I toyed with the idea of becoming a doctor at an arly age, I am now 38, though I slacked off in high school and beginning of college (GPA end of first semester was like a 0.3, I Failed Scuba Diving and some other fluff class. The truth is I was horribly depressed that year, I didn’t like the enviornmrnt, it was a party school, and I’m not the party type, I thought a photography major would be fun, got straight A, then neglected to withdrawl second semester got F’s again . I started to get my act together midway through collge at the local CC, getting A’s & B’s then went to University of Illinois and completed a degree in Philosophy. I had chosen Philosopy because I was interested in so many things, My plan was to pursue a PHD, though I discoverd how little professors make (in 1995 I saw the paycheck of an Associate professor $22000/yesr. I went into the job market and staring to work as an Admissions coordinator/social service/discharge planner at a skilled nursing facility, while taking my preqests for Nursing at the CC, while in Nursing school i worked Primarily on the Child and Adolcent Pysch unit, and occational in the ICU, when I finished my BSN with about a 3.4GPA, I started to work in the SICU and per diem on the psych units, then I started to do ICU Registry Nursing for about 2 years. Tried a couple APN programs but they didn’t suit me…to fluffy. So for the past 4 years I have worked at a large NAtionally known medical insurance company doing Utilization Management. I want to go to med school, though my science course are 10 years ols and are from a CC. I’m looking into some post-bacc programs, but of course, they can’t offer any guarntee of admission. I have wondered if there was a way of wring to the univerty the I received an F and asking it to be chaged to a W d/t “adjustment” issues early on in college. Any thought would be great
Hello and welcome to old pre meds. You are among kindred spirits here.
From your post, I would like to start off by telling you that you are not the only one who has had a rough past. Just look for Old Man Dave’s diary and you will see what I mean.
I see no purpose in calling your old school from 10 years ago and having Fs changed to Ws. It is a part of your past and you need to accept it. What you need to do is show the adcoms that you are not the same person you were 10 years ago and have gotten better as a student. That being said, you can go back to school and take the pre-reqs without a formal post bacc program. There are posts on that too.
As humans we have our eyes looking forward. As a philosophy major, you can understand when I say that we should only look to the future. There is no purpose to relive the past but just to learn from it.
Good luck and ask away.
Hi Gabe,
I tried to do a search for OldManDave’s story regarding early grades etc, however, his diary seams to begin well into his med school adventure. Could you tell me how to find this thread as I very much want to read his story.
Thank you,
Ben
- MileHighOldMan Said:
I tried to do a search for OldManDave's story regarding early grades etc, however, his diary seams to begin well into his med school adventure. Could you tell me how to find this thread as I very much want to read his story.
Thank you,
Ben
If you have decided something is not even possible before you try, then you have already lost.
The only guarantee is that if you don't apply to medical school, you will NOT become a doctor.
However, if you do well in a extensive post-bacc, get a good MCAT score, write a great personal narrative, and blow them away on a interview, you might, I said might get in.
If you are thinking about spending 7 to 10 years full time between medical school and residency, then a few years part time in an informal post-bacc at a state school is small investment in time, money and effort in the scheme of things.
You can only go up; there is little downside in trying for medical school. Look at it this way, you currently are not in medical school. The worst that could happen is that you try the above and still not get in. You'll be exactly where you are, no worse off. You'll be older either way and you might, I said might, have an acceptance letter in your hand.
Link to OldManDave
Thanks for all the encouraging pieces of advice. The other important caveat (which is everyone’s concern) is the tuition cost of a post-bacc program. Unfortunatly, the only post-bacc’s in my area are expensive private universities. The tuition of med school is justifiable once accepted, though the investment in a post-bacc program doesn’t carry the same guarntees. I’m still paying off tuition from previous education, and my wife, got an MSW from a prestigous Ivy league school, and we’re paying that off as well, she works at a non-for-profit organization that doesn’t pay very much. I also have a 5 yo old, and next to nothing saved for college. Did I mention the credit card debt and the mortgage?
Notwithstanding, I appeciate the encouraging sentiments.
A link to “old man Dave’s” premed diary would be good.
Turning F’s into W’s. Man, wouldn’t that be awesome. I only have a couple, but they sure do lower an overall average.
I’m finding out that there are a lot of schools, not all mind you, but a lot that look at recent academic performance very heavily in the selection process. Also helps to nail the MCAT, have good letters, experience, etc.
- spdrplnt Said:
A link to "old man Dave's" premed diary would be good.
was at the bottom of my last reply
Link to OldManDave
Thanks gonnif I noticed that link immediatley after i posted. AS far as turning F’s into W’s one of my previous schools has an appeals process by which that can be done. Another school they usually only accept appeals within two semesters of the class in question, they said I can try, but based on their guidlines, it’ll probably be rejected. I mean it was an art school and I failed photography because, well just because. It’s a shame that I would need to list it with all the trascipts. I noted in my most recent trascript from Nursing school, it lists that darned art school, so even if I don’t list it, it’s still listed on my newest trscipt as prevous schools attened