Fall semester of senior year....

Well, just as I thought, this semester was rough. I'm not finished for the semester yet, but thankfully it's getting close. I never did update my MCAT score, mainly because I'm not too thrilled about it. I can make up all the excuses in the world about it, the bottom line is I didn't prepare well enough for it. Well here's the break down of my MCAT score:

23O

VR: 7

BS: 8

PS: 8

Needless to say, I'm retaking the MCAT again around the same time next year. Anyways, I'm still volunteering, still trying to work on that research study for the radiology department, etc. etc. etc. Nothing has really changed besides me buying a car and moving out of that tiny cave of an apartment. I got a 2007 Honda Civic. It's not fast or fancy, but it was a good deal and it's very reliable. It's exactly what I needed.

Well I have an Inorganic exam tomorrow morning, I have to get back to studying if I want to make an A. Updates will come sometime after December 13th.

End of the summer

Well it's the end of the summer now, so I'll recap on what has happened.

First off, I have not made any progress with my research for the radiology department. They're probably frustrated with me by now.

I studied for the MCAT and took it July 29th 2010, I did not void my score, even though I really wanted to, but if I had done that, I would have lost $250 and wouldn't be able to apply to medical schools this cycle. Several things went wrong. First off, I studied the wrong way. I spent 2 months of content review and only a month of doing practice problems. I should have done practice problems to begin with. Secondly, the laptop I was using (my mother's laptop) stopped working so I was without a laptop. This made doing practice tests difficult. I ended up borrowing my friend's laptop the week before my MCAT and took practice tests. This was not good because I did not have any time to review.Worst case scenario I do extremely bad and have to retake it next year, which only means I can improve and make myself look better, right? I find out my scores in about 2-3 more weeks (I try not to think about it in hopes to make time go by faster).

I took Calculus 2 over the summer so I would have the prerequisites to take my senior level classes. I took the final exam yesterday. I entered the final with a 97 average, but the final is worth 40% so I could either make an A or a B. I will find out my grade soon though. If I get an A I will update my AMCAS app with that so my bcpm gpa will be a little higher.

I applied to MD only schools. When I found out my AMCAS calculated bcpm gpa was a 3.27 and AO gpa of 3.56 I wanted to apply to DO, but to even apply to one DO school it costs $175 and I don't have that kind of money and I'm too late for the fee waiver. Since I come from a low income family, I was able to get the Fee Assistance Program, which waives the fee for up to 14 MD schools.

During the summer my mother doesn't work (public school teacher perk), so I was able to use her vehicle. During that time I joined the Freemasons! I also shadowed a rural family medicine doctor who is a DO and will continue to shadow her when I get the time.

As for my personal life, I'm not too sure. The fire isn't burning as bright as it used to. I've been trying to analyze the reason for this. I feel like i'm just so tired of being poor and not having shit while I'm working my ass off. It seems like i'm living the life of the stereotypical immigrant, working hard all their life with nothing, however, these immigrants usually make it. I've considered changing my major to something in engineering and just start working. I've found out that a chemistry degree does not pay as much as I had originally hoped. I want to get a bachelors degree and just start working and making money so I can stop feeling like dirt. I'm not doing that though. I feel like that isn't the right thing to do; that is just an easy way out. Nothing in life worth having comes easy. Even though the odds are against me, I'm still pushing forward.

If I don't get into a medical school the first time, I'll definitely keep applying. I'll have my biochemistry degree and I *SHOULD* be EMT certified, so I'll have plenty of options available to me.

OPTION 1: This is my first choice. If I have the financial aid to do this, I will. Work as an EMT, take easy science/math classes like business calculus, calculus 3, anatomy, physiology, etc. Study for the MCAT and retake, volunteer in cath lab, and any other EC's I can lay my hands on. Apply both MD and DO
OPTION 2: Work as an EMT, continue to volunteer in the cath lab, get a job with my biochem degree and start paying off student loans, study for MCAT and retake it. Apply both MD and DO

Well that's really all I can think of right now, but my options are good ones.


