Do you have a while until you can apply? Come lament in here with me.

[astrostellar]

Hi all,

You may have seen me poking around for a while. I'm a 26-year-old nontrad in the military and have three years left on my service commitment, and also work shifts so my ability to take in-person prereqs is limited/slowed. I'm looking at an application year of 2021-2022 if all works out.

I know several of you are also waiting, be it for fiscal reasons, the military, waiting for kids to get older/spouse to finish career goals, or because of the rate at which you can take classes.

Tell me how long you've got, what your plan is, and what you're doing to stay motivated and maintain your sanity in this extra-long marathon!

Hopefully, if you stick around SDN, we'll be able to see everyone's progress over the next however many years.

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[twospadz]

Im 26 yo PGY1 resident currently. By the time you apply you will be 30. If i was you, I would look into PA. Faster route, good money.Spending another 7 years on top of 30 is not good

 

[astrostellar]

Im 26 yo PGY1 resident currently. By the time you apply you will be 30. If i was you, I would look into PA. Faster route, good money.Spending another 7 years on top of 30 is not good

I'll actually be 31! I'm not at all concerned about being old... and I'm pretty sure most of the nontrad forum would agree with me.
I have lots of experience with PAs thanks to the military, and... I'm not interested. I wouldn't be happy in that job. 38 years old is nothing.

 

[QofQuimica]

I joined SDN in 2004 as a premed, applied in 2005, and started med school in 2006 at age 31. I've been an attending for the past few years (finished residency at age 39) and just went back this month at age 42 to do a fellowship for fun/intellectual interest (I'm basically considering myself semi-retired these days.). The time does go by, so don't wish your life away. You will never have another chance to be 26 again. Find something fun, productive, and inspiring to do, whether it's learning a new skill, volunteering, or just spending time with your family.

 

[princesspeach2]

I am quite shocked at the lack of comments to this post, especially after the awesome Parks and Rec meme! Also, your puppies are adorable!

I am 24 year old non-trad, but am following a "traditional" path, at least somewhat. I failed out of college my first semester (0.0 GPA) in 2011 due to immaturity/social anxiety, worked full time in food service since then, and only recently went back to school at a local community college last fall 2016. I have now completed one year of classes with a 4.0 GPA, all prereqs to the medical school prereqs, with 2 years of courses left before I can transfer, and then 2 more years of classes at the 4 year university. I currently am and plan to be working part time throughout my undergraduate education, at least 25 hours a week.

In total, at least 4 more years of school. I am not sure on whether or not I will be taking a gap year, it depends on my finances. I have been with my boyfriend for over 9 years, but we are putting off getting married until I graduate undergrad as it would affect my financial aid drastically.

I get fairly frustrated at times when I think how I have pretty much "wasted" four years of my life just working as a shift manager in food service, (and how how much I completely screwed myself over by failing all my classes as a freshmen). Sure, the leadership experience has been great, and I have really "fixed" my social anxiety issues as a result, but it is disheartening when I think of how far I could be now had I not waited so long to go back, or how much of an uphill battle one semester of stupidity created for me.

As for what I do to stay motivated, I try not to think about how much I still have to do, and focus on what I can actually accomplish now. I also will read a lot of books about premedical/medical students journeys to become a physician. I have been seeking out shadowing programs as well, and focusing on volunteering. I also have tried to see this time as time I can use to perfect time management and studying so I will be set in medical school.

Although, even though I keep telling myself a mantra I've seen on here several times, "it's not a sprint, it's a marathon," this describes more accurately how I feel sometimes.

I have looked into PA as well, and while initially it does sound like a good fit (as I am interested in FP, and honestly, anything sounds better than food service), long-term, I know I would regret it and end up going back to applying to medical school. I agree with you, I am not concerned about my age. I am concerned about regretting not at least trying. I do not want to be wondering, what if, for the rest of my life.

My sister is also in the military, and was looking into nursing/PA before. She explained to me how difficult it was to take any sort of classes with a laboratory section.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's progress!

 

[WGSgrad]

First, thank you for your service.

Second, I'm already "old" at 31 and have two years before I can apply; I expect to apply in spring of 2019 to start in the fall of 2020 (I'll be 34), and will be (not arrogant...just putting it out into the universe) class of 2024 (38). I'm not worried about being too old either. I generally don't feel old...unless I bump into something an bruise incredibly easily or spend time on my knees and suddenly feel 80.

Third, I am planning to spend the next two years burnishing my application as much as I can. Super interested in your plans... You're in the military which is an awesome service component but also an awesome "in"...assuming you are near a base, you can easily get a ton of shadowing hours from military doctors and use those connections to make connections with civilian physicians for more shadowing. Additionally, you have a opportunities to do service work; might even get the opportunity to volunteer in the base clinic and get patient contact hours? Seriously, other than the MCAT and prerequsites, it seems like your application could be in amazing shape. Also, have you looked at military friendly brick and mortar colleges when you get out? You could probably take all of you general education courses online (English, history, etc.) and only really need to do your math/sciences in person when you get out...

Excited to hear about another person's journey. Best of luck!

 

[esob]

Well another year seems like a long time to me, especially since I started this journey in 2015. I guess I'm super old at 42 but I'm still outperforming my peers, including the ones that don't work, don't have any home responsibilities, etc. I've also given several of them quite the whipping on the basketball court so maybe I've just got that Benjamin Button disease and am actually getting younger

 

[Tabiyou]

Hey there OP, I am 31. Our entering class had a mean age of 24, with the youngest being 20 and the oldest being 46. I am a MS2.

