Seeking advice re: UW Bothell and how to get started on this journey

[acrmo]

Hello all,

This is a bit long, but I'm hoping some of the users here can offer me a little guidance.

I got a BA in Political Science at the University of Washington in 2011. I did well there academically (maintained a 3.9 GPA for most of it, dropped some my last quarter, leaving me with a little over 3.7 cumulative) and made Phi Beta Kappa. I worked at a hospital the whole time and did some volunteer work as well. I graduated early after maintaining a very full schedule of 15-20 credits quarterly, 30+ hours of work per week, and my additional volunteer activities.

I never really figured out what the right career path for me was. I wanted something very intellectually challenging that made some sort of positive difference in my community, but never found anything that clicked. I was accepted to a MLIS program, but that just didn't feel right and so I withdrew shortly after being accepted, citing financial hardship as my reason.

I took an EMT course a few months ago, and something just clicked when we did the anatomy section. I knew I wanted to be in the medical field, and the EMT scope of practice would not be nearly enough for me. Several months later I started a really interesting job in healthcare where I work closely with 6-7 doctors and have had an amazing opportunity to gain a little more understanding of what they do. After a lot of soul searching and research, I now know I want to be a doctor. I feel genuine excitement every day when I get to learn more about the human body and really want to start working towards this goal. People have suggested PA school or nursing to me, but I don't think I will be satisfied at those levels. I want the opportunity to specialize without a limited scope of practice.

I am about to turn 24, and am getting married in 5 weeks to a partner that is extremely supportive of this goal. We have talked at length about everything that could and will be a challenge: what if I have to move for medical school and he needs to stay here for work; what if I don't get accepted on my first try; what are we going to do about money; how will we manage having kids while I'm in still in school or completing a residency (we know we want kids), etc. We are also waiting to close on a home in the Duvall/Carnation area that we love. We have discussed what happens if I need to move in 2 years, will we sell or rent out the house, etc. So I feel like my family situation is as ready for this as it ever will be.

I took very little science during my first degree (though I did do well in the classes I did take), so I'm researching post bacc and nonmatriculated options to prepare me for applying to medical school. UW Bothell would be the best commute from where I live, is very close to my job, and is cheap. Given my grades, it won't be hard to get into and seems to have a very flexible program. I can take up to 15 credits yearly at the Seattle campus and will be allowed to do research there, as well. So this seems like a good option for me, but I'm wondering if I need to be concerned about the prestige/ranking of the school. I could apply to Seattle U's program or UW Seattle's program, which I believe are more competitive, but these are 1 hour+ commutes for me. Would going to a somewhat more competitive program be worth the commute when it comes to raising my likelihood of getting accepted? Or should this be less of a concern considering I already demonstrated that I can do well at the UW Seattle?

What should I look for in terms EC activities? I am going to ask some of the doctors I work with if I may shadow them in the future, but unfortunately they are not in the field I have an interest in off the bat (which is peds or neonatology). I have a good relationship with several of them, so I intend to ask for general advice on the whole process from them, too. I have worked in a hospital and an ER for 4 years prior to my current job. What else should I seek in terms of good experiences? I have yet to do anything with my EMT, and there are a couple volunteer programs I'm interested in, too. I also speak Spanish as my second language and do some professional translation of medical records, too, if that matters at all.

Any other advice for me on how to get this whole process started? I believe I can do it, but it certainly seems daunting when I sit back and consider everything that needs to happen to make this a reality. I am used to being crazy busy (if I'm not taking 20 credits and working full time, I've been working overtime and seriously pursuing multiple hobbies/interests; I'm somebody that needs to have a lot going on), so I think I'm up to the workload. I'm just not sure how to create a plan that gives me a good chance of success.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer a little insight into this process.

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[theseeker4]

Hello all,

This is a bit long, but I'm hoping some of the users here can offer me a little guidance.

