Hello everyone,
I am a new member here at OldPreMed and I just wanted to drop in, introduce myself, and tell everyone a little about me.
I’m a little nervous considering this is my first post, but I have been lurking around on the forum for quite some time now and let me just say this site is nothing short of a God-send for those entertaining the idea of going to medical school!
I have had dreams of becoming a physician for a long time now, but unfortunately, various things in life propped up and prevented me from pursuing my dreams in the manner I wanted to. I’m 28 now, and have had about three years of undergraduate credits, but I still need to take some of the prerequisites.
Unfortunately, I am out of school right now and have been for the last two years due to a my alma mater holding my transcript over a sudden withdrawal due to some traumatic family issues a couple of years back. I’m hoping that will all be cleared up by this summer. 
Anyway, I have a couple of quick questions and I hope it’s o.k. that I ask them in my first post, but my academic past has been checkered due to a bout with mental illness (under control) and in dealing with an alcoholic parent (which was the catalyst that drove me from school this last time). Would it be advisable to explain those inconsistencies in my track record at undergraduate in light of those mitigating circumstances when I do a personal statement? I don’t want it to sound like I’m seeking sympathy, but truthfully, the things that happened were beyond much of my control and I hope that when the time comes to filling out the personal statement, they would allow me to explain away some of these black marks from my past.
Anyway, I’m sorry, but I feel like I’m rambling! lol. It’s a pleasure being here and I look forward to corresponding with all of you throughout our journeys!!!
Welcome Steve. First of all, a pat on the back for getting through the difficulties with your dreams and ambitions intact. It’s exactly this mindset that will serve you well through premed, med school and residency. Your concern over the extended abscence from undergrad is valid. Performance gaps are something adcoms look at right off the bat, and if you don’t address it in the personal statement, you probably won’t be invited for an interview. Be truthful, don’t gloss it over but don’t belabor it either. Life happens. Do well on your prereqs and MCAT, get some strong LORs, and let your perserverence speak for itself. Good luck with your journey and keep posting your progress.
My sense is that, in general, you should avoid TMI (“too much information”). Poor performance must be explained adequately, but not necessarily in excruciating detail. “My drunk mother abused me, leading to severe mental illness which, thanks to the miracles of modern pharmacology, is pretty much under control” is TMI. “I had a rough patch with some serious problems at home, and I lacked the maturity to deal with it at that time, but have since gained the maturity to get past such life issues” is probably adequate. If they ask for more information in the interview, you can fill them in then.
Remember: Your goal is to get invited to interview. Consider your school transcript and your LORs as if they were, in effect, your resume for a job. What is the purpose of a resume? Just to get you an interview. Period. That’s all it’s for. Once you’re in the interview, you can sell yourself by coming across as serious, intelligent, hard-working, decent, and a good student. Employers (and, I assume, adcoms) make hiring/admission decisions based on how they feel about a candidate. If they think you’re a winner, they want you, and you get the offer.
Disclaimer: I am not a med student, and have never been accepted to (or applied to) any medical school. I am speaking hypothetically. But others have suggested that I’m not off the mark, and that the same basic truths of human psychology that apply in business also apply to medical schools – which, after all, are businesses.
Thank you both for your responses! I’m worried that when the time comes around to start applying to med school, that my academic past may come back to haunt me. I’ve made excellent grades thus far, and I plan on maintaining those same standards when I get back to school. It’s just the breaks I was forced to take worry me. I hope the admission committees will be understanding when it comes to my explanations.