Success Stories- Non Trad Style!

[clever_smart_boy_like_me]

12 hours ago, Lesigh2 said:

Congratulations!! I remember seeing your rejection pre interview last year and feeling really disappointed for you. I’m so happy that you were able to gain an acceptance this year. Good luck with everything! 

Thank you!

[clever_smart_boy_like_me]

1 hour ago, 2020medvision said:

This made me tear up! Congratulations friend and cannot wait to meet you this fall at Queens!!!

Thank you! 

Ahh!! So excited to meet you and everyone! 

[polarbear123]

After having been a loooooooooong time lurker, I finally get to put my post here, in the non-trad success stories, a thread I have been reading since 2010-2011.

I would say I am about as non-traditional as it gets. In the socio-economic gradient I come from, higher education is not really a thing. Most people graduate from high school, maybe do some college, and get comfortable in a middle class job until retirement. Which there is nothing wrong with. Unless, of course, you are me, graduating from high school many many years ago, and dreaming about medicine. The thing with coming from this kind of background is that there is no cultural capital to support you through learning the ropes of higher education. If there is one thing I have learned over the years, is that this “vertical transmission” of knowledge is implicit in many (most?) premed students, who have usually had the (implicit) knowledge that after high school, you go to you university, get good grades, make connections with professors and mentors who can support you. Obvious, right? Not for me, it wasn’t. I knew I wanted medicine, I knew it was my calling. But I didn’t know how to get there, and without the support of anyone, at 19, it was difficult to know how to do this. Here’s a quote from the high school career counsellor when I told her I wanted to go into medicine: “Mmmmm… I don’t know… why don’t you become an elementary school teacher instead?”. So I believed them. I believed those who said I could not make it, and after high school, I took a different path in another field. 

My career in this other field was successful in many ways: I have gained a profound emotional intelligence, I have learned to overcome obstacles, get back up and keep going when you hit a wall, I have learned to connect with people in a way that builds quality long lasting relationships and memorable short encounters. But this path ran its course, and it’s at 29 years old that I realized that it was time. I was yearning to be a doctor. But what were the odds? Here I was, low-income, with no degree, at an age where most people are graduating with a MD. But I had suppressed the part of me who wanted to go into medicine for long enough, and now it had resurfaced in a way I couldn’t ignore. So I started a degree from scratch. I had all the doubts in the world, but I had to at least try. 

I did well in my degree. Actually, I did well in the last few years of my degree. The return-to-school after a decade of using your right brain (my past career required a lot of creativity) and letting your left brain shrivel did no good for my first and to some extent second year grades. I was seeing the dream fade away. So I put my head down, and studied. Hard. I lost all my friends because I missed all their birthdays/baby showers/stags. But “I had a dream”, as they say. And I had to gamble it all, live in poverty while my peers were getting mortgages, lose all my friends, just in case it was worth it. Just in case I could get into medicine. And in 2012, after all these years of hard work, I was ready. I applied to medical school, hopeful and confident. And I failed to even get an interview. It was crushing. 

What med students and posters on this forum tell you when you don’t get in is to live your life as fully as you can, and do something that you find interesting. And I did. I completed a Master’s in a topic I loved (medicine-related), and found a job I thought would be great. And then another job, because the first one wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. And then another one. The problem was that all these jobs really felt, and were, like plan B, and medicine kept gnawing at me. I was in my early thirties by then, I had met someone, and I felt the societal pressure of it was time to get a job and get on with it. But you know what? Deep down, I knew that if I wouldn’t give it one more try, I would always wonder “what if”. My MCAT was still eligible for one more year, so I applied. And got rejected pre-interview. So I studied the MCAT again (while working full time), and I did well enough (not awesome but not awful) that I could apply again. And I did. And finally, finally, after 4 application cycles, got an interview. This was the most exciting news of my life. I prepared, read, practiced, bought new clothes. But mid-May came, and with it, my rejection post-interview. Damn. What a blow. And I am not getting any younger here. 

