Advice for a 23 year old Soc Major

[ebpowe2]

What advice would you give someone with a c+ average in undergrad but wants to go to med school? I have been advised to go back and get my post-bac degree in Biology, however, I feel like this isn't enough--any helpful hints??

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[ShyRem]

You see a lot of advice here on taking classes over again, taking lots of classes to raise your GPA, etc. etc. etc. My situation was a bit different, but here's what I did:

I went to school first 20 years ago, went for 4 semesters but basically failed every class my last semester because I didn't go. I withdrew myself because I just didn't know what the h*LL I was doing. When I went back to school, rather than take just 1 or 2 classes a semester, I took 21 credits. And 12 credits in the summer. My major was/is math, and I fell into a chemistry double-major along the way. So, in three years, I've taken 120 credits of extremely difficult science classes and done very well.

Overall, my GPA on AMCAS looks like crap because of my mess 20 years ago. However, I have gotten lots of secondaries, only two rejections (so far), and even a screened secondary invite. (BTW, I took the April MCAT and then retook in August. Still waiting for those scores). What I do have going for me is a TON of medical experience and a VERY long history of going above and beyond to volunteer in the medical field. All before medical school was a star in my sky.

Basically, you have to now prove this is what you want. Show your devotion, buckle down and get stinkin' awesome grades and a really good MCAT score. Advice I got early on was to take a load of classes that were difficult to prove I could handle the workload. Talk to some nearby medical school admissions offices and get advice.

Above all else, if you go back to school, get another degree in something you LOVE to do. DO NOT... repeat.. DO NOT do Biology just because some idiot in the pre-med office told you that's the degree you have to have for med school. Heck, major in art history if that floats your boat. Just get good grades in your pre-reqs while you do it.

Good luck!!!!!

 

[Senor.Frog]

I would do a post-bac to complete the science requirements. And the old adage is, do well and kill the MCAT. You also have to show to the adcoms that you will be able to handle the challenges of med school. (i.e. its an investment for them, so if you can handle a post-bac and the MCAT, well, then you can probably handle med school too)

Also, start volunteering now at a free clinic or something of that sort. You need to put yourself in the environment of providing care to see if this is what you truly want to do.

Adcoms usually look for something more than just numbers. But of course you need descent numbers to "get your foot in the door."

Look into osteopathic medicine. It might me a viable route. Don't listen to what other SDN posters say about osteopaths. Osteopaths are doctors just like allopaths. But if you want a true answer go and shadow a DO yourself.

Above all else, believe in yourself! If you truly want it, go get it! Good luck!

 

[ebpowe2]

Thanks for the advice!!! It's always good to seek the opinion of others especially when we have the same goal in common. I am currently working as an Anesthesia Assistant and could not ask for a more hands on, amazing job. As for volunteer work I have a little under my belt already. Hopefully after taking a semester off, I will be ready to go back full force and get another degree in Bio. Thanks again for all the wonderful advice!!

 

[Sharky]

Apply to DO and caribbean schools.

 

[Wahoowa]

I would do a post-bac to complete the science requirements. And the old adage is, do well and kill the MCAT. You also have to show to the adcoms that you will be able to handle the challenges of med school. (i.e. its an investment for them, so if you can handle a post-bac and the MCAT, well, then you can probably handle med school too)

Also, start volunteering now at a free clinic or something of that sort. You need to put yourself in the environment of providing care to see if this is what you truly want to do.

Adcoms usually look for something more than just numbers. But of course you need descent numbers to "get your foot in the door."

Look into osteopathic medicine. It might me a viable route. Don't listen to what other SDN posters say about osteopaths. Osteopaths are doctors just like allopaths. But if you want a true answer go and shadow a DO yourself.

Above all else, believe in yourself! If you truly want it, go get it! Good luck!

This is true, adcoms look for the well-rounded student. In fact, I have been told that admissions often takes a well-rounded applicant with lower numbers as opposed to an applicant with perfect grades/test scores but little life experience. Medicine is looking for potential physicians that can learn the science and deal with people effectively.

I am an osteopathic physician in my first year of residency in anesthesiology at an MD institution. My training was minimally different from my MD colleagues. This whole MD vs. DO debate just shows a lack of education and expereince in the real world. I am a doctor becoming an anesthesiologist. We all work together and compliment each other and there is never a question of credentials or where you went to med school. Medicine is medicine--it is not taught differently.

 

[Fermata]

You're going to really have to pull it around.

