So I just discovered this site today, and have already found some helpful information, and thought I might try getting some questions answered that I haven’t been able to find answers for via google and the like. My apologies in advance for the novel I’m about to share with you all.
I am 27 years old, and will be applying to medical school this application cycle. I just took the MCAT this past weekend and am fairly confidant I broke 30, by how much is the question (my practice tests were in the 30-34 range). I just finished my senior year in college, which ends up being my junior year as a pre med. I am a Microbiology major with an overall GPA of 3.42, and a science GPA of 3.3ish, depending on what AMCAS actually decides counts toward it.
I took one semester at a community college in 2005 as a pre-law political science major (only doing generals) before realizing that I really didn’t want to be a lawyer. I have always had an interest in medicine, but when I was younger I assumed I didn’t really have the memory for it; as when you see doctors on TV they seem to have crazy amounts of highly detailed knowledge available at the drop of a hat. At some point my father offhandedly mentioned Radiology to me and I started looking into it, it seemed like the best of both worlds, not an insane amount of things to learn, but still involved in medicine and get to help people for a living. In 2008 I applied to and was accepted into a highly competitive Radiologic Technology program at a local university. After two semesters the clinical exposure made me realize that I wanted to do more than just take X-rays and MRIs, and I shifted to pre-med.
Before and throughout all of this, I have been working in the Information Technology Industry. I have over a decade of professional experience and even more on a personal level as it’s been a hobby for me for almost 20 years (I built my first computer when I was 10 years old). Currently I run the IT department for the small local office of a major international financial services firm. I’ve been employed in one form or another since I was 14, and I’ve worked at least 20 hours a week all through college.
So now that I’ve bored everyone to death with some of my history, on to my questions:
1. I’m having a lot of trouble trying to find a direction/focus with my personal statement. I’m on my third or fourth draft and I cannot seem to find a way to get across that I like helping people in ways most people can’t. I use my considerable computer skills to fix others’ problems because I understand what’s going on and they don’t. I enjoy teaching along the same lines…because I’m often able to pick up concepts and such quickly I am able to explain them to those that might have difficulty.
Furthermore, I’ve heard that if you have a lapse in grades, it needs to be addressed in your personal statement. I had entirely A’s & B’s until O Chem 2 & Biochem, where I got a D- and a C respectively. Mostly because the testing style of the instructors was far and away more intense than anything I had seen prior or since, and I didn’t study as much as I evidently should have. I’m retaking O Chem 2 next spring, and since studying for the MCAT I have a much better grasp on the material and am confidant I’ll do much better. At any rate, I’m not sure how to approach it in my personal statement. The only idea I really have at the moment is to mention that I have ADHD…I was diagnosed when I was 8 years old, was medicated for nearly a decade, stopped taking it thinking that I had grown out of it, had some issues in college and saw a psychiatrist who told me that I definitely still have it and put me back on medication. The medication negates a lot of the problems I have, but I’m still relatively easily distracted and it can take a lot of effort to focus on studying. It doesn’t seem like the greatest idea to bring that up to an admissions committee though.
2. In researching medical schools that I want to apply to, I’ve been paying a lot of attention to how they work their clerkships and other clinical stuff. I’ve heard horror stories about med students that have had to arrange all of their clinical stuff themselves, to the extent of cold calling hospital administrators; one story that stands out was a girl worried about not being able to graduate because she couldn’t find a facility to finish one of her mandatory rotations. Another issue seems to be that clinical sites might be hours away from the school, a friend of mine literally had to move into a hotel for 6 weeks for his surgical rotation.
I’m planning on applying to both MD & DO schools, and in my research thus far it seems like most if not all of the MD schools I’ve looked at have attached hospitals, whereas only a single DO school has its own teaching hospital. Is this something I should be worried about or is it not an issue for the most part? Is there a place that I can find out for certain what a given school’s policies are in this regard? Medical School websites have proven almost useless thus far.
3. Finally, I want to join the military. I have always wanted to serve, but I wanted to go in as an officer, and having everything paid for is an incredible perk. Until recently I was all but set on going the HPSP route, but some things I’ve read have given me pause. I’ve heard that it’s semi-common to be put into a GMO position for a couple of years after finishing your internship, but I can’t find any concrete information on it one way or another. The idea of a 2 year gap between internship and residency scares the crap out of me, and is something that I think I would want to avoid. At the moment my interest is in Anesthesiology & Surgery (I don’t have any idea if that’s what it will still be in 4-5 years), so I’m particularly curious about the viability in that regard. More than anything I just need a fairly clear cut understanding of how residency works for those that go the HPSP route.