So the next application cycle (my fifth), I applied across Canada, and received 3 interviews. Mid-May came around, and this time I had a rejection from my home school (again), a waitlist, and… wait, what…is this… an acceptance?? “Dear medschool40&cool, on the behalf of the admission committee, we are pleased to accept you in our program”. My life flashed in front of my eyes at that moment. Me, in high school getting the highest grades but a scoff when I brought up med school. Me, in my early to mid twenties, living under the poverty line, and with no knowledge of the academic world. Me, with a dream. Me, rebuilding myself up, learning the ropes, developing relationships with mentors, writing first-author articles. Me, finally, getting into med school. Passing the threshold. Changing world. Getting into med school the closest I have ever been to a religious experience. I will, after all, be a MD. (Take that, guidance counsellor from high school). 

One last note: It is unusual to get into med school this late in life (I'm in my late thirties now). And I would lie if I would say I am not worried. I am worried about the stigma, for one. I am worried about fitting in to some extent. I am worried agism will play in whenever Carms comes. But I'll keep posting here and let you know, if you're interested, how this all plays out over the next 4 years. 

  

[Kanwal]

Hi,

sorry, long post alert, plz bear with me...

it is so inspirational to read all these success stories, i pray that someday i will also be in a position to share my story here.

So basically I am from Pakistan and completed my degrees from there, till high school i was a pre-med student but due to some circumstances I was not able to get into medicine..

then altogether i changed my field, i did B.Com (Hons) and M.Com from University of Punjab. I have my course-by-course evaluation from WES and get equivalence of 3.90 and 3.80 CGPA respectively. i was doing PhD in commerce when i moved here so left it incomplete.

i worked as assistant director in Central bank of Pakistan for 5 years, married too during that time and have my family (one 4 year old, one around 3 year old and one 10 months old baby) I also worked as volunteer in another bank for 2 months, i am going to be 31 years old btw in couple of months

thats all i have... i know nothing about Canadian education system, i don't know from where to start? should i do a second degree in sciences? which path i should choose? which books i should study for MCAT?

i came Canada last year on PR and i am in Ontario.

Please i just want clue from where to start, i have enough dedication and i am hard-working so i believe i can do a try for a dream that is still in the bottom of my heart. Your suggestions are really important for me, so based on my circumstances please give your input.

Regards,

Kanwal

[Bambi]

Kanwal, your post is in the wrong place and may not be noticed by persons who could answer you.

Your GPA appears to be competitive to me. Now for MCAT. 

[DarkRoastBlaq]

[REMOVED]

[tallshirts]

This thread has been a pretty inspiring read. Thanks to everyone who has shared their stories; it has made me feel more welcome as a "mature" applicant, especially one that has a different background.

I am happy to report that I was accepted to med school this fall. My story is: I went to law school and worked in and out of the legal profession for about 10 years. About 4 years ago, I realized that it wouldn't be a good fit for me long term. I had previous experience working with vulnerable clients in the legal sector, and realized that being a doctor would be one way to help people in that capacity. I also had past experience working in clinical trials and a few personal experiences that have pushed me toward the direction of becoming a physician. In 2016, I took some high school science courses that I neglected to take, and subsequently finished a BSc (with distinction) in the following years. It has been absolutely refreshing to study science again and to feel so humbled by my lack of knowledge. I expect this will continue through med school and the entirety of my career.

I will be 38 by the time I graduate, and will be over 40 once I become a doctor (fingers crossed), but I am hopeful that the experience will be worth it in the end. 

If anyone has questions about my experience, please let me know. 

[DOCS]

On 5/14/2010 at 11:53 AM, janny_jan said:

Fellow non-trad who got into Mac!!

Took a year off after high school. Then moved all the way across the country for UG. Wrote and bombed my MCAT in 2007 which made me swear off med school. Did my Masters with the full intention of doing a Ph.D and continuing research/academia. I'll be defending that masters in about a month...wooop!

 

I re-wrote my MCAT in summer 2009 and did okay except for Bio. I applied to Mac to get some experience with the application process before I went full throttle the next year, with a VR=10. Wound up getting an interview and then accepted! Bonus!

