Session 73 The paperback version of The Premed Playbook: Guide to the Medical School Interview is set to be released in June. In celebration of that launch, simply preorder it from Barnes and Noble before June 06, 2017 and get almost $100 worth of giveaways including a brand new, amazing mock interview platform which is only available right now to those who preorder the book. This platform will enable you to practice your interview skills anytime you want and even share video recordings of your ...
May 10, 2017•12 min•Ep. 73
Session 72 The premed path is long and daunting. But what should you do if you’re so committed to becoming a doctor and yet you’re not able to translate that into having good grades? Our poster this week has struggled big time. Unfortunately, he still hasn't found a way to straighten out their grades. If you haven't already, please sign up for an account at the OldPreMeds.org and feel free to post some questions so we can have them answered here on the podcast. [01:10] OldPreMeds Question of the...
May 03, 2017•8 min•Ep. 72
Session 71 Our poster this week is wondering if applying late is going to hurt his chances of getting into an MD school and if he should just focus on DO schools. Should you “give up” applying to MD schools just because you’re taking the MCAT at a later date? [01:15] OldPreMeds Question of the Week: "I'm beginning to realize that I might have to give up on MD and focus on DO only. I'm taking O. Chem 2 and Philosophy this summer and will have all prereqs completed except the Biochem and Bio3 for ...
Apr 26, 2017•10 min•Ep. 71
Session 70 The MCAT is hard. Being a nontrad and studying for the MCAT can seem impossible. Should you quit your job to study for the MCAT full-time? That is the question. We take your questions directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums and answer them here on the podcast. If you haven't yet, sign up for an account and join this awesome community. [01:20] OldPreMeds Question of the Week: "I'm debating whether I should resign from my job or not. I graduated last year and have been balancing working...
Apr 19, 2017•10 min•Ep. 70
Session 69 Taken directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums, today's question comes from Kyle, a student who's not really sure if he's interested in medicine. If you think you’re on the same boat as Kyle then all the more reason you should listen to this episode. This question basically relates a little bit to The Premed Years Session 229 , where I spoke with Renee, a 54-year-old medical student. She was actually 53 when she reapplied to medical school. She was a former nurse turned nurse practitio...
Apr 12, 2017•9 min•Ep. 69
Session 68 Our poster this week is trying to decide between two postbac programs in New York and is worried about picking one that may be looked less upon based on the name. We take questions directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums and answer them here on the podcast. "Old premed” is a relative term as you could be a 23-year-old “old premed” or be a 40, 50, or even 60-year-old “old premed.” In this case, an old premed refers to a nontraditional premed student. So if you consider yourself one (or...
Apr 05, 2017•8 min•Ep. 68
Session 67 This week’s question is all about shadowing, basically some do’s and don’ts to make sure you get the most out of your shadowing experience. We take questions directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums. If you haven't yet, go register for an account. It's free and easy. Feel free to ask questions. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: From Lydia: "I'm preparing for my first shadowing experience. I'll be shadowing a heme/oncologist MD. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to make the most o...
Mar 29, 2017•8 min•Ep. 67
Session 66 This week, a student asked about retaking old prerequisite classes that they previously did well in, hoping to better prepare for the MCAT. The classes that the poster has been considering to take, however, are online. What are the options? If you have any questions, register for an account at OldPreMeds.org and join the collaborative community there. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: "I am 'stuffling' (I wasn’t really sure what the poster meant by this word) in deciding whether or not...
Mar 22, 2017•9 min•Ep. 66
Session 65 Our poster today is a working mom who fell into a very common premed trap of trying to compare her stats to those of others students. The problem is, it doesn’t work that way! If you have any questions that you would like answered here on The OldPreMeds Podcast, go to the OldPremeds.org , sign up for an account and join in their collaborative environment. [01:23] OldPreMeds Question of the Week: "First off, I am so happy to have found this site. I found my way here, thanks to The Prem...
Mar 15, 2017•10 min•Ep. 65
Session 64 We take questions directly from the OldPreMeds.org forum and deliver the answers right here to you. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: "I'm about to graduate from college this upcoming May and would like to apply to medical schools. I wanted to apply to linkage programs so I can get into medical school without having to take the MCAT. I still have not taken the MCAT. However, I cannot apply to postbac programs because I've taken all the premed courses and have done very well in them. So...
