New to the group Saying Hello

Hello All,


My name is DeVon and I thought I would introduce myself to the group. Some background on myself, I turned 30 in November 2007 and went back to school in Fall 2005. I have a B.A. degree in Liberal Arts with minors in Psychology and History from Va.Tech and am Working on a degree in Biology with a minor in Chemistry from George Mason University.


I can tell you that my Va. Tech experience, GPA wise, was horrible. I had some real maturity problems and barely graduated with a 2.06. I know that is one of my largest hurdles and have been told that no one will accept me into a program. At George Mason, my GPA, as of now, is 3.63 with a 3.68 science GPA. I have taken the MCAT once last May, a 23Q, and thought my self study was enough. I was sadly mistaken and have been in a Kaplan course since October and have spent 4 - 5 hours a night studying for the Jan 25, 2008 exam.


I currently work for Inova Health System and have been here for 6 years in the Blood Donor Services portion. Currently do Information Systems but worked in the component prep area and Quality Control.


I think i am on the right track but I would love to hear from others about their experiences and some encouraging words. Thanks ladies and gentleman.

Hi, DeVon. Although you have challenges ahead of you, you also have a lot going for you, notably that your current coursework is a better reflection of your potential as demonstrated by your most recent GPA.


If you can improve your MCAT scores, which I’m sure you will after doing all the extra study, that can make a big difference because it is such a good snapshot of your abilities on the fly.


Your healthcare experience is also a big plus. I was in a similar boat with my GPA when I was studying Electrical Engineering many years ago. It took me a long time and a lot of A’s to bring up my cumulative GPA to about a 3.4. Along with an MCAT of 27P, a good essay, and experience as a CNA, I was recently accepted into a DO program in my home state. If you want to practice medicine, you may want to investigate the DO option: http://www.aacom.org/Pages/default.aspx


I think that DO schools are more interested in the composite picture of an applicant than just the raw numbers. The average age of a DO student is a bit older than the MD student, with a lot of people coming in with career changes, and average MCAT scores for DO students are 24+, with at least an M, depending on the school.


Do your research on your career options, work very hard at the core sciences, particularly Organic Chemistry, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Physics, Biology, and Physiology, and show them you can do it.


Although there are no guarantees, hard work, determination, people skills, and good grades in the sciences can get you there. BEST OF LUCK!!

Thank you for the words of wisdom and encouragement. I have been thinking quite a bit about the DO route. 6 of my co-workers, over the years have gone on to Medical School. My latest co-worker went to VCOM. She loves it there and I tend to identify with the style of thinking and practice with a DO program. My partner on the other hand still doesn’t understand the program much and thinks it is less prestigous. It is hard trying to tell someone prestige doesn’t matter to me, it is helping patients live better lives. But I will most definitely keep my options open. Thank you again

Welcome to the forums - it sounds like you are doing some good exploration!

Hi DeVon!


I work in IT at a hospital also! I support Radiology, Pharmacy and a few other things! I’m also an respiratory therapist. I am planning to enter a post bac to fulfill premed requirements (otherwise the classes are 20 years old now…). Keep your fingers crossed!


Welcome to the site and congratulations on making the decision.