I got a BA in Political Science at the University of Washington in 2011. I did well there academically (maintained a 3.9 GPA for most of it, dropped some my last quarter, leaving me with a little over 3.7 cumulative) and made Phi Beta Kappa. I worked at a hospital the whole time and did some volunteer work as well. I graduated early after maintaining a very full schedule of 15-20 credits quarterly, 30+ hours of work per week, and my additional volunteer activities.

I never really figured out what the right career path for me was. I wanted something very intellectually challenging that made some sort of positive difference in my community, but never found anything that clicked. I was accepted to a MLIS program, but that just didn't feel right and so I withdrew shortly after being accepted, citing financial hardship as my reason.

I took an EMT course a few months ago, and something just clicked when we did the anatomy section. I knew I wanted to be in the medical field, and the EMT scope of practice would not be nearly enough for me. Several months later I started a really interesting job in healthcare where I work closely with 6-7 doctors and have had an amazing opportunity to gain a little more understanding of what they do. After a lot of soul searching and research, I now know I want to be a doctor. I feel genuine excitement every day when I get to learn more about the human body and really want to start working towards this goal. People have suggested PA school or nursing to me, but I don't think I will be satisfied at those levels. I want the opportunity to specialize without a limited scope of practice.

I am about to turn 24, and am getting married in 5 weeks to a partner that is extremely supportive of this goal. We have talked at length about everything that could and will be a challenge: what if I have to move for medical school and he needs to stay here for work; what if I don't get accepted on my first try; what are we going to do about money; how will we manage having kids while I'm in still in school or completing a residency (we know we want kids), etc. We are also waiting to close on a home in the Duvall/Carnation area that we love. We have discussed what happens if I need to move in 2 years, will we sell or rent out the house, etc. So I feel like my family situation is as ready for this as it ever will be.

I took very little science during my first degree (though I did do well in the classes I did take), so I'm researching post bacc and nonmatriculated options to prepare me for applying to medical school. UW Bothell would be the best commute from where I live, is very close to my job, and is cheap. Given my grades, it won't be hard to get into and seems to have a very flexible program. I can take up to 15 credits yearly at the Seattle campus and will be allowed to do research there, as well. So this seems like a good option for me, but I'm wondering if I need to be concerned about the prestige/ranking of the school. I could apply to Seattle U's program or UW Seattle's program, which I believe are more competitive, but these are 1 hour+ commutes for me. Would going to a somewhat more competitive program be worth the commute when it comes to raising my likelihood of getting accepted? Or should this be less of a concern considering I already demonstrated that I can do well at the UW Seattle?

What should I look for in terms EC activities? I am going to ask some of the doctors I work with if I may shadow them in the future, but unfortunately they are not in the field I have an interest in off the bat (which is peds or neonatology). I have a good relationship with several of them, so I intend to ask for general advice on the whole process from them, too. I have worked in a hospital and an ER for 4 years prior to my current job. What else should I seek in terms of good experiences? I have yet to do anything with my EMT, and there are a couple volunteer programs I'm interested in, too. I also speak Spanish as my second language and do some professional translation of medical records, too, if that matters at all.

Any other advice for me on how to get this whole process started? I believe I can do it, but it certainly seems daunting when I sit back and consider everything that needs to happen to make this a reality. I am used to being crazy busy (if I'm not taking 20 credits and working full time, I've been working overtime and seriously pursuing multiple hobbies/interests; I'm somebody that needs to have a lot going on), so I think I'm up to the workload. I'm just not sure how to create a plan that gives me a good chance of success.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can offer a little insight into this process.

Considering your GPA, your plan of action is very simple. Go to any "real" (i.e. not online) 4-year university that you can afford, fit in your schedule, etc. and complete the pre-reqs. 1 year each of biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, all with labs, will be required. You will also need a year of English and many schools recommend or require a semester of statistics, plus another semester of math (some want calc, some don't care). More schools are adding Biochemistry to recommend courses, and additional upper-level sciences like microbiology, cell biology, genetics, anatomy and physiology, etc. can help with the MCAT but are certainly not required.

