In a predicament

[acslater99]

Greetings SDN users,

I’m in need of some advice.

I recently received my BA in Pyschology last year. I was a pre-med and was taking courses. I completed some of my prerequisites during my time which include Biology 1/2 with labs and Chemistry 1/2 with labs.

During my Junior year I decided to take Orgo 1 with the lab as well and Physics 1 with the lab. During that time I was doing fine until family issues arose. I wasn’t focused on school and I failed Orgo 1 and received a C- in my Physics course. I managed to pass both labs though.

Due to family issues I moved back to my parents house to support them. I held off on being a pre-med because I knew I wasn’t ready to continue on mentally, especially with these issues.

I decided to finish my normal major requirements and graduate.

Fast-forward almost 2 years later and I feel like I’m in a position where I can achieve my dream of becoming a physician. But I’m in a position where I don’t know what to do.

Currently, I have a job that pays decent and I like it but by no means do I want to make it a career. I work full-time 8-5 Monday - Friday.

Which brings me to my dilemma.

I want to go back to school, but I don’t see how I can do it. The closest university where I live is a 2 hour drive and it wouldn’t be smart thing to do given my circumstances. The local community college offers Orgo 1/2 and Physics 1/2 but it’s during the day, which I wouldn’t be able to make it due to work.

I’m mainly looking to apply to DO programs and some in state (FL) MD programs.

What can I do? I need some advice. Thank you.

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[FinallyOnTrack]

Greetings SDN users,

I’m in need of some advice.

I recently received my BA in Pyschology last year. I was a pre-med and was taking courses. I completed some of my prerequisites during my time which include Biology 1/2 with labs and Chemistry 1/2 with labs.

During my Junior year I decided to take Orgo 1 with the lab as well and Physics 1 with the lab. During that time I was doing fine until family issues arose. I wasn’t focused on school and I failed Orgo 1 and received a C- in my Physics course. I managed to pass both labs though.

Due to family issues I moved back to my parents house to support them. I held off on being a pre-med because I knew I wasn’t ready to continue on mentally, especially with these issues.

I decided to finish my normal major requirements and graduate.

Fast-forward almost 2 years later and I feel like I’m in a position where I can achieve my dream of becoming a physician. But I’m in a position where I don’t know what to do.

Currently, I have a job that pays decent and I like it but by no means do I want to make it a career. I work full-time 8-5 Monday - Friday.

Which brings me to my dilemma.

I want to go back to school, but I don’t see how I can do it. The closest university where I live is a 2 hour drive and it wouldn’t be smart thing to do given my circumstances. The local community college offers Orgo 1/2 and Physics 1/2 but it’s during the day, which I wouldn’t be able to make it due to work.

I’m mainly looking to apply to DO programs and some in state (FL) MD programs.

What can I do? I need some advice. Thank you.

I gave up my position as a manager to go back to school - took a $10.00/hour pay cut.. if you’re truly determined and motivated - you will sacrifice everything for your dream to come true.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[de Ribas]

I gave up my position as a manager to go back to school - took a $10.00/hour pay cut.. if you’re truly determined and motivated - you will sacrifice everything for your dream to come true.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Some people manage to take online courses. But be advised that not all schools may accept them. Take a look at UNE Online thread on SDN.

You will have to give something up for sure. Even taking physics and and ochem while working will be very challenging.

What about you volunteering, shadowing and clicinal experience?

 

[eberge3]

University of New England has online pre-med classes you can take

 

[dial1010usa]

Greetings SDN users,

I’m in need of some advice.

I recently received my BA in Pyschology last year. I was a pre-med and was taking courses. I completed some of my prerequisites during my time which include Biology 1/2 with labs and Chemistry 1/2 with labs.

During my Junior year I decided to take Orgo 1 with the lab as well and Physics 1 with the lab. During that time I was doing fine until family issues arose. I wasn’t focused on school and I failed Orgo 1 and received a C- in my Physics course. I managed to pass both labs though.

Due to family issues I moved back to my parents house to support them. I held off on being a pre-med because I knew I wasn’t ready to continue on mentally, especially with these issues.

I decided to finish my normal major requirements and graduate.

Fast-forward almost 2 years later and I feel like I’m in a position where I can achieve my dream of becoming a physician. But I’m in a position where I don’t know what to do.

Currently, I have a job that pays decent and I like it but by no means do I want to make it a career. I work full-time 8-5 Monday - Friday.

Which brings me to my dilemma.

I want to go back to school, but I don’t see how I can do it. The closest university where I live is a 2 hour drive and it wouldn’t be smart thing to do given my circumstances. The local community college offers Orgo 1/2 and Physics 1/2 but it’s during the day, which I wouldn’t be able to make it due to work.

I’m mainly looking to apply to DO programs and some in state (FL) MD programs.

What can I do? I need some advice. Thank you.

Is it possible you take half day off for community college and take those classes? Or ask your supervisor or manager to start early instead of 8am? I'm sure those classes are not everyday, is it? Or take only 1 class at a time?