 

I only applied to one school. It just goes to show that you only need one.

I also don't have the highest GPA. I went to the maritimes for my UG...they drink lots of beer there...my marks suffered but it was so worth it! You don't need a 4.0! In fact, I wouldnt want one unless I knew that my social life wouldnt suffer.

 

Congrats other non-trads!!! Well deserved!!

What do you think were the strong factors in your application? Did you add in explanation letter? Can you please confirm your gpa if possible? Thank you!!!

[neurologist19]

On 6/4/2020 at 7:40 AM, tallshirts said:

This thread has been a pretty inspiring read. Thanks to everyone who has shared their stories; it has made me feel more welcome as a "mature" applicant, especially one that has a different background.

I am happy to report that I was accepted to med school this fall. My story is: I went to law school and worked in and out of the legal profession for about 10 years. About 4 years ago, I realized that it wouldn't be a good fit for me long term. I had previous experience working with vulnerable clients in the legal sector, and realized that being a doctor would be one way to help people in that capacity. I also had past experience working in clinical trials and a few personal experiences that have pushed me toward the direction of becoming a physician. In 2016, I took some high school science courses that I neglected to take, and subsequently finished a BSc (with distinction) in the following years. It has been absolutely refreshing to study science again and to feel so humbled by my lack of knowledge. I expect this will continue through med school and the entirety of my career.

I will be 38 by the time I graduate, and will be over 40 once I become a doctor (fingers crossed), but I am hopeful that the experience will be worth it in the end. 

If anyone has questions about my experience, please let me know. 

Congrats. When you are 40 or over 40,you are a lawyer AND a doctor. You can combine your expertise in these two areas to make a real change in the healthcare system compared to a younger person who is just a doctor.

[neurologist19]

On 7/15/2019 at 10:06 PM, Kanwal said:

Hi,

sorry, long post alert, plz bear with me...

it is so inspirational to read all these success stories, i pray that someday i will also be in a position to share my story here.

So basically I am from Pakistan and completed my degrees from there, till high school i was a pre-med student but due to some circumstances I was not able to get into medicine..

then altogether i changed my field, i did B.Com (Hons) and M.Com from University of Punjab. I have my course-by-course evaluation from WES and get equivalence of 3.90 and 3.80 CGPA respectively. i was doing PhD in commerce when i moved here so left it incomplete.

i worked as assistant director in Central bank of Pakistan for 5 years, married too during that time and have my family (one 4 year old, one around 3 year old and one 10 months old baby) I also worked as volunteer in another bank for 2 months, i am going to be 31 years old btw in couple of months

thats all i have... i know nothing about Canadian education system, i don't know from where to start? should i do a second degree in sciences? which path i should choose? which books i should study for MCAT?

i came Canada last year on PR and i am in Ontario.

Please i just want clue from where to start, i have enough dedication and i am hard-working so i believe i can do a try for a dream that is still in the bottom of my heart. Your suggestions are really important for me, so based on my circumstances please give your input.

Regards,

Kanwal

Based on my research, it doesn't really matter were your got your degree from and what matters is your GPA. There are exceptions though. For example, if you studied your undergraduate at UBC you have a better time compared to a person who did their undergraduate in a university with 4 or 4.33 based grades. Other that these nuances, graduating from Pakistan or Canada or anywhere else in the world doesn't make a difference in your application (at least in theory based on their scoring system). The MCAT exam could be a real beast though and you should strive for a good score if you want to appear competitive. Since English is not the first language in Pakistan, I think you may need to work on your expressive power in English in order to appear put together in interviews as well (Of course I don't know your English level!). Some schools also have some course requirements e.g. 6 credits of English literature.

 

[Dividebyzero]

6 years ago I wrote my story here on being accepted to medical school. I stopped back to say that I was just registered by my provincial college, I've completed my residency, and I'm stepping into my first job as staff in a couple of months. 

I'm also happily married, and we have two beautiful children. That part happened along the way...  

It meant a lot to see what people thought of my story. Writing it out like that made me feel really intensely vulnerable at the same time that it gave me some closure to that chapter of my life. 

