ok, should I apply or wait a year?!!!

[CCEMTP2DOC]

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Ok guys,

I am graduating(finally) in 2 weeks. I am getting all my stuff ready for applying. I feel really good about my chances, but do have some concerns. I will list some facts and let me know what you think. Ok here we go:
Good-
Overall gpa:3.61
Science gpa: 3.48
13 years as a paramedic( 8 years being a critical care medic)
~500 hours shadowing D.O.'s
good LOR's
Several certificates: ACLS,PALS.PHTLS,BCLS.
Some upper level coarses: Genetetics, comparative anantomy, microbiology.

Bad: Many W's,20 or so, most,12 0r so, were 20'ish years ago. However I ran into some bad luck about 7 years or so ago. I applied and was accepted into a respiratory therapy program at my local CC. Did very well 1 year, however 2nd year my daughter had some surgeries and frequent trios to the Shriners Hospital in Erie, PA. and therefore i dropped my classes. Went bacj following year and had the wonderful experience of major abdominal surgery which put me on the shelf from late Oct. to middle of Feb. Against my better judgement i went back to finish , but realised that this not where I should be and decided to pursue medical school. Started school following fall, and have never looked back. Have spent the past 3'ish years finishing my bachelor's and pre req's, having been on dean's list several times. I have done this while still working 60+ hours a week and supporting a family. Things may not have gone exactly as i would have planned, but i would not have changed anything, because many good things have resulted from these events. I will be 41 upon matriculation and i see this as a positve, especially with D.O . schools. My practice MCAT's ahve been between 25(ugh !!) and 31., with majority being 27-28. I have been busteing my butt on verbal and physical sci and wouldnt be surprised at 31+. But, even with 25-30, i consider myself a good candidate. I will stop rambling now. I feel as long as I get an interview, i will be good to go. So ,should i apply or take a year off to up my gpa and bolster my application? Carribbean schools are not an option. Just want someone to give me a chance and I will shine!!!!!!!!

 

[jonb12997]

I'm sure someone else will say this, but the application process is very random... that being said, if you've got the money to apply (it's REALLY expensive) and your MCAT comes out strong, go for it... it seems if you explain your W's in an essay (sort of like you did to us) and explain that you've turned things around, and that you were able to use that experience to show you that you really want to push yourself to achieveing your lifelong goal, I think you've got a great shot. I feel like experience as a patient can only make you a better doctor... Best of luck to you!

 

[Lady Tokimi]

As far as i can see, you would be a good candidate for medical school. They are always looking for students who have had other profession and decided to go into medical school later. Your academic status looks really good, better than most so that gives you alittle bit of an advantage. On top of that, it looks like you'll be doing well on your MCAT......and you definitely have the clinical experience required......so i would tell you to go ahead and apply this year. Your chances of gettin in are pretty high.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Ok guys,

I am graduating(finally) in 2 weeks. I am getting all my stuff ready for applying. I feel really good about my chances, but do have some concerns. I will list some facts and let me know what you think. Ok here we go:
Good-
Overall gpa:3.61
Science gpa: 3.48
13 years as a paramedic( 8 years being a critical care medic)
~500 hours shadowing D.O.'s
good LOR's
Several certificates: ACLS,PALS.PHTLS,BCLS.
Some upper level coarses: Genetetics, comparative anantomy, microbiology.

Bad: Many W's,20 or so, most,12 0r so, were 20'ish years ago. However I ran into some bad luck about 7 years or so ago. I applied and was accepted into a respiratory therapy program at my local CC. Did very well 1 year, however 2nd year my daughter had some surgeries and frequent trios to the Shriners Hospital in Erie, PA. and therefore i dropped my classes. Went bacj following year and had the wonderful experience of major abdominal surgery which put me on the shelf from late Oct. to middle of Feb. Against my better judgement i went back to finish , but realised that this not where I should be and decided to pursue medical school. Started school following fall, and have never looked back. Have spent the past 3'ish years finishing my bachelor's and pre req's, having been on dean's list several times. I have done this while still working 60+ hours a week and supporting a family. Things may not have gone exactly as i would have planned, but i would not have changed anything, because many good things have resulted from these events. I will be 41 upon matriculation and i see this as a positve, especially with D.O . schools. My practice MCAT's ahve been between 25(ugh !!) and 31., with majority being 27-28. I have been busteing my butt on verbal and physical sci and wouldnt be surprised at 31+. But, even with 25-30, i consider myself a good candidate. I will stop rambling now. I feel as long as I get an interview, i will be good to go. So ,should i apply or take a year off to up my gpa and bolster my application? Carribbean schools are not an option. Just want someone to give me a chance and I will shine!!!!!!!!