The cool thing about this website is that there are so many different view points, and it is up to you to decide what is the signal vs noise. I had a career before this (served 5 years in the Marines as an Infantry Officer) and decided I no longer wanted to serve as a line officer. Good luck in your journey!

 

[rabbott1971]

Im 26 yo PGY1 resident currently. By the time you apply you will be 30. If i was you, I would look into PA. Faster route, good money.Spending another 7 years on top of 30 is not good

Why are you trolling the non-trad forum? You don't see us coming to the "I did everything perfectly" forum and trolling you!

 

[IslandStyle808]

Why are you trolling the non-trad forum? You don't see us coming to the "I did everything perfectly" forum and trolling you!

I wish I could like this comment 10x over...

 

[bafflestar galactica]

Your post has brought me out of lurking!

I am 27, a liberal arts degree holder, living overseas with my partner who is completing their PhD. I've got a few years to wait on that still...

Once I get back to the US, I will need to complete a post-bacc to get my required courses in before I can even "think" about med school. Been trying to work out some volunteering opportunities, but gets a bit tricky when most volunteering opportunities seem to be during working hours, or are difficult to access by public transit outside of working hours. I miss having a car!

I think just taking it one step at a time keeps me motivated (i.e. setting up volunteering opportunities, searching for shadowing opportunities, reading everything I can), plus thinking about the patients I used to work with is a big factor too!

 

[Tabiyou]

Your post has brought me out of lurking!

I am 27, a liberal arts degree holder, living overseas with my partner who is completing their PhD. I've got a few years to wait on that still...

Once I get back to the US, I will need to complete a post-bacc to get my required courses in before I can even "think" about med school. Been trying to work out some volunteering opportunities, but gets a bit tricky when most volunteering opportunities seem to be during working hours, or are difficult to access by public transit outside of working hours. I miss having a car!

I think just taking it one step at a time keeps me motivated (i.e. setting up volunteering opportunities, searching for shadowing opportunities, reading everything I can), plus thinking about the patients I used to work with is a big factor too!

Humanities majors unite! I was a history major in undergrad and grad school too.

 

[esob]

Humanities majors unite! I was a history major in undergrad and grad school too.

I was a liberal arts major for 3 years at a private school before switching to bio at a state university

 

[QofQuimica]

I have a liberal arts degree (BA) from a liberal arts college too. Spanish and sciences double major.

Quite honestly, these days the Spanish is probably more useful than the science degree.

 

[juneaume]

I am quite shocked at the lack of comments to this post, especially after the awesome Parks and Rec meme! Also, your puppies are adorable!

I am 24 year old non-trad, but am following a "traditional" path, at least somewhat. I failed out of college my first semester (0.0 GPA) in 2011 due to immaturity/social anxiety, worked full time in food service since then, and only recently went back to school at a local community college last fall 2016. I have now completed one year of classes with a 4.0 GPA, all prereqs to the medical school prereqs, with 2 years of courses left before I can transfer, and then 2 more years of classes at the 4 year university. I currently am and plan to be working part time throughout my undergraduate education, at least 25 hours a week.

In total, at least 4 more years of school. I am not sure on whether or not I will be taking a gap year, it depends on my finances. I have been with my boyfriend for over 9 years, but we are putting off getting married until I graduate undergrad as it would affect my financial aid drastically.

I get fairly frustrated at times when I think how I have pretty much "wasted" four years of my life just working as a shift manager in food service, (and how how much I completely screwed myself over by failing all my classes as a freshmen). Sure, the leadership experience has been great, and I have really "fixed" my social anxiety issues as a result, but it is disheartening when I think of how far I could be now had I not waited so long to go back, or how much of an uphill battle one semester of stupidity created for me.

As for what I do to stay motivated, I try not to think about how much I still have to do, and focus on what I can actually accomplish now. I also will read a lot of books about premedical/medical students journeys to become a physician. I have been seeking out shadowing programs as well, and focusing on volunteering. I also have tried to see this time as time I can use to perfect time management and studying so I will be set in medical school.

Although, even though I keep telling myself a mantra I've seen on here several times, "it's not a sprint, it's a marathon," this describes more accurately how I feel sometimes.

I have looked into PA as well, and while initially it does sound like a good fit (as I am interested in FP, and honestly, anything sounds better than food service), long-term, I know I would regret it and end up going back to applying to medical school. I agree with you, I am not concerned about my age. I am concerned about regretting not at least trying. I do not want to be wondering, what if, for the rest of my life.

My sister is also in the military, and was looking into nursing/PA before. She explained to me how difficult it was to take any sort of classes with a laboratory section.

Looking forward to seeing everyone's progress!

Aside from slight differences, you just described my life!

27 years-old, worked in a law office for 3-4 years of wasted time, withdrew from my first semester of college (one of the only good pieces of advice I ever got from that school), waiting to get married because of financial aid although we've been together over 6 years.

 

[astrostellar]

I'm so happy to see so many tenacious people! Yay!

Super interested in your plans... You're in the military which is an awesome service component but also an awesome "in"...assuming you are near a base, you can easily get a ton of shadowing hours from military doctors and use those connections to make connections with civilian physicians for more shadowing. Additionally, you have a opportunities to do service work; might even get the opportunity to volunteer in the base clinic and get patient contact hours? Seriously, other than the MCAT and prerequsites, it seems like your application could be in amazing shape. Also, have you looked at military friendly brick and mortar colleges when you get out? You could probably take all of you general education courses online (English, history, etc.) and only really need to do your math/sciences in person when you get out...

