Humbled and confused

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Zelda840

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After 2 years of trying to get into med school with no luck, I was pretty upset and flat broke, so I took a year to gather some funds and collect myself, then started looking into other health professions.

My dream job was always in Anesthesia but I didn't want to have to start over by going the RN - BSN - CRNA route. I looked into Anesthesiologist Assistant programs, but they aren't licensed to work in my home state (Nebraska).

Anyway, drugs are interesting to me and since the pre-reqs for pharmacy school were pretty much identical to those for med school, I decided to give it a try. I only applied to one school and they literally bent over backwards for me. Missed the deadline to apply? They gave me an extension. No PCAT? Got a waiver since my GPA was high. Just found out they are even offering me some scholarship funds. Everyone I know who saw me struggle through 2 years of heart wrenching disappointment trying for medicine is like YAY - it's a sign!

Then I come here.....start reading how they will let in "anyone with a pulse" and graduates are already having trouble finding work and the saturation is only going to get worse in the 4 years it will take me to get the degree. Well......damn. I'm just at a loss.

On the one hand, I live in Nebraska, so it's not a desirable place for most people, though I would love to stay here. On the other hand, the idea of being $165,000 in debt (40 from undergrad and 125 for pharm school) and not having a job afterwards is just absolutely terrifying. I'm already in my 30's.

I'm so torn. Any and all advice, comments, ridicule, whatever...is welcome. I've talked my family and friends to death about it.

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Ask yourself...would ANY medical school waive the admissions exam for you? (The answer is no, now try to use some sense as to why this school is doing it for you)


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You'll find jobs in Nebraska no doubt. Just stay away from big city schools and others like it because the actual job market in those cities are over saturated.
I know a couple of graduates who had to move from New York to Texas to find jobs.

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After 2 years of trying to get into med school with no luck, I was pretty upset and flat broke, so I took a year to gather some funds and collect myself, then started looking into other health professions.

My dream job was always in Anesthesia but I didn't want to have to start over by going the RN - BSN - CRNA route. I looked into Anesthesiologist Assistant programs, but they aren't licensed to work in my home state (Nebraska).

Anyway, drugs are interesting to me and since the pre-reqs for pharmacy school were pretty much identical to those for med school, I decided to give it a try. I only applied to one school and they literally bent over backwards for me. Missed the deadline to apply? They gave me an extension. No PCAT? Got a waiver since my GPA was high. Just found out they are even offering me some scholarship funds. Everyone I know who saw me struggle through 2 years of heart wrenching disappointment trying for medicine is like YAY - it's a sign!

Then I come here.....start reading how they will let in "anyone with a pulse" and graduates are already having trouble finding work and the saturation is only going to get worse in the 4 years it will take me to get the degree. Well......damn. I'm just at a loss.

On the one hand, I live in Nebraska, so it's not a desirable place for most people, though I would love to stay here. On the other hand, the idea of being $165,000 in debt (40 from undergrad and 125 for pharm school) and not having a job afterwards is just absolutely terrifying. I'm already in my 30's.

I'm so torn. Any and all advice, comments, ridicule, whatever...is welcome. I've talked my family and friends to death about it.

Don't despair and don't read too much into the SDN prophet of doom crap.

You have a great option.

My wife's close friend is a clinical pharmacist at MD Anderson. She went through pharm school then did a hospital residency. Her work is focused on cancer meds. Makes a great salary, has substantial benefits, and is very fulfilled.

May want to look into that route.
 
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Ask yourself...would ANY medical school waive the admissions exam for you? (The answer is no, now try to use some sense as to why this school is doing it for you)

I wanted to believe it was because I've already taken the MCAT and GRE and done respectable on those, plus I have a great GPA, but my gut knows you're right. :(
 
Don't despair and don't read too much into the SDN prophet of doom crap.

You have a great option.

My wife's close friend is a clinical pharmacist at MD Anderson. She went through pharm school then did a hospital residency. Her work is focused on cancer meds. Makes a great salary, has substantial benefits, and is very fulfilled.

May want to look into that route.

That does sound very rewarding. My other option is the pharmacology PhD program at that same school, but I just don't see myself going that route.
 
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You'll find jobs in Nebraska no doubt.

You think?

I have no desire to live in New York or California. My partner and I are settled and we have a house here. We're not in need of nightlife/entertainment. :lol:
 
You think?

I have no desire to live in New York or California. My partner and I are settled and we have a house here. We're not in need of nightlife/entertainment. :lol:
Focus on pcat now, your great gpa and experience with mcat will help to ace pcat.
I am Just like you, in my 30's. I chose the school in Florida over New York and am paking right now to move to Miami. I am not saying I will a job in south Florida but I am willing to travel all over Florida to get job afterwards.
 
