LOW GPA/MCAT Success Stories (Posts by Nontrads Already Accepted to Med School)

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LT2, what do your kids think?

I have been surprised about how supportive they have been, especially having gone from being upper-middle class to poor.

I have a 13yr old that is verbally ok but clearly wishes she could go back to the 'old life'; the rest are great.

My 5yr old daughter tells everyone her daddy is going to be a doctor and informed her pediatrician that once her daddy is a doctor she won't see him anymore because her daddy will take care of her (not to point out she will be 15 when I finish residency).

Overall this could never work without their support. We talked to the older ones before I quit my job and explained that everyone has a right to follow their dreams, even mommy & daddy and gave them an idea what it would be like.

They asked a lot of questions about the process, where we would live, when we would have to move, etc and then lined up behind me to support this dream.

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1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
27 years old (not super non-trad these days). 3.09 sGPA/3.13 oGPA. 32R MCAT.

2. Your financial and work situation.
Been teaching and working in education for the past 3.5 years since college. Have about 110k in private undergrad loans :(, so need the income.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
Single male. Fiance moving with me to Cali for med school.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
Majored in Neuroscience from Ivy League school, BUT I had a 2.6 GPA at the end of freshman year. Got my life together sophomore year and set a goal of graduating with a 3.2 in order to be competitive for med school. Each year's GPA was higher (3.1, 3.4, 3.9) but not quite high enough to hit a 3.2. Took Organic over the summer at Harvard. Was a D-1 Athlete 40 hours a week and worked 3 jobs 25 hours a week during college. Senior year, I found that I was just beginning to figure out how to be a student, so I wasn't ready for med school and didn't take MCAT. Applied to and got in to a competitive teaching program and considered going into school leadership during the past 3 years. My 2nd year teaching I decided to study for and take the MCAT along with an A&P course at a local University. I've spent the past couple years managing and training new teachers, shadowing doctors, and volunteering at the hospital. Essentially making sure that my GPA will be the only blemish on my app. Applied to Louisiana schools (hometown) and Cali schools (fiance's home state). Received interviews at Louisiana schools and one UC. Got accepted to Louisiana schools and the one UC :).


What I did right
- Take my time (3 years) strengthening my application
- Taking an A&P class at local U and getting an A. Much easier to do it over the summer, than at undergrad school.
- Finding major that I liked, instead of settling for Chem or Bio which were boring. :thumbdown:
- Talking to admissions officers the year before applying about what MCAT score would help offset my poor gpa.
- Developing other skills and experience before applying. My leadership experience was a HUGE factor in getting into the UC school.
- Take MCAT Prep course and setting a goal of a 33 to make myself competitive (didn't reach it, but it worked out)
- Applying to schools that I had a chance to get into, and a couple I had no business applying to.
- Taking a summer course during my 2nd year out of college
- Keeping relationships with professors after college

What I did wrong[/B]
- Taking multiple premed courses at once Freshman year when I had very few study skills
- Assuming that getting into a competitive college meant I was smart enough to get A's the same way I did in HS. I got humbled academically so many times that I am still worried about doing well in med school...
 
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1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
27 years old (not super non-trad these days). 3.09 sGPA/3.13 oGPA. 32R MCAT.

...Applied to Louisiana schools (hometown) and Cali schools (fiance's home state). Received interviews at Louisiana schools and one UC. Got accepted to Louisiana schools and the one UC :). ...

Fantastic! Congrats. Hard work and persistence should always be rewarded like this, and I'm glad they did in this case. and your UCSD acceptance is nothing to sneeze at either...that's extremely hard for an OOS.

If I'm lucky and work hard enough I'll get into LSU-NO in 2 years as a non-trad; barring that I'll take my in-state MS app. I'm moving back there from overseas, so enjoy being back home whether there or at Tulane.
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
28 years old.

undergrad 2.94 sGPA/3.7 oGPA.
grad 3.38 sGPA 26M :oops: MCAT.

2. Your financial and work situation.
(Seems like I should write professional student here ;))
Graduate student

3. Your family and significant other situation.
Married; Wife is a practicing physician

4. Your plan or your path to success.
Never really had a chance to focus only on school. Always had to work, take care of others or choose lab time over study time. It will be nice to just concentrate on my classes and trying to become the best doctor I can be. It also helps that I have full support of my family.

What I did right
Not to sound arrogant... but the first thing I did right was grow up. I would have never been emotionally or mentally mature enough to take on this task right out of college. I personally think the best thing I have going for me is experience and maturity. I know what I want and exactly how to get there.

What I did wrong
I didn't take college seriously until I was in my 2nd year. I wasn't concerned with doing my best, I was just trying to get by and have fun. Who knew that C in organic would haunt me for ever.

Result:
Applied to 10 MD schools
1 Acceptance; 1 Waitlist
 
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1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

31 years old.
sGPA 3.32
cGPA 3.58

MCAT taken twice. 28R (9-10-9) on first take. 30Q (10-10-10) on second.

2. Your financial and work situation.

I have been working as an assistant tennis coach since graduating from college in 2002. I make a modest income (started off with a stipend of 6000 a year, now pull in about 20k) but with the ability to give lessons and get summer work during months off. Though during busy months I do work about 50-60 hours a week. Come from a deeply entrenched working-class background (don't let tennis fool you, was taught by my dad who is self-taught) so financial support from my family isn't really an option.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

Unmarried but in a relationship. Hoping to continue that relationship through medical school but too early to tell.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

Like a lot of nontraditional students, I had to mature. I was briefly pre-med my freshman year of college, and my BCPM GPA was pulled down as a result of that semester. I graduated from college not sold on pursuing what I got my degree in (magazine journalism) so I used tennis coaching as a way to support myself while I figured out what my passion was. I had some very eye opening and inspiring volunteer experiences about 5 years ago, and these inspired me to rekindle my early interest in medicine, actually giving it the purpose and substance I needed to work through difficult course material. I have been volunteering with medically underserved patients in both clinical and street settings (through outreach programs) since about 2006, while taking mostly night classes to fulfill pre-requisites. I was able to write (what I considered to be) articulately about these experiences and in interviews convey passion and understanding for patients from all backgrounds. I have a leadership position at the free clinic at which I volunteer. I have no research experience, and was never asked to explain this in interviews.

What I did right

I worked really hard on knowing myself, being sure of my commitment to pursuing medicine as a career, and spent a LOT of time on my essays. With a journalism and English background, I felt confident about this aspect as a strength of mine. I wanted to make sure everything was conveyed well. I had advisors read them, edit them, worked with people I trusted to make sure they were torn apart. I got some very good advice and feedback but all of the writing was, in the end, decidedly mine. I took advice well.

What I did wrong

I let myself get too nervous about the process, and I really worried that I wouldn't get in anywhere. I applied too late (submitted AMCAS July 3rd, and a lot of my secondaries were still not complete through September). I do believe it would have gone better for me if I would have submitted earlier, but what's done is done. I was extremely nervous in interviews and did not think I interviewed well at the place to which I was accepted. But eventually I was resolved to reapply if necessary, and just take the cycle as it came. There were definitely points early in the process where I let my nerves take over, and that's not a good way to start.

