Medical School might be impossible for me.

[MozartFan]

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Hi all,

I would like some advice, even if it is brutal. I've heard it all,even in person.

I am a 26 year old male. I graduated undergrad with a horrible GPA. I thought it was higher previously when I posted last year but I used AMCAS rules and found out it's a horrible horrible 2.2 GPA. I had a host of problems. I was also neglient sometimes, or more like alot. I was also suicidal (seriously). I went to a small state school on the west coast that definately isn't MIT or Harvard.

After working for some time I was miraculously accepted into the following program at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. It's a 11 month M.S. degree. The website says certificate but I had a research thesis and other things that made it "M.S." Their website isn't updated in this regard.

http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/cyt-cyt.html

It's a Cytotechnology program. Cytotechnologists basically screen microscope slides of FNA biopsies for malignancies,pre-maliginancies, and other abnormalities. They also do alot of cytoprep/lab work. Pathologists (doctors) examin cytology and tissueand essentially make decisions for other doctors (frozen sections inthe middle of surgery, etc).

How the hell did I end up in this program at Mayo Clinic? Well,the program director read my application and was "moved". I had a high GRE (general and biochem). I was allowed to start a month early in a prep course and my matriculation was conditional on doing well in that. There were only 8 people in the program.

It gives me a good back up career. I have already been offered aposition as Lecturer and Education Coordinator at another one ofthese exact programs at a very prestigous cancer center in NYC that I will leave unnamed for now. I look forward to the new job and doing it for at least two years.

I finish next month and currently have a 3.7 GPA. It's graduatelevel which I know most medical schools don't care that much aboutwith the exception fo SMP (Georgetown, BU MAMS, etc). Getting that3.7 wasn't easy. I had to really work for it. This isn't one of those"fluffy" graduate programs.

The program made me very interested in becoming a Pathologist(not forensic!)I received alot of exposure to medicine in myclinical practica here so I indirectly shadowed all sorts of doctorsfor many many hours. Pathology interests me because so far making diagnoses for other doctors (Doctor's Doctor) appeals to me.

My undergraduate GPA is practically unrepairable. I can't affordto get a second degree full time and not work even though I currentlyhave no debt.

The job I am starting doesn't know I plan on medical school. I'mnot applying this cycle. I need an SMP but don't plan on startingthat only another 2 years at least.

I haven't taken the MCAT but since January I have been doing 2-4 practice tests (Kaplan, Princeton Review, AAMC) a week. Since March they have been 32+ with the highest being 37. I know I need to do exceptionally well.

This past year has been a roller coaster for me. I started fresh with this program and have been working very very hard.

Has anyone ever heard of getting into an SMP with a 2.2 undergraduate GPA?

If medicine is impossible for me I will just have to accept my lot in life. I could excell in this new Instructor/Education Coordinator position and maybe somehow (classes on the side, research experience, etc) manage my way into a PhD program in some biomedical science area. I think I could be happy that way. I'm not saying PhD (the "original doctorate"/pure science)>MD/DO but it is a viable option if one accepts me.

I might be in a hole that is impossible to dig out of.

Also, I applied for RFU BMS (high linkage) this year and last and was rejected both times.

 

[DrMidlife]

If there's anything you'd be happy doing other than medicine, do the other thing.

^ ^ Best advice I got when I was first interested in pursuing medicine.

In other words, if you can stand not being a doctor, don't be one, certainly not from a 2.2. Even with a nice pretty Mayo degree on your app, the competition is brutal.

Best of luck to you.

 

[RawrSaidTheCat]

Hi all,

I would like some advice, even if it is brutal. I've heard it all,even in person.

I am a 26 year old male. I graduated undergrad with a horrible GPA. I thought it was higher previously when I posted last year but I used AMCAS rules and found out it's a horrible horrible 2.2 GPA. I had a host of problems. I was also neglient sometimes, or more like alot. I was also suicidal (seriously). I went to a small state school on the west coast that definately isn't MIT or Harvard.

