Headache

Goodness, my primary application was finally verified, less than 4 weeks after submission which is much faster than I'd predicted.

So in the last two days I've received an onslaught of secondary applications to complete, one-by-one. I have a total of 14 applications (out of 28 schools which I applied to). Most of the emails are so generous to mention the "$75" or "$100" or "$95.00" fee which must be submitted along with the secondary application, but this of course can be done either by check or credit.

Yes, while I sit here waiting for my MCAT scores, I debate whether to begin submitting the applications so that they are waiting only for the good scores, or to save my money in case the good scores are not quite so good.

If you're interested... Here's a list of the schools to which I'm applying:

Albany Medical College
Boston University School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
Columbia University College of P & S
Creighton University School of Medicine
Drexel University College of Medicine
Emory University School of Medicine
George Washington University Sch of Med & Hlth Sci
Georgetown University School of Medicine

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medici
Medical College of Wisconsin
New York Medical College
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicin
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Scien
Rush Medical College
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
The University of Miami School of Medicine
Tufts University School of Medicine
Tulane University School of Medicine
University of California San Diego
University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
University of Rochester School of Medicine and Den
University of Washington School of Medicine
Wake Forest University School of Medicine
Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Yale University School of Medicine

Insanity

I knew I hadn't posted for a while, but I didn't realize I went nearly two months without posting, so here we go.

Me: I finished off my minimum premedicine prerequisite classes for most medical schools. Some schools require more than what I've taken, but the vast majority don't. These include physics, general chemistry, general biology, and organic chemistry (1 year's worth of credits, each). I took the intensive summer organic chemistry course, which amounted to 12 quarter credits, and met for about 18 hours a week, but finished in 8 weeks. I managed relatively well, coming out with 3 of 4 grades I wanted. However, I would not recommend this course to anyone unless they have a high ambitious drive and a lack of distracting commitments. The atmosphere toward the end was extremely tense, as the remaining 8 (of 12 initial) students and the professor were all upset over grading schemes and the amount of work. I'm very happy to have the course out of the way, and I admittedly enjoyed much of it, though in the moment, the stress was overwhelming even for me.

That class finished on 8/15, and then the following Friday I took the MCAT. The MCAT is broken into 4 sections: physical sciences (general chemistry & physics multiple choice), verbal (read passages and answer multiple choice questions), writing (two 30-minute essays), and biological sciences (biology & organic chemistry multiple choice). Unfortunately the PS section managed to hit several of my weaker topics for those two areas, although I feel as if the other three went well. I do not find out my scores until approximately September 23rd.

The MCAT is graded roughly on a bell curve. The minimum score that generally gets anyone accepted is ~30-32 composite, with 10+ in all multiple choice sections. The writing section is graded separately. My verbal score should exceed 10 easily, but I am very doubtful about my PS section. This has huge ramifications if my score is not high enough, because it means I need to take some more courses this year to catch up with changing entry requirements. I will have to take genetics and biochemistry. Dangerously, I don't even get my results until the day most of the colleges start classes. So I am trying to figure out whether I want to preemptively enroll myself in those courses or rather search for a job as had been intended.

The process of applying is highly in limbo, requiring a lot of flexibility. Even if my PS section is a 9 (instead of 10), I may be granted some interviews. If it is, however, a 7 or even an 8, I'm likely not to be granted any interviews.

Time will tell.

Mom: She is doing quite wonderfully. The recovery from her megadoses of chemotherapy is a long slow process. She came home mid-late July, after about 5.5 weeks in the hospital, and I initially came home on weekends to help care for her. However, immediately that really only involved helping her get around the house (weak and shaky on feet) and running errands. Her vision was blurry so she couldn't drive and she could only eat soft foods. However, over about 4 weeks, she has improved dramatically. Her senses are largely back to normal, and she is gaining strength collectively. She is driving and eating most food, regardless of texture. Her hair, though, has barely grown.

It has been decided that she will indeed go on Rituximab soon as a maintenance therapy. It has not been proven to work, but the idea is that it holds off a future recurrence of her cancer. Evidently it is the standard treatment in Europe, and is becoming more widely used in the states.

Because my mother had a transplant, there are many restrictions in place. For example, she cannot travel for 3-6 months, nor by air for about a year. She cannot garden, or have any sort of animals around her, and she must avoid certain foods. She is not planning to return to work until perhaps January. Interestingly, her workplace has relocated to a new facility, in which her department is arranged in cubicles, rather than proper offices. This is disadvantegous because she needs to avoid such potentially pathogenic air circulation (common air) so there will need to be some accommodations when she finally returns.

We are hoping that the cancer is gone and no other cancer has been triggered by all her treatments. Again, time will tell, but she is certainly on the rebound.