Where Are You In This Path?

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MexicanDr

MexicanDr

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  1. Pre-Medical
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Where are you currently in this path towards medical school? I have a few questions to get to know each other a bit more and to know who to ask advice for certain things/issues.

1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]:
2) When will you apply?
3) Age:
4) Research [Y/N, in what?]
5) Volunteer[In What]
6) Do You Work? PT/FT
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions?

1) postbacc, taking premed pre-reqs as of now
2) 2 years
3) 25
4) Eletrophysiology, Cancer [Clinical Research]
5) Hospital, Free Clinic, high school tutor
6) FT
7) I want to see where this group is at =)
 
So most of this is answered under the link in my signature, but I figured I'd add to this thread.

1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]: Informal post-bac
2) When will you apply? In 2011 (for 2012)
3) Age: 26
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] Y (clinical research in pediatric oncology)
5) Volunteer[In What] Y (peds ENT/ peds surgery. Those were a long time ago, so I'm hoping to add ER volunteer (preferably peds ER) soon. Yes, I want to do peds 🙂).
6) Do You Work? PT/FT. Currently I work both PT and FT. Given the current economy I always feel like I'm going to get laid-off from my FT job (though, so far that hasn't happened).
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? Kill the MCAT (or at least that's what I hope to do).
 
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1) Year of School : Post-bacc after completing a masters

2) When will you apply? for 2012

3) Age: 28 (29th birthday coming up soon)

4) Research : Yes. (5 years evolutionary psychology/sociobiology, 3 years aerospace medicine, a few years as an information broker, 1.5 years as a principal investigator/consultant for technology transfer coming specialising in biomedical technologies.) I have research publications and presentations.

5) Volunteer : Emergency Room (130+ hours and counting), Space Education non-profit (10 hours a week for 2.5 years and counting), several thousand hours in LGBT activism, also volunteering at an elementary school. I also hold multiple offices across professional organizations, but that is going in its own leadership section.

6) Do You Work? I was involved in the start-up of multiple businesses so I guess the answer is yes. I also am a paid copyeditor, a paid tutor, a bookseller etc. When you add up everything it's probably more than full time, but I try to avoid thinking about it.

7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions?

Non-traditional applicants should NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT NOT try to write like traditional applicants. I'm on the personal statement reader list and the traditional applicants statements are bad enough, they shouldn't even be emulated by other traditional students. To see a nontrad water down their experience to fit a BAD cookie cutter mold is absolutely horrible.
 
1) Junior/Senior. I have enough credits for a masters, but i still have 1 1/2 years left.
2) Next summer (2011) for the 2012 class.
3) Currently 26
4) Nah
5) A little. Planning on doing more at my daughter's school when she starts.
6) Full time and looking for a part time position as well.
7) Good luck.
 
1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]: MS in Project but working on pre-reqs for medical or dental school still on the fence.
2) When will you apply? May 2011
3) Age: currently 29 by that time I will be 30
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] NO
5) Volunteer[In What] Yes at couple of family doctor offices, dental offices, senior citizen home, feeding the homeless, beautifying the city, etc...
6) Do You Work? Full time, as well as taking a fulltime load in graduate school, married and have 1 child here and one on the way.
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? It's never to late to start on a different path.
 
1) Year of School: Post bacc, informal, making it up as I go

2) When will you apply: Fall 2011

3) Age: 28

4) Research: Not interested.

5) Volunteer: Firefighter, 8 years and counting

6) Do You Work: full-time now for last 7 years, part-time starting 5/25/10; part-time paramedic until 2008 in addition to my full-time jobs; full-time h.s. science teacher for 2 years out of college, full-time LEO since then; new part-time job will be with a P.D.

7) Any comments: lots, lol. most need censoring and all relate to the subjective process of med school admissions

Advice: Endure the tedium. Persist. I gave up on premed in 2002 and have regretted it since. I basically floated around looking for some other direction to take my life. Nothing has been really fulfilling although my latest career has been entertaining. If I had stayed on track since the beginning I'd soon be completing my second year of residency. Learn from the past and move on.
 
