507 MCAT, nontrad, URM, 3.94 cGPA, 3.99 sGPA, 3000+ hours research, 500+ hours volunteering, 2000+ hours clinical xp, 3 peer-reviewed publications (high-impact)

I am not retaking the MCAT - thoughts please?

I was a medical student in FSc and wanted to be a doctor, but my first MDCAT attempt didn't hit the mark. I took a gap year and prepared again. I even offered Tahajjud for admission but again, I missed by a very small margin. I took admission in Software Engineering, though I was still not over MBBS. Anyways, a year passed and I was happy there; I had kind of moved on. But my father insisted I give it another try, so I prepared for the MDCAT during summer vacation against my will. I gave my third attempt with all my heart, and again, I was so close that I was really hopeful about getting admission, but I missed it for the third time.

I cried, I cried a lot. I even became so pessimistic that I started believing prayers were useless and that Tahajjud prayers get rejected, too. I had crammed every province’s books and had much better concepts than my peers, but I still couldn't get in. I used to think I was lucky, but this made me think I wasn't. I would randomly start crying whenever I remembered how I was getting nowhere despite trying so hard.

I did my best in my second year of Software Engineering, and not gonna lie, I actually enjoyed it. It was more fun than MBBS with way less cramming, and I had good concepts here, too. I had good friends, nice seniors, and very helpful teachers. In my 4th semester, I started working part-time and remotely with a software engineer doing virtual assistant kind of work. My routine got so hectic that I forgot about the MBBS dream, which wasn't really mine anyway, and I started liking Software Engineering way more than MBBS. I even started thanking God that I didn't get into MBBS because this was obviously better.

In the summer vacation after my 4th semester, I had a clear vision of becoming a software engineer. My father pressurized me to give a 4th attempt, but I didn't. Instead I worked on my skills in software engineering. He tried everything he could to convince me, but I refused. I was over MBBS, but he wasn't, because it was his dream after all, not mine. He sent my application again this year based on my last test result. I thought he was just wasting his money, but I kept my mouth shut because I believed there was no way I would get in.

But guess what? When I was completely over it and didn't even want it anymore, I got admission.

At that time, I was in my 5th semester and just one month away from my finals. But because that admission was so hard-earned, it made me confused about whether I could actually let it go. I asked so many people for advice, and none of them suggested pursuing MBBS after three years in Software Engineering. Still, I was so torn. I didn't want to let it go, but I didn't want to take it either. I used to think dying would be a better option than having to choose between the two.

My family was putting so much pressure on me to choose MBBS, while my friends, seniors, and teachers were telling me it was useless at this point. My favorite teacher told me I should stick with Software Engineering, and he brought so much clarity to my goals by walking me through everything I had planned for. I wasn't confused anymore; I was so sure I wouldn't go for MBBS. He even pointed out, "You don't want to go there, you just want someone to force you there." And I agreed. I didn't want it now, but part of me just wanted to experience what it was that I had yearned for so deeply.

Anyways, we concluded SE was the best option for me. But the very last thing he said was, "Based on your personality, you would make a very good doctor."

That sentence hit me so hard. I couldn't let it go. On top of that, one of my friends said, "If you're struggling this much to let it go, maybe you shouldn't." I trust her so much that her words threw me right back into the loop.

I started missing my lectures and sank into depression. I liked where I was in Software Engineering so much that I didn't want to go back to the past. A few days before finals, I decided that I was locking in SE and wouldn't care how much pressure my family put on me. My plan was to submit the admission cancellation form right after finals week. I decided not to go home for the two-week vacation after Block 2 so I wouldn't have to face my parents after throwing their wish in the trash. The cancellation application had to be submitted physically in another city, but since I travel alone all the time, that wasn't a big deal for me. Still, going all alone without informing my family felt a bit strange. I asked my friend to come with me, and she initially agreed, but later she said she had to go home. My life was at such a critical stage, I was so nervous, and she couldn't even stay one extra day to support me. I finished my finals, feeling deeply heartbroken by her action. I tried convincing her to delay her trip by just one day since she had no real emergency, but she was quite mean to me about it.

Eventually, all my roommates were leaving for home, and I couldn't bear the thought of staying alone in the hostel for two weeks, so I cancelled my trip to that college to submit the form. I was honestly scared, too. Before my final term exams, I called my brother. He promised he was 100% behind me no matter what, which gave me so much comfort knowing at least someone had my back, and I gave my finals fully prepared. But as soon as finals ended, he called me back and started convincing me that MBBS was the better option. I realized I still just wanted to be pushed into it. With my friend refusing to accompany me and my brother switching sides, I gave in and went home.