I've actually unfortunately been hitting a lot of road blocks with my military hospital. They require a level of HIPAA training to shadow, and even then, a lot of MD providers are super-picky about allowing non-medical personnel in. All of my personal providers are PAs and NPs and getting ahold of the MD/DO population is proving difficult. It doesn't seem like there are any opportunities to volunteer at our family health clinic/emergency department without being in a medical AFSC.

That's not to say I'm not going to keep trying to shadow them and get contact hours and generally be bothersome until they cave... it's just proving difficult with me being in a 100% non-medical job.

In other news, my summer semester ends in two weeks and I am extremely excited. (And then fall starts back up in about four, but...)

 

[esob]

I'm so happy to see so many tenacious people! Yay!



I've actually unfortunately been hitting a lot of road blocks with my military hospital. They require a level of HIPAA training to shadow, and even then, a lot of MD providers are super-picky about allowing non-medical personnel in. All of my personal providers are PAs and NPs and getting ahold of the MD/DO population is proving difficult. It doesn't seem like there are any opportunities to volunteer at our family health clinic/emergency department without being in a medical AFSC.

That's not to say I'm not going to keep trying to shadow them and get contact hours and generally be bothersome until they cave... it's just proving difficult with me being in a 100% non-medical job.

In other news, my summer semester ends in two weeks and I am extremely excited. (And then fall starts back up in about four, but...)

I continue to feel that shadowing is the hardest part of the application, if only in the fact that gaining access to shadowing is a bit like door to door sales of a product no one is interested in, lol. It is even more so when you are an older non-trad. After 100+ hrs volunteering and more than a year of service with my hospice company I was still unable to get any of the 3 docs to allow me to shadow them (though they do write LOR's). I just got lucky b/c a non-trad doc took pity on me and decided to give me an opportunity to shadow

 

[petomed]

I'm turning 28 this year and targeting matriculation in 2019. Currently taking Ochem II and still need biochemistry as well as serious psych/sociology study (having never taken) before sitting for the mcat. About as certain as any career changer, I'll be giving up my cush senior mechanical engineering position with a great aerospace company. I volunteer ~6 hrs/wk at a local ED and definitely look forward to it more than my 9-5. People are just so interesting!

You can learn just about everything there is to know about mechanical machines in just a few years. You could spend your lifetime on nearly any facet of the body and know comparatively little more than you started with. I choose medicine.

 

[WGSgrad]

That's not to say I'm not going to keep trying to shadow them and get contact hours and generally be bothersome until they cave... it's just proving difficult with me being in a 100% non-medical job.

First, congratulations on wrapping up your summer semester. I hope everything wraps up well and that you get the chance to relax and enjoy those four weeks before hitting the books again hard in the fall.

Second, YES! to the text in bold. So much of applying to medical school is about being tenacious and "how bad do you want it." Two weeks ago, I found out the small university that I was planning to attend in the fall is more than likely going to lose its accreditation in September. (The university was never the best fit for me, but they offered me a scholarship, were cheap, and relatively close to where I lived). Unfortunately, the University's unwillingness to indicate, in writing, that they expected to retain their accreditation was enough of a red flag for me and my advisors that I spent the past two week scrambling to find somewhere else to go in the fall. The university that I will now be attending told me "no"...TWICE...because they are over enrolled but eventually I found someone who was willing to listening to me, my goals, my plans, and to advocate for my admission. The university is on the other side of the state, which will necessitate a move to another neighboring state that is closer to the university than where I currently live...and classes start in less than a month...but when they do, I will be ready.

It seems cliche but I think if you keep knocking on doors (and e-mails) eventually someone will say yes. Maybe it's time to get creative? Is there an informal way you can connect with one of the physicians? Do they golf? Go to the gun range? Is there a chance your commanding officer (or anyone else higher up you know well) might be willing to put in a good word for you with any of the physicians they know? Could you make friends with someone with a medically related ASFC and see if they would be willing to make an introduction?

Might it be worth it to take a cheap online HIPPA training course (most come with a certificate at the end) to demonstrate your commitment?

In any instance, good luck! Please make sure to update this thread with your progress as you move along in your journey. I look forward to hearing about it.

 

[babyjack]

This is such an awesome post that it is pulling me out of the woodwork too. I've been a lurker on SDN for about a year! I'm 28, just graduated with a BSN and started work as an RN this year in a medical/surgical/cardiac ICU. Before nursing school I got a BA and spent my time as a touring musician and a substitute teacher. Even though it was a challenging lifestyle--and a lot of fun--I decided that healthcare was where I truly wanted to be. I've had a lot of opportunities as both a student and an ICU nurse to see many different specialties and have decided to go back to school yet again, this time as a pre-med student. I just paid tuition for the first term today!

I have about 2 years of classes before I want to take the MCAT and begin the application process. I'm not too concerned about clinical experience or shadowing as I now have a lot of really solid working relationships with physicians. The biggest road block for me will probably be getting enough research experience. I know people put a lot of emphasis on it so I'm a little worried about working full time, going to school, being married (no kids), and finding enough time to do any significant research. The MCAT is pretty intimidating too. The thought of spending thousands of dollars on classes and putting any other career opportunities on hold in the hopes that I'll ace one test is so daunting. But I trust that if I work hard and put in the time things will play out in the best way.

