look here for hope

[Legion1]

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Hi, I hope my story can bring some hope to a few over-stressed/disparaging/worried non-trads out there...

About two years ago I looked on this website and was discouraged beyond belief at my chances of getting into a medical school, MD or DO. I was 6 years out of undergrad with a low GPA and no pre-med classes. About a year ago, I had taken half of my pre-requisites, had a 4.0, and was still discouraged when I would come onto here. Regardless of the fact that admissions folks told me I had a good chance, the competition is fierce and this website will make you feel as if you don't have a snowball's chance in hell. Regardless, I kept fighting. I completed my post-bac (on my own, not in a set program-I am convinced those programs are the greatest money scams ever for universities), got a solid score on my MCAT, wrote a killer essay, had great LORs and played up my ECs, maturity, and leadership experience at every chance. Today I got into a top 25 school (extremely well established MD program). This can be done, I am not superman, I am not a genius, I don't have an inside connection. I had a very low undergrad GPA that according to conventional wisdom is too low to even think of a DO program. At the end of the day, I just made an argument over 1.5 years that I was intelligent enough, hard working enough, and compassionate enough to be a doctor. If I can do this, you can too. Do not give up hope, do not take the word of anyone on here-research the heck out of medicine and medical schools. Show that you give a damn about people. Start making the argument early through your actions and finish it with words in an essay and interview. If I can do this, you can too.

Good Luck

 

[psychkub]

Hi, I hope my story can bring some hope to a few over-stressed/disparaging/worried non-trads out there...

About two years ago I looked on this website and was discouraged beyond belief at my chances of getting into a medical school, MD or DO. I was 6 years out of undergrad with a low GPA and no pre-med classes. About a year ago, I had taken half of my pre-requisites, had a 4.0, and was still discouraged when I would come onto here. Regardless of the fact that admissions folks told me I had a good chance, the competition is fierce and this website will make you feel as if you don't have a snowball's chance in hell. Regardless, I kept fighting. I completed my post-bac (on my own, not in a set program-I am convinced those programs are the greatest money scams ever for universities), got a solid score on my MCAT, wrote a killer essay, had great LORs and played up my ECs, maturity, and leadership experience at every chance. Today I got into a top 25 school. This can be done, I am not superman, I am not a genius, I don't have an inside connection. I had a very low undergrad GPA that according to conventional wisdom on here, I should not have been able to get into a DO program with. At the end of the day, I just made an argument over 1.5 years that I was intelligent enough, hard working enough, and compassionate enough to be a doctor. If I can do this, you can too. Do not give up hope, do not take the word of anyone on here-research the heck out of medicine and medical schools. Show that you give a damn about people. Start making the argument early through your actions and finish it with words in an essay and interview. If I can do this, you can to.

Good Luck

Congratulations on your success!

 

[shahcoco]

Congrats indeed! Any thank you for sharing 🙂

 

[petyr_baelish]

Very inspiring. 🙂 Would you mind posting your cGPA, post bacc GPA and MCAT score?

 

[Legion1]

I am not going to post those for one reason: they are arbitrary. Seriously. These schools aren't lying when they are saying that they are looking at the whole person. Where I got in, plenty of folks with 3.8+, 36+ are not getting II. But I was told by admissions at much lower ranked schools that I would be flat out rejected because of my stats. The point is: do your best, ignore the overwhelming bad news on this and other websites, remember that you are more than a number, and then use your words and actions to convince an admissions committee of the same.

 

[rguil15]

Solid posts. And congrats, happy for you.

 

[occams_razor]

I am not going to post those for one reason: they are arbitrary. Seriously. These schools aren't lying when they are saying that they are looking at the whole person. Where I got in, plenty of folks with 3.8+, 36+ are not getting II. But I was told by admissions at much lower ranked schools that I would be flat out rejected because of my stats. The point is: do your best, ignore the overwhelming bad news on this and other websites, remember that you are more than a number, and then use your words and actions to convince an admissions committee of the same.

thank you so much for posting this. congrats to you and I wish you all the best!

 

[loochi]

I am not going to post those for one reason: they are arbitrary. Seriously. These schools aren't lying when they are saying that they are looking at the whole person. Where I got in, plenty of folks with 3.8+, 36+ are not getting II. But I was told by admissions at much lower ranked schools that I would be flat out rejected because of my stats. The point is: do your best, ignore the overwhelming bad news on this and other websites, remember that you are more than a number, and then use your words and actions to convince an admissions committee of the same.

So true... and not just about med school. Thanks for sharing. 👍

 

[Legion1]

even more encouragement: my wife just reminded me that I was rejected, twice, from the post-bacc program at the University where I was accepted. I was told both times that I was not a good fit for their program because "our program is designed for students who have a good chance at being accepted to a US medical school." So if you feel hopeless, please realize that before I even started this 18 month journey I was told twice from people with much more knowledge than I that I had no chance of matriculating, let alone at a top 20 program. All of the ridiculous cliches about reaching your goals can be true so long as you are truly committed.

 

[Einthoven]

Congratulations! Super inspiring!

 

[mcdtheta]

Thanks for reminding us all that the person can make the difference.

 

[popopopop]

even more encouragement: my wife just reminded me that I was rejected, twice, from the post-bacc program at the University where I was accepted. I was told both times that I was not a good fit for their program because "our program is designed for students who have a good chance at being accepted to a US medical school." So if you feel hopeless, please realize that before I even started this 18 month journey I was told twice from people with much more knowledge than I that I had no chance of matriculating, let alone at a top 20 program. All of the ridiculous cliches about reaching your goals can be true so long as you are truly committed.

This is great motivation, thank you! Please kindly ask them if you can be a guest speaker during the post-bacc's program orientation .