Non-Traditional Seeking Guidance In Pursuing Journey To Medical School.

[SFGMed]

Hello all! I pray that everyone is doing well, and may all the blessings come your way. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to be apart of such a supportive community. I'd like to introduce myself, and give a little background about my pathway in pursuing Medical School.

I'm a 24 year old, 2nd Generation Cambodian who's family escaped the Khmer Rouge as refugees. My grandparents settled in America through the sponsorship of a now longtime family friend, and Physician whom I now shadow. How thankful I am for him, and his wife along with all the things they've done for our family can't even be put in words.

Currently, I'm awaiting to attend the Special Operations Combat Medic course. So college is on hold at the moment. In the meantime until I leave for that school, I have been working as a Public Service Officer at my local police department. By the time I plan on applying I'll have 8 years of medical experience as a medic in the Army. 4 previously serving under the 101st Airborne Division. Along with another 4 supporting National Guard Special Forces. I left for the military in the Summer of 2017 after 1 year at a community college with a GPA of 3.5 as a Police Cadet Scholar. College just wasn't for me at the time, and I wasn't fully capable of applying myself to academics until I gained some life experience through the Army to figure myself out.

When I continue college, I'm seeking to major in Neuroscience or Psychology. Anybody willing to weigh in on this, would you say as long as I maintain a high cGPA/sGPA along with doing well on the MCAT, that I'd make for a competitive applicant being a non-traditional veteran? Naturally nervous for those Science courses being out of college for a bit, but I feel SOCM will prepare me for the rigors of undergrad work. By the time I apply, I'd be 29-30 years old with a wealth of knowledge & experiences to bring into Med School. During my UG, I plan on volunteering as a mentor for fostered youth along with serving homeless shelters. Some of my other interests/extra-curriculars are running, the gym, and MMA.

I do apologize in advance as I did my best to keep this condensed. Would love to keep this thread going as a progress tracker throughout the journey. I joined this forum with the intent of supporting anyone in any way I can with my experiences, and to ultimately get accepted into Medical School. Thank you again all!

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[Bonne Nuit]

Hello all! I pray that everyone is doing well, and may all the blessings come your way. I'm extremely grateful for the opportunity to be apart of such a supportive community. I'd like to introduce myself, and give a little background about my pathway in pursuing Medical School.

I'm a 24 year old, 2nd Generation Cambodian who's family escaped the Khmer Rouge as refugees. My grandparents settled in America through the sponsorship of a now longtime family friend, and Physician whom I now shadow. How thankful I am for him, and his wife along with all the things they've done for our family can't even be put in words.

Currently, I'm awaiting to attend the Special Operations Combat Medic course. So college is on hold at the moment. In the meantime until I leave for that school, I have been working as a Public Service Officer at my local police department. By the time I plan on applying I'll have 8 years of medical experience as a medic in the Army. 4 serving under the conventional force. Along with another 4 supporting National Guard Special Forces. I left for the military in the Summer of 2017 after 1 year at a community college with a GPA of 3.5 as a Police Cadet Scholar. College just wasn't for me at the time, and I wasn't fully capable of applying myself to academics until I gained some life experience through the Army to figure myself out.

When I continue college, I'm seeking to major in Neuroscience or Psychology. Anybody willing to weigh in on this, would you say as long as I maintain a high cGPA/sGPA along with doing well on the MCAT, that I'd make for a competitive applicant being a non-traditional veteran? Naturally nervous for those Science courses being out of college for a bit, but I feel SOCM will prepare me for the rigors of undergrad work. By the time I apply, I'd be 29-30 years old with a wealth of knowledge & experiences to bring into Med School. During my UG, I plan on volunteering as a mentor for fostered youth along with serving homeless shelters. Some of my other interests/extra-curriculars are running, the gym, and MMA.

I do apologize in advance as I did my best to keep this condensed. Would love to keep this thread going as a progress tracker throughout the journey. I joined this forum with the intent of supporting anyone in any way I can with my experiences, and to ultimately get accepted into Medical School. Thank you again all!

You have an excellent story, admissions committees adore military experience, and you will have stellar clinical exposure if all goes according to your plan. So long as you maintain a high GPA, get some solid EC hours, and earn a decent MCAT score, you will be a highly desirable medical school applicant.

