UVM Med, non-traditional advice

[Jay26]

Hello,
I am a non-traditional student working my way through my prerequisites after college. My GPA during my undergraduate was a 3.3. Two years after my graduation I have finished 2 semesters of chem and 2 semesters of physics and 2 semesters of Bio with 6 A's (while working full time). I have two semesters of Orgo to go, plus MCATS next spring & I'm taking my paid vacation time (2 weeks a year) to do 2, 2 week shadowing sessions in primary care (plus Sundays I've been shadowing my cousin who is a DO).

I work full time and couldn't afford to do a post-bacc year b/c of student loans so I got a job in a lab of a state university and I'm trying to get the prereqs done by just taking the undergraduate classes (so far so good-I feel that as long as I can get two A's in orgo I will have made up for what is an obvious lack of focus on my undergraduate transcripts).

I have two questions:
First, is it nuts for a non-trad. student like myself to apply to UVM's med. school? I am a VT resident and since graduating I realized that I had wasted my undergraduate years captaining a sports team and not really applying myself or focusing on a career. I'm trying to turn that around b/c after working with my cousin in the ER I am very, very interested in the medical profession and would love nothing more thn to get myself into medical school.

Second, is it better to do 4, 1 week shadowing sessions or 2, 2 week shadowing sessions? I want to do primary care. Also, I was going to do the shadowing with a doctor I know very well, but his colleague graduated from UVM med so would it be better for me to go with his colleague and try and get a reference from a graduate who may not know me as well, or a non-UVM graduate who has known me for a long time?

I'm new to this whole process so any advice or help anyone would care to offer me, especially about getting into UVM medical, I would greatly appreciate.

Thanks,
Jay

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[0919mmk]

Hello,
I am a non-traditional student working my way through my prerequisites after college. My GPA during my undergraduate was a 3.3. Two years after my graduation I have finished 2 semesters of chem and 2 semesters of physics and 2 semesters of Bio with 6 A's (while working full time). I have two semesters of Orgo to go, plus MCATS next spring & I'm taking my paid vacation time (2 weeks a year) to do 2, 2 week shadowing sessions in primary care (plus Sundays I've been shadowing my cousin who is a DO).

I work full time and couldn't afford to do a post-bacc year b/c of student loans so I got a job in a lab of a state university and I'm trying to get the prereqs done by just taking the undergraduate classes (so far so good-I feel that as long as I can get two A's in orgo I will have made up for what is an obvious lack of focus on my undergraduate transcripts).

I have two questions:
First, is it nuts for a non-trad. student like myself to apply to UVM's med. school? I am a VT resident and since graduating I realized that I had wasted my undergraduate years captaining a sports team and not really applying myself or focusing on a career. I'm trying to turn that around b/c after working with my cousin in the ER I am very, very interested in the medical profession and would love nothing more thn to get myself into medical school.

Second, is it better to do 4, 1 week shadowing sessions or 2, 2 week shadowing sessions? I want to do primary care. Also, I was going to do the shadowing with a doctor I know very well, but his colleague graduated from UVM med so would it be better for me to go with his colleague and try and get a reference from a graduate who may not know me as well, or a non-UVM graduate who has known me for a long time?

I'm new to this whole process so any advice or help anyone would care to offer me, especially about getting into UVM medical, I would greatly appreciate.

Thanks,
Jay

Hey man,

No UVM is definitely not out of reach. They are actually pretty open-minded about people showing that they've "turned it around" later in life, from what I've learned. Keep nailing those classes, shoot for >32 on the MCAT, and you have a fighting chance for sure.

 

[Catalystik]

1) I have two questions:
First, is it nuts for a non-trad. student like myself to apply to UVM's med. school? I am a VT resident and since graduating I realized that I had wasted my undergraduate years captaining a sports team and not really applying myself or focusing on a career. I'm trying to turn that around b/c after working with my cousin in the ER I am very, very interested in the medical profession and would love nothing more thn to get myself into medical school.

2) Second, is it better to do 4, 1 week shadowing sessions or 2, 2 week shadowing sessions? I want to do primary care. Also, I was going to do the shadowing with a doctor I know very well, but his colleague graduated from UVM med so would it be better for me to go with his colleague and try and get a reference from a graduate who may not know me as well, or a non-UVM graduate who has known me for a long time?

I'm new to this whole process so any advice or help anyone would care to offer me, especially about getting into UVM medical, I would greatly appreciate.

1) Intercollegiate sports are not a waste, as they help demonstrate that you have teamwork, grit, dedication, and altruism. In your case, you have leadership as well. Unfortuanately the price for you showing these characteristics that are valuable in a physician happens to be lower grades. But your most recent coursework shows that you have the intellectual hoursepower to succeed in med school. I would definitely apply to Vermont if you can get a decent MCAT score and can develop the usual and customary ECs.

2) Why not shadow both? I don't know Vermont's specific policy on requiring an MD LOR, but most MD schools don't regard them. The VM grad would be more likely useful if he/she has maintained close ties to the school and still knows folks in administration they could call on your behalf.

How and when you do the shadowing is not important. You could do a few hours a week over 25 weeks or two intense weeks over school breaks or at the last minute. About 50 total hours is average. And you can include the time done with your DO cousin (but don't get a LOR from a family member).

What you haven't mentioned is clinical experience where you actively engage sick people (rather than passively observe, which is shadowing). How will you get this? Can you volunteer for the ER where you shadow your cousin? Or maybe you could volunteer in your friend's office in some capacity. Most do this for 3-4 hours a week.

BTW, Vermont loves to see service to the community on your application, so try to get some nonmedical community service, too.

 

[gravitywave]

non trad MS-2 @ UVM Med here. Nothing to add to the above responses other than to say that they are spot on.

best of luck.

 

[Jay26]

Thanks so much for the advice. I know the clinical experience is something which I need to develop. My issue is I have a little boy to go home to every night and I attend to my grandmother who lives right down the street every morning for breakfast, (we chat and I make sure she is taking her med's correctly and checking her blood pressure. I've been doing this for a year now and I'll be doing it until I hopefully get into med. school). I know this doesn't substitute for clinical but it does take up all of my other free time. Do you think that will hold me back? Should I be trying to work nights in some clinical capacity as well?

 

[0919mmk]

Gravitywave I had no idea you were @ UVM - that's awesome. Can you get me in? Tell them that I will rock their (socks) off. This is legit one of my top 2

 

[0919mmk]

Thanks so much for the advice. I know the clinical experience is something which I need to develop. My issue is I have a little boy to go home to every night and I attend to my grandmother who lives right down the street every morning for breakfast, (we chat and I make sure she is taking her med's correctly and checking her blood pressure. I've been doing this for a year now and I'll be doing it until I hopefully get into med. school). I know this doesn't substitute for clinical but it does take up all of my other free time. Do you think that will hold me back? Should I be trying to work nights in some clinical capacity as well?

You are spending your time wisely, and adcoms will see that. If you can fit it in at all, even just doing 2 hours a week on the weekends volunteering at a hospital will go a long way towards showing adcoms that you know what a life in medicine is all about.

 

[Catalystik]

Should I be trying to work nights in some clinical capacity as well?

Volunteering would require less of a time commitment than a job. And the logevity of the experience is more important than getting in a lot of hours. Weekend or evening hours might be available in a hospital, hospice, or nursing home.

 

[CougarMD]

Moving to WAMC. Good luck!!