Non-traditional student

[blackheart]

I'm rethinking going to medical school again. I'm 29 and have been working with children with mental health problems ranging from work in a well-known group home to a facility for committed youth -- all work with children with severe mental health and behavioral issues. I also have worked as a therapist for children with autism. I'm hoping my career so far has demonstrated that I'm dedicated to helping others and would be a possible fit for pediatrics and/or psychiatry.

Here are my school stats:
-3.6cum, 3.3 sci
-honors in psychology, minor in global studies
-studied abroad
-research 1 year in child clinical psych

I volunteered in the picu in college and will soon start volunteering in the burn unit. I have yet to take the MCAT, which I plan to do next spring after I finish my last pre-req (physics).

What MCAT scores or other extracurricular would help me get into a state medical school? Any feedback at all would be appreciated.

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[Catalystik]

If your GPA remains unchanged, then a 3.6/32 would give you at least a 57% chance of a med school acceptance. A 35 would give you a > 69% chance. A steep upward BCPM grad trend would help, since your BCPM GPA is on the low side. Strong extracurriculars, an interesting Personal Statement, supportive Letters of Recommendation, and good interview skills also improve your chances, as would applying broadly and applying early in the cycle. If you don't get a strong MCAT score, then giving consideration to adding some DO med schools to your list will improve your chance of success.

Your clinical experience is excellent and I'm glad to see you plan to make it current. Your research is about average for those listing it. Some nonmedical, noncampus community service is an application enhancer. Formal physician shadowing of a few specialties is also good to see. Leadership and/or teaching roles are also helpful.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

What MCAT scores or other extracurricular would help me get into a state medical school? Any feedback at all would be appreciated.

what state?

the 3.3 is rather weak, so aim as high as possible. GENERALLY, a balanced 30+ is competitive.

here is some of my favorite data to consider, with some salt:
http://www.aamc.org/students/mcat/admissionsadvisors/examstatistics/scaledscores/combined08.pdf
http://www.washington.edu/uaa/gateway/advising/downloads/gpamcat.pdf
http://www.aamc.org/data/facts/applicantmatriculant/table17-fact2009mcatgpa98-09-web.pdf

your line of work is definitely relevant and significant. i'm curious, though, could you describe more of what you do? i am unfamiliar with career paths for people with bachelor degree in psych...

 

[blackheart]

I currently work as a residential counselor for juveniles going through treatment while serving out their sentences. Part of the reason I was thinking of medical school is due to not really having much more room to grow in the field with my BA and feeling like I could learn and contribute more. I do 1:1 counseling sessions, write treatment plans, teach dialectical-behavioral therapy skills to youth, and supervise resident activities among other things. It's interesting work; each kid presents his own host of issues and its interesting to see a variety of interesting, if not crazy, human behavior and how environmental and medicinal changes can affect it.

I also took a human anatomy course recently that I was absolutely fascinated with, which rekindled my interest with medicine. I live in WA and am hoping to go to a school on the west coast.

 

[WeAreNotRobots]

I currently work as a residential counselor for juveniles going through treatment while serving out their sentences. Part of the reason I was thinking of medical school is due to not really having much more room to grow in the field with my BA and feeling like I could learn and contribute more. I do 1:1 counseling sessions, write treatment plans, teach dialectical-behavioral therapy skills to youth, and supervise resident activities among other things. It's interesting work; each kid presents his own host of issues and its interesting to see a variety of interesting, if not crazy, human behavior and how environmental and medicinal changes can affect it.

I also took a human anatomy course recently that I was absolutely fascinated with, which rekindled my interest with medicine. I live in WA and am hoping to go to a school on the west coast.

nice, thanks for sharing. sounds like you are doing some great work, but you have solid reasons for changing things up a bit. i think you will present a unique file for the schools to consider, and your interviews should be a breeze.

the west coast is tough, though, and i'd say to not worry too much about other ec's; just do your best to slaughter the mcat.