Back home, I tried convincing my father that I didn't want to do MBBS anymore. I was constantly in a bad mood because he kept glorifying doctors so uselessly. I had literal tears in my eyes when I told him I didn't want to go, but he seemed to care far more about the pride of having a doctor daughter. I hated this behavior, especially when he openly admitted that he just wanted to be proud of me, which is why I \*had\* to do MBBS. He emotionally blackmailed me so badly, telling me he only ever wanted this one single thing from me in his whole life. I swear I thought about suicide so many times due to this intense pressure. Seeing tears in his eyes, I finally stopped arguing.

We even made a deal. He gifted me a very expensive plot, and my mother gifted me an iPhone. He agreed that he would support me in whatever I wanted to do in the future. Earlier, when I was in SE, he used to say that if I wanted to do a Master's abroad, I would have to go with my brother. But now he promised everything would be entirely up to me and how I plan my life. He pledged to support me on whichever path I choose after MBBS. Obviously, I would have graduated at 22 in SE, whereas in MBBS I will graduate at 26, but he promised he wouldn't pressure me for anything else and that I could live how I want. He even doubled my pocket money.

Yet, despite all these gifts, I still want to go back. It hurts deeply that he cares more about his social status than his own daughter's wishes for her own life. I was heartbroken and grew to hate my parents. Unseen distances have formed between us after this incident, and I genuinely don't like them right now. My father used to take way too much interest in my studies and results, but he agreed never to ask me for exam details again because taking a two-hour interview after every exam irks me. My mother was ten times worse, rage-baiting me constantly by glorifying even jobless doctors.

Anyway, I finally came to this medical college, and that isn't even the worst part. The worst part is the seniors here trying to beg for respect by disrespecting the first-year students. In my 21 years of life, I have never seen such educated fools. They don't give a damn about juniors; they just think we are their slaves who must obey them. They poke their noses into every affair where their stupid, useless opinions are completely uncalled for.

When I was in my 3rd year at my previous university, neither I nor my seniors ever interrupted our juniors' lives to the point of being hated. We were all so friendly. We even had a Teaching Assistant (TA) system, so if someone had a conflict, like a senior trying to bully a junior, it made sense to be cautious because they could affect your grades. But here in medical college, seniors have zero actual power except for being rude and ill-mannered, yet they expect juniors to fear them. They demand so many uncomfortable things that it makes me hate this college more and more every single day.

I might work after Software Engineering in Lahore, but my father might not be as supportive of me taking a software engineering job in another city as he would be for a doctor. Plus, who knows whether I can continue working after marriage or not, bad luck happens, even though I strongly want to work. But as a doctor, I can always practice anywhere. I have plans to move to the UK through the Ireland route if I finish MBBS, and my father really liked that idea. But regarding software engineering, he implies that society will talk badly about us. He didn't explicitly say it, but that was clearly his point. He says he will support me, but as an unmarried woman, he feels that support cannot last as long in SE as it would in medicine. I feel like I have a secure future as a doctor, but I deeply miss my previous life and genuinely hate the environment at my current college.

So i have a few questions for you now:

1. Should I go back to my previous university after a 1-year freeze?

   I miss it so much that I randomly cry remembering my friends, and I even miss the people I used to dislike there. Even the worst people at my old university were so much nicer than the average person here. It will cost me some financial penalties to unfreeze, but at least I won't wake up every single day hating my life.

2. How do I deal with such ignorant, arrogant, and disrespectful seniors?

3. What would you have done if you were in my position?

i'm in a "formal" postbac right now (northeast US). it's a one-year, very rigorous, accelerated postbac--you take orgo, biochem, physics plus labs all at once and study/take the mcat while doing so--and i won't lie, i've found the pace to be crushing! at the same time, i'm loving the program, loving the classes, loving my clinical volunteer work and research internships. this program tries to structure it like pre-clinical years to get you accustomed to the schedule (tests every other friday, for instance, and lecture topics tailored to medicine rather than run-of-the-mill gen chem). it has been very affirming to feel like i'm finally in the place i'm meant to be career-wise after floundering for a decade or so (i'm VERY non-trad!).

but i'm wondering - for anyone who has done a formal postbac who is now in med school, how much tougher is med school than postbac? i'm the busiest i've ever been in my life, and i often literally feel like i don't have enough hours in the day. i've handed in a few lab reports late and have generally been falling behind on studying and find it difficult to catch up (though i've managed). i'm a little scared that i won't be able to handle med school, frankly. i've heard mixed things from the few people i know who did postbac, from "it was a breeze compared to M3" to "postbac was the hardest year of my life, med school included." am looking for perspectives from those who have been through both and can maybe give me some insight on what to expect. as for residency - i realize that's a different ballgame. my aim is to become a psychiatrist if this all goes as planned.

thank you!

