Ok this is my first post here on SDN. I wanted to ask all of you your honest opinion on how I should prepare for this next spring's application cycle. As well as if you think I am a viable candidate for MD and DO school. (Any specific schools you think I would be competitive at would be great too!)
So I am from a small unknown University in Utah (Weber State University). I have a average MCAT 31M (11 PS, 10 VR, 10 BS) and average cGPA 3.59 (It should be 3.6 at least by the time I apply) but my sGPA is low ~3.3.
I have decent ECs:
>2,000 hrs of clinical experience from working as a CNA for two years.
30hrs shadowing family practice MD (with 30 more next semester probably from a DO).
~161hrs community service
I helped start our school's PreSOMA club (pre-students-of-osteopathic-medicine) and was secretary for three months last spring.
I am now secretary of our school's AMSA (American Medical Student Association) and will have a total of 10 months by the time I apply for Med school.
I am currently working on my research. I already have a year and a half of review research, but I am getting stymied on my progress. I have my own research project I am trying to get approved, but it uses animals and we are having trouble getting approval through our IACUC. We already have a $2,600 grant, but the process is taking longer than expected. Worse case scenario we dont do the project and I write a paper for my faculty mentors on the proposed experiment (my advisers are very supportive and have told me I will get fantastic LORs from them, they think the only reason we are being denied is because it is a student run project). I know that would not be very impressive because MD schools in particular like to see "wet" lab experience, but it is what it is I suppose we will have to see.
So that is where I sit. I am a nontrad student, I am married and have a little girl and a little boy on the way. I am LDS and plan on writing about my LDS mission in my PS and mentioning the service I did in communities I served in but I am not counting those community hrs because they are religiously related and I dont want to look arrogant.
I think I might be a good candidate for some DO schools, but I'd love to hear you DO student's opinion on this. I appreciate DO philosophy and practice and would love to be either a DO or an MD.
You MD students do you think I have a decent shot? I really just want to be a doctor. Its my life dream as I am sure it is all of yours. Please be very honest I have thick skin :) Thank you all!
So I am from a small unknown University in Utah (Weber State University). I have a average MCAT 31M (11 PS, 10 VR, 10 BS) and average cGPA 3.59 (It should be 3.6 at least by the time I apply) but my sGPA is low ~3.3.
I have decent ECs:
>2,000 hrs of clinical experience from working as a CNA for two years.
30hrs shadowing family practice MD (with 30 more next semester probably from a DO).
~161hrs community service
I helped start our school's PreSOMA club (pre-students-of-osteopathic-medicine) and was secretary for three months last spring.
I am now secretary of our school's AMSA (American Medical Student Association) and will have a total of 10 months by the time I apply for Med school.
I am currently working on my research. I already have a year and a half of review research, but I am getting stymied on my progress. I have my own research project I am trying to get approved, but it uses animals and we are having trouble getting approval through our IACUC. We already have a $2,600 grant, but the process is taking longer than expected. Worse case scenario we dont do the project and I write a paper for my faculty mentors on the proposed experiment (my advisers are very supportive and have told me I will get fantastic LORs from them, they think the only reason we are being denied is because it is a student run project). I know that would not be very impressive because MD schools in particular like to see "wet" lab experience, but it is what it is I suppose we will have to see.
So that is where I sit. I am a nontrad student, I am married and have a little girl and a little boy on the way. I am LDS and plan on writing about my LDS mission in my PS and mentioning the service I did in communities I served in but I am not counting those community hrs because they are religiously related and I dont want to look arrogant.
I think I might be a good candidate for some DO schools, but I'd love to hear you DO student's opinion on this. I appreciate DO philosophy and practice and would love to be either a DO or an MD.
You MD students do you think I have a decent shot? I really just want to be a doctor. Its my life dream as I am sure it is all of yours. Please be very honest I have thick skin :) Thank you all!