As an "old man", I really see the benefits of going the long road to MD/DO, over a shorter path to NP, CRNA, or PA. It's not about the money. To be honest, I make plenty as a nurse to be happy. I just know that I would regret taking another route solely because it took less time. #YOLO #scenicroute

 

[Kahalaopuna]

I will be 31 years old when I apply next year. Despite the demands associated with the application preparation (pre-reqs, research, volunteering, shadowing, MCAT preparation, etc.), I actually feel younger than I did when I was working as an engineer in my low- to mid-twenties. There is something extremely liberating about finally discovering which career path you want to follow and deciding to go for it. Like others, I have also encountered difficulty in securing the opportunities for physician shadowing and am persistently working on trying to find some during this next semester.

 

[cellsaver]

Liike others, I have also encountered difficulty in securing the opportunities for physician shadowing and am persistently working on trying to find some during this next semester.

Research the area hospitals and medical charities to see if any of them have a travel clinic medical bus that visits churches, minority community centers, immigrant locales. Many area physicians, nurses and other clinicians volunteer their time for such missions and they could always use an extra set of hands...they are always recruiting at my church

 

[cellsaver]

.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Well, I don't have awhile until I apply from now (barring some sort of disaster), but I've been in premed land for awhile (mostly by choice for certain opps) and I'm getting a bit impatient now. Looking at app. next June.

 

[LisaRN-MD]

I am fairly new to the site. Being 26 soon to be 27 wife and mother of 2, I began to think MD was next to impossible. I started out as a pre-med student and ended up in nursing school. I am currently an Critical Care RN. 2-3 years sounds about right when it comes to how much time I will be ready to even sit through the MCAT. I currently have an ADN. My goal is to get a degree in biomedical sciences. I have known since I was a kid that I wanted to become a physician. I have been in the medical field since I was 18. My first job out of highschool was a tech on an open heart step down unit, where I did my first year as a nurse. I recently transferred to CCU. I do not have this superb collegiate background but I am willing to work hard. My husband has been nothing but supportive and it helps tremendously. Any advice is welcomed. It will be interesting to see how I get through this being a wife and mother. I was going for NP but I feel like I am still settling. I don't want to be 40, asking myself 'what if.'

 

[steve-o-matic]

Thanks for the post. I'll throw in my two cents.

26yo nontrad looking to start applying in the 19-20 cycle. When I'm done, if I take the traditional seven year-route (by the grace of God) I'll be in my mid-30's.

My constraints? I'm halfway done with a DIY post-grad to complete my prereqs (liberal arts undergrad) and I'm almost done with my master in healthcare administration. I've already started a professional career in healthcare management and there are a lot of ties to cut if (when) I'm accepted- sell the house, finish paying off the cars, pay off any outstanding debts, learn to be a poor student again. Adulting is hard ya'll!

What's my plan? Being a bit of a control freak, I have an enormous gantt chart coordinating what classes I need to take and other important activities. I've researched several avenues of approach (which classes are offered when and where, MCAT dates, what doctors do I know are receptive to precepting, etc), and the chart's where I keep all of those thoughts. Ticking off a box makes me feel like I'm accomplishing my goals.

How do I stay motivated? My exposure to healthcare through work and the impetus of losing a very close family member are two reasons. Honestly, I'm very impatient but I feel like this is a worthwhile reason; maybe I'll learn something about delayed gratification in the process.

 

[cellsaver]

Thanks for the post. I'll throw in my two cents.

26yo nontrad looking to start applying in the 19-20 cycle. When I'm done, if I take the traditional seven year-route (by the grace of God) I'll be in my mid-30's.

My constraints? I'm halfway done with a DIY post-grad to complete my prereqs (liberal arts undergrad) and I'm almost done with my master in healthcare administration. I've already started a professional career in healthcare management and there are a lot of ties to cut if (when) I'm accepted- sell the house, finish paying off the cars, pay off any outstanding debts, learn to be a poor student again. Adulting is hard ya'll!

What's my plan? Being a bit of a control freak, I have an enormous gantt chart coordinating what classes I need to take and other important activities. I've researched several avenues of approach (which classes are offered when and where, MCAT dates, what doctors do I know are receptive to precepting, etc), and the chart's where I keep all of those thoughts. Ticking off a box makes me feel like I'm accomplishing my goals.

How do I stay motivated? My exposure to healthcare through work and the impetus of losing a very close family member are two reasons. Honestly, I'm very impatient but I feel like this is a worthwhile reason; maybe I'll learn something about delayed gratification in the process.

Love it! This is awesome! Many medical students are OCD. Our first year Anatomy professor gave us a review on a Saturday morning and he called us out. He said, "it is Saturday morning and you are all here to review for a medical school exam instead of sleeping in bed or enjoying your weekend. You are all OCD". We all laughed.

My husband reminds me often. Oh well. It is a good thing so embrace that part in you as a plus. Get used to the label

I did a DIY Post Bacc and kept motivated by associating with the General and Organic Chem lab TAs (mostly foreigners / immigrant PhD candidates who were grateful to be in America). They were funny and inspiring. I would get to know my Professors during their office hours and befriended other students who also had big dreams. Get to know your science professors outside of lectures. They have more to teach than just the Anti Markavnikov or Freidel Craft Mechanisms. I cant believe I remembered those Orgo terms!

In medical school I have benefited greatly from audio books - listening to inspiring physician authors like Dr Siddhartha Mukhurjee. I have done several and they are fantastic. You might explore that option to keep you driven

Stick to your plan. You will go far. Great story. Kudos

 

[bado123]

Great Thread!