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1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]: Postbacc
2) When will you apply? 2012 I believe
3) Age: 23, 24 in 3 weeks
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] Negative, perhaps if I have time.
5) Volunteer[In What]: Soon at a hospital
6) Do You Work? FT
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? boo yah
 
1) Year of School: Informal Post-Bacc
2) When will you apply? May 2011
3) Age: 32
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] No, but I would like to.
5) Volunteer[In What] ER volunteer, 100+ hours and counting.
6) Do You Work? No, full-time student. Also a landlord, freelance writer, and collecting some severance from my last job so that helps. 🙂
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? Follow your dreams. Don't let people discourage you. You can always do this non-trad thing "better" in some way but you have to do it the best way you can.

For instance, I have to go to community college for some of my prereqs. I'm taking out some loans next year to do orgo and physics next year at a 4-year after several ppl recommended that. I wouldn't have done it just because someone on here said to, but it happens that the profs at my CC are not as great at teaching ochem as they are at gen chem and bio, and my school doesn't offer physics I until the spring anyway. Also hoping to find a research opportunity at the four-year uni. 🙂🙂🙂
 
Does this apply to accepted students as well?

1) Bachelors, nothing more nothing less
2) Accepted Class of 2014
3) 32
4) Bacteriology (Pseudomonas in CF) (mostly bench)
5) Soup kitchens, scribe, habitat, etc
6) Worked FT until several months ago, moved and unemployed waiting for school to start
7) Inch by inch life is a cinch, yard by yard it is very very hard.
😎
 
Well, I realize most of the folks here are applying, but you didn't specify only wanting responses from undergrads. So here I go:

1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]: Graduating medical school this year on 5/22

2) When will you apply? N/A.

3) Age: 42

4) Research [Y/N, in what?] None.

5) Volunteer[In What] I have been a volunteer in the hospitals/medical field since the age of 14. No kidding. Started as a candy striper - I then spent 13 years working and volunteering as a paramedic, volunteered as a firefighter, etc. I only included volunteer hours after the age of 25 and had well over 10,000 hours when I applied to med school (and that was a conservative number).

6) Do You Work? PT/FT N/A. I worked a LOT before med school - at one point I worked three jobs AND still volunteered. Sleep was a luxury.

7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? Work hard play hard. And don't forget your friends and family. you'll need them.
 
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MexicanDr said:
Where are you currently in this path towards medical school? I have a few questions to get to know each other a bit more and to know who to ask advice for certain things/issues.

1) Year of School- Postbacc (BSN, MSN)
2) When will you apply? 2011
3) Age: 39
4) Research No
5) church volunteer, teen rehab mentor
6) Do You Work? FT

Recommendations: Don't let anyone, anything keep you from following your dream!! You CAN do this!! 😀
Click to expand...
 
1) Postbacc
2) Accepted Class of 2014
3) Age: 31 (32 when I matriculate)
4) Research: Not unless you count the consumer product surveys I did for my Marketing Degree
5) Volunteer: EMT-E, 5500+ hrs (6yrs) and counting
6) Do You Work? FT - ED Tech, but ran an Advertising Agency prior to pursuing med school
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? This is a long hard process - don't judge your selfworth by your successes and failures in this process. Anything is negotiable - you just have to be willing to ask. I have a letter rescinding a rejection letter to prove it 👍
 
1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]:Junior after this semester (one more week yay!) but, unfortunately my degree will take an extra year give or take.
2) When will you apply? 2012
3) Age: 25
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] I did a little in neuroscience but not much. It is required for my degree to get in some actual research. My school supports undergrad research which is cool 🙂
5) Volunteer[In What] So far just hospital, did some volunteering on a military base, and in a local elementary school.
6) Do You Work? PT/FT Fulltime. 50-65ish hours depending on the time of year.
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? I don't have much to give other than don't sweat the small stuff. Don't freak out over an A- lol and enjoy life outside of school. I know it's harder when you are working full time or have a family too, but don't let it get to ya. I haven't been stressed too much and before I knew it, I was a junior 🙂 At first, I was in a rush just to get my degree. Now I've chosen a degree that I'm really excited about and have been doing great in. Even though it's taking me an extra year-ish, I'm enjoying it and just taking my time. I take 18 credits each semester and my spouse isn't complaining, so I must be doing okay balancing school and work lol. Creative scheduling has definitely been necessary for my work! Oh- and find a support system. None of my family really thinks it's a good idea to try to get into med school for whatever reason. My spouse and friends really offer support and it's great to have.😀
 
