Question on super senior status.

[ThatguyLeeLee]

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Hello everyone.
I'm very curious how adcoms would view my situation. I started undergrad back in 2010 after getting out of the military. Made it through a few semesters before life threw a couple of curveballs. I found out by wife was cheating, got divorced, couldnt find reliable work, did a little time living out of my truck and being homeless.. I tried sticking with it but had to withdraw a lot. Like, a lot of withdraws. Last I checked I had 12+ Ws sprinkled around my transcript. I've since straightened my life out and have completed a few 4.0 semesters but my concern is that (I'm 34 now about to turn 35) adcoms are going to look at my transcript like it's a dumpster fire.

Anyway, so yeah.. looking for some hard honesty here. Keep sticking with the premed route or just accept it for what it is and move on to another field?

 

[deleted367183]

Sorry, posted in the wrong thread!

 

[paradoxic_toxic]

As long as you keep your cGPA/sGPA high and have a good MCAT, you'll make it past the screening process of most schools. You can explain your situation in your personal statement, secondary applications, and hopefully, in your interviews.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Hello everyone.
I'm very curious how adcoms would view my situation. I started undergrad back in 2010 after getting out of the military. Made it through a few semesters before life threw a couple of curveballs. I found out by wife was cheating, got divorced, couldnt find reliable work, did a little time living out of my truck and being homeless.. I tried sticking with it but had to withdraw a lot. Like, a lot of withdraws. Last I checked I had 12+ Ws sprinkled around my transcript. I've since straightened my life out and have completed a few 4.0 semesters but my concern is that (I'm 34 now about to turn 35) adcoms are going to look at my transcript like it's a dumpster fire.

Anyway, so yeah.. looking for some hard honesty here. Keep sticking with the premed route or just accept it for what it is and move on to another field?

There will be a space in your application where you can explain weaknesses in academic performance or other issues in your app. You can explain these issues in that section and use your personal statement for explaining why you want to be a doctor. ADCOMs understand that life happens. The important thing is to continue to excel in your classes, round out other parts of your application with clinical experiences, physician shadowing, non-clinical volunteer work, etc.

 

[ThatguyLeeLee]

I appreciate you fine people taking the time to comment.
Unfortunately my cgpa&sgpa are... less than ideal. Some bad grades are dragging me down. Aced organic 1 & 2, physics 1&2 and a few biology classes recently.. currently taking biochemistry and it seems okay. I think I can probably pull a 3.4 cgpa and a 3.25 sgpa by graduation... assuming a decent MCAT, which I've already planned a 4 month block for studying purposes. I'm thinking if I keep on this path I might do a local SMP to make myself more competitive. Do y'all think this is a realistic expectation? I do have a plan B if nothing plans out.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Personally I would try a cycle of applying broadly to MD/DO programs before committing to a SMP program. Assuming you get your GPA to the level you listed and earn a strong score on the mcat, you will have a good shot at DO and a decent shot at instate MD programs depending on your state of residence.

 

[ThatguyLeeLee]

Alright. That's kind of what I was assuming/hoping would be the case based on what I've been reading here.

I know people say this a lot but I truly appreciate all of your input! Thanks so much! I'm gonna get back to work. Y'all take care.

 

[Cornfed101]

I have a similar GPA, but the cGPA and sGPA are flipped and I’ve had a handful of MD and DO interviews and 1 acceptance so far. Doing well on the MCAT will make a big difference for you.

 

[Detective SnowBucket]

The strength of your academics then are not as important as your academic strength now. Maybe check this thread out LeeLee: Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

Cheers & good luck

 

[ThatguyLeeLee]

I have a similar GPA, but the cGPA and sGPA are flipped and I’ve had a handful of MD and DO interviews and 1 acceptance so far. Doing well on the MCAT will make a big difference for you.

Thank you for that.. and congratulations on your acceptance!

 

[ThatguyLeeLee]

The strength of your academics then are not as important as your academic strength now. Maybe check this thread out LeeLee: Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

Cheers & good luck

Thank you for the encouragement. I'll go over that

 

[Sleepingdoc]

Hello everyone.
I'm very curious how adcoms would view my situation. I started undergrad back in 2010 after getting out of the military. Made it through a few semesters before life threw a couple of curveballs. I found out by wife was cheating, got divorced, couldnt find reliable work, did a little time living out of my truck and being homeless.. I tried sticking with it but had to withdraw a lot. Like, a lot of withdraws. Last I checked I had 12+ Ws sprinkled around my transcript. I've since straightened my life out and have completed a few 4.0 semesters but my concern is that (I'm 34 now about to turn 35) adcoms are going to look at my transcript like it's a dumpster fire.

Anyway, so yeah.. looking for some hard honesty here. Keep sticking with the premed route or just accept it for what it is and move on to another field?

If your gpa is good with good MCAT, and you are able to explain your situation- I dont think any of this will be an issue.

 

[MusicDOc124]

DO is more forgiving than MD. If you stick out your remaining semesters without any W's, and you get 4.0s to get as high a GPA as possible, you'll be in the range for having a shot without an SMP or post bacc. DO tends to like non-trads and military. If you put in your personal statement that you were going to school while homeless as a veteran and still able to maintain what you did (leaving out some erroneous details), I think that will pull a little. There is an opposite view to this, and it would be that it showed bad judgement is staying in school instead of focusing on supporting yourself as best you can. You'd need to try to cover this base in such a way like the GI Bill provided a stipend for when you couldn't find steady work, so you stayed because that's what you needed at the time.

Just get 4.0s and nail the MCAT. You will have opportunities.