Law School to Medical School - Am I being realistic?

[lawstudent2MD]

Hi All,

Some background information about me:

I am a 25 year old second year law student at a T1 public law school. I received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in undergrad from the same school and graduated with okay grades (cGPA: 3.49; sGPA: 3.3). My current plan after graduation is to practice in the field of patent law. I have some (~10 hours) medical shadowing experience and some volunteer experience as well, however the volunteer experience is not medically related. Because of my Chem E. background, I completed all prerequisite course excluding biochemistry. I will graduate with less than ~100k in student loans and should be able to pay that off in 2-3 years with my current job prospects.

Is it feasible to consider applying to medical school before age 30? I enjoy patent law as it has given me the opportunity to learn about novel technologies, but I eventually would like to transition to the medical field where I can make a more meaningful contribution to society. I also miss the personal interactions that are absent in much of the legal industry. Regarding debt, I have not really been motivated by money in my life. Patent law is something I could do part time to make some money on the side to help reduce loans if you all feel like that could be a possibility.

What would be my chances of getting into an MD or DO program with my current stats? While I have never taken the MCAT, I am fairly confident I could do well if I put in an appropriate amount of studying. What scores would I need to be a competitive applicant? My law school allows me to take non-law classes; if I took biochemistry as a part of this program, do you think medical schools would accept those credits? Should I attempt to gather more volunteer/shadowing experience in the meantime?

Thanks and any advice is greatly appreciated!

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[ApplicantPerson88]

Hi All,

Some background information about me:

I am a 25 year old second year law student at a T1 public law school. I received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in undergrad from the same school and graduated with okay grades (cGPA: 3.49; sGPA: 3.3). My current plan after graduation is to practice in the field of patent law. I have some (~10 hours) medical shadowing experience and some volunteer experience as well, however the volunteer experience is not medically related. Because of my Chem E. background, I completed all prerequisite course excluding biochemistry. I will graduate with less than ~100k in student loans and should be able to pay that off in 2-3 years with my current job prospects.

Is it feasible to consider applying to medical school before age 30? I enjoy patent law as it has given me the opportunity to learn about novel technologies, but I eventually would like to transition to the medical field where I can make a more meaningful contribution to society. I also miss the personal interactions that are absent in much of the legal industry. Regarding debt, I have not really been motivated by money in my life. Patent law is something I could do part time to make some money on the side to help reduce loans if you all feel like that could be a possibility.

What would be my chances of getting into an MD or DO program with my current stats? While I have never taken the MCAT, I am fairly confident I could do well if I put in an appropriate amount of studying. What scores would I need to be a competitive applicant? My law school allows me to take non-law classes; if I took biochemistry as a part of this program, do you think medical schools would accept those credits? Should I attempt to gather more volunteer/shadowing experience in the meantime?

Thanks and any advice is greatly appreciated!

You are 1 year away from graduation. Are you doing well in class? What have you been doing in the summer? I know people who have intern for the federal government during their summer breaks and found that really meaningful. Find out your school's clerkship rate if you are interested in that option (Find a Law School).

If you do well on the MCAT, I know people who have gotten into MD with slightly lower stats than you with a high MCAT 33+ on the old one. It would be a major decision and you should probably talk it out with people knowledgeable in the field.

 

[lawstudent2MD]

I am doing very well and should graduate in the top ~20% of my class. During summers, I have been fortunate enough to work for two boutique IP law firms which pays very well compared to different fields of law. I passed the patent bar exam prior to entering law school, so I am a registered patent agent at the moment.

I have always wanted to pursue a medical degree, but believed my GPA was not high enough. While I do enjoy the different skillset I have obtained during law school, I have always dreamed of being a doctor. My motivation to enter medical school is there, I just need to develop a plan to get there.

 

[ApplicantPerson88]

I am doing very well and should graduate in the top ~20% of my class. During summers, I have been fortunate enough to work for two boutique IP law firms which pays very well compared to different fields of law. I passed the patent bar exam prior to entering law school, so I am a registered patent agent at the moment.

I have always wanted to pursue a medical degree, but believed my GPA was not high enough. While I do enjoy the different skillset I have obtained during law school, I have always dreamed of being a doctor. My motivation to enter medical school is there, I just need to develop a plan to get there.

I would speak to the doctors that are either family friends or you trust. My friend was in the same position of deciding between IP vs public service. I don't understand why you would change a career though? You are probably facing a six figure associate position after graduation. Just consider why would you go into six figures of debt instead.?

I am not criticizing your choices in life, but make sure you talk it out with physicians that you trust and know you well.

 

[lawstudent2MD]

I would speak to the doctors that are either family friends or you trust. My friend was in the same position of deciding between IP vs public service. I don't understand why you would change a career though? You are probably facing a six figure associate position after graduation. Just consider why would you go into six figures of debt instead.?

I am not criticizing your choices in life, but make sure you talk it out with physicians that you trust and know you well.

