Hello Everyone,
To start at the beginning, I am originally from Southern Illinois, but I moved to Chicago when I was 15, and I am still living in the city, I am turning 30 this year, I never took school seriously when I first started going to college, and only ended up going to college because I got a full scholarship that my aunt applied for on my behalf. I was eligible because I grew up in the foster care system. I originally planned on going into the trades after high school, because I knew quite a few people who did that and they seemed to be doing good. I had no idea what I wanted to do in college, so I just started taking random classes. My first semester was at SIU-Carbondale, and I transferred after one semester because I was home sick, I earned a 2.5 gpa from my one semester there. I transferred to University of Illinois at Chicago, and I was kicked out after 3 semesters due to bad academic performance. I did not even know I could drop classes in college (this is how ignorant and careless I was about school at the time), I figured you got what you got. The last semester at UIC, I failed all 4 classes I was taking. This was a winter semester, and I actually tore my ACL and MCL in the middle of the semester, and just stopped going to class, did not even bother to drop the classes, and I was kicked out as I mentioned, after that semester. 2 of those Fs were in science courses. I have tried contacting UIC in the last few years to see about getting those grades removed from my transcript for medical reasons, but they said I waited too long. After UIC, I went to a small 4 year university in Chicago, where I earned an accounting degree, with a 3.1gpa. I knew I needed to get it together, but I wasn't shooting for A's, my goal was to just get Bs or better and to get finished with school as fast as I can. Ironically, the semester when I received Fs, was the semester I discovered my interest in medicine. The surgery process, from the anesthesiologist to the surgeon, even to the nurses, seemed so cool to me and it kind of ignited an interest, however, I did not start pursuing it. I have since been working in accounting, which is about 5/6 years, and while it is a decent career, I still have had the nagging interest in medicine, it truly fascinates me. I started taking premed courses a few semesters ago. I have taken Gen Chem 1 and 2, Gen Bio 1 and 2, Cell Bio, Immunology, Human A&P 1, and a fluffer math class, and I received As in all of the courses. I'm not sure why I did not do this until now, but I calculated my GPA, and even with As in all of the most recent 60 credits I took (all Bio, Chem, Math courses), my overall GPA will still be a 2.92. My science GPA will actually be 3.4, assuming I continue to get all As throughout the rest of the 60 credits I am planning on completing. Upon completion, I will have 250 credits exactly, and it is getting harder and harder to raise the GPA due to there being so many credits involved. I have been shadowing my family doc, and volunteering at a neighborhood food pantry, as well as at church. I was planning to start volunteering at University of Chicago's hospital this fall.
I guess my question here is should I even continue to chase this, or is it unattainable? Do I still have hope if I kill the MCAT? Any and all suggestions/input/opinions are more than welcome.
Thanks
To start at the beginning, I am originally from Southern Illinois, but I moved to Chicago when I was 15, and I am still living in the city, I am turning 30 this year, I never took school seriously when I first started going to college, and only ended up going to college because I got a full scholarship that my aunt applied for on my behalf. I was eligible because I grew up in the foster care system. I originally planned on going into the trades after high school, because I knew quite a few people who did that and they seemed to be doing good. I had no idea what I wanted to do in college, so I just started taking random classes. My first semester was at SIU-Carbondale, and I transferred after one semester because I was home sick, I earned a 2.5 gpa from my one semester there. I transferred to University of Illinois at Chicago, and I was kicked out after 3 semesters due to bad academic performance. I did not even know I could drop classes in college (this is how ignorant and careless I was about school at the time), I figured you got what you got. The last semester at UIC, I failed all 4 classes I was taking. This was a winter semester, and I actually tore my ACL and MCL in the middle of the semester, and just stopped going to class, did not even bother to drop the classes, and I was kicked out as I mentioned, after that semester. 2 of those Fs were in science courses. I have tried contacting UIC in the last few years to see about getting those grades removed from my transcript for medical reasons, but they said I waited too long. After UIC, I went to a small 4 year university in Chicago, where I earned an accounting degree, with a 3.1gpa. I knew I needed to get it together, but I wasn't shooting for A's, my goal was to just get Bs or better and to get finished with school as fast as I can. Ironically, the semester when I received Fs, was the semester I discovered my interest in medicine. The surgery process, from the anesthesiologist to the surgeon, even to the nurses, seemed so cool to me and it kind of ignited an interest, however, I did not start pursuing it. I have since been working in accounting, which is about 5/6 years, and while it is a decent career, I still have had the nagging interest in medicine, it truly fascinates me. I started taking premed courses a few semesters ago. I have taken Gen Chem 1 and 2, Gen Bio 1 and 2, Cell Bio, Immunology, Human A&P 1, and a fluffer math class, and I received As in all of the courses. I'm not sure why I did not do this until now, but I calculated my GPA, and even with As in all of the most recent 60 credits I took (all Bio, Chem, Math courses), my overall GPA will still be a 2.92. My science GPA will actually be 3.4, assuming I continue to get all As throughout the rest of the 60 credits I am planning on completing. Upon completion, I will have 250 credits exactly, and it is getting harder and harder to raise the GPA due to there being so many credits involved. I have been shadowing my family doc, and volunteering at a neighborhood food pantry, as well as at church. I was planning to start volunteering at University of Chicago's hospital this fall.
I guess my question here is should I even continue to chase this, or is it unattainable? Do I still have hope if I kill the MCAT? Any and all suggestions/input/opinions are more than welcome.
Thanks
