Stories of encouragement for Non Traditional Applicants.

[Indianarn]

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Hi all, I am going to share my story for all of you that are reluctant, discouraged, or ready to give up. It starts in 1996 when I moved to the US from Pakistan. Religious persecution made our lives hard in Pakistan. We moved to the US and are lucky to be Americans now. Any how, we left everything there. Life was hard. Money was never enough to live and education was the second priority for all of us. I was 20 years old and understood the complications. Determined to complete my educations, I stared taking one class at a time. It was difficult. The whole education system was different. I didn't even know what a credit meant. No one in my family was educated enough to guide me. Not knowing anything, I took some stupid classes such as weight lifting and swimming. To make matters worse, I even failed them as I didn't bother to show up for the finals. As I started to understand the educations system, I promised myself that I will always aim to get all "As". My grades started getting better and so did my GPA, however, there were times when we didn't have enough money and I had to skip semesters.
After completing 60 credits, I transferred to a 4 year school. There I worked hard, so finally, I got my Bachelors in Biology with a final GPA of 3.76. I was proud and happy. I had always wanted to be a doctor. So the last summer in school, I though of taking MCAT. My plan was to study all summer and take the exam in August. However, my dad had a heart attack. I went back home to help my family. Eventually, studying from August 1st till 19th, I took the exam on August the 20th. My scores then were BS 9, PS 9, and VR 5. With no guidance in the family, I asked my professors what should I do. They said scores a little low, retake MCAT and then see what happens. Meanwhile, my father had another heart attack. That forced me to change my plans and instead of graduating with a BA in Chem and BS in Biology, I skipped BA in Chem and graduated with Biology. Now my plans were to get a Masters in Biology and try for Med school again. But with a 2nd heart attack, my dad was in no shape to work. I went back home to help my family and started working. I also got married after my graduation. In 2003 I joined the Nursing School thinking that it might help me later to get into med school. Completed my BS in Nursing in 1.5 years and graduated in 2004. I failed the boards twice and was a discouraged wreck. I wowed never to take this exam again. I joined my bother in his business of HVAC. Together we worked hard and made tons of money. Eventually we had more than a dozen techs. We even bought a million dollar house. We were both married and had kids by now. My dad was back to work and running his own business was making good money. The whole stock market and housing shock struck us too. We lost or business and house and lost all the money. I studies hard again a finally passed boards and got my RN licence. Working as an RN, now I could support my wife and kids.
To start a new life we all moved to Indiana. My wife had a pharmacy degree from Pakistan. She started studying to get her pharmacy licenses. She had to take 4 exams to get her degree equivalent to the US B pharm. She has been a trooped and worked extremely hard. Meanwhile, I was let go by the hospital I was working in. I had a disagreement between me and a charge nurse. I found another job, but not as well paying. It took my wife a year and a half to pass all of her exams. The next step was to complete her 1500 hour or internship to be a pharmacist. No one would give her a paid internship. So she started working for free in the nursing home I was working at. She completed about 1000 hour there with no pay and eventually got a paid internship. As she completed her requirement and got her license, I started thinking of getting my Nurse Practitioners degree (To be able to make enough money for my 3 kids when they go to school). My heart still wanted to go to med school, but now 40 years old I didn't think I could get in or do it. One day I was talking to my uncle, who is an MD, about my further education. He suggested that I take MCAT and try for Med school. I said no way I cant do it, its too hard. He encouraged me and said I know you from your childhood and I know you can do it. I am my wife talked about it and the time and commitment that would be needed to be a doctor. She said I know you want this more than anything, I say your go for it. In July 2013, I decided I will go for it. I started studying in July 2013 for MCAT. Many days I would take books with me to the soft balls field where my daughters were playing and study there. I took the exam on the last date it was offered in September 2013. In the subsequent month, while waiting for results, I shadowed 4 docs including a DO. I had be volunteering as a nurse in a pregnancy center even before I took the exam. As the results came (BS 7, PS 7, VR 6 =22), I applied to 18 Osteopathic Medical Schools. My final GPA 3.28 (sGPA 3.30) and MCAT 22, I took my chances. I got 3 interviews, 1 pre-interview hold, 8 rejections, and 6 still have to call me. Out of the 3 interviews, I got one rejection and 2 acceptances. Wohoo, now I am going to medical school in August 2018. I have all the faith in myself that I can do this. God has blessed me. So friends, please don't be discouraged or don't give up. If I can do it, so can you. Please continue to see your dream and keep reaching for it. I hope reading this long story can give some one the hope and spirit and they will say "I will do it, no matter what happens". May God bless you all.

 

[knot2l8]

What a great idea for a thread! I'll share my story too, and hopefully we can bolster the spirits of our fellow pre-meds...

My story starts in 1993, when I told my parents and my guidance counselor that I wanted to be a doctor. My GC told me that I didn't really have a chance at that, and my dad told me that he didn't think I'd complete that course of study because it was long and difficult. Discouraged, but still wanting to try, I went to college right after high school in 1995, but left after just one semester. I tried to transfer to another school, but that didn't pan out. Six months later I was living with my boyfriend and found myself pregnant out of wedlock.

With this new complication, I worked crappy jobs, supported my family, and married my boyfriend. Five years later in 1999 I enrolled in a local community college and started taking classes with the sole purpose of just getting a degree so I could better support my family. My marriage fell apart, we separated, and I withdrew from school.

Five years later, in 2005, I married a wonderful man who was employed at a local college, so I started taking classes again with some nice education benefits that made the whole thing affordable. With a full time job and a small child, I majored in Public Service because the classes were offered at night, online, and on weekends. Everything was going great, and I was set to graduate in April 2011. Then, in January 2010, I met someone through one of my campus groups that was doing a post-bac pre-med certificate and I became intensely jealous. At my school, all the sciences were offered during the day, so there was no way I could pursue this course of study. Ah well. I enjoyed public service, and the idea that I would be giving something back to my community.

Fast forward a few months, and I am laid off from my job in September with just 8 months to go until graduation. The whole country is in the middle of a recession and unemployment is high so the benefits have been extended and you can usually ride it out for 2 years. I figure I can just ride it out to graduation and then get a job in my field. I decide to pursue an internship in public service now that I have time during the day and can take something with a local agency or government. I get an internship, but it's pretty dreadful and I'm lost in a cube-farm, filling out spreadsheets, dreaming of actually making a difference while not really having an impact.

One morning I wake up and realize that losing my job is a great opportunity to rexamine my career goals and figure out what I really want to do with my life. I am reminded of my long-ago dream of being a doctor and suddenly realize that I can now take those sciences that are only offered during the day. I have time to pursue my options, so I meet with the Pre-Med Advisor and we discuss a plan to get me "application ready". She thinks I stand a good chance, so I enroll in the basics and start trying to figure out shadowing, research, volunteering, and meaningful EC's. I already had quite a few leadership experiences on campus, and my grades were stellar at this point so I figure I had a good "buffer" in case the sciences didn't pan out.

My journey took me through many different setbacks, losing my unemployment benefits when I left the paid internship, having to take loans for the first time in ten years, custody battles, legal troubles, a "D" in Orgo2, and having to work harder than I ever had before. It was a shocking realization after having a 4.0 for my public service degree and only working just a little hard at it...

However, the key to my success was not in being naturally brilliant - but in being willing to work like a dog and never give up. I retook Orgo 1 and Orgo 2. And while I never really "got it" I did begin to appreciate the complexity of the stubject and the complicated logic with which it operated. I took an entry-level job in a hospital as a transporter because I had no healthcare experience and figured that would be a good way to begin to figure out if I even liked working with patients or in a hospital setting. I applied to work in a research lab with no bench experience but a willingness to take out biohazard or rack tubes if necessary. I asked all my family members if they knew any doctors which I could shadow, and became a certified EMT and volunteered with a local ambulance company.

It took me three years to get my CV in order, to finish my pre-requisites, and to build relationships with the right faculty so I could have all the LOR that I needed. I even became an undergraduate teaching assistant in order to get one! I worked 70-80 hours a week between the hospital, the lab, classes, studying, and volunteering. I saw my family in between all these activities, and tried to make time to watch tv and take naps. I took my MCAT in April 2013, applied July 15 to ten different schools all over the country, and graduated with two bachelor's degrees in August 2013.

I got my first rejection September 7th, my first interview invite September 8th, and my first acceptance September 23rd. I went on to receive (so far) a total of 4 interview invites, of which I attended two, and received a total of 2 acceptances. At this point, I have been accepted by KYCOM and VCOM and have decided to attend VCOM. I begin med school in July 2014 - 19 years after graduating high school and 21 years after first thinking I wanted to be a doctor. I realize now that the 17-year old child who's dad told her she "probably wouldn't do that" was most likely not ready to do all the things necessary to be a doctor, but the 36 year old who's heading down to Blacksburg in July most certainly is.

