Brief Profile:
I have a somewhat unusual background. I started my undergraduate career in pure mathematics with the goal of earning a Ph.D. in the field. Midway through my fourth year during the application process, I reneged and decided to explore possibilities in the biological sciences. Shortly after getting into that, I decided that I really wanted to go into medicine. I considered after my fifth year, but I felt that I did not have enough clinical experience, and I had not yet taken the MCAT, so I decided to postpone applying for a year. After graduation, I spent a year working in a residential facility for individuals with developmental disabilities.
My resume is a bit of a mixed bag:
-three years as the president of the Quiz Bowl Club -one summer of math research -numerous math awards and achievements -six months working in the lab of a molecular biologist and plant pathologist -four W\'s, from my early years
// Applications //
Application Cycle One: 08/08/2009
Undergraduate college: Louisiana State University
Undergraduate Area of study: Mathematics
Institution: Louisiana State University
Area of Study: Biological/Life Sciences
Degree Obtained: x2 major
Total MCAT SCORE: 524
MCAT Section Scores:
B/B 132,
C/P 132,
CARS 130
Overall GPA: 3.87
Science GPA: 3.85
Summary of Application Experience
So I applied to 14 schools, interviewed at 11 of them, and was accepted at 4 of them, including one of my favorites in UTSW which is where I will be matriculating in August.
Application Complete, Rejected
George Washington University
Applying for combined PhD/MSTP? No
Submitted: Yes
Secondary Completed: 10/11/2009
Interview Invite: No
Interview Attended: No
Waitlisted: No
Accepted: No
Rejected: 02/02/2010
Summary of Experience:
They seem to reject largely based on type, and to be honest, after applying I felt that I really wouldn\'t fit in with their program. That and the ridiculously high cost of attendance made me think I should never have applied in the first place.
Summary of Experience:
The campus is beautiful and the research opportunities are among the best in the nation. The third-year elective is a very attractive opportunity. However, Durham is a city that has seen better days.
Rejected. And I thought that my interviews went very well.
Summary of Experience:
Loved the school and the students I met there. However I didn\'t really care for Baltimore and the med school\'s location there feels pretty unsafe.
Summary of Experience:
I love Nashville, and I felt that the students here appeared to be the happiest that I saw on the interview trail. That, combined with the research reputation of the school, made this one of my top choices.
Waitlisted. Rejected. I guess it was not meant to be.
Summary of Experience:
I loved the idea of being in the Texas Med Center. Excellent research opportunities, but the financial health of the institution is somewhat questionable.
Summary of Experience:
The whole experience was pretty meh, although part of that was probably the gloomy weather on my interview day. This was my first interview, and my nervousness probably made this my worst interview of the entire application process.
Summary of Experience:
St. Louis is an okay city, although I don\'t think that I\'d be able to stand the winter coming from southern Louisiana. I loved the medical school itself though. The students seemed extremely amiable if a bit nerdy. Expensive tuition aside, this was my favorite of the med schools at which I interviewed.
Summary of Experience:
Pleasantly surprised and impressed by this school after stories that I had heard about the effects of Katrina. Good facilities, and New Orleans is a great city to be in.