You do not need to take these through a formal program, but a formal program may help you with registration deadlines, getting into classes before they are full, etc. It goes without saying you want to get as high of grades as you can in all of these, but definitely keep your GPA above a 3.6 to avoid doing damage to your chances. If you are set on top-tier med schools, your goal is a 4.0.

After the pre reqs are done, you want to prepare for the MCAT, and plan to take it no later than April of the year you want to apply (to allow time for a re-take if needed), so if you are planning on applying the summer of 2014 for admission in August 2015, take the MCAT in April 2014. If you cannot complete your pre-reqs before 2015, you will need to investigate additional classes you might need to take to prepare for the exam, which is changing formats in 2015. You will likely want to study fairly full-time for at least a couple months before you take the exam. You might decide to take a prep course as well, but you are over a year away from looking into those.

While you do all your course work, you will of course want to do something clinically, volunteering or being employed as an EMT is great, and you will want to shadow a variety of specialties (it is good you have an interest in Peds, but make sure you investigate other specialties and keep your mind open.) Research in the sciences is a plus if you can get it, but not required, volunteering of some sort is important, either as part of your clinical experience or some other non-clinical volunteering opportunity, and make sure you build relationships with your science professors so you have good sources of Letters of Recommendation.

Other than that, you are way ahead of many others here who have to rebuild their GPA from very low averages. Welcome, good luck, and feel free to ask any other questions you might have.

 

[acrmo]

Thank you so much for your thorough reply. I appreciate all the information as well as the last bit of encouragement.

I have another question. I have looked thoroughly through the admissions requirements of UW's medical school (which is right now my top choice in terms of location since I wouldn't have to move, but I don't yet know if I will want to/have to go elsewhere based on specifics of the program itself). There website says they calculate your base GPA (the one you would automatically get screened out for) based on the first 3 years of undergrad science... but I haven't taken three years of science. I have 2-3 quarters of Earth and Space Sciences (Gems & Minerals, The Planets, etc.). So will they be calculating my GPA based on my post bacc work, or just using my cumulative GPA from my first degree? Do you know what is typical in terms of GPA calculations in regards to post bacc work at other schools?

Thanks again for your input.

 

[theseeker4]

Thank you so much for your thorough reply. I appreciate all the information as well as the last bit of encouragement.

I have another question. I have looked thoroughly through the admissions requirements of UW's medical school (which is right now my top choice in terms of location since I wouldn't have to move, but I don't yet know if I will want to/have to go elsewhere based on specifics of the program itself). There website says they calculate your base GPA (the one you would automatically get screened out for) based on the first 3 years of undergrad science... but I haven't taken three years of science. I have 2-3 quarters of Earth and Space Sciences (Gems & Minerals, The Planets, etc.). So will they be calculating my GPA based on my post bacc work, or just using my cumulative GPA from my first degree? Do you know what is typical in terms of GPA calculations in regards to post bacc work at other schools?

Thanks again for your input.

Your best source of information would be the school itself, but I would imagine the equation is a bit different for non-trads who don't have the standard science courses their first three years of undergrad. I would expect them to focus on the pre-reqs you take since the sciences you have are not the same ones the standard med school applicant has.

What do you mean by your last question? Schools generally value science GPA more than non-science GPA, and put more emphasis on recent course work than earlier course work. This means it is better to have a 4.0 in your post bach and a lower GPA in your undergrad years than the reverse. (obviously, if all of you grades are high, you are golden and don't need to worry.) AMCAS will included your undergraduate GPA by year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) and have post-bachelor undergraduate level work listed as a separate "year" regardless of how many courses and semesters you take post-bach. All of these are also combined, for your overall undergraduate GPA, undergraduate science GPA, and "all other" GPA (non-BCMP courses). This combined GPA, including pre and post bachelor undergraduate classes, is the cGPA/sGPA talked about and used in statistics. If I didn't answer your question, let me know.

 

[acrmo]

Thank you. You did answer my last question. I was just trying to ask how the GPA calculations are usually done when you do a second degree and your first degree had none of the prerequisite sciences. I wasn't sure if they would default to using my first degree despite the lack of sciences, or if they would combine the degrees, etc.

