Spilling the Tea
As I look towards my 2nd year of medical school I have become pretty nostalgic of my pre-med life. Not because I miss it (Certainly not!). I am just grateful for where I am. Part of that gratefulness stems from remembering where I came from. All the insecure feelings, the days spent pouring through MCAT books, and the loneliness that can creep up when you see your friends moving forward and you’re not, so you feel stuck and alone..No? Was that just me? K.
Anyways, I myself wonder how I made it here considering I was an average (sometimes less than average) student in undergrad. I didn’t think there was a spot for someone like me. But I will share with you how I did it, and hopefully, this is helpful for someone else.
Disclaimer: I don’t want anyone to think that because I’m writing this that I think I’ve made it. Or that I'm trying to hand down advice. I’m aware that there are several more obstacles for me to face (side-eyes first aid book), but this is my experience.
Before we begin, let’s take a minute to be transparent.
Undergrad stats: cGPA 3.0; sGPA 2.7; MCAT 17 (12th percentile)
1. Keep Yourself Grounded
I tried to take care of myself. That pre-med life requires stamina and I hate feeling burnt out. I tried to do things that would keep me grounded. A nice hike, a good meal, or just a 10 minute sunshine break can turn my day around.
Another big thing I did in this category was pray. Moments of solitude were especially important because I have found that people say nonsense when they don't fully understand your drive. It helped to pray and listen to the One that put the drive in me in the first place.
2. Asking for help
I am so blessed because I have friends and family who are really smart and really creative.
They were honest with me about my GPA and MCAT score and my chances with medical school admission. They read (and re-read) my personal statement. They gave me their tips for taking the MCAT and interviewing. They were encouraging and stepped in as an advocate for me when I didn’t think I was good enough.
It was really humbling to ask for help sometimes, but I think it was worth it to seek guidance from people who had my best interests at bay.
3. Casting a Wide Net
Because I had such low scores, I applied to a lot of schools. I applied to 10 Traditional Medical (MD) schools and 10 Osteopathic (DO) schools. It was expensive (I had to ask my aunty to help me pay for them all), but I tried to think of it as an investment for my future. I used the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) for MD schools and College Information Book (CIB) for DO schools to find the programs with average acceptances that matched with my GPA and MCAT score. Let's be honest there weren't many.
Although my scores were low, and I didn't really deserve to be picky with location I did take it into consideration. I didn't apply to any schools in areas where I knew I'd be miserable.
A note on my DO applications: I didn't know anything about DO school when I applied. I went through the CIB and I saw that the average acceptances were closer to my scores at the time (they're definitely not anymore) and that's the main reason I applied. Some of the schools sent me secondaries but their questions were like:
"Please describe your exposure to and understanding of Osteopathic Medicine."
and,
"In your future role as an osteopathic physician, how do you envision incorporating osteopathic philosophy and practice? "
And I really sat there like..
..because I had no idea what Osteopathic Medicine was. I ended up never submitting those 10 DO secondaries and canceling my applications to those schools. I wish I had sought out more advice on the DO path. Everything worked out despite my oversight at the time but 0/10 would not recommend that choice for anyone else.
4. Masters Program
When I first applied to medical school, I had no research experience, and barely any shadowing experience. That, in combination with my scores, it was no wonder that I wasn’t getting any invites for an interview. So, I mean, that was a hard L.
In the midst of all my rejection letters, I got an email from the school I’m at now saying they couldn’t offer me a spot in their medical school because my academic portfolio needed improvement but they had a Masters program that they thought could be beneficial to me. Basically, my application was trash and they were willing to help me. Initially, I hated the idea of doing a masters program. Who wants to spend time doing more school before getting into school?! And I was concerned it would be a waste of money and energy.
However, it was the best thing I could’ve done. It was a taste of the first year of medical school and forced me to learn how to study all over again. I also gained research experience, and I had the opportunity to shadow multiple DO's and learn more about the profession, do outreach in the community, and really boost my GPA.
5. Grit
So there’s this American author and psychologist named Angela Duckworth and she wrote a book called “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”. While I haven’t read the book, I have watched her Ted Talk. She basically coined the term "grit" which is the idea of having the stamina to see long term goals through. "Long term", as in, years of failure, starting over, and trying new strategies. Her studies focus on how the difference between a successful person and a non-successful person isn’t necessarily the IQ, but the ability to continue even when efforts seem futile.
This last one is so important to me because I know first hand how hard it is to keep working at something that doesn't have immediate and tangible results. I think at this stage in my life it's hard to measure progress. At least when we were in grade school there was a graduation and advancement to the next class, but there was no ceremony when I rewrote my personal statement; no rocky balboa theme song playing when I failed the MCAT and had to wipe all my tears away, pick up my books and try again. I had to stop taking failure so personally. It happens to everyone. Failure didn't define me then and it says nothing about my life going forward, and now I'm so glad that I never quit!
This blog is so important to me, because I know how much it would've helped to know that there are others like me who aren't traditional medical students. Success, to me, is when the whole team is winning and I want people who are like me to know that they're not alone.
I'm excited to work alongside my med school buddy and share our experiences as premeds and in medical school and God-willing, when we are doctors. Join us on our journey and stay gritty my friends!