I'm 21 and just graduated with a degree in Health Science. Currently in a masters program for health/biomedical informatics. I have very low pre req stats. Planning to begin a DIY post bacc at community to complete lower pre reqs and then transfer to a four year to complete upper level courses. I plan on applying in two years. Let's get through this together


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[TransplantedPackerfan]

The thread I finally made an account for!

I'm 26, and I finished an enlistment in the military at 24. Jumped straight into school after a great globe trotting vacation on my terminal leave. Looking to graduate in three years so will hopefully matriculate when I'm 28. I recently finished a 100-hour "internship" at a local hospital that really reaffirmed my motivation for becoming a physician.

The best part of this entire process for me personally has been igniting a passion for learning. I was an average student in high school and wasn't at all ready or willing to go to college after graduating HS. But after six years away, I can't get enough! Only started to feel the burnout this summer when physics was kicking my butt but managed to pull out of a disastrous first test for a decent grade.

Reading is my favorite stress reliever. I read for at least an hour before going to bed to clear the mind and focus on a good story.

 

[Tyrone.]

So glad I found this thread! I suppose I'll put my "short" bio out there. Quotations because I have a tendency to go on.

For starters, I am 1 of 9 kids that came from the same father but different mothers. I was an abandoned drug baby at 9 months old in a drug house by my biological mom while my dad was in prison. I was literally left for dead. My dad's parents tipped them off with a phonecall where I could be found. It took 2 days to get to me but I made it after much hopsitalization. I was adopted by my dad's parents and I am the only one in my family who has chosen higher education past high school and blue-collar work to pursue something bigger than me. Because of my family, I was always around turmoil. A lot of criminals in my family but it never shook me and my convictions, thanks to my wonderful grandparents who would fight to make sure I would never have to resort to what my relatives did. I faced a lot of tragedies because of my family's choices; things such as drug overdoses, a lot of jail time for a lot of family members, my two year old sister was killed when I was 14 and that shook me to my core, along with many other things.

I turned 27 in September of this year. I was a highschool dropout to take care of my dying adoptive father/grandfather. He saved my life, and there was no way I wasn't going to spend as much time as I could taking care of him and gaining as much wisdom from him as possible. I ended up staying in the hospital with him 90 days after his heart surgery and I cared for him every step of the way until he passed, three years later in 2011. Once he died I worked for a while as a mechanic, and I studied and got my GED in November 2013. I started college classes at that CC the following spring 2014 semester. I was there for a year before transferring to my university in the summer of 2015. I had gained honors and was inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society.. Something I'm still very proud of and wish he could have lived to see.

I was enrolled as an engineering student at my university at 25 starting fresh, 7 years older than my freshman counterparts. I got a C in calc 1 my first semester (summer 2015), that fall 2015 semester I took engineering physics (calc based) with a bunch of other classes and my bio father unexpectedly passed. I received WE's for the semester, so a clean slate basically for that semester. I worked as an engineering apprentice and realized I got tired of the mundane work I was doing and not having the human interaction or gratification of seeing my efforts cause positive results that were meaningful to me. I went into 2016 kind of sick and I was stubborn, never really got the issue taken care of. I was in calc 2, engineering physics again, phys lab, and some other stuff. I fell extremely ill during my physics lab final in May 2016; I still managed a B overall in the class. I was hospitalized and was unable to sit for my physics class exam and received an Incomplete for it. I studied while in the hospital on treatments and having procedures done, and came back a month later in the summer still weak as ever, but I got an A in calc 2, never got to take my physics exam because of issues regarding the Dean, but I passed every other class besides that.

While in the hospital all of that time, and the ambulance trips to the hospital, I gained a lot of respect for all of the workers that took care of me. I became more interested in healthcare than I ever did engineering. Fall 2016, I pushed myself way too hard in engineering and received two F's in calc 3 and my engineering physics retake. This was very very discouraging but I just didn't have the drive for it anymore, and I was still very sick. My GPA took a hit and I was put on probation. I decided to un-enroll from the engineering college at my university and remained undeclared. In spring 2017 I took my first bio class ever, and a remedial chemistry course to get a good foundation, as well as the labs and I became a state certified EMT also. I passed all of my classes with As, and I got signed to a great EMS agency where I live. I have again fallen ill and this semester I have been only taking an online class because I'm seeking treatment at Vanderbilt, which is a long drive for my family, but it's necessary. I'm tired of missing valuable time, so this is something that had to be done so I can further my education and career without any issues.

I am 27 now. I soared very high at my CC and got a 3.75 GPA in college level courses, which means nothing when you transfer because even though they are actual college level classes and credits are taken into account, you start with a fresh GPA. So, I have pulled myself out of probation with that great last semester in Spring 2017, with an overall GPA of 2.333. I have still ALL... literally every single one of my pre-med pre-reqs to take, including the algebra based physics, including the credits needed to finish the bio major I have declared. I have made excel spreadsheets and calculated what kind of GPA I could receive, given I made As in all of my classes from here on out. I'd get around a 3.4, but with my 3.75 calculated in that would come up some so I don't know where that leaves me. From my plan, I would graduate with all of the pre-reqs done and degree in hand in Spring 2020. I'd be 4 months shy of my 30th birthday.

This is easily one of the scariest things I've decided to do, but it is also something that I feel passionate about. Being an EMT, my life circumstances, taking care of my dying adopted father, being sick, being around doctors and constantly having contact with multiple specialists has given shadow hours as a patient, so I know what I am getting myself into and how much this all drives me to want to help others in the same way. I just haven't had the chance to officially shadow.

