Well I can officially say....

That the absolute WORST time for a GI virus to kick in is 3 minutes before you are supposed to present to a roomful of soon-to-be and current physicians.

THAT SUCKED! But I toughed it out.

An "oh shit" moment

Me, being proactive and interested (and stupid) in my radiology project when most no one else gives a shit and just steals their shit off the internet for an uber easy presentation.

Ella: Hey Dr. P! I'd like to do my project on Neurocysticercosis. Have you seen any images come through in recent years?

Dr. P: Why Sure! I've got some stuff right here.

Ella: Oh wow, you've got books on the topic!

Ella: Oh wow! You actually (gulp) wrote these books.

Ella (in thought): F&@#ing way to go, dumbass!

Surgery is O-V-E-R

Passed my surgery shelf so there is no effing possible way in hell that I will have to do that ever again for even one minute!!!

Ready for every other wonderful specialty in medicine! (ah-hem... EM)

A few Interesting Things

1) a doc i know told me he took the MCAT 4 times. scoring 19, 20, 24, and 28

2) another (different than #1) doc told me he applied to medical school 12 times. 12????? do they even allow that? granted that was a while back 20+ years

3) a VERY coveted fellowship in a top specialty was recently given to an acquaintance of mine. who also failed step I.

4) a doctor god that I know was actually fired from his first residency. he's now head of an ICU in an Ivy League hospital

Point being?

Almost anything is recoverable.

Kimberly

1) Name (fake or real)

Kimberly

2) Age (real age please)

26

3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god)

med student

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?

Went to college directly out of high school, was accepted into a joint program between my school and a local medical school. Was on track for the program until the end of my junior year (was required to take the MCAT and score a 24, scored a 20), dropped out of the program. Graduated....studied for the MCAT and took some graduate science classes at a local school. HATED IT. Scored a 20 on the MCAT again. Got frustrated with life, applied to an MPH program and moved to FL. Loved my program, studied for the MCAT AGAIN, went to Ecuador...got scores back... 19. Decided to apply to Caribbean schools...got accepted to Ross University SOM and started January of this year!

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?

I've always been interested in medicine...I just took the excruciating route to finally get here.

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?

Single, no kids!

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights?

3 times is NOT the charm. Looking back, I did not have the correct study habits for the MCAT...I was used to just knowing things by going over it a few times. It wasn't until I got to med school that I finally understood that I had to put in some serious effort. Wish I had understood that back then.

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school

SO MANY!!! MCAT scores and finances probably top my list.

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?

Definately MD. No other reason other than I always practiced writing my name Kimberly, MD, MPH. It looks amazing! :)

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)?

Don't underestimate yourself. Even if you are not a great test taker, limited on funds...whatever, if you are dedicated and truly want this...there is a way. Also, don't turn your nose down to Carribean schools (like I did at first). The Big 4 (SGU, Ross, AUC, Saba) offer you the opportunity to let your dreams come true.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share?

Yes, I have the cutest dog ever... (not biased)

Rhonda (sorry I didn't post this before!)

2) Age (real age please)

29

3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god)

pre-med

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 am a paralegal right now, I got an Associate’s Degree in Legal Studies/Paralegal, and thought I’d follow the path of Law straight into law school, except I don’t like it and I keep being pulled back onto the Pre-Med path. I’ve changed my major about a million times trying to find something that I like and I always end up back on the Pre-Med track. Right now I am like a 8th year Senior at my University majoring in Biology. I’m also getting the credits required to teach Biology, just in case this whole Doctor thing doesn’t work out. My fascination with Biology will probably be helpful in the classroom as well.

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?

I’m in love with the thought of being a doctor. I have always been on the line but finally my fiancé of all people told me to just go for it, but to have a back-up plan…just in case.

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?

Engaged, 1 son he’s 9 (10 this summer)

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights?

No experience yet.

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school

What isn’t a hurdle? Time and money mostly. I have to work full time in order to support our household, so I don’t have a lot of free time to volunteer or do things that I normally would, I volunteer as much as I can. I’m just hoping that it’s enough. The money thing well that’s just that school is expensive and even though I get financial aid and loans eventually I will have to pay all of that back and I’m trying to be smart about it. I would love to find a different more flexible job but I wouldn’t make enough money and I have really good benefits for my son and myself. I also have to overcome some black marks on my transcripts, although since I committed to the Pre-Med route I have nothing below a B, and that’s a rare occasion that it’s below an A.

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?

I’m going to apply to both. There are a few DO schools that I like.

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)?

Focus on one thing at a time.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share?

Just stay positive. And keep moving.