1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]: Senior BS
2) When will you apply?Accepted Class of 2014
3) Age:39
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] Y 10 credits primate neuroscience
5) Volunteer[In What] 120 hours ER
6) Do You Work? PT/FT FTish I own a small company.
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? I applied late, late October, applied to only one school with average stats 32mcat 3.75gpa and got in. Don't assume anything. I'm happy. I was accepted the day before I was about to blow a bunch of money on next years AMCAS. Thanks U of M! 😀
 
1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]: Transfer student, school is still trying to categorize my statu for them, but I transferred in a good amount of credits YAY! I am doing a BS in Biological Sciences.
2) When will you apply? I think I am applying the school year after this. I am stll figuring out my timeline, I'm still dazed and confused a bit, but that's okay. It'll get figured out.
3) Age: 29 will apply to med school at probably 32
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] Nothing yet, but working on an Independent project with my advisor and my instructors.
5) Volunteer[In What] Cleaning up local graveyards, helping get our premed club started, seeking out volunteer activities that are fun and can be done by our whole group, volunteering at free clinic over the summer, and hopefully doing pharm tech licensing sometime next month.
6) Do You Work? PT/FT? Not at the moment. I did for a while, but really I can make it on my grants and the small amount of loans I have to take, so...put the time I would be working into study and really attempting to understand the things I'm learning. Honestly I love learning tons.
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? If you have a hard time with a class, don't drop it. Get tutoring, approach your instructors, nip it in the bud early. I have done better in classes even though I may not be the best one at the class simply for showing initiative and drive. That is huge to instructors. If you put the effort in ask questions, show interest, and aren't missing class for everything they will do whatever they can for you. I am lucky to have such great instructors that recognize that. Pick a school where you are comfortable and at peace. That is the best thing you can do. I wake up every day excited, even when I hav a bad test day, or feel icky. I have a great group of people here as classmates. I've lucked out. The streses do not outweigh the positives.
 
1) Freshman

2) Will Apply 2012

3) 33

4) No Research yet

5) Volunteer: about 150hrs Hospital E.D., Monthly Feeding the Homeless, Chemo-pal for child
6) No work, just school, parent, husband
 
1) Senior (dual degree, finished all of my Marketing requirements. Working on my Biology requirements)

2) 2012 (God willing)

3) 32

4) No research yet, maybe next year

5) Church Bus Ministry, EMT, Students with disabilities...etc

6) I have two children so I am always working...

7) Have faith and work hard everyday...
 
1) Accepted to Class of 2014!!
2) Last July
3) Age: 29
4) Research: Barely any... some organic chemistry stuff
5) Volunteer: Fed the homeless for a year or so on Sunday morning
6) Do You Work? Tutor Part Time... Use to be in Real Estate Development in a management position.
7) Don't listen to any traditional premed types. Use your age to your advantage. DO NOT try to fit the mold of a 22 year old traditional student in your application!!!! Admins don't want to hear about the blah blah blah undergrad stuff they see with all the traditional premeds. FOCUS on what makes you stand out!! I caught on after my 1st interview that they wanted to hear all about my business background and computer background. Talk about it and pump yourself up!!
 
1) Repeating Soph.(two years in Architecture, 21 credits transfered, so 1 1/2 in the drain)
2) When will you apply? Summer 2011
3) Age:I will 23 be when I apply, 24 iA when I marticulate
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] No, and am not intrested, pre-req's labs are boring enough
5) Volunteer[In What]-E.R. since sept 09-have 83hrs and counting, Just Became my schools Volunteer Coordinator: going to help organize a 5K for a local charity.
6) Do You Work? PT/FT: part-Time server (quick cash), and hope to become a E.R. tech by the end of the summer.
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? I am retaking Orgo this fall, and taking MCAT in Jan 2011. (taking Princeton review over winter break and ends on Jan 11 and buddy gave me all his MCAT prep stuff (EK, NOVA, audio osmosis) so will start end of summer.
 