Result:
Applied to 24 MD Schools
2 interviews
1 acceptance
1 priority waitlist (my top choice of the two)
very happy to be admitted

EDIT: Not sure why I temporarily forgot the correct spelling of "advice." So much for my journalism background.
 
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Back when I started this journey, threads like this were a source of inspiration. I'm glad to finally be able to post something.

1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
I just turned 27 this week (so this was the best birthday present ever)
Final GPA's came out to 3.33 cGPA and 3.8 BCMP GPA
I spent two months last summer studying for the MCAT and took it once.
My MCAT score was 31R (9ps,11v,11bs)

2. Your financial and work situation.
When I started this journey, I was working full time at a hospital, after taking classes for a year, I left my job so that I could go to school full time.
3. Your family and significant other situation.
I was living with my boyfriend who I'd been with for 4 years at the time. I moved across the country to do my postbacc. We broke up last summer. I currently live with my parents to save money until the start of school.
4. Your plan or your path to success.
My undergrad GPA before I started my postbacc was a 3.04 from three years of liberal arts classes and then another year of study abroad at a 3.2 The saving grace of this terrible GPA was that almost all of these courses were not science. My s GPA was mostly a clean slate. I had taken 1 semester of Bio with a C+ (retook in my postbacc and got an A+) and one Math class where I'd gotten an A. Since my cGPA started out so low, I knew that it would be my job to convince the schools that I could handle the coursework.
Once I decided to pursue Med school, I took Gen Chem at community college while I was working full time. I realized that because I went to a good undergrad, med schools probably wouldn't be impressed by my taking courses 1 at a time even if I did well, so mid way through the year I decided to apply to a postbacc program.
I was accepted to the post bacc program and decided to register for Bio/orgo/orgo lab/physics because this would show my ability to handle a med school like schedule. Other people told me I was crazy, since this program was designed for people taking 2, or 3 of those at a time, but not usually all 4, and I was lucky to find lab and recitation sections that didn't conflict with one another. I barely slept, and didn't take days off during the semester, but I walked out of the year with a 4.0 and several teachers who were impressed enough to write me great letters and who asked me to TA and teach for them in the Fall.
This year I've been teaching and volunteering in a research lab, since I had no research experience before this year. I also took biochemistry in the fall.

What I did right:
Volunteering and working in a Medical setting before I started taking classes. Not only did this help convince me that I really wanted to do medical school, but it also gave me great experience to talk about in my interviews. I also thing that doing extremely well in my postbacc helped me overcome my undergrad GPA. One school I applied to put me on hold for my Fall Grades, and when I got my A+ in biochem, I sent the score immediately. Doing research during my gap year so that I could then write about it on secondaries and talk about it on interviews.

What I did Wrong:
If I had just worked a little harder in my undergrad, I wouldn't have had to answer for it now. I also took the MCAT fairly late (august) after only 2 months of studying so I only had one chance to take it and do well. My score was okay, but lower than my average, and I think that I would have done better if I'd given myself another month to prepare. Taking the MCAT later also meant that my applications were in later (I waited for my MCAT score to come back because I wouldn't have applied with a lower score) but I wasn't complete in terms of MCAT and committee letter until the end of September. I think this really lowered my chances at a good number of the schools that I applied to.

The Result:
30 Secondaries submitted
3 interviews (Drexel, SUNY Dowstate, Albany)
1 acceptance (Albany Medical College)
1 "on hold" at Downstate
1 Wait list at Drexel
Accepted from the "oh Hold" list at SUNY Downstate at the end of May and will be attending
 
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1. Vitals
BS in chemical engineering
undergrad GPA: 3.27
post bacc GPA: 4.0
"final" GPA: 3.45 (science GPAs are about equal to cumulative GPAs)
MCAT: 35Q

2. Financial/work:
Made enough money as an engineer to support myself through my post-bacc year. Now work in research at a big hospital/medical school.

3. Family etc.
In a relationship
4. Plan
I began volunteering in a busy ED before quitting my job as an engineer. Once I finally decided to pursue medicine, I quit my job and focused 100% on my post-bacc experience. My goals at the outset were 3-fold: first, get a 4.0 as a post-bacc student; second, score at least in the 90th percentile on the MCAT; third, beef up my extracurriculars. For extracurricular activities, I continued my hospital volunteering, found a second volunteering job teaching a GED science class, and became involved in research for one of my post-bacc professors (her work was in x-ray crystallography, so not entirely relevant to medicine, but this experience was vital in acquiring my current job in medical research, where I am actually getting paid). I had limited success finding shadowing opportunities, though I did shadow an anesthesiologist for a while, and was able to shadow in the ED during my volunteering time. Almost 1 year ago, I put a check mark in the W column for my post-bacc effort.

5. Things I did right:
-utilized SDN to come up with my plan, as well as for PS review, and to get a jump on (some) secondaries
-began volunteering early, and stuck with it long term
-killed my post-bacc and the MCAT to prove myself academically

6. Things I did wrong:
-I did not do as many practice passages for the MCAT as I probably should have (though I did many full lengths, and I'm fine with the outcome)
-waited a bit too long to complete many secondaries (application burnout), and submitted primary apps to schools where I didn't even complete the secondary (waste of money)

Results:
I applied only to MD programs.
Complete at 16
Interview invites to 8
Attended 6 interviews
2 waitlists
4 acceptances
 
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1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
Age: 44, overall GPA: 3.23 science 3.33. graduate and post Bac GPA: 3.81; MCAT 32S, took once
2. Your financial and work situation.
Have been in grad school Biology (Evolution and animal behavior) working on Ph.D., finished with M.S. Enough money saved up for first couple years of med school. College professor for 7 years, teaching science and humanities. Massage therapist for past few years, as well as instructor in Anatomy and Physiology (overview courses, but still keeps me learning)
3. Your family and significant other situation.
married, 2 children, 9, and 6 yrs.
4. Your plan or your path to success.
some struggles getting back into the swing of school. I had done terribly as an undergraduate, but very well during graduate years. Didn't study long enough for MCAT, don't know if I could have done better there. If I had I might have had better success. Applied last year, just to MD programs and didn't get in anywhere. I had had only limited clinical volunteer experience, so I set out to make that much stronger. Found a wonderful family practice MD who let me shadow her. within a few weeks she was having me take histories on my own, help with physical exams, discuss complicated charts with her. Fabulous experience. Also volunteered in ER, and in a Hospice. This year applied to 13 schools, MD and DO. Got interviews at 3. Accepted at TouroCA. Still waiting to hear from UNM. But very happy that I'll be in school this fall. Have been doing a lot more research about DOs and feeling more and more excited about that track.
I have some anxieties about starting this late (though I don't feel old), but I'm perfectly clear that this is the right profession for me. Best wishes to all others making a career change in mid life.
 
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This post has been a long time in coming.....

