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Hi, it was suggested that I post this here also. I hope I can get some ideas of where to go from here. Thank you.
A lot of reading but please bear with me.
Hello everyone!
I would like to start out by saying thank you to the SDN Admin for a great forum and to all who post here, I have learned a ton, thank you.
I'm hoping to get some feedback on my situation, I've gone through hundreds of threads but nothing seems to fit me. I just turned 40 and have always dreamed of being a Doctor in the communities where I grew up. My background is a little out of the ordinary but thats not always a bad thing.
My mother was Amish (half Dutch half French). My father was a full blooded Lakota Sioux. He was also a itinerate welder who couldn't work on high buildings because of his drinking. He came through the area in spring to weld farm machinery and they met. A few months later I showed up.
I was raised Amish but spent most summers and other times on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Neither one of the communities I was raised in valued education. I even have a small scar on my lip where my Amish step father beat me with a horses bridle for asking if I could go to High School. When my Mother passed away I was allowed to live with a Mennonite family where I could attend High School. I did very well, even got a 1550 SAT.
At 16 I petitioned and was chosen as the Pastor of my community, young yes, but not the youngest. I later Became the Bishop for several communities hence my screen name. Shame on you for thinking dirty
OK, now some background.
At 14 I started a non profit agency called AloneCare. This was to help elderly and isolated people on the reservation get medical care. This continues to this day.
I, as the Pastor was allowed to decide if I wanted to go to school. I did. I attended 4 years at a Seminary and College. Graduated with a 4.0 overall, and a 3.99 BCMP.
After College I spent 5 years in Suriname as a Missionary. This started as strictly a Religious duty but quickly turned into a Religion by day and medical care at night. I arranged for clinics and medical treatment for all people regardless of faith. I helped smuggle medicine and health care products into the country. I worked with Catholic Priests and the French Foreign Legion in Ghana to get across the border. I acted as interpreter and Physicians assistant for over 4 years. I worked both in Suriname and later at home as a lay mid wife. All this was done under a Military Dictatorship with almost yearly coup's.
Returning home, I continued to help as much as I could in both communities. I helped arrange for new and Foreign Doctors to come on the Reservation and still fought to prove in the Amish community that education beyond 8th grade was not prideful or evil.
I proudly served in the US Army Special Forces for several years. I received training in several areas but also as a Combat Medic, including, Combat Medicine, Field Surgery, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, and EMT-Paramedic training. We rode the Ambulances and worked the ER in Los Angeles for part of training. LA has the best Chili Dogs! I was injured AND wounded which ultimately ended my career but it is nothing that would impede either work or study.
Just as an aside, I also started (Patients for Progress) the lobbying side of AloneCare to help get effective legislation and laws through the Government faster to help people who need it now.
I have written several books and it looks like the first three will be condensed and published as one book.
I have applied for several patents, mostly to do with alternative ways of generating electricity. Growing up without electric has always given me a fascination for electrical properties. Also there was such a need for some power in Suriname or in isolated areas of the reservation just for refrigeration that I had to be creative so I could help.
So here's the question, should I do a Post Bacc and risk my decent undergrad GPA? Or should I do a Special Science Program? My undergrad science is about 20 years old now and I don't feel exactly confidant that I can slam the MCAT without a big refresher course. Or maybe a second BA?
No matter what I'll continue to help, but being a Doctor is very important to me. I want to treat the people I grew up with but also be a role model and show the positive side of education and the benefits of it.
Thank you in advance. The Bishop
A lot of reading but please bear with me.
Hello everyone!
I would like to start out by saying thank you to the SDN Admin for a great forum and to all who post here, I have learned a ton, thank you.
I'm hoping to get some feedback on my situation, I've gone through hundreds of threads but nothing seems to fit me. I just turned 40 and have always dreamed of being a Doctor in the communities where I grew up. My background is a little out of the ordinary but thats not always a bad thing.
My mother was Amish (half Dutch half French). My father was a full blooded Lakota Sioux. He was also a itinerate welder who couldn't work on high buildings because of his drinking. He came through the area in spring to weld farm machinery and they met. A few months later I showed up.
I was raised Amish but spent most summers and other times on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Neither one of the communities I was raised in valued education. I even have a small scar on my lip where my Amish step father beat me with a horses bridle for asking if I could go to High School. When my Mother passed away I was allowed to live with a Mennonite family where I could attend High School. I did very well, even got a 1550 SAT.
At 16 I petitioned and was chosen as the Pastor of my community, young yes, but not the youngest. I later Became the Bishop for several communities hence my screen name. Shame on you for thinking dirty
OK, now some background.
At 14 I started a non profit agency called AloneCare. This was to help elderly and isolated people on the reservation get medical care. This continues to this day.
I, as the Pastor was allowed to decide if I wanted to go to school. I did. I attended 4 years at a Seminary and College. Graduated with a 4.0 overall, and a 3.99 BCMP.
After College I spent 5 years in Suriname as a Missionary. This started as strictly a Religious duty but quickly turned into a Religion by day and medical care at night. I arranged for clinics and medical treatment for all people regardless of faith. I helped smuggle medicine and health care products into the country. I worked with Catholic Priests and the French Foreign Legion in Ghana to get across the border. I acted as interpreter and Physicians assistant for over 4 years. I worked both in Suriname and later at home as a lay mid wife. All this was done under a Military Dictatorship with almost yearly coup's.
Returning home, I continued to help as much as I could in both communities. I helped arrange for new and Foreign Doctors to come on the Reservation and still fought to prove in the Amish community that education beyond 8th grade was not prideful or evil.
I proudly served in the US Army Special Forces for several years. I received training in several areas but also as a Combat Medic, including, Combat Medicine, Field Surgery, Dentistry, Veterinary Medicine, and EMT-Paramedic training. We rode the Ambulances and worked the ER in Los Angeles for part of training. LA has the best Chili Dogs! I was injured AND wounded which ultimately ended my career but it is nothing that would impede either work or study.
Just as an aside, I also started (Patients for Progress) the lobbying side of AloneCare to help get effective legislation and laws through the Government faster to help people who need it now.
I have written several books and it looks like the first three will be condensed and published as one book.
I have applied for several patents, mostly to do with alternative ways of generating electricity. Growing up without electric has always given me a fascination for electrical properties. Also there was such a need for some power in Suriname or in isolated areas of the reservation just for refrigeration that I had to be creative so I could help.
So here's the question, should I do a Post Bacc and risk my decent undergrad GPA? Or should I do a Special Science Program? My undergrad science is about 20 years old now and I don't feel exactly confidant that I can slam the MCAT without a big refresher course
. Or maybe a second BA?No matter what I'll continue to help, but being a Doctor is very important to me. I want to treat the people I grew up with but also be a role model and show the positive side of education and the benefits of it.
Thank you in advance. The Bishop
