Hi! So I’m new here, if this isn’t the right space for this topic, please feel free to move it.
So I was talking with a friend of mine and he said that the uber-research heavy schools looked down on non-traditional med students. So it got me to thinking, (1) is it true and (2) if so, are there any non-traditional “friendly” schools out there? I know for some PBCOM programs if you have a GPA above a certain point, you make it to the second round of interviews for that school. But what about other medical schools?
This topic goes back and forth all the time amongst oldpremeds perhaps should be viewed differently. Rather than what schools are nontrad friendly, what traits do nontrads have (or are lacking) that make them more or less competitive to a particular school type. Additionally, much the “information” on what schools are friendly to nontrads is conjecture, speculation, and myth. It gets less accurate from there. So take everything you hear with two grains of salt and 3 shots of tequila. Here are a few examples
- nontrads are more likely to have “grade baggage” from original UG degree. Because of the application mechanics in DO schools, where the the most recent grade for a course replaces previous grades in GPA calculation, many oldpremeds seek the osteopathic route. Hence DO schools are seen as more nontrad friendly yet it is the applicant who chooses to retake classes and improves GPA who gets accepted.
- nontrads seem less likely to have hard-core science research so research schools disdain them. There is a sizable percentage of people who find OPM are those who have done biomedical research for sometime and now want to get into the clinical aspects. Their backgrounds, make them excellent candidates to the uber-research schools.
- Big-name schools want truly outstanding candidates. Some of the people who have joined OPM fit this picture. We have had a documentary filmmaker, did stories on AIDS, become an activist and leader, and enter Harvard medical school. Outstanding people, OPM or traditional, are few and far between.
- very traditional or “old-style” schools just wont look at older candidates. Take a big name like Pritzker at University of Chicago. Classic old style research school. Wouldn’t consider an OldPreMed? they were the first school to register to exhibit for this year’s conference. Last year, University of Pittsburgh paid for and sent a second year medical student to see what he could learn to attract more nontraditional students.
Why would these bigger schools take such an interest? Because the applicant pool for medical school has grown at a slower rate than growth of first year spots. The effectively shrinking applicant pool makes it more difficult for schools to find qualified applicants for a well rounded class. There appears to be a trend across the medical school diversity officer, to add nontraditional students to their typically portfolio of URM.
So what are non-trad friendly schools? The ones that you are a good candidate for with your grades, MCAT scores, background for their mission and emphasis.
Well said…Thanks for listing those advantages again, Richard–they are always great to read!
And 2 grains of salt with 3 shots of tequila just makes everything a little clearer. Or…not. 
When I first started my journey (a whole whopping 6 months ago) I battled the insecurities of “Schools will laugh at me. No one will take me seriously. This is too crazy…etc. etc. wah wah wahhhh…”
Then, I had some tequila, looked at my transcript, and realized that my stats were just as good or better than the stats those “big schools” were posting as their accepted student average. So when I conquer the MCAT next spring, I’ll be right up there with the pack. It’s my race. It’s mine to lose or to win. So I can no longer worry about all those crazy insecurities that come from making comparisons. I just need to worry about what I am doing to make this happen.
Cheers to that!
Well gonnif
that’s an awesome post. Thanks for sharing your point of view.
- carrieliz Said:
Well said...Thanks for listing those advantages again, Richard--they are always great to read!
And 2 grains of salt with 3 shots of tequila just makes everything a little clearer. Or...not.
When I first started my journey (a whole whopping 6 months ago) I battled the insecurities of "Schools will laugh at me. No one will take me seriously. This is too crazy...etc. etc. wah wah wahhhh..."
Then, I had some tequila, looked at my transcript, and realized that my stats were just as good or better than the stats those "big schools" were posting as their accepted student average. So when I conquer the MCAT next spring, I'll be right up there with the pack. It's my race. It's mine to lose or to win. So I can no longer worry about all those crazy insecurities that come from making comparisons. I just need to worry about what I am doing to make this happen.
Cheers to that!
And 2 grains of salt with 3 shots of tequila just makes everything a little clearer. Or...not.
When I first started my journey (a whole whopping 6 months ago) I battled the insecurities of "Schools will laugh at me. No one will take me seriously. This is too crazy...etc. etc. wah wah wahhhh..."
Then, I had some tequila, looked at my transcript, and realized that my stats were just as good or better than the stats those "big schools" were posting as their accepted student average. So when I conquer the MCAT next spring, I'll be right up there with the pack. It's my race. It's mine to lose or to win. So I can no longer worry about all those crazy insecurities that come from making comparisons. I just need to worry about what I am doing to make this happen.
Cheers to that!
Rule 10: Beware of FUD - Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.
FUD has killed more OldPreMeds than GPA and MCAT combined. You sound you have confronted and overcome this with just a few shots of tequila. Pass it on... I mean the the idea of overcoming FUD. The bottle stays here with me
FUD really is the killer. Even after the work I’ve done this last year, with application time looming, MCAT on the horizon, I start wondering if I should even bother. I’ll be a late applicant, with not the best GPA in the world, and who knows on the MCAT. It’s easy to talk yourself into just throwing in the towel. I start thinking about all the “age” questions in the interviews…assuming I get any…and it’s just depressing.
If I drank, I’d be asking for a few shots of that myself.
Richard, excellent post as usual.
Jimi,
About fighting FUD… If I had it to do over again, I would be more assertive in my response to age questions in the interview. I had an interviewer who looked at my resume and said, “I’m 40-you’ve got to be 50. What makes you think you can do this?” When I explained that I take good care of myself physically, she said, “No, I mean academically.” More explanation on my part that I have taken classes and have been able to compete with the young students. The school put me on their wait list. The more I thought about it, the more angry I got. So I wrote a letter to them and said that it would not be ethical to say, for instance, “You’re hispanic. What makes you think you can do this?”, so it would not be ethical to ask the same question based on age. They let me in, and I am doing well and loving it. But if I had it to do over again, I would make my protest immediately, in person, rather than weeks later, by letter. It would have been much more satisfying, and probably as effective to deal with the problem immediately, rather than at a later time. Good luck, and keep fighting the FUD!