Suggestions on what to do next - post MS

[christexasam]

Hello y'all, i have been lurking for a few months, and thuroughly enjoy this forum. I am finishing up my Master's in Biological Science this semester, taking the MCAT and applying. However, after conferences with 2 Texas Deans of admissions, I am worried about my chances and therefore need a plan for what to do next.

Let me start with a brief background:
Graduated from a small high school with a good GPA and SAT/ACT
Entered TAMU as a Chemical Engineering Student
Quickly changed majors to Business Administration
Sophomore year I switched to Biomedical Science with dreams of becoming a doctor
Took the MCAT in 2000 and scored a 25
Obviously I was not offered an interview to any Texas medical schools
Graduated in 2002 with an abysmal 2.7 GPA and a minor in business

I had decent clinical experience shadowing numerous physicians in different fields (MD and DO), and some great volunteering and work positions, but I sabotaged myself by not trying hard in school or preparing for the MCAT. Honestly today I can not fathom what was going through my mind. After my lack of interviews I focused on getting out of school and entering the work force and moving on with my life.

I began working for a small company doing business administration, marketing, and IT. My college girlfriend moved in with me and everything was just OK. I always thought about how I let myself down with a general lack of work ethic during my undergraduate career.

Soon afterward we were married and bought a house. I resolved that I was not going to give up perusing a career in medicine and began a Master's program at University of Houston at Clear Lake in Biological Science. I have been attending night classes 6 hours a semester since then. I have dedicated myself to working as hard as possible and over the last three years have earned straight A's with only a single B+ my first semester. I enrolled in the most difficult classes offered: Cancer Biology, Apoptosis, Membrane Physiology, Pathophysiology, Neuroscience etc. Also, during this time we have started a family, I now have two wonderful sons of 22 months and 5 weeks of age (see avatar ). I feel that I am honestly working as hard as I can, and that I have what it takes to succeed in medical school and as a practicing physician.

Currently I am enrolled in 2 classes, working a 40+ hour week and taking Kaplan MCAT preparatory classes on Saturday and Sunday, while managing to be the best father and husband I can. I will graduate this semester with a high 3.9 GPA. My target score for the MCAT is 33-35, but I am weary that I do not have the time to do as well as I could. I have had 2 awesome professors/mentors that I have taken classes continuosly with over the last 2-3 years. They are very promising sources for excelent leters, and both have approached be asking if I would like one.

The admission's people are telling me that the damage is irrepairable and they "don't see me going to medical school in Texas". I now plan on applying to all of the Texas schools and finding 20 or so more schools (MD + DO)around the country that are OOS friendly. However, I would very much like to stay in Texas, as both of our families live here, and we don't want to deprive our kids of grandparents. My third option is SGU.

My question is: What should I be doing this Summer/Fall in case I do not get in? I could take undergrad courses, but I need 90 hours of A work to get my average to a 3.0. I could volunteer/shadow. Or I can relax and just go to SGU if nothing else works out. Whatever I do it has to be in the Houston area as I have a family, house and job that I need to keep for now.

Any suggestions on what to do, or OOS friendly schools that I can give a call would be appreciated. I am waiting for the new MSAR to come out before I make a list.

Thanks

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[kimmcauliffe]

Don't feel alone. There's at least three of these types of posts a week.

Here's a big secret that a lot of people don't know- there are a ton of doctors out there who didn't go to college straight out of high school, nor did they know they wanted to study medicine, nor did they bust their asses for that elusive 4.0. Most people have no idea what they want to do when they first get into college. For the folks that did, good on you. For the folks that didn't, good on you as well.

You'll be more familiar with this the more you read these threads. There are a ton of people out there with less than special MCAT scores and GPAs, and maybe no volunteer experiences, who have been invited for interviews at several schools and being in the fortunate position of having to choose betweeen schools.

There's also people who have 3.9 GPAs and 40+ MCAT scores who haven't got anything to show for it. Most likely because when they got into the interviews, they didn't know how to present themselves, their ideas, thier plans for the future, ect. Who really knows?

The cool thing about being a non-trad like you or I is that we have other experiences beyond that of school. You have a lot more people and school experience than someone who is a traditional student, and that can work in your favor. We also have a scope on things outside of medicine. This is called the 'whole person concept' and schools look for that as well, not just your grades. You can be a straight A student and suck as a doctor because you don't have any people skills.

Bottom line: You'll never know until you try. Your advisors are less familiar with the game than you are, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Your best bet is to talk to people on these boards that have already been through what you're about to deal with.

If I were you, I'd give it a go. Best of luck to you, and make sure you keep us posted on your progress!

 

[christexasam]

I have made up my mind to apply to several schools both MD and DO. I am concerned that if I do not get in I have no other educational programs to enter to improve my app. I can't start a PhD because I need to keep a high paying job and good health insurance (I have IDDM). It is futile to try and boost my undergrad GPA, but I could show a trend, and that now I can handle the classes that I slacked off in 8 years ago.

Maybe the best thing to do would be to do more volunteer work shadowing to boost the other parts of my application.

Thanks for the inspration!

 

[medworm]

I hear U Pitt is non-trad friendly. Definitely apply to Osteopathic schools as well. And enjoy life with your family.

Good luck!

 

[kimmcauliffe]

...but I could show a trend, and that now I can handle the classes that I slacked off in 8 years ago.

Maybe the best thing to do would be to do more volunteer work shadowing to boost the other parts of my application.

Thanks for the inspration!

See? You got the idea.

 

[.edu-MD]

My question is: What should I be doing this Summer/Fall in case I do not get in?

