Reality check please.

[music-and-medicine]

Hey everyone, Newbie here.

I am not sure if I could as a non-trad. student, but here goes:

I am currently a Music Therapy/ Composition Double major, with a strong interest in neuroscience. I was told freshman year that I could not do medicine by my family (abusive situation), and I believed them. However, now I have transferred, am halfway through Music Therapy, and realizing that I still want to do medicine. I figure, I might as well see if I have what it takes. Here are some details:

-I currently have a 3.9 GPA
-I have taken all of my gen-ed courses, plus on year of Music Therapy/ Psychology courses
-I have volunteered and worked in clinical settings (human and veterinary) for over 8 years. As a vet tech, I am fine with every bodily fluid and then some, and have assisted and been around surgeries and emergency situations.
-I have made a 3.9 or 4.0 every single semester, sans my freshman year when I got a concussion right before finals (ew.)

I have been thinking about it, and I feel like the most logical course is to finish my degree in MTY, and add my pre-med courses, since there is a lot of overlap in the science and psych courses. However, most of my pre-med friends have been such since Freshman year. I am technically about to start junior year. (But will most likely have to be a "super senior" due to taking a gap year due to limited finances. Then I figure I could try for med school, but if I fail, I still have a career.

The thing is though, that I know next to nothing about what it "really takes" in undergrad to make it. I have learned the basics, including that there is a large percentage of music majors that are accepted into med school, but I want to know more. Am I completely delusional to want to go for it? What are some things I need to know or have not thought about yet?

Thanks so much!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[star.buck]

I'm a music major - gone med school, currently 3rd year med student. I'd be happy to PM if you have specific questions. Our paths sound similar, esp the family situation (which is the reason I'd suggest PM... I don't like to get into that on the public forum).

You're not delusional. You can do this. Make sure it's what you want.

 

[frosted2]

Check out ViolinMD on YouTube. She was a violin major in undergrad and is now a 2nd year medical resident.

 

[operaman]

Also music major turned professional musician a now a pgy4. Yes you can definitely do this. Big picture stuff:

1) keep that gpa up
2) classes needed for the mcat and med school admissions are listed on their website. Take those. Make As.
3) think about your timeline. You want to hit submit on June 1st one year before you want to matriculate. You’ll need the mcat taken and scored prior to this date (ideally). The most time limited thing is the chemistry sequence where gen chem must be taken prior to orgo. Figure out some way to fit all the classes into your timeline.
4) shadowing, clinical exposure, volunteering, and for some schools research. You will need a LOT of hours of each so start now. Career-changer non trads can get away with lower numbers here adcoms understand it’s hard to find time to do these AND work full time. You’re still in undergrad so they will likely consider you in the same category as other undergrads.
5) major in whatever you like, but make sure you make As. You’ve done a fine job of this so far if your cumulative gpa is a 3.9.

Happy to answer any other questions!

 

[Goro]

Hey everyone, Newbie here.

I am not sure if I could as a non-trad. student, but here goes:

I am currently a Music Therapy/ Composition Double major, with a strong interest in neuroscience. I was told freshman year that I could not do medicine by my family (abusive situation), and I believed them. However, now I have transferred, am halfway through Music Therapy, and realizing that I still want to do medicine. I figure, I might as well see if I have what it takes. Here are some details:

-I currently have a 3.9 GPA
-I have taken all of my gen-ed courses, plus on year of Music Therapy/ Psychology courses
-I have volunteered and worked in clinical settings (human and veterinary) for over 8 years. As a vet tech, I am fine with every bodily fluid and then some, and have assisted and been around surgeries and emergency situations.
-I have made a 3.9 or 4.0 every single semester, sans my freshman year when I got a concussion right before finals (ew.)

I have been thinking about it, and I feel like the most logical course is to finish my degree in MTY, and add my pre-med courses, since there is a lot of overlap in the science and psych courses. However, most of my pre-med friends have been such since Freshman year. I am technically about to start junior year. (But will most likely have to be a "super senior" due to taking a gap year due to limited finances. Then I figure I could try for med school, but if I fail, I still have a career.

The thing is though, that I know next to nothing about what it "really takes" in undergrad to make it. I have learned the basics, including that there is a large percentage of music majors that are accepted into med school, but I want to know more. Am I completely delusional to want to go for it? What are some things I need to know or have not thought about yet?

