- Joined
- Jul 26, 2017
- Messages
- 213
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- 207
Hello friends! I've been lurking for a few months now and decided to come out of the shadows and ask for help. This isn't exactly a WAMC but it might fall under that category? Mods please feel free to move me.
I'm a female URM about to be a senior for the second time, as I got a bad case of mono towards the end of my first semester last year and had to take med leave for the year. I also have anxiety and depression that were mostly controlled at the time but are completely controlled since a medication change over the break (I haven't experienced a single symptom in months!). I've had a handful of other health/family issues that have impacted my academics but again everything has been properly diagnosed and resolved.
I've been premed for a while but I didn't really want to be, if that makes sense? I've avoided the premed groups and activities on campus because they don't feel genuine. My (top 10) school has a severe stress culture and being premed here is even worse. I probably would have chosen a different school had I known for sure that I wanted to apply to med school, but I haven't been truly committed to it until this summer.
I've taken Gen Chem w/lab, Bio I, Physics I w/lab (got a C- in lecture and A- in lab) and decided to take Physics I & II w/lab this summer at my local four-year. So far I've gotten an A+ in Physics I. My current GPA is around a 2.9 (c&s) and there are a couple of Fs and Ws in there, as well as one D. I haven't taken the MCAT, but I tend to test extremely well (99th percentile SAT and ACT). I started studying for it in January and plan to take it in January 2018.
So far for ECs I've done SMDEP at my state school (which is SHPEP now?) and ~50 hours of shadowing. I'm developing a great relationship with a doc (she lets me hold retractors!) and I'll probably try to get up to 75 hours total with the majority being with her. I've spent most of my time doing music and political activism and I plan to continue those activities if at all possible. I also worked in fast food for two years (only during school breaks). I'm torn between doing research next year or trying to find clinical volunteering, but I'm leaning more towards volunteering as the thought of bench research does not appeal to me at all.
I have jusssst enough room in my schedule to finish out the prereqs (orgo, bio II, both with lab) and graduate with a psych major. Right now my plan is to take a gap year and work as an ER scribe as well as doing non-clinical volunteering, and apply in the 2018-9 cycle. I've done the math and with straight As I can get my c&sGPA up to a 3.2.
Is this enough of an upward trend to get my foot in the door at low tier MDs? Or the ones that ~reward reinvention? I'm open to DO but I'm drawn to surgery and I know my chances are much better with an MD. Should I scrap my orgo and bio plans and take calc/astronomy to boost my sGPA and then apply for a post bac or SMP? I'd like to avoid the cost and extra time if at all possible. I would also very much like to be in or around a city on one of the coasts, which further limits my options. Any advice on how to strengthen my application would be much appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to read this (and maybe even respond)!
I'm a female URM about to be a senior for the second time, as I got a bad case of mono towards the end of my first semester last year and had to take med leave for the year. I also have anxiety and depression that were mostly controlled at the time but are completely controlled since a medication change over the break (I haven't experienced a single symptom in months!). I've had a handful of other health/family issues that have impacted my academics but again everything has been properly diagnosed and resolved.
I've been premed for a while but I didn't really want to be, if that makes sense? I've avoided the premed groups and activities on campus because they don't feel genuine. My (top 10) school has a severe stress culture and being premed here is even worse. I probably would have chosen a different school had I known for sure that I wanted to apply to med school, but I haven't been truly committed to it until this summer.
I've taken Gen Chem w/lab, Bio I, Physics I w/lab (got a C- in lecture and A- in lab) and decided to take Physics I & II w/lab this summer at my local four-year. So far I've gotten an A+ in Physics I. My current GPA is around a 2.9 (c&s) and there are a couple of Fs and Ws in there, as well as one D. I haven't taken the MCAT, but I tend to test extremely well (99th percentile SAT and ACT). I started studying for it in January and plan to take it in January 2018.
So far for ECs I've done SMDEP at my state school (which is SHPEP now?) and ~50 hours of shadowing. I'm developing a great relationship with a doc (she lets me hold retractors!) and I'll probably try to get up to 75 hours total with the majority being with her. I've spent most of my time doing music and political activism and I plan to continue those activities if at all possible. I also worked in fast food for two years (only during school breaks). I'm torn between doing research next year or trying to find clinical volunteering, but I'm leaning more towards volunteering as the thought of bench research does not appeal to me at all.
I have jusssst enough room in my schedule to finish out the prereqs (orgo, bio II, both with lab) and graduate with a psych major. Right now my plan is to take a gap year and work as an ER scribe as well as doing non-clinical volunteering, and apply in the 2018-9 cycle. I've done the math and with straight As I can get my c&sGPA up to a 3.2.
Is this enough of an upward trend to get my foot in the door at low tier MDs? Or the ones that ~reward reinvention? I'm open to DO but I'm drawn to surgery and I know my chances are much better with an MD. Should I scrap my orgo and bio plans and take calc/astronomy to boost my sGPA and then apply for a post bac or SMP? I'd like to avoid the cost and extra time if at all possible. I would also very much like to be in or around a city on one of the coasts, which further limits my options. Any advice on how to strengthen my application would be much appreciated.
Thank you for taking the time to read this (and maybe even respond)!