KARA

2) Age (real age please) 29
3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god) pre-med
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 was planning to become a doctor when I was in high school, but my dad got cancer and died right before my senior year. I was a little burned out on the medical scene at that point, and I just wanted to survive. So I graduated early and focused on anything BUT science and math. I graduated from college with a degree in English Education and have been working as a teacher since then. Right now, I'm working from home as a full-time online English teacher while caring for my kids and going to school "on the side" for pre-med requirements.
5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field? I just couldn't shake the drive to become a doctor. I've dealt with my grief issues, and I've grown up. It's time. :)
6)Family status... married? children? how old are they? Married to my childhood sweetheart... we've got three amazing kids. Eli is 4, Isaac is 2, and Selah is 8 months. We're busy at our ouse.
7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights? No experience with the MCAT, and I'm not really that scared. Not that I think it will be a breeze... I just know I can do it if I work hard enough.
8)Biggest hurdle getting to med school Biggest hurdle = money. Isn't that always the case?
9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?I'm planning to go MD, but I'm keeping my options open.
10) Um... I don't know if I'm in a position to give advice. But I do always encourage people to get to know themselves and never sell themselves short.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share? In addition to working full time, raising three small kids, and going to school myself, I'm blogging as well. Check us out! ww.fivelittlelives.com

Katie

2) Age (real age please) - 26
3) What's your sign? - med student
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? - decided in my junior year of college that medical school might be a good idea, and then started taking pre-med classes. I somehow finished them in two years...but after that, I wasn't sure if med school was right for me. I went ahead and applied anyway, and spent a few years working in social services. I did get in, but it was difficult. This was probably because my undergraduate college didn't believe in grades...like at all. We got "narrative evaluations" and so my transcript was 31 pages long...

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field? - Honestly? I didn't think I could do it. So I did.

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they? - married and contemplating children w/in the next year or two.

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights? - MCAT - third time was the charm. Managed to get a 29S (I think)...it might have been 30S...I'm not sure. I spent two years working with special needs youth in the inner city, which affirmed that I do NOT want to be a social worker. Helped to run an indigent medication program at a small community health center for a summer. Did undergraduate research in cognitive neuroscience...it was basically me playing w/ photoshop.

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school - getting in. seriously.

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why? - DO, for a combination of factors. I applied to both simultaneously, because to me, there wasn't really a difference. Both take two years of science classes. Both do two years of rotations. Both do residencies. I basically researched schools and applied to ones that appealed to me for some reason. Either they emphasized community service or they were in a neat location (University of Colorado, I'm looking at you) or my husband liked the area or we had family there. I didn't apply anywhere I wouldn't have wanted to live. I interviewed at both MD and DO schools and liked the DO schools better, so here I am. After nearly two years, I would say that there is little/no difference between the two. I worked at Harvard last summer and easily held my own with the Harvard medical students.

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)? - Don't be annoying. When you interview, don't ask me about treatment of asystole, because chances are I've forgotten or will think you're showboating. Ask about weather, bars, roads, things that matter.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share? - the hardest part is getting in...but make sure you want to do this, because at the end of your first year, you're already crazy in debt and have no marketable skills.

Peter

2) Age (real age please) 28
3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god) Matriculating in 2010...not sure where yet, as I am still waiting to hear about financial aid, but it will likely be Pitt, Case Western or Ohio State (unless a very unlikely waitlist comes through). Also, Virgo.
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 graduated from college in 2004 with a degree in Computer Science and went to work in the software industry. I worked there for a few years before quitting my job, going back to school full time (had none of the pre-reqs) and making the switch. In the meantime, I was an EMT and have been working as an aide in a hospital on a med/surg floor.

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?I discovered pretty quickly that I was not a money-motivated person, and therefore didn't feel terribly motivated by the corporate world. Working in computer science wasn't something that would get me out of bed in the morning. It was a good academic interest but not a good professional interest. In making my decision to switch to medicine, I considered a variety of things (education, for example) but ultimately settled on medicine because I felt it would be the most challenging, intellectually stimulating, impacting, etc.

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?Single.

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights? I'm fortunate in that I've always been a good test taker. I only had to take the MCAT once and scored a balanced 37Q (12/12/13). Without a doubt, this is what got me into medical school.

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school My undergraduate GPA was my biggest hurdle. I was one of those people who didn't take undergrad seriously, and while I didn't do horribly, I came out with a 3.35. Fortunately, I hadn't had any science courses, so I had the opportunity to pull my GPA up pretty substantially with my post-bacc work. My cGPA ended up around 3.51 and my sGPA was a 3.79. I had some clinical research which resulted in poster presentations at national medical conferences, and a variety of volunteer work.

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why? I am going MD because I would like to give myself the best chance at the best residency I can get.

