Hi everyone!! So this is not a “what are my chances” forum… it’s more of a “do you have any advice on how to spin my story so that I can improve my chances” thread.
I’m a junior at a very reputable undergraduate institution- typically, 80% of our students who will apply to medical school will get into at least one medical school. I have around a 3.8 GPA… not sure my science GPA but probably similar. Also, forgot to mention I’m majoring in bio. Haven’t taken the MCAT yet but going to do a lot of prep and hoping for at least an average score. My ECs include: D1 varsity athlete for first two years (ended up quitting because felt the team had an unhealthy atmosphere and was no longer a good fit for me), now a volunteer EMT and freshmen retreat leader. Have a held a couple of interesting internships that tie into my long-term interests.
Basically, why I am writing this is because of the “unconventional” aspects of my application. Due to health issues (i.e. mental illness) I took two medical leave’s of absence from school. I also had one “bad” semester in which I got a lower GPA (it was still a decent GPA… it was just lower than my normal perfect grades… i.e. around a 3.3 compared to usually a 3.9+). During this bad semester I was also still playing my D1 sport and was dealing with a concussion I sustained while playing this sport. On top of this, one semester, I withdrew from my classes to go on a medical leave. Just to clarify, I didn’t withdraw because I was doing poorly, I withdrew because of my health.
I’m just wondering how I can best spin this to medical schools? Should I write my personal statement about my unique experiences that will make me a more well-rounded and empathetic physician? Or should I try to gloss over it? Should I reveal the fact that I struggled with mental illness or chalk up my medical leaves to something less stigmatized? I firmly believe that these experiences will make me a better physician and a better medical student. I’ve heard stats that 50-70% of med students struggle with mental health issues… I feel that it is better to learn how to deal with it and cope before med school rather than first confronting it during med school. Unfortunately, I am aware that there is a lot of stigma around these issues in the medical community and that admissions departments may write me off about it.
Any advice for me?? Anyone who has gotten into med school after struggling with health during undergrad?? Thank you SO much for reading my annoyingly long post and have a great day :).