Thanks so much!

I'm telling you go for it.

Have you volunteered with patients in a clinical setting? Shadowed?

 

[music-and-medicine]

I'm telling you go for it.

Have you volunteered with patients in a clinical setting? Shadowed?

I have volunteered at nursing homes, and animal shelters, but no human clinical shadowing yet. I don't even really know where to look for those. Apparently at my local hospital system, there is a lot of legal stuff that prevents me just walking in and asking to shadow. They have competitive programs for shadowing you have to apply through school I think!

 

[Goro]

I have volunteered at nursing homes, and animal shelters, but no human clinical shadowing yet. I don't even really know where to look for those. Apparently at my local hospital system, there is a lot of legal stuff that prevents me just walking in and asking to shadow. They have competitive programs for shadowing you have to apply through school I think!

Start by asking your family doctor, or make/use connections at the places where you did your clinical volunteering. If they can't help you directly, ask if they can recommend people who can.

 

[Apprentice of St. Luke]

This is precisely the thread I am looking for.

Is anyone here interested in performing arts medicine? Actually having an interest in the treatment of performing artists, or in this case, musicians?

(As opposed to simply using a major or minor in music to fulfill the 90 semester hour medical school admissions requirement in the U.S.?)

 

[music-and-medicine]

Yes, I am interested in finding out more about that I suppose!

 

[KiddCo]

If you are calling a receptionist or talking with one directly at the place you are trying to shadow (like a hospital), I would recommend asking to speak with the head of HR. When I was looking to shadow, the receptionists kept giving me misinformation or telling me that the hospital "doesn't do that." I don't think many of the people who work the desks get many requests about shadowing and are up to date with how it works.

Those same places that would turn me away at reception were more than welcoming when speaking to the appropriate person (like the HR manager). For one regional hospital system, I emailed the corporate HR manager, who asked me what I wanted to shadow and for how long. She reached out to several of the hospitals in the system to fulfill every single one of my requests (I even got to stand in the OR and observe several surgeries). Super nice lady.

Another place was a small clinic run by a single doctor. I just called them up directly and explained my situation. The lady never gets shadowing requests and was floored that I asked her. You may come across as desperate or forward, but in some places you have to be exactly that.

As far as legal stuff and paperwork, well yeah expect that. Especially at larger hospitals and health systems. I had to do several background checks (each hospital system wanted to run their own), mountains of paperwork, have current immunizations with proof, etc.

Be sure to explain that you are in the process of applying into medical school (if you're on this forum I suspect you are), because they don't let people just shadow for fun. Explain your position and be professional. Being an older non-trad can be a bit challenging, especially when people ask if your a student and what-not.

I move every 4-8 months across the country to new locations because of my fiancee's job, and I've gone though this process quite a few times now.

 

[herdofturtles]

You're young, you can definitely manage it.

Don't be afraid of taking an extra year to graduate if you have to. Don't be afraid of taking a gap year if you need time to strengthen your extracurriculars. You're a lot earlier in your journey than most non-trads are, so don't get worried comparing yourself to "traditional" students who've been studying for the MCAT since they were five. You've got plenty of time.

 

[futuremdforme]

If you graduate, then take extra pre-req classes, they'll show up differently on your AMCAS application. Your degree classes show up as uGPA, and anything else will be post-bacc. If you do well, there's no issue. Just an FYI.

 

[music-and-medicine]

If you graduate, then take extra pre-req classes, they'll show up differently on your AMCAS application. Your degree classes show up as uGPA, and anything else will be post-bacc. If you do well, there's no issue. Just an FYI.

I didn't know that! Is there one option that's "better"? I usually have a 4.0, but this Chem class is bringing it down to like a 3.8 I think...

 

[futuremdforme]

I didn't know that! Is there one option that's "better"? I usually have a 4.0, but this Chem class is bringing it down to like a 3.8 I think...

If you think you may have a downward GPA, it would be better to put them all together if you can figure it out. If you think you can get a good GPA in both, then it doesn't matter. And for people who struggled, it might be good to separate a bad undergrad GPA from a 4.0 postbacc.

3.8 is excellent still, but remember that the premed classes will probably be harder than psychology, etc -- they definitely were for me.

 

[Gurby]

I found Calculus and OChem to be easier than Composition and Ear Training (my sGPA > my cGPA), but then again my shot at a music career flopped so...