Ok so I am new to this forum and glad to see that I am not alone in being a an “older/atypical” pre-med. Here is a brief synopsis of my story: I am in my mid-twenties and have yet to complete my bachelor’s degree; I am continuing to work on it and should be done within 1-2 years. I work two jobs to support myself and also shadow and do research the latter two which keep me focused on why I want to become a doctor. So my first question is regarding my degree and more specifically how long it has taken me to complete it. Someone recently told me that medical schools frown upon individuals who took so long to get their bachelor’s. Does anyone know if this is true? The reason I have yet to finish is that a) my parents never helped me pay for any of it b)I’ve had some health problems c) I took some time off because I couldn’t get financial aid for school until I was 24 due to my parents not having tax returns. I don’t know why a medical school would look down upon someone who’s tried to finish their degree even while dealing with some pretty tough circumstances but any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks!
From what I understand, personal circumstances should go in your letter to explain your situation. If you got good grades, and you took them within the last five years, why retake them? I would invest the time and money in MCAT prep and see how you do. I have heard that many bio courses don’t cover the breadth of the MCAT, and that each school has their own specific course/length since course taken requirements.
There is an opportunity to address those circumstances in your personal statement. I’d say you could comment on it briefly…not as “the reason it took me so long to complete my degree” but more in the vein of “I’ve demonstrated my work ethic and determination by confronting these challenges and doing this (working, etc) to finish my degree despite the challenges.”
I see you are working on your first baccalaureate…absolutely should do that prior to matriculating. Are you aware that many students take MCAT’s prior to their senior year, and apply to medical school during their last year? Only if you have completed your core prereqs, of course.
Best of luck!
Kate
- futureTXMD Said:
1) Rule 1: Take a Breath
2) Rule 10: Beware of FUD - Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt.
3)Tell your story that is your story and not worry about the story the med school's will hear.
4) Divining what an adcom at a particular school during a particular application cycle will do or say on a particular application is like reading tea leaves. I am sure that there will be some that will say "slacker who can't get degree on time." Others will be impressed in doing well in harder than typical circumstance.
5)A medical school application is a concise, coherent and compelling narrative showing a consistent pattern of motivation, commitment and achievement in all areas. Your job is to set what consistent pattern you want them to see, such as always climbing upward no matter what the circumstance.