reichhorn said:
I am a non-traditional student that is considering applying to med school in 2005. I still have a few classes that I need to take, and I plan to take these classes at a local university. I plan to take a MCAT prep. course as well as volunteer/work as much as I can at a local hospital. I have a few questions about the whole process that I thought I would ask:
Are there any known school that favor the non-traditional applicant?
Which medical schools are on the lower end of the admittance spectrum? ( I have good creditials, but I am really concerned about my 3.2 undergrad GPA and I havent taken the MCAT yet). I am mainly interested in a MD degree, but I havent rule out the DO approach.
I have considered taking a post-bacc. program, but the ones that I have looked into seem to be just public universities offering non-degree classes to students. Can anyone recommend a program that is advantageous for a non-traditional student? I am especially interested in linkage programs.
I have heard that some schools will help you prevent the lag time between when you apply to medical school and when you actually start classses. Can someone elaborate on this procedure?
thanks for your time
Hi there,
There are NO schools that FAVOR non-traditional applicants. If you are a strong candidate and present a competitive application, you can achieve admission to medical school traditional or non-traditional.
Your 3.2 undergraduate GPA is on the very lower end of the spectrum in terms of medical school matriculants. That being said, you need to score competitively in the MCAT (total score greater than 30 with no single score less than 9) and present good evidence of community service/physician shadowing/letters of recommendation by people who know you well. Since you have some classes to take, you need to make sure that you get As with no grade less than a B+. You are not going to significantly raise your GPA with the remaining courses that you have to take but you can eliminate some of the damage your 3.2 GPA carries. A high MCAT score will not erase a poor undergraduate GPA but it might get you into an interview or two where you can convince an admissions committee member to give you a shot.
There are many post-bacc programs with linkages. You might consult the AMCAS website for information on these programs or look at the post-bacc threads under that section of this website. Many are very competitive so again, your 3.2 may come back to haunt you in terms of admission to post-bacc programs.
No matter when you apply, there is typically a lag period between the time that your application goes in (June of the year before matriculation if you have taken April MCAT), interviews during the fall and spring, matriculation in August. You need to complete your MCAT pre-regs before you take the exam. (one year of General Biology with lab, one year of General Chemistry with lab, one year of General Physics with lab and one year of Organic Chemistry with lab). Since the MCAT is offered in April and August, you still have some waiting time between completing your pre-regs (typically in May or June) and taking the exam (August of the same year or April of the following year).
If you opted for the August MCAT of the year that you finished your pre-regs, you could get the rest of your application in but your package would not be complete until October (fall) of the year and that would put you significantly behind the applicants whose applications were complete much earlier. Whether you decide on April or August MCAT, you will still have the glide year. For traditional medical students, this year is spent finishing up degree requirements and graduating.
Other things that you might look into:
1. Post-bacc programs like the non-thesis masters at Georgetown University. This is a chance to prove that you can master a medical curriculum. Many folks who do well in this program end up admitted to Georgetown University Medial School. Cons: expensive
2. Admission to a graduate program: Masters of Public Health, Master of Science (Anatomy, Neuroscience, Biomedical Science). If you elect to attend graduate school, you can prove that you can master a medical curriculum by doing well in some fairly rigorous courses. An MPH is a very good adjunct to having an MD. Cons: You have to complete any degree program that you start and this can be expensive.
3. Admission to the post bacc program at Johns Hopkins University: This program is designed for competitive students who have not taken the traditional pre-med courses. This program has an almost 100% acceptance to medical school rate and has MCAT and pre-medical counseling built into the program. This is one of the most effective post bacc programs in the country. Cons: This program is very competitive and very expensive.
4. You can invest in a professional medical school admissions counselor who will work with your strengths and weaknesses to tailor your application to schools that you might be a good match for. I belive that any non-traditional student should look into getting professional counseling as the medical school admissions process gets more competitive and more complex each year. Compared to the thousands of dollars in tuition, a few hundred for a professional counselor who will work with you personally is a good investment. Any professional counselor that you hire should be able to work with you at every stage of the process including the present and as your start to fill out your applications. Cons: expensive but cheap compared to the cost of MCAT prep, tuition and application fees.
No medical school in this country is easy to get into (DO or MD). You have to present a competitive package that showcases your abilities and strengths. This year with the poor economy is especially competitive for both non-traditional and traditional. Traditional students have the advantage of having plenty of time to do well in coursework without the demands of work/childcare/mortgage etc. Make no mistake, the traditional student is your competition and the stats for admission to medical school are getting higher not lower.
Good luck!
njbmd
