Medical Path Forward for Full-time Employed Non-Trad student

[GoSpursGo]

Hi everyone,

I appreciate the help in advance. My question is how I should start to move forward over the next two years as I have had the recent revelation I’m interested in medicine. I am currently working as a third year clerkship coordinator at a state med school school and it’s been eye opening. While I’d never really considered medicine, I started attending the zoom classes of my clerkship and have become really interested and excited about the field and medicine as a career. However, I seem to be woefully underprepared for an application as a non-traditional student. I took stats and anatomy in college but otherwise no pre-reqs. From my research my earliest possible app cycle would be 2023-2024.

The rest of my stats are:
4.0 undergrad GPA Sociology
1000+ hours of research in sociology with three conference presentations and 1 pub

Non-clinical volunteer: I did on campus organizing around sexual assault prevention in college but that was 2 years ago. more recently volunteered/unpaid interned 150 hrs remotely for a non-profit that compiles and shares relevant data and research for other non-profit orgs. Starting crisis line volunteering soon and back at another place in person when it’s safer.

Clinical: I’d guess none? I’m search and rescuer trained and had my wilderness first responder and have provided some care to people in that setting but know that’s different. Working as an office assistant in a clinic in college.

Shadowing: starting soon if covid continues to decline.

clinical volunteering: starting soon if covid gets better.

I know from all this that I obviously need to get pre-reqs and MCAT done first, and I’m confident I can do well in my courses and the test with proper prep given my history of doing well in school and on standardized tests.

I guess my main worry is do I need to do a formal post-bac? Do I need to quit my current job and start scribing? I’d really prefer to keep working at least part time (ideally full time) because I’m financially independent and not at all wealthy, and I currently get free classes with my university job. I’m not sure if that’s a pipe dream and schools would prefer to see me just quit my job and go all in on classes? It’s just a big risk for me as a non-trad with not a ton of money and the competitiveness of the app cycle.

I know this is far in advance but I’d like to get myself started on the best path and have my best possible first time app since I’d be older than average upon matriculation.

I really appreciate any insight! thank you!

So, you don't HAVE to do anything. If you decide to keep working, it will just take longer to get through the pre-reqs. But there's nothing that requires you to do a formal post-bacc.

Similarly, you can get your clinical experience and shadowing however you want to. You will accrue hours faster if you do scribe or one of those other "classic" clinical experience jobs, but if you're willing to take a few years to do this then that's a pathway as well.

Bottom line, you have to have *a* plan, but it doesn't have to be the same as everyone else's plan. Figure out what works for you.

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[Goro]

I recommend either working for a few more years, saving up the money, and then going for a formal post-bac program. I recommend this as they should include MCAT prep and good advising.

Failing that, do a DIY post-bac.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Formal post-bac would be good for the reasons Goro listed above. DIY post-bac would be good as it would give you some flexibility if you do decide to continue working. You are gonna need to juggle a ton of things here as you know (prereqs, MCAT, clinical and non-clinical volunteering, shadowing). Do not rush this if you are serious about going into medicine. Do it the right way and do well.