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Session 14
In today’s episode, Ryan talks with Roheet from TheBiopsy.com where he shares with us his premed path. Roheet is currently in a gap year not because he initially chose to, but because he had to reapply to medical school for having not been accepted the first time, although reapplying is not something unusual and which, in fact, was something that Ryan had to go through as well.
Listen in to find out why exactly did he not get into medical school the first time (not even getting a single interview even when he scored well in his GPA and MCAT) as well as learn how Roheet bolstered his medical re-application that landed him 12 interviews.
Here are the highlights of the conversation with Roheet:
Roheet’s current path to becoming a physician:
- Graduated from University of California San Diego with a bioengineering degree
- Now on his gap year (having to reapply) and waiting to hear back from medical schools he applied to
- Going through college without plans to get into medical school but only having a bioengineering mindset
- Started volunteering at a hospital halfway through college (to get a better understanding of how bioengineering can augment clinical practice)
- Roheet’s aha! moment to pursue medicine: His first patient encounter!
Resources he tapped into to figure out his next steps:
- Internal reflection
- Parents
- Academic counselor
Getting shadowing experience:
- Getting help from his premed student-friend
- Reaching out to his old primary care physician (not in an academic setting so there was more room for one-on-one time) – this is a tactic which was also discussed in Session 12
- The power of building relationships
GPA and MCAT scores:
- Taking a Kaplan course and getting a 33 on the MCAT
- Cumulative GPA: 3.681
Competitive scores… why didn’t he get into medical school the first time?
- Not getting any single interview
- Roheet applied really late!
- Medical schools admit applicants based on rolling admissions – they see the first batch of interviews and decide right then and there if they should accept them or not.
- The later you wait to apply, the fewer spots available
- No shadowing experience as another reason for not getting in
"It's like a game of musical chairs. As you go later in the game, there are less chairs to sit on."
Reaching out to schools to get feedback on his application:
Some schools do not give feedback, other schools would offer in-person meeting to get feedback.
More about TheBiopsy.com:
- Started blogging at January 2012 (halfway through his first application cycle)
- Initially created as his personal learning platform
- Posts are specifically about medical news and his thoughts
Ways to bolster his second application:
- Shadowing
- Taking free online classes and courses through Coursera (from major universities and you get credit for it too)
- Making himself busy by helping his father’s business
- Volunteering (Habitat for Humanity, hospitals)
Roheet’s considerations in which medical school to apply to:
- Stats where he can be competitive – MSAR
- Location
- Seeing himself in that school in four years
- Specialties he’s interested in
How a social media presence can help you in your application:
- Blog as a digital portfolio
- The upsides of blogging that relates to your application
- Keep it professional.
- Keep it up to date.
- Keep it relevant.
Some pieces of advice for premed students:
- See the technological wave in the medical arena as a challenge towards better patient care or as an opportunity to innovate.
- Believe in yourself. Medicine is a field wherein you’ll be tested all the time in all aspects. Your resolve will be tested. If you don’t have that faith in yourself and faith in your dream, you’re not going to be able to make it.
Links and Other Resources:
During his gap year, Roheet started his not-for-profit org in his hometown that promotes community dialogue through debates on topics of national importance. Check out greatcvdebate.wix.com
Check out Roheet’s blog TheBiopsy.com or connect with him on Twitter @thebiopsy
Dr. Bryan Vartabedian on Twitter @Doctor_v
If you need any help with the medical school interview, go to medschoolinterviewbook.com. Sign up and you will receive parts of the book so you can help shape the future of the book. This book will include over 500 questions that may be asked during interview day as well as real-life questions, answers, and feedback from all of the mock interviews Ryan has been doing with students.
Are you a nontraditional student? Go check out oldpremeds.org.
For more great content, check out www.mededmedia.com for more of the shows produced by the Medical School Headquarters including the OldPremeds Podcast and watch out for more shows in the future!
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