1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
31 years old (Male)
Freshman GPA of 1.37 including 2 F's 2 W's 4 D's a C and a B.
A five year break followed by an associates degree at community college (3.7gpa)
followed by 2 more transfer years to University (3.4gpa for those two years)
My MCAT score was 28O (8ps,10v,10bs)

2. Your financial and work situation.
I worked full time for the whole lot of it as an electronics/computer repair tech and later as a research chemist. We've been perpetually broke for a long, long time.
3. Your family and significant other situation.
Married with two kids (Now aged 5 and 3)
4. Your plan or your path to success.
Once I made the decision to go to medical school, the plan was to do whatever it took to get there. I knew that with my poor performance with my first attempt at college would be a black mark on my record, so I set out to prove that I wasn't the same person that got those terrible grades.

What I did right:
I spent five years in the Navy where I got some focus and learned dedication. I worked twice as hard as the 20 somethings around me. I built good relationships with good professors, bosses and doctors who wrote me good letters of recommendation.

What I did Wrong:
I waited until August to take my MCAT, which led to me not meeting an application deadline for one of the state schools I was interested in.

The Result:
I applied to Southern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Chicago, George Washington University and the Uniformed Services Medical School.

Got secondaries to all but UIC (Due to not making application deadline as mentioned above)

Interviewed at SIU
Received Acceptance to SIU today!
 
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I am beyond thrilled to be part of this thread. To all of those people out there that feel like there is no hope, please persevere if you really want this because I never, ever could have thought that I would be here today if you had asked me ten, five or even two years ago. So many people told me that I had no chance because of my stats. I feel like all of the hard work and sacrifices have finally been validated.


1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
29 years old, 3.17 cumulative and 3.34 science, 35R (V13,PS10,BS12)
2. Your financial and work situation.
I've been working full-time in clinical research for the past year but have been working in research either full-time or half-time since I graduated in 2005.
3. Your family and significant other situation.
Divorced
4. Your plan or your path to success.
Majored in English as an undergrad at a top tier school but earned awful grades, did a postbac at another top tier school but earned mediocre grades and was basically told I wasn't cut out for medicine. I kept working in research and went through a very painful relationship in the interim, realized that I needed to follow my passion and just decided that I would become a physician, even if it meant going abroad to realize my dream.

Results
applied to two osteo programs, got into both
applied to 14 allo programs, interviews at two, got into one and waiting to hear back from the other
 
:thumbup:
I am beyond thrilled to be part of this thread. To all of those people out there that feel like there is no hope, please persevere if you really want this because I never, ever could have thought that I would be here today if you had asked me ten, five or even two years ago. So many people told me that I had no chance because of my stats. I feel like all of the hard work and sacrifices have finally been validated.


1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
29 years old, 3.17 cumulative and 3.34 science, 35R (V13,PS10,BS12)
2. Your financial and work situation.
I've been working full-time in clinical research for the past year but have been working in research either full-time or half-time since I graduated in 2005.
3. Your family and significant other situation.
Divorced
4. Your plan or your path to success.
Majored in English as an undergrad at a top tier school but earned awful grades, did a postbac at another top tier school but earned mediocre grades and was basically told I wasn't cut out for medicine. I kept working in research and went through a very painful relationship in the interim, realized that I needed to follow my passion and just decided that I would become a physician, even if it meant going abroad to realize my dream.

Results
applied to two osteo programs, got into both
applied to 14 allo programs, interviews at two, got into one and waiting to hear back from the other

Congrats! Awesome story!
 
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Thank you so much for this thread. Its so inspiring.

Sent from my Vodafone 858 using SDN Mobile
 
My story is nothing, but I'll go first (adapted from my MDapps profile):

I'm a non-traditional applicant who returned to school after 12 years as an engineer. I have a wife who has a professional career and three children.

Detroit had been my home since I was born, I chose to do my undergrad at the University of Michigan over the top-ranked engineering school and had been here ever since. I considered medicine since my undergraduate days there, and I took my MCAT twice (31 and 32) but I became a father very soon after graduation and life got in the way very quickly after that.

In the meantime, I consistently chose to work as a research engineer in Michigan. The implications were that my salary was significantly lower than many of my peers. I thought the one upshot was that my marketability was better and that I had greater job security. I was wrong.

I was miserable. I hated being an engineer, to be honest. Or rather, ONLY, an engineer. There are moments in your life when you reflect on where you are, and where you had hoped to be. I realized that I was way off track in the summer of 2008.

Abandoning a career you are good at is a very difficult decision to make -- especially in light of the uncertainty of applying to medical school and trying to support your family. I understand why many people let their dreams go at similar junctures in their lives -- it's a hard choice to make.

But I made a bold move at that very dark point in my life (with the support of my wife and children). I decided to go back to Oakland University full-time and apply. This was a calculated risk. I agreed to work half-time while in school for two semesters, intending to return to full-time up until the start of medical school.

However, I lost my engineering job the week before my MCAT. Even though it was a research job. At the time, the state of Michigan was hemorrhaging so many technical jobs that my boss decided to replace me with two out-of-work automotive engineers for the same amount of money. He literally bragged a few weeks beforehand to me about how he could to pay two of them half my salary each and get two guys for the price of one. Nice way to feel appreciated, huh?

So much for job security and marketability too, right? With the glut of engineers on the market I was 'lost in the noise'. I was looking for a new job and standing in line at the unemployment office that week before my MCAT. In Michigan, you must stand in line for at least your initial unemployment application/meeting. I did it in one of the roughest parts on the west side of Detroit.

Boy - was that a wake-up call. In a strange way, it actually helped improve my score. The trouble I in was so tangible that it really focused my studying and prep. It certainly set in motion everything that has happened since. I had hoped for a repeat low 30s MCAT. Come test day, I actually considered voiding my results. Imagine my shock when it came back the highest score I had ever received at 38S? :eek:

Anyways...I have other stories too...
Sorry for the length, I didn't have time to make it short.
 
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Thank you for doing this vc7777 I'm pretty sure many others will benefit from this thread. I'm going through a very hard time now. Might just be homeless and penniless in a months time. I have no money, no job, no support system and parents to care for. I'm already 27 and with what its going on.. Med school just seem so impossible...

I'm waiting to hear what others had went through and how they pull it through .. Give me some hope hope and inspiration :)
 
Dear fellow SDN members,

I honestly can't thank you enough for your threads here.

This past year has been a series of highs and lows: ranging in my grades, research interviews, jobs. Definitely, a slightly disheartening year to be honest.

But I think I'm slowly realizing "the silver lining" in these clouds of worry and reading your posts have reminded me of that. I am thankful of my circumstances and the opportunity to try my best and learn. Thank you all for inspiring me: As long as I keep my passion to become a doctor strong, work and do my best, and be persistent, I can make this journey too!!

I will surely be reading more SDN posts in the future!

Sincerely, NonDedo
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
27 years old (not super non-trad these days). 3.09 sGPA/3.13 oGPA. 32R MCAT.