Yea some people can move to find a job, and others just can't. Depends on the individual.


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Focus on pcat now, your great gpa and experience with mcat will help to ace pcat.
I am Just like you, in my 30's. I chose the school in Florida over New York and am paking right now to move to Miami. I am not saying I will a job in south Florida but I am willing to travel all over Florida to get job afterwards.

I'm not sure what you mean. I don't have any reason to take the PCAT. I was accepted already to a school here. I'm just trying to decide if it's a reasonable risk to take based on the job outlook.
 
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If your dream is to go into med school and become an anesthesiology, going into pharmacy may not give you happiness. Figure out what you need to improve on your app then reapply to med school. It's better to waste another year than working till 65 on something you may not like. Who knows you might like clinical pharmacist. Good Luck!
 
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I'm not sure what you mean. I don't have any reason to take the PCAT. I was accepted already to a school here. I'm just trying to decide if it's a reasonable risk to take based on the job outlook.
Ok I wasn't sure what you mean either cause the post was long.
Anyway, whatever you decide best of luck!
 
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If your dream is to go into med school and become an anesthesiology, going into pharmacy may not give you happiness. Figure out what you need to improve on your app then reapply to med school. It's better to waste another year than working till 65 on something you may not like. Who knows you might like clinical pharmacist. Good Luck!
A fair point. I can't just continue applying for med school indefinitely, though. Like I said, I'm already in my mid-30's. I'm at the point in my life where it's time for a career. I make $40,000 a year at an accounting job that I hate. I got a 29 on the MCAT, which is decent but not amazing and I honestly think that's the best I can do. I don't know....sorry if it seems like I am talking in circles...This is really helpful though. The more opinions/advice I can get, the better. :)
 
Ok I wasn't sure what you mean either cause the post was long.
Anyway, whatever you decide best of luck!
Yeah, sorry about that. I've got a lot of different thought processes going on and I'm probably not articulating it all very well.

And thank you for the kind words. :)
 
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You think?

I have no desire to live in New York or California. My partner and I are settled and we have a house here. We're not in need of nightlife/entertainment. :lol:
How can someone guarantee future?
You can find jobs no doubt now. But future?
It's like gambling on stocks.
 
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After 2 years of trying to get into med school with no luck, I was pretty upset and flat broke, so I took a year to gather some funds and collect myself, then started looking into other health professions.

My dream job was always in Anesthesia but I didn't want to have to start over by going the RN - BSN - CRNA route. I looked into Anesthesiologist Assistant programs, but they aren't licensed to work in my home state (Nebraska).

Anyway, drugs are interesting to me and since the pre-reqs for pharmacy school were pretty much identical to those for med school, I decided to give it a try. I only applied to one school and they literally bent over backwards for me. Missed the deadline to apply? They gave me an extension. No PCAT? Got a waiver since my GPA was high. Just found out they are even offering me some scholarship funds. Everyone I know who saw me struggle through 2 years of heart wrenching disappointment trying for medicine is like YAY - it's a sign!

Then I come here.....start reading how they will let in "anyone with a pulse" and graduates are already having trouble finding work and the saturation is only going to get worse in the 4 years it will take me to get the degree. Well......damn. I'm just at a loss.

On the one hand, I live in Nebraska, so it's not a desirable place for most people, though I would love to stay here. On the other hand, the idea of being $165,000 in debt (40 from undergrad and 125 for pharm school) and not having a job afterwards is just absolutely terrifying. I'm already in my 30's.

I'm so torn. Any and all advice, comments, ridicule, whatever...is welcome. I've talked my family and friends to death about it.
I would never attend a medical school that didn't require the MCAT just like I would never attend a school that doesn't require the PCAT. That doesn't sound very professional. So you have a high GPA and a 29 on the MCAT and you didn't get into medical school. Who did you apply to? Did you apply to DO schools? What is your cGPA and sGPA?
 
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I would never attend a medical school that didn't require the MCAT just like I would never attend a school that doesn't require the PCAT. That doesn't sound very professional. So you have a high GPA and a 29 on the MCAT and you didn't get into medical school. Who did you apply to? Did you apply to DO schools? What is your cGPA and sGPA?
Yeah, it worried me too. I don't want to waste a good opportunity but I also don't want to be willfully ignorant, you know?

Over 2 cycles, I applied to 25 schools and had 5 interviews. DMU and RVU were the only two DO, the rest MD.
cGPA 3.90
sGPA 3.83
 
Yeah, it worried me too. I don't want to waste a good opportunity but I also don't want to be willfully ignorant, you know?

