musciallyqueen
New Member
- Joined
- Jan 22, 2025
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 3
Applying 2025-56 cycle, please give some advices on my school list
GPA 3.95
MCAT: 498 -> 502 (126/123/125/127) CARS sucks (non native English speaker). Not planning to retake MCAT because: financial, don't have time to study for it bc of work so I don't think I will get significant higher score (if not worse). I live with my spouse so taking time off work + making him do everything around the house = I don't want to put that burden on others again.
1 gap year, Southeast Asian (URM or ORM depends on school), permanent resident Ohio
- Circumstance: grew up in poverty (below the poverty line of the country, lived in a 250 sqft house), single a parent household, in a third world country, adversity (physical, emotional abuse and neglect), education was funded by an aunt who lived in the US. Why medicine: Dad had double cancer when I was 8, in my country no money = no treatment, so he got sent home. My first job was selling homework for classmates (to make extra money to help with my dad's treatment). I continued doing so until 12, my dad died because not have enough money to treat (underserved? barrier to healthcare?). When I turned 15, I got an opportunity to study abroad in the US, I hate home (abuse) and I knew it was the only chance for me to escape my mom + potentially change my life forever. First time seeing a physician (except for birth duh) because we were so poor (skills = sleep the sickness away) -for vax paper and health checkup to get a visa.
Entered US as F1 student, lived with host family. COVID hit, and I chose not to go home and stayed with my aunt temporarily, I was half homeless (bc intl students were kicked out of the country during that time so on paper I wasn't with the host family anymore, just no address), jumping between relatives' places in different states until the new school year started and I could live with a new host family (changing states for school). Graduated from a high school in Appalachian Ohio.
College: my aunt stopped funding bc she was out of money, mom has never supported me financially, no aid for intl students. Aunt decided to moved back to my home country for retirement. I was almost homeless (no money for dorm and nowhere else to stay), had no money, no jobs, and no car, and was at risk of being deported if not pay and continue school. I met this guy at a club lmao, we dated, he found out abt my situation and we got married, I got a green card and work auth. He let me move in, got me a car and helped getting my license, put me in his insurance plan, and paid for rent + food. So does it mean I've been on my own since 15 (immigrated without a parent) or not bc I had support later on in life?
Got a PCA job after my internship (I got it through a lottery system at school), many meaningful stories, and lots to write about. Special patient: she was gonna be amputated (diabetes) because insurance denied another surgery to help with diabetes instead (doctors advocated as well, but it didn't work). Her backstory is sad and I felt related to it, and she mentioned trying to get money through fundraising for that surgery, almost there but not enough. My survival instinct gave me the most random ideas sometimes. I knew someone who could get me a job at a club downtown, so I decided to work as a bottle girl for a weekend illegally when I was 19 to help her with the cost (creative solutions I guess lmao).
Stopped working as a PCA (pay wasn't enough) and started a server job because I needed quick cash (for the MCAT prep and the MCAT). I also need to pay tuition for upcoming semester (barely received financial aid because my combined income and my husband make 95% of it).
Now: finishing last sem school w mostly online classes, got a new full-time and part-time job, with 2 volunteer opportunities - prepare for med school app fee and expenses during a gap year. I currently work 80 hrs a week on top of school bc I'm by myself with no family support, so it's on me to figure out how to pay for applications (my husband supports me so much I don't want to take it for granted and I can't accept help unless I know there's nothing else I can do to help myself at that moment. In this case, there is, I can work bc I have a car, work auth, flexible school hours, not ideal to work that much, but I'm grateful to even be able to work and be independent!).
- MD:
NEOMED
Wright State
Uni of Toledo
U of Kentucky
Medical College of Wisconsin
Oakland U (OUWBM) (top school - strong tie to the community there - strong mission fit - but MCAT ugh)
Central Michigan
Marshall
Michigan State (strong mission fit)
Loyola
U of South Carolina (Greenville)
U of Arizona
Drexel (strong mission fit)
Quinnipiac
- DO:
Ohio University (top DO school - no extra cost for moving)
Edward Via (SC)
Edward Via (VA)
Lake Erie (PA)
NOVA COM
Michigan State DO
Arizona COM
Philadelphia
Chicago COM
Liberty (VA)
GPA 3.95
MCAT: 498 -> 502 (126/123/125/127) CARS sucks (non native English speaker). Not planning to retake MCAT because: financial, don't have time to study for it bc of work so I don't think I will get significant higher score (if not worse). I live with my spouse so taking time off work + making him do everything around the house = I don't want to put that burden on others again.
