nontraditional applicant

I couldn't find this discussed anywhere as it is pretty specific. I am writing a particular secondary essay regarding "challenges in becoming a physician". The challenge that I have identified is actually exemplified in an MMI from the school I am a reapplicant to. Essentially my question is...

Hello :) I graduated UG in 2017 and recently finished my first year in a 2 year graduate program in religious studies. I unfortunately found myself in a financial bind this past spring and had to start working fulltime somewhere that pays well in order to start earning money to pursue my...

I had already applied to several schools this year before my MCAT score had been released and unfortunately I absolutely bombed my MCAT. 487 to be exact. A close family member passed away a few days before my test but I chose, rather unwisely, to attempt the exam. Obviously I had already...

I failed to report institutional action on my first AMCAS application. The instances were in my freshman and sophomore years of college and did not result in probation of any sort. The first, I was involved with a "dorm party" and written up. The second, I received a Minor in Possession of...

Hey all, thanks for clicking in! Really looking forward to all your shared wisdom! I’m primarily after anything you can offer regarding chances, strategy, perhaps school choice and whatever else might be helpful. Again, thank you in advance!! Here’s a touch about me: I’ve always been very keen...

Hey guys, I am a current Ph.D. student in the natural sciences that is in an interesting situation. I have been working in a lab for a year now and was kicked out over the false pretense that I haven't done any work towards my project. Instead, a senior lab member has taken credit for all of...

My dad's an allied health professional but we mostly lived in lower middle class status in Asia since he worked for rural and underserved populations. I went to a crappy public school for most of my life until I got accepted to a charter school equivalent for high school. Learnt ESL when I was...

So, I'm a nontrad with almost a year to study before I take the DAT, without having to worry about a full-time job. I'm hoping to start my d-school application in May 2019 (next cycle). It sounds awesome, but the catch is that I'm missing some prereqs that are on the DAT (gen and o chem II...

I am looking for help on deciding what my best path would be, and my family and friends are sick of hearing me go back and forth- I need a fresh set of eyes/ears. I am a 22 year old premed who just graduated from the University at Buffalo. I am a non traditional student in the sense that my...

.

I applied to this cycle and I am on the waitlist for the upcoming cycle. However, admissions say the class seems steady and full. For this reason, I would like to ask you guys if I should go ahead and reapply for the next cycle. My DAT is as follows, AA18, TS 19, OC 19, GC 19, RC 17, QR 16 PAT...

I know this question has been asked before. If this school was better established I would not be questioning taking this acceptance. 1 in the hand is 2 in the bush and all that. I am trying to decide whether or not to reapply MD and DO this upcoming cycle, take a gap year or take an offer at a...

I am 28 yo, part time registered nurse in med surge, have been the chair for a safety committee at work, did research with an MD at the hospital (but my school wants me to do lab research with faculty member so they are not counting that research) I just started training in a lab but I am not...

First MCAT (2013) 26 (55%) - expired Second MCAT (2015) 29 (73%) Third MCAT (2017) 513 (90%) - 128/128/128/129 State: NJ Resident Race: Asian Gender: Female (27) Undergrad: Private Top 30 (Economics) Grad (MS): Private Top 20 Med School (Physiology) - Finished in 10 months + completed...

I am a non- traditional student (have a nursing degree), 3.5 cGPA, 3.3sGPA, will be taking the MCAT this august. I am taking biochemistry now with bio, will probably be taking my second physics next fall along with other courses just because. I am in a predicament I haven't done well in the...

Is it acceptable to group EC's into one category on your primary? For example, can I list all undergraduate research under one slot, all graduate research under another slot, and all publications yet another slot? I also hope to do something similar for community service. If I were to do this...

Hello everyone! I'm having a bit of a tough time and wanted to reach out for a little insight. I'm an engineer with 5 years of experience and, with my prerequisites already acquired, have decided that I want to go in to medicine. I've been looking for a job for awhile and now have two...

Hello Everyone! I have seen that this is a continued topic of debate, and I am going to go ahead and throw myself to the wolves so to speak! (Just kidding! The information that I could get from this-pros and cons-will be incredibly helpful for me to make this decision). :) This is the age old...

Howdy, I am applying to MD schools this coming summer, taking MCAT June 2. I would like some advice on whether or not I should try to pick up some clinical volunteering or shadowing experience in the short term. A few people have said it may not be 100% necessary given my paid experience thus...