If you really, absolutely, positively, want to be a doctor and you are willing to put in the work, day after tireless day, and you don't give up, not for longer than five minutes anyways, you can do it. Maybe you'll face setbacks, maybe you'll have to wait until the "right time" for you, but if you really want to do this, then nothing can stand in your way.

3.73GPA, 3.4sGPA, 28 MCAT

 

[Indianarn]

What a great idea for a thread! I'll share my story too, and hopefully we can bolster the spirits of our fellow pre-meds...

My story starts in 1993, when I told my parents and my guidance counselor that I wanted to be a doctor. My GC told me that I didn't really have a chance at that, and my dad told me that he didn't think I'd complete that course of study because it was long and difficult. Discouraged, but still wanting to try, I went to college right after high school in 1995, but left after just one semester. I tried to transfer to another school, but that didn't pan out. Six months later I was living with my boyfriend and found myself pregnant out of wedlock.

With this new complication, I worked crappy jobs, supported my family, and married my boyfriend. Five years later in 1999 I enrolled in a local community college and started taking classes with the sole purpose of just getting a degree so I could better support my family. My marriage fell apart, we separated, and I withdrew from school.

Five years later, in 2005, I married a wonderful man who was employed at a local college, so I started taking classes again with some nice education benefits that made the whole thing affordable. With a full time job and a small child, I majored in Public Service because the classes were offered at night, online, and on weekends. Everything was going great, and I was set to graduate in April 2011. Then, in January 2010, I met someone through one of my campus groups that was doing a post-bac pre-med certificate and I became intensely jealous. At my school, all the sciences were offered during the day, so there was no way I could pursue this course of study. Ah well. I enjoyed public service, and the idea that I would be giving something back to my community.

Fast forward a few months, and I am laid off from my job in September with just 8 months to go until graduation. The whole country is in the middle of a recession and unemployment is high so the benefits have been extended and you can usually ride it out for 2 years. I figure I can just ride it out to graduation and then get a job in my field. I decide to pursue an internship in public service now that I have time during the day and can take something with a local agency or government. I get an internship, but it's pretty dreadful and I'm lost in a cube-farm, filling out spreadsheets, dreaming of actually making a difference while not really having an impact.

One morning I wake up and realize that losing my job is a great opportunity to rexamine my career goals and figure out what I really want to do with my life. I am reminded of my long-ago dream of being a doctor and suddenly realize that I can now take those sciences that are only offered during the day. I have time to pursue my options, so I meet with the Pre-Med Advisor and we discuss a plan to get me "application ready". She thinks I stand a good chance, so I enroll in the basics and start trying to figure out shadowing, research, volunteering, and meaningful EC's. I already had quite a few leadership experiences on campus, and my grades were stellar at this point so I figure I had a good "buffer" in case the sciences didn't pan out.

My journey took me through many different setbacks, losing my unemployment benefits when I left the paid internship, having to take loans for the first time in ten years, custody battles, legal troubles, a "D" in Orgo2, and having to work harder than I ever had before. It was a shocking realization after having a 4.0 for my public service degree and only working just a little hard at it...

However, the key to my success was not in being naturally brilliant - but in being willing to work like a dog and never give up. I retook Orgo 1 and Orgo 2. And while I never really "got it" I did begin to appreciate the complexity of the stubject and the complicated logic with which it operated. I took an entry-level job in a hospital as a transporter because I had no healthcare experience and figured that would be a good way to begin to figure out if I even liked working with patients or in a hospital setting. I applied to work in a research lab with no bench experience but a willingness to take out biohazard or rack tubes if necessary. I asked all my family members if they knew any doctors which I could shadow, and became a certified EMT and volunteered with a local ambulance company.

It took me three years to get my CV in order, to finish my pre-requisites, and to build relationships with the right faculty so I could have all the LOR that I needed. I even became an undergraduate teaching assistant in order to get one! I worked 70-80 hours a week between the hospital, the lab, classes, studying, and volunteering. I saw my family in between all these activities, and tried to make time to watch tv and take naps. I took my MCAT in April 2013, applied July 15 to ten different schools all over the country, and graduated with two bachelor's degrees in August 2013.

I got my first rejection September 7th, my first interview invite September 8th, and my first acceptance September 23rd. I went on to receive (so far) a total of 4 interview invites, of which I attended two, and received a total of 2 acceptances. At this point, I have been accepted by KYCOM and VCOM and have decided to attend VCOM. I begin med school in July 2014 - 19 years after graduating high school and 21 years after first thinking I wanted to be a doctor. I realize now that the 17-year old child who's dad told her she "probably wouldn't do that" was most likely not ready to do all the things necessary to be a doctor, but the 36 year old who's heading down to Blacksburg in July most certainly is.

If you really, absolutely, positively, want to be a doctor and you are willing to put in the work, day after tireless day, and you don't give up, not for longer than five minutes anyways, you can do it. Maybe you'll face setbacks, maybe you'll have to wait until the "right time" for you, but if you really want to do this, then nothing can stand in your way.

3.73GPA, 3.4sGPA, 28 MCAT

So thankful that you shared your story. It had goose bumps while reading it. So proud of you. I hope more people will share their stories, because I know becoming a doctor is not only about being smart but its more about being relentless, hard working, and a drive.

 

[Indianarn]

Thanks for all that read and like. I would love here more stories of encouragement and motivation. Bring it on.

 

[mommy2three]

I would post mine but I think most people here know my story by now 😉

 

[Docility]

I would post mine but I think most people here know my story by now 😉

It's a very inspirational story!

 

[Quik]

Great thread, congrats to all of you, including mommy2three (I haven't read your story). Great stories, keep up the good and hard work in med school!

 

[Indianarn]

I would post mine but I think most people here know my story by now 😉

Would love to hear its please, if you don't mind.

 

[Ivory]

Might as well add in my journey. First off, earlier in the thread I read "because I know becoming a doctor is not only about being smart but its more about being relentless, hard working, and a drive"which really put me back in the right mindset that I needed.
I was a C student in high school and had made envious plans to enlist and make a life out of it. After high school I went to take a physical to enlist and was notified that I failed something in ortho and I could reapply in 180 days; It seems completely illogical to me and from there I became lost in life. My only good friend was overseas serving and I was left with a "not-so-good" friend to accompany me. It is completely my own fault but he got me into using esctacy and constantly partying, etc. Before I knew it, he was a regular drug dealer, and I too often had 100s of pills in my car with him. I gave myself an intervention when he called me and said that somebody he gave drugs to died, he did not believe he was at fault but wanted to leave the country. From that point on I completely stopped hanging out with the guy. I picked up a new job in a nursing home and started off as a maintenance technician, got a new apartment in a neighboring town and started thinking about my life. My mother, a dropout, for the most part left my life when I was 13/14 and started a new family in NY; My father, a dropout, within the last 18 months received a dwi (his second felony, however hasnt touched alcohol since) and my sister has been dealing with a very very expensive combination of gastrointestinal diseases. Taking all that into consideration, I felt obligated to look into a career where I could raise the quality of life in people, but also be able to support my family like they deserve. I started to work on my associates in nursing to become an RN, I still worked at the nursing home, but now I had about 18 months of working as a nurses aide under my belt, as they promoted me from within the company. About a month after classes started, I was robbed of nearly everything I had from my apartment and my car. My bank accounts were emptied out, my wallet was gone, all my files were taken, just cleaned out top to bottom and what made it worse was it happened on my birthday. A detective helped me set up a paper trail and what the conclusion led to was a multi-level crime group that included somebody who was working on the inside of the credit bereau (experian) and was made a cold case w/o recovery. The banks could not replace my money immediately because the withdrawals took place in the banking center using my drivers license, etc. This all resulted in me withdrawing from school and losing my apartment.
I spent the next year recovering, my"not-so-good" friend had cleaned up and he needed help so we got a small house together. I started school again but I lived 40 miles from the school so I woke up at 4am took 2 different train systems, a bus and a hefty jog to get to my classes on time, stayed at school all day, returned home to work until midnight and then repeated.Everything was going great until I was laid off. I couldnt find work so I painted myself silver and went downtown on the weekends and stood still for 8 or so hours each day as a human statue performance, between that and donating plasma every week, I survived. I recently found out that my friend/room-mate owed the landlord 4000 dollars and didnt turn in the money I gave him for rent; so I had to give up and file a lawsuit against him. I was about to lose my house again and there was no room at my families house nearby. I sold everything I had and bought a high-top van, I studied all the engineering behind living in a van and slowly built the vehicle up. I now have running water from my sink, mobile electricity from my solar panels, a fullsize bed, and even a stove and desk. I shower at the gym but I can go over how I live in a different thread. I had just finished up Anatomy and started my nursing classes when I realized that nursing wasnt my calling in life and I needed to go back to the science person I was growing up. I had engineering on my mind for the longest time, because I was living it everyday in my van. This is when I met Elizabeth, she was back in town from her overseas medical school and she taught me all about the lifestyle of a physician and it really spoke to me. I learned that alot of my nursing pre-reqs wouldn't be useful in premed but I decided to go forth with it anyway. People have been telling me that Medical school will be the hardest thing that I ever do, when I tell them my life story they will then tell me that I am probably an ideal candidate because I have learned how to handle all sorts of stressful situations. I am preparing myself for a move to Austin from Dallas to start premed and expect nothing less than A's from myself. To recap the quote that convinced me to write this god awfully long story "becoming a doctor is not only about being smart but its more about being relentless, hard working, and a drive"

-Best,
R. Jones

ps I still have plans to commission in the military after medical school to serve as a physician for troops, I may make less income but life is not about the money, it is about the experiences and memories.

