African American nontraditional students, check in!

[bonedoc82]

Does anyone recommend going to the SNMA conference as an aspiring applicant?

Yes, I think being able to ask questions/network/colllaborate with people who share a similar background is paramount!

Antonio J.Webb, M.D.
www.antoniowebbmd.com
www.amazon.com/author/antoniowebbmd

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Members don't see this ad.

 

[DrMominboots]

26 yo A/A female,Navy veteran, wife, and mother of 2 toddlers. Honor high student but left undergrad in 2007 after two semesters and a 2.5 gpa. Joined the Navy in 2008, advanced very quickly but decided to leave to raise a family. Now I am a junior with a 3.1 gap no science completed yet but I am ready to follow my dream. Here's to Med School

 

[Newallo1]

33 year old AAF 2nd year medical student, mother of 2 amazing boys (ages 16 and 9). Didn't graduate highschool but got my GED in 1999. Army veteran and CT tech of 13 years yea for nontraditional

 

[Newallo1]

@bonedoc82 , we seem to have similar histories congrats. Read your site and bio. I also did research at UTSA. All, I can say is "We made it"

 

[dwhite2]

26 y/o AAF. Bachelors in Psychology (2011) and a Masters in Science and Technology Studies (2012). Currently residing in South Texas, but born and raised in Upstate New York. I am a high school Medical Sciences Teacher. Leaving my job at the end of this school year to finish my pre-reqs full time. Applying in 2016!

 

[glepurple]

28 year old AA male...returning to undergrad this year with a horrible gpa 2.37. The good thing is that I have yet to take majority of my science classes so I can bring my sgpa and cgpa up over the next couple of years. I plan to apply in 2-3 years.

 

[WillHash]

23 year old AA female. I just recently graduated undergrad with a double major in Bio-medical studies and Neurobiology. Although still young, I was forced to start working full time during my junior year which had awful effects on my gpa, dropping me down to a 2.93. After taking the MCAT last year and not getting a score high enough to compliment my low gpa I've decided to take a gap year in which I'm studying for the 2015 MCAT in September, and will then apply to a Fall 2016 SMP will hopes of applying June 2016 for a Fall 2017 MD program where I'll be 25.

 

[mommymdmfm2b]

38 year old AA female, married with 3 kids. I am a NP and will be starting medical school this fall. I had an excellent grad school gpa and a not so great undergrad gpa with a low mcat score. I retook the mcat last year and scored 4 points higher but still not a great score. I'm glad I found this thread!

 

[blacchic856]

26 AAF. Graduated 2011 with B.S in health & exercise science. Currently taking prereqs (still have 7 to complete), should be ready for the MCAT summer 2016 and applying to schools immediately after, if my score is competitive. So far cGPA 3.31 and sGPA 3.57.

 

[remzremz]

38 year old AA female, married with 3 kids. I am a NP and will be starting medical school this fall. I had an excellent grad school gpa and a not so great undergrad gpa with a low mcat score. I retook the mcat last year and scored 4 points higher but still not a great score. I'm glad I found this thread!

Mind telling us a little bit about your background and your application cycle?

 

[RoadScholar63]

28 Black male non trad. B.S. in Biology. Finishing up a MPH in LA and applying this cycle

 

[remzremz]

28 Black male non trad. B.S. in Biology. Finishing up a MPH in LA and applying this cycle

Hey tell us a little bit more about yourself. What makes you non-traditional? What have you been doing since undergrad? Just curious because I am also 28, but I won't be applying to Medical School for a few years.

 

[RoadScholar63]

I'm from Atlanta I did my undergrad at Savannah State a HBCU in Georgia. I believe my age makes me non traditional haha. Since undergrad I've started a Public Health program at California State University, Northridge it keeps me pretty busy. Oh yeah? That's cool! Why are you waiting a few years ? No time like the present

 

[remzremz]

I'm from Atlanta I did my undergrad at Savannah State a HBCU in Georgia. I believe my age makes me non traditional haha. Since undergrad I've started a Public Health program at California State University, Northridge it keeps me pretty busy. Oh yeah? That's cool! Why are you waiting a few years ? No time like the present

I did not take any science classes during undergrad so I plan to enroll in a post-bacc program next year. That will take about 2 years to complete part-time, then the MCAT, and finally applying. I don't expect to start med school for another 5 years until I am about 33. Best of luck with your application cycle!

 

[RoadScholar63]

Ah! Ok I see now that makes sense. So now you have decided that you want to go the MD route huh? Great for you! Wow is it anyway to speed up the post-back process? That'll make for a very compelling application when adcoms see how determined you are. 33 isn't old at all and you'll be an assets to your incoming class for sure. Thank you very much I appreciate the well wishes!