Mar 08, 2017•9 min•Ep. 64
Session 63 Our poster today is a former student interested in optometry but is now trying to pursue medicine. A poor MCAT score is holding him back though plus his premed advisor told him he had zero percent chance of getting into medical school due to lack of research experience. Is research really necessary? How else can you improve your application given these circumstances? The OldPreMeds community has been around for a long time helping nontraditional students like yourself on their journey...
Mar 01, 2017•9 min•Ep. 63
Session 62 My name is Dr. Ryan Gray and I am the Director of the National Society for Nontraditional Premedical and Medical Students , also known as OldPreMeds. Taken directly from the forums at OldPreMeds.org , our question this week comes from a nontraditional student who took a lot of classes many years ago and is wondering what's the best route to take to get back into the premed game. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: "I’m new here and so glad to have found this site. I graduated with a scie...
Feb 22, 2017•11 min•Ep. 62
Session 61 Our question this week comes directly from OldPreMeds forums. Our poster wants to know how adcoms will view his or her application as a 50-year-old. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: "I am 50+ years old and I have a deep desire to apply to medical school. Although I majored in biology and acquired a Master's in biology over 20 years ago, I have done so to pursue clinical research and biotechnology. However, I recently completed a Master's in Health Technology and the new medical initia...
Feb 15, 2017•9 min•Ep. 61
Session 60 Taken directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums, today's question comes from a 30-year-old nontraditional student with a professional background in pharmaceuticals and now she's looking at changing her career and committing to medical oncology. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: "I am so happy to have found this community. I am 30 years old with a professional background in pharmaceuticals, formerly a QC Chemist, and currently an oncology R&D project manager, and an academic backgroun...
Feb 08, 2017•8 min•Ep. 60
Session 59 In this episode, Ryan takes a question directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums and delivers the answer right here to you. This week’s question is an interesting one:choosing which schools to apply to. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: “ I was looking into residency match rates of DO versus MD programs using the school website and comparing them to an NRMP. I noticed that the 2016 data for DO match rate was 80.3% versus 93.8% for MD. When I look at the data from DO schools like Western ...
Feb 01, 2017•13 min•Ep. 59
Session 58 If you are not a traditional student entering the medical field on your terms, you may have had some hiccups along the way but now you’re ready to change course and serve others as a physician. This podcast is here to help answer your questions and help educate you on your non-traditional journey to becoming a physician. In this episode, Ryan takes a question directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums and delivers the answer right here to you. Today’s question comes from a student lookin...
Jan 25, 2017•9 min•Ep. 58
Session 57 In this episode, Ryan takes a question directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums and delivers the answer right here to you. Today's scenario is a perfect example of why grades can't get you an acceptance to medical school. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: The poster is 32 years old dropped out of high school when he was 18; developed weird health issues in his 20's that got him obsessed with biochemistry and medicine; went back to school at 26 and graduated from a community college with...
Jan 18, 2017•9 min•Ep. 57
Session 56 In this episode, Ryan breaks from what he usually does here on the podcast where he pulls up a questions directly from OldPreMeds.org forum as he talks about this HUGE announcement this past week from the AACOM that affects nontraditional students more than traditional students. Osteopathic medical schools are more favorable to non-traditional students, You may have struggled in the past, did poorly in undergrad or at a community college, gave up on your dream, only to find that passi...
Jan 11, 2017•11 min•Ep. 56
Session 55 In this episode, Ryan talks about whether or not your chances of getting into medical school will get slimmer if you’re retaking the MCAT for the third time and whether taking a Master’s in a tech science-related course affect your application. Your questions, answered here on the OldPreMeds Podcast. Ryan again dives into the forums over at OldPreMeds.org where he pulls a question and delivers the answers right on to you. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: Poster is 25 years old and wor...
Jan 04, 2017•13 min•Ep. 55
Session 54 In this episode, Ryan talks about how you can improve your medical school application where he touches on some points such as postbac courses, clinical experience, and international clinical volunteering. Your questions, answered here on the OldPreMeds Podcast. Ryan again dives into the forums over at OldPreMeds.org where you can ask questions, get answers, and participate with other students. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: Poster has the following credentials: 3.0 undergrad GPA 3.8...
