what am i supposed to do?

[kaml20]

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looking at the posts on the site is depressing cause it seems im very undercompetitive, i graduated cornell u in 05 and an extreme hypothyroid disorder as well as taking classes which furthered my intellectual persuits rather then gpa boosters complicated my gpa overall 3.2 science 3.0 my first mcat was a 25 second a 24 and now im trying for a third time i didnt do anything in my year off because i was in india, my bachelors in neuroscience and minor in psychology limits any real world job i could get. i live in the sticks of upstate ny and trying to get a research job (closest nyc + albany) is impossible since they'd rather hire some doctors nephew or someone who is already located in the area. on top of this i really dont have the money to buy a better gpa through a masters program. as with everyone else id rather not go offshore or do a DO and then get stuck in a residency i dont like (although i guess i cant really be picky at this point)

im not hoping that someone reply sympathetically to this post or try to play the worlds smallest violin for me, i just hope that maybe you guys might have some advice.

 

[RxnMan]

looking at the posts on the site is depressing cause it seems im very undercompetitive, i graduated cornell u in 05 and an extreme hypothyroid disorder as well as taking classes which furthered my intellectual persuits rather then gpa boosters complicated my gpa overall 3.2 science 3.0 my first mcat was a 25 second a 24 and now im trying for a third time i didnt do anything in my year off because i was in india, my bachelors in neuroscience and minor in psychology limits any real world job i could get. i live in the sticks of upstate ny and trying to get a research job (closest nyc + albany) is impossible since they'd rather hire some doctors nephew or someone who is already located in the area. on top of this i really dont have the money to buy a better gpa through a masters program. as with everyone else id rather not go offshore or do a DO and then get stuck in a residency i dont like (although i guess i cant really be picky at this point)

im not hoping that someone reply sympathetically to this post or try to play the worlds smallest violin for me, i just hope that maybe you guys might have some advice.

Yikes! First of all, calm down. It seems like you think you're in a bad spot, but really, you're not.

Having a degree is a good thing. Check out this, or this, or RPI for places to work in medical-type research in the upper Hudson Valley.

You have a BS, correct? Most science programs will pay you tuition + stipend if you do a research or teaching assistantship. You would be working as a researcher for a prof or teaching classes (respectively,) but both are good experiences and I benefitted from both.

Being in India isn't doing nothing in your year off - What did you do there? Why'd you go? What did you learn?

Lastly, whatever you've done for the MCAT isn't working. Have you taken one of those Kaplan courses? How did you study for it?

By the way, most people who post on this site are on the top end of the applicant pool - it makes for a distorted view of the process. Nothing can stop you from getting in if you work hard for it.

 

[Sartre79]

It seems as though you know what your problems are, you just need to address them. You may need to scrape up the money or borrow so that you can move, etc. Also, I don't know if you would ever be competitive in allopathic medicine...so is it more important to have MD behind your name (as opposed to DO) than to be a practicing physician? Pride can be a mofo.

 

[Dr. Giggles]

I'm sure you can get a residency you like as a DO. Many of them are doing quite well.

What clinical experience do you have?

I would definitely try to boost that GPA. It doesn't sound like you've done any exceptional EC's, without which I think your prospects would be bleak with a 3.2 and a (let's say) 27-28 on the MCAT. If medicine is your dream, pony up for the post-bac. If you can't afford that, how do you intend to get through four years of medical school?

If you're really intent on getting an MD in the US, you could move to somewhere like Texas to boost your chances (though NY isn't a bad state for premeds either). It sounds like you're a year away from applying anyway, so you would have time to get residency. Do a postbacc and get some good clinical experience (EMT ?). Research isn't that important unless you have your sights set on a Top 20 school. But above all, study like a fiend for the MCAT. I think your 3rd chance is your last, if I remember correctly.

 

[acrobat]

I'd say try to address the MCAT problem first since that will be the easiest. Somone mentioned EMT in the previous posts or two. I personally wouldn't want to only study for the MCAT I'd go crazy. You could take an EMS class and study for the MAT. I dont know just ideas.

 

[kaml20]

i double posted ... sorry

 

[kaml20]

thanks for the advice, i have to say i did write this post pretty fast and didnt get into specific specifics ... (i guess its easy to focus on the negatives)


I will definately check out the links posted for jobs in the upper hudson valley, if i do get one ill have to relocate anyways (live in amenia dutchess county ny) but thats not a problem...

went to india for a cousins wedding, traveled northern india saw taj mahal etc, visited a few doctors to see how thier operations worked and actually just rested (first vacation in a long long time)

mcat - took the kaplan class while in college but the demands of cornell classes and the ec's i did resulted in sleeping during class but i have all of the material kaplan offers, for the second i bought the exam krackers and went at it like it was my job, read the kaplan books and the ek books studied and did the aamc tests.

and yes nothing will stop me from becoming a doctor, whether a md or a do

clinical experiences - 100+ hours in emergency room, clinical work with case studies on cartilage lesions working with an Orthopedic Surgeon, did my own comprehensive research in Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors and memory particularly that of alpha 4 beta 2 receptors

community experiences - taught 4th grade children communicative skills at a afterschool library 4h program (giving speaches, writing, and research), taught a 10th grade class on an indian reservation in the state of washington computer guided science research (on volcanoes) via internet from ithaca ny

i am a NY State Certified Emergency Medical Technician and an American Heart Association Nationally certified CPR and AED healthcare provider
i had a situation with the volunteer emt squad in my community, they drink beer at the station and apparently dont like indians, im currently in the process of applying to a paid emt service near my home, but theres an issue of them having too many emts right now

i guess i do have a lot of things going for me, its just that when i came back from india i havent had any luck applying to jobs internships and such (im on monstertrak more then id like) and just fed up of not getting into anything... maybe i should just focus on my mcat and applications...

thanks for all the advice, especially to RxnMan, if theres more advice ill definatley take it ...

 

[RxnMan]

That MCAT is probably the easiest thing to raise for the least amount of time/effort. If you're ESL, it's hard, but you have to work to make sure that language isn't a barrier.

Jobs as a lab monkey are easy to get - I just found those links. Search the internet for more. Go to a local bookstore and read (not buy) some of the 'how to get a job' handbooks for tips on interviewing and writing a good resume. When properly equipped, apply to a bunch of jobs and one of them will come through.

Look at using your EMT cert. That's money in the bank at the AMC ER, as well as a great place to make connections with AMC physicians/professors. Yes, you're going to have to move.

The Captiol area has a ton of universities, so educational opportunities abound for you. Look into grad programs, but since you're on a budget, make sure you'll get tuition support before you commit to a program.

 

[celeste]

everyone has been giving good advice and so i dont know how much i can help as far as info/stats go, but hear are some words of encouragement:

you sound like a competitive applicant! not all schools are looking for the right grouping of numbers. i have a friend who got an interview and WL on a top 10 school with a 25 MCAT. so retaking the test doesnt have to be an option (although it probably wouldnt hurt too much since you ALREADY know the material, you just need to get used to the problems is what i think).

you know what you want to be....a doctor whether it be md or do, so trust me, IT WILL HAPPEN FOR YOU. just give it some time.

also, people on this site can sometimes release their freakish neuroses on everyone else, but that doesn't mean you have to worry about the same things. try to tune things out.

hope that helps. good luck this year.

 

[kaml20]

Thanks for all the help, you guys really motivated me to get things moving again its actually amazing, ive revamped and rewritten my resumes (to which i now have 3 different and effective ones) and addressed problems I had with cover letters. Im aiming for mostly clinical coordinator positions, if those prove futile Ill give in and get a Job as a lab monkey...

thanks again!