Hi guys!
Just a quick intro: I graduated from college in 2008 with a degree in Biology, but didn’t do well in my classes due to a lack of focus, so I graduated with a 3.15 cumulative GPA and a 2.7 science GPA. Since then, I’ve been working in the start-up industry, but recently decided to pursue a career in medicine instead. I started retaking some classes this semester and plan to enroll in a post-bacc to pull up my GPA.
I started looking for a doctor to shadow recently, and emailed a few. One actually responded (!) but he’s asking me for my personal statement, transcript, and MCAT score. I actually haven’t written a personal statement yet or taken the MCAT, and am terrified to send him my transcript since I was a B/C student. What would you guys do if you were in my position? I’m pretty intimidated by the fact that he’s asking for so much so soon! Is this normal practice?
Thanks so much!
Go back and take pre-reqs, get A’s, revisit with doctors. Your pattern is a little out of sync, and I suspect, that is what the doctor is ferreting out before he wastes his time on a student who is not focused.
Getting great grades overcomes that suspicion. It shows you are serious about being a doctor, more than the verbiage.
As a patient, would you want a B/C student in your exam?
You’ll be fine. Use that current focus to start a new trend, then request to shadow.
I’d tell him you are applying for a post-bacc program, not at the application phase right now, and would like to get some shadowing while your schedule is more free.
It’s a little unusual but he or she might just want to offer words of advice.
It’s never too soon to start working on a personal statement 
Most docs won’t ask you that. Be sure to shadow a DO as well if you MIGHT apply DO as you have to have shadowed one to apply to most D.O. schools. The State osteopathic association can give you some names.
Sounds good - don’t take too much outside of the post-bacc program if you are definately going that way as some have less flexibility about course selection.
Kate