My Plan: need feedback on strategy

[NontradPreDO]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hello all,

I have received some wonderful advice on here from various posters and while I have a few more questions, I don't want to be just a taker and not a giver and so first would like to offer my services to any of my non-trad comrades who need help with their personal statements. I have an MA in English and I used to teach Composition to first-year college students and so I am available to read any personal statement drafts for grammar/spelling. Feel free to message me if you are looking for an editor.

That said, I have mapped out a plan that I would greatly appreciate feedback on.

1. I am meeting with an advisor next week to discuss putting together a DIY post-bacc. Any advice on how to put classes together? I have looked on SDN and haven't really found a definitive consensus on what classes you should take together...I get there is a sequence for Bio and Chem and so forth, but any tips or warnings about what not to take together or what to take together?

2. I have identified some volunteering opportunities that I am genuinely interested in. One is sort of medically related and another isn't (being purposefully vague to avoid identification--they are regionally and state-specific).

3. I am considering drastically changing my employment situation. I had a conversation with my boss about possibly going part time and he is really not having it and I just can't deal with full-time employment and a new baby and a full load of science classes (I had to take a big fat W in College Algebra rather than let my grade suffer this semester.) I applied at a coffee shop! Also found some part-time positions at the local hospital (unit clerk, admissions, etc.). Curious about how others have juggled all this stuff and what you have found the best thing to make money while handling school and will it look bad if I can only do one prereq at a time?

4. I have drafted a shadowing request letter to send to some DOs in my area. I am going to start with 4 who work in specialities I am interested in instead of just sending the exact same letter to every DO I can find. Is this a good strategy or not, do you think?

5. I made a plan to use Khan Academy to brush up on Algebra before I take it again as well as Chemistry and Physics.

6. I plugged my undergrad courses into the AACOMAS gpa calculator provided here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/aacomas-gpa-calculator-revised.839864/ but it says my gpa is way lower than what is shown on my school's transcript! Anyone have problems with this as well? How do you get the most accurate gpa for AACOMAS?

I had a setback with my math class this semester but I am soldiering on! Please let me know what you think of my plan or if I could tweak it or if there's anything I am forgetting. I hope to get all this done within the next two years...does that seem realistic? Thanks!

 

[VegasPreMed]

Hello all,

1. I am meeting with an advisor next week to discuss putting together a DIY post-bacc. Any advice on how to put classes together? I have looked on SDN and haven't really found a definitive consensus on what classes you should take together...I get there is a sequence for Bio and Chem and so forth, but any tips or warnings about what not to take together or what to take together?

Are you only taking the required courses for med school or popping in some upper division bio courses (microbiology, virology, etc.) as well? I found that grouping similar sources together (immunology, cellular physiology, microbiology, and molecular genetics for example) made life easier because many courses use similar examples (HOX genes, lactose digestion). Many times I would be able to study a single pathway and would be studying for three upcoming exams!

2. I have identified some volunteering opportunities that I am genuinely interested in. One is sort of medically related and another isn't (being purposefully vague to avoid identification--they are regionally and state-specific).

Always go with where your interests lie.

3. I am considering drastically changing my employment situation. I had a conversation with my boss about possibly going part time and he is really not having it and I just can't deal with full-time employment and a new baby and a full load of science classes (I had to take a big fat W in College Algebra rather than let my grade suffer this semester.) I applied at a coffee shop! Also found some part-time positions at the local hospital (unit clerk, admissions, etc.). Curious about how others have juggled all this stuff and what you have found the best thing to make money while handling school and will it look bad if I can only do one prereq at a time?

I worked at a coffee shop too! Fun and easy. Alternatively, you could look into paid medical positions. I have been a scribe for the past two years and a lot of the documentation I learned for the physical exam, for example, helped tremendously when I took Human Anatomy. I started scribing at 20 hours per week and bumped it to full time this semester (similar situation as yourself. I have a five year old daughter and a new born son that was born on the 3rd). I'm not 100% on the one prereq at a time thing. I was full time in school and you have zero free time (I mean ZERO). I have seen some of the AdComs on here say that it isn't too big of a deal as long as you can show that you had other things filling your time.

4. I have drafted a shadowing request letter to send to some DOs in my area. I am going to start with 4 who work in specialities I am interested in instead of just sending the exact same letter to every DO I can find. Is this a good strategy or not, do you think?

Don't have much experience here. I didn't do an formal shadowing as I worked in an ED. Hopefully someone else can chime in.

5. I made a plan to use Khan Academy to brush up on Algebra before I take it again as well as Chemistry and Physics.

I would say yes for the algebra. Basic mathematics is important for chemistry and physics and I honestly had to go back over some of it during both of them.

6. I plugged my undergrad courses into the AACOMAS gpa calculator provided here: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/aacomas-gpa-calculator-revised.839864/ but it says my gpa is way lower than what is shown on my school's transcript! Anyone have problems with this as well? How do you get the most accurate gpa for AACOMAS?

Did you remove any credits from retaken courses? My transcript GPA didn't match either. I found a few calculators and used them all. I think I just hand calculated it based on the guidelines at the end, however.

I had a setback with my math class this semester but I am soldiering on! Please let me know what you think of my plan or if I could tweak it or if there's anything I am forgetting. I hope to get all this done within the next two years...does that seem realistic? Thanks!

Good luck! Keep us updated.

 

[NontradPreDO]

Thank you, VegasPreMed! I am planning on some upper division courses--Genetics is one that is particularly interesting to me. I will keep those pairings in mind.

I did not remove the credits from retaken courses--that could be tripping me up.

I would love to be a scribe if I can find a position...seems very interesting.

Good to hear of others with families who have made it work. Congrats on the birth of your little guy and congrats on your acceptance!