<p>Hello All, a little background story before my question
I am currently 19 years old, and enrolled in my local CC as a freshman with the intention of doing premed. I am currently working 40 hours/week at a doctors office that is an hour drive 1-way, while shadowing a pediatrician and an internist at one office, and a cardiologist in another. All in all, I spend about 70+ hours/week shadowing +work. I transferred to my CC from Rutgers University (I didnt have enough credits to be a sophomore) . I attended Rutgers straight out of high school a little lost in life; I took unrelated classes with no intended major. First semester I took Chemistry, 2 history classes, and English. I got a 2.0 GPA because I spent more time dreaming, than doing. Second semester I got my act together and got a 3.3 GPA. Heres my dilemma-I left university because my dad was doing research, and his research as cut down, so naturally he got a substantial pay-cut. We were living paycheck-to-paycheck before, so to save money I transferred. My father was willing to work harder but I couldnt let him, he has heart conditions, and while other fathers are at their first-borns 8th grade graduation at 38, my father was having his first son. His health is poor, and I was an idiot for not realizing that. You may all suggest financial aid and loans, but my father is supporting my grandmothers chemotherapy in Pakistan, as well as her family, and at the same time supporting me and my brothers endeavor to study religion which costs 6K/year, none of these thing get factored into FASFA… As for loans, our religion is against dealing with interest. Whether paying it, or receiving it. I am currently memorizing the Muslim holy book, as well as studying Islam, as to act as a conduit between science and religion, because in my religion, we have doctors, we have I guess youd call em priests but we dont have both, and they constantly conflict in Muslim countries. My dream is to do the 4-year program, while in college. Something that has been done only rarely, as it requires full-time attention. I intend to do all my prereqs at CC in 2 years, take the MCATS (just to see where I stand), and then Re-take ORGO and higher-level sciences at NJIT, and the MCATS again in NJIT because by going to CC, it will take me 5 years to finish biomedical engineering, not 4 so my scores my expire. My questions is this: Will Medical school take in to account the fact that I was working full-time, studying religion full-time, shadowing full-time, that my fathers pay-cut led me to attend CC, and hopefully my good grades in sciences courses at NJIT and a high MCATs score? I appreciate all input-thanks.</p>
<p>Your own Community College has a Transfer Advisor. Go speak with that person about your long-range goal for Med School. It may make sense for you to slow down your college and university studies a bit so that you can accomplish all of the things that you are trying to get done. Part-time academic work while completing the religious program (possibly part-time as well) really, truly is OK. Preparing to work as an Imam is a worthy goal. There is a huge shortage in the US, and a crying need for US-trained Imams who understand how people here think. </p>
<p>The only people who get through Medical School without student loans are those who are so very brilliant and promising that they manage to get one of the rare ginormous scholarships, or whose families manage to pay for it out of pocket, or who enlist in the military service and commit to a term of service following their medical education. If indeed you are serious about Medical School, you need to find out how you are going to to pay for it. Ask the people at your religious school to put you in contact with banks or individuals who practice Islamic Banking. You also need to figure out how you are going to pay for NJIT without student loans. This would be another thing to discuss with the people at your Community College.</p>
<p>Wishing you all the best.</p>
<p>The first thing is do NOT take the MCAT unless you are fully prepared to take it and do well. (Taking to just to “see how you do” is a terrible idea.) When applying to medical schools, your MCAT scores from every sitting of the exam will be reported. A poor first score could seriously damage your chances of being accepted even if your second score is fine since schools will look at and use both scores when making their decision. The ideal is to take it only once and have a good score you will be able to use to apply to med school.</p>
<p>The second thing you need to know is that MCAT exam will be different starting in 2015. It will include more material in the science portions (biochemistry and statistics) and will have a new section on Human Behavior that will include topics from medical ethics, sociology and psychology. If you plan to start medical school in fall/summer 2017 or later, only the new version MCAT score will be accepted.</p>