After working for some time I was miraculously accepted into the following program at Mayo Clinic School of Health Sciences. It's a 11 month M.S. degree. The website says certificate but I had a research thesis and other things that made it "M.S." Their website isn't updated in this regard.

http://www.mayo.edu/mshs/cyt-cyt.html

It's a Cytotechnology program. Cytotechnologisst basically screen microscope slides of FNA biopsies for malignancies,pre-maliginancies, and other abnormalities. They also do alot of cytoprep/lab work. Pathologists (doctors) examin cytology and tissueand essentially make decisions for other doctors (frozen sections inthe middle of surgery, etc).

How the hell did I end up in this program at Mayo Clinic? Well,the program director read my application and was "moved". I had a high GRE (general and biochem). I was allowed to start a monthearly in a prep course and my matriculation was conditional on beingwell in that. There were only 8 people in the program.

It gives me a good back up career. I have already been offered aposition as Lecturer and Education Coordinator at another one ofthese exact programs at a very prestigous cancer center in NYC that I will leave unnamed for now. I look forward to the new job and doing it for at least two years.

I finish next month and currently have a 3.7 GPA. It's graduatelevel which I know most medical schools don't care that much aboutwith the exception fo SMP (Georgetown, BU MAMS, etc). Getting that3.7 wasn't easy. I had to really work for it. This isn't one of those"fluffy" graduate programs.

The program made me very interested in becoming a Pathologist(not forensic!)I received alot of exposure to medicine in myclinical practica here so I indirectly shadowed all sorts of doctorsfor many many hours. Pathology interests me because so far making diagnoses for other doctors (Doctor's Doctor) appeals to me.

My undergraduate GPA is practically unrepairable. I can't affordto get a second degree full time and not work even though I currentlyhave no debt.

The job I am starting doesn't know I plan on medical school. I'mnot applying this cycle. I need an SMP but don't plan on startingthat only another 2 years at least.

I haven't taken the MCAT but since January I have been doing 2-4 practice tests (Kaplan, Princeton Review, AAMC) a week. Since March they have been 32+ with the highest being 37. I know I need to do exceptionally well.

This past year has been a roller coaster for me. I started fresh with this program and have been working very very hard.

Has anyone ever heard of getting into an SMP with a 2.2 undergraduate GPA?

If medicine is impossible for me I will just have to accept my lot in life. I could excell in this new Instructor/Education Coordinator position and maybe somehow (classes on the side, research experience, etc) manage my way into a PhD program in some biomedical science area. I think I could be happy that way. I'm not saying PhD>MD/DO but it is a viable option for me if one accepts me.

I might be in a hole that is impossible to dig out of.

Honestly, I think you have a chance. You have demonstrated that you can handle grad classes and get a 3.7 GPA. Your MCAT practice exam scores are HIGH so you're good there. As for the 2.2 GPA...I think the only way you can increase that is by taking undergrad upper level classes. But, I don't know if you're willing to do 2-3 years worth of classes in order to get up to a 2.7 or so? Honestly, I think if you just do an SMP, they should be able to overlook the 2.2 undergrad GPA. Then, you'd have a 3.7 in grad classes and an SMP with another high GPA, plus a high MCAT to leave absolutely no doubt that you can handle tough coursework.

What I would do is I would call med schools and ask them. It's the only way to find out.

Also, I think you need to focus on your EC's as well.

But, I think you have a chance. If you want it badly enough, you'll get there .

 

[MozartFan]

Well, I'm definately going to work for two years as Lecturer and Education Coordinator and shoot for an SMP, maybe Carib if I just can't wait, but I might even be rejected there.

I'll be working in New York starting August. I know NYMC has a small SMP (one year). I'll also be board certified in Cytotechnology/Diagnostic Cytopathology and Molecular Biology by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.

I might find out that I'll be happy working in cytology and maybe a biomedical sciences PhD.

Being in NY for non-school purposes I might actually get residency so I'm planning to talk to some people at the state schools there and maybe call/email/set up in person or phone conferences with medical schools.

I have alot to think about and am definately looking forward to working for at least two years.

If I start medical school (MD, DO, whatever, prefer MD) around age 30 oh well that's life. If I never go, I'll make the most of whatever I end up doing.