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double post.
hey 7starmantis, like your comment!👍
also helps in MMA too!

edit: So good i'm putting it in my signature
 
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1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]😀one with everything, not taking any more classes, though the GPA could obviously use help
2) When will you apply? This year
3) Age: 23 going on 24 in a couple of months :hardy:
4) Research [Y/N, in what?]: Y, polymer-supported thiols and signaling pathway in breast cancer (however, research isn't my thing; I am looking into clinical research to see if I will enjoy that more)
5) Volunteer[In What]: City hospital (patient companion) (I have other extracurriculars--check them out in my mdapps)
6) Do You Work? Full-time
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions?
Apply early and broadly is what I hear! :soexcited:
Have faith! :luck::xf:
 
1) Year of School: Junior, I suppose (just switched majors after getting halfway done with nursing school)

2) When will you apply?: I'll be done with the science prereqs in about 2.5 years, so the summer after that I'll be studying for the MCAT and taking it sometime in September.

3) Age: 25

4) Research [Y/N, in what?] That's a big negative.

5) Volunteer: Also a big negative. However, the biweekly pittance I receive might make my job seem like the status of a volunteer.

6) Do You Work? I've worked full time in an ER as a radiology transporter for the past three years. It's nice because I have a wealth of information to absorb and experience to be had by being in the high volume/high stress environment (our ER has 65+ beds and still we end up lining the walls with people waiting to be seen). In addition, I have lots of interaction with patients as well as medical staff, so it's nice to be able to pick nursing staff or dr's brains apart when I have questions or get to assist/watch whatever procedures I can.

7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? I'd love some, thanks. 🙂
 
1) Junior (well actually a Senior now that finals are over!)
2) Applying this cycle, 2010
3) 26
4) Soybean Genomics research: Identifying relative water content quantitative trait loci to be used in breeding programs to produce drought resistant soybeans. This will be great for nations that have food shortages due to drought. I presented this research at the International Plant and Animal Genomics Conference.
Classifying Northwest Africa Meteorites: I am trained on the latest model of the electron microprobe! (It is so cool!) I'm using this research for my senior thesis (Chemistry major). I will also present it at the Meteoritical Society Conference next spring in Houston, TX, and also hopefully in Sydney, Australia (if I can raise the money for my airfare).
5) I volunteer for the Army's Family Readiness Group as a Key Caller.
6) No, I don't work, but I have five children in my home that I am raising and my husband is active duty army. Believe that is a full-time job!
7) My advice would be work as hard as you can, and when you get exhausted and feel like having a nervous breakdown (usually due to O-Chem and the MCAT lol) just remember why you are doing this and how bad you want to be a doctor, it always gave me the motivation to forge ahead!
 
1) Postbacc (have electrical engineering degree from 2003), currently finishing up year 1 of pre-reqs. 1 more year to go.
2) 2011 for 2012 admittance
3) 27
4) Yes, in ophthalmology. Studying aqueous humor outflow mechanisms as causes for glaucoma. Mostly involves dissecting primate eyes and imaging them.
5) Volunteer 4 hours a week in local ED. Up to almost 200 hours now. Going to try and find a public health clinic to volunteer in as well.
6) Work. Mix between full time and part time I'm self employed software engineer so its pretty flexible
7) If you're on the fence, just get the ball rolling and see where you end up. Start volunteering and take a night class. You might find you love it, you might find you don't. Only way to know is try.
 
1)2nd Bach...Junior
2)2012
3)28 Right Now...Will be 30 when I apply.
4)None yet...plan on participating in some research in the fall.
5)Yes. 100+ hours in the Radiology Department at a local hospital and will be doing some volunteer hours at a dental office over the summer.
6)Laid off after working for a top 10 company for 10 years. 🙁
7)Keep trying...even if you have some major problems along the way. In the end...it will be worth it. 🙂
 
1. Postbacc (BS degree in '04). Finishing up O-chem right now.
2. This summer! For 2011 matriculation.
3. 27
4. A couple of summers as a lab tech, years ago. Enough to check the box on the app but not very impressive.
5. I have volunteered non-clinically with an outdoors group for 5 years.
6. I work full time as a medical assistant.
7. This nontrad thing is pretty hard! Keeping up with work, classes and MCAT studying has been pretty all-consuming. I take the big test in a couple of weeks and am looking forward to a quieter summer after that.
 
