Academically Dismissed to Medical School Acceptance

Session 174

In this episode, I talk with Kain, who is not your average nontrad. Kain was academically disqualified from college, took his prereqs at 38 years old, took the MCAT late, and had a less-than-stellar GPA. Still, he got interviews with medical schools and has now been accepted to the University of Central Florida, where he will begin his medical school journey at 42 years old.

Kain shares his interesting journey, going to college with his son and taking the same classes, leaving his engineering career for medical school, and finally getting the acceptance that he wanted to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor.

Listen to this podcast episode with the player above, or keep reading for the highlights and takeaway points.

Kain’s First Career, Before Medicine

Getting academically dismissed in college when he was 19 years old
Initially getting his degree in computer science
Working as an engineer for more than 15 years
Getting laid off and demoted
Working his way back up

His “Aha! Moment” for Wanting to Be a Physician

His wife initially giving him the idea
Seeing the whole picture of using knowledge and science to help people in many different ways

Resources He Tapped into as a Nontrad Premed

Google
Shadowing a radiation oncologist and a cardiologist
Volunteering at a children’s hospital

[Check out our Nontrad Premed Forum and the OldPreMeds Podcast, where I answer questions from the forum. It’s a resource I created specifically to help nontrads on their journey.]

Choosing Where to Do His Prereqs as a Nontrad

Getting rejected at University of South Florida
Going back to school at 38 years old
Signing up for community college classes
Taking the classes with his son at the community college
Getting A’s and reapplying to USF

Kain went back to school to take his prereqs at 38 years old.Click To Tweet

Being an “Older” Undergrad Student

Feeling scared and thinking that younger students have stronger minds
Getting unconditional support from his wife
Coming across a lot of doubters and naysayers

Shadowing Doctors as a Nontrad

Meeting a kid at his workplace whose uncle is a doctor
Meeting up with the doctor and shadowing him twice a month for 6 months
The doctor testing his resolve and pimping him

Taking the MCAT and Applying to Medical School

Applying early but taking the MCAT late (doesn’t allow the school to look at your application until later)
Getting a 513 on the MCAT
Improving his GPA from 2.59 to 3.29
Applying to 5 state schools

The Medical School Interview Process

Getting help from me with 1-on-1 Mock Interview Prep
Interviewers focusing on who he was
Being a resident of your state as a big advantage

Getting an Acceptance to Medical School

Going to the University of Central Florida College of Medicine
Seeing that the school was the exact fit for him
Initially at the bottom of his list but later moved to the top

Factors for Picking Your Medical School

Researching the website
Performance of the class
The admission process overall
Contacting the school, getting their literature, and visiting ahead of time

Advice for Other Nontrad Premeds

Be careful about whose advice you take.
Have the drive to do it.
If you’ve struggled academically in the past, you have an opportunity to become the Cinderella story. And that will set you apart from other typical applicants to medical school.

If you've struggled academically in the past, you have an opportunity to become the Cinderella story.Click To Tweet