2. Your financial and work situation.
Been teaching and working in education for the past 3.5 years since college. Have about 110k in private undergrad loans :(, so need the income.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
Single male. Fiance moving with me to Cali for med school.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
Majored in Neuroscience from Ivy League school, BUT I had a 2.6 GPA at the end of freshman year. Got my life together sophomore year and set a goal of graduating with a 3.2 in order to be competitive for med school. Each year's GPA was higher (3.1, 3.4, 3.9) but not quite high enough to hit a 3.2. Took Organic over the summer at Harvard. Was a D-1 Athlete 40 hours a week and worked 3 jobs 25 hours a week during college. Senior year, I found that I was just beginning to figure out how to be a student, so I wasn't ready for med school and didn't take MCAT. Applied to and got in to a competitive teaching program and considered going into school leadership during the past 3 years. My 2nd year teaching I decided to study for and take the MCAT along with an A&P course at a local University. I've spent the past couple years managing and training new teachers, shadowing doctors, and volunteering at the hospital. Essentially making sure that my GPA will be the only blemish on my app. Applied to Louisiana schools (hometown) and Cali schools (fiance's home state). Received interviews at Louisiana schools and one UC. Got accepted to Louisiana schools and the one UC :).


What I did right
- Take my time (3 years) strengthening my application
- Taking an A&P class at local U and getting an A. Much easier to do it over the summer, than at undergrad school.
- Finding major that I liked, instead of settling for Chem or Bio which were boring. :thumbdown:
- Talking to admissions officers the year before applying about what MCAT score would help offset my poor gpa.
- Developing other skills and experience before applying. My leadership experience was a HUGE factor in getting into the UC school.
- Take MCAT Prep course and setting a goal of a 33 to make myself competitive (didn't reach it, but it worked out)
- Applying to schools that I had a chance to get into, and a couple I had no business applying to.
- Taking a summer course during my 2nd year out of college
- Keeping relationships with professors after college

What I did wrong[/B]
- Taking multiple premed courses at once Freshman year when I had very few study skills
- Assuming that getting into a competitive college meant I was smart enough to get A's the same way I did in HS. I got humbled academically so many times that I am still worried about doing well in med school...


Congrats! I've got about $120k in undergrad loans too. I hope to be posting in here (a success story) in Aug 2013!
 
Truly motivating, as others have said!

I'll be 26 this fall and have just decided to go premed. With switching schools and majors I'm starting back over as a rising sophomore. I've already dragged my grades up from a 2.4 to a 3.5 and I've been worried that the low grades combined with several medical/personal and military withdraws would look horrible on my record. Thank you all for boosting my hopes!
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

I'm 36, will be 37 at the end of August (1 month into my MS1 year).
When I graduated from undergrad in 1997, my GPA was 2.53.
Went to grad school 2005 - 2007 (M.Ed. in Training & Organizational Development) - GPA was 3.82.
Postbacc GPA: 3.77 cumulative, 3.82 BCPM

MCAT: 2010, 27M (8-PS; 9-BS; 10-VR)
2011, 30Q (9-BS; 10-VR; 11-PS)

2. Your financial and work situation.

I have worked full time since 1997 when I graduated from college. I did take time off in 2001 to go back to school full time, but went back to work when I got engaged. Been an independent contractor since 2008 when I got laid off. I work with mostly life sciences companies on operational strategy and process improvement. My most current contract (since April 2011) has me developing a training strategy for an electronic resourcing program for my client, and serving as the global training lead for its implementation.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

I am married to the most understanding and supportive woman in the world. We have two kids (6 & 4). Extended family (brothers, sisters, parents) for both me and my wife are here in the state, at most, two hours away.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

I started out as a Chemical Engineering major, but was not mature enough to force myself to do the work to be successful. Instead of improving my work ethic, I just switched majors to something that was easier for me, and for which I had natural talents. Ended up with a BA in Communication. I got a job as a software trainer, and had some pretty good success.

2001 - Thought I wanted to be an electrical engineer, and went back to school full time. This time, aced all the calculus classes (I failed them the first time) and calculus-based Physics classes. Got engaged and married, went back to work.

2005 - Started graduate school while working full time. The week after I got accepted, my wife told me she was pregnant with our first child. Finished a three year graduate program in 2.5 years. When I graduated, my wife was pregnant with our second child.

2008 - Got laid off, started contracting. Went to my alma mater's Career Planning and Placement Center to see what I would want to do with my life. The test results came back either law enforcement or healthcare. Because of my deepest innate desires to NOT have weapons fired at me, I decided against law enforcement. I thought that my undergraduate performance would hurt me, but I called the med schools in my state (NC), and they all told me that enough time had passed that if I aced my prereqs, and did well on the MCAT, I should have as good a shot as anyone else.

2009 - Started prereqs - Physics I & II - A+ in both. During the fall semester, I had a long term contract suddenly get taken away from me. All of a sudden I had no income again. Failed my Biology 101 test because of that setback. Ended up with a B in the class. Salvaged an A- in Chemistry 101.

2010 - Worked short term contracts all year, which is very stressful. While working full time, taking classes, preparing for the MCAT, and studying for exams, I had to go out looking for my next contract. Was working on a massive project for a client through the summer when I took both the MCAT and organic chemistry (actually took the MCAT before Orgo I was completed). Got a 27M. Applied to 9 schools anyway. Rejected by all except one. Got an interview, and made the alternate list. Never got off the alternate list. Biology 201 - A; Chemistry 201 A+; Orgo I - A; Orgo II - A. Biochemistry - A.

Finished prerequisites in 2010.

2011 - Went back to work full time. Took the ExamKrackers MCAT class. Upped my score to 30Q. Applied to 8 schools. Got secondaries from all but one this year, but rejected from everywhere except one school. Got put back on the alternate list, but this year, I got off the alternate list quickly.

What I did right

I never stopped trying. I asked a friend of mine who had been accepted what he thought my chances were. He said, "If you really want to be a doctor, your chances are 100% because you'll do what you have to do in order to be successful." Best advice I got.

What I did wrong

Everything as an undergraduate. Just played way too much, but it turned out OK.

There was a time when I thought my life's purpose was to serve as a cautionary tale of wasted potential. Glad to finally be on the right track.
 
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1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

I'm 36, will be 37 at the end of August (1 month into my MS1 year).
When I graduated from undergrad in 1997, my GPA was 2.53.
Went to grad school 2005 - 2007 (M.Ed. in Training & Organizational Development) - GPA was 3.82.
Postbacc GPA: 3.77 cumulative, 3.82 BCPM

MCAT: 2010, 27M (8-PS; 9-BS; 10-VR)
2011, 30Q (9-BS; 10-VR; 11-PS)

2. Your financial and work situation.

I have worked full time since 1997 when I graduated from college. I did take time off in 2001 to go back to school full time, but went back to work when I got engaged. Been an independent contractor since 2008 when I got laid off. I work with mostly life sciences companies on operational strategy and process improvement. My most current contract (since April 2011) has me developing a training strategy for an electronic resourcing program for my client, and serving as the global training lead for its implementation.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

I am married to the most understanding and supportive woman in the world. We have two kids (6 & 4). Extended family (brothers, sisters, parents) for both me and my wife are here in the state, at most, two hours away.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

I started out as a Chemical Engineering major, but was not mature enough to force myself to do the work to be successful. Instead of improving my work ethic, I just switched majors to something that was easier for me, and for which I had natural talents. Ended up with a BA in Communication. I got a job as a software trainer, and had some pretty good success.

2001 - Thought I wanted to be an electrical engineer, and went back to school full time. This time, aced all the calculus classes (I failed them the first time) and calculus-based Physics classes. Got engaged and married, went back to work.

