Non-traditional applicant

I found your site to be very informative. I am 27 years old and want to go to medical school. I graduated in 1995 as a Medical Technologist. When I first graduated I took 2 temp. jobs, one working at a reference lab in clinical chemistry and the other at a truama center working in the hematology/coag. lab. I got sick of working in the lab and felt like I needed more people contact.

I took a job at a community health center that helps indigent and very poor people. I worked as a lab. tech., x-ray tech., I did phlebotomy, ekg's, spirometries and other duties. I was supervisor for a while also. I speak Spanish fluently and at this job I spoke Spanish about 90% of the time. After about 1.5 years at this job I was given the opportunity to work at a clinic. It was a start up clinic so I was involved in everything at first. I started the lab, x-ray dept., I performed phlebotomy, EKG's, IV's, injections, and other medical assisting tasks.

I worked extremely close with the doctors and patients and loved it. Now i know i want to be a doctor. My question is I graduated with a 2.7. I am taking the full series of org. chem and physics with labs this year. I am going to ace these classes and ace the mcat. What do you think my chances are? Should i take the mcat in april or august? I also have volunteering experience and i work full time.

Please give me any advice you can think of. Thank you very much for your time and effort.

I really can't comment on your chances for one simple reason: they are chances. Obviously if you had 3.9 you would be much better off. With low GPA your chances are low, but while there are many people who don't get in with low GPA there are those who do. There are also those who get in with lower GPA while there are those who don't get in with higher GPA.

What can I tell you? If you're resolved, you can take the risk and play your cards as best as you can. Obviously, acing the premed classes you are starting to take will help you. You have interesting background and extensive exposure to medicine, and that will also be in your favor. Given that your undergrad GPA is in the black hole, getting an above-average on MCAT should also give you a relatively significant boost. Also when you apply a good recommendation from an MD at that clinic you worked, if available, might be of some profit to you.

As I mentioned many times on the web site, and esp. in your situation if you decide to take August MCAT and to apply in the same year, you're put at a significant disadvantage. So if you take the Aug. MCAT wait for the next year to apply. Otherwise it makes no difference when you take it (it's as hard/or as easy? in April as it is in August).

Also take a look at other postings here. I get this (uncomfortable) question quite often.

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