Where to go from here?

Could use some opinions and insight please.



The “long story” of everything is here at this thread. I’ll include some of the summary stuff.

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=10695

Age now: 34

GPA: 3.1 AMCAS (3.2sGPA), 3.4 AACOMAS. There's a 4-year break in my undergraduate career that spanned 10 years full-/part-time. Earned dean's list many semesters (GPA > 3.5/3.7 with 12+ credit hours), but there are 2 bad semesters on my record when I arrived at university (and an F or two from the early 1990s)

MCAT: 30 (2013, 9P/9V/12B; my verbal dropped 4 points from practice exams)

2004-2007: classes at community college
2005: first responder certification
2006: ~24 hours volunteering in medical clinic for the homeless
2006-2007: 400+ hours as volunteer martial arts instructor
2007: ~100 hours research experience
2007: earned 2 year degree
2008: ineligible to continue in college but not dismissed from university
2012: back in school
2013: 20 hours shadowing
2014: Graduate with bachelor's

Not listed are normal working hours or one-time volunteer activities.

Applied in the 2014 cycle to begin in 2015, to 16 schools, split evenly between 8 MD schools in my state, a few DO schools in my state, and a few other DO schools through out the country. 1/4-1/3 of them were early, completely by August. No interviews.

I'm trying to decide where I go from here. I know that many people have to reapply 2-3x before they get in. However, I'm also very aware that not only is my GPA bad, but there's the big gap in my academics. On top of that, my ECs are horrible. I have a lot of problems to fix.

The problem with the problems, so to speak, is that it leaves me trying to juggle a great many plates all at the same time while trying to have a place to live and enough money to be able to afford to apply.

I've honestly looked at the caribbean. I'm very familiar with all the risks, including the more recent ones of increased US enrollment and the AOA/ACGME merger. After being on this path for 11 years, the itch to "just get started" is huge and a siren song. I've applied to 2 schools down there (Ross and SGU) and have an interview soon to feel things out.

I applied late to a few special master's programs (SMPs). They're very expensive, but I feel like it's what I need to help redeem the academic side of things. And regarding the expense, I estimated that going to the caribbean would cost an additional $80k in tuition above the US med school average, so spending ~$50k on an SMP to get into a US school (and thus better matching prospects) seems quite reasonable in that light.

Now that I'm finally done with my bachelor's, I feel "more free" to pursue something like CNA, medical assistant, or an EMT certification to try and combine getting experience with paid income. It'd be a bit tough to afford but I can probably manage it. I am concerned about the job market, though.

In addition, my MCAT is from 2013, so this cycle opening in 2015 is the last one my score will be good for (with the exception of some schools who take 5 years of scores, etc). So I also have to account for studying for the MCAT again while working. I did it before, working part-time ~30 hours a week, and clocked 160 hours of study time. I know because I tracked it just like a freelance job so I'd know how much time I spent on each section in the event I had to take it again. I'm concerned about trying to do even better given the same set of circumstances.

The major decision seems to be "stay here and do whatever it takes, however many years" versus "go caribbean now". Current thinking is stay if I get an SMP, otherwise go Caribbean. Without a SMP, I'm not really sure that I can make up for the academic side of things regardless of how much clinical work and volunteering I do. It might take many years, by which time many of my science prereqs are likely to be out of date. And that also likely means working 2 jobs, or a job-plus-school, plus volunteering at the same time. It took me ten years just to get to this point and I don't know how long I can continue to juggle so much. It's not the amount of work that's the problem--it's multiple things that are mutually antagonistic, such as work and school each demanding to be priority. That's gotten me into a lot of the trouble I've had so far. to repeat myself: "I'm concerned about trying to do even better given the same set of circumstances."

Thoughts? Opinions? I could give up, but I haven't worked to get here just to give up. I went back to school specifically for this--if it was about money, I'd have stayed in software. Allied careers just don't seem to be for me. Part of me honestly wishes they were.

Thank you so much. And if you read all this and made it to the bottom, thank you even more.

Sounds like you’ve got a lot of hoops to jump through. You could just short circuit it all by taking and passing the IMAT exam in New York on Sept.16. A high pass score will have you starting med school 2 weeks later in Italy with instruction in English. Its a public university system so my tuition for this year was 1600 Euros. Milan is rated in the top 100 worldwide and you can practice anywhere in Europe (some additional hoops depending on country) or sit the USMLE. It’s a 6 year program however. I put the link to the thread below. Not to be confused with the private Italian universities that charge 19,000 euros a year. Good score on the IMAT and all those bad years just get washed away.

viewtopic.php?f=15&t=10607

I think your point about this being the last year you can apply with current MCAT score is important. It is not yet June. I would advise that whatever plan you go with, you also consider applying broadly DO this June with current stuff AND DO shadowing now till June. You don’t indicate if you shadowed a DO but this is almost a requirement for any DO program and if your shadowing was not with a DO physician, this could account for not getting any DO interviews last time. Having a good LOR from a DO could make a difference if that is the case.



Kate

@lhedian wrote:

I think your point about this being the last year you can apply with current MCAT score is important. It is not yet June. I would advise that whatever plan you go with, you also consider applying broadly DO this June

I go back and forth on whether to even apply this cycle: I haven’t been able to change much about my app, but it also seems silly to not even try.



@lhedian wrote:

You don’t indicate if you shadowed a DO but this is almost a requirement for any DO program and if your shadowing was not with a DO physician, this could account for not getting any DO interviews last time. Having a good LOR from a DO could make a difference if that is the case.

You’re right, despite lots of talking with a D.O. I didn’t have a LoR or official shadowing with her. That was back in 2006, so I should probably just start knocking on doors and making phone calls to find someone.

I’ve just been accepted into the SMP at USF. I’ve been leaning away from the caribbean, and now with this, I think I see my path. I’m going to do the program and also apply broadly this year.