Hi everyone,
Just had a couple questions regarding applications to various medical schools and I figured I would come to the best place for advice.
I have just completed my BcS in Biochemistry from CSU Long Beach with around a 3.9GPA. I am 29 years old, it has been a long journey but I am so happy to finally be done. Recently got my MCAT score back, both surprised and happy with it, however I have still yet to apply for schools. I have around 100 hours of shadowing a doctor in the ER, I have volunteered for two years at various HIV clinics in and around the Los Angeles area, counseling gay men and woman who are dealing with the challenges of living with HIV and have also been involved with various clinical trials for new HIV treatments. My passion is definitely to continue working with HIV/AIDS patients in a medical setting and I am highly interested in the research of new treatment and preventative measures.
I have a couple questions regarding which schools to apply to, the degree to which graduating from a CSU LB as a opposed to a UC school may negatively effect my application, and whether or not being an openly gay male will impact admission (which I am confident it will not).
I would love to continue living in the California area where I do most of my volunteer work and also have a wonderful network of individuals within the HIV-related medical field who are constantly giving me opportunities to work with them. I have considered UCLA, UCI, and UCSF as Medical schools in the California area. Do you have any other suggestions? I know they are extremely competitive to get into but those are just off the top of my head.
I have enjoyed my time at CSU LB immensely and consider it a great university. That being said, especially in California many individuals I have spoken to regarding medical school have said that it is much better to be applying from a UC school as they are considered more prestigious and competitive. I have had to pay for my own education as unfortunately was not able to afford to attend a UC school, also I consider my time at CSU LB absolutely worth it and hope admission committees will see that I am a dedicated student regardless of the undergrad school I attended. What are you thoughts on this?
Finally, while I have met many gay doctors over the years, I am always surprised to hear that while they attending medical school many of them either hid their sexuality or simply did not mention it. This was likely more a sign of the times, as for many who attended medical school in the 80s or even 90s, being openly gay would have been more challenging than today. I am confident that no schools discriminate against it but I just wanted to hear anyone's opinion on the matter. I am open about it and would like to discuss (in my personal statement and interviews) how being gay has helped me become the person I am today and spurred my interest in working in the HIV field.
Thanks so much for your help and advice.
Matt.
Just had a couple questions regarding applications to various medical schools and I figured I would come to the best place for advice.
I have just completed my BcS in Biochemistry from CSU Long Beach with around a 3.9GPA. I am 29 years old, it has been a long journey but I am so happy to finally be done. Recently got my MCAT score back, both surprised and happy with it, however I have still yet to apply for schools. I have around 100 hours of shadowing a doctor in the ER, I have volunteered for two years at various HIV clinics in and around the Los Angeles area, counseling gay men and woman who are dealing with the challenges of living with HIV and have also been involved with various clinical trials for new HIV treatments. My passion is definitely to continue working with HIV/AIDS patients in a medical setting and I am highly interested in the research of new treatment and preventative measures.
I have a couple questions regarding which schools to apply to, the degree to which graduating from a CSU LB as a opposed to a UC school may negatively effect my application, and whether or not being an openly gay male will impact admission (which I am confident it will not).
I would love to continue living in the California area where I do most of my volunteer work and also have a wonderful network of individuals within the HIV-related medical field who are constantly giving me opportunities to work with them. I have considered UCLA, UCI, and UCSF as Medical schools in the California area. Do you have any other suggestions? I know they are extremely competitive to get into but those are just off the top of my head.
I have enjoyed my time at CSU LB immensely and consider it a great university. That being said, especially in California many individuals I have spoken to regarding medical school have said that it is much better to be applying from a UC school as they are considered more prestigious and competitive. I have had to pay for my own education as unfortunately was not able to afford to attend a UC school, also I consider my time at CSU LB absolutely worth it and hope admission committees will see that I am a dedicated student regardless of the undergrad school I attended. What are you thoughts on this?
Finally, while I have met many gay doctors over the years, I am always surprised to hear that while they attending medical school many of them either hid their sexuality or simply did not mention it. This was likely more a sign of the times, as for many who attended medical school in the 80s or even 90s, being openly gay would have been more challenging than today. I am confident that no schools discriminate against it but I just wanted to hear anyone's opinion on the matter. I am open about it and would like to discuss (in my personal statement and interviews) how being gay has helped me become the person I am today and spurred my interest in working in the HIV field.
Thanks so much for your help and advice.
Matt.