K I R Y O K U
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Hi guys I've been lurking here for a few years now and have finally decided to make a post asking for help.
Side note: I'm really tired after a very long day and wanted to put this post off until another day but am trying not to procrastinate so I apologize if this is a bit longwinded or lacking in coherence but I gave it my best shot given how tired I am. Thanks in advance!
Some background info on my situation: I am a white male in my late 20s. I'm a first generation American born to a single mother of three. I'm also the first in my family to attend college which was a pretty big thing to say the least. Being not only a first gen American but also a first generation college student made the process of getting into and completing undergrad much more difficult than it otherwise would have been as nobody in my immediate family was able to provide any advice or guidance; I had to do everything completely on my own. My family was very poor and couldn't help with living expenses or tuition either therefore I had to work full time (38-40hrs per week on avg) while going to school full time throughout all of undergrad which was rough but I still managed to make it work. The icing on the cake here is that my mother passed away (suddenly) toward the beginning of my fourth year. That event left me completely devastated. It threw me into a deep state of depression and disrupted my focus tremendously. I contemplated taking a semester off and returning when I was better mentally and emotionally but ultimately chose to put my head down and keep pushing forward towards the finish line. I ended up graduating on time but was too depressed to attend the graduation ceremony and had them mail the diploma to me instead.
Regarding the degree I attained: Since I was a child, I'd always wanted to grow up and become a doctor but never thought I was smart enough or "good" enough to become one. This was compounded by the fact that I was the first in my family to go to college. The odds seemed to be against me and I had no reason to believe in myself. With that being said, the degree plan I ultimately chose to go with was Pre-Physical therapy. I'd always been into fitness, had a genuine interest in biology, and truly enjoyed helping others so I figured it would be a good fit. At the time, it seemed like a more "realistic" goal than thinking I had what it took to become a doctor. Not until my third year and after doing some shadowing at a PT clinic did I make the realization that physical therapy wasn't for me. At that point, I knew I didn't want to become a physical therapist but still didn't believe I had what it took to become a doctor and so I continued taking classes while brainstorming alternate paths. It was around that time that my mother passed away and I couldn't think straight anymore. I ended up finishing my degree with a cGPA of 3.3 and a sGPA of 3.0.
Shortly after graduating in Spring 2014, I began working for a large corporation and still work for them to this day. The job pays a decent salary and the work isn't too tough but I really feel like I'm not living up to my potential. A year or two into working for the company, I began thinking about going back to finish the few remaining pre-med courses I'd yet to take (O Chem I & II, Physics I & II, and a few others) but was still incredibly depressed after what happened with my mother and decided it wasn't a good time. I also felt discouraged since my GPA wasn't the highest and didn't think I'd have a chance of being accepted anywhere. Around that time, a friend told me about DO schools and how they tend to emphasize the "whole person" rather than just a GPA and/or MCAT score when screening applicants. This instilled some hope in me that maybe there was a chance that one day I really could follow through become a doctor.
In the present day, I no longer feel depressed and believe in myself a great deal more than I used to, thus I've decided to go back and finish the remaining coursework with the aim of getting accepted into DO school.... and that's why I'm here.
- Given my science (3.0) and cumulative GPA's (3.3), do I stand a chance of being accepted anywhere or would it be a waste of my time to try?
- How should I prep for the MCAT? and what kind of score would I need with such a low GPA?
- Will my credits from undergrad still be good after so many years have passed?
- What should I do in terms of gaining shadowing experience?
- Is there a chance I may be discriminated against in the admissions process due to my skin color? I know it sounds silly but this is a legitimate concern of mine.
- Will my age help or hurt me or will it not make difference?
Any general help, guidance, or assistance anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.
*Please take note that I will need to continue working full time at my corporate job and will be taking these last few pre-reqs in the evenings*
Side note: I'm really tired after a very long day and wanted to put this post off until another day but am trying not to procrastinate so I apologize if this is a bit longwinded or lacking in coherence but I gave it my best shot given how tired I am. Thanks in advance!
Some background info on my situation: I am a white male in my late 20s. I'm a first generation American born to a single mother of three. I'm also the first in my family to attend college which was a pretty big thing to say the least. Being not only a first gen American but also a first generation college student made the process of getting into and completing undergrad much more difficult than it otherwise would have been as nobody in my immediate family was able to provide any advice or guidance; I had to do everything completely on my own. My family was very poor and couldn't help with living expenses or tuition either therefore I had to work full time (38-40hrs per week on avg) while going to school full time throughout all of undergrad which was rough but I still managed to make it work. The icing on the cake here is that my mother passed away (suddenly) toward the beginning of my fourth year. That event left me completely devastated. It threw me into a deep state of depression and disrupted my focus tremendously. I contemplated taking a semester off and returning when I was better mentally and emotionally but ultimately chose to put my head down and keep pushing forward towards the finish line. I ended up graduating on time but was too depressed to attend the graduation ceremony and had them mail the diploma to me instead.
Regarding the degree I attained: Since I was a child, I'd always wanted to grow up and become a doctor but never thought I was smart enough or "good" enough to become one. This was compounded by the fact that I was the first in my family to go to college. The odds seemed to be against me and I had no reason to believe in myself. With that being said, the degree plan I ultimately chose to go with was Pre-Physical therapy. I'd always been into fitness, had a genuine interest in biology, and truly enjoyed helping others so I figured it would be a good fit. At the time, it seemed like a more "realistic" goal than thinking I had what it took to become a doctor. Not until my third year and after doing some shadowing at a PT clinic did I make the realization that physical therapy wasn't for me. At that point, I knew I didn't want to become a physical therapist but still didn't believe I had what it took to become a doctor and so I continued taking classes while brainstorming alternate paths. It was around that time that my mother passed away and I couldn't think straight anymore. I ended up finishing my degree with a cGPA of 3.3 and a sGPA of 3.0.
Shortly after graduating in Spring 2014, I began working for a large corporation and still work for them to this day. The job pays a decent salary and the work isn't too tough but I really feel like I'm not living up to my potential. A year or two into working for the company, I began thinking about going back to finish the few remaining pre-med courses I'd yet to take (O Chem I & II, Physics I & II, and a few others) but was still incredibly depressed after what happened with my mother and decided it wasn't a good time. I also felt discouraged since my GPA wasn't the highest and didn't think I'd have a chance of being accepted anywhere. Around that time, a friend told me about DO schools and how they tend to emphasize the "whole person" rather than just a GPA and/or MCAT score when screening applicants. This instilled some hope in me that maybe there was a chance that one day I really could follow through become a doctor.
In the present day, I no longer feel depressed and believe in myself a great deal more than I used to, thus I've decided to go back and finish the remaining coursework with the aim of getting accepted into DO school.... and that's why I'm here.
- Given my science (3.0) and cumulative GPA's (3.3), do I stand a chance of being accepted anywhere or would it be a waste of my time to try?
- How should I prep for the MCAT? and what kind of score would I need with such a low GPA?
- Will my credits from undergrad still be good after so many years have passed?
- What should I do in terms of gaining shadowing experience?
- Is there a chance I may be discriminated against in the admissions process due to my skin color? I know it sounds silly but this is a legitimate concern of mine.
- Will my age help or hurt me or will it not make difference?
Any general help, guidance, or assistance anyone can provide would be greatly appreciated.
*Please take note that I will need to continue working full time at my corporate job and will be taking these last few pre-reqs in the evenings*
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