Non traditional applicant

[msa31]

Soooo I know everyone says that doing well in a hard science masters program looks good. I have my master of occupational therapy, and took some classes simliar to those in med school i.e. clinical medicine, anatomy, neuroscience, pediatrics, clinical psychiatry, clinical neurology, orthopedics, etc. My undergrad GPA is 3.4, and my grad GPA is 4.0. (73 credit hours) Would my grad GPA overshadow this? I am taking all the prerequisites this upcoming year, so I dont have a science GPA yet. Assuming I get As, am I looking alright?

Right now, I work in a hospital, providing therapy for every diagnosis imaginable. Some common diagnoses include stroke, MS, parkinsons, TKA, THA, dementia, pulmonary and cardiac isssues, renal failure, cancer, etc. By the time I apply, I will have been working there full time for 1 1/2 years. I interact with doctors on a daily basis, discussing patients in team meetings. Is that good enough for clinical experience? Would you guys still recomment shadowing a couple docs? I've watched a couple surgeries, but thats about it.

Thanks guys!

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[drizzt3117]

I think your clinical experience looks good and your grad performance is nice but it won't overshadow your undergrad GPA.

 

[Mobius1985]

If your 3.4 GPA is for 120 hours, with a year of full-time coursework at a 4.0, your GPA could go up to 3.52 (estimating). With an MCAT score of 32, and your extraordinary background, you have a great shot at an admission. Sad to say, your grad school GPA won't help much, but the clinical experience available to you in your current profession will serve you well.

I realize that "shadowing" is to some extent embedded in your current activities, but you have a year to get in some time with docs in a different environment than what you're used to. Why not shadow a family doc, OBGYN, internist, or psychiatrist, go on rounds, watch in the office, etc, to get a broader viewpoint? You've seen a few surgeries. Spending a day with two other types of docs wouldn't be too onerous.

Since your clinical experience is through the workplace, don't forget that you'll be expected to have some form of community service/volunteerism on your application. A leadership experience would be nice too. Did you do any research in undergrad?

Even if your stats aren't quite as high as I've indicated to be desirable, I can't imagine a med school passing by someone with your background. Hopefully, they'll see it the same way I do.

 

[JJMrK]

You've got a great shot, but I think a lot will depend on your MCAT. Study hard.

 

[msa31]

Hey guys,

Thanks so much for everyone's advice! Regarding research experience, unfortunately I don't have any. Here are a couple of my ECs.

Undergrad:
Vice president and captain of the Club soccer team
Director of a summer camp site (in charge of about 80 children and 6 staff)

Grad:
Fellowship (Met once a month for 7 months to discuss prominent healthcare issues)
International internship, lived at a refugee camp for the summer and provided therapy for survivors of torture
Spoke at the state occupational therapy conference regarding this experience
Just finished my training (37 hours) to become a crisis hotilne specialist, ie. answer suicide and crisis phone calls at a local organization

And once again, i'm hoping the suicide hotline will overshadow my lack of research.
Any thoughts? (Thanks again)

 

[Mobius1985]

Forty percent of those applying don't have research. Don't worry about it. And your leadership looks fine.