 

[anichols8]

Hi all! 30 y/o AA Female waiting on my MCAT scores from the June 19, 2015 MCAT and waiting on my AMCAS verification. Little bit about myself: not so great undergrad gpa of 3.2 cGPA with no science courses. I went to law school and practiced for six years before starting a postbacc in January 2014 that I just finished. cGPA 3.3 sGPA 3.93. I'm extremely nervous and excited about applying this cycle! Good luck to everyone!

 

[Icemans740]

Hi everyone, I'm a 30 yr AA male. Married with 2 kids (3 and 2) looking to pursue something in the medical field. I have an undergrad degree with a terrible 2.6 gpa but no science courses. I've always loved helping people which is why I went the social worker route. I've been one for 9 years now but I've always wanted to work in the medical field and working with people who often times are sickly it only brings that out in me more. At first, I was taking classes to get into the one year nursing program where if you have an undergrad degree, your able to get your 4 yr BSN in one year. As I've been taking courses I realized how much I enjoy learning about the body and how it works. So technically I'm only one class away to be able to apply for the RN program, but now I'm wondering if I should go for a higher medical degree. My sgpa is 4.0 right now which is great but my cgpa I feel holds me back. How did you all figure out what type of medical professional you want to be? Are you all becoming M.D/D.O's? Are any of you interested in Dental/Optometry? I'm having difficulty figuring it out. Also for those of you with families how are you managing to shadow people/volunteer? My biggest concern is that I pretty much refuse to quit my 9/5 until I've secured a position in a program. I've also read that the north east is the hardest place to get into a program which sucks for me because I'm in NJ. I guess overall I'm just nervous with the uncertainty of it all. How did you all figure things out?

 

[remzremz]

Hi everyone, I'm a 30 yr AA male. Married with 2 kids (3 and 2) looking to pursue something in the medical field. I have an undergrad degree with a terrible 2.6 gpa but no science courses. I've always loved helping people which is why I went the social worker route. I've been one for 9 years now but I've always wanted to work in the medical field and working with people who often times are sickly it only brings that out in me more. At first, I was taking classes to get into the one year nursing program where if you have an undergrad degree, your able to get your 4 yr BSN in one year. As I've been taking courses I realized how much I enjoy learning about the body and how it works. So technically I'm only one class away to be able to apply for the RN program, but now I'm wondering if I should go for a higher medical degree. My sgpa is 4.0 right now which is great but my cgpa I feel holds me back. How did you all figure out what type of medical professional you want to be? Are you all becoming M.D/D.O's? Are any of you interested in Dental/Optometry? I'm having difficulty figuring it out. Also for those of you with families how are you managing to shadow people/volunteer? My biggest concern is that I pretty much refuse to quit my 9/5 until I've secured a position in a program. I've also read that the north east is the hardest place to get into a program which sucks for me because I'm in NJ. I guess overall I'm just nervous with the uncertainty of it all. How did you all figure things out?

Best of luck to you with this whole process! I'm also a AA male, age 28 and I've been practicing as a lawyer. I'm looking to switch careers into medicine as well. I won't be applying for another 3 years though because I need to do all of my science prerequisiutes. In terms of choosing this over other paths, I think it's just a feeling you have. Wanting to be a doctor vs. RN or PA. I can't put it into words. In regard to your second question about volunteering, you just have to find the time. I work full-time as a lawyer. Visit your local hospital and ask about volunteering. All it takes is 4-5 hours per week after work or on a weekend. When you apply to medical school you will need to show that you shadowed and volunteered, so might as well start now. Best of luck!

 

[jdub85]

Hello Guys,
I'm a 30y/o AA male married with a 3 y/o. I earned my BS in Bio back in 2008. Science ~GPA 3.6-7 OLD MCAT 22 (highest and 3rd attempt) Taught middle school science for 5 years. Got 1 MD and 1 DO interview. I personally feel that I bombed my MD interview, however I never confirmed that with the school. I was accepted into a DO program along with my best friend and the rest is history. I'm a current 3rd year and recently past step 1 of the boards with a better than average score. Don't give up on your dreams, it can be done with prayer and hard work.

I'm not sure if someone posted on this thread about DO programs, but here is my 2 cents. If you never considered applying to a DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) Program, look into it. Especially if your not getting any play from MD schools. For those of you who are unaware DOs have the same practicing rights as MDs. and get paid the same amount too. about 50% of DO students match into MD resident programs. Again, this just for those who've never heard of a DO or who feel that there is a stigmatism associated with becoming a DO or a Black DO.

