're above the median for those accepted to med schools.

Before you apply, ideally you'll have a year and a half of clinical experience where you volunteer with sick people. There's more that's needed, of course, and you'll read about those ECs as you look through the posts on SDN.

 

[riverjib]

Hi everyone! I'm about to turn 21 and am currently a student.

I want to explain my situation and ask all of your opinions on these questions:
1. Do you think I have any chance of getting into some sort of medical program?
2. If the above answer is yes, what should I be doing from here on?

Thanks.

OK - and now for the explanation

I'm currently attending a FL community college for my A.A. Degree, with plans on transferring to Florida State University for my bachelor's. Since the A.A. is general ed, there is no real major.

I'm a woman (if that counts for anything?) and living in poverty, come from a very poor family in a very bad area with a very VERY bad family life, Idropped out of high school to try and go to work. I have since gotten my GED and have been going to school for a few years already. My tuition is currently being paid for ENTIRELY with a Pell Grant.

My main concern is that I am *terrible* - absolutely atrocious - at math. While I know for certain I will be passing with a decent (A/B) grade this semester, I am afraid that the number of attempts on a class will look very, very bad. I'm also afraid that I'll be laughed at/disregarded for doing half of my undergrad at a community college. I know that I can get through the math classes/prereqs

Aside from my math problem, I have a GPA of around 3.7 right now.

IF with all of that taken into consideration, you guys still think I have a chance, I would really love some advice as to what to do from here on. This is my dream and I would like to know if going after it would be a waste of my time or if I have some sort of an opportunity hiding.

Thanks.

First of all, I don't see why it matters that you're a woman. Half of medical students are women.

Community college is perceived as a weak program in some areas. That's really not the case in NY anymore, based upon personal experience. Cornell. Columbia, and UPenn were all willing to accept my transfer credits as their own chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology courses, and I have quite a few friends in medical school and residency who completed pre-med courses at community colleges.

My only advice is to maintain the highest possible GPA, rock the MCATs (meaning 30+), volunteer, and get some sort of clinical experience, even if it's only shadowing. Get over your past, and build on whatever you learned from past difficulties...they'll only serve you in the future.

 

[PoisonedApple]

First of all, I don't see why it matters that you're a woman. Half of medical students are women.

Community college is perceived as a weak program in some areas. That's really not the case in NY anymore, based upon personal experience. Cornell. Columbia, and UPenn were all willing to accept my transfer credits as their own chemistry, organic chemistry, and biology courses, and I have quite a few friends in medical school and residency who completed pre-med courses at community colleges.

My only advice is to maintain the highest possible GPA, rock the MCATs (meaning 30+), volunteer, and get some sort of clinical experience, even if it's only shadowing. Get over your past, and build on whatever you learned from past difficulties...they'll only serve you in the future.

Thanks. I didn't think it mattered either, but I figured it might be worth mentioning.

I am definitely gaining some confidence thanks to the replies here. I felt before like I had no chance at all.

 

[MilDoc2B]

PoisonedApple, I think you will be an outstanding applicant (not that I'm an expert, I'm pre-med too - non-traditional). It seems to me that med schools are going to LOVE your GPA, commitment to your dream, & ability to flourish in the face of extreme adversity. I think if you keep up your GPA (Definitely take advantage of any tutoring your school offers for the math/physics aspects), rock out the MCAT, write a great personal statement (you for sure have the foundation for one), and get some clinical experiences and other EC's under your belt, you'll be a shoe-in. Seriously consider some UC schools. They're very well respected and they seem to put a lot of weight on URMs and overcoming adversities. I think any med school would be lucky to have you.