Until med school...

[JSainte]

Hey everyone!

Was hoping to get some feedback on a decision I need to make that I'm back and forth on. Here's the story, I'll try and be concise.

*Just graduated in June with my B.A. in Public Relations from DePaul.
*Currently have my EMT-B license and work for a private ambulance company.
*Need to go to a pre-med post-bacc program (UG) for my sciences and to raise my UG GPA (which is 3.0).

Because DePaul is on the quarter system, I got out too late to apply to the pre-med programs in time for this year, so I now may have a year to kill before I can apply for 2009. What I'm curious about is what I should do right now?

My options seems to be these:

1. Go to paramedic school this year (or something similar in healthcare) and use that training to work PT later on during pre-med, in addition to the experience for med schools apps.

2. Do nothing but work this year as an EMT-B and save money.

3. Forget about the official pre-med post-bacc programs and take the SAME classes at the same schools (Northwestern works like this) but without being a part of the official program. (Which also means no financial aid).

I'm anxious to get pre-med started because I'm already 25 and would like to quit wasting time, but I'm torn. I also think about my glide year and what I'll do then.

Also, I'm currently volunteering in an ER, and doing shadowing hours. Any other info on extra-curriculars would be great, too.

Thanks so much!
JSainte

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[gman33]

There is no reason you need to do your post-bacc work in a formal program. There can be some advantage, but it's really up to the individual and finding what works best for you.
I would just enroll as a non-matriculated student at a local school and get to work on the classes.

Not true about no financial aid. You are eligible for $10,500 in federal loans for post-bacc education. This has nothing to do with being in a formal program. Contact the FA office at the school you are interested in attending.

One problem with big schools is that it may be hard to get registered for the classes you need. Stay on top of that and be flexible with your schedule. First, just try to register for any section you can get in and if the time or whatever isn't the best, just keep checking to see if you can get in a more desirable section.

 

[JSainte]

There is no reason you need to do your post-bacc work in a formal program. There can be some advantage, but it's really up to the individual and finding what works best for you.
I would just enroll as a non-matriculated student at a local school and get to work on the classes.

Not true about no financial aid. You are eligible for $10,500 in federal loans for post-bacc education. This has nothing to do with being in a formal program. Contact the FA office at the school you are interested in attending.

One problem with big schools is that it may be hard to get registered for the classes you need. Stay on top of that and be flexible with your schedule. First, just try to register for any section you can get in and if the time or whatever isn't the best, just keep checking to see if you can get in a more desirable section.

Thanks for your reply, GMan. Northwestern's info session said that you couldn't get financial assistance if you were not in the official program, so I'll definitely have to look into that. The bonus of not being in a structured program would be a wider range of school choices, but I wasn't sure if there was a huge benefit to the programs despite the fact that you're taking the same classes.

Anyone else have any advice? All thoughts are useful thoughts!

Thanks,

JSainte

 

[gman33]

They might have additional FA option is you are in the program, but you should be eligible for the government loans regardless.

A formal program can help with advising and LORs, etc, but there is not much else. I started in a formal program, didn't like it, and finished up in a do-it-yourself program.

 

[JSainte]

They might have additional FA option is you are in the program, but you should be eligible for the government loans regardless.

A formal program can help with advising and LORs, etc, but there is not much else. I started in a formal program, didn't like it, and finished up in a do-it-yourself program.

I'll email them and ask about it because the website actually says it, too. Otherwise I'm looking at Loyola and UIC. I'm sure I can find a way around LOR's, by using faculty and pre-med organization directors, etc.

Thanks again!

 

[Law2Doc]

A formal program can help with advising and LORs, etc, but there is not much else. I started in a formal program, didn't like it, and finished up in a do-it-yourself program.

Well, the one thing the really good formal programs have is a director who goes to med schools and markets students directly to deans. The better schools have some built in pull in this way. And some places have linkages to affiliated med schools which can guarantee you an interview, maybe admissions, depending on your grades there. Do it yourself is fine, but I wouldn't suggest there's no benefit to some of the formal routes.