1 gap year, Southeast Asian (URM or ORM depends on school), permanent resident Ohio
- Circumstance: grew up in poverty (below the poverty line of the country, lived in a 250 sqft house), single a parent household, in a third world country, adversity (physical, emotional abuse and neglect), education was funded by an aunt who lived in the US. Why medicine: Dad had double cancer when I was 8, in my country no money = no treatment, so he got sent home. My first job was selling homework for classmates (to make extra money to help with my dad's treatment). I continued doing so until 12, my dad died because not have enough money to treat (underserved? barrier to healthcare?). When I turned 15, I got an opportunity to study abroad in the US, I hate home (abuse) and I knew it was the only chance for me to escape my mom + potentially change my life forever. First time seeing a physician (except for birth duh) because we were so poor (skills = sleep the sickness away) -for vax paper and health checkup to get a visa.
Entered US as F1 student, lived with host family. COVID hit, and I chose not to go home and stayed with my aunt temporarily, I was half homeless (bc intl students were kicked out of the country during that time so on paper I wasn't with the host family anymore, just no address), jumping between relatives' places in different states until the new school year started and I could live with a new host family (changing states for school). Graduated from a high school in Appalachian Ohio.
College: my aunt stopped funding bc she was out of money, mom has never supported me financially, no aid for intl students. Aunt decided to moved back to my home country for retirement. I was almost homeless (no money for dorm and nowhere else to stay), had no money, no jobs, and no car, and was at risk of being deported if not pay and continue school. I met this guy at a club lmao, we dated, he found out abt my situation and we got married, I got a green card and work auth. He let me move in, got me a car and helped getting my license, put me in his insurance plan, and paid for rent + food. So does it mean I've been on my own since 15 (immigrated without a parent) or not bc I had support later on in life?
Got a PCA job after my internship (I got it through a lottery system at school), many meaningful stories, and lots to write about. Special patient: she was gonna be amputated (diabetes) because insurance denied another surgery to help with diabetes instead (doctors advocated as well, but it didn't work). Her backstory is sad and I felt related to it, and she mentioned trying to get money through fundraising for that surgery, almost there but not enough. My survival instinct gave me the most random ideas sometimes. I knew someone who could get me a job at a club downtown, so I decided to work as a bottle girl for a weekend illegally when I was 19 to help her with the cost (creative solutions I guess lmao).
Stopped working as a PCA (pay wasn't enough) and started a server job because I needed quick cash (for the MCAT prep and the MCAT). I also need to pay tuition for upcoming semester (barely received financial aid because my combined income and my husband make 95% of it).
Now: finishing last sem school w mostly online classes, got a new full-time and part-time job, with 2 volunteer opportunities - prepare for med school app fee and expenses during a gap year. I currently work 80 hrs a week on top of school bc I'm by myself with no family support, so it's on me to figure out how to pay for applications (my husband supports me so much I don't want to take it for granted and I can't accept help unless I know there's nothing else I can do to help myself at that moment. In this case, there is, I can work bc I have a car, work auth, flexible school hours, not ideal to work that much, but I'm grateful to even be able to work and be independent!).
- Shadowing: 30 hrs (having no connection or family member here at all sucks)
- Paid clinical: PCA acute care, MA at private office, internship in ED (total 1400 hrs). Currently doing medical interpreter for language line solutions, should be 1740 hrs total by the time of app
- Employment (non-clinical): piano teacher (lots of special need kids), server, paraprofessional for public high school. Total 950 (now), expected 1600 by the time of app. Currently work 4 jobs (1 full-time, 1 part-time, the other 2 around 10 hrs/week each, full-time student last sem)
- Research: with professor in health policy (3 semesters, around 150 hrs). class projects (around 100 hrs total) --> 250 hrs
- Volunteer: crisis text line, Red Cross, Dave Thomas foundation for adoption, university hospital volunteer (clinical - 50 hrs), leadership for freshmen welcoming for school => 470 hrs. Just started to volunteer for immigrant youth mentorship program and CASA GAL (since 1 gap year), should be around 550-600 hrs of volunteer by the time of app.
- MD:
NEOMED
Wright State
Uni of Toledo
U of Kentucky
Medical College of Wisconsin
Oakland U (OUWBM) (top school - strong tie to the community there - strong mission fit - but MCAT ugh)
Central Michigan
Marshall
Michigan State (strong mission fit)
Loyola
U of South Carolina (Greenville)
U of Arizona
Drexel (strong mission fit)
Quinnipiac
- DO:
Ohio University (top DO school - no extra cost for moving)
Edward Via (SC)
Edward Via (VA)
Lake Erie (PA)
NOVA COM
Michigan State DO
Arizona COM
Philadelphia
Chicago COM
Liberty (VA)