2005 - Started graduate school while working full time. The week after I got accepted, my wife told me she was pregnant with our first child. Finished a three year graduate program in 2.5 years. When I graduated, my wife was pregnant with our second child.

2008 - Got laid off, started contracting. Went to my alma mater's Career Planning and Placement Center to see what I would want to do with my life. The test results came back either law enforcement or healthcare. Because of my deepest innate desires to NOT have weapons fired at me, I decided against law enforcement. I thought that my undergraduate performance would hurt me, but I called the med schools in my state (NC), and they all told me that enough time had passed that if I aced my prereqs, and did well on the MCAT, I should have as good a shot as anyone else.

2009 - Started prereqs - Physics I & II - A+ in both. During the fall semester, I had a long term contract suddenly get taken away from me. All of a sudden I had no income again. Failed my Biology 101 test because of that setback. Ended up with a B in the class. Salvaged an A- in Chemistry 101.

2010 - Worked short term contracts all year, which is very stressful. While working full time, taking classes, preparing for the MCAT, and studying for exams, I had to go out looking for my next contract. Was working on a massive project for a client through the summer when I took both the MCAT and organic chemistry (actually took the MCAT before Orgo I was completed). Got a 27M. Applied to 9 schools anyway. Rejected by all except one. Got an interview, and made the alternate list. Never got off the alternate list. Biology 201 - A; Chemistry 201 A+; Orgo I - A; Orgo II - A. Biochemistry - A.

Finished prerequisites in 2010.

2011 - Went back to work full time. Took the ExamKrackers MCAT class. Upped my score to 30Q. Applied to 8 schools. Got secondaries from all but one this year, but rejected from everywhere except one school. Got put back on the alternate list, but this year, I got off the alternate list quickly.

What I did right

I never stopped trying. I asked a friend of mine who had been accepted what he thought my chances were. He said, "If you really want to be a doctor, your chances are 100% because you'll do what you have to do in order to be successful." Best advice I got.

What I did wrong

Everything as an undergraduate. Just played way too much, but it turned out OK.

There was a time when I thought my life's purpose was to serve as a cautionary tale of wasted potential. Glad to finally be on the right track.

Friggin'. Awesome. Congrats!!
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

Finishing DO school Class of 2012. 34yo. cGPA (DO) = 3.35. cGPA (MD) = 3.2. BCPM = 3.75.

MCAT 2007: 28R (B-10, P-8, V-10)

*Note: After you get into med school...no one cares how you did on your MCAT anymore. All that hard work for nothing, hahaha.

2. Your financial and work situation.

Used to work full-time running a music store. Also played in bands and taught guitar lessons. Made ~30k/year before I quit my job in 2005 to go back to school. No savings. Lots of debt. Family helped pay off a couple credit cards and the ~6k left on my Honda Civic by tapping into retirement. My family is not rich, but middle class and this was a huge help and a great sacrifice on their part. I owe my dad some money now, hahaha.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

Married. 10yo daughter. Working on another one soon, now that I'm matched and doing residency (with income!) in a few months.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

1990 - Took aptitude test in school which said I'd be a good doctor. Had never really considered it. No family in medicine. Took it home, parents said, "but you have to be rich to do that. And a super-genius like that Doogie Howser on TV. And it's TWELVE YEARS of school AFTER 4 years of college." I quickly said, "screw that" and never looked back. Until...

2004 - Spent 14 years doing music. Trying to be a rock star. Realized being a rock star isn't all it's cracked up to be. Even for my rock star friends. Decided to find a new career. Soul searching and miracle of Google led me here, and corrected my c. 1990 misconceptions. Realized normal people CAN go to med school, learned about financial aid, and that it's only 4 years after college. Decided. Quit my job after a bit of planning. Had a lot of catch-up to do. Had MANY MANY MANY F's from prior community college class enrollments in 1996-98 that I just stopped going to without withdrawing. Didn't realize they'd lead to F's. Also didn't care.

2005 - Finished Community College. Transferred to University.

2007 - MCAT. Kinda mad about 28R, but whatever. Accepted to DO school in fall of 2007. Waitlisted at 2 MD schools. Grr. Wound up much happier at my DO school.

2008 - Finished University. Moved. Started DO school. OMG anatomy sucks. AAAAHHHHH!

2010 - Step 1. Rough. Did fine. OMG so hard. MCAT is now like a 10th grade bio test. Started rotations, thought this would be the time when attendings would realize I wasn't supposed to have gotten this far and kick me out. They didn't.

2011 - Step 2. Rocked. Still hard. Much easier than step 1. Bet I'd get a 40 on MCAT now, hahaha. Hmmm...I wonder....Applied to residency, decided to do psych (child), which I love and is awesome. Interviewed at way too many places. Took Step 2 CE (seeing pretend patients). Was SURE that THIS would be the time they realize I wasn't supposed to be here...nope. Passed this too.

2012 - Still interviewing. Made rank list. Matched at #1. Graduating medical school.

Future: Finish residency. Do Child Fellowship. Debating whether I want my own office (likely) or want to work for a state hospital (maybe) or doing Consults in a bigger children's hospital.

What I did right

Reading SDN. Ignoring bad advice on here. Listening to good advice. Knowing the difference despite what you WANT to hear. Sometimes what you don't want to hear is the good advice.

Believing in myself, even when a big part of me thought I wouldn't make it.

"Never give up. Never surrender."

"Try not. Do. Or do not. There is no try."

Remained sane throughout med school. It's not always about having the best MCAT or Board score. I'm more proud of the fact that I've read Hunger Games, seen The Avengers, and kept up with Game of Thrones while finishing Fallout 3, Skyrim, AND Medical School with pretty good scores and a family.

What I did wrong

Worried too much about each little hurdle. Still, I made it though, and have to wonder if that was because I worried about each hurdle.

Read TOO MUCH SDN. :laugh:

Best of luck guys! If I can do it, you can do it!
 
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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 :thumbdown:

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. :luck:
 
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oops.......wrong thread
 
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Lord almighty, this thread is my can of spinach when Bruno seems just ready to run away with my Olive Oyl-frail hopes. Congratulations, much respect, and thanks to all contributing.
 
I’ve waited a little while to post this, so please overlook the length. I hope my willingness to share helps someone out there staring into the abyss, unsure of the outcome.


  • Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

Honors program ugrad at a reputable public university (fall 2005-spring 2009):
cGPA - 3.09 BCPM – 2.83 AO – 3.61

Masters of Biomed Sciences GPA (SMP program (fall 2010-Winter 2011):

cGPA – 3.893; had a 4.0 until my third semester where I got a B+ in Medical Biochemistry against M1 students; applied with a 4.0; scored above nation mean of NBME biochem shelf.

MCAT:
08/2008: 25 P ( 9v 7p 9b)
09/2009: 30 R (10v 10p 10b)

2. Your financial and work situation.

Summer jobs throughout college, worked for a biotech startup the year after college. Took out loans for all my schooling, but had a scholarship for full tuition in ugrad. I was lucky not to have any extenuating circumstances.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

Strong supportive family, girlfriend since senior year of college.