Some might see this as not such a good idea, as I'd have to literally get straight A's to pull of that 3.4 cGPA, but given my circumstances when I was pushing myself in the hospital and how I did on all of my exams when I came back I learned what I am made of. It is a bit scary, the unknown, but I can live with not meeting expectations from falling short. I cannot, however, live with regret and what-if for the rest of my life. If and/or when I am accepted into medical school and continue on, I will write more in-depth of my past. It's a lot darker and intense than I have typed here, but I hope that it serves as an inspiration to people that believe they are never out of the fight. I wish you all the best of luck! It doesn't take a genius to be a good doctor - it takes someone who is compassionate and will do what is necessary, even in the hardest of times to the best of their ability. Work as hard as you can, then work some more.

 

[Crayola227]

First of all, it's possible to calculate and come to a very accurate estimate of what your cumGPA and sciGPA will be as far as med schools are concerned, as you know.

If you are going to explain away some of these lapses in grades as health, it does bring up the can of worms of how this will affect you moving forward. I think you had enough happen that you will need to account for that.

You don't have to share here about your health.

Depending how you address this in your app, what assurances can be made regarding how you can manage your health's effects on your academic and professional performance moving forward into a career in healthcare, I think you have a very compelling story, and I don't think a 3.4 cumGPA should hold you back too much. Obviously the MCAT is a big deal here as well.

 

[Tyrone.]

First of all, it's possible to calculate and come to a very accurate estimate of what your cumGPA and sciGPA will be as far as med schools are concerned, as you know.

If you are going to explain away some of these lapses in grades as health, it does bring up the can of worms of how this will affect you moving forward. I think you had enough happen that you will need to account for that.

You don't have to share here about your health.

Depending how you address this in your app, what assurances can be made regarding how you can manage your health's effects on your academic and professional performance moving forward into a career in healthcare, I think you have a very compelling story, and I don't think a 3.4 cumGPA should hold you back too much. Obviously the MCAT is a big deal here as well.

I think the tricky part is figuring out how the GPA will be calculated coming from two different institutions; that's where the unknown is for me. I reiterate that I have all of my pre-reqs still left to complete, and given my track record when I've been healthy and my work-ethic, I feel confident in my abilities. The sudden death of my father was a big impact, and my health has gotten so much better. Being able to get properly diagnosed and have an effective treatment plan has done wonders for something I used to not have any answers for... along with many specialists. I'm sure I'm going to have to talk about that to a good extent and hopefully that won't be held against me, but I will try and use these next years of undergrad work and volunteering and EC's to hopefully show that I've rebounded and that it won't hinder my abilities in medical school. I feel I'll need to compensate pretty well with the other aspects of my app, so the MCAT will be a big area for me to shine. It's encouraging to hear from others and see their stories as well! I felt compelled to share mine, but I don't want a pity party. I wouldn't wish those things on anyone but my past has made me who I am today, and that's the silver lining for me. Thanks for your response!

 

[astrostellar]

I think the tricky part is figuring out how the GPA will be calculated coming from two different institutions; that's where the unknown is for me. I reiterate that I have all of my pre-reqs still left to complete, and given my track record when I've been healthy and my work-ethic, I feel confident in my abilities. The sudden death of my father was a big impact, and my health has gotten so much better. Being able to get properly diagnosed and have an effective treatment plan has done wonders for something I used to not have any answers for... along with many specialists. I'm sure I'm going to have to talk about that to a good extent and hopefully that won't be held against me, but I will try and use these next years of undergrad work and volunteering and EC's to hopefully show that I've rebounded and that it won't hinder my abilities in medical school. I feel I'll need to compensate pretty well with the other aspects of my app, so the MCAT will be a big area for me to shine. It's encouraging to hear from others and see their stories as well! I felt compelled to share mine, but I don't want a pity party. I wouldn't wish those things on anyone but my past has made me who I am today, and that's the silver lining for me. Thanks for your response!

The grades from your CC and the grades from your current institution will be counted exactly the same. (IE, a 3-credit class with a B @ a CC is weighed the same as a 3-credit class at a B @ your second university.)

 

[Tyrone.]

The grades from your CC and the grades from your current institution will be counted exactly the same. (IE, a 3-credit class with a B @ a CC is weighed the same as a 3-credit class at a B @ your second university.)

So, basically just use a GPA calculator and tally them all up together to see where I'd be then?

 

[Shotapp]

So, basically just use a GPA calculator and tally them all up together to see where I'd be then?

Yes, that's about right.

 

[nobaddays]

I like this thread, and i like that the one person who tried to call this a bad plan was pretty much brushed off by the rest of the responses haha... anyhow..

I too am an "older" non-trad. I got an engineering degree and am now 27, working full time in aerospace. I hate it. So I've been taking science prereqs after work, paying out of pocket. The main thing slowing my time until application is the fact that I can only take one of these (with lab) at a time, given my work schedule. It looks like I'll have all the necessary prerequisites by the end of summer 2018. Then I'll probably dedicate fall 2018 to MCAT (prep and take), then hopefully be applying in 2019. And I'll be trying to build volunteer/shadowing hours in the meantime. So I'll be 28 during the application process I guess. I am fully prepared not to get in my first year applying, in which case I'll volunteer/shadow as much as possible, take some more classes that I think will help me out in the med field, and possibly retake the MCAT depending on how my scores look going into my first application cycle.

