BBQ’s

Posted originally on July 25th, 2010

On Friday, I met up with my friend Van Don for lunch at BBQ’s and a movie (Eclipse, which was surprisingly very good. I’m Team Jacob, by the way…). It was so exciting to see him again after his SMDEP experience in Duke this summer for six weeks. Lucky stiff! I wished someone would’ve given me that memo so that I could’ve applied for a program of these. Oh well, I’ll apply for next summer. At least if I decide to do it, I’ll get an automatic interview from the medical school.

From the sounds of it, Donnie’s experience with the SMDEP program was well worth his time. Think about it- a stipend, clinical rotations and exposure to the next few classes he was about to take- physics and physiology. I am taking physics next semester and I’m a bit nervous about it especially after hearing everyone in my university complain about how the professors are torturing them with confusing tests and mind playing school work. I am crossing my fingers I get the glimmer and grasp everything I need to get ahead.
So Donnie explained to me how I needed to take a few extra classes beside my pre-requisites and build up my GPA with silly classes that I know I’ll ace to boost my scores and get a much higher GPA. Silly me, I wished I would’ve done that from the start. NOW I know better and I’m ready to take the load. He also told me that I should really think of taking the course in biochemistry and a few classes here and there that will enhance my GPA and my knowledge for medical school. So I came home yesterday and registered for Childhood Psychology for the Fall to further strengthen my application with 1) an easy A and 2) enhance my knowledge of children that will help me understand them and become a better pediatrician, later a neonatologist.

Then Van Don told me these words: “If you’re considering 2012 admission like me, then it’s time to get ready for Med School and strengthen that application right now. Take easier general courses and raise that GPA. Be prepared to take the MCAT in June 2011.”

And here I thought it was September 2011. Then he told me that it takes three weeks for the scores to come into your application and extra time for the individual med schools to process into their records of yours. The October deadline would have passed and that would put me at a great disadvantage next to those who took the MCAT in April and June because by the time the application would be completed, medical schools would have  already interviewed a batch of students for admission and by October start making decisions as to who will get accepted and/or rejected and even send out the forms as early as that month. So at the latest, a June 2011 MCAT it is. I guess I should buy the Biology, verbal and chemistry sections ASAP.  When I spend time with Van Don, a young man, eight years my junior, he pumps me up each and everytime. He has such positive energy and a dire desire to get ahead and better himself, it isn’t even funny for a kid his age. It feels like looking at a mirror and remembering when I was 19 years old. It is nice to remember when 19 used to be extremely young and exciting. Sigh…

I need really good vibes from now until next October (2011, that is)