Career Crisis and Potential Future Non-Trad

[BleedinBlue2016]

Hi all,
I've been lurking around SDN for the past couple of months, and it's been extremely helpful for me in learning a bit about myself, my interests, and where I see myself in the future. That said, I finally have reached the point where I am ready to put my own story out there and get some advice.

For all of my life, I had always seen myself doing something within the healthcare field, but I didn't exactly know where along the spectrum I fit best. When I entered college at Duke University, I came in with the expectation of fulfilling a pre-med course load honestly mostly because I didn't really know what else I could see myself doing. However, the pre-med track at Duke is extremely rigorous and extremely competitive, and in comparing myself to everyone around me and thinking ahead to the struggles of med applications, I lost faith in myself very quickly even thought I was definitely not doing 'poorly' (I had a mix of A's, A-'s, and maybe 2 B/B+'s in my pre-med requirements). Because of my worries, I also began questioning whether I would be happier in field like business or marketing. By the end of my first semester as a sophomore, I re-evaluated my desire to be a doctor and decided that it maybe wasn't really what I wanted - that I wanted to explore my options a bit and not put myself in a box labeled pre-med. Instead, I decided to pursue the business side of healthcare/healthcare consulting and thought a lot about healthcare MBA programs.
For the longest time, I had gotten myself to come to peace with this decision and convinced myself that I was happier not being pre-med. This was pretty simple, because I didn't have too much parental pressure to go to med school, I wasn't 100% sure about it beforehand anyway, and I liked not being under the Duke pre-med pressure cooker 24/7. I decided that over the summer I would network with some consulting companies, try to take the GMAT, and prepare myself for job interviews and a couple of b-school applications for the upcoming semester.
I am now a rising senior, and this summer, I am interning in the field of healthcare administration at a medical group and working on a project that looks at staff productivity in outpatient practices. The work that I do is definitely fascinating, but after being in a hospital all day around doctors and seeing both the medical and administrative side of things, I have realized after thinking long and hard that I may have given up on the pre-med track too soon. Thinking back, I feel as though I dropped it not because of lack of passion/interest for the field, but because I got caught up in the competition and stress of it all. And now, the idea of a 9-5 desk job just seems like the last thing I would want to do.
Long story short, I think I was one of those people who needed/needs time away away from medicine for a bit to truly appreciate my interest in it. Before, I honestly thought that I was pre-med as a default, but after getting exposure to what I thought I was missing out on while being pre-med, I realized that I now that I may not enjoy other fields as much and that I do kind of regret my decision. When I am working on administrative projects in the hospital, I find myself want much more to be in the doctor's shoes, shadowing them or learning more about what they are doing. I'm kind of at a crossroads right now, because I wanted to take the GMAT this summer and prepare for case interviews, but am losing motivation to study the more and more I think about my regret for not choosing medicine.
At this point, I will be a senior next year and will have not taken Orgo 2, Biochem, GenChem 2, Physics 2, or the MCAT. I think that I still want at least a year of work experience in healthcare consulting or some sort of business-related field just to get some more time to explore whether I truly belong in medicine, but at the same time I don't know if I will ever have the motivation to take the extra classes and the MCAT, apply, and go back to med school if I get into the workforce right out of college. I am also kind of freaking out about the lost time - at the minimum that would be 1 year of work, 1 year of post-bacc/MCAT, 1 year to apply. So I would need to take at least a 3 year gap before getting into school. I am also really scared about doing all of this without the support system of a university to back me.

I am a Biology/Global Health major, and by the time I graduate I should be at or above a 3.7 GPA. I have a widespread reach of extracurriculars, leadership, and lots of lab experience as a research assistant. I haven't had too much exposure with shadowing doctors, but I am sure I can get that if necessary later. As of now, I have about half of the pre-med requirements (so I don't even know if I can do a traditional post-bacc...they usually require you to take all requirements right?).

So, basically, the questions that I have at this point are: At what point did you kind of know that the field that you're in wasn't what you were supposed to be in? When did it 'click' that you actually did want to go back to med school? Should I still take the GMAT and prepare for entering a completely different field in case my interests change again? Do you think you gained a lot from getting some work experience beforehand, or if you could go back in time would you start med school earlier to save some years? And how hard was the transition from work life to applying and going to school? How difficult is it to go back without a university backing? How do you get rec letters, etc. after being out of college for a while?

