KATHERINE
2) Age (real age please)
28
28
3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god)
Sagittarius
Sagittarius
4) Briefly describe your career and or academic history. Including your pre-doctor life (if applicable) and bouts of time in between school. What makes you non-trad?
I barely graduated high school at the age of 17 - I failed 5 classes in my senior year and I had to attend summer school in order to get my diploma. I was young, unmotivated, and in a really bad home situation. I took one semester at a community college - majoring in art, of all things - and failed out because I just stopped going to classes. So I got a job. My first job was at a stable, mucking out stalls and taking care of the horses for ten hours a day, six days a week, for six dollars an hour under the table. I loved it. I met my boyfriend, moved in with him, and after holding a few other small jobs, I started doing secretarial work. I worked my way into progressively better jobs with increasing levels of responsibility. My last job was at a Philadelphia medical college, working under one of Philadelphia's Magazine's "Top Doctors". While I was working there full-time, I enrolled in their night school part-time, because I felt like I was ready to give college a try again. I flourished, and I realized I really loved science. So when my boyfriend started making enough money to support the both of us, I quit working and started going to college full-time. I will graduate this May with a BS in Biophysics and a minor in French.
I barely graduated high school at the age of 17 - I failed 5 classes in my senior year and I had to attend summer school in order to get my diploma. I was young, unmotivated, and in a really bad home situation. I took one semester at a community college - majoring in art, of all things - and failed out because I just stopped going to classes. So I got a job. My first job was at a stable, mucking out stalls and taking care of the horses for ten hours a day, six days a week, for six dollars an hour under the table. I loved it. I met my boyfriend, moved in with him, and after holding a few other small jobs, I started doing secretarial work. I worked my way into progressively better jobs with increasing levels of responsibility. My last job was at a Philadelphia medical college, working under one of Philadelphia's Magazine's "Top Doctors". While I was working there full-time, I enrolled in their night school part-time, because I felt like I was ready to give college a try again. I flourished, and I realized I really loved science. So when my boyfriend started making enough money to support the both of us, I quit working and started going to college full-time. I will graduate this May with a BS in Biophysics and a minor in French.
5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?
When I was a kid, I read a series of books called "Cherry Ames." They were about a nurse, and each book was a different "adventure" she had. There was one where she was an army nurse, and I was convinced that that's what I would be when I grew up. But I lost all interest in anything academic when I hit my teen years, and so nothing ever came of it. Later, when I was working at a med school, I realized I really enjoyed learning about science and medicine, and at the same time, I found through my interactions with the med students that they were no brighter than me. It made me realize I could do it, and that I would be selling myself short if I remained a secretary.
When I was a kid, I read a series of books called "Cherry Ames." They were about a nurse, and each book was a different "adventure" she had. There was one where she was an army nurse, and I was convinced that that's what I would be when I grew up. But I lost all interest in anything academic when I hit my teen years, and so nothing ever came of it. Later, when I was working at a med school, I realized I really enjoyed learning about science and medicine, and at the same time, I found through my interactions with the med students that they were no brighter than me. It made me realize I could do it, and that I would be selling myself short if I remained a secretary.
6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?
Not married, no children. This September, my boyfriend and I will celebrate our ten-year anniversary. :)
Not married, no children. This September, my boyfriend and I will celebrate our ten-year anniversary. :)
7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights?
I took a Kaplan prep course, which probably was most helpful in that it gave me a concrete study plan and concise materials from which to study. I took the MCAT once and got a 33N (11PS, 12VR, 10BS), which I'm pretty much happy with (except for the writing score - I had one really crummy writing prompt). My cGPA at the time of application was 3.85 and my sGPA was 3.76 (I was able to get my community college F grades turned retroactively into W, so they didn't hurt my GPA, thankfully).
I took a Kaplan prep course, which probably was most helpful in that it gave me a concrete study plan and concise materials from which to study. I took the MCAT once and got a 33N (11PS, 12VR, 10BS), which I'm pretty much happy with (except for the writing score - I had one really crummy writing prompt). My cGPA at the time of application was 3.85 and my sGPA was 3.76 (I was able to get my community college F grades turned retroactively into W, so they didn't hurt my GPA, thankfully).
8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school
There were two big hurdles. One of them is an issue of practicality: I only applied to the Philadelphia allopathic schools because we need to stay in Philly for my boyfriend's job. The second hurdle was me: I needed to build confidence in myself academically, to prove that I wouldn't get lazy or allow demotivation to get the better of me. I still have a healthy fear of failure but I know now that I can be trusted to follow through.
9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?
I'm going MD for the simple reason that it didn't make sense to fill out (and pay for) the AACOMAS application for the only DO school in Philly, when my stats were good enough that I had a decent shot at three of the four Philly allopathics.
There were two big hurdles. One of them is an issue of practicality: I only applied to the Philadelphia allopathic schools because we need to stay in Philly for my boyfriend's job. The second hurdle was me: I needed to build confidence in myself academically, to prove that I wouldn't get lazy or allow demotivation to get the better of me. I still have a healthy fear of failure but I know now that I can be trusted to follow through.
9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?
I'm going MD for the simple reason that it didn't make sense to fill out (and pay for) the AACOMAS application for the only DO school in Philly, when my stats were good enough that I had a decent shot at three of the four Philly allopathics.
10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)?
Here's a bit of advice I wish someone had told me in the beginning: become a tutor. Tutoring means that your skills won't get rusty and your MCAT prep will be that much easier.
Here's a bit of advice I wish someone had told me in the beginning: become a tutor. Tutoring means that your skills won't get rusty and your MCAT prep will be that much easier.
11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share?
It's sappy, but I couldn't have done any of this without my boyfriend's constant love and support. He has been my rock and I am thankful every day for him.
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