New to this.

[Jsnaves]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi, I am 23 years old living in San Antonio, Texas. I'll try to be brief and to the point here. New to this site, dropped out of high school in 2005, got my GED in 2006. Started CC, but was not serious. Took several classes over a couple of years, hardly ever went to class. Received several F's. Decided to become a licensed massage therapist, finished the course, loved it, got license. Last flex semester I decided to get serious about my education. I have a wife and a daughter who is 2, with another baby on the way. I spoke to a counselor at my CC who informed my that I was never going to be able to turn my GPA of 1.2 around. (man that is such a terrible number.) I decided to start fresh with the last flex semester. I left my CC and decided to take classes only with Park University (all in-class courses not internet). The only problem with this University is that they do not have a Pre-med degree program, so I decided on Hospital Administration. I started my new school career by taking, a First Aid for Health Care Workers (3 credit hours), English Freshman Comp (3 credit hours) and Intermediate Algebra (3 credit hours). I received an "A" in all three classes and finished my "first" new semester with a GPA of 4.0. This flex semester I am currently taking: College Algebra (3 credit hours) and Social Psychology (3 credit hours), I am doing everything in my power to receive "A"s in those classes in order to maintain my GPA at 4.0. So with all that said (so much for being brief), does anyone have any advice for me as far as my current situation, classes I should take to prepare for pre-med, anything I should get involved in? Also, will my previous shortcomings at my CC have any effect on my longterm goals if I essentially cut all ties with them and just stay on the new course I am on? I am completely committed to my education and my future because as it happens, my entire family's future is connected to mine. Please, any comments/advice/criticism/or questions are absolutely welcomed and wanted! Thanks in advance for all your feedback!

 

[MCATism]

Sounds like your new attempt at college is going really well! If you can keep up those kind of marks, adcomms will be impressed. A "steady upward trend" in grades can often overcome poorer grades, provided you stay consistently achieving at a high level. Additionally, the hospital administration major sounds like a great idea because not only will you get some clinical experience, but furthermore, you'll have a good job when you finish, in case you're not accepted to medical school in the first cycle of applications (because let's face it - that happens to alot of people!) Also, you're young, which gives you all the more time.

So, some basic things you need to know:
- There is no need to take a "pre-med" major, or any specific major at all. Take something you like, and that makes a good back-up plan in case medicine doesn't work out. Hospital administration is a great choice
- To apply to medical school you will need: 2 semesters of Biology with labs, 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry with labs, 1-2 semesters of Physics with labs, and 2 semesters of English. Some schools also require courses like biochemistry or calculus --- in later years, you may want to find out what your specific schools are looking for.
- Get involved in things that you like and excel in them. Any kind of extracurricular (or work experience) will do.
- You should also get clinical experience by shadowing doctors, volunteering at hospitals, or something else like this
- Take your time. Don't try to rush through the stages to be a "perfect" applicant, or you may shortchange yourself.


Good luck and feel free to post more questions! Your commitment to your family is really admirable. 🙂

 

[mulberry]

Sounds like your new attempt at college is going really well! If you can keep up those kind of marks, adcomms will be impressed. A "steady upward trend" in grades can often overcome poorer grades, provided you stay consistently achieving at a high level. Additionally, the hospital administration major sounds like a great idea because not only will you get some clinical experience, but furthermore, you'll have a good job when you finish, in case you're not accepted to medical school in the first cycle of applications (because let's face it - that happens to alot of people!) Also, you're young, which gives you all the more time.

So, some basic things you need to know:
- There is no need to take a "pre-med" major, or any specific major at all. Take something you like, and that makes a good back-up plan in case medicine doesn't work out. Hospital administration is a great choice
- To apply to medical school you will need: 2 semesters of Biology with labs, 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry with labs, 1-2 semesters of Physics with labs, and 2 semesters of English. Some schools also require courses like biochemistry or calculus --- in later years, you may want to find out what your specific schools are looking for.
- Get involved in things that you like and excel in them. Any kind of extracurricular (or work experience) will do.
- You should also get clinical experience by shadowing doctors, volunteering at hospitals, or something else like this
- Take your time. Don't try to rush through the stages to be a "perfect" applicant, or you may shortchange yourself.


Good luck and feel free to post more questions! Your commitment to your family is really admirable. 🙂

You forgot to add 2 semesters of general chemistry.

 

[mulberry]

To the original poster, since you said you have 1 kid and another one the way, you might want to take a quicker route. Instead of completing your bachelors you have the choice of completing something like 60-90 credit hours and applying to a school in the Caribbean. You can do your first 2 years there and the second 2 years of clinical in the states. Some schools don't even require you to take the MCATs. do your research on valuemd.com or talk to me on a PM. I'm recommending this because of your situation. If your family won't mind relocating (warm weather all year lol) for 20-24 months, it's a viable option. The typical route would always be US MD schools, then DO schools then the Caribbean. after seeing your GPA and second child on the way, look into it or msg me.
edit: some of the lower tier schools have tuition starting somewhere at like 7-10k. not too bad if you are the only one bringing in the loot.

 

[Econ2MD]

I know Des Moines University (DMU-COM), an osteopathic medical school, has a program where you can be admitted without a degree, as long as your home university agrees to grant you a degree after successful completion of your first year of medical school at DMU. You might contact them to see what schools DMU has a history of using in this program.

I am not aware if other schools have such programs or if it is a possibility for you, but it may be a route to investigate.