Over 2 cycles, I applied to 25 schools and had 5 interviews. DMU and RVU were the only two DO, the rest MD.
cGPA 3.90
sGPA 3.83
That to me is pretty strange. Those are excellent GPA's and that MCAT score roughly translates into a 506 which is definitely average but not lethal. I can definitely see you having difficulty getting into MD schools with that score but that's fine for DO schools. Did you call those schools that you interviewed at to see what your issues might have been? If you give yourself a year or too to retake and destroy the MCAT we're talking a totally different ball game here. Of course, you should continue to sharpen up those EC's as well. Maybe your interview skills are bad?
 
Apply early and broadly to DO schools and you'll get in.
 
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I should clarify. DMU and RVU were the only DO schools I applied to, but I didn't get interviews at either. All of my interviews were MD schools. I was able to talk to two of them after being rejected. One of them basically told me that I should think about not using my committee letter. Very confusing. I'm not really sure what I could have done wrong. I know the guy who was in charge of the committee letters has a problem with gay people, but I don't know how he would have known my sexual preference. I mean, I didn't bring my girlfriend to class or anything.

Anyway....I feel like I'm getting a little old to just keep applying for medicine. Pharmacy isn't my dream, but...You can only chase your dream and pour money into the application process for so long, right? I know there's a ton of people who want to be a doctor and some people just don't get to.....it's life. I felt like Pharmacy was a reasonable plan B but after reading about the Pharmacy saturation/job outlook forecasts.....I just don't know.
 
I should clarify. DMU and RVU were the only DO schools I applied to, but I didn't get interviews at either. All of my interviews were MD schools. I was able to talk to two of them after being rejected. One of them basically told me that I should think about not using my committee letter. Very confusing. I'm not really sure what I could have done wrong. I know the guy who was in charge of the committee letters has a problem with gay people, but I don't know how he would have known my sexual preference. I mean, I didn't bring my girlfriend to class or anything.

Anyway....I feel like I'm getting a little old to just keep applying for medicine. Pharmacy isn't my dream, but...You can only chase your dream and pour money into the application process for so long, right? I know there's a ton of people who want to be a doctor and some people just don't get to.....it's life. I felt like Pharmacy was a reasonable plan B but after reading about the Pharmacy saturation/job outlook forecasts.....I just don't know.

But you haven't chased your dream correctly yet.
As everyone else is saying..apply early and broadly to MANY (not two) DO schools and you'll get in.
 
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I'd retake and try to get a higher MCAT score like 32+. Working as a medical scribe is another good option to make your app stand out and you could probably network with some docs and ask for their advice.
 
Apply EARLY and BROAD for DO you have a VERY HIGH chance at acceptance if there are no red flags.


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After 2 years of trying to get into med school with no luck, I was pretty upset and flat broke, so I took a year to gather some funds and collect myself, then started looking into other health professions.

My dream job was always in Anesthesia but I didn't want to have to start over by going the RN - BSN - CRNA route. I looked into Anesthesiologist Assistant programs, but they aren't licensed to work in my home state (Nebraska).

Anyway, drugs are interesting to me and since the pre-reqs for pharmacy school were pretty much identical to those for med school, I decided to give it a try. I only applied to one school and they literally bent over backwards for me. Missed the deadline to apply? They gave me an extension. No PCAT? Got a waiver since my GPA was high. Just found out they are even offering me some scholarship funds. Everyone I know who saw me struggle through 2 years of heart wrenching disappointment trying for medicine is like YAY - it's a sign!

Then I come here.....start reading how they will let in "anyone with a pulse" and graduates are already having trouble finding work and the saturation is only going to get worse in the 4 years it will take me to get the degree. Well......damn. I'm just at a loss.

On the one hand, I live in Nebraska, so it's not a desirable place for most people, though I would love to stay here. On the other hand, the idea of being $165,000 in debt (40 from undergrad and 125 for pharm school) and not having a job afterwards is just absolutely terrifying. I'm already in my 30's.

I'm so torn. Any and all advice, comments, ridicule, whatever...is welcome. I've talked my family and friends to death about it.

So if you don't go the pharmacy route, what's your plan-C ? It sounds like you've explored a lot of healthcare careers... but one you didn't mention - have you considered Podiatry school? With your GPA & MCAT, I would think that you'd be a slam dunk? Of course working with feet everyday isn't for everyone... but for someone who had their heart set on being a Physician, that might be your next best option?
 
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So if you don't go the pharmacy route, what's your plan-C ? It sounds like you've explored a lot of healthcare careers... but one you didn't mention - have you considered Podiatry school? With your GPA & MCAT, I would think that you'd be a slam dunk? Of course working with feet everyday isn't for everyone... but for someone who had their heart set on being a Physician, that might be your next best option?