If you came here in search of inspiration: you are right to trust in yourself. If you dream it, and you plan for it, and you execute it, it will happen for you.

You got this. 

[MDCulture]

Hey guys! so this is a pretty much an unconventional route to med school.

I completed my undergrad in chemical engineering in the UK and I got the permenant residency in Canada. I am a current masters student at UofT. I am also setteled in Ontario. My stats are:

cGPA 3.83 (WES conversion, I will not be eligible for wGPA idk why, but thats a rule appaently)

MCAT: Planning to sit Summer of 2021

ECs: one year work experience as an engineer in one of the biggest oil companies in the world, manager of sustainability engineering projects at university, multiple positions held in student societies, chair of best student union council in the UK, volunteer at cancer charity (ongoing), African agriculture research project, 1.5 years working as an A&E hospital volunteer (that was 4 years ago though) and many more positions in student socities as well as other activities such as teaching stock market investing and more.

I am currently doing my masters at UofT with the intention to apply in the 2021 cycle, does anyone have any idea what my chances are?

[Organic Chemistry]

I have been reading this thread for the past 5+ years, trying to find some hope and inspiration, and now I cannot believe that I am posting my story here.

I just got my acceptance from McGill two days ago, and it feels unreal. I am a QC resident, anglophone, and with about a 3.65cGPA, my only realistic option is McGill. After almost 5 years out of undergrad, one master's and working in the industry, I am finally able to start my journey in medicine. I have been told to consider some other career, to just forget about medicine and to just focus on what was going on in my life, but I still kept on trying. I have also been through so much confusion, if I should do a 2nd undergrad even with a master's, if I should try to do the MCAT or if I should apply to USMD. Eventually, I learned that it is important to explore all your options, and plan strategically. If you find the most optimal route, go with it and stick to it. Do not back down. Even after 2 flat out rejections, one waitlist (then reject), I still kept on applying. This is because I knew medicine is the career for me, and I can't picture myself doing anything else.
 

You will read lots of feel good and inspiring stories here, but it is never easy, especially the ones in this thread. The process is brutal for yourself and your relationships, the feeling of uncertainty is crushing and the efforts you have to put in is astronomical. But, in the end, if you really believe that medicine is your dream career, go for it, and it will be worth it in the end.

[scrubbed0ut]

1 hour ago, Organic Chemistry said:

I have been reading this thread for the past 5+ years, trying to find some hope and inspiration, and now I cannot believe that I am posting my story here.

I just got my acceptance from McGill two days ago, and it feels unreal. I am a QC resident, anglophone, and with about a 3.65cGPA, my only realistic option is McGill. After almost 5 years out of undergrad, one master's and working in the industry, I am finally able to start my journey in medicine. I have been told to consider some other career, to just forget about medicine and to just focus on what was going on in my life, but I still kept on trying. I have also been through so much confusion, if I should do a 2nd undergrad even with a master's, if I should try to do the MCAT or if I should apply to USMD. Eventually, I learned that it is important to explore all your options, and plan strategically. If you find the most optimal route, go with it and stick to it. Do not back down. Even after 2 flat out rejections, one waitlist (then reject), I still kept on applying. This is because I knew medicine is the career for me, and I can't picture myself doing anything else.
 

You will read lots of feel good and inspiring stories here, but it is never easy, especially the ones in this thread. The process is brutal for yourself and your relationships, the feeling of uncertainty is crushing and the efforts you have to put in is astronomical. But, in the end, if you really believe that medicine is your dream career, go for it, and it will be worth it in the end.

Congratulations!!!!! This is amazing. You did it. You have come so far. Now it’s time to start your lifelong medical journey as a training and a licensed physician. I wish you all the best with your career and thank you so much for posting this 

[Butterfly_]

On 4/26/2018 at 11:39 PM, Butterfly_ said:

 

The moral of my story:
Don’t ever let anyone tell you what you can or cannot achieve. Only you can decide that for yourself. 