 

[acrmo]

I have another question that's come up. The medical school that I'm most interested in states that 9 quarters of biology and chemistry must be completed before matriculating, and "preferably before applying". If I plan to apply in 2014 (which I do), I can get 6 quarters of each completed by then. Is this likely to be a problem? Should I plan on applying in 2015 instead?

 

[MDOnlyWillDo]

UW Bothell is sufficient for any school, especially for UW. The issue I see for you is that you will be a non-matriculated student, so you can't register for any class until the first week of classes- that's where a post-bacc program could be better. (But Seattle U will also cost a hell of a lot more than UW.) UW's post-bacc program is also very competitive- I'd meet with them to see what your chances would are on being admitted, since they do require some advanced science classes already under your belt.

All that said, I don't think you need a second degree, you just need the year of each of the 4 sciences. That can be done at a community college, and UW does not look down on CC classes, especially for non-trads. If I were you, I'd take classes at a CC and do shadowing, volunteering, etc. Get a good MCAT score and you're good.

I have looked thoroughly through the admissions requirements of UW's medical school (which is right now my top choice in terms of location since I wouldn't have to move, but I don't yet know if I will want to/have to go elsewhere based on specifics of the program itself). There website says they calculate your base GPA (the one you would automatically get screened out for) based on the first 3 years of undergrad science... but I haven't taken three years of science. I have 2-3 quarters of Earth and Space Sciences (Gems & Minerals, The Planets, etc.). So will they be calculating my GPA based on my post bacc work, or just using my cumulative GPA from my first degree? Do you know what is typical in terms of GPA calculations in regards to post bacc work at other schools?

UW looks at the first three years AND your post-bacc. They use the first three years thing to see improvement over time, so those who screwed around as freshmen won't be penalized. As long as you've got a decent gpa, you'll make it to the secondary stage.

 

[MDOnlyWillDo]

I have another question that's come up. The medical school that I'm most interested in states that 9 quarters of biology and chemistry must be completed before matriculating, and "preferably before applying". If I plan to apply in 2014 (which I do), I can get 6 quarters of each completed by then. Is this likely to be a problem? Should I plan on applying in 2015 instead?

If you have a good MCAT score with only 6 quarters finished, I'd hazard a guess you'll be fine. If you start preparing for the MCAT and feel that your score is lacking, you may be better off waiting.

Take it from me- you're WAY better off waiting, than retaking it and reapplying.

 

[acrmo]

Thanks for your response, MDOnlyWillDo. I re-worked my schedule and found that actually I can get all but two chemistry classes completed before the summer that I apply, so if I apply in August I will just be finishing up the last two classes. Looks like due to the sequencing of things, I will also only take two classes the quarters leading up to the MCAT, so I can use the extra time to start prepping and decide if I need to wait to take it or if I can go ahead as planned.

Thanks again for your input.

 

[beethousand]

Are you pretty firm on staying in The Bothell area? WWU might be another option to check out for post bacc. I would also not recommend Seattle U due to the cost, you might as well apply to Goucher or a more formal post bacc at that point. If you are amenable to moving but still want to stay in the PNW I'd also recommend Portland State.

 

[MDOnlyWillDo]

Thanks for your response, MDOnlyWillDo. I re-worked my schedule and found that actually I can get all but two chemistry classes completed before the summer that I apply, so if I apply in August I will just be finishing up the last two classes. Looks like due to the sequencing of things, I will also only take two classes the quarters leading up to the MCAT, so I can use the extra time to start prepping and decide if I need to wait to take it or if I can go ahead as planned.

Thanks again for your input.

You're welcome.

I think you'd be better prepared for the MCAT if you were lacking the third quarter in physics and ochem instead of two chemistry classes.

 

[acrmo]

It's the final two organic chem classes (the last two quarters of a three quarter sequence) that I will be missing. I can finish everything else before MCAT time, and I will be very close to done with that 2nd quarter of ochem.