Hey all,
I've been feeling kind of lost and let down in my premed journey and I'm seeking help, or counselling from anyone who's been in a similar situation or who's generally more knowledgeable.
I graduated w/ a Bio-degree in 2017, but didn't have amazing grades. I had a sub 3.0 gpa which was obviously my fault. Not due to partying or drinking, but I was very unfocused and had difficulty trying to create good study habits. My father died the first year I transferred and my grades plummeted. The next year my mother had a stroke and my brother was hospitalized 3 times for colitis. Needless to say, I felt stretched thin, and I could barely keep myself together and I have no other immediate family in this state. Despite this, I stayed in school and kept working part time to try to generate the much needed income.
As soon as I graduated, I found a scribing job that would give me the clinical experience I needed. After a year of working I took the MCAT and didn't do as well as I would've liked. I received a little less than 500 and couldn't understand why I felt academically short. I saw a neuro that diagnosed me w/ ADHD and put me on Vyvanse. I come from a conservative Christian household, so I was hesitant to take medication, but I did, and It's definitely improved my way of life.
I haven't retaken the MCAT, but instead I took a few upper level bio courses at my state university and did pretty well ( 2 A's and a B+). I felt like my grades improved because I was finally able to stick to a study plan/ habit that worked. I wanted to retake my MCAT after the most recent course, but COVID hit and those plans deteriorated. Now I feel like if I tried studying for the MCAT, I'd have to recoup so much knowledge that has slipped away in the past year.
My plan was to apply to DO schools and pray that the 4 years of extreme clinical experience, my story, and an upward post bacc trend would at least grant me an interview, however I don't have a lot of faith in that.
Additionally, my work place has become toxic. COVID has made it worse, but It's literally just 12-16 hours of scribing at a high paced site. Management is awful and they clearly don't give a **** about us. We avg high patient numbers every single day w/ MINIMAL staff most days, and their response is simply "work harder." I'm quite frankly fed up w/ the company and my management team.
With all that said, I don't know what my next step should be. I want to quit my job and apply for an SMP and show that I can definitely do rigorous course work. I've heard of SMPs that have a bridge to medicine program, and I honestly think that's my best bet. I contemplated retaking the MCAT, but I know my application would be late and I'd like to be the most efficient with my time.
If anyone is willing to give any advice, suggestions, or even job suggestions, I would sincerely appreciate it. I feel like I've hit rock bottom, and I'm not getting any younger. I'm contemplating nursing (I'd need to take A&P 1 and 2 and maybe other prereqs) or some other profession to make a decent living, since bio grads are mainly limited to teaching, pre-med, pre-PA, or lab work and I have no lab experience.
TLDR: Sub 3.0 gpa, Sub 500 MCAT; Work is great clinically, but is beyond toxic and I need to quit. Getting old, and I need to make a living. Do I apply for every SMP under the sun? Do I apply DO and Caribbean? Do I try to retake the MCAT? Please help
I've been feeling kind of lost and let down in my premed journey and I'm seeking help, or counselling from anyone who's been in a similar situation or who's generally more knowledgeable.
I graduated w/ a Bio-degree in 2017, but didn't have amazing grades. I had a sub 3.0 gpa which was obviously my fault. Not due to partying or drinking, but I was very unfocused and had difficulty trying to create good study habits. My father died the first year I transferred and my grades plummeted. The next year my mother had a stroke and my brother was hospitalized 3 times for colitis. Needless to say, I felt stretched thin, and I could barely keep myself together and I have no other immediate family in this state. Despite this, I stayed in school and kept working part time to try to generate the much needed income.
As soon as I graduated, I found a scribing job that would give me the clinical experience I needed. After a year of working I took the MCAT and didn't do as well as I would've liked. I received a little less than 500 and couldn't understand why I felt academically short. I saw a neuro that diagnosed me w/ ADHD and put me on Vyvanse. I come from a conservative Christian household, so I was hesitant to take medication, but I did, and It's definitely improved my way of life.
I haven't retaken the MCAT, but instead I took a few upper level bio courses at my state university and did pretty well ( 2 A's and a B+). I felt like my grades improved because I was finally able to stick to a study plan/ habit that worked. I wanted to retake my MCAT after the most recent course, but COVID hit and those plans deteriorated. Now I feel like if I tried studying for the MCAT, I'd have to recoup so much knowledge that has slipped away in the past year.
My plan was to apply to DO schools and pray that the 4 years of extreme clinical experience, my story, and an upward post bacc trend would at least grant me an interview, however I don't have a lot of faith in that.
Additionally, my work place has become toxic. COVID has made it worse, but It's literally just 12-16 hours of scribing at a high paced site. Management is awful and they clearly don't give a **** about us. We avg high patient numbers every single day w/ MINIMAL staff most days, and their response is simply "work harder." I'm quite frankly fed up w/ the company and my management team.
With all that said, I don't know what my next step should be. I want to quit my job and apply for an SMP and show that I can definitely do rigorous course work. I've heard of SMPs that have a bridge to medicine program, and I honestly think that's my best bet. I contemplated retaking the MCAT, but I know my application would be late and I'd like to be the most efficient with my time.
If anyone is willing to give any advice, suggestions, or even job suggestions, I would sincerely appreciate it. I feel like I've hit rock bottom, and I'm not getting any younger. I'm contemplating nursing (I'd need to take A&P 1 and 2 and maybe other prereqs) or some other profession to make a decent living, since bio grads are mainly limited to teaching, pre-med, pre-PA, or lab work and I have no lab experience.
TLDR: Sub 3.0 gpa, Sub 500 MCAT; Work is great clinically, but is beyond toxic and I need to quit. Getting old, and I need to make a living. Do I apply for every SMP under the sun? Do I apply DO and Caribbean? Do I try to retake the MCAT? Please help