4. Your plan or your path to success.


In high school, I excelled with minimal effort. My first year of college was an adjustment to say the least. I employed study skills that didn’t work for every class and I felt out of place without the supportive network of friends and family I had in HS. As I struggled under an unfamiliar and demanding curriculum, I lost confidence and turned to distractions and bad habits. I had one semester of academic probation and nearly got kicked out of honors. While I gradually did better academically, I would not regain my confidence until much later, and incidentally, created a log jam junior year, where I had to take my hardest classes as a Mol & Cell bio major all at the same time. All the while, I had been volunteering at hospitals and logging summer work experiences during breaks, many of which were really cool. By the summer after junior year, I had committed myself to Honors research, and it was like an epiphany. It helped me to find some clarity, and provided a practical basis for my school work. I also took a Kaplan class for MCAT that summer, but found it only marginally helpful as I got a 25 P. On the bright side, I had hit my stride going into senior year and finished out strong. All in all, my transcript said 3.4 cGPA 3.3 sGPA, but the AMCAS averages yielded much lower stats (I didn’t realize this until April 2009 at the end of my cycle; thought I was applying with a 3.4 and never thought to check -FAIL!). That summer after graduation, I committed myself to retaking the MCAT.
I used examcrackers, Kaplan online exams, and TBR to teach my PS. I loosely followed the 3 mo. Study guide on this TBR SDN thread. I was a machine this summer, studying 6-8 hrs a day, and started averaging scores up over 31+, which to me was a vast improvement. I took the exam in September, and I remember the first question was about magnetic fields and a coil, and I was like “****!!” But I kept my head down and stayed confident in my ability. I remember the rest of that day being so serene, and walking out with just good feelings. My score of a 30R turned out to be a couple points lower than my practice average, but I was satisfied that I had a passable score after the physical sciences fiasco. I moved on to apply really late. I took too long writing my Personal statement at a critical time (it was awesome though/ Oh, and I had a surgery, so small disclaimer). The two biggest things I did wrong the first time I applied: 1) I applied to only 6 allo schools 2) I turned in my primaries on like October 25th. I was lucky that I got 1 interview. After a long and unsuccessful cycle, I panicked. I applied to like 5 SMP programs in a flash, and I chose the one that would allow me to finish in the least amount of time. That next year was a blur.
I did Hematology research under a great PI, and worked at the school’s student run clinic as a social worker. I didn’t study harder than absolutely everyone, but I learned that I had a knack for conceptual thinking and studying really efficiently. Efficiency really is the key. I made lasting friendships with several highly motivated people, and we challenged each other all the way to success in the program and thereafter. This was essential, I feel, to studying efficiently – other motivated, stubborn people reveal your weaknesses faster than you would by yourself; it’s practically magic/science/whatever you endorse. By summer 2011, I had earned a 4.0 after taking the program’s most challenging classes, and I applied to 27 – 30 allopathic schools by mid to late June. I modified my earlier personal statement, and made it better. By August, I completed 15 secondaries, resolving to quickly complete more if I had no feedback soon. I started a medical Biochemistry & Genetics class in August alongside first years Meds. I became a little too sure of myself, and I stumbled a bit early, but soon recovered, earning a B+ (Med school classes are 2x as detailed as the ugrad counterparts, and more focused on clinical reasoning than grad classes; they also are insanely shorter, which makes them difficult – basically adjust your thinking and studying in 6 weeks or drown). Amidst that craziness, I received my first interview to a top 60 school – 2 weeks after that, right before my NBME shelf, I got my first acceptance on 10/16/12. I would move on to receive 2 more interviews, including my top choice, and I was waitlisted at both. By around February, I received 2 interviews, which I rejected. Just recently I was accepted off the waitlist to my top choice. So ~ 30 primary schools, 15 secondaries, 3 waitlists, 2 interviews turned down, and 2 acceptances. Langston Hughes once pondered, “what happens to a dream deferred?” I, for one, will never know.

Some advice:
Do I have regrets? Yes, some, but this journey has been invaluable for me. I was able to define myself as a person, harness some of my potential, and shore-up my convictions for the tempest that awaits me in my training. Along the way, I met a lot of resistance. A lot of it was self-contrived because negative things in life reinforced my insecurities. If you want this bad enough, you have to take initiative and dig yourself out of that mindset because no one can do it for you. Cut the excuses, take advantage of every opportunity, and save regret for someone else. The adage, anything worth having is hard, is very real to non-trads on this path. The one exception in my case was taking my MCAT a 3rd time, which many people recommended. I decided against it because I had an extremely busy schedule, but I’m sure this time around I would’ve gotten a 35+. Fortunately, I made the right decision.
Your attitude and mindset is everything, and you should to anything you can to guard it from ruin. For me, family and friends were there to emotionally lean on. One book I found helpful was “The Secret of the Ages.” I read it every night in grad school, and it kept me motivated – especially on days when I felt spent. There is one quote I read before every exam on a crumpled, overly folded piece of paper to remind myself that, even when I knew I was somewhat underprepared, the capacity to over my circumstances resided within me. This was my bullet-stopping Neo moment at the end of Matrix I.
Another tip is that success is facilitated by good company…and at the end of the day it also feels infinitely better to accomplish something with a core group of friends than to accomplish it singularly while everyone else despair. I won’t remember the late nights I had alone, but the ones I shared in the trenches with the dream team with stay with me forever. Plus, medical schools like well-rounded people. Enjoy yourself, have a blast in and out of school by scheduling your life accordingly. Don’t be an uptight, gunner who has to throw on a façade on interviews.
Never take the opportunities before you, or the people that support you for granted. When you invest in others, the universe rewards you tenfold. In 2010, I was right where you are – sitting at home on my computer, feeling like my great ambition was lost. I came across this thread, and shortly after, outlined my war path. Now, in 2012, I’ve accomplished this paradigm shift. So, it is possible? Yes, I’m living proof. Improbable maybe? Sure. But the human spirit is resilient, and at times, even indomitable, so you should like your odds. Are you ready to fight your way through a ****-storm? I’ll see you on the other side. Go.

 
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dude. first, your initiation into college pretty much parallels mine. second, i believe you when you say your PS rocked because this may have been the best post on SDN i have ever seen. i'm getting ready to apply right now and im pretty sure i'm going to end up coming back to this post over and over again. thank you and congrats!!
 
Plus, medical schools like well-rounded people. Enjoy yourself, have a blast in and out of school by scheduling your life accordingly.

"And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." - Kahlil Gibran

But the human spirit is resilient, and at times, even indomitable, so you should like your odds. Are you ready to fight your way through a ****-storm? I’ll see you on the other side. Go.[/B]

"I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance." - William Faulkner

You should start/join a book club/poetry circle at your med school. Thanks for sharing!
 
:laugh:
32yo WM. Just finished 2nd year at LECOM-Bradenton (D.O.) and loving it.

My GPA when I returned to school as a community college sophomore was a whopping 1.5, or less...I'm not sure. I had a bunch of classes that I "dropped" without withdrawing from = a bunch of F's. In the end:

cGPA = 3.3
sGPA = 3.8

MCAT = 28R (BS 10, PS 8, VR 10)



Quit my job as assistant manager of a music store and guitar teacher to go back to school. My parents loaned me about $10k to pay off my credit cards and my car loan.