The major you choose is mostly irrelevant to medical school admissions, in that you can study whatever you like so long as you have completed all the prerequisite science coursework. Major in psychology or neuroscience if you're interested in it and if you think you can earn high grades in the classes. Many premeds choose to major in biology or chemistry simply because you get a lot of the medical school requirements out of the way in the process of completing your degree, so that can be an efficient choice. However, there's not a lot you can do with those degrees if medicine doesn't work out, so that's something to consider. Bottom line: just select whatever major is most interesting to you.

There is a bit of a learning curve when returning to school, especially if you're studying hard science for the first time, so don't be afraid to take an easier schedule in the first semester or two while you get acclimated. You will adjust. The military students I know all earn excellent grades because they're so disciplined. It's hard work getting to medical school, but it's doable. Good luck!

 

[SFGMed]

You have an excellent story, admissions committees adore military experience, and you will have stellar clinical exposure if all goes according to your plan. So long as you maintain a high GPA, get some solid EC hours, and earn a decent MCAT score, you will be a highly desirable medical school applicant.

The major you choose is mostly irrelevant to medical school admissions, in that you can study whatever you like so long as you have completed all the prerequisite science coursework. Major in psychology or neuroscience if you're interested in it and if you think you can earn high grades in the classes. Many premeds choose to major in biology or chemistry simply because you get a lot of the medical school requirements out of the way in the process of completing your degree, so that can be an efficient choice. However, there's not a lot you can do with those degrees if medicine doesn't work out, so that's something to consider. Bottom line: just select whatever major is most interesting to you.

There is a bit of a learning curve when returning to school, especially if you're studying hard science for the first time, so don't be afraid to take an easier schedule in the first semester or two while you get acclimated. You will adjust. The military students I know all earn excellent grades because they're so disciplined. It's hard work getting to medical school, but it's doable. Good luck!

Wow, thank you so much for taking the time to give me all this great advice. I truly do appreciate it! I’ll definitely keep all these key points you mentioned in mind as I continue working towards my goals. Most certainly excited to endeavor on this journey. (And I may have more questions along the way in the future.)

 

[neuroTIC_so]

Great story, and congrats on wanting to take the next steps on your medical path! I don't have much to add as a non-medical person (spouse of one), but I will say this: focus on SOCM in the immediate. Not sure if you're presently a 68W tapped to go through the pipeline with a 18D contract? If so, you'll have an opportunity for long course/ SFMS. The SF/SOF lifestyle is incredibly demanding- from workups, enabler training, refresher, to other CE; not to mention deployments (and a hell of a lot of them). If you are driven, you can make college happen- just know it may take a little bit longer. Use your TA to the maximum extent so you don't touch your GI Bill (save that for HPSP or when your get out). There are undergrad programs out there for SF/SOF in particular (check out GWU's program). If you plan to stay active, you may also want to check out EMDP2. Bottom line, there are lots of ways a non-trad, veteran can go to med school, but in the immediate- focus on SOCM. It'll bring you a lot of opportunities that can will parlay into something greater. Best of luck.

 

[SFGMed]

Great story, and congrats on wanting to take the next steps on your medical path! I don't have much to add as a non-medical person (spouse of one), but I will say this: focus on SOCM in the immediate. Not sure if you're presently a 68W tapped to go through the pipeline with a 18D contract? If so, you'll have an opportunity for long course/ SFMS. The SF/SOF lifestyle is incredibly demanding- from workups, enabler training, refresher, to other CE; not to mention deployments (and a hell of a lot of them). If you are driven, you can make college happen- just know it may take a little bit longer. Use your TA to the maximum extent so you don't touch your GI Bill (save that for HPSP or when your get out). There are undergrad programs out there for SF/SOF in particular (check out GWU's program). If you plan to stay active, you may also want to check out EMDP2. Bottom line, there are lots of ways a non-trad, veteran can go to med school, but in the immediate- focus on SOCM. It'll bring you a lot of opportunities that can will parlay into something greater. Best of luck.

Thank you for the insight! SOCM is certainly a hurdle within itself, so I’ll most definitely keep it at the fore front. I’m currently a 68W that transitioned out of active duty back in June. I interviewed and tried out for an opening within the medical section of Group Support through the National Guard. Everything you highlighted about the lifestyle is spot on. Again, thank you for the kind words and immense support. SOCM = 25M target.