Also, remember that:

"We are, at any moment, capable of pursuing our dreams...
And, when you want something, the whole universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

                                                                                                                - The Alchemist, Paulo Coelho

If medicine is your dream, don't give up. Never, ever give up.  

I sincerely wish you the best of luck on your journey.

Three years flew by just like that. I can't believe I'm graduating next month! 

Re-reading this post has brought back so many memories.

I fortunately matched yesterday and will be going back home for Family Medicine! It's my dream specialty and location--I am so excited!

Medical school has truly been an amazing journey. There hasn't been a single day that I regretted making this decision.

I know recent times have been extremely difficult for all. If there's anything I learned in my last few years, it is that the toughest experiences are the ones that bring out the best in us and allow us to grow the most.

Hang in there everyone. I sincerely wish you all the best. 

Stay safe and take care! 

[Organic Chemistry]

56 minutes ago, Butterfly_ said:

Three years flew by just like that. I can't believe I'm graduating next month! 

Re-reading this post has brought back so many memories.

I fortunately matched yesterday and will be going back home for Family Medicine! It's my dream specialty and location--I am so excited!

Medical school has truly been an amazing journey. There hasn't been a single day that I regretted making this decision.

I know recent times have been extremely difficult for all. If there's anything I learned in my last few years, it is that the toughest experiences are the ones that bring out the best in us and allow us to grow the most.

Hang in there everyone. I sincerely wish you all the best. 

Stay safe and take care! 

Wow!! Congratulations!!! I have been following you here and there for the past few years, and I am happy that you have made it! It must be a surreal feeling!!

[Butterfly_]

9 minutes ago, Organic Chemistry said:

Wow!! Congratulations!!! I have been following you here and there for the past few years, and I am happy that you have made it! It must be a surreal feeling!!

It definitely is! Still shook and in disbelief!! I saw you got accepted to McGill! That is amazing! You'll do wonderful !

[idontwannabehopeless]

On 4/21/2021 at 2:51 PM, Butterfly_ said:

Three years flew by just like that. I can't believe I'm graduating next month! 

Re-reading this post has brought back so many memories.

I fortunately matched yesterday and will be going back home for Family Medicine! It's my dream specialty and location--I am so excited!

Medical school has truly been an amazing journey. There hasn't been a single day that I regretted making this decision.

I know recent times have been extremely difficult for all. If there's anything I learned in my last few years, it is that the toughest experiences are the ones that bring out the best in us and allow us to grow the most.

Hang in there everyone. I sincerely wish you all the best. 

Stay safe and take care! 

WOW! Congrats! You're an inspiration!!!

[idontwannabehopeless]

On 3/27/2021 at 11:38 AM, Organic Chemistry said:

I have been reading this thread for the past 5+ years, trying to find some hope and inspiration, and now I cannot believe that I am posting my story here.

I just got my acceptance from McGill two days ago, and it feels unreal. I am a QC resident, anglophone, and with about a 3.65cGPA, my only realistic option is McGill. After almost 5 years out of undergrad, one master's and working in the industry, I am finally able to start my journey in medicine. I have been told to consider some other career, to just forget about medicine and to just focus on what was going on in my life, but I still kept on trying. I have also been through so much confusion, if I should do a 2nd undergrad even with a master's, if I should try to do the MCAT or if I should apply to USMD. Eventually, I learned that it is important to explore all your options, and plan strategically. If you find the most optimal route, go with it and stick to it. Do not back down. Even after 2 flat out rejections, one waitlist (then reject), I still kept on applying. This is because I knew medicine is the career for me, and I can't picture myself doing anything else.
 

You will read lots of feel good and inspiring stories here, but it is never easy, especially the ones in this thread. The process is brutal for yourself and your relationships, the feeling of uncertainty is crushing and the efforts you have to put in is astronomical. But, in the end, if you really believe that medicine is your dream career, go for it, and it will be worth it in the end.

Amazing! Congrats!!!  

