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FNPBC2MD

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Hello everyone! I am currently a Palliative Care DNP and wish to pursue medical school. In my field, there is a huge need for physicians and this has inspired my return to school. Before I can apply, there are several courses I must complete including: Organic Chemistry I & II, Physics I & II, and Biochemistry. I welcome any and all advice from the group. I have not decided whether to apply to MD, DO, or both types of programs.

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What is your cumulative and science GPA at this point? Obviously, strive for all A's and then focus on doing well on the MCAT. Make sure you get some non-clinical volunteering done and you will probably be fine.
 
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You might get some good advice in the non-trad forum!
 
Are you going to continue working while taking your pre-reqs?


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Yes, I intend to just take 1 course a semester and continue working. It will take me 2 years but that is ok. For me it is about the destination not the journey.
 
What is your cumulative and science GPA at this point? Obviously, strive for all A's and then focus on doing well on the MCAT. Make sure you get some non-clinical volunteering done and you will probably be fine.

Thank you for the advice. These courses will increase my undergraduate GPA to be more competitive. I only plan to take 1 course at the time and keep working. That way I can focus on ensuring the best grade possible. So days at the free clinic would not count as volunteering? I will find somewhere to volunteer then.
 
Thank you for the advice. These courses will increase my undergraduate GPA to be more competitive. I only plan to take 1 course at the time and keep working. That way I can focus on ensuring the best grade possible. So days at the free clinic would not count as volunteering? I will find somewhere to volunteer then.

It's not to say that you can't or shouldn't volunteer at the free clinic. It's just that, with your extensive clinical past, it wouldn't be required like for many pre-meds.
 
There's a great podcast called The Undifferentiated Medical Student (TUMS) that interviews a palliative care doc about what the life is like as a physician. You probably have a great idea of what that's like given your work experience, but if you're interested it's episode #21: The Undifferentiated Medical Student

As far as advice goes, as long as you ace your remaining pre-reqs (assuming your current undergraduate gpa is solid) and do well on the MCAT you should be good as far as numbers go.

You'll need a few letters of recommendation to apply.. keep that in mind for the future while you're taking classes. Some schools need letters within "x" amount of years old. So you may need to utilize the remaining pre-reqs you have to take for this.

You'll also need a physician letter of recommendation. It sounds like you work closely with doctors in palliative care on a daily basis... maybe see if one of them will write one for you.

As one of the above posters mentioned, you probably have LOADS of clinical experience and I think what they meant to say was you may want to show a bit of humanitarianism through other types of volunteering (red cross, habitat for humanity, volunteering at a homeless shelter, something along those lines.) I was asked why I didn't volunteer (as much) in the non-clinical setting at one of my interviews (Touro - NV.) Nowhere else seemed to care. If you have the time or the opportunity presents itself to do so, give it a whirl. Otherwise I think volunteering at the free clinics you've mentioned is great.

It might not be a bad idea to get some research experience if you can. DO schools don't seem place as big an emphasis on this as MD schools, but it definitely helps to have had exposure to the area. There are certain DO schools that seem to like research a lot though (just from the reading I've done on here and some interview experiences I've had.)

Make sure you focus on conceptualization in those remaining pre-reqs! It will make the chemical and physical foundations section of the MCAT much easier to study for some exam time.

Good luck!
-NF
 
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How much independence do you have already? If you have full autonomy already it seems like a waste. Sure, you'll learn a thing or two, but most of medical school is self taught anyway, so why pay $200k when you can be up to date by reading a few journal articles a week/month.
 
My state does not have Independent practice nor will it in the foreseeable future. Would you want to continue practicing in a field where we all do the same job except NPs are paid 1/2-1/3 what the attending is paid? We literally all work as a team and do the same job beside each other daily. I would rather have the education and become an equal. Life is too short to settle.


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Yes, I intend to just take 1 course a semester and continue working. It will take me 2 years but that is ok. For me it is about the destination not the journey.
I'm not trying to get you down but the adcom wants to see that you can excel on your classes on at least 12 credits per semester. If you only take one class per semester it will be a weakness on your application. My university made us take an easy class called "overview of medical careers" which prepares you as a pre-med to become an excellent candidate for med schools. I suggest to take that class to also learn about MD vs DO and learn about other health careers because you might find something else that you like.
 
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