Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Meet My Greatest Motivation!

Meet my greatest motivation to finish this journey. He's the reason that i'm determined to persevere to the finish line. Nine years old and as tall as a short man that is 5ft.
 I snapped these pictures to capture this special moment before picture day.

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Approaching A Med School Milestone Up Ahead!!!

Milestone up ahead! Getting closer to my goal one day at a time... Just trying to savor this moment in time without all the associated stresses of "Real Life" situations. As a Nontraditional student, mom and wife, I live a life that requires perseverance every day.  As usual this journey requires perseverance and focus.  Like every tough journey, only the strong survive!  Glad it's a marathon not a sprint!

Positioning myself to begin the application process. There are so many things to consider and of course it will also involve how to structure my personal statement. I am excited about this journey although is has been bitter sweet at the same time.  I have so many responsibilities that traditional students don't have to deal with.  The level of maturity gained in the real world has certainly enabled me to know how to maneuver through this maze. 

Maturity is an asset that comes with time and experience. It is definitely a treasure that I would not trade for anything.  It's value is a gift in its self. It enhances the confidence that I gained on this unpredictable and twisting ride.  Being a nontraditional premed student has been priceless in some ways. I also feel that it is a fringe benefit of perseverance and the offspring of maturity. 

Although I have been told time and time again that ADCOMS practice ageism and only value younger students. I have hope that my story is intriguing enough to get a spark of interest in my med school application.  Having said that I have done some research regarding both Osteopathic and Allopathic medical schools that may be non-trad friendly.  Not that they don't screen applicants thoroughly, but they see the applicant and application as a comprehensive package not a triad of fragmented pieces. GPA+MCAT+PERSONAL STATEMENT.   I believe that times have changed significantly enough that ADCOMS will also see the maturity of non-trad students as an asset.  

I have certainly heard that Osteopathic programs are more welcoming of non-trad students than Allopathic. I believe that there is a degree of truth to that statement. When I compare the personality types of the ADCOMS at both open houses, I have to agree that D.O. programs have a way of eliminating the component of arrogance and focusing on getting to know you. They also made me feel that they were not interested in being competitive in their instruction but producing the best physicians that they can produce.  Whereas the MD programs that I have visited presented a stark difference in their presentation and the applicant selection process. It seemed very subjective and focused almost entirely on your triad of fragmented pieces. i.e. - GPA+MCAT+PERSONAL STATEMENT.  

Time to get back to studying.. Just wanted to pop in and say that I SEE A MILESTONE UP AHEAD!!!! Until next time... PERSEVERE UNTIL ITS DONE!!!