[LeVoutee]

Excited to apply this year! I guess i'll share the story AFTER an acceptance

[Angela Tithi]

On 5/16/2010 at 2:41 PM, yeeha said:

I graduated from the Industrial Design program at the University of Alberta. My undergrad consisted of product design, furniture design, visual design, painting, drawing, sculpture and art history. For my electives, I was the odd one out in my program because I took science courses. I loved biology, biochemistry and organic chemistry. I even took science and engineering courses extra in my degree because I found it so fascinating.

 

Near the end of my undergrad, I was diagnosed with a very aggressive type of tumour. Going through surgery and later radiation therapy was my source of inspiration to become a doctor. While all the other students designed cars and new types of MP3 players, I designed cutlery for individual's with Parkinson's Disease, toilet-aid devices for bariatric patients, toys that doctors could use to communicate with children, etc. For every design project, I tried to incorporate my interest in medicine.

 

Unfortunately, my GPA was not that competitive and meeting the requirements for medical school was a uphill battle. I was constantly questioned about the jump from design to medicine. But, I kept at it and I was accepted into UBC this year.

 

One of my goals is to contribute to the field of medicine by integrating my unique background in industrial design with my career as a physician. With my industrial design skills and knowledge as a physician, I will be able to improve existing medical equipment/tools and invent new ones. It isn't so much of a jump from design to medicine - think about prosthetic design and surgery. Medicine is becoming such an interdisciplinary field and I want to make the bridge between multiple disciplines.

 

Go non-traditionals!

Hello yeeha! I found out your post so encouraging for me. I am a computer science major with 3.45 gpa in my undergrad, with no prerequisite courses done. I am a bit confused, should I do an MS in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and take the prerequisite courses, or what should I do? What did you do to compensate for your average gpa? And how did you completed the prerequisite courses after undergrad?

[Angela Tithi]

On 5/19/2010 at 1:56 AM, DuckieLoon said:

 

Shucks, thanks for the support! I only did two years of sciences, and then I high-tailed out of there!

Hey DuckieLoon! I really want to know if it is possible to do only two years of second undergrad. I am a CS major and want to do another undergrad taking just the prerequisite courses, I hope two years will do. Is it really possible to apply to medical schools just after two years of the second undergrad? 

[Rose Butterscotch]

On 6/12/2016 at 1:46 AM, username9999 said:

made a new account for this because I want to keep my personal history pretty personal.

 

 

 

 

I'm gonna start my non-trad story with I never wanted to go to med school.  People ask (based on the undergrad program I was enrolled in and pressured (Asian parents) me to go to med school and I told them to f* off.  

 

 

Even though I was never intended to go to med school, I couldn't deny that I was interested in physiology of the human body.  

 

 

 

 

 

I had a rough childhood.  My father molested me for almost 10 years and was a gambler who pushed our family to financial ruin. He eventually ended up homeless after my parents divorced.  My mother was generally neglectful and tended to focus on herself (in one instance, she won't let me use the only computer we had to finish a school project because she also had a project to work on, then proceeded to wake me up at 2am to tell me that I can do my school work now).  All to say, school was the only place I was happy.  I lived off the praise of my teachers and the warmth of my friends.  My life was school and I didn't see how I could live without it. I also saw it as a way out of my family.  

 

 

 

 

 

When I entered UG, I did so with a small scholarship due to having good grades in high school.  It occurred to me that good grades = money.  And obviously money = not homeless.  (My parents were not supporting me and for a while, I had to financially support my father.)  So I kept my GPA up. I got involved with research mostly because it paid.  In hindsight, I could've worked at bars or something and get paid there, but I was still terrified of life outside of school so I kept my employment opportunities within academia.  I discovered that I really liked research in second year UG and figured that I'll be doing a PhD after UG and stay in academia for the rest of my life.  I buried myself in school, shunning all manner of social life and extracurriculars (save for my research lab).

