Seeking advice from everyone

[flesnowdaone]

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I am seeking advice for my situation. If you are a nontraditional student or have been in similar situations as I do, please don't hesitate to give me your opinion or suggestions.

I graduated from a fairly respected university 2 years ago with science degree. My GPA ended up being around 3.7 and I did some research and hospital volunteering, while I was undergrad. However, I did badly on MCAT (below 30s) twice and since then gave up on medicine.
One thing led to another and I am now serving in my birth country's military as a medic. I will be done with my service
next year and want to give another try in medicine- that is to come back to the states and apply to medical school there =)
I have been in the military for a year and working as a medic has been a great and satisfying experience thus far, motivating me to reconsider medicine.

I know I have to retake MCAT, but I am wondering if medical schools would look my clinical experience in a foreign country, in a military setting as equivalent to clinical experiences in the US. Another concern is what kind of work I should do to get more hands-on clinical experience, while still supporting myself. I have also thought about working in a research lab, but it's been awhile since I used pipettes or ran gels =(
Provided that I break 30s in MCAT(I am guessing a low 30s is what I aim for), I would like to know where I stand as a medical school applicant.

Thank you!

 

[loho77]

I'm not a nontrad, but just a thought - you may want to consider getting a job in clinical research. No pipettes or gels required, and you'll be able to support yourself while furthering your goals! That's my two cents - best of luck.

 

[Barcu]

That's interesting experience, and I'm sure that adcoms would be very interested in it. When you get back to the US, I would pick up some more clinical experience while applying for continuity, but I think what you've done should work out well for you.

In terms of a job when you get back, it really doesn't matter too much. Find something you like doing whether it be science-related or not (or in this economy, find whatever you can). Just be busy and continuing volunteering when you can.

Good luck.

 

[Alejandro]

I know for GWU, they were pretty positive about individuals going back to their country and serving their populations at home.

In regards to other schools, I would imagine they would appreciate you having some clinical exp in the US. I think practicing medicine in America is pretty different than other places in the world, so it's good to have a good grasp on how it is here.

But nontheless, great experience!

The MCAT-I think it would be worthwhile to reconsider study strategies to bring the score up. Seems kinda obvious, but i think something will need to change compared to the first two times you studied for the exam, to make the improvement. I wouldn't "commit" to studying until you know what you did wrong last time and what you're going to do differently this time.

I think some people go through the motions of studying for the mcat, instead of really being actively engaged in it. I did that the first tiime around-got a 24. second time, i changed my game plan and scored a 35. There's hope for you!

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I think you look really good in terms of EC's and life experiences. Without a doubt the only thing your application is missing is a decent mcat...

 

[sirenomelia]

I'd recommend grad school. Invest 2 years, get yourself an advanced degree, prove you are still a good student, seek out research projects you can be involved in, and get excellent new LOR's that reflect your current ability. This gives yout time for an MCAT retake also.

 

[flesnowdaone]

Thank you for everyone's suggestions. I got the feeling that people who replied believe adcoms would definitely take an interest in my EC, but whether or not it's sufficient experience to show my knowledge, dedication and committment to US medical system is somewhat lacking. And besides MCAT, the fact that I have been out of school also means that it would be a good idea to invest a year or two on getting an advanced degree.