 

[Indianarn]

Might as well add in my journey. First off, earlier in the thread I read "because I know becoming a doctor is not only about being smart but its more about being relentless, hard working, and a drive"which really put me back in the right mindset that I needed.
I was a C student in high school and had made envious plans to enlist and make a life out of it. After high school I went to take a physical to enlist and was notified that I failed something in ortho and I could reapply in 180 days; It seems completely illogical to me and from there I became lost in life. My only good friend was overseas serving and I was left with a "not-so-good" friend to accompany me. It is completely my own fault but he got me into using esctacy and constantly partying, etc. Before I knew it, he was a regular drug dealer, and I too often had 100s of pills in my car with him. I gave myself an intervention when he called me and said that somebody he gave drugs to died, he did not believe he was at fault but wanted to leave the country. From that point on I completely stopped hanging out with the guy. I picked up a new job in a nursing home and started off as a maintenance technician, got a new apartment in a neighboring town and started thinking about my life. My mother, a dropout, for the most part left my life when I was 13/14 and started a new family in NY; My father, a dropout, within the last 18 months received a dwi (his second felony, however hasnt touched alcohol since) and my sister has been dealing with a very very expensive combination of gastrointestinal diseases. Taking all that into consideration, I felt obligated to look into a career where I could raise the quality of life in people, but also be able to support my family like they deserve. I started to work on my associates in nursing to become an RN, I still worked at the nursing home, but now I had about 18 months of working as a nurses aide under my belt, as they promoted me from within the company. About a month after classes started, I was robbed of nearly everything I had from my apartment and my car. My bank accounts were emptied out, my wallet was gone, all my files were taken, just cleaned out top to bottom and what made it worse was it happened on my birthday. A detective helped me set up a paper trail and what the conclusion led to was a multi-level crime group that included somebody who was working on the inside of the credit bereau (experian) and was made a cold case w/o recovery. The banks could not replace my money immediately because the withdrawals took place in the banking center using my drivers license, etc. This all resulted in me withdrawing from school and losing my apartment.
I spent the next year recovering, my"not-so-good" friend had cleaned up and he needed help so we got a small house together. I started school again but I lived 40 miles from the school so I woke up at 4am took 2 different train systems, a bus and a hefty jog to get to my classes on time, stayed at school all day, returned home to work until midnight and then repeated.Everything was going great until I was laid off. I couldnt find work so I painted myself silver and went downtown on the weekends and stood still for 8 or so hours each day as a human statue performance, between that and donating plasma every week, I survived. I recently found out that my friend/room-mate owed the landlord 4000 dollars and didnt turn in the money I gave him for rent; so I had to give up and file a lawsuit against him. I was about to lose my house again and there was no room at my families house nearby. I sold everything I had and bought a high-top van, I studied all the engineering behind living in a van and slowly built the vehicle up. I now have running water from my sink, mobile electricity from my solar panels, a fullsize bed, and even a stove and desk. I shower at the gym but I can go over how I live in a different thread. I had just finished up Anatomy and started my nursing classes when I realized that nursing wasnt my calling in life and I needed to go back to the science person I was growing up. I had engineering on my mind for the longest time, because I was living it everyday in my van. This is when I met Elizabeth, she was back in town from her overseas medical school and she taught me all about the lifestyle of a physician and it really spoke to me. I learned that alot of my nursing pre-reqs wouldn't be useful in premed but I decided to go forth with it anyway. People have been telling me that Medical school will be the hardest thing that I ever do, when I tell them my life story they will then tell me that I am probably an ideal candidate because I have learned how to handle all sorts of stressful situations. I am preparing myself for a move to Austin from Dallas to start premed and expect nothing less than A's from myself. To recap the quote that convinced me to write this god awfully long story "becoming a doctor is not only about being smart but its more about being relentless, hard working, and a drive"

-Best,
R. Jones

ps I still have plans to commission in the military after medical school to serve as a physician for troops, I may make less income but life is not about the money, it is about the experiences and memories.

Feel privileged to have read your story. Like is not only about experiences and memories, as you said, but its also about learning from your mistakes and having a goal. As, my friend, you have done. Keep it up dude, you can and will do it.

 

[sobored]

Hey everyone, was browsing and thought I'd contribute. I posted the following in a WAMC thread a while ago and also in Pre-allo, hopefully to provide some inspiration to anyone struggling.
I'm currently an MS3 and doing well. Good luck!

"I like to surf this site from time to time and this caught my attention. I wanted to provide some reality and hope, but I'll make it quick.

OP, the path will be long and painful. Schools want to be sure that you can handle the insane amount of coursework required to competently practice medicine. I graduated college a long time ago with a 2.4 GPA. Took the MCAT over and over again (back in the paper days when you still had only 2 shots per year to take it and the best I got was a 21. I, like you, had a compelling story that really impacted my school and life in general. Anyways, I didn't give up, and sometime after I graduated I went back to undergrad, took insane course loads for a year and half (all upper division science courses) and worked my GPA up to a 3.0. During the span of 5 years post undergrad, I worked my butt off to re-learn EVERYTHING, from the core pre-med science courses to the upper division courses. Took the MCAT after it was all said and done, scored a 32 (after several scored attempts much earlier). Anyways, right now I'm an MS2 at a highly ranked US MD school.

I didn't know about DO schools at the time - never used the site back in the day (I'm a non trad if you couldn't tell). But it is a good option that would've likely saved me a couple of years from the rebuilding process.

Anyways, the key is that you must be able to show you can handle medical school (not only the work, but the emotional baggage people develop while in there). Good luck, I hope it works out.

PS: I'm white and not disadvantaged"

 

[Indianarn]

Hey everyone, was browsing and thought I'd contribute. I posted the following in a WAMC thread a while ago and also in Pre-allo, hopefully to provide some inspiration to anyone struggling.
I'm currently an MS3 and doing well. Good luck!

"I like to surf this site from time to time and this caught my attention. I wanted to provide some reality and hope, but I'll make it quick.

OP, the path will be long and painful. Schools want to be sure that you can handle the insane amount of coursework required to competently practice medicine. I graduated college a long time ago with a 2.4 GPA. Took the MCAT over and over again (back in the paper days when you still had only 2 shots per year to take it and the best I got was a 21. I, like you, had a compelling story that really impacted my school and life in general. Anyways, I didn't give up, and sometime after I graduated I went back to undergrad, took insane course loads for a year and half (all upper division science courses) and worked my GPA up to a 3.0. During the span of 5 years post undergrad, I worked my butt off to re-learn EVERYTHING, from the core pre-med science courses to the upper division courses. Took the MCAT after it was all said and done, scored a 32 (after several scored attempts much earlier). Anyways, right now I'm an MS2 at a highly ranked US MD school.

I didn't know about DO schools at the time - never used the site back in the day (I'm a non trad if you couldn't tell). But it is a good option that would've likely saved me a couple of years from the rebuilding process.

Anyways, the key is that you must be able to show you can handle medical school (not only the work, but the emotional baggage people develop while in there). Good luck, I hope it works out.

PS: I'm white and not disadvantaged"

Thanks for sharing your story with us.

 

[Indianarn]

Thank you all reading and liking my story. Would love to hear more stories and to help others who are discouraged.

 

[Indianarn]

I am thankful to everyone who is reading this post. I am hoping, though, that more people will post their stories.

 

[30isthenewblack]

Longtime lurker here. SDN has been overall a very positive and informative experience. Even the neuroses of the younger pre-meds accurately reflects of some of my classmates so hopefully my story will add to the milieu of SDN.


I am the oldest of four from an extremely abusive household with a violent alcoholic father and a depressed mother yet managed to attend a top 25 college. I had a very nurturing maternal grandmother who unfortunately passed before I was 15. My father had an affair and left the family when I was in the second year of college. By then, my mother was unable to work because of a long term illness and my youngest sibling was 10. Luckily I had decided to obtain an EMT license so I worked as an EMT / tutor / babysitter as a full time student in order to support my family. It's not too hard to guess that I almost failed out of college. I was so broken and lost I actually overslept for a final and didn't turn in a final lab report for another class EVEN THOUGH I HAD FINISHED IT. For some reason, I could not walk the to the class and drop off the notebook. After a year of struggling to even pass my classes, I went to my college counselor thinking my life was over.


