Non Trad Questions

[juju44706]

I am a 25 year old undergrad in a pre med program at my local state school. I started college right out of high school but was unable to stay enrolled because I had no place to live. I was an orphan and had no outside support. I moved around Ohio and GA and enrolled at 3 other schools but couldn't even complete a semester due to having no support and no steady residence. I have since gotten married and have a stable home environment and have taken up the cause again. As of right now my GPA is at a 3.8 and I've done extremely well on the practice MCATs I have taken. I volunteer at the local free clinic 10 hours a week for the past year. And I spent 2 years in the army right after my first years of failed college. I have a few questions about my path.
1. How difficult will it be to get into medical school even with a 3.8 GPA and a MCAT north of 34 seeing as I failed or withdrew from every course I've ever taken before my current school?

2. Will it be more difficult getting in seeing as I'll be 27 when I finish my Undergrad?

3. Will I need to get transcripts from all schools I attended even if I never completed a semester? ( One school refuses to give me one seeing as a balance is owed)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

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[Tipsy McStagger]

Hi, I think you have a pretty solid chance at getting accepted somewhere if you keep your GPA up and do well on the MCAT.

1) I would caution you to assume you'll get higher than a 34 on the MCAT, it can be done but don't let your practice tests be too much of a guide on how you'll do. I know plenty of people who did very well on the practice test and not do well on the MCAT; conversely I know people who never got above 30 on the practice tests and scored 35+ on the MCAT. It is a guide, but not much more in my opinion.

I was in and out of school after high school as well. I dropped out for awhile, then went back and finished my degree. My GPA after graduation was well below 2.9. Like you I spent some time in the military, then went back to school and kept a 4.0 gpa for a few years. This is something (I was told) that medical schools often like to see. If you keep a good GPA and do well on the MCAT, you'll show that you have matured, become more stable and are ready for medical school. I think you have a good chance if you can maintain.

2) No. I'm in my 30's and started last year. There are people in their 40s in my class. 27 is definitely not too late, not by a long shot.

3) This I don't know, so I'll leave it for somebody who knows to answer.

So yes I think you have a great chance at getting in somewhere, just keep your grades up and work hard for the MCAT.

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

1. How difficult will it be to get into medical school even with a 3.8 GPA and a MCAT north of 34 seeing as I failed or withdrew from every course I've ever taken before my current school?

What is your total cumulative GPA, including all classes you've ever taken? This is the one that really counts. If you've retaken classes, your AACOMAS GPA (for DO schools) will be different. You can replace bad grades with better ones if you've retaken the class. We'll need to know your cumulative GPA with and without retakes before we can give you a more accurate assessment of your chances. If your cGPA is still low, you can always start retaking bad grades. Lots of nontrads have gotten accepted after spending a year or two doing retakes.

2. Will it be more difficult getting in seeing as I'll be 27 when I finish my Undergrad?

Not a problem at all. You'll only be a few years over the median age, and nowhere near the oldest in your med school class.

3. Will I need to get transcripts from all schools I attended even if I never completed a semester? ( One school refuses to give me one seeing as a balance is owed)

Sorry, you'll need those transcripts. All of them. Looks like you'll need to pay your bills.

 

[Darth Doc]

2) No. I'm in my 30's and started last year. There are people in their 40s in my class. 27 is definitely not too late, not by a long shot.

What school do you go to?

 

[NCOldie]

I am a 25 year old undergrad in a pre med program at my local state school. I started college right out of high school but was unable to stay enrolled because I had no place to live. I was an orphan and had no outside support. I moved around Ohio and GA and enrolled at 3 other schools but couldn't even complete a semester due to having no support and no steady residence. I have since gotten married and have a stable home environment and have taken up the cause again. As of right now my GPA is at a 3.8 and I've done extremely well on the practice MCATs I have taken. I volunteer at the local free clinic 10 hours a week for the past year. And I spent 2 years in the army right after my first years of failed college. I have a few questions about my path.
1. How difficult will it be to get into medical school even with a 3.8 GPA and a MCAT north of 34 seeing as I failed or withdrew from every course I've ever taken before my current school?

2. Will it be more difficult getting in seeing as I'll be 27 when I finish my Undergrad?

3. Will I need to get transcripts from all schools I attended even if I never completed a semester? ( One school refuses to give me one seeing as a balance is owed)

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!!

1. You don't have a 3.8 GPA if you've failed many classes. The other courses you've taken and failed count into your overall GPA. But, depending on how many classes you failed, it's still possible to make it into medical school. I read somewhere that a person with a long string of Fs and an amazing upward trend made it into medical school (DO, not MD).

2. It won't be more difficult to make it into medical school. There are plenty of people in their mid-30s+ who begin medical school.

3. Yes. Although, I know this doesn't help you because I can't name the schools (search for MajorUnderDog) that focus on the last half or 60 credit hours when considering admission. I think you still have to submit all transcripts even if the school only focuses on the last 60 or so. There was one school, and I can't remember which one for the life of me, that told me not to submit a transcript unless I attended the school full-time or completed 12 or more hours there. If I can find out which one that was, I will post.
The medical schools are going to be aware of what schools you've attended. Pay off the debt and get your transcript. That's really your only option. Your applications to medical school won't be verified until you send in every transcript.

 

[Darth Doc]

3. Will I need to get transcripts from all schools I attended even if I never completed a semester?

Yes. I had college courses for a C++ programming course and trig that I took in high school, and AAMC required that. And don't forget your military transcript. My AAMCAS verification was held up a few days because I didn't submit mine. I didn't take any undergraduate type courses through the Army, just the usual yearly barrage of SHARP training, BOLC, HIPAA, etc... but AAMCAS wouldn't verify until they had it because the military told them it was there.

 

[Goro]

First off, many thanks for your service to your country.

Is this your cGPA? Or just your GPA at your current school? If the latter, it's a really good sign, and there are schools that beleive in reinvention (like Drexel and NYMC) but to get a better idea, we need to know your cGPA and sGPA (that's with EVERYTHING you took). keep in mind that for DO programs, any re-takes that have better grades only count the better grades.


1. How difficult will it be to get into medical school even with a 3.8 GPA and a MCAT north of 34 seeing as I failed or withdrew from every course I've ever taken before my current school?

Nope! First, age discrimination is illegal, and second, some of my best students ever have been in their 30s and 40s. Actually, veterans make GREAT students too.

2. Will it be more difficult getting in seeing as I'll be 27 when I finish my Undergrad?

Yup...every one of the, You get seen warts and all. I don't know how to handle the missing transcript, other than paying the balance. I would worry that a medical might withdraw any acceptance if they knew you didn't submit all transcripts.

3. Will I need to get transcripts from all schools I attended even if I never completed a semester? ( One school refuses to give me one seeing as a balance is owed)

 

[Tipsy McStagger]

What school do you go to?

UT San Antonio