MiddleEMed
Full Member
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2023
- Messages
- 80
- Reaction score
- 74
Hi everyone,
Hope you're all having a lovely week!
A bit of background/stats: I graduated undergrad (US) in 2020 - 3.77 cGPA, 3.7sGPA, top 5 private university/ivy.
I am an international student from the Middle East, which already puts me at a disadvantage I guess, and aiming for schools that accept internationals (which are very top/reach heavy).
I worked in a research lab until early 2022 as I initially believed I wanted to do a PhD, but decided that MD was for me. I now work in clinical research as a study coordinator where I get to interact, albeit digitally, with patients (so 1000s of hours of research experience in total, no pubs but presentations and posters). Around 200+ hours of clinical volunteering, 100 non-clinical, 0 shadowing (yet).
A big issue is... I've only started studying for the MCAT. I work full time (45-50 hours a week). I currently have a May date selected, but considering pushing to June, so that would already make me apply late. I haven't taken pre-reqs in a long time, and would need a lot of diligent study time to do well on MCAT (515+, needed being international). I also, of course need to write the application itself.
Bigger problem in all this... I'm getting major surgery in July of this year. This is a fairly big procedure that will have me out of action for a few weeks. by September - assuming everything goes well. Therefore finishing up applications could be challenging.
So what do you think? Should I wait another year to be able to perfect everything (my employment is stable) or should I suck it up and try and get my application in by this summer?
Thanks so much for any advice at all.
Hope you're all having a lovely week!
A bit of background/stats: I graduated undergrad (US) in 2020 - 3.77 cGPA, 3.7sGPA, top 5 private university/ivy.
I am an international student from the Middle East, which already puts me at a disadvantage I guess, and aiming for schools that accept internationals (which are very top/reach heavy).
I worked in a research lab until early 2022 as I initially believed I wanted to do a PhD, but decided that MD was for me. I now work in clinical research as a study coordinator where I get to interact, albeit digitally, with patients (so 1000s of hours of research experience in total, no pubs but presentations and posters). Around 200+ hours of clinical volunteering, 100 non-clinical, 0 shadowing (yet).
A big issue is... I've only started studying for the MCAT. I work full time (45-50 hours a week). I currently have a May date selected, but considering pushing to June, so that would already make me apply late. I haven't taken pre-reqs in a long time, and would need a lot of diligent study time to do well on MCAT (515+, needed being international). I also, of course need to write the application itself.
Bigger problem in all this... I'm getting major surgery in July of this year. This is a fairly big procedure that will have me out of action for a few weeks. by September - assuming everything goes well. Therefore finishing up applications could be challenging.
So what do you think? Should I wait another year to be able to perfect everything (my employment is stable) or should I suck it up and try and get my application in by this summer?
Thanks so much for any advice at all.
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