Dec 28, 2016•11 min•Ep. 54
Session 53 In this episode, Ryan talks about a question from a former Air Force medic who is now working towards applying to medical school. Would it suffice if the time since your last clinical experience was almost 2 years ago? Or should you get more? Your questions, answered here on the OldPreMeds Podcast. Ryan again dives into the forums over at OldPreMeds.org where they pull a question and deliver the answers right on to you. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: Today's poster is a former Air F...
Dec 21, 2016•8 min•Ep. 53
Session 52 This is a full recording of the first episode of the Specialist Stories podcast, which is another addition to the MedEd Media Network. The idea of this podcast was actually born out of The Academy where Ryan had several interviews with different specialists to help students get an understanding of what each specialty was like as well as their pros and cons. Through the Specialist Stories podcast, Ryan interviews different physicians from various specialties to help medical students an...
Dec 14, 2016•39 min•Ep. 52
Session 51 In this episode, Ryan talks about the best ways to learn about MCAT strategies. The MCAT is a test that focuses less on content and more on critical thinking as you break down the passages, the questions and the answers. You can spend all the time reading books to learn the MCAT but if you don't learn the strategies, then you've failed in your MCAT prep. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: The poster is preparing for the MCAT with Khan Academy videos and the Kaplan 7-book set and has lea...
Dec 07, 2016•8 min•Ep. 51
Session 50 In this episode, Ryan basically talks about picking medical schools to apply to and whether you should apply to out-of-state public schools. This is another question pulled out from the forums over at the OldPreMeds.org which you should check out, if you haven't yet, so you too can start joining the discussions or post any questions that you have related to your medical school replication. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: Poster is talking about applying in the upcoming cycle and curi...
Nov 30, 2016•9 min•Ep. 50
Session 49 In this week's episode, Ryan gives his take on whether you should do a masters program prior to taking a postbac program and he also sheds some light to the confusion around undergrad, postbac, and graduate GPAs. If you haven’t yet, register at OldPreMeds.org so you can post your first question right here on the podcast. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: The poster is a true nontraditional student who didn't want to go to medicine until after graduating college. They decided to pursue ...
Nov 23, 2016•11 min•Ep. 49
Session 48 In today's episode, Ryan sheds light on a question related to getting into a US-based medical school when you previously went to a Caribbean school, failed the first semester, and then dropped out. What are the chances? Your questions, answered here on the OldPreMeds Podcast. Ryan and Rich again dive into the forums over at OldPreMeds.org where they pull a question and deliver the answers right on to you. Sign up for an account to join the collaborative community of students. OldPreMe...
Nov 16, 2016•12 min•Ep. 48
Session 47 In this episode, Ryan and Rick tackle a question about shadowing experiences and whether it matters that you're shadowing a DO (osteopathic) when interested in going to an MD (allopathic) school. Ryan and Rich also take a step further and talk about how most DO schools stress the importance of shadowing a DO when applying to a DO school. Once again, Ryan and Rich digged into the forums over at OldPreMeds.org where they pull a question and deliver the answers right on to you. OldPreMed...
Nov 10, 2016•8 min•Ep. 47
Session 46 This week's question is coming from a 36-year old, single mother of three who is looking to get into medical school. Listen in as Ryan and Rich share their insights into how you can actually evaluate postbac programs. Your questions, answered here on the OldPreMeds Podcast. Ryan and Rich again dive into the forums over at OldPreMeds.org where they pull a question and deliver the answers right on to you. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: Poster is looking at UCLA postbac program, part o...
Nov 02, 2016•9 min•Ep. 46
Session 45 In today's episode, Ryan is joined once again by Rich as they take questions directly from the OldPreMeds.org forums . Listen is as they try to outline possible routes to take to get into medical school when your GPA is too low to get into a postbac program. OldPreMeds Question of the Week: The poster is a recent BS graduate from a school in California and medical school has always been in their eyes but graduating with a 2.86 GPA and feeling they have no chance; they took too many un...
Oct 26, 2016•8 min•Ep. 45
Session 44 In this episode, Ryan answers a commonly asked question among nontraditional students which is about how you can fit in your life experiences into a personal statement. How do you actually fit your life into 4500 or 5300 characters? We take questions directly from the OldPreMeds.org forum where they will be answered here on the podcast. If you have questions, whether you’re a nontraditional or traditional student, go to OldPreMeds.org and register for an account. OldPreMeds Question o...
Oct 19, 2016•10 min•Ep. 44