Married. My wife is a dental hygienist. She makes around $50k/yr now, give or take. We have an 8 year old daughter. Wife's family helped us out a lot financially while we were both in undergrad at the same time.

Plan: Finish med school while enjoying the beach. Stay in Bradenton-Sarasota, Florida forever. LECOM-B is opening some new residencies here by the time I graduate, so I'm hoping that I wind up enjoying one of those specialties...we love it here and want to stay here so bad. Leaving for residency will be heart breaking...

Not really worried about anything. Lots of student loans to pay back, obviously, but even on an average pcp salary of $150k/yr + wife's $50k/yr, we won't have ANY trouble. Loan payments will be approximately $3k/month. We'll be taking home at least 10k/month after taxes. That leaves us 7k/month to live on. Shouldn't be an issue...and that's worst case scenario and not counting income-based repayment plans...

Work hard. Give 110%. Med school rocks!
Love reading your story. I'm a smart girl, but also left a lot of classes without dropping them, hence a handful of F's keeping my GPA low. Oh well, I have time to recover! Am HOPING to do great in my pre-med classes and make it all the way. :) Many good fortunes to you, your family, and those you will help. Yay!!!
 
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. :luck:

Great post man.
 
I remember applying last year and desperately searching for this thread and others like it because the stories within gave me reason to believe that I had a chance. After enduring the grueling process, I was accepted to an MD program with a GPA<3.5/MCAT<25. I wanted to contribute by sharing the the things I did wrong and right.

One of my biggest wrong's was inflating the significance of the MCAT and letting it psychologically screw me each time. Yes, it's an important test, but at the end of the day, it's just a test. It doesn't speak to your intellectual abilities or what you can achieve through years of dedication and diligence. Don't let it destroy your confidence and make you doubt yourself.

The most right thing I did was practice gratitude. At times, going through this process will make you bitter and hateful. Be grateful for every little thing that you have. Be grateful that you even have the opportunity to apply to medical school! And, remember that you're not entitled to anything. If you can see the rewards at the end of this struggle, then you will have a great journey.
 
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1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
25 years old
uGPA: 2.89 U of Wisconsin, BS in Biology
gradGPA: 3.6 Rosalind Franklin U, MS in Biomed
MCAT 29Q

2. Your financial and work situation.
Worked at the National Primate Center in Madison while in college. Then worked 2 years at a transplant diagnostics development corporation. Now I'm in school and poor as heck (just ask the wifey).

3. Your family and significant other situation.
Married for 2 yrs.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
Graduated with a 2.89 after getting Cs in orgo and physics. Got a 3.8 my senior year, but it still didn't put me past a 3.0. Applied to Optometry schools (got a 90% on the OAT) and carib med schools and got accepted, but decided to keep shadowing and trying for that US MD acceptance.

What I did right
Got accepted to RFU's SMP and did well.

What I did wrong
I didn't learn my studying style until my senior year of college. Also, I was spinning a lot of plates during undergrad. I had a fraternity, a research job, a weekly blues gig (I'm a bass player), a regionally-touring rock band, a fiancé, and 14-18 credits of class. I also wasn't 100% sure I wanted to do medicine until about 6 months before graduation.

Result:
Applied to five schools,
Rejected at 3,
Interviewed at 2,
Wait listed at 1,
Accepted at RFU.
 
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I've been lurking within SDN for the longest time, and I had to sign up to say thanks. I have been going through an internal struggle lately wondering if I've got it all wrong. But you all inspired me so much to continue my journey pursuing my dreams. To the OP, thanks for starting such an amazing thread to keep people like me motivated. :oops:
 
I know that there is a format I'm supposed to be following but I'm too lazy lol. During my first year of college I managed to get 5 F's, 3 C's and a B+. And I'm pretty sure the B+ was a mistake on the Prof's end. After that year I turned my life around and started busting my ass. Everyone told me I would never make it into an American allopathic medical school with an academic record like that...I'm starting at Buffalo School of Medicine next month. All you have to do is believe in yourself.
 
I know that there is a format I'm supposed to be following but I'm too lazy lol. During my first year of college I managed to get 5 F's, 3 C's and a B+. And I'm pretty sure the B+ was a mistake on the Prof's end. After that year I turned my life around and started busting my ass. Everyone told me I would never make it into an American allopathic medical school with an academic record like that...I'm starting at Buffalo School of Medicine next month. All you have to do is believe in yourself.

Congratulations!!!! What was your GPA and MCAT at the time of application?
 
I'm so excited and proud to finally be able to post here!

1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
Age: 29
sGPA: 2.8 cGPA: 2.4 ---> 4.0 for the last 90 hours to finish my degree
BS in molecular biology
MCAT: 30

2. Your financial and work situation.
Work full-time as a medical assistant/scrub tech, don't make a whole lot, but it's more than enough for me to not be trying to make 1 jar of nacho cheese, a bag of tortilla chips and PB&J fixings last for a week and a half until I get paid again.

One of the things that nailed me early on was that I was really bad with money.... When I finally decided to go back and finish school, one of the first things I did was fix my completely messed up credit. My parents were right, you can worry about a lot of things, but there is nothing like worrying about your finances (or kids) to really stress you out. Definitely didn't want that interfering with my new game plan.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
Just me and my dog. I got out of a terrible relationship right when I started this whole thing, so it wasn't hard to close off that side of things while I got this done. My family lives in the same city as I do though. I have a phenomenal support system, there is no way I'd be writing this if I didn't have them.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
I went back to school after a 4 1/2 year break. As you can see from my GPA, I didn't do too well. I started off OK but then crashed and burned...and burned...and burned...Dismissed after 3 semesters of straight Fs. Kept trying at the local community college, but that didn't go too well either, wised up after a year and finally decided to cut my losses.

I was fortunate enough to land a my current job and fell in love with it. After a couple of years there I could feel the old ambition starting to fire up again. Went back and in 3 years finished my BS (2 yrs at CC then 1 at univ). I NAILED it. Got an A in every class I took in that entire time, but that still was only enough to make my GPA what is now. My total number of credit hrs made it impossible to pull my GPA up over 3.0 without another 5+ years of UG....forget that. I figured my huge turnaround would have to be enough for any school that wouldn't screen me out first.

I took the MCAT this past January. The score was pretty good, not what I wanted, but enough to put me above the average for my state school. I met with the dean of admissions at my state school in April, talked over my situation with her and, surprisingly enough, she encouraged me to apply EDP. So I did...and found out yesterday that I was accepted!!!

I still can't believe it. I'm going to start medical school (MD) next summer! I busted my arse getting here! I worked full time during the day then took classes full time 4 nights a week. I would leave my house at 6:30 to go to work and get home from class after 10. I studied like a fiend on the weekends and during my lunch hours at work. Right after graduation, I started volunteering since my schedule finally allowed it.

With my GPA, I really had no idea what to expect from this besides a bunch of rejections and a lot of laughs at my expense. But I kept trying because I knew I could do it and I just had to figure out how to show that on paper to an adcom. And I did! Thank God for the stars aligning for me and giving me the chance to become a doctor!
 
