A few questions in regards to my situation

[psychwanderer]

Hello all,

I have recently gotten out of the military and will be starting my informal post bacc journey this summer with Chemistry. The school that I am attending requires a placement test; which I remember next to nothing about in regards to chemistry that I took in high school. I am wondering if I should study for the placement test, or just take the placement test and if I fail than take the remedial class, which takes me one step farther away.

Another question that I have is that I will not be starting classes until June, which means that I have a few months before classes actually start. I am debating on studying and taking the GRE during this time frame, just in case my med school dreams do not come to fruition. Do you think that this is a good idea, or would my time be spent better elsewhere, like independently pre reading biology, physics, anatomy, etc.?

Also, sorry for so many questions, but what do you think would be a good occupation to have while attending classes for the post bacc (my undergrad is in business administration if it matters or not). I will be using the 9/11 GI Bill to go to school full time starting in August, so I think that part time would be beneficial, especially since I currently have no shadowing or clinical experience as of yet.

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[theseeker4]

Hello all,

I have recently gotten out of the military and will be starting my informal post bacc journey this summer with Chemistry. The school that I am attending requires a placement test; which I remember next to nothing about in regards to chemistry that I took in high school. I am wondering if I should study for the placement test, or just take the placement test and if I fail than take the remedial class, which takes me one step farther away.

Another question that I have is that I will not be starting classes until June, which means that I have a few months before classes actually start. I am debating on studying and taking the GRE during this time frame, just in case my med school dreams do not come to fruition. Do you think that this is a good idea, or would my time be spent better elsewhere, like independently pre reading biology, physics, anatomy, etc.?

Also, sorry for so many questions, but what do you think would be a good occupation to have while attending classes for the post bacc (my undergrad is in business administration if it matters or not). I will be using the 9/11 GI Bill to go to school full time starting in August, so I think that part time would be beneficial, especially since I currently have no shadowing or clinical experience as of yet.

Why take the GRE so early? If med school doesn't work out, you can always take it later, and probably with a stronger result since you will have had semesters of additional college work behind you.

For employment, Research is great, if you can get it. If you can get something clinical, such as working as an EMT, CNA, scribe in the ER, that would be great. If you can't get anything clinical or in research, any job you can work while keeping your grades up would be fine.

The placement test is usually pretty simple, but that depends on what you mean by remembering next to nothing. If you can tell the difference between ionic and covalent bonds, know what an atom is made of, know what acids vs bases are, etc, you should have no problems with the placement test. If you have no idea what I am talking about, you will at least want to study a bit for the exam. There is no real reason to completely skip the exam, since it would be one more class you would have to take, as you said.

I wouldn't pre study (other than for the placement exam) during your down time. Use the time to get certified for a clinical job, or find employment, Line up shadowing and volunteering, and enjoy yourself some. Don't burn yourself out before school even starts.

 

[psychwanderer]

Thank you for the advice. I believe I read on these forums that military time counts as an EC; should I still continue to seek volunteer hours outside of a clinical setting or focus more on shadowing and try to find volunteer opportunities in a clinical setting?

As for certification for a clinical job, I had an opportunity to get certified as a pharmacy technician, but I had to turn it down due to the low pay and no benefits. (I am married and my wife is still in school.) So I have had to settle for a security job in the mean time due it offering benefits. Do you think that my work experience will look negatively when I actually apply to medical school?

 

[theseeker4]

Thank you for the advice. I believe I read on these forums that military time counts as an EC; should I still continue to seek volunteer hours outside of a clinical setting or focus more on shadowing and try to find volunteer opportunities in a clinical setting?

As for certification for a clinical job, I had an opportunity to get certified as a pharmacy technician, but I had to turn it down due to the low pay and no benefits. (I am married and my wife is still in school.) So I have had to settle for a security job in the mean time due it offering benefits. Do you think that my work experience will look negatively when I actually apply to medical school?

Being in the military is definitely considered a big plus to most schools, so it would absolutely be a valuable addition to your Activities section. Volunteer hours are generally looked for; whether being in the military "makes up for" a lack of volunteering is a question that I can't answer. Now there is no NEED to have volunteering both in clinical, and non clinical settings. Hospital volunteering is one of the most common ECs among pre meds because it kills two birds with one stone, volunteering and clinical exposure. If you are going to volunteer in a clinical setting, there is no need to also volunteer outside a clinical setting, unless you want to. Shadowing would still be required, as it is looked at differently from general "clinical experience" and is something they expect you to have along with the other ECs.

I don't see why your job would be looked down upon. Adcoms realize that non traditional students have to put food on the table and support themselves and often a family as well, so having a job outside science or healthcare is definitely not going to hurt you at all.