Quoted: Please explain how to address this situation...

[Doodledog]

An anonymous forum member has asked the following:

Hello! Firstly, thank you to the adcom member who is taking time out to read this patiently and post a reply. I am grateful for your help.

To introduce myself: I am a non-trad applicant who graduated with a bachelor's in Bio, Philosophy, and Lib. studies from a big state school seven years ago. My gpa is 3.5, mcat is 34.

I have the following additional info: 2 volunteering experiences, two shadowing experiences, one research experience with no pubs., several other ECs including competitive sports, and clubs. I also have significant work exposure in the IT field where I did well.

I have the following negative spot on my application, however. I previously attended medical school and was academically dismissed after an year and half. During this time, I was diagnosed with bipolar, and was prescribed and taking medications. In my AMCAS, I answered 'yes' to both questions and submitted it. I explained it reasonably confidently saying the follows:

Response to prev. matriculation:

I matriculated at XYZ Medical College as a Freshman in September of []. As I was experiencing family and personal difficulties, I left XYZ Medical College in February of []. I wanted to improve my psychological health and followed the school's advice to take two professional leaves of absences while working hard at maintaining normal health status.

However, I was unable to comply with my regimen of courses, during the extremely tough second-year of medicine, and officially was granted an extended academic period of make-up following termination of enrollment.

I am completely healthy now, and would like to restart my physician training with a goal to successfully matriculate at your school.

Response to institutional action:

I would like to sincerely and humbly state that I was a recipient of professional academic dismissal from XYZ Medical College.

I was eventually able to request an extended period of academic make-up for re-enrollment. During this period, I monitored my health status (as I was taking medicines for bipolar), and successfully worked as a software quality analyst, chemist, and student. Having successfully overcome my illness with the help of family, doctors and community, I am now well.

I am now completely healthy, and I would like to start my physician training with a goal of graduating successfully at your institution.

Without much ado, here are my questions:

1. Have I properly addressed my situation in AMCAS? WHat else can I do to improve my situation?

2. Come interview time, how can I be best prepared to explain the above?

3. Are med schools going to give me a chance this year?

Please reply to this, if you can with details.

Thank you very much for your time and effort.

Greetings and thanks for your question. I will attempt to answer it based on my own perspective. Perhaps other adcoms or students who have been in this situation will comment as well.

In your AMCAS, you have explained the basics, but in both secondary essays and in interviews a bit more information will be needed, especially about the last few years. Keep in mind that schools cannot require any mental health information, but you are presenting them with an unusual, albeit not unique situation. As such, you will need to document not your treatment, but what you have been doing since you were dismissed that demonstrates your health, your academic abilities, and your committment to medicine.

At the interview, you must again focus on the last few years and what you have accomplished. If you have had some medical involvement (shadowing, volunteer work, etc) it would be important to focus on this. Expect some difficult questions about your previous medical school experience. Interviewers are likely less interested in the details of what happened than how you present yourself and the evidence you provide that you can now handle medical school.

Will schools give you a chance? Some will and some won't. You should apply very broadly. Without a doubt, some schools will not seriously consider your application at all, but that doesn't mean that all schools will react that way. Some will be interested enough to want to interview you and see how you perform in that setting. Spend a lot of time practicing the answers to difficult questions about your past. Make sure that people who do not know you well have the opportunity to hear you practice and assist you in preparing answers.

Good luck and best wishes

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Doodledog]

Dear Tildy:
I understand the point of view you have expressed of admission committees being reserved in the face of such a situation, and waiting for the student to convince them, rather than the other way round.

Moreover, your advice to apply broadly has appealed to me. I am currently at 18 schools; would you suggest adding to this list? FYI, a few are quite competitive, one screens its secondary to half its applicants and has invited me. I have 9-10 mid-tiers, and rest are, IMHO, a good chance for the avg. applicant.

Also, where should I focus on my application as far as my strengths go? I have a good work experience; however, not exactly sure whether I can get recommendations from them for med school now. My professors seem to be interested enough to write letters positively with a new impression as I am at the stage of getting LORs.

Finally, what are some concrete action items that I could address/do to make myself a strong applicant besides waiting for the interview and boning up on my presentation? I am currently gathering various experiences as an MCAT tutor, researcher, and volunteer.

Do you suggest calling/writing letters to schools and carefully discussing my background? Or, should I perceive a lack of evident reaction on their part -- and moreover, an invite to a secondary -- as a positive sign?

Thank you for another forthcoming reply,

I would add a few schools that are less competitive from a numbers perspective so that your MCAT stands out a bit more. Whether to pre-contact med schools is a tough question without an absolute answer. In general, the answer is "no", med schools don't like/respond to this. However, if there are one or two med schools at which you might be a particularly good fit, you might try a call. Another alternative would be to see if you can get a prof to do that for you. My guess is that most schools won't be interested in any "pre" review contact.

Your letters of recommendation are very, very important. At least one of your letters should very forthrightly discuss your history and explain how and why the writer thinks you have progressed and are now a good candidate for medical school.

 

[bottomofbarrel]

I have a question... what exactly is an extended academic period of make-up?