Seeking advice

[tcstanier]

Hey SDN, new poster here seeking some advice for this coming cycle.

I am a non-traditional student with a long and convoluted journey through college, which I know isn't uncommon, but I am beginning to have second doubts upon reviewing my academic and personal history.

I spent the first 3 semesters of college intensely struggling without much direction back in 2011-2013. I managed to get myself kicked out of my junior college and to this date have 15 units worth of D's and 6 units worth of F's. Around this time frame I also received a misdemeanor driving under the influence. I do not condone drinking and driving by any stretch of the imagination but as you can imagine the consequences that I earned from this in tandem with my poor school performance put me at a well-deserved rock bottom.
Fast forward a couple of years - Never had another encounter with the law. Redeemed myself academically and expunged my grades via academic renewal, got into a top four year university here in California, graduated with distinction with a campus GPA of 3.81 and 3.84 science GPA and a 511 MCAT (128/126/130/127). I have spent the past 2 years volunteering in the emergency room, nearly a year doing clinical research, 2 years working as an EMT, and have non-clinical volunteering under my belt as well. I am still actively involved in all of these activities/work so the numbers reported will be higher by matriculation.

Now that the MCAT is over I've been calculating my grades as medical colleges will view them and I was horrified to see how my academic past tanks my cGPA. I sit roughly around a 3.1 cGPA once the D's and F's from 2011-2013 are incorporated. I do have a strong upward trend, but after researching the potential impact of a past DUI in tandem with academic dismissal, I am beginning to doubt the hard work I've put in recently on the path to redemption. There is surely a strong case to be made about my performance over the recent years juxtaposing my 18-20 year old antics, but I am wondering if too strong of a negative picture has been painted of me for admissions to see the drastic improvements.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any and all feedback.

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[proudofmykids]

I think just about anybody would consider you fully reinvented, wi5 demonstrated capabilities to handle the rigor of med school.

I’ll let others chime in on best schools that reward reinvention.

 

[LizzyM]

I think that you are going to need a personal touch to get eyeballs on your application. If you have not aleady applied, you should wait until next year as we are already deep into the 2020-2021 cycle and it will be difficult to garner attention this late in the cycle.

Identify your state schools (if you are a California resident, I'm sorry), , schools that are friendly to OOS candidates (take a look at OOS tuition, some see OOS students as cash cows), and schools that reward reinvention.

If you have not already shadowed a DO, do that and get a letter of recommendation. Put some DO schools on your list.

Now, find someone you know who is an alumnus of each school on your list. Include as wide a net as possible including doctors you've shadowed, those who've supervised you, even those who have cared for you and your family. Contact each with a copy of your CV and personal statement, and a request for help in sending a message of support to the Dean of Admissions at their alma mater. It could be a wasted effort but sometimes it helps to have an alumnus say, "I know tcstanier and I am impressed with the turn around he's made after a rocky start in college 9 years ago. I highly recommend that you take a look for yourself at his application and consider offering an interview so you can meet this very promising talent for yourself."

Good luck!

 

[Goro]

Hey SDN, new poster here seeking some advice for this coming cycle.

I am a non-traditional student with a long and convoluted journey through college, which I know isn't uncommon, but I am beginning to have second doubts upon reviewing my academic and personal history.

I spent the first 3 semesters of college intensely struggling without much direction back in 2011-2013. I managed to get myself kicked out of my junior college and to this date have 15 units worth of D's and 6 units worth of F's. Around this time frame I also received a misdemeanor driving under the influence. I do not condone drinking and driving by any stretch of the imagination but as you can imagine the consequences that I earned from this in tandem with my poor school performance put me at a well-deserved rock bottom.
Fast forward a couple of years - Never had another encounter with the law. Redeemed myself academically and expunged my grades via academic renewal, got into a top four year university here in California, graduated with distinction with a campus GPA of 3.81 and 3.84 science GPA and a 511 MCAT (128/126/130/127). I have spent the past 2 years volunteering in the emergency room, nearly a year doing clinical research, 2 years working as an EMT, and have non-clinical volunteering under my belt as well. I am still actively involved in all of these activities/work so the numbers reported will be higher by matriculation.

Now that the MCAT is over I've been calculating my grades as medical colleges will view them and I was horrified to see how my academic past tanks my cGPA. I sit roughly around a 3.1 cGPA once the D's and F's from 2011-2013 are incorporated. I do have a strong upward trend, but after researching the potential impact of a past DUI in tandem with academic dismissal, I am beginning to doubt the hard work I've put in recently on the path to redemption. There is surely a strong case to be made about my performance over the recent years juxtaposing my 18-20 year old antics, but I am wondering if too strong of a negative picture has been painted of me for admissions to see the drastic improvements.

Thanks for reading and I appreciate any and all feedback.

There are MD schools (and all DO) that reward reinvention.

I suggest the following:
EVMS
U Miami
Jefferson
Drexel
Albany
Tufts
NYMC
UCD
UCI
UCR (IF you're from the Inland Empire)
Rush
Loyola
Rosy Franklin
Tulane
Wake
MCW
SLU
Creighton
Wayne State
Netter
Seton Hall
TCU.UNT
NovaMD
Any DO program. Include I can't recommend Nova, BCOM, ICOM and LUCOM, for different reasons. MSUCOM? Read up on Larry Nasser and you decide. LMU has an accreditation warning, which concerns me. CUHS is too new and appears to be too limited in rotations sites. UIW refuses to post their Boards scores, which is fishy.