For a state school with little resources and very unforgiving faculty, this one woman managed to convince me that I was doing the right thing. She also said I needed to take some time off and helped me get a leave of absence while eliminating a quarter of classes from my records due to extenuating circumstances. By now my mother had filed for divorce and my father had arrived at the home with a gun threatening to kill her since she changed the locks. There were multiple police reports and documentation at this point to corroborate my story. The second hardest thing I had to do was walk away from being a college student.


I was able to get a few years of working with patients directly at a clinic and ended up falling in love with the profession of medicine. I eventually transitioned to a full time private tutor because it paid five times as much. It was interesting driving to these giant mansions in my old clunker and hearing my students just be absolutely miserable with their lives because their parents were thoughtless enough to not give them the sports car they wanted for getting their learners permit. It was cute because they asked me about how long my housekeeper had been cleaning my place and advised me to get a new car because any car over 5 years is very old. They genuinely cared about me and I them so I never really shared my circumstances. I was just trying to help my family survive at this point and emotionally heal. It was in the middle of this that I met the man who would become my husband. I had the audacity to tell him on our third date (that I had been pushing off for weeks) that he would not come first and my priority was helping my family. He was smitten enough to move in with me three months later and supported and help care for my younger siblings while working full time. Slowly, I healed. I stopped crying in the shower nightly where nobody could see how the pressure and stress was getting to me.


One by one, my siblings graduated and went to college. I was vigilant about their studies but I think they felt guilty that I was working so hard so they were very self motivated. Since my father is wealthy, he was obligated to pay child and spousal support but found every way to avoid it. He had already stopped paying spousal support but we were living paycheck to paycheck so we couldn't afford to bring anything to the courts. He is self employed and began to take only cash payments claiming he had no income. He even moved out of the country for a few years so he could avoid paying support. It was impossible for my siblings to obtain any financial aid since my dad refused to support or assist in FAFSA. My husband and I worked and helped out my siblings attending college financially and cared for my mom and the youngest. At this point, I thought my dream of attending medical school was over. I had been told my entire life by my father that I would end up a failure, and my current situation seemed to reflect that.


The hardest part was re-enrolling in college. It was almost 7 years before I could even step foot near the campus without wanting to hurl. Every stately building, every eager young college student was a reflection of a bright future I would never have. My friends all were getting established in their careers or were finishing professional school and I....was a college dropout. I took a weird route to regain my courage. My husband has always been convinced I was the most intelligent capable and kind woman that he's ever met so he was always encouraging me to follow my dreams of being a doctor. He finally convinced me to take the MCAT and study on my own to see objectively where I would stand. I spent a few months diligently doing passages and also taking as many AP chemistry, physics and biology students I could fit in my schedule (They all got a 5 or 4!). I was too nervous to see my results so I made my husband check my scores online while he was at work...Him: Hm, I think it's very good. Me: stop it, you think everything I do is amazing Him: do you want to know your score? Me: No...yes...no! Ummm, fine go look at a top tier medical school and tell me if I beat the average. Him: what's a top medical school? Wait, I can google it. *long pause* yes! Me: Ok, tell me then!


I started crying when I found out it was a 37. That score was what gave me the confidence to go and re-enroll at my university. It still took four attempts over three weeks to even step foot in the counseling office. In the first try, I made it 5 miles to campus before making a u-turn and driving back home. I even walked out after scheduling an appointment. It (college) was a reminder of how terrible my life was at that time. My father had broken my mother emotionally where she would start wailing every few hours and my youngest sibling stopped talking for months. I had thrown myself into one terrible relationship after the next thinking I deserved nothing better and also treating them horribly. The best thing my father ever did was to walk away. We began to see that we weren't horrible useless people but walking through the campus brought back that feeling of utter despair. It turns out the same counselor was there. She didn't remember me or my story but went to her storage/archives to find the re-enrollment agreement that we had signed from long ago. We mapped out what my schedule would need to be to graduate since a lot of requirements had changed for graduation for my major. At the end of our meeting she said very warmly, "welcome back!"


I only had to take year and a half of classes to graduate since barely passing still counted. My husband and I commuted to school and work together. There were weeks where we would leave at 5am and get home at 11pm because of tutoring. A few months in my mom was diagnosed with cancer and I became her primary caretaker. I remember sitting next to her hospital bed after surgery trying to study for an organic lab final the next day. After the final, I drove home, changed her dressings, drained her tubes, and drove to work another three hours. My organic professor was the most unsympathetic individual I have met and I attribute it to his habit of sniffing test tubes before chastising us about our unsuccessful synthesis. The other professors, however were incredibly supportive and one let me take a quiz the next day because I got a call about the diagnosis during class and had to leave. I managed to make almost straight As in all my classes - organic labs were Bs. It took me years but I finally finished!


My LizzieM score must be atrocious. I told my husband never to tell me the number. Part of what helped my anxiety of the application process was refusing to look at my cumulative GPA and having my husband put in the grades for me. He hates the AMCAS interface. I had to find professors I worked with over ten years ago to ask them for a letter of recommendation and my supervisor who I hadn't spoken to in five years. They remembered me and were so kind in taking the time to immediately submit a letter of reference. I asked every professor/TA in every class that I took in the past year and a half for a letter and only 2 even responded. Fortunately it was one non science and one non science professor and all I needed. I spent three months writing / rewriting my personal statement because I knew it was the only way an admissions committee member would warrant me another look. I spent just as much effort in writing my secondaries and I applied to a few dozen schools. I knew any chance of getting an interview depended on the personality of the individual reviewing my application. Stats-wise I knew my grades were a huge obstacle so I held little hope. The only reason I applied before taking a post bacc program is that my husband encouraged me to go for it and warned my MCAT score would otherwise expire. I practiced and read interview questions but I was pretty confident that I would do well if given the opportunity to interview. It's not as stressful as making a speech in front of a judge to request a restraining order against your father who is accusing you of being unstable liar and knowing if you failed, he would easily beat you or your mother to a pulp before the police arrive. I received two II and was accepted a month ago. The last II came after my acceptance and I prefer the school that I've been admitted to so I declined.


I am a happily married 32 yo woman looking forward to the process of becoming an MD at a pretty decent school. My siblings are either in the process of graduating from college, or in graduate programs and my mom is happy and thriving. Her cancer therapy group actually has helped heal her spirit and it's almost like the surgeries also cut away part of her emotional pain. My husband is thousand times more awesome than any partner that I could have imagined. I am still in disbelief and gratefulness that I am going to medical school and where I am in my life today. This was post longer than I intended but I hope this will inspire others to fight through the roadblocks, be it self created or environmental. Be open to asking for help and receptive of advice given, even if you don't necessarily agree with it. I think providing the best quality of patient care takes a great team even if you're already an good doctor and it's the same in life. I would not have made it to where I am today with out the genuine support I've had from a few counselors, friends, and loved ones. Struggles and failures are a very candid and harsh way to learn about yourself and find strength you never even knew you had. It's okay to doubt yourself. It's natural. You just have to know that what you want is worth all the doubt and anxiety, that nothing else that can make you as fulfilled, and after all is said and done you know you'll be an amazing doctor.


Best of luck everyone.

 

[Indianarn]

Longtime lurker here. SDN has been overall a very positive and informative experience. Even the neuroses of the younger pre-meds accurately reflects of some of my classmates so hopefully my story will add to the milieu of SDN.


I am the oldest of four from an extremely abusive household with a violent alcoholic father and a depressed mother yet managed to attend a top 25 college. I had a very nurturing maternal grandmother who unfortunately passed before I was 15. My father had an affair and left the family when I was in the second year of college. By then, my mother was unable to work because of a long term illness and my youngest sibling was 10. Luckily I had decided to obtain an EMT license so I worked as an EMT / tutor / babysitter as a full time student in order to support my family. It's not too hard to guess that I almost failed out of college. I was so broken and lost I actually overslept for a final and didn't turn in a final lab report for another class EVEN THOUGH I HAD FINISHED IT. For some reason, I could not walk the to the class and drop off the notebook. After a year of struggling to even pass my classes, I went to my college counselor thinking my life was over.


For a state school with little resources and very unforgiving faculty, this one woman managed to convince me that I was doing the right thing. She also said I needed to take some time off and helped me get a leave of absence while eliminating a quarter of classes from my records due to extenuating circumstances. By now my mother had filed for divorce and my father had arrived at the home with a gun threatening to kill her since she changed the locks. There were multiple police reports and documentation at this point to corroborate my story. The second hardest thing I had to do was walk away from being a college student.