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)? For both non-trads and trads, I would say an important part of the medical school application process is coming up with your narrative. What's your story, and how does it relate to why you're going into medicine. Everyone looks pretty much the same on paper. Your story is something that can set you apart. Also, during the application process, give yourself more time than you think is necessary for every part of it. Every part of it takes more time than you think it will. Guaranteed.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share? Not really. Applying to medical school is one of the more obnoxious things I've done in my life, and I hear residency is just as bad. Here's to doing it again in 4 years!

Cecil

2) Age (real age please)

30

3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god)

pre-med

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?

Began in electrical engineering, then computer science. Dropped out in 2003 at to start my own business. Business was good, started working for the Union Pacific for the benefits, and began to like it. Currently, I'm a locomotive engineer, and still programming work on the side. Never really meant to return to school until the birth of our son. Within two months, I was enrolled in college as a Biology major at age 29. I plan to graduate May 2011, and *hopefully* matriculate in August of 2011.

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?

Birth of our son... not sure why the first two didn't trigger this fascination with medicine, but ever since the seed was planted, I have been on a mission to get into medical school.

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?

Married 7 years, 3 children (4, 1, 0)

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights?

Will take it this summer. Share? I'll be telling anyone who will listen if I get accepted!

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school

Money and timing. At the moment, I have to work full time while going to school. It is possible that my job will require me to travel in the near future which will mean I can't attend classes. I am currently considering quitting and finding another job. This is a major impediment since my current wage and benefits are really good. I really don't have time to volunteer between work, school, and family, so I worry that will hurt my app. Finally, although I have earned straight As for the last few semesters, I'm not sure it will be enough to overcome some bumps in my previous college transcripts (10 years old).

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?

Whoever will take me. I am more interested in becoming a doc than what the initials are behind my name. To be honest, I'd really prefer MD, but just because I don't want to have to defend/explain it to everyone I meet.

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)?

Screw the little voice in your head that says your goal is impossible. If I gave up every time I came up with a new way in which I am unworthy, not ready, etc. I wouldn't make it 5 minutes.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share?

I haven't made it yet, but I guarantee you that if I DO make it... so can anyone else. The only thing that I have going for me is my ability to proceed as if there were no obstacles at all.


Update:


MCAT - 24Q (I was quite happy given I hadn't had o-chem or micro at the time)
Thoughts on the exam: I know this is not normal, but I wasn't nervous at all. I didn't find it particularly difficult... the parts I had difficulty with were entirely due to coursework I had not yet completed. I used ExamKrackers, and if you learn well from text, I would highly recommend it.

Appication: I applied to 2 in-state schools. I was invited to complete secondaries for both, and just completed my first interview. It was a BLAST! I was the only one not dressed in a black or navy suit, and they even asked me about it in the interview. As long as you're dressed professionally, breaking the mold is VERY apparent in a room full of "penguins."

Katherine

KATHERINE

2) Age (real age please)
28

3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god)
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.

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.

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. :)

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).

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.

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.

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.

NON-TRAD PROFILE ~ Brett

So I'm going to start posting these on the blogroll from now on. Not too happy with the formatting issues of the page above. So if you have a profile you'd like me to post... send it to me!!

1) Name (fake or real)

Brett

2) Age (real age please)

26

3) What's your sign? (curious and contemplating, pre-med, med-student, resident, fellow, god)

pre-med

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?

Directly to college out of high school, I had no real interest in school and ended up failing pretty much every class I took. Went to community college the following year and did the same thing. Went back to the original school and pulled the same crap once again. All in all I have 16 F's and multiple W's on my transcript. Took 5 years off and worked multiple jobs then finally returned to school. After a year and a half haven't gotten anything less than an A. Except for one elective class which my teacher gave me a B (Thank you Professor Siegel, Jackass!) I am the definition of the Non Traditional pre-med.

5) What propelled you to switch into the medical field?

I have always been interested in being a doctor but never thought I had what it takes to make it to med shool

6) Family status... married? children? how old are they?

Single. Interested Ella?

7) What's your experience with the MCAT? If you are a successful applicant will you share your academic stats and application highlights?

I have zero experience with the MCAT and I am terrified of it.

8) Biggest hurdle getting to med school

There are too many to mention. I think the toughest will be overcoming my prior performance in my early years of school. I have my doubts that I will even be able to get an interview due to the fact that I will never be able to get my GPA over a 3.0

9) Are you going MD or DO? Why?

Anyone that will have me.

10) Best advice to other pre-meds (non-trad or not)?

Don't ever think that you can't do it. I intend to prove everyone in my life that has ever said I dont have a chance of getting into med school wrong.

11) Anything else you'd like to say... or something cool about your story you'd like to share?