Late Pre-med

[EmilKraepelin55]

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Hello, I am a non-traditional pre-medical student. I have an associates in bass performance at the University of Central Oklahoma, and am now pursuing a degree in clinical laboratory science at the same school. I started the pre-med track within the last semester. I am scheduled to graduate the CLS program after a year long internship at a hospital between 2016-2017. I have just started acquiring some clinical experience in a geriatric psych ward at a community hospital, and I have done a little shadowing of surgeons and undergraduate research in the realm of molecular biology (volunteer without a published poster). I do have a good cGPA and sGPA of 3.89 and 3.90 respectively, and I am planning on applying to the clinical laboratory science internship this fall, and then taking the MCAT and applying for medical schools next fall.
The main thing I am worried about is obtaining good letters of recommendation because I am quite the introvert with social anxiety, especially around those in the academic arena curiously enough. It has always been a little harder for me to develop a relationship with those in my field, but I enjoy the work and satisfaction that comes with science. I have developed somewhat of a relationship with a couple of my chemistry professors though. So, I know none of you know my particular situation very well, but I am asking, what are the odds I will get good enough letter's of recommendation that will fly with a DO or MD school (particularly DO since this is the DO forum) along with my current stats? In stating it another way, with my current stats, if I get good but not unbelievable LOR's, then will the schools be more or less likely to reject me assuming a competitive MCAT?

 

[allantois]

often times, if all areas of an application are strong, they can compensate for a weak area.

Your GPA is fantastic, so if you get a good MCAT and all your other activities are decent, your LOR letters don't have to be amazing. Make sure you shadow a DO and get a letter from them 😉

 

[s5260205]

I doubt LORs are more important than your GPAs, MCAT, ECs and essays. A good LOR can help you but a mediocre one won't hurt you. Just make sure you can satisfy the requirements of LORs from a science professor who has taught you in a course.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

Hello, I am a non-traditional pre-medical student. I have an associates in bass performance at the University of Central Oklahoma, and am now pursuing a degree in clinical laboratory science at the same school. I started the pre-med track within the last semester. I am scheduled to graduate the CLS program after a year long internship at a hospital between 2016-2017. I have just started acquiring some clinical experience in a geriatric psych ward at a community hospital, and I have done a little shadowing of surgeons and undergraduate research in the realm of molecular biology (volunteer without a published poster). I do have a good cGPA and sGPA of 3.89 and 3.90 respectively, and I am planning on applying to the clinical laboratory science internship this fall, and then taking the MCAT and applying for medical schools next fall.
The main thing I am worried about is obtaining good letters of recommendation because I am quite the introvert with social anxiety, especially around those in the academic arena curiously enough. It has always been a little harder for me to develop a relationship with those in my field, but I enjoy the work and satisfaction that comes with science. I have developed somewhat of a relationship with a couple of my chemistry professors though. So, I know none of you know my particular situation very well, but I am asking, what are the odds I will get good enough letter's of recommendation that will fly with a DO or MD school (particularly DO since this is the DO forum) along with my current stats? In stating it another way, with my current stats, if I get good but not unbelievable LOR's, then will the schools be more or less likely to reject me assuming a competitive MCAT?

If you can write a non-awkward email, you can get a DO letter eventually. Just remember, if your not sure what to say, just ask exactly what you want, and then listen. Don't talk and be weird, be straight to the point ask, when they say yes, get contact info, ask if they would like a draft, and move on to another topic. Compare it to asking a girl for her number. Yeah its scarey the first time, but then you get over it cause everyone else is just another person too.

Any positive letter will be fine. As a non-trad you should have at least one extra letter tho from your extra exp IMO. Bass performance? Like bass guitar or bass fishing or bass performance hall? You better get me something from that field, it interests me already just hearing it. If I was an ADCOM I would want to know more, and how you went from that to medicine.

So in short, for LOR's, just suck it up and ask, then shut up, and talk about something else. Follow that formula. It will work. Have your CV/Resume and a Draft ready to give/email them (I suggest email). Thats it. Simple, but it will take lots of time. Your doing the right thing starting now.

 

[EmilKraepelin55]

often times, if all areas of an application are strong, they can compensate for a weak area.

Your GPA is fantastic, so if you get a good MCAT and all your other activities are decent, your LOR letters don't have to be amazing. Make sure you shadow a DO and get a letter from them 😉

Great! Hopefully I can keep the academic momentum at a steady pace. And yes, I am trying to find a DO to shadow at the moment.

If you can write a non-awkward email, you can get a DO letter eventually. Just remember, if your not sure what to say, just ask exactly what you want, and then listen. Don't talk and be weird, be straight to the point ask, when they say yes, get contact info, ask if they would like a draft, and move on to another topic. Compare it to asking a girl for her number. Yeah its scarey the first time, but then you get over it cause everyone else is just another person too.

Any positive letter will be fine. As a non-trad you should have at least one extra letter tho from your extra exp IMO. Bass performance? Like bass guitar or bass fishing or bass performance hall? You better get me something from that field, it interests me already just hearing it. If I was an ADCOM I would want to know more, and how you went from that to medicine.

So in short, for LOR's, just suck it up and ask, then shut up, and talk about something else. Follow that formula. It will work. Have your CV/Resume and a Draft ready to give/email them (I suggest email). Thats it. Simple, but it will take lots of time. Your doing the right thing starting now.

Great advice, thanks! Sometimes a confidence booster is all one needs to be pushed to do something. And hah no it isn't bass fishing, but a degree in bass guitar performance that is specialized to a modern musical setting. But yeah, most people I meet get a little confused at my 180 degree turn in career goals, and I was thinking of asking my old bass teacher for an LOR as well. So I am glad I am on the right track!