<p>Retaking courses is bad idea. Ideally, you should only take a required class once and do well in it. There is no grade replacement or grade forgiveness for medical school admissions. Every grade must be reported and every grade will averaged into your GPA. If you have earned at least a C in Orgo, let the grade stand and instead focus on doing well in biochem.</p>
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<p>You will have a place to explain all this on your application. </p>
<p>I cannot say for certain how much leniency admissions committees will grant you. Admission committees are made up of individuals who will make their own individual judgments. </p>
<p>Taking longer than 5 years to graduate is not uncommon. However, leniency w/r/t your grades probably won’t be given.</p>
<p>The bigger issue will financing your medical education. There is no such thing as a full ride to medical school. Even the most generous of private medical schools expect students to share the cost of their education by taking out substantial loans first before they receive grants. Public medical schools simply do not have any money to give to students.</p>
<p>Attending medical school part time or working a year then attending a year are simply not options.</p>
<p>You will need to line up a sponsor (or sponsors) from your community to help you pay for this. Some religious communities have a special fund set up for members who need help funding their education. (My husband’s oncologist is Muslim and this is how he paid for his medical schooling. When he was settled into his career, he repaid the fund in full, plus offered his services gratis to in-need members of the community.)</p>
<p>It might be possible to receive a military scholarship to medical school, but this requires that you enlist in a branch of military service before starting medical school, accept a military residency and serve at least 4 years of active military duty immediately upon completion of your residency.</p>
<p>Thank you all for replying. Yes I do plan to be an imam and hafiz, I have already memorized part of the quran (more than 1/4th) and studying islamic laws and rulings. Also I forgot to mention-I have sponsors. The internist and pediatrician I shadow, agreed to pay for my medical school (thankfully) provided I get into medical school, but they won’t raise a finger for my undergrad fees, which I fully accept. They’ve made it clear they won’y baby me, which is why I spend 20 hours a week shadowing them, they expect the best. Also I was a bit unclear. I don’t want to take the MCAT "just to see how I’ll do, I phrased that poorly, and I apologize. What I meant was that the end of my 2nd year at CC I’ll lighten my load to study hard, and then take it simply to see where I’ll stand, but I do NOT intend to take it and pretend the score won’t bite me later. I know I won’t have a chance like this again once I start NJIT, so most of my MCAT studying will be in the last semester at my CC. Also the reason I was going to re-take Orgo, is because a lot of people have said it’s the hardest subject, and that if I re-take it, along with higher-level classes, med schools that do accept CC credit, will consider the CC classes with higher regard. If I get an A in orgo at university, the A at CC won’t mean the classes are the same, gosh no, but it’ll look better. Not good, just better.</p>
<p>You may want to contact potential med schools in your area and ask if they accept CC credits. My S is in Medical School and it does not accept CC credits–and I know there are a more. I would hate for you to do all the prereqs and then be rejected. Applying to 20-30 med schools is expensive and even more tragic if you are rejected mearly on attending CC. It doesnt seem fair to me but that is how it is. I dont think you can go wrong in your part time pursuit of your undergrad, but med school is extremely challenging and must be done wholeheartedly and full time. Have you ever thought of doing another health care field? Nursing-NP, PA all are wonderful careers and you could finish quicker, achieve your goals and be out there earning money to help your family.</p>
<p>It’s true that some medical schools won’t accept CC credits. (VA Tech, for example)</p>
<p>I still thinking re-taking the OChem is a mistake. It won’t “look better” to adcomms if you get an A in a course you previously earned a good grade in at the CC. It will just look like you’re padding your GPA. (Which adcomms don’t like at all…)</p>
<p>RE: MCAT timing. When (what year) do you think you will be applying for medical school admission?</p>
<p>If you will be applying to start med school in 2017 or later, you MUST take the new (2015) MCAT exam to be considered for admission. Scores for the old (pre-2015) exam will not be accepted. Thus taking the current MCAT is a waste of your time, money and energy.</p>