Hi all! I've posted post-bacc questions before, so sorry if you've heard me before. A bit has changed since my last post. I'd like to hear your advice regarding math and quantitative courses. My advisor's current opinion is, strangely, no opinion (??). I'm going to list some of my stats and...

I have a question on whether it would be wise or not to mention my struggle with substance abuse on my application/ letter of intent. I believe it may be beneficial, however others have advised me against it (None of which are pre-med students or advisors). There are many factors involved in...

hi everyone, quick stats: age: 23 graduated may of 2017 from a state school with a degree in business management cum undergraduate gpa: 3.56 (got a "D" in an accounting class, not sure how bad that hurts) cum science gpa: 3.75 (only taken general chem + general bio, 2 semesters each) ACT: 34...

Hi! I'm in a bit of a complicated situation and would like to get as much advice as I can get. I finished my undergraduate degree in Biology in the Philippines. Wanting to avoid taking out loans for both undergrad and medical school, I applied for a medical school in the same country and got...

I applied for the 2018 cycle and have not heard back from any medical schools. I am fairly certain I didn’t get into any since it’s now almost January, and I am trying to ready my application for next cycle (if I should not apply immediately and maybe wait a year, please let me know). Any advice...

Hi all, I am applying this cycle 2018-2019. I want to know if my extracurricular activities are considered inadequate or unconventional? When I apply in June, 2018, I’ll have: A. The unconventional part (1) 7 years as a Cub Scout leader. I directly work with 7-10 kids and manage a pack of...

Is there anyone in the world out there that did not totally rock an SMP but still found a way to gain admission into a US medical school? I'll spare everyone the details but I withdrew early from an SMP due to poor performance, have never taken MCAT or applied and I'm just trying to figure out...

Hello SDN family, I have searched through the forums, but could not find an answer for my question. I will be graduating this fall and plan to apply to medical school Summer 2018. However, last year my medical issues were really bad and it interfered with my coursework, so I was advised by...

I was homeless/in foster care when I was in high school. My transition to college life was a struggle and because of it, my first two years in undergrad I had a very low gpa the second two years I brought it up, but my gpa is far from competitive. I have research experience and publications...

*please don't quote--using anonymous username* tl;dr I'm in an MPhil program working on an anticancer project at the University of Cambridge under the Gates Cambridge scholarship, and I've been offered to stay for a PhD. My goal was always MD (strongly evident based on volunteering/involvement)...

Hey guys! I'm just starting out in my quest to pursue medical school and I'm looking for advice/WAMC, hoping you all might be able to point out some things I'm overlooking or not aware that I need. Encouragement is also welcome! Let it be known that I've thought/prayed/labored/sweated long...

I am a 25 year old senior in college graduating with a BA in liberal arts from a reputable state school. I struggled finding a career path to dedicate myself to but decided now that I want to be in health care. But I'm going to need a job with a living wage and benefits and I really don't have...

Hello all, Im just looking for advice on my current dilemma with attempting medical school again. So here goes, I graduated with a BA in biology with a 3.4 GPA I think like a 3.5 science GPA in 2014. Took my MCAT in 2015 and did terrible...I got like a 500. I applied to schools anyways and I...

Hi everyone! So I just received my MCAT score on Tues and I scored in the 10th percentile!! :( It was really devastating for me considering this is the third time I've taken this exam with **minimal** improvement. Nonetheless, I took a practice DAT and I made a 20 and that was with little...

Hey all, Going to try to not sugarcoat things here. Background: 30 y.o. male, have worked in technology in the past few years since undergrad, have also worked in education teaching middle/high school students in intimate settings. Major f$$$up: I hope none of this comes across as an excuse...

For those nontraditional applicants who wonder if they are too late, too old or too handicapped to change careers and enter medicine, this one is for you. Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee, MD, PhD, wrote a splendid little book entitled: The Laws of Medicine: Field Notes from an Uncertain Science By...

Hello there! My undergrad career has been a journey of discovery. All throughout high school, I aspired to one day become a doctor (sounds a bit peculiar, but as my father is an MD, it's not so out of the ballpark). However, once I got into college, I started exploring other science careers and...

So I applied last year pretty late in the cycle and ended up getting an interview and was placed on the waitlist. There are a lot of reasons why I applied late, I was sexually assaulted by a doctor I shadowed and I pressed charges against him which meant I had to fly to New York a lot..this...