Well as you know it's the end of the summer, so you know what that means. Fall 2010 is right around the corner. I have my classes scheduled and here they are:

Inorganic Chemistry
Instrumental Analysis
Instrumental Analysis lab
Physical Chemistry
Physical Chemistry lab
Total hours: 11

I couldn't get into the 1 hour seminar class, so I'm not even full time with a load of classes that will haunt me. The labs are like 3 hours long each, it's insane (mondays alone i'll be in class/lab for 7 hours straight). I'm going to finish strong though. I've been in college for 3.5 years so far and i'm not going to slack off the last year.

Hopefully these classes will help me out later on when I study for the MCAT and retake it (if I have to). Well this is a long post, but it's making up for the long and painful summer that I had suffered from.

It's time....

Well, the semester ended last month. I will start off with the stats:
BIOL498(Histology Lab TA): A
SOC199(Sociology Lab): A
SOC151(Sociology): B
MATH 210 (Statistics): A (Community College)
GEO103(World Geography): A
MATH151 (Calculus I): A (Community College)

Not too bad. I honestly don't know how I got a B in Sociology. It should have been an A. Oh well. Anyways, I'm still volunteering and doing that research project for the hospital.

This summer is BUSY!!!! Taking Organic Chemistry in the summer is not even measuring to this. I'm volunteering to get my hours up, the SRC (Scientific Review Committee) said I need to rewrite my proposal for my research, I'm studying for the MCAT, and....

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I'm applying to medical schools!!!!

It's that time. So far most of my application is complete. I just have a few things to fill out and I'll be done with that. I need to finish before June 1st. Not because that's the soonest I can submit it, but because I start Calculus II May 28th. Taking Calc 2 and studying for the MCAT while doing research. I'M DOING IT ALL. It feels like everything is going 100mph around me. I'm waiting to hear back from the Freemasons, needing to visit ETSU and visit my friend who is a preacher at a church there. I still don't have a car!

I don't know if you know this already, but I come from a poor family. I know a lot of people think that it's no big deal, but it's actually quite hindering. I can't do a lot of the things that I want to do because I don't have a car. I can't participate in the Big Brother Program, shadow rural doctors, volunteer in rural clinics, etc. I am stuck in a studio apartment next to campus.

As you can see a lot is going through my head. Yes I'm worried about getting into medical school. My gpa is like a 3.4-3.5 tops. Below average. I haven't taken my MCAT--Speaking of which I need to stop writing and start STUDYING!!!!

First update of 2010!

Well this is my first post of 2010. Grades are mediocre this semester. I cannot believe how bored I am this semester. Maybe I should have spread out my gen ed. classes throughout my college years instead of piling them up for the end. It's hard to make myself study material like World Geography. Right now I have an A in statistics and a mid to high B in everything else. Anyways, I sold my Eclipse Spyder. I didn't want to, but I needed to. As you know, unlike all of the other premed students I come from a low to middle class family and money is always very tight (I pay my education through loans and grants alone). I need money for the summer Calc 2 class, the MCAT, AND to apply for medical schools. I really need to finish this year off strong and absolutely do an outstanding job on the MCAT. If I can do that I should get in the first time, but if not....Well then it was meant to be. God's plan is set, if he wants me to be a doctor then he'll give me the power to do so.

Spring break is coming up the week after next. My friend Alex and I are hopefully going to go to Florida and fish some. But over the break I'll be very busy. I'll be volunteering, shadowing, doing research, studying, etc. etc. etc.

Lately it seems like my life is, what is refered to as, a "cluster fuck." Everything is happening all at the same time. The second calculus and statistics exam is early next week, I need to read a chapter in Sociology by tomorrow, I need to actually start working on my research project (I must present it soon), etc. etc. etc. etc.

What a rough time lol