Congrats! You graduated! Now What?

source: Finding Nemo


So...you just graduated. Not top of class. Not bottom of class. Just. graduated. Feel familiar?

You are probably feeling like the tank gang in Finding Nemo...Now What? Well, you have a few options -- or at least options from my perspective.

1. Take the MCAT and go through the med school app process and hope for the best
2. Give up the possibility of medical school
3. Take an alternative route to medical school

I thought it through and decided on door three. I knew I was not competitive for the medical school application process and I knew that my odds were totally not in my favor. I had to get creative and if you have read this far, you will too.

My road has been interesting and complicated. I graduated from the Pennsylvania State University in 2015 with a degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Microbiology. Upon graduation, I knew I wanted to take a break from schooling before starting my long road ahead. My gap time included working, traveling, and a few life events. Besides the "fun stuff," I also studied for the GRE. I am now ready to start my first semester of grad school at the University of Florida this fall. My concentration is medical microbiology and cell science.

Before delving into all sorts of topics, I would like to take the time and share my GPA and GRE. These will be crucial bits of information when applying to grad schools. Your GPA will also be important and possibly a discussion point during the med school application process. I also think these are important to share because this whole blog is not coming from someone who sailed through undergrad and went straight to medical school. I had many hurdles in undergrad and post graduation. I did not get the "ideal" and "competitive" GPA med schools look for -- but that is okay. I got what I got -- now I have to make it work somehow in my favor.

Final undergraduate GPA: 2.98.
GRE scores: V: 153 Q: 153 W: 4.5

I hope you find this blog informative. Enjoy my adventure and welcome to The Alternative Way to Medical School.

You can follow me on Twitter @TAWTMS for all the latest updates!


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