 

[DoctorDrewOutsidetheLines]

31 y/o AA and Haitian (which I recently learned counts as Latino!) single female, no kids.
B.A. in Film in 2005, M.A. in Communication Management in 2009
Graduated private preppy hs in 2000 in 3 years at age 16 and headed out west to college and went a little crazy...and that's all I'm going to say about that.
uGPA: 3.34, gGPA: 3.45
no science courses, no MCAT
currently deferred admission to Loyola's post-bac for Summer or Fall 2016, also applied to Northwestern - don't know which I'll go to yet.
just got hired as an EMT-trainee w/ a private ambulance company in Chicago, and I'll be taking prereqs this year (Calculus I, Calculus II, Biology I, Sociology, and Psych) at Community College
Not sure which medical school I'm going to yet (maybe Pritzer or my alma mater out west)
but I want to do a combined Family Medicine/Psych or Family Medicine/Emergency Medicine Residency with a Global Health Track
And then I want to join the Foreign Services
And retire as a cruise ship physician

 

[ejovenreed]

25 year old single, non-traditional mother of 4 y/o, finished undergrad with a kid and 2.9 double major in Economics and Sociology. Started doing my Masters of Public Adminisration and spent 2 years working for a nonprofit that resettled Refugees (loved it), many of which had health problems. This rekindled my desire to re-pursue medicine and I have since been doing an unofficial postbacc. I've applied this cycle with a not-so-great MCAT 2015 score (with retake)... But who knows hopefully there's light at the end of the tunnel. Good luck.

 

[bonedoc82]

Good luck! Never give up on your dreams!
Dr. Webb

Also don't forget to join www.facebook.com/groups/soyouwanttobeadoctor
to receive more tips, connect with others future doctors and more!

 

[AlphaKeto]

29, two kids, in the south. Taking some non-trad hits right now. Had to stop my research because of family issues.

 

[sloppypapi]

24, female, living in the Silicon Valley. First-generation Ghanaian. I took a few years off to volunteer in a Ghanaian hospital, and am now currently working as a robotics/engineering instructor for elementary to middle school (as well as volunteering at a local hospital and mentorship for a local scholars program).

I've got my B.S. in Bio with a uGPA is 3.2 and my sGPA is 3.5. I'm currently debating whether or not it's worth taking a few undergrad classes as a DIY post-bacc to improve deficiencies in pre-req courses. Some SDNers are saying it's probably not worth my time, as my stats aren't bad for URM. However, I plan to apply to med school during the 2016 cycle, so my priority is to f*ck up the MCAT.

 

[bonedoc82]

@bonedoc82 , we seem to have similar histories congrats. Read your site and bio. I also did research at UTSA. All, I can say is "We made it"

Awesome!

 

[cbarn005]

Hello everyone! I am 22. I graduated from UC Riverside in 2014 with a BA in Religious studies and Philosophy. I have taken two years off to work as a scribe and as an administrator for a home for developmentally disable adults. I am going to start taking my prerequisites this summer at a local private school, and I will be finished in spring 2017 with anticipation of applying to medical schools in California and Arizona in fall 2017

 

[KLBMed]

Hello all,

Discovered this site about three months ago. Love it! 29 year old AA female. Nontrad. Currently active duty Navy, flying jets the past 8 years. graduated U.S. Naval Academy with a degree in Appied Physics (3.07 cGPA, 3.04 sGPA). Decided post college I wanted to be a doctor. I need to retake General chem (C's both semesters) and take Orgo, bio, Biochem and prob psych.

My plan is to apply to post bacc programs this fall for summer of 2017. Even with a science background, most schools I've spoken to say I would be a good fit since I'm so far removed from undergrad. I want to go to an allo med school, but a really good DO school is in my husband's hometown and the family support from my in laws would be clutch with our daughter- so it's at the top of my list to apply for fall of 2019.

Really excited to follow others on their journey!!

 

[ADSigMel]

I'm a 32 y/o AA woman, married with three children (ages 7, 5 and 4). I finished undergrad in 2004 and law school in 2007, and have been practicing law for almost nine years. My uGPA was 3.6, with no science courses (I transferred in all of my required math, science, and English via AP and dual enrollments), so I need to take Gen Bio I and II, Orgo I and II, and Biochem. I'm doing a DIY post-bac for that. I don't want to move for med school, so I'm only applying to the one that is local to me. Planning to take the MCAT early next summer and apply early decision for Fall 2018. I kind of feel like since I'm only applying to one school, I really need to blow the MCAT out of the water, so I'm considering taking a dedicated prep course like I did for the bar exam. Has anyone else done that?

 

[docbrittstuffins]

Where did you get accepted to if you don't mind me asking. I am so inspired by your story! also where did you go for your post-bacc?

Hi all,

I'm a soon-to-be 30 yr old AA female (single, no kids) and will be starting my first year of medical school this fall. (Praise God!!!)

I just wanted to share my journey with my fellow non-traditional students in hopes that it will encourage you to keep working towards your dream.

