1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
Undergrad GPA (BS Biology): Science 2.9, non-Science 3.6, Overall 3.2
Graduate GPA (MS Neuroscience): 3.65
MCAT Aug 2006: 28S (B-9, P-9, V-10)... yes... the very last paper-based MCAT ever offered
Medical School (current): 3.85 (MS4)
2. Your financial and work situation.
Currently just a student... Prior to...
UG 2000-2004
Grad 2004-2006
EMT-B Rochester, NY 2006-2009
3. Your family and significant other situation.
Came to medical school with a girlfriend of two yrs, currently beating the odds, Married and VERY happy
4. Your plan or your path to success.
After a stellar HS career, I went off to college, discovered Women and parties, and my GPA slipped a bit. Took me a while to get a foothold and balance the freedom of college with the motivation needed to succeed. I kept putting in virtually NO effort, and getting B's so it was incredibly difficult to get myself out of the rut. I was experiencing some serious self doubt...
Went to a prehealth adviser at school who told me point blank I stood no chance and should consider graduate school... So I did.
Began a masters program and studied a hell of a lot harder... did much better... Then I came to the realization that I HATED research. I decided to take night classes to become an EMT - I rediscovered everything I loved about medicine. Those classes were saving me.
Took the MCAT in Aug 2006 after NUMEROUS postponements. Was terrified and under prepared. Still to this day disappointed with the score, yet surprised I did that well with minimal prep.
Sept 2007 - Decided to apply to medical school with ZERO idea about how it worked... never heard of rolling admissions. Received secondaries from all SORTS of places like, Brown, Cornell, U of R you name it. I have no clue they were simply extending a hand to take $100 from me. I was working as an EMT at the time, living in my parents basement making very little money. I was denied everywhere... cue lowest point of my life
At this point I had started to work at a local ED as a technician where half the docs were DO's. Had never heard of nor experienced this. Finally decided to get my stuff together and do things right.
... I applied to only DO schools in the 2008 cycle, had my app ready to rock on day 1. Applied to 12 schools, interviews at 5, admitted to 2 (then canceled a few interviews)
(funny how even with an improved graduate GPA people hammer you about UG haha)
2009: Start of medical school, Class of 2013
May 27, 2011 - Step 1: went extremely well despite an AM snafu where my drivers license had expired 7 days prior to the exam necessitating a frantic hunt for a DMV to get it renewed. I do believe I now hold the record for fastest license renewal in a NYS DMV... 30 min, door to door, made it in time to sit for the test. Scariest day of my life. haha.
Currently: top of my class, top end step 1, preparing for step 2 and hopefully a stellar residency
Overall
Here is the deal - this is scary. The whole process is scary, start to finish. The key is perseverance. I had a lot of self- doubt, and you get to a point where you are TERRIFIED of even trying because failure becomes equated to defeat.
The most important lesson i've had? I failed my first embryo quiz and barely passed my first anatomy test. I was devastated... Maximal effort and that was all I could muster? I decided then and there that I could cry and whine about it or I could double down and go balls out. Haven't looked back...
That's my Key boys and girls... As a non-trad I think I approach everything like the devil is chasing me. I study longer, I study harder, I push myself more than most. I can go without food, drink, breaks. I have a high tolerance for pain. I'm not the smartest kid in my class, but my GPA reflects how hard I work and how badly I want it.
Every one of you can do the same. If you want it, don't give up. I'm serious. In some other universe, there is a version of me that gave up... I feel bad for that guy. Because I know he's out there, I fight that much harder. I'm avenging myself every day. At first I thought I was proving to everyone who denied me that they were wrong... then I realized I was actually squashing my own self doubt.
Good luck to all of you.