Personalized advice, please?

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
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<p>Hey everybody. I’ve probably spent more time than I should have browsing the forums, both here and on studentdoctor.net, just thinking about what I should do in the future. I thought I’d just go ahead and post about myself, and see if anyone had advice to offer.</p>

<p>Background:
Hi, I’m Chris :). I’m currently an Oregon state resident. I’m just about done with my second year of college as a general biology major at a small, private California university. I’m fairly certain I want to peruse a career as a doctor. It’s not so much that I have a burning passion for medicine, as much as I want a job I can enjoy, that feels meaningful to me on a daily basis, and one that could more or less support a family life financially and time-wise (well, at some point). No other job seems to hold the same appeal.</p>

<p>Tentative future plans:
So here’s what I’ve been thinking – being an Oregon resident kinda sucks. There’s only one medical school in the state, OHSU, and the cost seems relatively high (currently about 42k a year for instate tuition + insurance). I can probably complete undergraduate (including premed prerequisites) in three years. I have close relatives in Texas, and my plan would be to work there for a year after graduating to gain residency. Hopefully I’d be able to gain clinical experience at the same time, such as by working full-time as an EMT Basic. I’d also use the time to study MCAT heavily, since I can’t see myself trying to study for the MCAT while studying for my college classes. I’d then apply for medical school instate in Texas the following year.</p>

<p>Grades:
I definitely need to work on time management and discipline, but for my first three semesters I’ve managed a 3.98 (thank goodness for grade inflation). I’ve taken about 17 units a semester.</p>

<p>Shadowing:
My college has a shadowing program, which I participated in this last year. I spent about 10 hours shadowing an internist. I definitely found the work to be something I could see myself doing, both in terms of patient interaction and diagnosis. I’m not sure internal medicine would be my preferred specialty, though – there seemed to be a disproportionate amount of time spent on cortisone shots ;). </p>

<p>Research:
My college actually requires biology majors to do three semesters of research. I’ve been working with a group that’s comparing receptors on stem cells and on newly differentiated neurons. It’s with a fairly new teacher, and it doesn’t seem like we’re going to be able to get anything published, but it’s given me a fair bit of bio tech experience.</p>

<p>Volunteering and work experience:
Not a whole lot. The area I could probably talk about the best would be tutoring. I’ve done a few hours a week of paid tutoring with the college for the last two years. More significantly, this summer I’m going to be going to Africa through the college for about three weeks during which I’d be volunteering as a teacher assistant, in the areas of math and science. I also spent a bit of time volunteering at an elementary afterschool program, although that was really to meet a requirement for a class.</p>

<p>Leadership experience:
Well, I was able to get an officer position in Beta-Beta-Beta for next year so I figure that’s something. It sounds like we’ll have some responsibilities in terms of organizing events.</p>

<p>Other extracurriculars and hobbies:
Again, really weak in this area so far. I have enough trouble managing my time to keep up with school work and spending time with friends and family, let alone doing all these extra activities. I generally relax by reading novels and occasionally playing video games with friends. I also love playing soccer, but haven’t found much of an opportunity to play.</p>

<p>So anyway… I’d appreciate advice in any aspect of what I should be doing in the future, but particularly in terms of extracurriculars. I’m someone who can probably pull off getting high grades and scoring well on the MCAT, but I’m not exactly sure what else I should focus on to become a competitive applicant. I can and plan on doing some hospital volunteering this summer, and I’d definitely do more clinical volunteering if I spent that year working, but what else? Any thoughts or ideas? Thanks.</p>

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<p>Agree, and since OR has a Med school, residents don’t qualify for UDub’s WWAMI.</p>

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<p>I’m not familiar with TX, but you should google the TX residency requirements for Med school and see what they are. I know in researching WA residency, applicants 25 and younger have to both show that they were financially independent and were not included as a dependent on someone else’s taxes, for the current and prior years.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the response entomom. I have done some research into Texas residency requirements, and from what I have found they do require the applicant to have been financially independent for the year leading up to application. During that same year, they either need to a) own property and have proof of living there or b) work at least twenty hours a week.</p>

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<p>It’s going to take far more than the minimum requirements for the Texas med schools to not see through that.</p>

<p>They are outstanding values and several are top programs- and their mission is to produce MDs that will remain in Texas.</p>

<p>Frankly I think your plan is a VERY big long shot with regard to Texas Med schools.</p>

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<p>Most state med schools ask where your high school was located. And if you have immediate family living in the state as part of the residency questionnaire. (Immediate means parents or spouse. Not sibs or grandparents.) Their reasoning seems to be you’re more likely to stay and practice where you grew up or have family.</p>

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<p>Are you saying that you don’t think I’ll be able to qualify for Texas residency in a technical sense, or that you think the medical schools will group me as OOS anyway when reviewing my application? Because if it’s the former: I should contact TMDSAS directly at some point, but the residency process seems fairly clear on their website ([TMDSAS</a> Medical: Residency Information](<a href=“http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/medical/residency.html]TMDSAS”>http://www.utsystem.edu/tmdsas/medical/residency.html)). Via option 2, I should be able to establish residency by establishing domicile for a year. Also, from what I’ve read until recently it was very easy to gain residency in Texas - all you had to do was own some land in the state for a year. Texas fixed this by requiring proof of domicile for the property owned within the state. So, while I see where you’re coming from, I can’t imagine that it would be that hard to establish residency in a more legitimate fashion.</p>

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<p>Texas does have a similar option for high school location, but unfortunately that doesn’t apply to me. Similarly, my Texas relatives are more of the cousin variety :). That should still count for something, though, because that’s one of the main reasons I’d like to move to the state. Thanks for the suggestions.</p>

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<p>Nope, tried the cousins, aunts/uncles and grandparents card–it doesn’t count for squat…</p>

<p>(And don’t take my word on it. I have email from the Dean of a med school that says so.)</p>

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<p>I would say, hold on on choosing your Med. School. When you get few acceptances than you choose. To be accepted to at least one Med. School is a huge accomplishment. no matter which Med. Schools.</p>

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<p>Too bad :/. I’ll have to keep that in mind.</p>

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<p>Thanks for the advice MiamiDAP. I agree that getting into at least one Med School is very big achievement.</p>