I graduated from college in 2005 with a degree in biomedical engineering. I worked in the pharmaceutical industry for years and attempted to study for the MCAT during this time. I say "attempted" because although I gave it my best shot, it was pretty tough to study anything after working a 10+ hour day (which was probably the case more often than not). I completed online and (evening) classroom Kaplan courses to improve my MCAT score. I was only able to bring it up a few points after taking it THREE TIMES. I decided to apply to medical schools although my highest score was...well...less than competitive.

The first time I applied to about 30 schools (it still hurts my feelings to think of all of the money I spent in application fees). I guess I figured that out of all of those schools, SOMEBODY would accept me. I was wrong. The second time I applied to less schools and a post bac program (I figured it was time to try different avenues). Again I was rejected by all of the medical schools, but I was offered a spot in the post bac program. After successfully completing the one year post bac, I have finally been accepted into med school!

I shared all of this to say....if this is truly what you want for yourself, don't give up!! Lord knows I've been discouraged by low MCAT scores and my book of rejection letters, but I wasn't willing to give up. This has definitely been a lesson in patience and perseverance. Just know that our personal timelines don't always correspond to God's plan for us. I personally believe that everything happens for a reason (even if we don't know what it is). Although I'm starting the path to my goal later in life, I'm EXACTLY where God wants me to be.

I hope this helps someone out there. Hang in there. I wish you all the best.

 

[RalnaAp]

Are there any AA nontraditional students out there? Introduce yourself. Tell us where ur from!

Hello all,

I'm 35. Childless. Attached. I have nothing better to do with myself or my money but go to school. As of June, I'll be a pre-pharmacy student. My career path thus far:
RN (diploma) at 35 > LVN > CNA > Accounting student > CT Tech > Xray Tech > Army National Guard > US Air Force (e5) > Microbiology student at 17.

Right now, I'm weekend supv at a snf rehab facility. jumped into nursing because it was more challenging than radiology and I like to help people. Thing is, nursing environments are a madhouse and 'do more with less' is the goal. I am okay with working hard, but...SMH.
People wonder why there's a 'nurse shortage'. Pfft. Trust me, its more of a retention issue. Hats off to any who can run the floor for 20+ years. Stick a fork in me. I'm done. (Laugh)

So, I'm looking into Pharmacy school and I'm really excited about it! I just have to knock out my pre reqs at the cc with a min 3.4 gpa (which is doable) and take the PCAT. I'll be applying to the PharmD program at UF with USF as a backup. I hear their pharm program is top tier. I won't have a degree so I'll have to blow the PCAT and gpa out of the water to compete. Challenge ... accepted!

I know that I'll likely begin working in a store, but research definitely interests me. Working in a lab is right up my alley.
Today, I'm going to apply for a pharm tech position at Walgreens. I don't know if I need a separate cert. Hopefully, they'll just hire me.

The PA route is my backup. Why PA over NP? Well, they earn more. Also, I want to be viewed as a member of the team. I feel as though I'd be better received by my MD if I were a PA. As a PA, I'd be "one of them". In a sense.
Physicians (some) seem to think that nurses are trying to take over or directly compete with them. Nah, not really. We know that we're not medical doctors.
-- Plenty are just trying to escape the floor. There's nowhere to go but up.
-- Plenty more are just taking advantage of their options. Why not? If you can earn $150,000+ working under a physician, with more autonomy and prescriptive authority without med school debt - why in hell wouldn't you be a CRNA or NP? C'mon.... (laugh)
In healthcare, duties that can be delegated, will be. Why do you think nurses have nurse aides, orderlies and medication aides? We have too many (high acuity?) pts and don't have time to do nursing tasks, eg, pass meds, bathe people, feed people, etc....
AP nurses relieve the workload of medical doctors in the same fashion. I suppose there may be an issue with NP/PAs that don't recognize their limits. Never encountered it. If my question is beyond the NPs realm of knowledge, I'm always redirected to the actual doctor. The NP/PA can handle the easy problems. I mean, what doc besides some newb really wants to be bothered on a weekend to address nonemergent labs, falls, seizures, med orders, order clarifications, xray requests, hospital sendouts, etc...? Do you think I complain when aides toilet my residents? When med aides do my 37 pt medpass? Yeah, right. (laugh)
Let the NP handle it. That's what they're there for. Enjoy your day at the beach/church/spa, etc....

 

[Newtonian21]

I don't know I feel like I shouldn't say anything with a 3.2gpa. I don't know where I stand. But I am currently 25, will be 27 by the time apply. Worked my way through college to pay fees (there was no loan/grants for me as foreign student then). Now after miliatary I started my way back to start taking my prereq again. I am currently an RN too, but Im not fullfilled doing what I am doing.. My initial plan was med school, now I am going for it. But welcome all and may God bless you all in your journey.