career changer - from teaching to medicine...

[ponderinventing]

hi all,

this message-board has been so informative and inspiring! congratulations to all of you fellow nontrads who are successfully completing the wild and wacky pre-med/med rollercoaster.

so, here's my situation. i'm 26, and have taught middle school math for the last four years, both in inner-city philadelphia and suburbia. i love it, but i've always wanted more - hence my nontrad status as premed student. i am currently in drexel's evening post-bac pre-med career changers program, and so far it's been pretty good. i have been working full time as a 7th grade math teacher by day, tutoring and taking classes by night, have gotten A's so far, and plan on trying to keep those grades up there. i'm trying to figure out what to do during my lag/glide/layover year hear me out...

i have three potential situations:

a) i get accepted to med school via one of the linkage agreements (very slim chance, or so i've been led to believe) - and so no worries about lag year, quit teaching in june '08, and start med school in sept. '08

b) no linkage, quit teaching june '08, use that year in-between to get some kind of research job in a lab at a university, perhaps take a class here or there to broaden my class roster, volunteer, have a less crowded schedule than teaching affords me and be able to spend more time on med school apps, etc.

c) no linkage, continue teaching (and making a pretty good salary), try to squeeze some volunteering in here and there, not really be able to do much research/shadowing unless a window opens up here or there (maybe in the summer?)

i think that choice A or B are preferable, even if i will be taking a pay cut. however, choice A is pretty much out of my locus of control, and i'm unsure about the likelihood of choice B - and herein lies my question...

is it possible for me to secure a pretty good research job at a university, or actually ANY other kind of job that is related to medicine/science, that will give me health insurance, give me valuable experience for medical school, and will also strengthen my application to med schools? should i start looking/inquiring now? again, my time line would be: stop teaching june '08; potential lag year july '08-august '09, entering med school sept. '09

i respect you guys and your experience, so any and all feedback would be greatly appreciated!

thanks so much!

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[arcin]

I don't really have an answer (but I would shoot for option a and fall back on option b) for you but I know if you want it bad enough you will find a way to make it happen. I wish you the best of luck and hope you make it in 09'. Keep up the hard work!

 

[vtucci]

Getting a research job that pays without having a degree (i.e., in clinical chemistry) or a lot of experience is going to be tricky in most places. I would opt for keeping your teaching and doing the ECs at night or weekends. Most ERs will let you volunteer at any hour of the day or night. Try getting in on a clinical research project if you want research experience.

I worked 40 hours a week as an attorney, took the pre-req classes and did the ECs at the same time. It is doable and you can still maintain your GPA. Just choose wisely. If you have specific questions, PM me.

 

[edmadison]

The real question is whether you need to volunteer at all? You are an inner city middle school teacher -- it takes more dedication to do that than anything else. I know -- I'm married to one. I think if you numbers are decent, have a good eloquent explination for your career change and a little exposure to the medical field you will be just fine.

Ed

 

[ShyRem]

Contact some med schools you are potentially interested in and ask their opinion. Most nontrads have a unique story... and depending where you want to go, some schools will want medical volunteer or shadowing experience. Some will be happy with what you're doing now. I think a lot of this depends on where you want to end up. However, if it were me, I'd do some shadowing or volunteering in the summer when you have a little more time.

 

[ponderinventing]

thanks to everyone, so far, for all of your suggestions. ed, yes, teaching is a pretty tough job, but as i'm sure your spouse will tell you, it is also a very rewarding one!

i realized that i wasn't very clear about the kind of job i was talking about looking for. obviously i couldn't become any kind of key researcher or anything without the proper training - however, i know that there are research assistant jobs out there, lab technicians perhaps?, or even assistants in a hospital or clinical setting - i have a few friends who are doing just that at penn. however, i'm trying to figure out if that's what is best for me at this point (or at least at that point in sept. 08). i just want to make sure that i'm building as strong an application as possible in the meantime. in other words, i don't want to find out later that it might have been better had i switched to a more medical related job in that last year.

in the meantime, i will also try to continue volunteering at the ER here in philly (i had been doing it once a week for four hours at a pop last school year). i definitely DO want this really badly, and i plan on doing whatever it takes to make med school a reality.

you guys make some good points, and i plan on contacting some schools in the philly area (where i currently am), and see what they might suggest. and, again, if anyone has any other ideas, please either pm me or let me know via another posting.

thanks again!

 

[ShanJ]

Hi ponder

I've been recently considering applying to Drexel Eve Post Bacc Program and was hoping you can tell me a little more about the program and school from your perspective. Was it hard getting in? Are the people helpful? I work at UPenn hospital and live in NJ and considered going to Drexel to help me get into med school. Any advice?

