Brief Profile:
I have a BA and MA in art history, so I'm pulling a 180 here. :p
Med-related activities: - hospital volunteering, 6 mos. - some shadowing - currently volunteering at a free clinic - currently work for a public health program that manages a grant for diabetes self-management initiatives at various sites throughout the country (this has been my full-time job for 2.5 yrs. now) - 2 mini-med school courses (basically a super-cool lecture series where you get to see things like video of a craniotomy - wicked!)
Other stuff: - graduate research assistantship - graduate symposium poster presentation award - TA, 3 courses - art history department lecture series coordinator, 1 year - faculty-grad student liasion, 1 year - visual resources assistant, 2 years - volunteer docent, 2 years - marching band, varsity band, concert band, wind ensemble throughout college (incl. some leadership stuff with that) - Smithsonian internship, one summer during undergrad
I'm also a re-applicant this year. I applied RIDICULOUSLY late last year, so I'm hoping that's a big part of why I didn't get any hits. In the past year, I've been volunteering and I took biochem (and did well in it, and got a LOR from that prof), so hopefully these things in addition to an earlier app this year will help!!!
I'm also planning to retake the MCAT in July. While my scores aren't terrible, I studied pathetically little for my 8 and 9 in the sciences, so I really want to up those scores to add a little 'oomph' to my app (particularly given my low GPA). :p ---------------------------------------------------- Update: MCAT scores: 5/25/07: 10VR/8PS/10BS, M 8/14/07: 13VR/8PS/9BS, Q 7/18/08: 12VR/8PS/9BS, O . . . NOOOOOO! I was expecting MUCH better. This was a huge shock and disappointment. I feel like I've added a red flag to my app, but we'll see . . .
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 2008
Undergraduate college: University of Notre Dame
Undergraduate Area of study: Computing and Information Science
Institution: Washington University
Area of Study: Computing and Information Science
Degree Obtained: MA
Institution: Washington Unviersity
Area of Study: Premedical Studies
Total MCAT SCORE: 507
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 125,
C/P 125,
CARS 130
Overall GPA: 3.53
Science GPA: 3.45
Summary of Application Experience
5/27/08 - Submitted FAP, but was instantaneously rejected (the system is not geared toward non-trads!) E-mailed an appeal to FAP folks 6/3/08 - Got reply from FAP - sorry, but we don't take into account your financial status (independent or dependent). Grr. Called them to appeal this decision as well, so I'm FedExing them tax info . . . we'll see what happens. I kind of doubt I'll get anywhere with this, but I feel like someone has to make a point to the AAMC . . . if you're not claimed as a dependent on your parents' tax return and oh yeah, if you're MARRIED, you're certainly financially independent and should be treated as such! 6/12/08 - Ok, so I hadn't checked MCAT test date availability in a week or so, and suddenly when I checked on Tuesday, there were no more July seats left in my area. EEEK! I knew this would happen! I got some feedback on the thread I had started on SDN about trying to appeal the FAP decision, and it didn't sound like it was going to happen. So, I decided to forego that and register for the MCAT before the date was gone entirely. I am now taking it in my husband's home city (~ 4hrs away) on July 10th (eek!), and we're driving there the day before. Not ideal (hello, gas prices?), but we'll get an extra family visit out of it, so ok. The plan now is to STUDY as much as I can every day and to call all of my schools between today and tomorrow (hate having to do that at work!) and see if they will waive secondary fees. I'm hoping to submit AMCAS over the weekend, so I need some answers now. 6/13/08 - Had a GREAT conversation with the assistant dean of admissions at one of the schools above (where I'll be a reapp this year). We discussed my application and ways to improve it. I've been trying to contact the schools I applied to last year about this, but mostly I've made appointments to talk to someone or was told to send an e-mail. This was the first 'live encounter' I had, and it was very helpful. I highly recommend doing this sort of thing if you're a reapp. 6/17/08 - All transcripts received by AMCAS. The pressure is now all on me to submit. Stupid PS! Need to nail that down pronto.
------------------------------------- BIG BREAK!
10/11/08 - Well, I fell off the face of the earth with this stuff for quite a while, but I'm back now. :-) Here's the past few months in a nutshell: I was putting a crapload of time into my PS and not enough into MCAT studying, so I tabled my app until after the 7/18 MCAT to study . . . thought I kicked some arse on the test . . . came home; had some family stuff go down; failed to wrap my head around the PS for the month that followed (becoming more desperate about submitting with each passing day), then the bomb hit: MCAT scores came back one point lower than before . . . SERIOUS disappointment and doubts about my abilities, etc., which made it even harder to write my PS . . . UGH! FINALLY got it together, submitted on the 29th of Sept. (EEEK!); verified 10/7; have thus far submitted 5 secondaries and am working on submitting the others I have and pre-writing for others this weekend. I know I've screwed up big time, but I'm gonna turn these secondaries around quickly, keep my fingers crossed, and update schools when I (a) get an A in A&P this sem. (because I TOTALLY will) and (b) get a job in clinical research, because I'm working on that right now too. I have thoughts of taking the January MCAT to nail this thing for good and maybe give a little push if I'm on a waitlist somewhere . . . but that's probably a dumb idea . . . I REALLY want this, though, and I'd do it if it meant I'd get in somewhere.
