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I still have a few questions for which I cannot find answers on this forum. They are mostly particular to my personal situation, though. I appreciate any advice!
BACKGROUND:
Undergraduate (2009-2013)
B.S. biology
B.A. history (not earned, lacking 1 lower division class)
cGPA: 3.47
SGPA: ~3.0 (not 2.xx)
Classes: ochem, biochem, upper division bio, biostat
GPA trend: fluctuating (up, down, up, down, etc.)
GPA distribution: Bs in science, As in non-science (few exceptions)
Dual credit (2007-2009)
cGPA: 3.95
sGPA: ~3.9
Classes: bio, gen chen, physics, calculus
GPA trend: all As except one B
Applied TMDSAS for 2014 matriculation (calculated cGPA ~3.6, sGPA ~3.2)
Never applied AMCAS
Never applied AACOMAS
ECs: negligible
Hospital volunteering (4 hrs/week, 2011-2012)
Volunteer tutoring (3 hr/week, 2011-2012)
Undergraduate student researcher (20 hrs/week, fall 2009, quit b/c lazy)
Summer student in a lab (40 hr/week, summer 2008 & summer 2009)
No shadowing
[Paid] Tutoring high school kids (30-35 hrs/week, 2013-present)
[Paid] Tutoring preschool - middle school kids (15-20 hrs/week, 2011-2012)
EMT-B: finished program, opted not to take NREMT (physical inadequacy. Hit the gym shortly after completing program, will retry when I can squat and deadlift ~200 lbs. Never tried benching, nobody to spot me, don't want to hurt/kill myself)
MCAT: downward trend, didn't study
April 2011 - 29T
August 2011 - 26R
GRE: 164 quant (88th percentile)/159 verbal (81st percentile)/6.0 writing (99th percentile)
Will retake spring 2015
SAT (if it matters): 2240
Backup plan: M.S. statistics (favorable prospects after talking to admissions)
If GPA is 4.0 and I make good connections --> Ph.D business analytics
If GPA is not 4.0 --> get a job
Why I was a bad student: lazy and immature. Some family problems.
How I fixed it: Larger financial independence (dad still pays for health/car insurance). Although I still live at home, I rent a room on the side. It gives me peace of mind, since I no longer have crippling anxiety attacks every time my dad comes near me. Knowing I have a safe place to go when things get scary has helped SO. INCREDIBLY. MUCH.
QUESTIONS:
1a. Am I competitive for SMPs? I am looking at Georgetown, NYMC, UCincinnati, BU, and iffy about Johns Hopkins HSI -- aiming for 2015 matriculation. It seems that the people that are self-reporting acceptance on SDN have GPAs and MCATs above mine, and significantly more ECs. The reason I ask is because my plans for spring 2015 are contingent on the likelihood of SMP acceptance.
Likely --> prep for medical (pay for Princeton Review MCAT prep, shadow, clinical volunteering)
Not likely --> prep for backup plan (relearn calculus, teach myself Python, take linear algebra at cc, study for GRE/GMAT, etc.)
1b. What other SMPs are recommended? The stuff I see about Drexel dilution is scaring me, and I don't even qualify for EVMS because my MCATs are too old. I'm having a hard time forming an impression about the other SMPs that are not listed above, because the threads here seem to go both ways.
2. Does it matter if I do research vs. get a non-clinically related job during the glide year? I should be applying for med schools at the same time I graduate from the SMP, so the research won't even make it onto the application. Assuming I can get a job that pays more than a laboratory, wouldn't it be better to start chipping away at that ~60k debt from the SMP? Also, the impression I got from UT Southwestern (psychiatry, anyways) is that it takes years to get any meaningful results. What's the point of doing what is clearly a last-ditch research effort, when medical schools favor consistency and results vs. busy work?
3. Assuming I get shadowing/volunteering done during spring 2015 and the glide year, will I have enough ECs to be competitive for med schools? Does the inconsistency of it hurt me?
4. Can I get into SMP with substandard LORs? One of the reasons I need the SMP is for those letters. I never spoke up and never visited my professors. Additionally, the majority of my biology classes were taken freshman/sophomore year, and the majority of my history classes were taken junior/senior year. I doubt anybody remembers me and/or will write me a good letter.
5a. Are my prereqs too old? If I matriculate into the SMP in 2015, I will apply in 2016 and matriculate in 2017. I began taking the prerequs (bio, gen chem, physics, etc.) in 2007 at the dual credit program. That's a decade apart. Will that disqualify me from admittance into med school?
5b. If so, what are my options? 2007 is recent enough that it also disqualifies me from the post-baccs for career changers (I called and asked admissions, so I'm sure about this).
6. Which of these alternatives is the better idea and/or which one(s) is/are a horrifically bad idea?
- Spend the next 10-20 years gaining financial stability (aforementioned backup plan), pay for a career changer post-bacc, and try again.
- Take out an ungodly amount of loans to retake all the upper division bio classes and apply for D.O. schools
Thanks in advance for any answers.