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I know that there is a format I'm supposed to be following but I'm too lazy lol. During my first year of college I managed to get 5 F's, 3 C's and a B+. And I'm pretty sure the B+ was a mistake on the Prof's end. After that year I turned my life around and started busting my ass. Everyone told me I would never make it into an American allopathic medical school with an academic record like that...I'm starting at Buffalo School of Medicine next month. All you have to do is believe in yourself.

Could you please share more details? :)

So inspired by the last few stories that have been posted here!
 
Congrats!!! Your stats and history almost mirror mine. What med school will you be attending, if you don't mind my asking?

I'm so excited and proud to finally be able to post here!

1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
Age: 29
sGPA: 2.8 cGPA: 2.4 ---> 4.0 for the last 90 hours to finish my degree
BS in molecular biology
MCAT: 30

2. Your financial and work situation.
Work full-time as a medical assistant/scrub tech, don't make a whole lot, but it's more than enough for me to not be trying to make 1 jar of nacho cheese, a bag of tortilla chips and PB&J fixings last for a week and a half until I get paid again.

One of the things that nailed me early on was that I was really bad with money.... When I finally decided to go back and finish school, one of the first things I did was fix my completely messed up credit. My parents were right, you can worry about a lot of things, but there is nothing like worrying about your finances (or kids) to really stress you out. Definitely didn't want that interfering with my new game plan.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
Just me and my dog. I got out of a terrible relationship right when I started this whole thing, so it wasn't hard to close off that side of things while I got this done. My family lives in the same city as I do though. I have a phenomenal support system, there is no way I'd be writing this if I didn't have them.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
I went back to school after a 4 1/2 year break. As you can see from my GPA, I didn't do too well. I started off OK but then crashed and burned...and burned...and burned...Dismissed after 3 semesters of straight Fs. Kept trying at the local community college, but that didn't go too well either, wised up after a year and finally decided to cut my losses.

I was fortunate enough to land a my current job and fell in love with it. After a couple of years there I could feel the old ambition starting to fire up again. Went back and in 3 years finished my BS (2 yrs at CC then 1 at univ). I NAILED it. Got an A in every class I took in that entire time, but that still was only enough to make my GPA what is now. My total number of credit hrs made it impossible to pull my GPA up over 3.0 without another 5+ years of UG....forget that. I figured my huge turnaround would have to be enough for any school that wouldn't screen me out first.

I took the MCAT this past January. The score was pretty good, not what I wanted, but enough to put me above the average for my state school. I met with the dean of admissions at my state school in April, talked over my situation with her and, surprisingly enough, she encouraged me to apply EDP. So I did...and found out yesterday that I was accepted!!!

I still can't believe it. I'm going to start medical school (MD) next summer! I busted my arse getting here! I worked full time during the day then took classes full time 4 nights a week. I would leave my house at 6:30 to go to work and get home from class after 10. I studied like a fiend on the weekends and during my lunch hours at work. Right after graduation, I started volunteering since my schedule finally allowed it.

With my GPA, I really had no idea what to expect from this besides a bunch of rejections and a lot of laughs at my expense. But I kept trying because I knew I could do it and I just had to figure out how to show that on paper to an adcom. And I did! Thank God for the stars aligning for me and giving me the chance to become a doctor!
 
I'm so excited and proud to finally be able to post here!

1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
Age: 29
sGPA: 2.8 cGPA: 2.4 ---> 4.0 for the last 90 hours to finish my degree
BS in molecular biology
MCAT: 30

2. Your financial and work situation.
Work full-time as a medical assistant/scrub tech, don't make a whole lot, but it's more than enough for me to not be trying to make 1 jar of nacho cheese, a bag of tortilla chips and PB&J fixings last for a week and a half until I get paid again.

One of the things that nailed me early on was that I was really bad with money.... When I finally decided to go back and finish school, one of the first things I did was fix my completely messed up credit. My parents were right, you can worry about a lot of things, but there is nothing like worrying about your finances (or kids) to really stress you out. Definitely didn't want that interfering with my new game plan.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
Just me and my dog. I got out of a terrible relationship right when I started this whole thing, so it wasn't hard to close off that side of things while I got this done. My family lives in the same city as I do though. I have a phenomenal support system, there is no way I'd be writing this if I didn't have them.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
I went back to school after a 4 1/2 year break. As you can see from my GPA, I didn't do too well. I started off OK but then crashed and burned...and burned...and burned...Dismissed after 3 semesters of straight Fs. Kept trying at the local community college, but that didn't go too well either, wised up after a year and finally decided to cut my losses.

I was fortunate enough to land a my current job and fell in love with it. After a couple of years there I could feel the old ambition starting to fire up again. Went back and in 3 years finished my BS (2 yrs at CC then 1 at univ). I NAILED it. Got an A in every class I took in that entire time, but that still was only enough to make my GPA what is now. My total number of credit hrs made it impossible to pull my GPA up over 3.0 without another 5+ years of UG....forget that. I figured my huge turnaround would have to be enough for any school that wouldn't screen me out first.

I took the MCAT this past January. The score was pretty good, not what I wanted, but enough to put me above the average for my state school. I met with the dean of admissions at my state school in April, talked over my situation with her and, surprisingly enough, she encouraged me to apply EDP. So I did...and found out yesterday that I was accepted!!!

I still can't believe it. I'm going to start medical school (MD) next summer! I busted my arse getting here! I worked full time during the day then took classes full time 4 nights a week. I would leave my house at 6:30 to go to work and get home from class after 10. I studied like a fiend on the weekends and during my lunch hours at work. Right after graduation, I started volunteering since my schedule finally allowed it.

With my GPA, I really had no idea what to expect from this besides a bunch of rejections and a lot of laughs at my expense. But I kept trying because I knew I could do it and I just had to figure out how to show that on paper to an adcom. And I did! Thank God for the stars aligning for me and giving me the chance to become a doctor!

Luna, how did you go about contacting the dean of your state school? I'd give anything to apply early to one of mine and just be done with it! I guess it would just depend on how open to meeting people they are, people are most likely a lot nicer in Kansas than where I'm from...lol
 
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That's just an awesome story luna! It give me hope in that I'm not a complete idiot for trying to go down this path (failed out 7 years ago with a 1.57).

On a side note, what on earth is a Jayhawk anyways? Haha I'm gonna miss playing you guys. Go Mizzou!
 
I am 30-2.49 under grad, 3.96 PB, 3.92 MS MCAT 22,23,27
I am a broke single mother with no support I work full time as a Teacher
I am legally seperated, divorce will not be finalized until support is awarded.
First time applying and I got in HORRAY!!I have been accepted to NOVA UCF waiting on Howard
Rejected invites to Meharry and FSU
motivation is for all of those including mom who said you will never be anything. Hi Mom!!!:love:I love the smell and taste of sucess. I love setting a goal and accomplishing it. I love the fact of being a High School drop out and I will still be a doctor. The reason I choose medicine is because I want to work with the underserved and I hope to join the army. You can only take it one day at a time set your long term goals and short term ones. If you have to readjust along the way do so. Do not feel bad about it. Surrond yourself with positive people not haters. You can do it the schools love a diverse qualified applicant

That's amazing! Congrats!
 
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