I did look into it, but since there are no podiatry schools in Nebraska and I would have to sell my house and move anyway, I'd probably choose AA school over pod, simply because I'm fascinated by Anesthesia and not super interested in feet.
 
I did look into it, but since there are no podiatry schools in Nebraska and I would have to sell my house and move anyway, I'd probably choose AA school over pod, simply because I'm fascinated by Anesthesia and not super interested in feet.

I did see that you mentioned wanting to eventually practice your chosen profession in NE... was thinking you might leave NE for schooling though, since you applied to med schools in IA & CO. But I understand that people are willing to make greater sacrifices for MD/DO, than for their fallback careers.
 
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Sounds like your committee letter is definitely the issue.
 
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I would assume so. I can't imagine why anyone would tell me not to use it without good reason. The lady actually sounded like she felt sorry for me too. I can't believe that was only like 2-3 years ago. Seems like a lifetime.

I'm going to meet with the Dean at Creighton today. Maybe I'll get a little clarity about my path going forward.....they seem very genuine. I've never met a faculty member there who wasn't extremely helpful and kind.
 
No NO NO NO NO.

If your dream job is to be a doctor, do NOT go to pharmacy school. You will be unsatisfied with your job. Contrary to what people want you to believe, Pharmacy is absolutely nothing like medicine/PA/RN or any other medical field. You will have little to no patient interaction, it iwll be monotonous. If you go into retail you will be nothing more than a second check for real doctors. Do NOT go into this field as a fallback for medschool. Take this from someone who wanted to go to med school and is currently studying for the MCAT in their P3 year of pahrmacy.

You may think "drugs are interesting" now; i felt the ame. If you work in retail, drugs will become nothing more than a bag of chips or a roll of toilet paper. They're just an item you're selling. They're nothing special or fancy.

On the hospital side of things, patient interaction is minimal. The most you'll end up doing is talking about discharge meds and med histories which is stuff the RN and Doctor probably has already explained to the patient. Any help you'll be providing to the patient will all be behind the scenes. And what you provide, hoenstly isn't something that is hard to do. It's just something the docs are too lazy to do and shove off on your.

If you wanted to be a doctor to wokr with patients, become a PA or an NP. If you truly want to be a doctor, do an SMP (only if you can absolutely crush it), retake the MCAT, do whatever it takes. Do not SETTLE on something that is not what you want to do.

EDIT: just saw your stats. Girl you are a SHOE in for any DO school. And honestly should be able to get into most state med schools. Head over the the MD/DO forums and get some advice. Do not i repeat do NOT go to pharmacy school!

remember that ou need a plethora of *consistant* volunteer experience with humans, PATIENT interaction, leadership, and a great reason to be a doctor (not to help people). Also get some feedback on the 2 interviews you got. If you got an interview, then that means you definitely are able to get INTO med school. You just need to fine tune your interview skills.

I know I wrote alot but I'd honestly hate to see another med school hopeful person waste years of their life and thousands of dollars to do something that brings them absolutely no joy.
 
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I will try DO schools for the last time. Am feeling it has something to do with your interviews. If you got invited for 5 interviews then your grades are not the problem.


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I don't know. Maybe I'll just take this forensics job and give up on healthcare. At any rate, I guess I've been convinced that Pharmacy is a profession with an awful ROI. Hope someone who has rich parents who will pay for their schooling gets my spot.
 
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The pharmacy school you applied to sounds awfully suspicious. Most schools that are worth their weight have no exceptions about their application policies. My school has never extended any deadlines for any reason. I almost got kicked out just cause my immunization records weren't sent on time.

You know most kids who go to pharmacy school pay for their own loans? What person from an affluent family would pay for pharmacy school?

And I wouldn't even consider pharmacy for you because you already hate it. Why bother? That's like saying you hate swimming but you go and drown yourself. DO NOT SETTLE. I'd go for DO or something. One of my friends got into DO school with a 3.5 and a 30 MCAT (idk what that equates to w/ the new scoring). So you don't have to be incredibly smart to go to medical school. Some of it is quite luck because even the gunners are competing against tons of applications with 3.7-3.9 in the 90th percentile of MCATs.
 
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It was Creighton.

Also, I wouldn't say I hate it. I just said I have been convinced that it's not a good ROI, particularly because I'm not in my 20's. Sorry if I offended you....I was not trying to say that most people who go to pharmacy school have rich parents to pay for it. Only that I hope whoever gets my spot is in that situation, as it seems like there aren't going to be enough jobs to go around and the idea of someone being $150,000+ in debt with no job sounds f'in terrifying!
 
OP, I'm glad you decided against pharmacy school! Job market issues aside, I wouldn't encourage anybody to attend pharmacy school without real world experience in the field. Pharmacy is very different from what most people expect and from what the deans will tell you it is.
 
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