Just Saying Hello!

[Marrowist]

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Hello!

 

[CastleG8]

Hello!
Just wanted to introduce myself and get a taste of how this forum works. I am a bone marrow technician at a local hospital. Help pathologist obtain bone marrow specimens. 20-30 a week. I applied after college to a DO program in state, but was waitlisted. No real shadowing/healthcare experience. Just took the MCAT and score will be available on the 21st. I am 30 years old, had a lapse in my academic performance due to addiction issues, made a very strong comeback however and replaced the bad grades. I have worked in a chemistry lab, the oil field, as an adjunct professor at a regional university, and now in a laboratory in a major hospital. Does this qualify me as nontraditional? lol

A few questions:
1) How much stock are schools putting into the Behavioral Science scores of the new MCAT?

2)Should I risk bringing up my struggle with addiction in my PS? It is one of the most motivating factors in my deciding to pursue medicine. I have multiple years in recovery now and have the LOR and EC to show this.

Thanks to anyone who takes the time to answer these questions.

Hello there. I would think that you are non-traditional based on your age and work history. Many typical pre-medical students never had to support themselves with employment. They had their stuff together since they were HS Freshmen with good parents supporting them every step of the way.

Preparing for each section adequately and scoring balanced is obviously the best. Having no weaknesses is better than trying to make up for one weakness a strength. Convince them that they are not taking any risk by offering you a seat.
I can't say about the addiction part. I am having to address some things in my own PS that I hope aren't viewed unfavorably. I think that years of success since you had these issues and showing that those issues will never be a problem again is important. The solution to my problem was to enlist for 4-years in the military and put some time between those troubled years. I got out and followed that by 5 years of proving that those troubles are a thing of the past. I am also trying to spin my negatives into a positive with real life examples, and not just words.

Once you have your PS drafted, find someone here to read it and give you feedback. There are some people here on the forums that can help.

 

[Marrowist]

Hello there. I would think that you are non-traditional based on your age and work history. Many typical pre-medical students never had to support themselves with employment. They had their stuff together since they were HS Freshmen with good parents supporting them every step of the way.

Preparing for each section adequately and scoring balanced is obviously the best. Having no weaknesses is better than trying to make up for one weakness a strength. Convince them that they are not taking any risk by offering you a seat.
I can't say about the addiction part. I am having to address some things in my own PS that I hope aren't viewed unfavorably. I think that years of success since you had these issues and showing that those issues will never be a problem again is important. The solution to my problem was to enlist for 4-years in the military and put some time between those troubled years. I got out and followed that by 5 years of proving that those troubles are a thing of the past. I am also trying to spin my negatives into a positive with real life examples, and not just words.

The past problems can make your experiences unique among medical school, but they are common problems with patients. Use this in some way to your advantage. I hope you have good life experiences that showcase your transition. It is just my opinion.

Once you have your PS drafted, find someone here to read it and give you feedback. There are some people here on the forums that can help.

I was beginning to wonder if anyone would reply to this post. Thank you very much for taking the time to do so and congratulations on your positive changes. I will definately be asking someone to review my PS as soon as I have a draft. Thanks again!

 

[DrMikeP]

1. Varies by school, some more than others but if it kills your total score it matters a lot.
2. Did you include it last time? How many interviews and was it discussed? How did that go?

What are your stats?



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