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- Feb 6, 2019
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Premed family! I am hoping to get some advice—Particularly with some suggestions on scope and where I should truly consider applying for the 2024 cycle (school list assistance and overall guidance). While I do feel like I have a good foundation and like my chances for an acceptance somewhere, there is a portion of my application that leads me to have some more questions. I will put my stats/extracurriculars below, but figured it would be best to start with the background question marks in case people don’t want to be bored by a list of things.
I graduated in 2018. Since graduating, I have sustained 3 concussions, which is the reason for the unplanned gap years. First concussion was about 3 weeks before I was slated to take MCAT for the first time. It took me probably 18 months to feel like I was back. Got better and took mcat over first covid summer, and decided to apply super late for a chance to get going. No luck unsurprisingly. I was gearing up to apply for the following cycle, and then was in a car accident and sustained another big concussion. I am still recovering, but have come a long way. Looking at the dates of applying, and the fact that scores are only good within 3 years of matriculation for most schools, I had to sit for the mcat again this summer (2022). Yeehaw. I scored the same which was a relief. My thoughts on the retake are that it hopefully now gives me some more freedom to be more open about the head injuries?
“on the tail end of it, I was still able to achieve this” sort of thing. Thoughts? There has been so much growth and maturing, and countless positive takeaways that will serve me for the rest of my life and throughout my career as a physician. I worry that some schools will write me off due to potential doubts of my ability to handle the rigors of medicine thanks to long lasting cognitive deficits. To paint more of a full picture, stats etc. (more recent) are below.
Demographics
-26 y/o white male. Oregon resident.
Stats/Academics
-GPA: upward trending 3.55 cumulative/3.35 science
-MCAT 2022: 512 (127/129/128/128) 2020: 512 (128/127/128/129)
-Major: chemistry
-Minors: biology, exercise & sports sciences
-Signifying graduate of the college of arts and sciences
-Commencement speaker
Clinical
-~4500 hours of working in a children’s hospital as a therapy aide supporting 50+ outpatient and inpatient providers and clinicians
-460 volunteer hours across PICU, ER, Acute Neurology, Child Development and Rehabilitation
-170 hours shadowing Cardiologist prior to 2018
-140 hours shadowing physical therapist prior to 2018
Research
-1100 hours undergraduate research across 3 years.
-Thesis—Received distinction award
-Various posters and presentations
-Will be starting on a research project in 2 months associated with my current job in pediatrics
Extracurriculars
-Division II soccer until I had a career ending injury junior year.
-350 hours as volunteer coordinator at my school
-Anatomy and Physiology (with cadavers) TA for 2 years (head TA second year)
-~500 hours of tutoring
-2000 hours coaching and running a competitive soccer club
-1200 hours working as training manager for a staff of 150
-~50 hours volunteering/organizing STEM camps
Thank you so much for taking some time to help!
I graduated in 2018. Since graduating, I have sustained 3 concussions, which is the reason for the unplanned gap years. First concussion was about 3 weeks before I was slated to take MCAT for the first time. It took me probably 18 months to feel like I was back. Got better and took mcat over first covid summer, and decided to apply super late for a chance to get going. No luck unsurprisingly. I was gearing up to apply for the following cycle, and then was in a car accident and sustained another big concussion. I am still recovering, but have come a long way. Looking at the dates of applying, and the fact that scores are only good within 3 years of matriculation for most schools, I had to sit for the mcat again this summer (2022). Yeehaw. I scored the same which was a relief. My thoughts on the retake are that it hopefully now gives me some more freedom to be more open about the head injuries?
“on the tail end of it, I was still able to achieve this” sort of thing. Thoughts? There has been so much growth and maturing, and countless positive takeaways that will serve me for the rest of my life and throughout my career as a physician. I worry that some schools will write me off due to potential doubts of my ability to handle the rigors of medicine thanks to long lasting cognitive deficits. To paint more of a full picture, stats etc. (more recent) are below.
Demographics
-26 y/o white male. Oregon resident.
Stats/Academics
-GPA: upward trending 3.55 cumulative/3.35 science
-MCAT 2022: 512 (127/129/128/128) 2020: 512 (128/127/128/129)
-Major: chemistry
-Minors: biology, exercise & sports sciences
-Signifying graduate of the college of arts and sciences
-Commencement speaker
Clinical
-~4500 hours of working in a children’s hospital as a therapy aide supporting 50+ outpatient and inpatient providers and clinicians
-460 volunteer hours across PICU, ER, Acute Neurology, Child Development and Rehabilitation
-170 hours shadowing Cardiologist prior to 2018
-140 hours shadowing physical therapist prior to 2018
Research
-1100 hours undergraduate research across 3 years.
-Thesis—Received distinction award
-Various posters and presentations
-Will be starting on a research project in 2 months associated with my current job in pediatrics
Extracurriculars
-Division II soccer until I had a career ending injury junior year.
-350 hours as volunteer coordinator at my school
-Anatomy and Physiology (with cadavers) TA for 2 years (head TA second year)
-~500 hours of tutoring
-2000 hours coaching and running a competitive soccer club
-1200 hours working as training manager for a staff of 150
-~50 hours volunteering/organizing STEM camps
Thank you so much for taking some time to help!