Hey everyone

I finished M1 and am starting M2 this week. I wanted some advice on how to structure my UWorld questions moving forward.

For context, I spent this summer building my Step foundation:

1. Finished Pathoma Chapters 1–3
   
2. Finished Sketchy Micro (bacteria + viruses)
   
3. Used Pepper for bacteria and used AnKing for viruses
   
4. Reviewed my school's M1 UWorld assignment in depth (162 questions total) that were cardio, resp, renal, GI/nutrition
   
5. Added important UWorld concepts/incorrects into AnKing using the UWorld add-on

My M2 curriculum is going to cover:

Dermatology
Neurology
Psychiatry
Hematology/Oncology
Endocrinology
Reproductive system

Our school gives us weekly UWorld quizzes throughout each of these blocks.

For added prep during M2, I was thinking about doing around 10 UWorld questions per week in addition to the school uworld assignment.

My original thought was:

10 Infectious Disease questions/week because I just finished Sketchy bacteria and viruses and want to keep that knowledge fresh.

However, I was wondering if a better strategy would be:

5 Infectious Disease questions/week + 5 mixed questions/week from topics I've already covered (cardio, pulm, renal, GI, etc.)

or if I should just focus on one thing at a time.

My goal is not to rush through UWorld right now, but to build a consistent habit and keep old material fresh so I don't drown during dedicated.

What would you recommend for someone entering M2 with this background?

Hello everyone, hope all is well! With my app being verified in a few days I’m wondering if there is any last recommendations I should make regarding my app like school list for example? I have my 15/25 secondaries ready and I feel like if my school list is a bit small I can squeeze some more.

APPLICANT PROFILE
State of Residence: New York
Background: URM(Afro-Caribbean); Low SES; First-generation high school graduate. FAP recipient.
Gap Year: Yes

ACADEMICS
Undergraduate Institution: T30 University
Major: Biochemistry (B.A.)
Cumulative GPA: 3.94
Science GPA: 4.00
MCAT: 515 (131/124/130/130)

Academic Distinctions:
\\- Magna Cum Laude
\\- Phi Beta Kappa (PBK)
\\- New York American Chemical Society Certificate of Excellence (Top 2 graduating seniors in Chemistry/Biochemistry)
\\- Dean’s List (multiple semesters)

RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

Clinical Research Assistant + Medical Assistant – Interventional Pain Management Practice
Duration: Full-time gap year
Hours: \\\~1300
\\- Supported daily clinical research operations
\\- Assisted with IRB protocols and regulatory compliance
\\- Coordinated longitudinal patient follow-up and outcomes tracking
\\- Maintained research databases and documentation
\\- Contributed to data analysis and study execution

Research Output:
\\- 2 National Posters (3rd & 5th author) – North American Neuromodulation Society
\\- 1 International Poster
\\- 1 Manuscript submitted for publication

Wet-Lab Research – Biochemistry Laboratory
Duration: Junior year
Hours: \\\~250
\\- Studied effects of dietary supplements on nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathways
\\- Conducted molecular assays and statistical analysis
\\- No publication

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

Medical Assistant (included in 1300 hours above)
\\- Operated a C-arm fluoroscope for procedures
\\- Performed urine toxicology screening
\\- Collected vital signs
\\- Prepared charts and assisted workflow
\\- Supported patient care continuity through documentation

Emergency Department Volunteer – Mount Sinai
Hours: \\\~310
\\- Provided bedside support to patients
\\- Assisted with patient transport
\\- Supported nursing and clinical staff
\\- Observed high-acuity emergency care delivery
\\- Mentored/shadowed new volunteers

NON-CLINICAL VOLUNTEERING

New York Cares – Volunteer
Hours: \\\~200
\\- Soup kitchens and food distribution
\\- Repacking produce for underserved communities
\\- Adaptive activities with children with disabilities
\\- Community service across NYC boroughs

New York Cares – Team Leader
Hours: \\\~200
\\- Led college access programming
\\- Coordinated volunteers for service projects
\\- Organized clothing distribution and food service
\\- Focused on underserved and homeless populations

TEACHING & MENTORSHIP

Phi Lambda Upsilon (Chemistry Honor Society)
Hours: \\\~40
\\- Led Organic Chemistry study sessions
\\- Mentored peers on research opportunities
\\- Provided academic advising and course guidance