I was able to get a few years of working with patients directly at a clinic and ended up falling in love with the profession of medicine. I eventually transitioned to a full time private tutor because it paid five times as much. It was interesting driving to these giant mansions in my old clunker and hearing my students just be absolutely miserable with their lives because their parents were thoughtless enough to not give them the sports car they wanted for getting their learners permit. It was cute
because they asked me about how long my housekeeper had been cleaning my place and advised me to get a new car because any car over 5 years is very old. They genuinely cared about me and I them so I never really shared my circumstances. I was just trying to help my family survive at this point and emotionally heal. It was in the middle of this that I met the man who would become my husband. I had the audacity to tell him on our third date (that I had been pushing off for weeks) that he would not come first and my priority was helping my family. He was smitten enough to move in with me three months later and supported and help care for my younger siblings while working full time. Slowly, I healed. I stopped crying in the shower nightly where nobody could see how the pressure and stress was getting to me.


One by one, my siblings graduated and went to college. I was vigilant about their studies but I think they felt guilty that I was working so hard so they were very self motivated. Since my father is wealthy, he was obligated to pay child and spousal support but found every way to avoid it. He had already stopped paying spousal support but we were living paycheck to paycheck so we couldn't afford to bring anything to the courts. He is self employed and began to take only cash payments claiming he had no income. He even moved out of the country for a few years so he could avoid paying support. It was impossible for my siblings to obtain any financial aid since my dad refused to support or assist in FAFSA. My husband and I worked and helped out my siblings attending college financially and cared for my mom and the youngest. At this point, I thought my dream of attending medical school was over. I had been told my entire life by my father that I would end up a failure, and my current situation seemed to reflect that.


The hardest part was re-enrolling in college. It was almost 7 years before I could even step foot near the campus without wanting to hurl. Every stately building, every eager young college student was a reflection of a bright future I would never have. My friends all were getting established in their careers or were finishing professional school and I....was a college dropout. I took a weird route to regain my courage. My husband has always been convinced I was the most intelligent capable and kind woman that he's ever met so he was always encouraging me to follow my dreams of being a doctor. He finally convinced me to take the MCAT and study on my own to see objectively where I would stand. I spent a few months diligently doing passages and also taking as many AP chemistry, physics and biology students I could fit in my schedule (They all got a 5 or 4!). I was too nervous to see my results so I made my husband check my scores online while he was at work...Him: Hm, I think it's very good. Me: stop it, you think everything I do is amazing Him: do you want to know your score? Me: No...yes...no! Ummm, fine go look at a top tier medical school and tell me if I beat the average. Him: what's a top medical school? Wait, I can google it. *long pause* yes! Me: Ok, tell me then!


I started crying when I found out it was a 37. That score was what gave me the confidence to go and re-enroll at my university. It still took four attempts over three weeks to even step foot in the counseling office. In the first try, I made it 5 miles to campus before making a u-turn and driving back home. I even walked out after scheduling an appointment. It (college) was a reminder of how terrible my life was at that time. My father had broken my mother emotionally where she would start wailing every few hours and my youngest sibling stopped talking for months. I had thrown myself into one terrible relationship after the next thinking I deserved nothing better and also treating them horribly. The best thing my father ever did was to walk away. We began to see that we weren't horrible useless people but walking through the campus brought back that feeling of utter despair. It turns out the same counselor was there. She didn't remember me or my story but went to her storage/archives to find the re-enrollment agreement that we had signed from long ago. We mapped out what my schedule would need to be to graduate since a lot of requirements had changed for graduation for my major. At the end of our meeting she said very warmly, "welcome back!"


I only had to take year and a half of classes to graduate since barely passing still counted. My husband and I commuted to school and work together. There were weeks where we would leave at 5am and get home at 11pm because of tutoring. A few months in my mom was diagnosed with cancer and I became her primary caretaker. I remember sitting next to her hospital bed after surgery trying to study for an organic lab final the next day. After the final, I drove home, changed her dressings, drained her tubes, and drove to work another three hours. My organic professor was the most unsympathetic individual I have met and I attribute it to his habit of sniffing test tubes before chastising us about our unsuccessful synthesis. The other professors, however were incredibly supportive and one let me take a quiz the next day because I got a call about the diagnosis during class and had to leave. I managed to make almost straight As in all my classes - organic labs were Bs. It took me years but I finally finished!


My LizzieM score must be atrocious. I told my husband never to tell me the number. Part of what helped my anxiety of the application process was refusing to look at my cumulative GPA and having my husband put in the grades for me. He hates the AMCAS interface. I had to find professors I worked with over ten years ago to ask them for a letter of recommendation and my supervisor who I hadn't spoken to in five years. They remembered me and were so kind in taking the time to immediately submit a letter of reference. I asked every professor/TA in every class that I took in the past year and a half for a letter and only 2 even responded. Fortunately it was one non science and one non science professor and all I needed. I spent three months writing / rewriting my personal statement because I knew it was the only way an admissions committee member would warrant me another look. I spent just as much effort in writing my secondaries and I applied to a few dozen schools. I knew any chance of getting an interview depended on the personality of the individual reviewing my application. Stats-wise I knew my grades were a huge obstacle so I held little hope. The only reason I applied before taking a post bacc program is that my husband encouraged me to go for it and warned my MCAT score would otherwise expire. I practiced and read interview questions but I was pretty confident that I would do well if given the opportunity to interview. It's not as stressful as making a speech in front of a judge to request a restraining order against your father who is accusing you of being unstable liar and knowing if you failed, he would easily beat you or your mother to a pulp before the police arrive. I received two II and was accepted a month ago. The last II came after my acceptance and I prefer the school that I've been admitted to so I declined.


I am a happily married 32 yo woman looking forward to the process of becoming an MD at a pretty decent school. My siblings are either in the process of graduating from college, or in graduate programs and my mom is happy and thriving. Her cancer therapy group actually has helped heal her spirit and it's almost like the surgeries also cut away part of her emotional pain. My husband is thousand times more awesome than any partner that I could have imagined. I am still in disbelief and gratefulness that I am going to medical school and where I am in my life today. This was post longer than I intended but I hope this will inspire others to fight through the roadblocks, be it self created or environmental. Be open to asking for help and receptive of advice given, even if you don't necessarily agree with it. I think providing the best quality of patient care takes a great team even if you're already an good doctor and it's the same in life. I would not have made it to where I am today with out the genuine support I've had from a few counselors, friends, and loved ones. Struggles and failures are a very candid and harsh way to learn about yourself and find strength you never even knew you had. It's okay to doubt yourself. It's natural. You just have to know that what you want is worth all the doubt and anxiety, that nothing else that can make you as fulfilled, and after all is said and done you know you'll be an amazing doctor.


Best of luck everyone.

Very moved to read your story. I hope more people will read your story and can see there is light at. the end of the tunnel. Just dont give up. May Good bless you all

 

[Labrat07]

Longtime lurker here. SDN has been overall a very positive and informative experience. Even the neuroses of the younger pre-meds accurately reflects of some of my classmates so hopefully my story will add to the milieu of SDN.


I am the oldest of four from an extremely abusive household with a violent alcoholic father and a depressed mother yet managed to attend a top 25 college. I had a very nurturing maternal grandmother who unfortunately passed before I was 15. My father had an affair and left the family when I was in the second year of college. By then, my mother was unable to work because of a long term illness and my youngest sibling was 10. Luckily I had decided to obtain an EMT license so I worked as an EMT / tutor / babysitter as a full time student in order to support my family. It's not too hard to guess that I almost failed out of college. I was so broken and lost I actually overslept for a final and didn't turn in a final lab report for another class EVEN THOUGH I HAD FINISHED IT. For some reason, I could not walk the to the class and drop off the notebook. After a year of struggling to even pass my classes, I went to my college counselor thinking my life was over.


For a state school with little resources and very unforgiving faculty, this one woman managed to convince me that I was doing the right thing. She also said I needed to take some time off and helped me get a leave of absence while eliminating a quarter of classes from my records due to extenuating circumstances. By now my mother had filed for divorce and my father had arrived at the home with a gun threatening to kill her since she changed the locks. There were multiple police reports and documentation at this point to corroborate my story. The second hardest thing I had to do was walk away from being a college student.


I was able to get a few years of working with patients directly at a clinic and ended up falling in love with the profession of medicine. I eventually transitioned to a full time private tutor because it paid five times as much. It was interesting driving to these giant mansions in my old clunker and hearing my students just be absolutely miserable with their lives because their parents were thoughtless enough to not give them the sports car they wanted for getting their learners permit. It was cute because they asked me about how long my housekeeper had been cleaning my place and advised me to get a new car because any car over 5 years is very old. They genuinely cared about me and I them so I never really shared my circumstances. I was just trying to help my family survive at this point and emotionally heal. It was in the middle of this that I met the man who would become my husband. I had the audacity to tell him on our third date (that I had been pushing off for weeks) that he would not come first and my priority was helping my family. He was smitten enough to move in with me three months later and supported and help care for my younger siblings while working full time. Slowly, I healed. I stopped crying in the shower nightly where nobody could see how the pressure and stress was getting to me.


