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Firstly, I know that there have been several posts about this in the past, however, it seems like the particularities of any pre-med, post-bacc student's background are a key factor in answering such questions. My question is this: is taking all of your pre-med, post-bacc, pre-requisites at a community college detrimental with regard to med school applications when taking into account the details of my personal background (included below)?
I currently have a BA and an MA in Cultural Anthropology (both from reputable universities). My undergrad GPA was 3.98 and I graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors, while my GPA in grad school was a 4.0. I attended a PhD program in Cultural Anthropology for 2 years and did preliminary research in refugee camps in the Middle East before returning to the US and deciding to pursue a career in medicine. I have an extensive list of extracurricular activities and volunteer experiences (both domestically an abroad), including working with children in refugee camps, working with intravenous drug users at methadone clinics and harm reduction centers, and volunteering at local hospitals.
I've also been working part-time as an EMT while attending a community college for the past 2 years, mostly as a result of finacial and geographic constraints. At sed college, I've already taken Cellular Biology, Zoology and Genetics, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, 1 year of Gen Chem, and the first semester of Physics (earning A's in every course). I also took Medical Micro and Epidemiology during my undergrad as an elective and earned an A in that course as well. Finally, I have approximately 100 hours of shadowing time following NPs, PAs, and MDs at local clinics and hospitals.
My reason for changing careers is related to the fact that I want to make a visceral difference in people's lives, and my experiences have shown that a career in an academic discipline (or rather, one that is primarily focused on research rather than the practical application thereof) does not easily lends itself to such a goal. Nonetheless, my prior experiences have helped me to cultivate an intellectual understanding of, and a high-degree of empathy and compassion for, individuals and groups of people who are often overlooked or unjustly maligned for a variety of socio-historical, political, and cultural reasons.
These experiences have also helped me to realize what I want in my professional life: a career where I can use the fundamentals of my previous training to enrich the lives of others in a very real, palpable way. In my opinion, the practice of medicine is the best way I know how to accomplish these goals; it is an unparalleled opportunity to serve as an advocate for others on a day-to-day basis by addressing the complex intersections between health and the social, economic, cultural, and even political realities of people's lives.
Any and all advice is much appreciated. I've been agonizing over some of the decisions that I'll need to make in the next year or so prior to taking the MCAT and applying to schools. Thanks in advance and sorry if I've used an excessive amount of hyphens in this post... Hahaha!
I currently have a BA and an MA in Cultural Anthropology (both from reputable universities). My undergrad GPA was 3.98 and I graduated Summa Cum Laude with honors, while my GPA in grad school was a 4.0. I attended a PhD program in Cultural Anthropology for 2 years and did preliminary research in refugee camps in the Middle East before returning to the US and deciding to pursue a career in medicine. I have an extensive list of extracurricular activities and volunteer experiences (both domestically an abroad), including working with children in refugee camps, working with intravenous drug users at methadone clinics and harm reduction centers, and volunteering at local hospitals.
I've also been working part-time as an EMT while attending a community college for the past 2 years, mostly as a result of finacial and geographic constraints. At sed college, I've already taken Cellular Biology, Zoology and Genetics, Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, 1 year of Gen Chem, and the first semester of Physics (earning A's in every course). I also took Medical Micro and Epidemiology during my undergrad as an elective and earned an A in that course as well. Finally, I have approximately 100 hours of shadowing time following NPs, PAs, and MDs at local clinics and hospitals.
My reason for changing careers is related to the fact that I want to make a visceral difference in people's lives, and my experiences have shown that a career in an academic discipline (or rather, one that is primarily focused on research rather than the practical application thereof) does not easily lends itself to such a goal. Nonetheless, my prior experiences have helped me to cultivate an intellectual understanding of, and a high-degree of empathy and compassion for, individuals and groups of people who are often overlooked or unjustly maligned for a variety of socio-historical, political, and cultural reasons.
These experiences have also helped me to realize what I want in my professional life: a career where I can use the fundamentals of my previous training to enrich the lives of others in a very real, palpable way. In my opinion, the practice of medicine is the best way I know how to accomplish these goals; it is an unparalleled opportunity to serve as an advocate for others on a day-to-day basis by addressing the complex intersections between health and the social, economic, cultural, and even political realities of people's lives.
Any and all advice is much appreciated. I've been agonizing over some of the decisions that I'll need to make in the next year or so prior to taking the MCAT and applying to schools. Thanks in advance and sorry if I've used an excessive amount of hyphens in this post... Hahaha!
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