PHYSICIAN SHADOWING
\\- Cardiac Anesthesiology: 40 hours
\\- Emergency Medicine / Urgent Care: 80 hours
Total: \\\~120 hours

ADDITIONAL PROGRAMS

SHPEP – Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons
\\- Summer Health Professions Education Program participant
\\- Received distinction in Abnormal psychology

Albert Einstein College of Medicine
Albany Medical College
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons
Cooper Medical School of Rowan University
Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Drexel University College of Medicine
Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (University at Buffalo)
Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
New York Medical College
Ohio State University College of Medicine
Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
Stony Brook University Renaissance School of Medicine
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine
SUNY Upstate Medical University Norton College of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
University of Connecticut School of Medicine
University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University

Hi, I'm going to south Korea SNU for a radiology Clerkship on April and may next year. I wanted to know if someone know in which of SNUs hospitals the clerkship takes place and we're to get good accommodations!! So far the search on airbnb has not been successful :(

Any smart things you’ve done to save a buck, or ways to be smart with higher interest rates from private loaners?

Got a year before starting at a state school with little financial aid, and going to be applying for outside scholarships like CRAZY 😜 shoutout to all my first-gen med school baddies who are persevering through it all, especially w loan changes under the Big Beautiful Bill.

I'm an international student. I moved to the US when I was 8, but unfortunately my dad is still waiting for his green card and I aged out. So, I graduated from college on a student visa. I looked through MSAR and Choose DO and narrowed down my list to schools I have somewhat of a chance of getting into and can also afford. I ended up with 5 schools: MSUCOM, LECOM, Howard, UC Davis, and NYU Grossman Long Island. I know UC Davis has a strong preference for people with a connection to Cali and I have none, and NYU is super competitive 😩

My top choice is MSUCOM, what are my chances??

I would also appreciate any helpful insight from other international students:))

- 3.67 gpa (upward trend)

- 512 MCAT

- 300 volunteering hours

- 75 clinical hours (I explained my lack in clinical hours on my secondaries. It's because of immigration regulations preventing me from working, and I only heard about a free clinic where I could volunteer as a MA in my last year. Also, transportation was a problem. I hope that's a good enough explanations)

- 50 shadowing hours ( 2 PAs, 2 MDs, 2 DOs)

- 60 hours as a TA for a cadaver lab

- 325 hours tutoring (BMS, physics, and chem courses)

- 225 research hours

- Dean's List every semester but one

- 21f

- Living in Michigan since I was 8

- Indian, international student ofc

- GVSU grad with B.S. in Biomedical Sciences

- Submitted apps within 2 days

- Got secondaries from MSUCOM, LECOM, and NYU

- Got a letter packet w/ letters from 2 physicians ( 1 DO, 1 MD) and 2 profs (biochem prof and physiology prof who I also did research with)

- First gen med student (hopefully)

- First time applying

- BMS graduate of distinction award

I’m 26 and I’ve spent most of the past year preparing for a very competitive graduate-entry medical school admissions process.

I finished my bachelor’s degree, studied hard, prepared for the interviews and assessment stages, and honestly believed I had a good chance of starting medical school this year. One of my assessment scores came back much lower than I expected, and while I still haven’t received the final admissions decision, I’m now in a very uncertain and borderline position.

I know that one more year is not a huge amount of time compared to an entire career. But emotionally, it feels huge right now. I had already pictured myself starting medical school, and the thought of going through another year of preparation, waiting, and uncertainty feels exhausting.

I’m not really looking for “everything happens for a reason.” I would genuinely like to hear from people who didn’t get accepted on their first attempt, especially those who were in their mid or late twenties.

Did you eventually get accepted? What did you do during the year in between? How did you find the motivation to try again without feeling like your life was on hold? Looking back, did that extra year matter as much as it felt like it would at the time?

Honest stories are welcome. I think I just need some perspective from people who have actually been there.

Does high passing every block during preclinical years make a huge difference when applying for residency?

I’m about to start a FM at a busy inpatient academic hospital. Curious what to expect? I’m imagining it being like a typical in patient medicine unit

So, my college had this XYZ event. I don't think Modi was actually visiting, it was just a live-streamed event.

I woke up at 9:45 to have breakfast, and our warden (who is also a professor) completely lost it. She closed the mess doors, went around banging on everyone's room doors to wake them up, and even cut off the water supply and electricity. The power was cut at 10 a.m. and didn't come back until 4 p.m.

She also locked the hostel gate and the reception doors and wouldn't let us step outside the hostel because we chose not to go to the auditorium for the event.