You need to aim for an upward trend in gpa, a high mcat score, and some research if you can.

You need to prove two things: aptitude and commitment.

 

[NontradICUdoc]

Do yourself a favor and take a little time, unless you have already done so, and think about thepath you are about to take. I am not saying this to scare you but rather for you to makethe decision with an open mind.

I also, had a c average in college and am now in graduate school and have an A average. I decided several years ago to pursue a medical career after thinking long and hard about what I was about to do. I have been in the medical community for the last 14 years and have always wanted to do this.

What you are about to do is to commit your life to this profession. In order to prove, not only to the admissions committees but also to yourself, that you can handle the demanding work ahead of you you really need to do well and ensure that everyone knows that the c-average is behind you. To do this, you will need to work 100X harder than current undergrads leaving you little time for anything else. Your evenings will be consumed with studying, your weekends will be consumed with studying. When you are not studying, you are volunteering in the medical field or shadowing a doctor, or looking into medical schools. And when you are not studying for class you will be studying for the MCATs.

It brings to mind a small part of the movie "Legally Blonde", yeah I know make the jokes. But in the begining when the main character was studying for her LSATs, she was really hitting the books while everyone else was having fun (the comparison ends here). This is what life is like for pre-meds who are serious about medical school. Especially those with a not so stellar performance in college.

Think about what I said. We are here to help each other out. Just stay out of the Pre-Allopathic forum because those guys thinks they know everything and they are not even in medical school.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Well I am in the same boat as yourself. I am looking to enroll in a 2nd bachelors program ( don't know if I will finish it though) in bio/biochem/chem (haven't picked). I am currently in an MBA program which I am looking to finish by Dec 2005. Its a rough path and there will be alot of sacrafices made. I'm going to apply after I finish my prereqs for 2007 matriculation and if I don't get in I will keep on trying. I am actually trying to make appt with medical school admission officers now to get some direction on what I can do to improve my chances of getting in (I will be applying MD and DO). I have a hole in undergrad and I will NOT let that get in the way of my dreams. Best of luck and don't let others get you down. If you know you can do it, you can!

PS ... there is alot of good info on this forum. Search for particulars and I'm sure you can find what you need. If you need help with anything, feel free to PM me.

 

[megswinter82]

I'm about to turn 23 and am going through the application process for the first time, and let me tell you...I didn't expect to lose this much sleep!!!

I also have a mediocre GPA 3.3 overall with a 3.1 BCPM, my August 2004 MCAT scores weren't too bad... 11VR, 8PS, 10BS WR Q. But I'm a little worried. I had a bad year my sophomore and have shown an upward trend...really tried to get my act together...with some research and lots of volunteer experience. I want to have a family and all that too...and I'm worried about how to plan ahead, I guess. Ahhh! Any advice as to back up plans or what my chances are? Please let me know what you think!

I'm applying to all Ohio schools and could really use some real advice as to what I can expect...just submitted my AMCAS last week and am waiting for them to recieve my transcripts!

 

[Stroganoff]

Well I am in the same boat as yourself. I am looking to enroll in a 2nd bachelors program ( don't know if I will finish it though) in bio/biochem/chem (haven't picked). I am currently in an MBA program which I am looking to finish by Dec 2005. Its a rough path and there will be alot of sacrafices made. I'm going to apply after I finish my prereqs for 2007 matriculation and if I don't get in I will keep on trying. I am actually trying to make appt with medical school admission officers now to get some direction on what I can do to improve my chances of getting in (I will be applying MD and DO). I have a hole in undergrad and I will NOT let that get in the way of my dreams. Best of luck and don't let others get you down. If you know you can do it, you can!

PS ... there is alot of good info on this forum. Search for particulars and I'm sure you can find what you need. If you need help with anything, feel free to PM me.

Age is just a number anyway. I too won't be an attending till I'm 40 or so, and while that seems really scary, life doesn't just stop in the pursuit of the dream. Life is now, and happiness is anytime. It'll be forever before many of us have some letters behind our name, but that doesn't mean we have to kill ourselves or become embittered about our mistakes. I definitely don't want to postpone starting a family. That to me is an important goal in my life, just like career.

My only advice to the OP (it makes sense to me at least) is to ease your way back into classes. Some people can jump back into taking a full science load and doing well, but it's better to take 2-3 science/technical classes sometimes and work your way up. Start out getting A's and build your momentum instead of diving head first and having more W's than you need. These are some of my mistakes at least.

Best of luck to all.