I graduated from college with highest honors (Summa cum Laude) in May 2004 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. I was supposed to leave for my Research Fellowship abroad in August 2004 but postponed my departure to January 2005 so that I could participate in another 6-weeks pre-med program with an MCAT preparation component that summer after graduation (June-July)... my plan was to take the August 2004 MCAT before going abroad. Well, I completed the summer program but chickened out at the last minute and didn't take the MCAT anymore because I didn't feel well-prepared and ready... I had some relationship problems that summer which distracted me from my studies (more on this in a future post... I ended up breaking up with my college/first U.S boyfriend of 2.5 years in September 2004). I was able to get a temporary part-time 3 months research job from September - December 2004 which helped to hone my research skills and prepare me for my upcoming field research abroad...
On January 10, 2005, I departed for my host country to complete the one year Research Fellowship. I spent the first month getting acquainted to my new environment, finding my way around and soaking in the culture. I was affiliated with the local university there and they provided me with a very nice accommodation typically reserved for visiting faculty. I had everything I needed nearby-- a grocery store just down the road; a market, fast-food joints including KFC, McDonalds, Papa Johns Pizza & Pizza Hut, restaurants and stores within walking distance or a short cab-ride away. By mid-February, I started working on my research instruments-- designing a survey, setting-up data management/analysis tool, and writing an article on my research topic to give to the research participants. Next agenda was to figure out sites where I'll adminster the survey, incentives and ways to get people interested.
Even with all this going on, I still had the MCAT/my medical school aspiration on my mind. I was unhappy about not going straight from college to medical school and having to sit out two years (because I got low scores on both MCAT attempts in April & August 2003, didn't take MCAT in 2004 and doing the Research Fellowship in 2005). It suddenly dawned on me that if I don't take the exam in 2005 and apply that year for 2006 med school admission, I would be looking at 2007 admission which would mean starting medical school three years after graduating from college... not exactly how I wanted things to go. I hastily decided to try studying for the MCAT again, fly back to the U.S in April to take the April 2005 MCAT (third attempt). In hindsight, that was not a good idea since I had so much going on with my research. But at the time, I didn't let that deter me, I was determined not to sit out a third year. I flew back to the U.S in April 2005 and took the exam. Result was released in June... my score increased by just ONE point from the last/second attempt!!! Yet another major disappointment! I don't know if I was in denial or just plain desperate but I went ahead and applied to about 20 medical schools that summer of 2005 for 2006 admission despite my ridiculously low score (< 20)-- as you would expect, I got rejected by every single school :(
Even with all this going on, I still had the MCAT/my medical school aspiration on my mind. I was unhappy about not going straight from college to medical school and having to sit out two years (because I got low scores on both MCAT attempts in April & August 2003, didn't take MCAT in 2004 and doing the Research Fellowship in 2005). It suddenly dawned on me that if I don't take the exam in 2005 and apply that year for 2006 med school admission, I would be looking at 2007 admission which would mean starting medical school three years after graduating from college... not exactly how I wanted things to go. I hastily decided to try studying for the MCAT again, fly back to the U.S in April to take the April 2005 MCAT (third attempt). In hindsight, that was not a good idea since I had so much going on with my research. But at the time, I didn't let that deter me, I was determined not to sit out a third year. I flew back to the U.S in April 2005 and took the exam. Result was released in June... my score increased by just ONE point from the last/second attempt!!! Yet another major disappointment! I don't know if I was in denial or just plain desperate but I went ahead and applied to about 20 medical schools that summer of 2005 for 2006 admission despite my ridiculously low score (< 20)-- as you would expect, I got rejected by every single school :(
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