Why would you not apply?

If you don't get in, you reapply the next year. It doesn't make any sense to not apply, just because you think you won't get in.

By the way, many people are accepted to DO schools with stats lower than you.

 

[gerido]

Ok guys,

I am graduating(finally) in 2 weeks. I am getting all my stuff ready for applying. I feel really good about my chances, but do have some concerns. I will list some facts and let me know what you think. Ok here we go:
Good-
Overall gpa:3.61
Science gpa: 3.48
13 years as a paramedic( 8 years being a critical care medic)
~500 hours shadowing D.O.'s
good LOR's
Several certificates: ACLS,PALS.PHTLS,BCLS.
Some upper level coarses: Genetetics, comparative anantomy, microbiology.

Bad: Many W's,20 or so, most,12 0r so, were 20'ish years ago. However I ran into some bad luck about 7 years or so ago. I applied and was accepted into a respiratory therapy program at my local CC. Did very well 1 year, however 2nd year my daughter had some surgeries and frequent trios to the Shriners Hospital in Erie, PA. and therefore i dropped my classes. Went bacj following year and had the wonderful experience of major abdominal surgery which put me on the shelf from late Oct. to middle of Feb. Against my better judgement i went back to finish , but realised that this not where I should be and decided to pursue medical school. Started school following fall, and have never looked back. Have spent the past 3'ish years finishing my bachelor's and pre req's, having been on dean's list several times. I have done this while still working 60+ hours a week and supporting a family. Things may not have gone exactly as i would have planned, but i would not have changed anything, because many good things have resulted from these events. I will be 41 upon matriculation and i see this as a positve, especially with D.O . schools. My practice MCAT's ahve been between 25(ugh !!) and 31., with majority being 27-28. I have been busteing my butt on verbal and physical sci and wouldnt be surprised at 31+. But, even with 25-30, i consider myself a good candidate. I will stop rambling now. I feel as long as I get an interview, i will be good to go. So ,should i apply or take a year off to up my gpa and bolster my application? Carribbean schools are not an option. Just want someone to give me a chance and I will shine!!!!!!!!

I know someone that literally failed out of college.. grew up, went back.. apply to med school, and now is at one of the top 10 schools. I think that as long as you demonstrate intellectual and pesonal maturity, adcom will be more forgiving about what happened long ago. I think having the experience that you have and continue to pursue school shows your commitment and will make you stand out. Write a good PS demonstrating your this since it will probably be even more important in your situation. In my personal opinion, you are a good canidate for medical school both DO and MD. Unless you are adament about DO school, I would also apply to MD schools that you feel best fit you too. good luck.

 

[MHC]

Agreed with whats been said. Your gpa is very competitive and if you get at least a 25 (but shoot for higher) on the mcat you will get in somewhere. Many have made mistakes in the past, myself included, but have made up for it with more recent A's and good mcat. Don't overly explain in your essay about the W's, concentrate on your strengths and the reasons you want to be a Dr.

 

[dr.z]

Agreed with whats been said. Your gpa is very competitive and if you get at least a 25 (but shoot for higher) on the mcat you will get in somewhere. Many have made mistakes in the past, myself included, but have made up for it with more recent A's and good mcat. Don't overly explain in your essay about the W's, concentrate on your strengths and the reasons you want to be a Dr.

I agree. I think you'll be a very interesting candidate for many schools.

 

[MoosePilot]

So the only two question marks seem to be some withdrawals and an unknown MCAT?

Apply! Depending on the MCAT, I'd guess you'd be an extremely competitive applicant.

 

[Nate]

Don't wait, apply now.

 

[ShyRem]

I, too, have been a paramedic for 13 years. I had horrible grades from almost 20 years ago (with a 2.58 GPA), but now I'm graduating with honors and a dual major after going back. I got a 29 on my MCAT... but that was the August MCAT, and my files weren't complete anywhere until mid-November. I did not get a single interview. NOT ONE. But I did make the "to be interviewed" stack at three schools (that didn't get around to interviewing me). I also only applied MD, as I didn't know a whole lot about the DO philosophy. To me, a good doc was a good doc, and a bad doc was a bad doc no matter what alphabet they had after their name. No knowing enough about the difference, I thought I should not apply to something I didn't know about. I have learned, however, that my personal philosophies more closely fit with the DO style than the MD style and am excited about applying DO this time around (and only applying to a few MD schools that are close to family).

So in light of that, I have one piece of advice: APPLY EARLY. Get your LORs in EARLY EARLY EARLY. Make SURE that your files are complete... and I hope to see you this year on the interview trail! 🙂

 

[Kazema]

Your app looks good, apply now.