Spread sheet for what I have left

[Tyrone.]

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Hi y'all,

I'm just starting to post on here. I was planning on going the PA route since I'm already 26 and didn't wanna be the older guy, but I've made my peace with that and the MD/DO route is something I can't seem to shake. I have decided to go head on and pursue medical school since it's what I always wanted in the first place. I love the PA profession but I shouldn't let the time investment scare me, and it doesn't anymore. I've accepted it and I'm excited about it. I have made a spreadsheet and I will attach it. I have 1.5 years of schooling left, that you'll see. I could really use any advice possible. I would love to attend UNC for med school as I was born and raised here and I would love to serve my community as a primary care physician or some specialty. I will obviously apply to multiple schools but we all have a number one school. Anyway, and advice regarding my plan I've set out, the mcat, anything really would be helpful. I also obtained my EMT certification recently and I have actually saved some lives and I was able to secure an amazing job with an amazing EMS agency but to focus on my schooling I have turned it down. It was a tough thing to do but I need to have my focus completely on this if I'm going to be successful, considering how many credit hours I'm pulling each semester. If you've made it this far, thank you for reading and like I said, any words from anyone are much appreciated!

Thanks!

 

[AttemptingScholar]

When do you intend to take the MCAT? When do you intend to take Biochem? You are taking low numbers of credits (for semester based schools the minimum is 12 and the average is 16, the average for premeds is usually more than that) but you are taking a lot of science. You should be continuing ECs at a lower level, don't just drop them. Are you planning to do research? Do you have LOEs you are thinking about? How's your leadership? What's your current GPA?

Recommend you remove name and picture (if real) to preserve anonymity. ADCOMMs are on here.

 

[Tyrone.]

When do you intend to take the MCAT? When do you intend to take Biochem? You are taking low numbers of credits (for semester based schools the minimum is 12 and the average is 16, the average for premeds is usually more than that) but you are taking a lot of science. You should be continuing ECs at a lower level, don't just drop them. Are you planning to do research? Do you have LOEs you are thinking about? How's your leadership? What's your current GPA?

Recommend you remove name and picture (if real) to preserve anonymity. ADCOMMs are on here.

Hey thanks for that advice. I removed my name, and thankfully that's the back of my head haha. But I guess finding a different avatar wouldn't hurt. I forgot to put biochem in there. I need to go back and fix that then. I would continue at the EMS agency but it's a full-time only company, so you have to pull atleast 32+ hours a week and I don't want my GPA to suffer from that. I have thought about research but I honestly am not even sure where to start. I'm not sure what that acronym stands for, to be completely honest. My leadership is good, I'd say. I've never been on any student gov't or council but I was a boyscout for a huge part of my life. My current GPA is not great but I have reasons behind that. It's right below a 3.0, but with hard work it's looking like the best I could pull of is a 3.4/3.5.

Any advice from there?

 

[Tyrone.]

Here is the updated spreadsheet. Thoughts?

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Good. From this schedule, it looks like you'd be taking a gap year (you shouldn't take the MCAT until after biochem) which gives you the gap year to increase any ECs that may be lacking.
For research, go up to a science teacher that likes you and ask if they know anyone doing research. LOEs are letters of evaluation (or letter of recommendation). You should know if your undergrad school has a committee that writes a committee letter and that process.
Only activities from college are considered. High school activities are only considered if they are continued into college. Are you acting as a troop leader? If not, look for clubs where you might be able to take a leadership position.
3.4/3.5 with a strong upward trend is good, especially for DO programs. The average GPA for matriculants to DO schools was 3.54 in 2016 (students with no post-bacc/master's work only). If things don't go to plan be prepared to do a post-bac for GPA CPR!

 

[Tyrone.]

Yea, I was thinking of using that gap year to be with the EMS agency full time and in my free time I could definitely volunteer with some organizations where I live. I know I'm a non-trad student being a junior at 26 but it doesn't bother me. I really want this. I found that out as I was doing my clinicals as an EMT and had a lot of hands on experience where I actually made a difference in saving lives during my shifts, and had no issues with freezing up in the moment, and it was such a satisfying feeling to be doing that. I feel extremely confident that my calc 2 teacher would write me a LOR, for sure. I got a B in it after coming down with a serious health issue and my father unexpectedly passing away. I feel that my bio lab TA would from last semester, as well as my chem professor would write great LOR's for me but I want to try and get good upper-level professors to show that I am competent, and it'd probably be helpful if I had a LOR from a physician, I would think? Possibly one I could find to shadow. I'm not going to shadow my PCP, one, because I feel it'd show a bias to the adcomms, and they probably wouldn't let me shadow my primary anyway. I will go the DO route if it calls for it, but I'm going to do everything I can to appease UNC and ECU, since they're state schools and I would love to be in primary care, and knowing there's a push for that, and being an in-state resident I should have a little bit of an advantage, as far as my chances with those schools with that GPA. I made mistakes early on, but I've since had an upward trend and I intend to continue that. I do really well on standardized tests and I feel as long as I give myself enough time to study on the MCAT and polish up the other parts, hopefully I'll have a fair shot. I want to stay in NC, like I said. I have the little bit of family I have left here, and I love this place. I'm not opposed to going somewhere else but it is certainly my preference.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

You should absolutely shadow at least one PCP. I'm going to shadow my old pediatrician. Not sure why that would be discouraged or prohibited, everyone uses their contacts for shadowing. And I'm hoping to go into surgery, but I'm still shadowing in PCP. Everyone should, regardless of specialty of interest (this is prevailing wisdom on SDN).
For DO schools (and I highly recommend being a MD/DO applicant) you need a letter from a DO. MDs do not ask for nor are particularly moved by physician letters, as you don't really do anything when shadowing.

If your calc professor still likes you, an excellent letter may help explain to adcomms that you are good at calc despite your grades. You need at least two science and a nonscience, calc may count for that, you may find another option.

Make sure you look into if your school has a committee.

 

[theonlytycrane]

Ace all classes, ace the Mcat, volunteer clinically, nonclinically, and with underserved populations from now until you apply. Plan on new letters from future profs and you'll have a shot at DO, maybe even MD.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile app

 

[Tyrone.]

Thanks! I really appreciate the advice! I feel extremely confident in my abilities. I had my setbacks but knowing my GPA is only a piece of the puzzle, I feel really good about everything else involved. I know I don't have much if any room for mistakes but I am going to put my all into the next year and a half, for sure. I live in an area where there is definitely underserved pop, so being involved with programs around my city would be easy to come by. I just have to make sure I make enough time to study and have everything else under wraps before I work on the EC's but I will definitely be posting and keeping y'all updated! Also, what were y'all's GPA's? and any helpful sites I should bookmark and keep up with often? I really do appreciate the help.