One by one, my siblings graduated and went to college. I was vigilant about their studies but I think they felt guilty that I was working so hard so they were very self motivated. Since my father is wealthy, he was obligated to pay child and spousal support but found every way to avoid it. He had already stopped paying spousal support but we were living paycheck to paycheck so we couldn't afford to bring anything to the courts. He is self employed and began to take only cash payments claiming he had no income. He even moved out of the country for a few years so he could avoid paying support. It was impossible for my siblings to obtain any financial aid since my dad refused to support or assist in FAFSA. My husband and I worked and helped out my siblings attending college financially and cared for my mom and the youngest. At this point, I thought my dream of attending medical school was over. I had been told my entire life by my father that I would end up a failure, and my current situation seemed to reflect that.


The hardest part was re-enrolling in college. It was almost 7 years before I could even step foot near the campus without wanting to hurl. Every stately building, every eager young college student was a reflection of a bright future I would never have. My friends all were getting established in their careers or were finishing professional school and I....was a college dropout. I took a weird route to regain my courage. My husband has always been convinced I was the most intelligent capable and kind woman that he's ever met so he was always encouraging me to follow my dreams of being a doctor. He finally convinced me to take the MCAT and study on my own to see objectively where I would stand. I spent a few months diligently doing passages and also taking as many AP chemistry, physics and biology students I could fit in my schedule (They all got a 5 or 4!). I was too nervous to see my results so I made my husband check my scores online while he was at work...Him: Hm, I think it's very good. Me: stop it, you think everything I do is amazing Him: do you want to know your score? Me: No...yes...no! Ummm, fine go look at a top tier medical school and tell me if I beat the average. Him: what's a top medical school? Wait, I can google it. *long pause* yes! Me: Ok, tell me then!


I started crying when I found out it was a 37. That score was what gave me the confidence to go and re-enroll at my university. It still took four attempts over three weeks to even step foot in the counseling office. In the first try, I made it 5 miles to campus before making a u-turn and driving back home. I even walked out after scheduling an appointment. It (college) was a reminder of how terrible my life was at that time. My father had broken my mother emotionally where she would start wailing every few hours and my youngest sibling stopped talking for months. I had thrown myself into one terrible relationship after the next thinking I deserved nothing better and also treating them horribly. The best thing my father ever did was to walk away. We began to see that we weren't horrible useless people but walking through the campus brought back that feeling of utter despair. It turns out the same counselor was there. She didn't remember me or my story but went to her storage/archives to find the re-enrollment agreement that we had signed from long ago. We mapped out what my schedule would need to be to graduate since a lot of requirements had changed for graduation for my major. At the end of our meeting she said very warmly, "welcome back!"


I only had to take year and a half of classes to graduate since barely passing still counted. My husband and I commuted to school and work together. There were weeks where we would leave at 5am and get home at 11pm because of tutoring. A few months in my mom was diagnosed with cancer and I became her primary caretaker. I remember sitting next to her hospital bed after surgery trying to study for an organic lab final the next day. After the final, I drove home, changed her dressings, drained her tubes, and drove to work another three hours. My organic professor was the most unsympathetic individual I have met and I attribute it to his habit of sniffing test tubes before chastising us about our unsuccessful synthesis. The other professors, however were incredibly supportive and one let me take a quiz the next day because I got a call about the diagnosis during class and had to leave. I managed to make almost straight As in all my classes - organic labs were Bs. It took me years but I finally finished!


My LizzieM score must be atrocious. I told my husband never to tell me the number. Part of what helped my anxiety of the application process was refusing to look at my cumulative GPA and having my husband put in the grades for me. He hates the AMCAS interface. I had to find professors I worked with over ten years ago to ask them for a letter of recommendation and my supervisor who I hadn't spoken to in five years. They remembered me and were so kind in taking the time to immediately submit a letter of reference. I asked every professor/TA in every class that I took in the past year and a half for a letter and only 2 even responded. Fortunately it was one non science and one non science professor and all I needed. I spent three months writing / rewriting my personal statement because I knew it was the only way an admissions committee member would warrant me another look. I spent just as much effort in writing my secondaries and I applied to a few dozen schools. I knew any chance of getting an interview depended on the personality of the individual reviewing my application. Stats-wise I knew my grades were a huge obstacle so I held little hope. The only reason I applied before taking a post bacc program is that my husband encouraged me to go for it and warned my MCAT score would otherwise expire. I practiced and read interview questions but I was pretty confident that I would do well if given the opportunity to interview. It's not as stressful as making a speech in front of a judge to request a restraining order against your father who is accusing you of being unstable liar and knowing if you failed, he would easily beat you or your mother to a pulp before the police arrive. I received two II and was accepted a month ago. The last II came after my acceptance and I prefer the school that I've been admitted to so I declined.


I am a happily married 32 yo woman looking forward to the process of becoming an MD at a pretty decent school. My siblings are either in the process of graduating from college, or in graduate programs and my mom is happy and thriving. Her cancer therapy group actually has helped heal her spirit and it's almost like the surgeries also cut away part of her emotional pain. My husband is thousand times more awesome than any partner that I could have imagined. I am still in disbelief and gratefulness that I am going to medical school and where I am in my life today. This was post longer than I intended but I hope this will inspire others to fight through the roadblocks, be it self created or environmental. Be open to asking for help and receptive of advice given, even if you don't necessarily agree with it. I think providing the best quality of patient care takes a great team even if you're already an good doctor and it's the same in life. I would not have made it to where I am today with out the genuine support I've had from a few counselors, friends, and loved ones. Struggles and failures are a very candid and harsh way to learn about yourself and find strength you never even knew you had. It's okay to doubt yourself. It's natural. You just have to know that what you want is worth all the doubt and anxiety, that nothing else that can make you as fulfilled, and after all is said and done you know you'll be an amazing doctor.


Best of luck everyone.

Your story made me cry. Thank you for sharing. I'm supporting my families and siblings as well. Eventhough I don't have it hard like you, I understand where you're coming from. Please love your husband as much as you can. He's a genuinely a good person for you. Never let him forget how much you appreciate him.

 

[Indianarn]

Your story made me cry. Thank you for sharing. I'm supporting my families and siblings as well. Eventhough I don't have it hard like you, I understand where you're coming from. Please love your husband as much as you can. He's a genuinely a good person for you. Never let him forget how much you appreciate him.

Very well said.

 

[miss x]

What a great idea for a thread! I'll share my story too, and hopefully we can bolster the spirits of our fellow pre-meds...

My story starts in 1993, when I told my parents and my guidance counselor that I wanted to be a doctor. My GC told me that I didn't really have a chance at that, and my dad told me that he didn't think I'd complete that course of study because it was long and difficult. Discouraged, but still wanting to try, I went to college right after high school in 1995, but left after just one semester. I tried to transfer to another school, but that didn't pan out. Six months later I was living with my boyfriend and found myself pregnant out of wedlock.

With this new complication, I worked crappy jobs, supported my family, and married my boyfriend. Five years later in 1999 I enrolled in a local community college and started taking classes with the sole purpose of just getting a degree so I could better support my family. My marriage fell apart, we separated, and I withdrew from school.

Five years later, in 2005, I married a wonderful man who was employed at a local college, so I started taking classes again with some nice education benefits that made the whole thing affordable. With a full time job and a small child, I majored in Public Service because the classes were offered at night, online, and on weekends. Everything was going great, and I was set to graduate in April 2011. Then, in January 2010, I met someone through one of my campus groups that was doing a post-bac pre-med certificate and I became intensely jealous. At my school, all the sciences were offered during the day, so there was no way I could pursue this course of study. Ah well. I enjoyed public service, and the idea that I would be giving something back to my community.

Fast forward a few months, and I am laid off from my job in September with just 8 months to go until graduation. The whole country is in the middle of a recession and unemployment is high so the benefits have been extended and you can usually ride it out for 2 years. I figure I can just ride it out to graduation and then get a job in my field. I decide to pursue an internship in public service now that I have time during the day and can take something with a local agency or government. I get an internship, but it's pretty dreadful and I'm lost in a cube-farm, filling out spreadsheets, dreaming of actually making a difference while not really having an impact.

One morning I wake up and realize that losing my job is a great opportunity to rexamine my career goals and figure out what I really want to do with my life. I am reminded of my long-ago dream of being a doctor and suddenly realize that I can now take those sciences that are only offered during the day. I have time to pursue my options, so I meet with the Pre-Med Advisor and we discuss a plan to get me "application ready". She thinks I stand a good chance, so I enroll in the basics and start trying to figure out shadowing, research, volunteering, and meaningful EC's. I already had quite a few leadership experiences on campus, and my grades were stellar at this point so I figure I had a good "buffer" in case the sciences didn't pan out.