I think I got into the legal field for the wrong reasons. I knew I didn't want to work as a chemical engineer after graduating and was nervous I would not have the scores to get into medical school. So I kind of settled on patent law. While I enjoy the work I am doing, I know I would be happier as a physician. I have two siblings in med school at the moment and have some medical contacts that I will definitely talk to before making my decision.

 

[ApplicantPerson88]

I think I got into the legal field for the wrong reasons. I knew I didn't want to work as a chemical engineer after graduating and was nervous I would not have the scores to get into medical school. So I kind of settled on patent law. While I enjoy the work I am doing, I know I would be happier as a physician. I have two siblings in med school at the moment and have some medical contacts that I will definitely talk to before making my decision.

Talk it over with them. You are still young and a career change is possible especially as you done well in law school. Also, if possible, talk it over with people at different stage points (resident, new attending/fellow, attending for a decade plus). Good luck!

 

[Splenda88]

I am doing very well and should graduate in the top ~20% of my class. During summers, I have been fortunate enough to work for two boutique IP law firms which pays very well compared to different fields of law. I passed the patent bar exam prior to entering law school, so I am a registered patent agent at the moment.

I have always wanted to pursue a medical degree, but believed my GPA was not high enough. While I do enjoy the different skillset I have obtained during law school, I have always dreamed of being a doctor. My motivation to enter medical school is there, I just need to develop a plan to get there.

Do you plan to finish law school? If so, do a DIY post bacc after law school in order to fulfill med school prereq requirements. Assuming you do well on postbacc and MCAT (3.7+ GPA and 510+), you will have a shot at MD. If your postbacc GPA and MCAT are less than stellar (3.5+ and 500+), you will be ok for DO.

 

[lawstudent2MD]

Do you plan to finish law school? If so, do a DIY post bacc after law school in order to fulfill med school prereq requirements. Assuming you do well on postbacc and MCAT (3.7+ GPA and 510+), you will have a shot at MD. If your postbacc GPA and MCAT are less than stellar (3.5+ and 500+), you will be ok for DO.

I think that although my debt is much less than most other law students, it still isn't nominal. So graduating and working for a few years would give me a chance to pay that off and time to take any pre-reqs needed for med school. Also, my law school gives the option to take up to 5 credits of non-law classes at the university, so I was thinking I might try to take biochem to get that out of the way. I have AP bio credit, but it doesn't seem like most medical school accept that type of credit. Do you think it is worth doing an entire post bacc just for 1-2 courses?

 

[Foggybrain]

I think that although my debt is much less than most other law students, it still isn't nominal. So graduating and working for a few years would give me a chance to pay that off and time to take any pre-reqs needed for med school. Also, my law school gives the option to take up to 5 credits of non-law classes at the university, so I was thinking I might try to take biochem to get that out of the way. I have AP bio credit, but it doesn't seem like most medical school accept that type of credit. Do you think it is worth doing an entire post bacc just for 1-2 courses?

I would advise you to finish your law degree, as it would be a good career backup. Following graduation, you can then talk to some Medical Schools for advice and consider then taking the MCAT/apply. I wish you the best.

 

[Splenda88]

I think that although my debt is much less than most other law students, it still isn't nominal. So graduating and working for a few years would give me a chance to pay that off and time to take any pre-reqs needed for med school. Also, my law school gives the option to take up to 5 credits of non-law classes at the university, so I was thinking I might try to take biochem to get that out of the way. I have AP bio credit, but it doesn't seem like most medical school accept that type of credit. Do you think it is worth doing an entire post bacc just for 1-2 courses?

Might have to take bio 1/2. Do 1-2 courses.

 

[Goro]

Hi All,

Some background information about me:

I am a 25 year old second year law student at a T1 public law school. I received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in undergrad from the same school and graduated with okay grades (cGPA: 3.49; sGPA: 3.3). My current plan after graduation is to practice in the field of patent law. I have some (~10 hours) medical shadowing experience and some volunteer experience as well, however the volunteer experience is not medically related. Because of my Chem E. background, I completed all prerequisite course excluding biochemistry. I will graduate with less than ~100k in student loans and should be able to pay that off in 2-3 years with my current job prospects.

Is it feasible to consider applying to medical school before age 30? I enjoy patent law as it has given me the opportunity to learn about novel technologies, but I eventually would like to transition to the medical field where I can make a more meaningful contribution to society. I also miss the personal interactions that are absent in much of the legal industry. Regarding debt, I have not really been motivated by money in my life. Patent law is something I could do part time to make some money on the side to help reduce loans if you all feel like that could be a possibility.

What would be my chances of getting into an MD or DO program with my current stats? While I have never taken the MCAT, I am fairly confident I could do well if I put in an appropriate amount of studying. What scores would I need to be a competitive applicant? My law school allows me to take non-law classes; if I took biochemistry as a part of this program, do you think medical schools would accept those credits? Should I attempt to gather more volunteer/shadowing experience in the meantime?