If you got through this extremely long intro (sorry!), any thoughts/comments/questions/opinions are appreciated!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[MD89]

I'll bite. I'm a non-trad career-changer who has worked for a few years and will be applying next year. While I don't want to be too specific, I work in consulting/business and didn't have any science background prior to my post-bacc. For me, it was really a growing awareness that I did not want to keep moving up in my field nor could I fathom the idea of doing it for another 40 years. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it and am not running away from it. It's moreso that I try to be really good at what I do but the passion just doesn't exist. I had always thought medicine was interesting and it is something I think I will always find it so. While initially it can seem exciting to work in a high-powered corporate job, at the end of the day, I find that excitement is sort of manufactured. I can't explain it so well (typing from my phone here), but it's not a true excitement that leads me to feel fully satisfied after putting in hours and hours. It just makes me feel like I'm wasting so much of who I am and what I can do. To be cliche, I really just feel like I have it in me to be helping more people and I think medicine will be the perfect mix of challenge plus meaning. My experiences in the healthcare field have really only solidified that for me.


The funny thing is, I absolutely would choose my path again. For me, I think that knowing that I absolutely 100% want to be doing this and having been on the cushy, other side of the fence will allow me to do better in med school/residency than if I had gone straight through. Just knowing myself, when things would have gotten difficult, I know I would have had a lot of what ifs and doubts that I was making the right choice.

If you're still hesitant (which it sounds like), I am probably going against the eneral train of thought on SDN, but I would really recommend you do spend some time after undergrad working in whatever else you think you might be interested in. You're young, medical school will always be there, and this way when you make your decision, it will be based on solid information. Only you can decide if it's right for you and, just as importantly, when it is right.

Oh, and the transition back to school (for my post-bacc..others can speak about actual med school) was not a big deal. For my first class there was definitely some adjustment, but if you develop good study habits while you're in undergrad, you'll likely pick them up quickly again. It was really like riding a bike for me!

I hope this is somewhat helpful. I'll try checking later if you have more questions.

 

[bbbaaa]

I worked for two years in an unrelated field before it "clicked" for me that I wanted to go back to medical school. I think I knew the whole time that the field I was in wasn't right for me, but it was a great job in a terrible job market (2009). If you still think there's a chance your current field may satisfy you, by all means give it a go for a year or two. Your fretting about a year or two here or there will seem silly in retrospect, even though I completely understand the "this year or next year decides the rest of my life" mentality of being about 22 and fresh out of college. But it doesn't.

Transitioning from work life back to school was like a breath of fresh air. I felt a certainty like "this is what I'm supposed to be doing". You already have some of the pre-reqs so you certainly don't need a formal post-bacc. UNC is very receptive to folks in your position, an "a la carte" post bacc. You get priority registration and even the option of financial aid for one calendar year. PM me if you want more info about the lighter shade of blue. You get rec letters the same way you would in college, getting to know a professor or two (albeit you have a shorter timeframe to do so).

 

[Goro]

I'll be more than happy to advise if you can ask some questions and skip the novella.

 

[BleedinBlue2016]

I'll bite. I'm a non-trad career-changer who has worked for a few years and will be applying next year. While I don't want to be too specific, I work in consulting/business and didn't have any science background prior to my post-bacc. For me, it was really a growing awareness that I did not want to keep moving up in my field nor could I fathom the idea of doing it for another 40 years. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate it and am not running away from it. It's moreso that I try to be really good at what I do but the passion just doesn't exist. I had always thought medicine was interesting and it is something I think I will always find it so. While initially it can seem exciting to work in a high-powered corporate job, at the end of the day, I find that excitement is sort of manufactured. I can't explain it so well (typing from my phone here), but it's not a true excitement that leads me to feel fully satisfied after putting in hours and hours. It just makes me feel like I'm wasting so much of who I am and what I can do. To be cliche, I really just feel like I have it in me to be helping more people and I think medicine will be the perfect mix of challenge plus meaning. My experiences in the healthcare field have really only solidified that for me.


The funny thing is, I absolutely would choose my path again. For me, I think that knowing that I absolutely 100% want to be doing this and having been on the cushy, other side of the fence will allow me to do better in med school/residency than if I had gone straight through. Just knowing myself, when things would have gotten difficult, I know I would have had a lot of what ifs and doubts that I was making the right choice.