My journey took me through many different setbacks, losing my unemployment benefits when I left the paid internship, having to take loans for the first time in ten years, custody battles, legal troubles, a "D" in Orgo2, and having to work harder than I ever had before. It was a shocking realization after having a 4.0 for my public service degree and only working just a little hard at it...

However, the key to my success was not in being naturally brilliant - but in being willing to work like a dog and never give up. I retook Orgo 1 and Orgo 2. And while I never really "got it" I did begin to appreciate the complexity of the stubject and the complicated logic with which it operated. I took an entry-level job in a hospital as a transporter because I had no healthcare experience and figured that would be a good way to begin to figure out if I even liked working with patients or in a hospital setting. I applied to work in a research lab with no bench experience but a willingness to take out biohazard or rack tubes if necessary. I asked all my family members if they knew any doctors which I could shadow, and became a certified EMT and volunteered with a local ambulance company.

It took me three years to get my CV in order, to finish my pre-requisites, and to build relationships with the right faculty so I could have all the LOR that I needed. I even became an undergraduate teaching assistant in order to get one! I worked 70-80 hours a week between the hospital, the lab, classes, studying, and volunteering. I saw my family in between all these activities, and tried to make time to watch tv and take naps. I took my MCAT in April 2013, applied July 15 to ten different schools all over the country, and graduated with two bachelor's degrees in August 2013.

I got my first rejection September 7th, my first interview invite September 8th, and my first acceptance September 23rd. I went on to receive (so far) a total of 4 interview invites, of which I attended two, and received a total of 2 acceptances. At this point, I have been accepted by KYCOM and VCOM and have decided to attend VCOM. I begin med school in July 2014 - 19 years after graduating high school and 21 years after first thinking I wanted to be a doctor. I realize now that the 17-year old child who's dad told her she "probably wouldn't do that" was most likely not ready to do all the things necessary to be a doctor, but the 36 year old who's heading down to Blacksburg in July most certainly is.

If you really, absolutely, positively, want to be a doctor and you are willing to put in the work, day after tireless day, and you don't give up, not for longer than five minutes anyways, you can do it. Maybe you'll face setbacks, maybe you'll have to wait until the "right time" for you, but if you really want to do this, then nothing can stand in your way.

3.73GPA, 3.4sGPA, 28 MCAT

Thank you so much for these stories. I never thought I was intelligent enough to be a doctor, despite being the top in my class from grade school and in college, as an English Honors student. I spent too many years letting the sciences and algebra grades discourage me, perhaps. I am the type that needs to know how and why things are, and not just memorize for tests.

There were times I was in college and my job changed the work hours unexpectedly and I had to choose between work or school. I worked 11pm- 7 am at a job, getting there and to school by bus!

My grandma studied medicine on her own and wanted to be a physician. People would come to her with all their medical issues and our family doctor loved her. I am debating between nursing RN (I am currently a Pre-Nursing student) or just going for med school!

 

[Indianarn]

Thank you so much for these stories. I never thought I was intelligent enough to be a doctor, despite being the top in my class from grade school and in college, as an English Honors student. I spent too many years letting the sciences and algebra grades discourage me, perhaps. I am the type that needs to know how and why things are, and not just memorize for tests.

There were times I was in college and my job changed the work hours unexpectedly and I had to choose between work or school. I worked 11pm- 7 am at a job, getting there and to school by bus!

My grandma studied medicine on her own and wanted to be a physician. People would come to her with all their medical issues and our family doctor loved her. I am debating between nursing RN (I am currently a Pre-Nursing student) or just going for med school!

Nice to see the stories have at least unveiled some hidden desires from deep inside your heart. In my humble opinion, go for your ultimate love. Looks like you are a non-traditional student as I am. I would do everything that would ultimately get me into medical school. If you think being a nurse will give you experience that will help you getting to know medical field form inside out and then also help you be an excellent candidate for Med school and you have the time to do it. I would do that, if not then get your pre-reqs done and try for med school. Don't estimate yourself. You can do it. God bless you.

 

[miss x]

Thank you so much for the encouragement!

 

[Indianarn]

Thank you so much for the encouragement! Yes, am a current 'non-traditional' student, 3.5 GPA in nursing coursework. Doing the pre-reqs, which are the same as for med school here, next semester, summer. I worked in a medical facility years ago when I first returned to college, pushing 225 lb. food trays up 3 floors, never sat down once in the 8 hour shifts, and loved the work. I have decided I will try and at least test for med school entry. At least then you can say you tried and gave it your all ! Congratulations on your acceptance! My cousin-in-law, who now works for Baylor, made it through and graduated med school in 2000, the same month that his first child was born.

Keep it up miss. God bless you.

 

[notarealpremed]

Longtime lurker here. SDN has been overall a very positive and informative experience. Even the neuroses of the younger pre-meds accurately reflects of some of my classmates so hopefully my story will add to the milieu of SDN.


I am the oldest of four from an extremely abusive household with a violent alcoholic father and a depressed mother yet managed to attend a top 25 college. I had a very nurturing maternal grandmother who unfortunately passed before I was 15. My father had an affair and left the family when I was in the second year of college. By then, my mother was unable to work because of a long term illness and my youngest sibling was 10. Luckily I had decided to obtain an EMT license so I worked as an EMT / tutor / babysitter as a full time student in order to support my family. It's not too hard to guess that I almost failed out of college. I was so broken and lost I actually overslept for a final and didn't turn in a final lab report for another class EVEN THOUGH I HAD FINISHED IT. For some reason, I could not walk the to the class and drop off the notebook. After a year of struggling to even pass my classes, I went to my college counselor thinking my life was over.


For a state school with little resources and very unforgiving faculty, this one woman managed to convince me that I was doing the right thing. She also said I needed to take some time off and helped me get a leave of absence while eliminating a quarter of classes from my records due to extenuating circumstances. By now my mother had filed for divorce and my father had arrived at the home with a gun threatening to kill her since she changed the locks. There were multiple police reports and documentation at this point to corroborate my story. The second hardest thing I had to do was walk away from being a college student.


I was able to get a few years of working with patients directly at a clinic and ended up falling in love with the profession of medicine. I eventually transitioned to a full time private tutor because it paid five times as much. It was interesting driving to these giant mansions in my old clunker and hearing my students just be absolutely miserable with their lives because their parents were thoughtless enough to not give them the sports car they wanted for getting their learners permit. It was cute because they asked me about how long my housekeeper had been cleaning my place and advised me to get a new car because any car over 5 years is very old. They genuinely cared about me and I them so I never really shared my circumstances. I was just trying to help my family survive at this point and emotionally heal. It was in the middle of this that I met the man who would become my husband. I had the audacity to tell him on our third date (that I had been pushing off for weeks) that he would not come first and my priority was helping my family. He was smitten enough to move in with me three months later and supported and help care for my younger siblings while working full time. Slowly, I healed. I stopped crying in the shower nightly where nobody could see how the pressure and stress was getting to me.


One by one, my siblings graduated and went to college. I was vigilant about their studies but I think they felt guilty that I was working so hard so they were very self motivated. Since my father is wealthy, he was obligated to pay child and spousal support but found every way to avoid it. He had already stopped paying spousal support but we were living paycheck to paycheck so we couldn't afford to bring anything to the courts. He is self employed and began to take only cash payments claiming he had no income. He even moved out of the country for a few years so he could avoid paying support. It was impossible for my siblings to obtain any financial aid since my dad refused to support or assist in FAFSA. My husband and I worked and helped out my siblings attending college financially and cared for my mom and the youngest. At this point, I thought my dream of attending medical school was over. I had been told my entire life by my father that I would end up a failure, and my current situation seemed to reflect that.


The hardest part was re-enrolling in college. It was almost 7 years before I could even step foot near the campus without wanting to hurl. Every stately building, every eager young college student was a reflection of a bright future I would never have. My friends all were getting established in their careers or were finishing professional school and I....was a college dropout. I took a weird route to regain my courage. My husband has always been convinced I was the most intelligent capable and kind woman that he's ever met so he was always encouraging me to follow my dreams of being a doctor. He finally convinced me to take the MCAT and study on my own to see objectively where I would stand. I spent a few months diligently doing passages and also taking as many AP chemistry, physics and biology students I could fit in my schedule (They all got a 5 or 4!). I was too nervous to see my results so I made my husband check my scores online while he was at work...Him: Hm, I think it's very good. Me: stop it, you think everything I do is amazing Him: do you want to know your score? Me: No...yes...no! Ummm, fine go look at a top tier medical school and tell me if I beat the average. Him: what's a top medical school? Wait, I can google it. *long pause* yes! Me: Ok, tell me then!


