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MD Applicants

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  • 001100011

  • Application cycles: 09/03/2009
  • Demographics: Female, 44, Caucasian
  • Home state: Kansas
  • Last Active: 05/25/2011
  • Brief Profile: I\'m writing this so that you can see how someone with a poor initial academic record was able to ultimately get into a top medical school. I am proof, it can happen - despite the discouraging things you might hear.
    I want to encourage applicants (and those considering applying) who are in the same boat to go for it.
    (I recently revised this to make it more straightforward and concise.)

    Very non-traditional. 30 yrs old, married. Worked several jobs during and after undergrad in business, science, and healthcare.

    My academic record was….. well, like the proverbial phoenix.

    It all went up in flames my sophomore year of college, when overwhelmed by health problems and major family crisis. I was 17 and didn\'t handle it well.

    Burning pile of feathers: Numerous W\'s and a couple of F\'s. Well below a 3.0 GPA.

    Smoldering ashes: I thought I\'d lost my chances of ever getting into med school. One of my advisors even said \"Um, there\'s no way you\'ll get in anywhere.\" (Note: I sent him a pic from my white coat ceremony.)

    I worked for a few years in the business world, until I came to realize that I couldn\'t live with myself doing just any job for the rest of my life. I absolutely had to do what I loved, not just what was easy to get.

    Rising: 45 credits at a 3.9, studying while working part to full time, shadowing, and studying for the MCAT. When I applied, I had:
    + Nailed the MCAT.
    + VERY strong LORs from the physicians I worked with, and mentor professors.
    + Stellar list of ECs, very well-written. (By stellar, I do not mean published papers and awards, I mean well rounded science and non-science, and full of interesting things I was passionate about and/or had dedicated great time and effort to.)
    + Solid, compelling personal statement essay. I took this as my best chance to grab their attention, and more than make up for whatever crap was in my earlier transcripts.
    + Secondaries that I put a lot of work into, using them as another opportunity to show them who I am, not just answer the questions.

    The above pieces are what snagged me a few interviews. Then I nailed the interviews – confidence, engaging, enthusiastic. Most importantly, I was myself. Genuine is win. (As someone who now interviews applicants, I’ll tell you – they can sense faking a mile away.)

    Some of my EC\'s (to show that the EC section isn\'t just for listing volunteering and research papers):
    . Studied abroad 2000-2001: Mexico. Became bilingual.
    . Leadership: InterVarsity Christian Fellowship student leader.
    . Volunteering, tutoring, etc.
    . Piano, violin, cello, vocal training. Recorded: original composition, vocalist, cellist.
    . Published: poetry. Creative writing stuff.
    . Research:
    Genetics lab tech, research, 1 semester. No papers, just added to database.
    Animal cognition research: 3 semesters. No papers, just added to research.
    . Employment:
    Q.A. lab chief tech, margarine production plant. (I will never feel the same about what I spread on toast.)
    3 years in corporate jobs.
    3 years in health care jobs (ER Tech, Patient Advocate)


    And to capture my reaction to my acceptance, I copied this from my original MDApps bio:

    ***Update:***CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY CLASS OF 2014!!!***
    OMG.... I got in! Prayers answered - Pulled off the waitlist 5/10/10 - I\'m moving to Cleveland!!
    (See, even with a rough early record, nothing could stop me!)

    ^_^
  • // Applications //

    Application Cycle One: 09/03/2009

    • Undergraduate college: University of Kansas
    • Undergraduate Area of study: Biological/Life Sciences
    • Total MCAT SCORE: 522
    • MCAT Section Scores: B/B 130, C/P 129, CARS 132  
    • Overall GPA: 3.02
    • Science GPA: 2.97

    Summary of Application Experience

    Doing 21 secondaries was a nightmare. But worth it - I wasn\'t going to wait another year. Case was one of my first completed and my second interview invite. All of my interviews were great, but Case takes the cake. And the ice cream.

    Application Complete, Rejected

    Creighton University
    Dartmouth College
    Oregon Health & Science University
    Tufts University
    University of Colorado
    Cornell University
    Jefferson Medical College
    Mayo Medical School
    University of Michigan
    University of North Carolina
    University of Nebraska
    University of Washington
    University of California, San Francisco
    University of California, Los Angeles
    Michigan State University
    Drexel University
    Washington University in St. Louis
    Albany Medical College

    Attended Interview, Waitlisted, Withdrew

    University of Missouri, Columbia

    Accepted off Waitlist

    Case Western Reserve University

    Accepted

    University of Kansas

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