Lessons from a Non-Traditional Pre-Med Student: My Journey to Medical School

One word that would describe my medical school journey is: Persistence.

I am sharing this story because I feel that people don’t share their struggle stories as often. I’ve talked to many pre-meds who were accepted after their first application cycle and I see perfectly created posts from medical school students all over instagram. Even with all that, I know there are also people who are struggling to reach their goals. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

I knew getting into medical school wouldn’t be easy. However, I DID NOT expect the many hurdles along the way. I stumbled, crawled and jumped. I gave it my all; blood, sweat and tears. I’m writing this today because for some of us, it’s not a walk in the park. For some of us, we have to work ten times harder to overcome mistakes in our past. That’s okay as long as you don’t give up! Here are some of the lessons I have learned along the way.

Lesson 1: Don’t take advice from someone who hasn’t been where you are trying to go…

I didn’t have the most attentive advisor throughout college. I saw him once every semester to review the schedule I created, with no help from him. The only advice he ever really gave me was, “Don’t take my class, it may be too difficult for you.” HA! Challenge accepted! Overall, I didn’t feel I could go to him for advice regarding the medical school track.

The pre-med advisor at my school wasn’t very helpful either. The only thing I gained from him was pressure to take the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test), advice on post-baccs and hints to find a plan B. The summer before my senior year, the pressure to take the MCAT intensified. I gave into the pressure and took it, unprepared I might add. I thought I knew enough to take it since I did well in my science courses. Boy, was I wrong. I got a measly 17 (12th percentile) and regretted taking the MCAT so early. Not only did I get a horrible score, but now it permanently haunts my AMCAS applications. I also regret not finding a mentor to walk me through this process. If I could go back to that time, I would tell myself to:

• Develop a mentorship relationship with a current physician.
• Ignore the pressure from my advisor and other students telling me to take the MCAT junior year.
• Realize it’s okay take my time preparing for the test that determines my whole future.

Lesson 2: Don’t let fear pressure you into something you aren’t ready for…

I put my dream of going to medical school on hold to move to London and pursue a master’s degree. I LOVED this time in my life because I was able to meet new people and explore a new country. The research aspect of my master’s degree was especially interesting. I was actually curing cancer… well not really but the lab was dedicated to developing treatments for breast cancer. It was exciting to be at the forefront of the science world. However, a part of me still dreamed of the day when I would be able to treat patients myself. Though I was mastering my master’s degree (see what I did there lol), I became overwhelmed by a feeling that I would be behind in my medical career if I didn’t get on it.

I set aside a month of time to study in order to retake the MCAT. Much to my surprise, I got a 17…again! Yes, just like the horrible Zac Efron movie! My confidence was shot! Here is what I learned:

• I mostly focused on content review and did not take enough practice tests.
• I didn’t give myself enough time to prepare because of self-inflicted pressure. If you are a non-traditional pre-med, I’m sure you understand this feeling. Don’t give into the fear. Don’t let those feelings pressure you into something you are not ready for. It is better to take more time to prepare than to rush into the MCAT (or anything in life).

Lesson 3: Don’t work 8 hours for a company, then go home and not work on your own goals…

After my second MCAT retake, I researched study schedules and ways to make myself a more competitive applicant. I knew I wanted to find a shadowing or clinical experience. That’s when I was hired as a medical scribe with ScribeAmerica. My clinic was an outpatient sleep medicine clinic. The pay was okay, but the hours were great. I was able to study in between patients and during lunch. This seemed like enough at the time, until my schedule completely changed.

I was promoted to Chief Medical Scribe within six months of getting hired and that’s when my responsibilities changed. I was in charge of setting up scribe programs at new clinics by hiring and training scribes. My hours were variable and I also worked from home at times. I began to neglect my studying. Some days I didn’t have any energy to work on my own goals after conference calls and working in the clinic. I had a study schedule, but it was very unrealistic. It didn’t take into account my new responsibilities. I studied every week, but didn’t put in nearly enough hours. When the time came to take the test, I felt prepared but was unsuccessful again. This is when I learned:

• “Don’t work 8 hours for a company, then go home and not work on your own goals. You’re not tired, you’re uninspired”. -Unknown
• If you are trying to balance work and studying, make sure you set aside a specific block of time during your day for studying. It’s all about prioritizing. Becoming a doctor had been my dream for so long but I was not making it my number one priority.