I started crying when I found out it was a 37. That score was what gave me the confidence to go and re-enroll at my university. It still took four attempts over three weeks to even step foot in the counseling office. In the first try, I made it 5 miles to campus before making a u-turn and driving back home. I even walked out after scheduling an appointment. It (college) was a reminder of how terrible my life was at that time. My father had broken my mother emotionally where she would start wailing every few hours and my youngest sibling stopped talking for months. I had thrown myself into one terrible relationship after the next thinking I deserved nothing better and also treating them horribly. The best thing my father ever did was to walk away. We began to see that we weren't horrible useless people but walking through the campus brought back that feeling of utter despair. It turns out the same counselor was there. She didn't remember me or my story but went to her storage/archives to find the re-enrollment agreement that we had signed from long ago. We mapped out what my schedule would need to be to graduate since a lot of requirements had changed for graduation for my major. At the end of our meeting she said very warmly, "welcome back!"


I only had to take year and a half of classes to graduate since barely passing still counted. My husband and I commuted to school and work together. There were weeks where we would leave at 5am and get home at 11pm because of tutoring. A few months in my mom was diagnosed with cancer and I became her primary caretaker. I remember sitting next to her hospital bed after surgery trying to study for an organic lab final the next day. After the final, I drove home, changed her dressings, drained her tubes, and drove to work another three hours. My organic professor was the most unsympathetic individual I have met and I attribute it to his habit of sniffing test tubes before chastising us about our unsuccessful synthesis. The other professors, however were incredibly supportive and one let me take a quiz the next day because I got a call about the diagnosis during class and had to leave. I managed to make almost straight As in all my classes - organic labs were Bs. It took me years but I finally finished!


My LizzieM score must be atrocious. I told my husband never to tell me the number. Part of what helped my anxiety of the application process was refusing to look at my cumulative GPA and having my husband put in the grades for me. He hates the AMCAS interface. I had to find professors I worked with over ten years ago to ask them for a letter of recommendation and my supervisor who I hadn't spoken to in five years. They remembered me and were so kind in taking the time to immediately submit a letter of reference. I asked every professor/TA in every class that I took in the past year and a half for a letter and only 2 even responded. Fortunately it was one non science and one non science professor and all I needed. I spent three months writing / rewriting my personal statement because I knew it was the only way an admissions committee member would warrant me another look. I spent just as much effort in writing my secondaries and I applied to a few dozen schools. I knew any chance of getting an interview depended on the personality of the individual reviewing my application. Stats-wise I knew my grades were a huge obstacle so I held little hope. The only reason I applied before taking a post bacc program is that my husband encouraged me to go for it and warned my MCAT score would otherwise expire. I practiced and read interview questions but I was pretty confident that I would do well if given the opportunity to interview. It's not as stressful as making a speech in front of a judge to request a restraining order against your father who is accusing you of being unstable liar and knowing if you failed, he would easily beat you or your mother to a pulp before the police arrive. I received two II and was accepted a month ago. The last II came after my acceptance and I prefer the school that I've been admitted to so I declined.


I am a happily married 32 yo woman looking forward to the process of becoming an MD at a pretty decent school. My siblings are either in the process of graduating from college, or in graduate programs and my mom is happy and thriving. Her cancer therapy group actually has helped heal her spirit and it's almost like the surgeries also cut away part of her emotional pain. My husband is thousand times more awesome than any partner that I could have imagined. I am still in disbelief and gratefulness that I am going to medical school and where I am in my life today. This was post longer than I intended but I hope this will inspire others to fight through the roadblocks, be it self created or environmental. Be open to asking for help and receptive of advice given, even if you don't necessarily agree with it. I think providing the best quality of patient care takes a great team even if you're already an good doctor and it's the same in life. I would not have made it to where I am today with out the genuine support I've had from a few counselors, friends, and loved ones. Struggles and failures are a very candid and harsh way to learn about yourself and find strength you never even knew you had. It's okay to doubt yourself. It's natural. You just have to know that what you want is worth all the doubt and anxiety, that nothing else that can make you as fulfilled, and after all is said and done you know you'll be an amazing doctor.


Best of luck everyone.

Wow what a moving story. Im a background lurker of SDN. never really believed I could do it... still not sure I can to be honest. but stories like these help me to keep my heart and mind open. Im a 28 year old nontraditional URM currently working in IT, whilst chipping away at my 1st UG. Concentration in Bio. 3.54 GPA, taking practice MCATs... highest so far was a 20 without any prior studying. I have been studying steadily since January. Decided to pick up with Kaplan because of my fears. Currently taking Biochem, Orgo II, Orgo II lab, and a Bioseminar course, while working fulltime 40-50 hour weeks and was recently promoted to upper management IT position. thats a pretty full schedule and I have been worried I will screw this up somehow. ECs = i worked at hospital (in IT) for a year and got to know the nurses, staff, and docs pretty well. I always had an interest in medicine but it really grew into me at this time. I would have stayed on if the hospital didnt go under. I tried to get back into it by volunteering at a different hospital nearby but between work, commuting, and class it was near impossible.

Basically I just wanted to say thank you to all the nontrad's posting in this thread. Without these little golden tidbits, I might have no hope at all!

 

[Indianarn]

Wow what a moving story. Im a background lurker of SDN. never really believed I could do it... still not sure I can to be honest. but stories like these help me to keep my heart and mind open. Im a 28 year old nontraditional URM currently working in IT, whilst chipping away at my 1st UG. Concentration in Bio. 3.54 GPA, taking practice MCATs... highest so far was a 20 without any prior studying. I have been studying steadily since January. Decided to pick up with Kaplan because of my fears. Currently taking Biochem, Orgo II, Orgo II lab, and a Bioseminar course, while working fulltime 40-50 hour weeks and was recently promoted to upper management IT position. thats a pretty full schedule and I have been worried I will screw this up somehow. ECs = i worked at hospital (in IT) for a year and got to know the nurses, staff, and docs pretty well. I always had an interest in medicine but it really grew into me at this time. I would have stayed on if the hospital didnt go under. I tried to get back into it by volunteering at a different hospital nearby but between work, commuting, and class it was near impossible.

Basically I just wanted to say thank you to all the nontrad's posting in this thread. Without these little golden tidbits, I might have no hope at all!

Very happy to hear to are continuing and keeping it up. You are doing the right thing. Try and find some way for some volunteering, even if its one hour a week or so. It will add up in the end.

 

[Esquire]

.

 

[Indianarn]

OP,

You should figure out why you got a low MCAT score and a couple of failed RN boards. Identify your mistakes and make the necessary improvements before med school, and the accompanying **** storm, starts. It is just the beginning of many challenges, and no matter what DO schools publish, quite a few students don't make it between the end of first semester and boards. Good luck!

Yea but the main thing is not to give up and continue working toward the main goal.

 

[Indianarn]

Hi everyone, I was in Middlesboro KY to see a house. Got the house. I am so excited. My family was there and loved the area. They all seem to be so happy. I tell you the feeling you get when you know the dreams area actually coming true. They are out of the world.

 

[malaika]

Hi everyone, I was in Middlesboro KY to see a house. Got the house. I am so excited. My family was there and loved the area. They all seem to be so happy. I tell you the feeling you get when you know the dreams area actually coming true. They are out of the world.

I am so happy for you that your dreams are finally coming true. My dreams have come through as well.

 

[Indianarn]

I am so happy for you that your dreams are finally coming true. My dreams have come through as well.

Very Happy for you as well.

 

[Indianarn]

Hi thanks all for taking out time and reading. Would appreciate more stories.

 

[Indianarn]

Thanks for the tip gonnif.

 

[Indianarn]

.

 

[2Pints]

Thank you so much for these stories. I never thought I was intelligent enough to be a doctor, despite being the top in my class from grade school and in college, as an English Honors student. I spent too many years letting the sciences and algebra grades discourage me, perhaps. I am the type that needs to know how and why things are, and not just memorize for tests.

There were times I was in college and my job changed the work hours unexpectedly and I had to choose between work or school. I worked 11pm- 7 am at a job, getting there and to school by bus!

My grandma studied medicine on her own and wanted to be a physician. People would come to her with all their medical issues and our family doctor loved her. I am debating between nursing RN (I am currently a Pre-Nursing student) or just going for med school!

As a nurse for the past 2.5 years, really look at what you want to accomplish in healthcare. If you have no clue try shadowing more or working in the clinical environment. There is a reason why medical schools require that. I went to a second degree nursing program with several people in my class that had been pre-meds like me. Some people realized becoming a doctor wasn't "worth it" and others couldn't get in. I'm grateful for my experience nursing because I have a clearer idea of how I want to practice medicine but if you think you'll regret not going to medical school, then apply as soon as your application is strong enough. My classmates from my first degree are finishing up residencies and I'm struggling through the application process while working a two jobs, volunteering, yada yada. That's my 2 cents.