I'm a little confused by your question? I got the impression you have not yet applied (since you talk about aiming for 33-35 on your MCAT, and the 2000 score would be too old?). So that leads me to conclude you won't be applying until this summer/fall (2006). In which case, you have to find something to do anyway.

With a post-bac GPA of ~3.9, I think that would be enough for many schools to overlook your undergrad GPA. But is this through a university or a community college? Mind you, there are schools that will only care about your undergrad GPA or still set UGPA cutoffs so stay away from them. Otherwise, there are plenty of schools out there that your numbers would be competitive for (assuming you can get that MCAT into the low/mid 30s like you want).

I don't know anything about the Texas schools so I can't help you there. But there are dozens of other schools elsewhere in the country. I know you don't want to leave Texas, but that is a decision you will have to make. It's only 4 years and you can always go back for residency. But make sure your entire family is ok with leaving Texas BEFORE you even apply out of state. Because the worst thing would be for y'all to have only one acceptance somewhere where it snows and THEN try to decide if you really should leave Texas.

 

[christexasam]

Yes, I am applying this summer. I am also finishing up my Masters this semester. I talked to the advisor at the universitywhere I'm completing my master's and he is doubtful on a Texas admission also.

The reason I am given time and again is that Texas is competitive, and why would the pick me over someone who has never made a mistake? I hope to resolve this in my written statement, letters of reccomendation and interview, but I understand where they are coming from.

The reason I am asking what to do next is that I only have limited time due to work. I need to bring in a healthy income to support my wife, kids, house, dog, health insurance etc.... I need something I can do on nights and weekends. This rules out programs like Georgetown because I can't go without income for 6+ years.

My hopes are now on out of state DO schools, and Ross and St. George in the carribean. 16 months and $80,000 in the carribean makes more sense to me that taking 90 hrs of undergrad just to improve my chances a little bit. Not to mention it would take 2-3 years to take that many classes.

I hope that I can score a few interviews in Texas, because I really think I am a stronger applicant because of my past mistakes, and if I can get that far I think I will stand a faily good chance at acceptance.

Now it is time to put in a few more hours of MCAT prep....

 

[.edu-MD]

I need something I can do on nights and weekends. This rules out programs like Georgetown because I can't go without income for 6+ years.

You've still got me confused. Med school is 4 years. What is this 6 years you're talking about?

My hopes are now on out of state DO schools, and Ross and St. George in the carribean. 16 months and $80,000 in the carribean makes more sense to me that taking 90 hrs of undergrad just to improve my chances a little bit. Not to mention it would take 2-3 years to take that many classes.

What are you talking about here again? What is 16 months? Why would you go back to undergrad, I thought you're finishing your Masters this semester??

The reason I am asking what to do next is that I only have limited time due to work. I need to bring in a healthy income to support my wife, kids, house, dog, health insurance etc....

I hope you have a financial plan while you're in med school (and during residency)?

I'm getting the impression you could benefit from some solid pre-med counseling. Either that or I'm especially thick-headed today and not understanding your post, and I apologize if that's the case.

 

[christexasam]

I am sorry if I am having a hard time communicating my exact problems, let me take another shot:

You've still got me confused. Med school is 4 years. What is this 6 years you're talking about?

2 years of the Post Bac program + 4 of medicine. I don't believe anyone will loan me the money to support a family + tuition for that long, not even considering residency.

What are you talking about here again? What is 16 months? Why would you go back to undergrad, I thought you're finishing your Masters this semester??

The carribean schools I looked at had 1 months to 2 years in the carribean followed up by clinicals in the states. My biggest issue with the carribean schools is that my family will be coming with me. If it required 4 years in the carribean, I might not consider the option. Also, my oldest son will be starting kindergarden durring my second year, and I would like for him to go to school in the states, as I can not afford the private schools available on the islands.

I hope you have a financial plan while you're in med school (and during residency)??

I will get federal loans for what I can, and the rest will come from family. I married very nicely!

I'm getting the impression you could benefit from some solid pre-med counseling. Either that or I'm especially thick-headed today and not understanding your post, and I apologize if that's the case.

I wish I could find some of this "solid pre-med counseling". The last counselor I saw said "all you need to do is get a master's degree with good grades and you will have no problem getting into medical school". This forum has been the biggest source of info available to me. And I thank you for your replies.

 

[NonTradMed]

Ok, this is to the OP:

I don't know much about the TX system, but it's not true that you can't get into med school because of poor undergrad grades. Since you did so well on your masters and you seem to be aiming very high for your MCAT, you have a very good shot at both DO and MD schools.

I did a brief post-bacc and then a masters and got into my instate MD school. I also did very well on both. I also retook the MCAT until I got a satisfactory score. Now, granted, my undergrad grades were higher than yours and I did it in the engineering school which some schools seems to give leeway in terms of GPA. But I know of a guy in our masters program who had a ~3.1 in business coming out. He aced the MCAT (>30) and got a 3.9 in the masters and got into the local state school. Yes, his undergrad score almost killed his chance but he got in because he showed he was capable of the work load despite dismal performance in college.

I think med schools are smart enough to realize people can change over time and that maturity gained later in life may indicate an ability to do well in med school. As long as you ace the MCAT and do well on your masters, I think you have a shot at both MD and DO schools in this country (maybe not in TX since I don't know the system that well).

Also, you could think about taking 'a few' undergrad courses to prove that you can do the work. I did poorly on orgo in college, so I took biochem in my post-bacc and got an A, that seemed to have ameloriated any worries about my poor orgo grade. Good luck.