 

 

 

 

 

My UG program was a small honors program within biomedical sciences, where 9 out of 10 people were aiming for med school (you can guess it, I'm the 1 out 10 who wasn't interested in medicine).  I used to look at the premeds I was in school with with disdain - thinking they were all running around volunteering, VP something to get an extra line on their CV.  In hindsight, I think part of the disdain may have been envy because I didn't have the luxury of volunteering even if I wanted to.  I could never take the summer off because I'd have no money for rent.  Staying at home with parents was out of the question (one Christmas, my mom and I ate nothing but potato and mayonnaise for the entire two weeks because that's how empty the fridge had become).

 

 

 

 

 

I got accepted to a prestigious lab in Europe with a handsome stipend of 27 000 EUR.  It was supposed to be a dream come true.  Only it wasn't.  I moved to Europe only to face culture shock, language shock, and a complete lack of guidance at the lab.  I realized I didn't like research as much as I thought.  All my previous lab experience involved working with a partner or mentor. In Europe, I was given a bench, a set of pipette and told to just do something.  I missed the human contact.  I also realized that which I do still like research, I only liked research if I can see how it could be applied to a human problem.  I was wholly uninterested in basic research of mechanism and genes.  I lasted less than a year, but it was there that I remember thinking for the first time that I might want to go to med school. 

 

 

 

 

 

I came back to Canada and started a Master's in a different field.  A part of me was not ready to accept that the entire life path I had laid out for myself was not meant to be.  My master's only proved my initial instinct right.  As I came to accept that I will not be happy in research, I started searching frantically for alternatives.  There was a lot of soul searching during my two years of my master's.  Beyond trying to figure out what I wanted, I started caring more about passing on what I have learned to others when it is of help.  I was no longer in "survival" mode.  Finances started to get better at the end of my UG with my father being out of the picture after both my mom and I put our feet down and stopped supporting him.  I had started dealing with the near decade of molestation that left me unable to form relationships with people.  My stipend from Europe left me with a few thousand in savings.  I was also getting a livable stipend for my Master's.  For once, I could do what I wanted to do rather than what I had to do to keep a roof over my head.  I realized that you can't help others until you can help yourself.  Until then, I couldn't help others because I myself needed all the help I could provide.  I started volunteering with groups that work with disadvantaged populations.

 

 

 

 

 

Around this time, I was considering med school more seriously.  I started asking friends about the process, but I was still hesitating.  I don't think I believed that I could get in.  I knew that the odds of acceptance were crazy low and you basically needed a 4.0, a ton of ECs and a stellar MCAT.  I had high enough GPA (thank you, fear), but not much for ECs and definitely no MCAT.  I was scared of the MCAT because, again, I know that people take months to study and the exam itself was hundreds of dollars.  I would not be able to afford writing it multiple times in a year and by the time I decided I was going to apply to med, it was already Aug and I didn't think I had the time to study.  The cost of the application still scared me.  Oct 1 rolled by and I'd basically convinced myself that next year is when I'd apply.  Meanwhile, I was pretty unhappy with my master's.  I hated how it was me, at my computer, by myself all the live long day.  October 18 was day I broke.  I remember that someone told me McGill does not require the MCAT.  I went on McGill's admission website and lo and behold, I had 13 days more days before the deadline.  13 days to prepare an app.  By then, I was willing to try anything.  I pulled my app together. Submitted everything by Oct 28.  6 months later, I got my acceptance and the rest is history.

 

 

 

 

 

I didn't want to be a doctor since I was a little girl (in truth, I wanted to be a marine biologist and chase after whales).  I didn't fit in premed cookie cutter. I'm still having a hard time finding a social group that I belong.  But at least I know I'm in the right place now.  After seeing my preceptor helping a family get free infant formula (the mother couldn't produce breast milk), advocating for her patients through divorces and custody battles with abusive ex's I feel like this is a profession where I could do everything I feel is important to do.

 

I lost my words. If you are reading this (it is 2021 now ); all I can say is this: you are a strong and unbreakable person and I am sure as a doctor you will help and advocate for your patients. 

[MDee2B]

Just got accepted in medicine. Damn it has been a long journey. I would like to say a huge thank you to this forum and the fine people I have encountered here- you've offered me kind words of support and guidance, without which I certainly would not have managed to get accepted.

Thank you for giving me a space to nurture my dream