 

[futureboy]

Thanks for your reply, GMan. Northwestern's info session said that you couldn't get financial assistance if you were not in the official program, so I'll definitely have to look into that. The bonus of not being in a structured program would be a wider range of school choices, but I wasn't sure if there was a huge benefit to the programs despite the fact that you're taking the same classes.

Anyone else have any advice? All thoughts are useful thoughts!

Thanks,

JSainte

What about registering as a student seeking a 2nd bachelors degree like chem or bio? You may be eligible for financial aid doing it this way. Worked for me, but it was several years ago.

 

[JessicaMorsell]

They might have additional FA option is you are in the program, but you should be eligible for the government loans regardless.

A formal program can help with advising and LORs, etc, but there is not much else. I started in a formal program, didn't like it, and finished up in a do-it-yourself program.

But on the flip side, in an unstructure program, there may not be as much competitiion to get noticed for such things as LOP's. Maybe not. I'm still undergrad and have yet to look into anything POst-bacc, and hope that I won't have to go that route, so who knows?

I took EMT-B with my local FD a few years back and flew through the class, but hit a critical fail with my partner during the final practical. i took the retraining session, but never persued retaking the final practical. Foolish of me, no? Wish I had wrapped that up, but I fell into working more hours and didn't have the time to devote to FD any more.

 

[JessicaMorsell]

Er, uhm, LOR's*. It's early for me!

 

[njbmd]

Thanks for your reply, GMan. Northwestern's info session said that you couldn't get financial assistance if you were not in the official program, so I'll definitely have to look into that. The bonus of not being in a structured program would be a wider range of school choices, but I wasn't sure if there was a huge benefit to the programs despite the fact that you're taking the same classes.

Anyone else have any advice? All thoughts are useful thoughts!

Thanks,

JSainte

Most schools do not provide Financial Aid for non-degree students. You can declare a major and just take your pre-med courses. That way, you can get some financial assistance. Just because you declare a major, it doesn't mean that you are obligated to complete that major especially if you already have a degree. Just don't declare the same major as you had before. You can declare something like education etc. If you were previously a science major,you can tell them that you decided to become a high school teacher. In any event, if you have a declared major, you can get financial aid. If you declare a second major that is in demand such as education, you may find loads of doors out there for money. Just don't take anything that you have to pay back with time.

As for the paramedic thing: if you don't plan on a career as a paramedic, then work and earn some money for your tuition. If you anticipate using the paramedic as a "fall-back", then pursue that training. It's just that it takes you away from what you actually want to do, that is, become a physician.

 

[thoffen]

Taking that year off or not... going into a structured or unstructured program... sticking with the same institution or going to a different one...

All of these choices really don't matter a whole lot. There are small things (like eligibility for school-provided financial aid, time it takes to complete, ease of getting LORs, some preference at schools like Northwestern), but none of these matter more than:
1. continually expressed interest and passion for medicine
2. receiving excellent grades
3. preparing well for the MCAT
4. building relationships with professors that will be recommending you
5. being an active member of the community
6. growth as an individual

These aren't necessarily in any order of importance, but these big picture things are what schools are looking for in an applicant. Personally, I would choose the post-bacc that had the best combination of accessibility, preparation for MCAT/med school, and prestige. If that means you have to take a semester or year off to begin, so be it. Just make sure you fill that space with medical volunteering/shadowing and community involvement.

 

[glamqueen]

thought I would reply to your post. I have an bachelor's in public relations out of my university's journalism school. I did a second degree (and got financial aid as a second-degree seeking student). Mine will be in microbiology, and I am in the middle of my application to med school right now. You can do it - there are very few of us PR people out there - don't let that dissuade you. Just put your mind to it! It is VERY different than journalism school, though, so you don't be surprised if when you start your second degree you feel as if you've been in a trainwreck the first few weeks. I know I certainly did. However, I adjusted, and you can definitely do this. Thought I'd pass along some encouragement from another former public relations exec.