Home › Forums › Medical School › Admission › Am I ‘nontraditional’?

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  • February 5, 2004 at 3:20 pm #21596
    penningtonjeff
    Participant

    Hello,

    I have spent 10 years as a software engineer, most recently in the biotech domain. Experiencing the birth of my daughter and subsequent multiple surgeries to repair her birth defect has kindled a passionate interested in a career in osteopathic pediatric medicine.

    I have a BS in biology (Trinity, ’95), with a gpa of 2.9. Importantly, I have the opportunity to prepare full time for the MCAT next April, and expect to do well. I have voluteered 12 hrs/week as a youth rowing coach for the last three years, and will continue this incredibly satisfying work for the rest of my life. The parents of children who’s lives I’ve shaped as a coach will be able to write compelling letters of recommendation.

    My questions:
    -Am I a ‘nontraditional’ student, and if so, how does this help me?
    -Does my low undergrad GPA disqualify me from a decent private school (I have PCOM in mind)?
    -How do admissions to an osteopathic school differ from those of a regular school?

    Thank you very much,
    Jeff

    February 16, 2004 at 1:34 am #26543
    twu
    Participant

    -Am I a ‘nontraditional’ student, and if so, how does this help me?

    Yes, you are the definition of a “nontraditional” applicant. A nontraditional applicant is one who usually has taken time away from school to work for one or more years and then getting back into the application game. Being a “nontrad” is a real plus for applicants to osteopathic medical schools for the most part because, as it were, their philosophies on the admission of medical students is slightly different from those of the allopathic persuasion.

    -Does my low undergrad GPA disqualify me from a decent private school (I have PCOM in mind)?
    -How do admissions to an osteopathic school differ from those of a regular school?

    No it does not. The data from the Association of American Medical Colleges and the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine clearly show that students with a GPA of 2.9 do get acceptance offers. There’s a lot more to the process of selecting medical students than a simple GPA, however. If you would like some advice or direction in your application to osteopathic medical school, please drop us an email or call us at the number below.

    Timothy Wu, MD
    AdmissionsConsultants
    703.242.5885

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