How does it look for me? NIU? So many questions!

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>Hello,</p>

<p>i have been lurking on this forum for quite some months on and off. I want to know, if i am on the right path of becoming a doctor or not. First of all, i am a first generation college student. I did ABSOLUTELY terrible in High Schoool. In fact i did so bad, i got a GED. Its not because i am dumb, i just didnt study, i just didnt know the worth of it, i wish i knew then. Anyway, that was in 2006. I finished the GED and started going to college in 2007. </p>

<p>I am going to a community college. In 2008 i went through cancer, and trust me, i was a super smart individual, but i have a more difficult time focusing now that i did before. But i am still chugging through it, i want to be a doctor. Since i was 10, i dont know why, but i did. At this point in my life, i am married, and have a baby on the way. I quit my 34k job to go back to school because a life of kissing butt just wasnt my idea of a life long career. I was in retail management.</p>

<p>Currently, i have taken Chem I, Principles of bio, Zoology. And currently this semester i am taking Pre calculus, Chem II and a humanities class. Im doing well in them. In the summer i will take Calc 1. </p>

<p>I was going to transfer to Northern Illinois University. I had convinced myself that my major was going to be Chemistry, and frankly, i dont want to major in it, i want to do something that i can fall back on. I know you cant have your cake and eat it too but I have no one to advise me in the courses or the path to take to get to medical school, so i was hoping you guys can help me out. Ive researched that volunteer and research work is very important. I plan on doing it for sure, but should i even transfer to NIU now or no? The reason i wanted to was because now that im not employed, i dont have health insurance. NIU offers health insurance.</p>

<p>I REALLY REALLY want to be a doctor, if you guys can help me out in helping me figure out what i should major in. The reason why i want to be a doctor? it gives me comfort in going through something so major, my cancer was very rare, and being able to comfort and encourage patients that are in the shoes i had been in that you can still be successful and be whatever you want in life.</p>

<p>Being married and studying is a little difficult, any advice on that? </p>

<p>These are the courses ive taken</p>

<p>English 1, 2
Anthropology
Principles of Bio
zoology
Principles of Chem
Chem I
Taking Chem II
College Algebra
Taking PRe Calc
Spanish I
Psychology
History</p>

<p>Seeing the courses ive taken, what should i do from here on? Should i start volunteering now? should i go to NIU in the fall? Should i finish Physics and Orgo at a community college?</p>

<p>Is NIU even a good school to go to for my undergrad? Ive had to take various times off because of my parents health issues and so on and so forth. At this point in my life, i feel like i can really study, my parents are doing well, i am doing well health wise. I am low income though, i make 13k a year.</p>

<p>If anyone can provide some clarity and advice, i would really appreciate it.</p>

2

<p>Hmm…let’s see.</p>

<p>Before we get any further though, my condolences for your experience with cancer and just your general story. I commend your strength.</p>

<p>Well, first off, I think I can say that it’s okay if you messed up in high school. Medical schools are probably more concerned with how you did in college. Some might ask for your SAT scores, demographics, high school GPA, etc. for comparison purposes, but it shouldn’t be a major factor in anything. I mean a 4.0 overall GPA / 4.0 science GPA in college carries much more weight than a 2.5 high school GPA. Also, I believe it shows that you’re taking responsibility for your actions now, not letting any mistakes in your past overwhelm you.</p>

<p>I can’t speak about Northern Illinois University because I don’t know anything about it. From my perspective, I would say that transfer if you want to and if you can afford it. However, my lack of knowledge into these matters renders my response completely useless, so anybody can feel free to correct me if I’m wrong.</p>

<p>It’s good that you have an idea of why you want to be a doctor. Keep this in mind when you’re writing personal statement. It should help.</p>

<p>As for studying while married, the only knowledge I have about that is from a medical student’s response to a question. Basically, if you want to make it work, it will work. In her case, her husband is apparently a saint (her words) and he does all the cooking, cleaning, etc. so that she can study. I can only say that I’d sit down and talk with my spouse about it to see what they feel about it. (Also, her advice)</p>

<p>Well, I’d say to take whatever classes you wanted, as long as you fulfill your basic requirements for medical school (1 year of Biology with laboratory experience, 2 years of Chemistry with laboratory experience, 1 year of Physics). For Physics and Organic Chemistry, I would say that if you do plan on transferring, I would take those classes at the university level since they might be more intense leading to you learning more, but that’s just an opinion.</p>

<p>With regards to your major, do whatever you’re interested in. You’re likelier to make a higher GPA with something you’re interested in versus something you just study because you have to. There’s no need to be a science major.</p>

<p>As for volunteering, I would suggest you start now. Try to do some longterm volunteering so you can build a network of relations. It could be useful for recommendation letters.</p>

<p>Hope that helps! Good luck.</p>

3

<p>Ederiss,</p>

<p>Thank you</p>

<p>Sorry about the late reply, for some odd reason the website wasnt working for me. After really sitting there and considering what i should do and where i should go, i realized its most important for me to take care of me so i can be there for my family, because whats the point if i dont take care of myself, god forbid i wont be around.</p>

<p>So i decided to go to NIU since it seems to be most practical, i called and negotiated the housing we settled on 3 months. It seems to be a pretty good deal. Though its not the best school, i really hate crowded areas and UIC is crowded. I would love to volunteer right now, but im just not in a position to, im goign to start in august when i transfer. </p>

<p>Thanks so much for the kind advice. I really do appreciate it. :)</p>