BACKGROUND:
Undergraduate (2009-2013)
B.S. biology
B.A. history (not earned, lacking 1 lower division class)
cGPA: 3.47
SGPA: ~3.0 (not 2.xx)
Classes: ochem, biochem, upper division bio, biostat
GPA trend: fluctuating (up, down, up, down, etc.)
GPA distribution: Bs in science, As in non-science (few exceptions)
Dual credit (2007-2009)
cGPA: 3.95
sGPA: ~3.9
Classes: bio, gen chen, physics, calculus
GPA trend: all As except one B
Applied TMDSAS for 2014 matriculation (calculated cGPA ~3.6, sGPA ~3.2)
Never applied AMCAS
Never applied AACOMAS
ECs: negligible
Hospital volunteering (4 hrs/week, 2011-2012)
Volunteer tutoring (3 hr/week, 2011-2012)
Undergraduate student researcher (20 hrs/week, fall 2009, quit b/c lazy)
Summer student in a lab (40 hr/week, summer 2008 & summer 2009)
No shadowing
[Paid] Tutoring high school kids (30-35 hrs/week, 2013-present)
[Paid] Tutoring preschool - middle school kids (15-20 hrs/week, 2011-2012)
EMT-B: finished program, opted not to take NREMT (physical inadequacy. Hit the gym shortly after completing program, will retry when I can squat and deadlift ~200 lbs. Never tried benching, nobody to spot me, don't want to hurt/kill myself)
MCAT: downward trend, didn't study
April 2011 - 29T
August 2011 - 26R
GRE: 164 quant (88th percentile)/159 verbal (81st percentile)/6.0 writing (99th percentile)
Will retake spring 2015
SAT (if it matters): 2240
Backup plan: M.S. statistics (favorable prospects after talking to admissions)
If GPA is 4.0 and I make good connections --> Ph.D business analytics
If GPA is not 4.0 --> get a job
Why I was a bad student: lazy and immature. Some family problems.
How I fixed it: Larger financial independence (dad still pays for health/car insurance). Although I still live at home, I rent a room on the side. It gives me peace of mind, since I no longer have crippling anxiety attacks every time my dad comes near me. Knowing I have a safe place to go when things get scary has helped SO. INCREDIBLY. MUCH.
QUESTIONS:
1a. Am I competitive for SMPs? I am looking at Georgetown, NYMC, UCincinnati, BU, and iffy about Johns Hopkins HSI -- aiming for 2015 matriculation. It seems that the people that are self-reporting acceptance on SDN have GPAs and MCATs above mine, and significantly more ECs. The reason I ask is because my plans for spring 2015 are contingent on the likelihood of SMP acceptance.
Likely --> prep for medical (pay for Princeton Review MCAT prep, shadow, clinical volunteering)
Not likely --> prep for backup plan (relearn calculus, teach myself Python, take linear algebra at cc, study for GRE/GMAT, etc.)
1b. What other SMPs are recommended? The stuff I see about Drexel dilution is scaring me, and I don't even qualify for EVMS because my MCATs are too old. I'm having a hard time forming an impression about the other SMPs that are not listed above, because the threads here seem to go both ways.
2. Does it matter if I do research vs. get a non-clinically related job during the glide year? I should be applying for med schools at the same time I graduate from the SMP, so the research won't even make it onto the application. Assuming I can get a job that pays more than a laboratory, wouldn't it be better to start chipping away at that ~60k debt from the SMP? Also, the impression I got from UT Southwestern (psychiatry, anyways) is that it takes years to get any meaningful results. What's the point of doing what is clearly a last-ditch research effort, when medical schools favor consistency and results vs. busy work?
3. Assuming I get shadowing/volunteering done during spring 2015 and the glide year, will I have enough ECs to be competitive for med schools? Does the inconsistency of it hurt me?
4. Can I get into SMP with substandard LORs? One of the reasons I need the SMP is for those letters. I never spoke up and never visited my professors. Additionally, the majority of my biology classes were taken freshman/sophomore year, and the majority of my history classes were taken junior/senior year. I doubt anybody remembers me and/or will write me a good letter.
5a. Are my prereqs too old? If I matriculate into the SMP in 2015, I will apply in 2016 and matriculate in 2017. I began taking the prerequs (bio, gen chem, physics, etc.) in 2007 at the dual credit program. That's a decade apart. Will that disqualify me from admittance into med school?
5b. If so, what are my options? 2007 is recent enough that it also disqualifies me from the post-baccs for career changers (I called and asked admissions, so I'm sure about this).
6. Which of these alternatives is the better idea and/or which one(s) is/are a horrifically bad idea?
- Spend the next 10-20 years gaining financial stability (aforementioned backup plan), pay for a career changer post-bacc, and try again.
- Take out an ungodly amount of loans to retake all the upper division bio classes and apply for D.O. schools
Thanks in advance for any answers.
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