And that’s it. Again my apologies for so much information all at the same time. Any advice, experience, or anything else along those lines would be greatly appreciated. If there are any questions you all have or something that I need to clarify further please don’t hesitate to ask. Thanks in advance for your time 
Welcome,
I’ll tackle number 3 - since I am a GMO Flight Doc. It’s the best darn job around! I get to fly in F-16s and treat patients! (not at the same time!)
http://afspp.afms.mil/idc/groups/public/doc uments/…
That link has the board results for last year. Study everything. And know that your application to residency is all scored on a simple score sheet out of 10 points (plus the ability for a couple bonus points)
The score breakdown in several sections. Google “JSGMESB scoring” to see what it’s like.
If you are thinking about joining, the HPSP scholarship is a no-brainer. If you GET to do a GMO tour it will probably be one of the most rewarding experiences, and then you go do the residency you want.
Thanks for the reply and insight Doc Gray, I have to admit this is one of the few positive experiences I’ve read about regarding the HPSP. I’d like to follow up a bit with you if I could.
What type of residency did you apply to? Is it guaranteed that you will get into it after your tour as a flight surgeon is finished? I’ve heard it mentioned that having that 2 year gap between internship and residency can make residency more difficult…getting used to working in a clinic instead of having to study all the time. Can you speak to that at all from your perspective?
I looked up those documents you mentioned, and I’m not sure, but the feeling I got was that the GMO tour gives you a higher priority when it comes to getting into the residency you want, is that correct?
I have seen a lot of people post about how they got “pushed” into primary care with the HPSP after having to do a GMO tour. Obviously I don’t have enough experience yet to say for certain what I want to specialize in, but at the moment I’m leaning towards Anestheia or Surgery. I do want to join the military, but not at the expense of essentially having my specialty dictated to me. Provided I do well on my boards, am I going to have a problem in that regard?
I’m not necessarily super picky when it comes to which branch I join, the HPSP is identical between the three as I understand it, although I’m told that the Army & Navy offer a $20k signing bonus where the Air Force does not. I have heard that the Army has much better match rates with residency because they’re so much bigger, have a lot more medical facilities, etc., so that appeals to me somewhat. There’s quite a bit of Naval tradition in my family so part of me wants to go that route. Finally my brother is currently on active duty in the Air Force, and has told me that they are the most family friendly of the services…though since he made NCO the bureaucracy drives him insane and he doesn’t think he’ll be re-upping when his enlistment is up.
Thanks again, I really appreciate the insight.
Really I don’t think you need to do any in-depth explanation of your grade lapse in the statement - I was told that it should be mentioned, but to avoid dwelling on it. I worked one sentence into my statement along the lines of “I got through a difficult period” (obviously tailored to my specific situation). If your grades came/are coming back up, that should be sufficient. Also, an MCAT score in the 30’s will speak to your academic abilities as well.
Ditto PHCat
- Prodigal Said:
What type of residency did you apply to? Is it guaranteed that you will get into it after your tour as a flight surgeon is finished? I've heard it mentioned that having that 2 year gap between internship and residency can make residency more difficult...getting used to working in a clinic instead of having to study all the time. Can you speak to that at all from your perspective?
I applied to orthopedics - of course one of the hardest residencies period. And the Air Force, as I later learned is a little Academy heavy for ortho.
I can't speak about the gap and making it harder. I know that I took three years off between undergrad and med school and that was pretty hard. But I think as a resident - work is work. You just need to spin back up to the AMOUNT of work. As far as "studying" all the time - there isn't much time for that during residency
- Prodigal Said:
I looked up those documents you mentioned, and I'm not sure, but the feeling I got was that the GMO tour gives you a higher priority when it comes to getting into the residency you want, is that correct?
When applying for a military match, yes, doing the GMO tour adds in points that students right out of medical school don't have - so it does bump you up. As a med student you are applying against all the people coming back in from GMO tours, which is why it is harder to get what you want.
- Prodigal Said:
I have seen a lot of people post about how they got "pushed" into primary care with the HPSP after having to do a GMO tour. Obviously I don't have enough experience yet to say for certain what I want to specialize in, but at the moment I'm leaning towards Anestheia or Surgery. I do want to join the military, but not at the expense of essentially having my specialty dictated to me. Provided I do well on my boards, am I going to have a problem in that regard?
- Prodigal Said:
I'm not necessarily super picky when it comes to which branch I join, the HPSP is identical between the three as I understand it, although I'm told that the Army & Navy offer a $20k signing bonus where the Air Force does not. I have heard that the Army has much better match rates with residency because they're so much bigger, have a lot more medical facilities, etc., so that appeals to me somewhat. There's quite a bit of Naval tradition in my family so part of me wants to go that route. Finally my brother is currently on active duty in the Air Force, and has told me that they are the most family friendly of the services...though since he made NCO the bureaucracy drives him insane and he doesn't think he'll be re-upping when his enlistment is up.