Thanx

 

[hattie]

I was a teacher (special education) for 2 years then a lab tech for 1 year, and now a 4th year applying for peds... both experiences were valued for different reasons at different places where I applied. If your gpa and mcats are good, you'll do fine anywhere... I think I got into places a little better than my numbers due to my experiences.

I would advise to ask around (friends in other fields, old professors, even your postbac teachers, etc.) about lab positions, sometimes they're a little more flexible than teaching - it was hard at my school to get random days off for interviewing, and can balance out your application and give you a break from teaching if you need it. Also seriously consider going to (or staying in) a state where you can declare residency pretty easily, it would have made a big difference for me in overall debt if I'd taken this into account.

 

[emerald03]

HI Ponder,

I echo the advice someone gave about calling med schools you're interested in and see what they say, but I also wanted to add in my experience. I was also a teacher for two years after college and switched to doing lab work after getting feedback from some schools that my job was not medically-related enough. I'm now doing research in a lab studying stem cells/leukemia/hematopoiesis. So it's possible to switch, but no matter what you do, be prepared to give a good explanation on med school apps of how your work helps you in medicine, especially if you stay in teaching (at least that's the advice of those I've spoken to).

 

[GProteinStar]

Ponderinventing,

I am 27 and am currently the lead chemistry teacher in an inner-city school. I work roughly 50 hours a week sometimes. I have a background in biochemistry and a master's in public health. I took my MCAT in August and scored pretty well. Medical schools will love the fact that you have teaching experience. Especially since they are moving most curriculums from a traditional lecture/discussion to a problem based pathway. I have applied to schools this year and have had a great response from the schools. I have been to three interviews and have 2 upcoming interviews.

Therefore, I think your option A and C are the best.

Good luck with everything!

 

[OneBasket]

Hey PonderInventing,
I was a middle school teacher for five years, and in my experience it has been a major plus on my application. Truly, to be an excellent clinician in most specialties you really must be a good teacher. It may seem funny, but the middle school level is just about right...think about the average american...most (adult) folks have about that level of science understanding! I did work for a year after I left teaching in a clinical position, but I did NO research, and I was completely honest about that in my apps. I think the clincal position gave me a great perspective (and a lot to spring from in my personal statement and other essays).

I just kind of backed my way into it, though. I knew I was interested in genetics so I sent out a bunch of letters to genetic counselors (GCs) in my city (Baltimore, then) asking for informational interviews/contacts/ideas about paid or volunteer work that would allow me to see clinical genetics in action. I had some phone interviews, some lunch interviews, and started volunteering my time in one hospital (actually doing a bit of research for the department head, but it was just looking through old patient records and creating a database). After one particulary fruitful lunch interview with a GC from a local (renowned) hospital, she called me up with a job offer. It was great for all of us. They got someone intelligent and interested to be their (mostly administrative) clinical coordinator (which did not pay very well...probably about 28K), and I got to see this amazing genetics clinic in all of its shining (and sometimes not so shining) glory. I knew all of the docs, all of the GCs, all of the residents and fellows (and their hours were UGLY btw) and by the end of a year (when my first baby was born) I was hooked. I had been in the middle of it all, and loved it. I really wanted to be one of those fellows...with the terrible schedules and all.

I digress.

Think about what you find really interesting in medicine, get specific, and start poking around. Philly is a great town for this (I lived at 23rd and Sansom for years...so I know it's a great town for this!! Hospitals at every turn!!!) Don't be afraid to write, call or email people you don't know. Have some questions for them, tell them you are looking for a job that will get you into the middle of things. You may not make much money. Just make it clear that you are in it for the experience. I had docs stopping by my desk on the way to see a new patient consult, asking me to come along because they knew I'd be interested. This was not a part of my job. But, I was efficient enough at my work that i could leave my desk for a bit in order to see stuff like that. I was in case conference every week just to see what the were talking about, and at night I had my nose in books I had borrowed to learn more about what had been discussed. I asked lots of questions (but I knew when to shut up, usually...you need to know which folks like to answer questions and which folks like silent worship).

you could also look at hospital websites for job openings. Just be clear about your objectives and you'll find something.

I say no to research. Do something clinical, do VERY well on your MCATs, get As in every one of your classes, and be sure to identify the people you'll be asking for letters of recommendation when that time comes.

But, that's just what worked for me, and I may be an odd duck.

Best of luck, and let us know what happens!

OneB

btw, I just reread your post and looked at your timelines. Anything you do after the school year ends (your "lag year") will have just started by the time you are doing your amcas (given that you will apply VERY early as instructed by all) and even interviews, if you have them in early fall. Given that, I vote for B. Making less money the year before you start is actually a good thing (makes you a better bet for need-based aid and good loans). Try to find something you will really like. If research is your bag, do that. If you're more a clinical person, do that. You could always tutor at night to make enough $$ to scrape by. g'luck...they're gonna love you.