 

[eberge3]

you can do a post bacc program to an MD or DO school too

 

[acslater99]

I gave up my position as a manager to go back to school - took a $10.00/hour pay cut.. if you’re truly determined and motivated - you will sacrifice everything for your dream to come true.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah that’s true but in my case I need to bring the income. My wife and I are expecting soon.

Some people manage to take online courses. But be advised that not all schools may accept them. Take a look at UNE Online thread on SDN.

You will have to give something up for sure. Even taking physics and and ochem while working will be very challenging.

What about you volunteering, shadowing and clicinal experience?

Yeah I understand, I don’t know if I’m my case it’s possible to leave my job for a lower paying job given my current circumstances.

University of New England has online pre-med classes you can take

Yes, I managed to gain 150+ hours in volunteering at the hospital in the ER. No shadowing as of yet, sadly.

Is it possible you take half day off for community college and take those classes? Or ask your supervisor or manager to start early instead of 8am? I'm sure those classes are not everyday, is it? Or take only 1 class at a time?

Sadly it would be as if I were going to school everyday. Orgo 1 is MW and Physics is TR. both classes are 1 hour/15 minutes.

University of New England has online pre-med classes you can take

You know what I heard about this and I was very intrigued but I don’t know which schools accept. I don’t even know how schools view this online coursework.

 

[de Ribas]

Yeah that’s true but in my case I need to bring the income. My wife and I are expecting soon.



Yeah I understand, I don’t know if I’m my case it’s possible to leave my job for a lower paying job given my current circumstances.



Yes, I managed to gain 150+ hours in volunteering at the hospital in the ER. No shadowing as of yet, sadly.




Sadly it would be as if I were going to school everyday. Orgo 1 is MW and Physics is TR. both classes are 1 hour/15 minutes.



You know what I heard about this and I was very intrigued but I don’t know which schools accept. I don’t even know how schools view this online coursework.

Email or call schools specifically. They will tell you. That's what people do. That's what I did.

 

[DrMcCoyDO]

Sadly it would be as if I were going to school everyday. Orgo 1 is MW and Physics is TR. both classes are 1 hour/15 minutes.

Just a possible suggestion: take Orgo and Physics in different semesters, so you’ll only have a two day burden for classes instead of all week. It’ll delay your ability to apply, but at least you won’t have to delay indefinitely.

 

[acslater99]

Just a possible suggestion: take Orgo and Physics in different semesters, so you’ll only have a two day burden for classes instead of all week. It’ll delay your ability to apply, but at least you won’t have to delay indefinitely.

That is a good possibility and I have thought about it. There’s one problem, Organic Chemistry and Physics are only available during the Fall semester whereas Organic Chemistry 2 and Physics 2 are only offered in the Spring semester.

So if I were to do that I could take Organic this school year and Physics next school year.

My question is: Do you think, given my circumstances, the admission committee will look past the fact that I’m only taking 1 class every semester? I’ve heard that they do look at if you were taking rigorous course load.

 

[DrMcCoyDO]

That is a good possibility and I have thought about it. There’s one problem, Organic Chemistry and Physics are only available during the Fall semester whereas Organic Chemistry 2 and Physics 2 are only offered in the Spring semester.

So if I were to do that I could take Organic this school year and Physics next school year.

My question is: Do you think, given my circumstances, the admission committee will look past the fact that I’m only taking 1 class every semester? I’ve heard that they do look at if you were taking rigorous course load.

It could hurt a bit; make sure have an explanation ready if asked about it. I ended up having 7 years between graduating undergrad and starting med school, a major reason being I was paying for my remaining prereqs out of pocket and couldn’t afford to do much more than a few credit hours a semester. While I’m sure that hurt me when it came to applications and getting interviews, I explained the gap when asked and ended up getting into a school that I’m very happy with.

 

[de Ribas]

So if I were to do that I could take Organic this school year and Physics next school year.

Then 4 courses will take you 2 years to complete, right?

 

[acslater99]

Then 4 courses will take you 2 years to complete, right?

Correct. That’s not including other courses I would like to take before applying such as Microbiology and/or Biochemistry.

 

[de Ribas]

Correct. That’s not including other courses I would like to take before applying such as Microbiology and/or Biochemistry.

Micro is not required, unless you just want to take it.

 

[Shotapp]

OP

Medical school is going to eat you alive if your preparation is going to be done by taking 1 science course per semester for your post-bac. If you want to become a doctor, you're going to have to be a little selfish and sacrifices are going to be made.

 

[acslater99]

OP

Medical school is going to eat you alive if your preparation is going to be done by taking 1 science course per semester for your post-bac. If you want to become a doctor, you're going to have to be a little selfish and sacrifices are going to be made.

Right, I figured that. I appreciate the honesty. I wasn’t thinking of going that route anyway, I’ve heard a lot of things about how medical schools view non-rigorous course loads. Also as you mentioned, the preparation for medical school.

Well, I truly appreciate everyone’s advice and I’ll take everything into account and I thank you all. I will say this, I will become a doctor one day. I don’t know the exact path as which to take but I’ll figure something out with my job to make things work.