Honestly, I think you have a chance. You have demonstrated that you can handle grad classes and get a 3.7 GPA. Your MCAT practice exam scores are HIGH so you're good there. As for the 2.2 GPA...I think the only way you can increase that is by taking undergrad upper level classes. But, I don't know if you're willing to do 2-3 years worth of classes in order to get up to a 2.7 or so? Honestly, I think if you just do an SMP, they should be able to overlook the 2.2 undergrad GPA. Then, you'd have a 3.7 in grad classes and an SMP with another high GPA, plus a high MCAT to leave absolutely no doubt that you can handle tough coursework.

What I would do is I would call med schools and ask them. It's the only way to find out.

Also, I think you need to focus on your EC's as well.

But, I think you have a chance. If you want it badly enough, you'll get there .

 

[Spinietzschon]

Um, at a certain point the metrics plateau off either end. If the average is a 3.7, with 10th percentile at 3.2 for a school, if you have a 2.9 or a 2.2 you've already lost all 'points' so the 2.2 isn't much worse than 3.0 for a lot of them, except the few with especially science 10th percentiles at 3.0. Either way, you'll get no points for GPA in the selection process. I'm nearly in the same boat.

On MCAT, for instance, I think if you are applying to those schools they won't take you more likely if you have a 43 on the MCAT than if you have a 41; on the other hand a 30 vs a 32 on the MCAT is HUGE for a person in your position. If you can hit a home run (36+) then as long as a human sees your app (rather than a computer formula cutoff system) I'd imagine they'd be very intrigued and they might altogether cancel out, given that you should be applying to mainly lower 'metrics' schools. Get an MSAR obviously and weigh out all options.

If you can only get the 30 then you may want to consider the Carribean obviously; though I would strongly strongly advise DO first; check out match statistics for DO vs Carribean programs.

Keep it in mind - if you tank, then it's over. But, if you do pretty great on MCAT and keep your act together all around else where to be well rounded enough, you can make the argument 'as a nontraditional, I recognize my errant mentality exacerbated a difficult life situation at the time. However, I have found my interests through the life experiences between them, have set goals which I have managed to be reasonably achievable, and would like you to recognize that while my GPA is impossible not to question, and there is no excuse someone can make with that GPA, that I am no longer that same person any more.' Just don't trip up and have any other weak spots.

Congratulations. I feel like you'll make it if you really want it.

Best of success to you.

 

[Spinietzschon]

Also regarding MCAT I found Kaplan verbal especially misleadingly easy - the bell curve was all messed up (1 question wrong = 14, 2=13, 3=12, 4=11 finally 5-7=10 etc..) but they were still too easy and not that helpful. PR or another way to have COMPUTER based PT's (I liked using paper to review them too if you're groaning about computer formatting but it's worthwhile trust me) that are FROM AAMC are essential. They aren't harder than Kaplan, they're just... slightly different. I don't know how to describe it. They just require different faculties, sort of. You'll get the feeling after you've done 5-7 of each. I wouldn't toss any Kaplan you've bought to diversify your subject knowledge and the tests are fine to stay on top of content but again, get some other tests.

 

[MozartFan]

^ ^ Best advice I got when I was first interested in pursuing medicine.

In other words, if you can stand not being a doctor, don't be one, certainly not from a 2.2. Even with a nice pretty Mayo degree on your app, the competition is brutal.

Best of luck to you.

I just accepted a seat in the University of Washington School of Pharmacy PharmD program. I already worked as a pharmacy technician for four years so generally know what I am getting into. Thought long and hard about this. I can be a good pharmacist, be it at a place like Walgreens, a hospital, or in industry/research.

UW Pharm school saw my pitiful 2.2 undergrad GPA, 98 percentile PCAT, and 3.7 at Mayo Clinic and let me in.

Taking a step back from medicine and moving on was hard. Gotta move on with my life.

School doesn't start until late September so I'm going to find work as a Pharmacy Intern (tech with more duties).

At 26, I'm not up for more undergrad+SMP+lag years. Kudos to those that are.