1) Year of School: Post-bac Pre-Med (BA in Behavioral Science)
2) When will you apply? I am not sure if I will be ready but for fall 2011 or fall 2012
3) Age: I just turned 28
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] Not at the moment but I have an internship lined up out of state for summer 2011
5) Volunteer[In What] peds clinic, mental health clinic, hospital shadowing, firedepartment food drives and such...
6) Do You Work? currenly dropped from ft to pt
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? good luck everyone 😀
 
1) Year of School[Fr,Soph,Jr,Sr,Postbacc, ect]: M.Sc. (BME)
2) When will you apply? Accepted (Class of '14)
3) Age: 27
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] Biophotonics; Myocardial Infarction/Mitochondria
5) Volunteer[In What] Garden variety...
6) Do You Work? FT for 4 yrs but resigned recently.
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions? Short-term pain for long-term gain. Always believe in yourself, ALWAYS!
 
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1) Year of School: Graduated UG (Microbiology) in 2005, Graduated MS (Microbiology) in 2007
2) Applied: Accepted - Class of 2014
3) Age: 29
4) Research [Y/N, in what?] - yes (research is the strongest part of my app): ~4.5 years of Microbiology research, 2 years of Nephrology research; and 0.5 years physics research w/ NASA
5) Volunteer[In What]: I have been volunteering roughly 2-3 saturdays a month for about 6-8 hours over the past year-and-a-half at a free clinic run by medical students from my state's medical school...Awesome experience
6) Do You Work? PT/FT: yes, I worked full time in college as a EMT and now work full time in a research lab
7) Any comments, Advice, suggestions?: Talk to the admissions advisor for what ever school(s) you are interested in most and do exactly what they tell you to do. Had I not done this, I would have never gotten in as I originally thought my MCAT scores were the main factor keeping me out of medical school...turned out that my clinical experience was their biggest concern...not my crappy MCATs. Secondly, take your time in the process...I know its not like were getting any younger, but its better to take an extra year or so to get things done right than to just waste all the years you put in to this by screwing something up.
 
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Year of School: Senior in Undergrad

When you will Apply: Depends on what I decide to do. I would like to get more research experience because I have only one research project under my belt. I also enjoyed the research project I participated in with my professor, and would like to get involved with my own project in a laboratory. Plus I am interested in applying for the MD/PhD programs which are more competitive and I want to make sure I am prepared and familiar with research procedures. If I decide to get my masters in molecular biology, I probably won’t be applying until 2013 or 2014. However, if I decide not to, I will probably be applying in two years, 2012.

Age: 22

Research: Site specific tryptophan mutations on the human genome (with my professor).

Volunteer: I am very active in AMSA as well as the American Association for Microbiology. I attend feed the homeless which our AMSA chapter puts on every 3rd Tuesday of the month in downtown Orlando as well as give children the world, and camp boggy creek which is a camp for children with cancer. As far as the American Association for Microbiology, I help fund raise for various events and attend seminars and panels which are put on usually two a year. On my own independent of the clubs, I have been helping out at the hospital in the emergency room once twice a month for 5 hours (I try to go more during the summer, but it is hard to go more than once or twice during the regular school year) for the past two years. I am also a mock patient for the ATLS courses which are put on about 4 times a year at one of the main trauma and burn hospitals in Florida. Last Christmas I was in charge of fund raising for The Hug Me Christmas Party. This is an organization in Florida for kids with HIV/AIDS and their families.

Do you work? Yes sir! I work part time 3 days a week in the fall and spring semesters. During the summer I work 30 hours to full time depending on my classes.

Any Comments, Advice, Suggestions? 1.) Make sure you love what you do and don't listen to people who complain about difficult classes or professors. Most likely those people did not study hard enough and don't like the major that much anyway. Seriously, as premeds, if you are in a science major once you get past the intro classes, EVERY class is hard; there is no easy class. I believe that if you study your hardest and learn beyond what the professor wants you to know. (you know, study the stuff the prof says won’t be on the test but talks about anyway. There is a reason they talk about it and this has helped me on the really hard questions you get on exams that are designed to stump you.) Don't just study what you need to know and memorize, learn the material and learn it well. READ your textbook, you know that big, dusty, bulky thing under your bed that you bought for like 200 dollars. lol😛

Good Luck, you'll make it cause you know you can!!!
 
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