As far as motivation, I think it's just all about knowing that you're doing this to make a better, more rewarding life for yourself and your family. A lot of people give me weird looks when I tell them I have a full-time job with benefits and want to go to med school. I think a lot of people, especially in my parents' generation are conditioned to settle. You get a job, you buy a house, you have kids, and that's that. But in this day and age with all the opportunities given to us, I don't see a reason to stop moving forward until you're happy with what you're doing.

And as far as age, I am of the firm belief that anybody can pretty much do anything they want to do, as long as they truly want it, and are willing to do what it takes.

Anyhow, good luck. Glad to hear from some other people that are more or less in the same boat.

 

[Pobody's Nerfect]

Been lurking for a couple months now and this thread motivated me to create a profile, so hello! I'm 26, have an undergrad degree in English with a focus on creative writing, and have been working in the tech industry for four years (really utilizing my degree!). I'm still in the very early stages of this so I don't have any concrete plans, but I pretty much need to take all the prereqs since I hardly took any science classes in college. I need to decide whether I'll take classes at a community college since I currently work full time and have a three month old child, or if I'll take the risk and enroll in classes full time at a four year school. I figure I'm likely three years from being in a position to apply for med school, which feels kind of daunting, but I know that's still young for a good amount of people here, so I'm staying positive!

 

[AnotherLawyer]

Hi all,

You may have seen me poking around for a while. I'm a 26-year-old nontrad in the military and have three years left on my service commitment, and also work shifts so my ability to take in-person prereqs is limited/slowed. I'm looking at an application year of 2021-2022 if all works out.

I know several of you are also waiting, be it for fiscal reasons, the military, waiting for kids to get older/spouse to finish career goals, or because of the rate at which you can take classes.

Tell me how long you've got, what your plan is, and what you're doing to stay motivated and maintain your sanity in this extra-long marathon!

Hopefully, if you stick around SDN, we'll be able to see everyone's progress over the next however many years.

I started a thread like this in 2014. At times it will feel like time is standing still, but overall it will go by faster than you can imagine. The way to stay sane is to just take it one step at a time and focus on what's in front of you. Good luck to you and everyone else in this thread!

 

[jujak04]

I like this thread. Really shows how hard everyone is working to get into medical school.

I am 30, no kids, too many pets LoL I work full-time during at a biotech company. I technically have the pre-reqs but I was a horrible unmotivated student when I was 18-21. Needless to say I'm definitely kicking myself for that. Everything cGPA and sGPA is below 3.0. I have an upward trend from when I started getting my act together and even made the Dean's list a few semesters taking a full science load (sophomore and junior year).

I started doing retakes in a diy post-bac this past spring and am working on getting into a hospital to shadow and volunteer. I'm planning to Target schools friendly to non-traditional students and who look at the most recent 20-40 credits. I'm currently a 4.0 student so the person from undergrad is definitely no more. I'm targeting a 2020 app cycle and plan to take the MCAT in 2019. It feels so hard away but 2018 is right around the corner.

I hope everyone updates their status when they apply!

Sent from my LGLS992 using Tapatalk

 

[the.last.jedi]

Thanks for the post. I'll throw in my two cents.

26yo nontrad looking to start applying in the 19-20 cycle. When I'm done, if I take the traditional seven year-route (by the grace of God) I'll be in my mid-30's.

My constraints? I'm halfway done with a DIY post-grad to complete my prereqs (liberal arts undergrad) and I'm almost done with my master in healthcare administration. I've already started a professional career in healthcare management and there are a lot of ties to cut if (when) I'm accepted- sell the house, finish paying off the cars, pay off any outstanding debts, learn to be a poor student again. Adulting is hard ya'll!

What's my plan? Being a bit of a control freak, I have an enormous gantt chart coordinating what classes I need to take and other important activities. I've researched several avenues of approach (which classes are offered when and where, MCAT dates, what doctors do I know are receptive to precepting, etc), and the chart's where I keep all of those thoughts. Ticking off a box makes me feel like I'm accomplishing my goals.

How do I stay motivated? My exposure to healthcare through work and the impetus of losing a very close family member are two reasons. Honestly, I'm very impatient but I feel like this is a worthwhile reason; maybe I'll learn something about delayed gratification in the process.

Any chance you can share that Gantt chart??

 

[It's lupus!]

Veteran here. I joined the military at 19 with the intentions of going to medical school. I'm 27 applying to medical school this cycle. The delayed gratification is AWFUL. There is no nice way to put that. I was a corpsman and have 9 years of medical experience leading up to the submission of my applications. Undergrad was just so far removed from medicine that it was frustrating and hard to maintain motivation and focus BUT I got there. Staying motivated for me was more about buying into what my life was at that time. I told everyone I planned on going to medical school, but when forced to take classes like conservation biology I bought into the course like I was going to be a conservationist upon graduation. I bought into WHATEVER it was that was immediately in front of me. It made my life easier, more comfortable, and it allowed me to explore other careers which only reaffirmed the career choice I chose as a junior in high school. Dwelling on where you aren't more than enjoying where you are and grinding out that way will ruin you. KNOW you are going to medical school BUT be 100% enthusiastic in what you are doing now; even if it doesn't align with your future goals. That's how I have gotten by and stay motivated. Hope that helps. Cheers!

Side note: Who cares about age?! Everyone makes their own sacrifices to get where they are going and everyone is different.

