Just recently considered med school, still a chance?

[betheltim]

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Well, I just recently discovered that med school may be the place for me. Prior to this year I was convinced that anything BUT medical school may be in my future. I started school as a pre-engineering/physics major, got very close before I took more chemistry classes, and decided to put off a definite decision (and early graduation). I've since taken nearly the whole chemistry major and a handful of biology classes, and realized how interested I am in the human body, particularly the cardiovascular system.

That being said, my journey through science has been very fulfilling thus far. In addition to just about the entire physics major, a chemistry major, and a biology minor, I've taken a number of art/photography classes and will have been in the school's concert choir for four years.

By the time I have completed my undergraduate degree, I will have also been part of the information/technology help desk at school for four years (and two summers as student manager/assistant). I will have been in 2 or 3 research positions (one in inorganic materials chemistry, and one or two with Medtronic, the medical technology company, with two projects in Insulin-like drug pumps and surface/materials science such as heart stents, etc.). This summer I'll be working on both projects.

Because I just recently realized my desire to study the human body and serve (as I have developed my faith, in the image of Jesus, the Great Physician to Christians), I am just now exploring my desire to serve underserved and underprivileged communities, and will be involved in outreach programs starting next fall for (hopefully) both underprivileged children as well as the elderly. If I get time with my research positions and MCAT this summer I'm going to attempt to be a nurse's aid or a similar position.

When I first entered college I was lazy and unmotivated, starting with a 3.01 overall GPA. SINCE then, however, I have raised my GPA basically every semester, and as it stands now I am looking at a 3.72-3.75 overall GPA when I'm done. This will have included straight A's this year and this upcoming year (this semester included A's in two biology classes, organic chemistry 2, advanced inorganic chemistry, research, and choir). I can say without a doubt that I have matured and found motivation for studying science and doing well, and grown up significantly since I was a freshman.

Unfortunately, my ECs and grades have been limited due to my lack of motivation and maturity. As it stands now, I have realized both what is necessary and what I want to do, but am worried about that coming through to admissions departments at medical schools. Hopefully my improvements and commitment to education and excellence show through, however.

Ok, now that I've written a story, assuming I score about a 30P or maybe better on the MCAT this summer, what would be my chances of even getting an interview?

I thoroughly appreciate and thank anyone who is or was willing to read and help me out.

 

[betheltim]

It may be worthwhile to note:

After I decided that the human body and medicine interest me as much as they do, I took four lab sciences this semester to make sure I had all the prerequisites for the MCAT and med school in time to apply my senior year. Four lab sciences at my school is not done very often, though it is by no means unheard of. Two science courses at any one time is normal, and three are taken if someone is a double major in science.

Just to put things in perspective, perhaps.🙂

 

[abcabc1]

When is the soonest you can take the MCAT? If your scores are good enough, you might get some interviews, but this isn't a process that you want to go through: i. in a hurry or ii. off to a bad start.

If you're still in College, waiting a year is nothing. I'd recommend getting some more experience in the Medical field to see more of what it's like and better get a sense of whether or not that's what you want to do. Unfortunately, volunteer work, shadowing, etc aren't great ways to gauge whether you'll be happy as a Physician, but there aren't many other ways to get that exposure. You can also give yourself more than one attempt at the MCAT, which will strengthen your applications. Of course, applying early in the cycle will be a huge advantage over applying late.

In your case, it seems like you should gather some more data before deciding that you want to be a Physician (volunteer work or shadowing). Along the way, you can prepare for the MCAT and, if you decide that being a Physician is the right choice, your application will be that much stronger. Don't rush into this.

 

[betheltim]

While I completely agree with you and think that it would be greatly beneficial to stick around another year, another year means more tuition for schooling (I don't think taking a year off from school would be best for me). Of course, I'm not ruling that out at all, especially if I apply this year and am not offered a spot.

That being said, I'm taking the MCAT this year July 8th. I think I'll be prepared, I'll be starting my studying this week. Fortunately, being a former physics major my physics is relatively good already, chemistry comes a lot more naturally to me, and I've just recently taken the biology requirements. With a number of hours each day studying I feel like I'd be pretty prepared. Of course, if I don't do well, it'll really become a learning experience to gauge where I am compared to where I think I am.

Thanks again for your thoughts, they're really appreciated!

 

[betheltim]

In addition, how would you recommend going about finding shadowing positions? Everyone around here seems to think they're impossible to get and say that the only way to get experience is clinical experience as a nurse's aid, etc.

I would absolutely love to get a shadowing position of any sort; I think that it would really reveal a lot to me, but I'm just not sure where to even start.

I don't know any physicians (my brother and I are the first people in ANY of my family basically to go to college, much less science-based or professional graduate school). The only person I can think of is the pediatrician who has been my brother's physician for all 23 years of his life, and most of mine.

 

[matyd]

betheltim

I would think it would be pretty easy to get a shadowing position. This is coming from someone that works in the ER at a teaching facility though as well. Do you have any teaching hospitals where you live (ie. ones with residents)? If so, I would just call the hospital and talk to Human Resources about volunteering. You could even call a local doctor's office and see if they would allow you to shadow them for the day etc. Let me know how this goes.

We have a bunch of volunteers that come through this ER and I will ask them how they came about doing so. I wouldn't think that it would be too tough though. Just check around, you should be able to find something.

 

[abcabc1]

Shadowing positions are usually not that hard. If you don't know too many doctors, you could make some phone calls or write some letters. Volunteering at a hospital is usually not that hard to find either, as mentioned above. You can try the same method for non-teaching hospitals as well.

If you graduate College this year, you do NOT need to spend the next year in school while applying to Med School. Actually, taking more classes is not the best bet. You've proven to be a smart person and capable student. Hopefully you'll have good MCAT scores but, even if they're not that great, taking more classes won't help (you'll need to raise your scores).

What you haven't proven (even to yourself, let alone Med Schools) is your commitment to Medicine. You should get more experience to prove to yourself and others that Medicine is what you want to do. I don't think you need to spend a lot of money during your year off. Just live at home for a year and try to do some work at the local hospital, prep for MCATs, send your applications out, etc.