Hey I would love input and thoughts on the following.
I am 25, I started college out of high school and went to one year. I then did a 2 year church service mission. When I returned home I started a career in Real Estate and worked as a Realtor for a year and a half. I got married. I decided that real estate wasn’t for me and went back to school. I went for another year. Those two years where not good. Some of it was online some in person. Two full semesters I gave up on and completely failed. The in person semesters I did ok getting a mix of As, Bs and Cs. Around that time my daughter was born, I like working with people so I started looking for a way to provide for my family while working. I got a job at a youth correctional facility. I worked in corrections for two years. I felt strongly that I should be doing more, I felt strongly about becoming a Doctor.
So while I worked in youth corrections I began online schooling once again, this time only taking as many classes as I could handle and seeing a psychiatrist for ADHD. Being diagnosed with ADHD and medicated has changed a ton for me. I attended another semester online. Both semesters I did well, so I sat down with my wife and concocted a plan. My wife is incredible and super supportive. So in carrying out this plan, I did one more semester online and saving money. We put our house up for sale and moved to a little apartment to attend my University full time.
So, I know this is a long bio. But, here is where I am right now. I am currently in my first semester back into school. My previous earned semester credits where 52. With only a few of those being science GPA. I am a Interdisciplinary Studies Biochemistry Major. I chose this because it correlates with most pre reqs and gives me the fluidity. I am almost to the halfway point (next week) of this semester, I am taking 14 credits and doing well. I also feel very confident. My medication helps, and the application of daily planning and setting small achievable goals is helpful.
I will graduate in two years, and take the MCAT in 2020. I am confident that I can salvage my cumulative GPA, to get it above a 3.0 and there is no reason I shouldn’t be able to do better than a 3.5 in the sciences (seeing as I haven’t hardly taken any).
I have submitted applications over the past few days for volunteering at my local hospital, to be a CASA for the local county, and an app to the local nursing facility for acute care. I am not looking to do all of these at once but I am trying to cast a wide net.
So here are my questions:
As part of my upward trend and non trad status, at application should I explain my ADHD diagnoses and improvement since medication?
I want to go into family medicine. Tons of rural areas need physicians, so I know this is a strength. How do I use that to my advantage?
I worked in a youth correctional facility for two years, approx 4500 hours. I adminsistered meds daily and my interactions with the encarcerated individuals where all treatment focused. Working on anger management, addiction recovery and cognitive behavioral therapy. We where way more than just prison gaurds, we where directly involved in treatment programs. How do I best frame that on applications?
How much should I focus on the extra curriculars? or should I just focus on repairing my cumulative gpa and killing my sci gpa?
Thanks for any and all help. I will gladly consider most advice. That is unless your advice is stupid. Then I will ignore it and think less of you.