Need Advice, very conflicted!!!

[AnxiousMan]

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Hello, longtime lurker. I have a few options going into the next year and I do not know what to do.
Current Stats:
Cuban - Very Low income - First Generation - Fluent English and Spanish
Age: 22
Cumulative GPA: 3.70
Science GPA: 3.52
MCAT- Not taken yet

Shadowing: 8 hours MD - Will be looking out for more possibilities, mainly DO

Volunteer: 3 Month Hospital - will continue till I apply, will have over one year total
3 Months Hospice - will continue till I apply, will have over one year total
1 Month Habitat for Humanity - will continue till I apply, will have over one year total

Employment: Worked Full time throughout all undergrad (retail/Supervisory positions). Some months two jobs (60+ hours)

Issue: When I graduated high school parents were arrested. They spent a couple years in jail so I had to become the sudden bread winner in my family to take care of sister and grandmother. When I graduated CC and went to my University my parents came back and I was forced to move out because I was not accepted by my stepfather for being gay so I had to continue providing for myself. I will be graduating Spring 2017. I still have orgo 1/2 and bio chem to take for MCAT.
Heres the predicament: Should I take orgo 1/2 in summer (would have to pay for it out of pocket), and biochem in fall so I could focus on MCAT in spring and apply? (Graduate School 2018 if admitted)
or
Take orgo 1 in summer, fall orgo 2 and try to self study for biochem to take MCAT in spring. (Graduate school 2018 if admitted)
last option
Push graduation back to fall 2017, study and kill MCAT while working on improving EC's but I wouldnt start graduate school till fall 2019 if admitted.

Side note: I got a C in Physics I. Should I retake?
Thank you for your time.
Will hopefully have some advice tomorrow 😀

 

[drdecaf]

If anything, your personal statement will basically write itself...

Anyway, it might sound like a lot of work but your plan to take organic I and II this summer and biochem in the fall seems pretty good. They don't offer those over the summer at my university but I bet they are intense. You'll be well prepared for the MCAT and you can avoid wasting another cycle. Oh and don't bother retaking physics for a C. You should be fine. More DO shadowing would be a good idea too– you'll need a LOR from a physician. Best of luck.

 

[AnxiousMan]

If anything, your personal statement will basically write itself...

Anyway, it might sound like a lot of work but your plan to take organic I and II this summer and biochem in the fall seems pretty good. They don't offer those over the summer at my university but I bet they are intense. You'll be well prepared for the MCAT and you can avoid wasting another cycle. Oh and don't bother retaking physics for a C. You should be fine. More DO shadowing would be a good idea too– you'll need a LOR from a physician. Best of luck.

Do you think that if I can get a solid MCAT 28+ with the projected amount of volunteering I stand a good chance? I don't want to hurry if it means i don't have good odds of getting in. I will only be applying DO. So far I have 1 strong LOR from science prof, and two average. I will definitely work on getting DO LOR

 

[deleted610572]

Why would you only apply DO. If you get a 28+ on the mcat you stand a good chance at many MD programs being URM in two respects (Hispanic and homosexual) that on top of being bilingual you're a hot commodity. Take the mcat do well and apply to both

 

[DetectiveAlonzo]

Why would you only apply DO. If you get a 28+ on the mcat you stand a good chance at many MD programs being URM in two respects (Hispanic and homosexual) that on top of being bilingual you're a hot commodity. Take the mcat do well and apply to both

The Hispanic card will work but since when do schools take into account your sexual orientation in regards to URM status....? Pretty sure that's illegal is it not? Nevertheless I agree! Milk that URM status!

 

[Rekt]

Your best option is to do the Orgo1/2 over the summer, but only you can decide if you can handle it. It will be difficult. Also make sure to get a DO LOR if you're applying to do schools. You should apply to MD schools as well if you do decently enough.

 

[deleted610572]

The Hispanic card will work but since when do schools take into account your sexual orientation in regards to URM status....? Pretty sure that's illegal is it not? Nevertheless I agree! Milk that URM status!

It is a fact that it URM. LBGT community health is just now starting to make its way into the curriculum. A large portion of the LBGT community does not get proper healthcare because they are afraid of prejudice when going to see old fashioned doctors. The future needs LBGT doctors in order to care for this community. So no it cannot be listed as a URM but it is extremely URM and talking about it and your struggles with medicine will fall favorably on adcoms.

Disclaimer: the info I received from a few LBGT friends that are both in medicine that noticed that on the interview trail and friends that are not but yet are fearful of going to doctors for help

 

[Goro]

Everything will hinge on the MCAT. If those are your GPAs without grade replacement, MD schools are doable. You have what I call a "compelling story" and this will add much to your app.
No need to retake the Physics.

