i-want-to-eventually-go-to-ucla

Question:

I want to eventually go to UCLA

Hello,
My name is Ylse and I am going back to school for pre-med this August in Chicago. I have two years to finish my BS. I am 21 years old and I decided last summer I wanted to become a doctor, I spent last summer researching it to see if i truly wanted to go through with i; I do. My question is this. Should I being preparing for the MCATs? Should I being volunteering? Will it improve my chances of getting accepted to UCLA with a full ride scholarship if I get a high score on my MCATS, GPA, and my extra curriculum activities? Will my chances improve because I speak spanish and sign language?
I have a plan. I love medicine, I know it what I should do. I love to help people and the body is fascinating for me. As a child i would buy anatomy books and biology book, which I know it is much more than that but I love medicine.

What I feel is important is patients having doctors that they feel comfortable with. I am first generation here in the United States, my parents were both born in Mexico. My parents speak english but every time my grandparents would see the doctor one of our family members had to accompany my grandparents. I want to able to speak to spanish speakers in their language. Now, spanish is a language that most people accommodate, which is nice, but there are fewer doctors that speak spanish. What is definitely forgotten, I feel, is the deaf community. I want to offer that communication and comfortability to deaf patients.
So now that you understand me a little more, do you feel if I put the work, time, and effort I can get a full ride scholarship?

Thank you for your advice,
Ylse

Answer: 

Hi Ylse,

Unfortunately there are very few full ride scholarships to any medical school. Preparing for the MCAT, knowing Spanish and sign language, and volunteering a lot will all help you get accepted, but unfortunately there just aren’t many full ride scholarships to medical school. You can visit my page about scholarships to learn more about this or check out that section in my eBook.

However, depending on your parents’ and your financial background, you may qualify for some scholarships based on financial need. Also, if you’re interested in primary care, there are opportunities for loan forgivneness.

So, sorry, but it’s unlikely you’ll get a full ride scholarship to any medical school. Possible, but unlikely. Rochester I know does offer some full ride scholarships. But, most students have to pay with loans.

Mike