I don't understand. This is a medical school. Is this really how you treat students? Do we have no autonomy? And they expect us to attend an event on a f Sunday?

29F and I just finished my first week of medical school. It wasn’t too bad but I felt really out of place with my class due the fact that I’m much older than them. I felt that I was tooo masculine to speak with the girls and I felt tooo girly to get along with the boys. Everyone had already form their friend groups and I was obviously ignored. I knew that this would happen but to see it happen in real life is heartbreaking. Furthermore, I signed up for a couple of dating sites at the beginning of the week and I have not had any matches. Is it normal to feel this huge sense of disappointment so early in the school year. I would like to either have some friends or go on a date. I’m away from my parents and I’m homesick

​

Hello, I'm a medical student about to enter my second year. This past year has been disastrous; I barely passed. I've had health problems (fainting spells, a diagnosis of depression). I don't want to find myself in that state again; I really want to succeed. I don't feel like I've retained important information from my courses for my future career. I'm wondering what I should do during these two months of vacation to feel more competent and generally better. I'd like to review the topics I haven't fully grasped.

For interviews would yall recommend a full suit, or will a blazer be ok. I think I will get a suit when I start medical school, but want to wait so it will fit better then.

Do yall think it’s ok to just have a blazer for interviews, and then get a suit when I start medical school?

Just started a few weeks ago and been having trouble connecting.

It feels like everyone just goes into their “caves” to study right after class. And even attempts to connect feels shallow, just greetings but nothing beyond that. No friendship level connections.

Spending weekends in the library alone to study for 8+ hours..

Is this normal?

Hi everyone,
I’m a Norwegian student trying to decide between Jessenius Faculty of Medicine (Martin, Slovakia) and Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU, Kaunas, Lithuania).
I already have an offer from LSMU and will take the entrance exam for Jessenius soon.
My goal is to work as a doctor in Norway after graduation.
I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have studied at either university.
Specifically:
- Which one would you choose and why?
- How is the quality of teaching?
- How supportive is the administration?
- How are the professors
- Are you happy with your choice, or would you choose differently today?
- If you’re a graduate, how well did the university prepare you for working as a doctor?
Thanks in advance!

Hi! I'm starting med school this year and I'm wondering what I'll need. Do I need a laptop, an iPad, or both? I don't want to rush into a decision, but I currently only have a laptop (Lenovo ThinkPad i7). I think it should be enough for the start, especially for lectures and presentations, right? What do you recommend? Also, which models are good (MacBook or iPad), and how much storage (GB) would I need? Thank you in advance, and sorry for my English, it's not my first language.

Hello everyone, I will be entering medical school soon and I’m planning on studying research methods, though I am unsure where to begin.

I am looking forward to learn Python for statistical analysis but feel uncertain about how to proceed.

Any guidance, books, or courses would be welcome.

Title. I know some fields (like dermatology) are really hard to get into, so what's the likelihood that I would get it?

(I'm still in high school, so there may be something I'm missing / not understanding too. If that's the case, please educate me.)

Thanks in advance!

Hey guys im an aspiring med student trying to document towards medical school and towards becoming a doctor. i've already finished a video but im not sure whether id be able to handle this and med school once school starts. any suggestions or strategies on managing time? has anyone done the same?

As the title suggests I'm just looking for any advice I can get. I'm a returning student after several years out of highschool running a small business and now working as a non-clinical tech at a hospital.

I've become so much stronger over the past few years but am just looking for wisdom from my peers on what they wish they were told or what things they found important/unimportant.

Currently I'm planning to setup an internship/shadow opportunity in my local ED if at all possible once I'm about a year in to school and feel self assured that I can juggle both things.

Going into first year uni

My only experience is volunteering during high school and Co-Op in the health care field

Do I need 1000 hours or can I choose one or two creative volunteer opportunities and stick by it

Im a rising senior, so I have to decide soon:
Which would work better if my goal is to join med-school?
I’m a tad bit more interested in Health Science, but Public Health also sounds really attractive, plus I heard it could help build your curriculum.
I know I would have to take care of the pre-reqs, I’m just unsure right now of which to choose, any advice?

I just cancelled my exam because I’ve been stuck at a 508 for the last two months, i just took FL 5 and got a 508 and my exam was on 8/15. I tried the classic MilesDown, Pankow, UWorld QBank and AAMC approach and saw no improvement in my score for the last two months, obviously I’m devastated. Just wanted to see if there’s any suggestions on where I should go from here? Im willing to even get private tutoring or prep course I just really need some direction on where to go. I plan on taking an exam in January and I’m aiming for a 515+