Lesson 4: Don’t schedule a retake immediately after taking the MCAT.

I decided to work on my AMCAS (American Medical College Application Service) application while waiting for my score. I figured I would at least have it prepared to send off if I liked my score enough. That time, I scored 491. Now for those of you who aren’t engrossed in the medical field, I know what you’re thinking, “ 17 to 491 is an amazing boost”. Sadly, it is not. In 2015, the MCAT scoring system changed, so 491 was equivalent to the 23rd percentile.

When I received my score, I immediately submitted my application and applied to schools with lower MCAT averages. Here is where I made another mistake. I figured since my score increased slightly to 491, it would improve more if I took it again. WRONG! Just when I thought I was making progress, my score dropped to 488 (16th percentile). Talk about one step forward, three points back…

I decided to continue with the application cycle in hopes that one of the schools would invite me to interview. As you can imagine, I did not get invited to attend any MD interviews that application cycle. I was, however, invited to interview at Meharry Medical College for the Master of Health Sciences (MHS) Degree Program, which is a feeder program for their MD program. I was placed on the alternate list and waited patiently for my shot. I waited and waited. May and June passed without a word. I finally received the rejection letter and decided to prepare for another application cycle.

With all that said, here is what I learned:

• Don’t schedule a retake MCAT right after getting your MCAT score.
• Leave enough time in between retakes for practice and content review.

Lesson 5: Don’t forget to ask for feedback and help…

Around July 2016, I prepped to take the MCAT, yet again. I just knew if I could get a higher score, I would have a better chance of getting an acceptance offer. So instead of evaluating what I was doing wrong, I just began to study even more. It worked out slightly. I scored 494 the fifth time I took the test. I submitted my primary and secondary applications for 12 MD and 2 DO (doctor of osteopathic medicine) programs… then finally I received my first MD interview at Morehouse School of Medicine!!! I still remember how excited I was. It was also nice to finally have some validation that I had potential to get accepted.

My next step was to research medical school interview tips and practice questions. The interview process was half terrifying and half exciting (working on a post about interviewing). I left that day feeling like I made a great impression and I prayed for good news. Sadly, good news did not come. I was placed on the waitlist and I didn’t hear back from them until the program started. Once again, I failed to lock down an acceptance for the application cycle. I was devastated. It was a good sign that I at least was placed on the waitlist, but I didn’t understand what was missing from my application.

What really helped was talking to the admissions office. I signed up for an advising appointment and the admissions counselor gave me insight into what they look for in candidates. Although my MCAT score was weak, my extracurricular activities and shadowing experiences were very strong. She told me to:

• Make sure my personal statement really showed who I am as a person.
• Be consistent with my extracurricular activities. Don’t do one hundred different activities, pick 2-3 strong ones and stick with them.
• Raise MCAT score to over 500.

I also spoke with an admissions counselor at Emory University who told me similar things. It was very encouraging to know that I was on the right path and that a few simple changes may help. So my advice to those of you who did not get accepted this cycle is to seek out advising appointments at some of the schools where you applied. Make sure you do this in enough time to make the necessary changes. The admissions counselors are very helpful and can give you tips to make yourself a stronger candidate.

Lesson 6: Don’t give up on yourself and your dreams.

After that rejection, I decided to take a year off from applying. I was too emotionally drained and knew I wouldn’t be able to handle a third application cycle in a row. I began to do research on the Student Doctor Network forums to see what I could do to make myself more competitive. Somehow I came across a post from an MCAT tutor. I reached out to him and we discussed pricing, scheduling, and diagnostic questions.

At that point I had nothing to lose; why not try tutoring! I decided to take that year and make the financial sacrifice to pay for tutoring sessions. Luckily, he was very flexible and accommodating to my needs. I was still working as a scribe, so my schedule and money varied. He encouraged me to take as many practice tests as possible and helped me work through the topics that were difficult for me. It was all worth it! In the end I gained 8 points in my MCAT score and received 5 interview invites! The most exciting part was that I finally received my FIRST medical school acceptance and was placed on 4 waitlists! Praise God!

There were times when I felt like maybe this isn’t the path for me. I am so glad that I did not give up on my dream. I hope the one lesson you take away from this long post is that you should never give up on yourself or your dreams. If failure knocks you down, get back up swinging!