Hello, longtime lurker. I have a few options going into the next year and I do not know what to do.
Current Stats:
Cuban - Very Low income - First Generation - Fluent English and Spanish
Age: 22
Cumulative GPA: 3.70
Science GPA: 3.52
MCAT- Not taken yet

Shadowing: 8 hours MD - Will be looking out for more possibilities, mainly DO

Volunteer: 3 Month Hospital - will continue till I apply, will have over one year total
3 Months Hospice - will continue till I apply, will have over one year total
1 Month Habitat for Humanity - will continue till I apply, will have over one year total

Employment: Worked Full time throughout all undergrad (retail/Supervisory positions). Some months two jobs (60+ hours)

Issue: When I graduated high school parents were arrested. They spent a couple years in jail so I had to become the sudden bread winner in my family to take care of sister and grandmother. When I graduated CC and went to my University my parents came back and I was forced to move out because I was not accepted by my stepfather for being gay so I had to continue providing for myself. I will be graduating Spring 2017. I still have orgo 1/2 and bio chem to take for MCAT.
Heres the predicament: Should I take orgo 1/2 in summer (would have to pay for it out of pocket), and biochem in fall so I could focus on MCAT in spring and apply? (Graduate School 2018 if admitted)
or
Take orgo 1 in summer, fall orgo 2 and try to self study for biochem to take MCAT in spring. (Graduate school 2018 if admitted)
last option
Push graduation back to fall 2017, study and kill MCAT while working on improving EC's but I wouldnt start graduate school till fall 2019 if admitted.

Side note: I got a C in Physics I. Should I retake?
Thank you for your time.
Will hopefully have some advice tomorrow 😀

 

[AnxiousMan]

Why would you only apply DO. If you get a 28+ on the mcat you stand a good chance at many MD programs being URM in two respects (Hispanic and homosexual) that on top of being bilingual you're a hot commodity. Take the mcat do well and apply to both

Well thanks for that, I really needed a boost of confidence. I didn't know I would be considered URM to be completely honest.

 

[AnxiousMan]

Everything will hinge on the MCAT. If those are your GPAs without grade replacement, MD schools are doable. You have what I call a "compelling story" and this will add much to your app.
No need to retake the Physics.

I have one retake for a calc class that I got a C- in which would leave my cumulative GPA at 3.59. As for the MCAT I have always been a good test taker and my retention skills are pretty high considering I've only had to study for one class "Genetics" throughout my undergrad. But I kno MCAT is a completely different monster so we will see. Thank you all for your help 🙂. I want to apply only DO because I don't want just a small possibility at entering medical school. I am currently interested in primary care as I would like to work in rural areas and internationally it would be the best fit.

 

[AnxiousMan]

Personally, not one of my many cousins or brothers have even graduated high school so just to be called a Doctor is my dream. I've also learned to live with very little so money will not persuade me in choosing a specialty.

 

[grapp]

Personally, not one of my many cousins or brothers have even graduated high school so just to be called a Doctor is my dream. I've also learned to live with very little so money will not persuade me in choosing a specialty.

That's good. But you will also want a specialty that helps your medical school debt... Many people on here have 200k/300k in debt from interest in medical school... Of course, money shouldn't be the idea of becoming a physician. But, it can be a factor with that amount of debt. I'm friends with a primary care (family medicine doc) he really wishes he would've done internal medicine... There are so many fellowships you can do with it... Gastrinology, Cardiology, so on... Consider it, of course you have plenty of time! 🙂

 

[AnxiousMan]

One last question that loomed over me, didn't want to create another thread.
Should I take the full course load in spring while I do the MCAT or do I take 9-12 credits in spring and push a class or two to summer so I have more time to study during spring? Thanks in advance.[/QUOTE]

 

[meditative_premed]

One last question that loomed over me, didn't want to create another thread.
Should I take the full course load in spring while I do the MCAT or do I take 9-12 credits in spring and push a class or two to summer so I have more time to study during spring? Thanks in advance.

Which classes would you push to summer? If you take 12 credits in spring, then you can treat MCAT studying like another 3-4 credit class, which is great. Taking 15-16 credits on top of MCAT studying is difficult, it may be worth it to push a class or two until the summer.

 

[AnxiousMan]

Which classes would you push to summer? If you take 12 credits in spring, then you can treat MCAT studying like another 3-4 credit class, which is great. Taking 15-16 credits on top of MCAT studying is difficult, it may be worth it to push a class or two until the summer.

I would probably take a global learning, senior seminar or one random upper bio course. I'm just scared it will look bad that I pushed a class and did not graduate when I send my application.

 

[meditative_premed]

I would probably take a global learning, senior seminar or one random upper bio course. I'm just scared it will look bad that I pushed a class and did not graduate when I send my application.

A bad MCAT score looks worse than delaying graduation by a semester. If you graduate at the end of summer, adcoms wouldn't know the difference since they won't start looking seriously at applications until August/September, and that's only if you get your secondaries submitted early (July/early August). Definitely prioritize that MCAT score!

 

[AnxiousMan]

A bad MCAT score looks worse than delaying graduation by a semester. If you graduate at the end of summer, adcoms wouldn't know the difference since they won't start looking seriously at applications until August/September, and that's only if you get your secondaries submitted early (July/early August). Definitely prioritize that MCAT score!

Great to hear thanks a ton.