Hello Everyone!
This forum has been incredibly helpful in giving me some insights into the med school process for individuals like me, but there's definitely an overwhelming amount information. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post but it seems like additional context usually helps, and I have never shared any of this with anyone besides family.
I'm hoping to get some advice on pursuing medical school, since my path has been anything but traditional. I come from a low-income, single-parent minority background in the South, and started working as a mechanic at 14 to help support my family. By high school graduation, despite strong academics (32 ACT, 3.98 GPA), I was convinced I'd continue being a mechanic. However, life took an unexpected turn when my undocumented older sibling entered university. Through a pure luck, we learned my full-ride scholarship and financial aid could help cover their tuition too. They ended up submitting my college application, and I somewhat randomly chose chemistry as my major.
My journey into healthcare began during sophomore year when a friend suggested we become EMTs, since his dad who worked at the tech school offered to help secure financial aid. While he dropped out, I found my calling. After acing the NREMT, I was immediately hired by a 911 service covering both rural and urban communities. Then COVID hit, and everything changed. We lost about a third of our staff, and suddenly I found myself handling calls way beyond my scope - running traumas, reading EKGs, and performing ACLS as a new EMT. It was terrifying and exciting all at once. Even years later, certain calls still haunt me, making me wonder if knowing more could have changed the outcome. These experiences first planted the idea of pursuing medicine.
Throughout college, I balanced full-time EMT work, part-time mechanic work, and firefighting at a rural department. I also witnessed the toll of first responder life, losing close colleagues to overdose and mental health struggles. This led me to transition to hospital lab work, where I had my first opportunity to shadow physicians and really explore healthcare from different angles. I graduated with a 2.99 cGPA - far from competitive for medical school, but something I was initially proud of given my 60+ hour work weeks.
By the time I had graduated, my sibling had graduated with a MS from a T10 research school and had a job that could support our family. They encouraged me to continue to look at other options, and I ended up lucking out and getting a research technician job at a T5 research school with a solid salary across the country. The job was in the CT surgery department under a new PI. What I didn't know, was that I would be responsible for starting the lab from the ground up. I have since taught myself a variety of basic science assays and techniques, submitted 2 R01's by myself, acquired about 1.2M in funding, mentored a half dozen undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, and have created 3 new heart/lung transplant techniques one of which just got accepted to Nature with me as a co-first author. I have a few first author papers in a journal (IF 8) and a dozen other publications I'm listed on (IF ~5). I have been invited to give lectures, and have attended several international conferences to deliver presentations on our work.
As far as my clinical experience shadowing physicians, I have at least 500 hours with cardiac and thoracic surgeons, and then another 500 between pulmonologists, cardiologists, hematologists, NPs/PAs, and transplant immunologists. I also personally help perform large animals surgeries, run a CPB system, and have procured human organs over a dozen times as a first assist.
While I've fallen in love with research, my extensive clinical experiences and working with residents, medical students, and physicians over these years have only strengthened my desire to become a physician. I know my undergraduate GPA is a massive hurdle, but I'm hoping my unique journey might offer a different perspective on my potential. I have been offered a PhD position in our department that they will allow me to complete in 3 years. I am considering taking this option, but I am unsure if this would actually help me in getting a med school admission. I don't know if taking additional courses through the PhD to bolster my GPA would be worthwhile or If I should look into a SMP or Post-Bacc somewhere else.
Again, I apologize for the lengthy post but I just hope my poor GPA doesn't prompt individuals to think I am lazy or unmotivated. I don't know where to start and majority of my colleagues have not been in similar situations. I would deeply appreciate any advice on how to move forward, especially from those who might have overcome similar academic challenges. Thank you in advance!
This forum has been incredibly helpful in giving me some insights into the med school process for individuals like me, but there's definitely an overwhelming amount information. I apologize in advance for the lengthy post but it seems like additional context usually helps, and I have never shared any of this with anyone besides family.
I'm hoping to get some advice on pursuing medical school, since my path has been anything but traditional. I come from a low-income, single-parent minority background in the South, and started working as a mechanic at 14 to help support my family. By high school graduation, despite strong academics (32 ACT, 3.98 GPA), I was convinced I'd continue being a mechanic. However, life took an unexpected turn when my undocumented older sibling entered university. Through a pure luck, we learned my full-ride scholarship and financial aid could help cover their tuition too. They ended up submitting my college application, and I somewhat randomly chose chemistry as my major.
My journey into healthcare began during sophomore year when a friend suggested we become EMTs, since his dad who worked at the tech school offered to help secure financial aid. While he dropped out, I found my calling. After acing the NREMT, I was immediately hired by a 911 service covering both rural and urban communities. Then COVID hit, and everything changed. We lost about a third of our staff, and suddenly I found myself handling calls way beyond my scope - running traumas, reading EKGs, and performing ACLS as a new EMT. It was terrifying and exciting all at once. Even years later, certain calls still haunt me, making me wonder if knowing more could have changed the outcome. These experiences first planted the idea of pursuing medicine.
Throughout college, I balanced full-time EMT work, part-time mechanic work, and firefighting at a rural department. I also witnessed the toll of first responder life, losing close colleagues to overdose and mental health struggles. This led me to transition to hospital lab work, where I had my first opportunity to shadow physicians and really explore healthcare from different angles. I graduated with a 2.99 cGPA - far from competitive for medical school, but something I was initially proud of given my 60+ hour work weeks.
By the time I had graduated, my sibling had graduated with a MS from a T10 research school and had a job that could support our family. They encouraged me to continue to look at other options, and I ended up lucking out and getting a research technician job at a T5 research school with a solid salary across the country. The job was in the CT surgery department under a new PI. What I didn't know, was that I would be responsible for starting the lab from the ground up. I have since taught myself a variety of basic science assays and techniques, submitted 2 R01's by myself, acquired about 1.2M in funding, mentored a half dozen undergraduate, graduate, and medical students, and have created 3 new heart/lung transplant techniques one of which just got accepted to Nature with me as a co-first author. I have a few first author papers in a journal (IF 8) and a dozen other publications I'm listed on (IF ~5). I have been invited to give lectures, and have attended several international conferences to deliver presentations on our work.
As far as my clinical experience shadowing physicians, I have at least 500 hours with cardiac and thoracic surgeons, and then another 500 between pulmonologists, cardiologists, hematologists, NPs/PAs, and transplant immunologists. I also personally help perform large animals surgeries, run a CPB system, and have procured human organs over a dozen times as a first assist.
While I've fallen in love with research, my extensive clinical experiences and working with residents, medical students, and physicians over these years have only strengthened my desire to become a physician. I know my undergraduate GPA is a massive hurdle, but I'm hoping my unique journey might offer a different perspective on my potential. I have been offered a PhD position in our department that they will allow me to complete in 3 years. I am considering taking this option, but I am unsure if this would actually help me in getting a med school admission. I don't know if taking additional courses through the PhD to bolster my GPA would be worthwhile or If I should look into a SMP or Post-Bacc somewhere else.
Again, I apologize for the lengthy post but I just hope my poor GPA doesn't prompt individuals to think I am lazy or unmotivated. I don't know where to start and majority of my colleagues have not been in similar situations. I would deeply appreciate any advice on how to move forward, especially from those who might have overcome similar academic challenges. Thank you in advance!