Thanks and any advice is greatly appreciated!

Stats are fine for DO, lethal for MD. Bailing on Law now will raise the issue of whether you'll bail on Medicine, and if you're simply running away from poor employment prospects.

Further, you're lacking in the required ECs.

 

[lawstudent2MD]

Stats are fine for DO, lethal for MD. Bailing on Law now will raise the issue of whether you'll nail on Medicine, and if you're simply running away from poor employment prospects.

Further, you're lacking in the required ECs.

What MCAT score would you recommend I aim for to be competitive in some MD schools? What can I be doing in the meantime as a professional student to flush out my ECs? I agree with you that I need to finish law school and enter the industry for a few years before begin this process.

 

[Goro]

What MCAT score would you recommend I aim for to be competitive in some MD schools? What can I be doing in the meantime as a professional student to flush out my ECs? I agree with you that I need to finish law school and enter the industry for a few years before begin this process.

FYI, a high MCAT will not remediate a non-competitive GPA.

The median MCAT score for MD acceptees is 511

You should be shadowing, engaging in service to others less fortunate than yourself, and getting some clinical exposure.

 

[sw99]

Hi,
Previous careers like law look good on med school apps. Remember to get more shadowing in (at least 50 hours), and lots more volunteer experience (esp. clinical volunteering). What made you want to change from law to medicine in the first place? Just my $.02. Good luck.

 

[lawstudent2MD]

Hi,
Previous careers like law look good on med school apps. Remember to get more shadowing in (at least 50 hours), and lots more volunteer experience (esp. clinical volunteering). What made you want to change from law to medicine in the first place? Just my $.02. Good luck.

Thank you all for your responses and advice!

I feel like like I got into law for the wrong reasons. All throughout undergrad, I planned on applying to medical school. However, I became somewhat discouraged with my resume after hearing my older brother's difficulty with his med school application. He seemed to have a near perfect resume (4.0 cGPA in chem engineering; 39 MCAT; ample research & publications) and was only accepted into two schools at the end of the process. With a noticeably lower GPA, I was uneasy that I could get in anywhere. I knew I didn't want to work in industry as a chemical engineer, so I decided to look into patent law. While I enjoy some of the work I do, I am not satisfied doing this long-term. Patent law does not carry the same personal interactions that being a physician does and I'm not making any individual impressions representing multi-billion dollar corporations.

 

[Goro]

Thank you all for your responses and advice!

I feel like like I got into law for the wrong reasons. All throughout undergrad, I planned on applying to medical school. However, I became somewhat discouraged with my resume after hearing my older brother's difficulty with his med school application. He seemed to have a near perfect resume (4.0 cGPA in chem engineering; 39 MCAT; ample research & publications) and was only accepted into two schools at the end of the process. With a noticeably lower GPA, I was uneasy that I could get in anywhere. I knew I didn't want to work in industry as a chemical engineer, so I decided to look into patent law. While I enjoy some of the work I do, I am not satisfied doing this long-term. Patent law does not carry the same personal interactions that being a physician does and I'm not making any individual impressions representing multi-billion dollar corporations.

The bolded is common for most applicants.. This is an Olympic level event, after all.

That said, you can still accomplish your goals without being a doctor.

 

[Foggybrain]

Thank you all for your responses and advice!

I feel like like I got into law for the wrong reasons. All throughout undergrad, I planned on applying to medical school. However, I became somewhat discouraged with my resume after hearing my older brother's difficulty with his med school application. He seemed to have a near perfect resume (4.0 cGPA in chem engineering; 39 MCAT; ample research & publications) and was only accepted into two schools at the end of the process. With a noticeably lower GPA, I was uneasy that I could get in anywhere. I knew I didn't want to work in industry as a chemical engineer, so I decided to look into patent law. While I enjoy some of the work I do, I am not satisfied doing this long-term. Patent law does not carry the same personal interactions that being a physician does and I'm not making any individual impressions representing multi-billion dollar corporations.

After you finish your law degree, work very hard to become competitive to apply to MD/DO schools. Good luck

 

[SeamlessForFood]

I'm 31 and starting med school this fall. I started full-time post-bacc classes at 28 and started my application at 30. I had somewhat average stats as a career changer, applied VERY broadly, and was ultimately accepted to 5 MD programs. I think the first thing to do is to pull your old transcripts, see what classes you still need (I don't think your old AP bio credit will fly after so many years and lack of upper class bio courses), and calculate how many A's you'll need to pull to raise your sGPA to 3.5+ and cGPA to 3.6+. Then think carefully about whether you would be agreeable to DO. It's an uphill battle no matter where you start. It's not just acing the MCAT, but volunteering, gaining clinical experiences, positioning yourself for strong letters, etc. The whole process undoubtedly tests your commitment to becoming a doctor. PM to continue this conversation if you'd like.