 

[Kokonaut]

I'm glad to see this thread going on. The non-trad forum needs some love and encouragement. There is an abundance of different experiences represented. Furthermore OP, I too fall into the 30+ category and assuming everything goes well should be starting by the time I am 32 or 33.

Adding my experience, I did not start out as a hard science guy so I am lacking many of the pre-reqs. Initially I was aiming to go into teaching history, but ended up completing undergraduate degree in social work with a fair GPA, around 3.6? Later on went to graduate school for my MSW and maintained 4.0 though it is fair to say there is grade inflation at that level and again it is not the traditional science route. I went on to practice as a substance abuse counselor after this followed by crisis counseling (think ED - namely psych and substance abuse) followed by now working inpatient as a medical social worker. I relate to others taking classes at night and know the difficulty in maintaining focus and motivation. I can't say I know what it is like to raise a family in that environment, but I'm taking the pre-reqs at community college at night. Maintaining a 4.0 so far with the CC credits, but I still have the beast that is organic chemistry to deal with later. Thankfully working at a hospital there are several MDs who are supportive and have extended offers of allowing me to shadow. Finding the time to do that is another matter entirely. So in short, history education major to LCSW to non-trad pre-med hoping to finish pre-reqs by early 2019 and take the MCAT shortly thereafter.

 

[kmgfuturedoc1012]

I'm 28 and won't be able to start post-bacc until I'm in my 30's. I'm currently living overseas with my spouse right now.

Looking back, I don't wish I had started when I was younger. I was quite emotionally immature and I needed the time to grow up. I was able to work (and experience being broke), I was able to live overseas twice and travel to several other countries, I was able to establish my marriage and my relationship with my husband, I was able to learn a few foreign languages, and I had experiences in other fields that I think will serve me quite well as a physician, especially one who's interested in global health and primary care. I find my international relations background will actually be a plus in many areas and my professional work has shown me how education, poverty, food insecurity, etc. all correspond to health and vice versa.

I had looked into PA, social work, psych, nursing, nurse-midwife, but I came to realize that nothing compared to being a physician in my book and that it wasn't too late for me to start. To be honest, starting over doesn't phase me. I am currently enjoying my time right now and I look forward to hitting the ground running when I return to the US.

 

[gabbMD]

I am 32 and will hopefully begin med school by the time i am 35. I have three more yrs left of pre-reqs and then will have to take the MCAT.

I decided i wanted to follow the MD route about five yrs ago but did not start taking classes until just this year (i honestly have no idea why. i was having too much fun i guess). I am excited about going in and everyday is a chance to learn the "slow and steady wins the race" adage.

I currently work in juvenile corrections as a guard and have worked in non-profits besides this for the majority of my adult life. I worked at a community clinic for two years before this, which is where my love for medicine grew. I have a background in philosophy as well. So, i am hoping for an interesting app

Anyone else here applying over the 30 hump?

 

[Lollylon]

I'm about to turn 34, and I won't be starting the application process for another couple of years. I floundered for a long time, especially after my dad died, but now I'm 2 semesters away from a master's of accounting and I recently realized the only thing I've ever really been passionate about was medicine. I'm going to finish the MAcc--I didn't come this far to walk away with nothing! My program is online, so it's flexible; I'll be taking an EMT class a couple of nights a week starting in January, hopefully pass the certification exam, and start looking for a new gig. (I hate my current job, so I'm all too happy to look for something new!) I'm hoping this will be a good way to get some clinical experience and develop some relationships with doctors so I can do some shadowing. I won't be able to start pre-req classes until fall 2018, so I'm probably looking at at least the 2020 or 2021 application cycle. Jesus, I'll be almost 40 by the time I start med school! I just have to remind myself that A) my dad did the exact same thing, and was almost 40 by the time he graduated and still had 25 years in medicine before he retired; and B) those years are going to pass anyway, and wouldn't I rather be a decade older with the title Doctor in front of my name?

 

[WGSgrad]

B) those years are going to pass anyway, and wouldn't I rather be a decade older with the title Doctor in front of my name?

THIS. This is literally my response to anyone who ever questions me. (Usually, "But if I am fortunate, in seven years, I will be seven years older. So I can either just be seven years older or seven years older AND a doctor. Why not be a doctor?") There is usually a long pause before anyone tries to reply.

And I'm going to be honest, I generally find the people that try to persuade me not to continue down my current path are people who are unhappy with where they are. And not just unhappy, but unhappy and unable to make a change (familial or financial obligations) or unhappy and unwilling to take a risk to become happy. While I listen and try to gain some insight from their experiences, I usually just smile and keep on steppin'.

 

[astrostellar]

THIS. This is literally my response to anyone who ever questions me. (Usually, "But if I am fortunate, in seven years, I will be seven years older. So I can either just be seven years older or seven years older AND a doctor. Why not be a doctor?") There is usually a long pause before anyone tries to reply.

My current background at work

 

[Tyrone.]

Just had to rearrange my schedule due to certain classes only being available in certain semesters, so my application year moves back by another, so I'll be 32/33 when I get into med school but it doesn't change anything for me. This kind of piggybacks off of astrostellar's post above mine. I saw a nice post today that I thought I'd share as well:
-A 4 year degree attained after 7 years is still a degree
-A graduation at the age of 50 is still a graduation
-A Mercedes bought at the age of 65 is still a Mercedes
(I'm adding this one) A doctor that starts later in life is STILL A DOCTOR.
Don't let people bully you with their timeline of success.
Love,
Non-trad Stone