If you're still hesitant (which it sounds like), I am probably going against the eneral train of thought on SDN, but I would really recommend you do spend some time after undergrad working in whatever else you think you might be interested in. You're young, medical school will always be there, and this way when you make your decision, it will be based on solid information. Only you can decide if it's right for you and, just as importantly, when it is right.

Oh, and the transition back to school (for my post-bacc..others can speak about actual med school) was not a big deal. For my first class there was definitely some adjustment, but if you develop good study habits while you're in undergrad, you'll likely pick them up quickly again. It was really like riding a bike for me!

I hope this is somewhat helpful. I'll try checking later if you have more questions.

Thank you so much for your reply! At this point, I am thinking I will end up on a similar path, and I certainly want the experience in a different field to be sure that medicine is right for me and that I won't feel as though I will be giving up on a career that I am more interested in to pursue medicine. At the internship I am at now, I feel the same way as you did - that I could be doing more, and that I am not fully utilizing my potential and abilities. But there is still a part of me that is not ready to close the door for other opportunities and fully put myself into pursuing medicine again. So now I'm in this weird limbo where I am not 100% motivated to go either way of the spectrum and keep psyching myself out when I finally settle on a goal.
One of my concerns with the post-bacc transition is not having a support system of friends who are going through the same process while I am, because I have always had that in my academic experience previously and it has been very helpful. However, I am sure that once you know what you really want, nothing like that should get in the way of stopping you from going for it. Thanks again for taking the time to reply - this was definitely helpful!

 

[BleedinBlue2016]

I worked for two years in an unrelated field before it "clicked" for me that I wanted to go back to medical school. I think I knew the whole time that the field I was in wasn't right for me, but it was a great job in a terrible job market (2009). If you still think there's a chance your current field may satisfy you, by all means give it a go for a year or two. Your fretting about a year or two here or there will seem silly in retrospect, even though I completely understand the "this year or next year decides the rest of my life" mentality of being about 22 and fresh out of college. But it doesn't.

Transitioning from work life back to school was like a breath of fresh air. I felt a certainty like "this is what I'm supposed to be doing". You already have some of the pre-reqs so you certainly don't need a formal post-bacc. UNC is very receptive to folks in your position, an "a la carte" post bacc. You get priority registration and even the option of financial aid for one calendar year. PM me if you want more info about the lighter shade of blue. You get rec letters the same way you would in college, getting to know a professor or two (albeit you have a shorter timeframe to do so).

Yes, I'm definitely at the point where I am stressing out irrationally about losing a couple of years here and there. Academically, I don't want to fall behind and be too old when/if I decide to pursue medicine, but I am also a person who is not willing to sacrifice my personal life for a career, so entering medical in my late 20s/early 30s when I hope to settle down and start a family is also something I have been thinking about. I feel as though so many big changes happen in your 20s that making a decision like med school has to happen fairly early on. But your comments also definitely put that into perspective and reminded me that there is a looot of life after those early 20 years as well. I think that in an ideal situation, I will have formed a pretty solid understanding of where I want to be around a similar timeline as yours - 1 or 2 years after working out of college.
That is great to know! Not too sure how I feel about that inferior shade of blue but it's definitely something I will look into and thank you for mentioning that! Post-bacc's for students who have already completed quite a few recs was something I was concerned about, because it seemed as though most were 2 yr long programs catered towards those who wanted to completely change careers and were totally new to science.

 

[BleedinBlue2016]

I'll be more than happy to advise if you can ask some questions and skip the novella.

The main questions that I had were outlined at the end of the original post (So, basically, the questions that I have at this point are: At what point did you kind of know that the field that you're in wasn't what you were supposed to be in? When did it 'click' that you actually did want to go back to med school? Should I still take the GMAT and prepare for entering a completely different field in case my interests change again? Do you think you gained a lot from getting some work experience beforehand, or if you could go back in time would you start med school earlier to save some years? And how hard was the transition from work life to applying and going to school? How difficult is it to go back without a university backing? How do you get rec letters, etc. after being out of college for a while?)

But I'm really looking for any advise/opinions/insight from those with a similar story or really any comments about how I should address some of my concerns.

 

[Goro]

Medicine is a calling. What does your heart tell you?

 

[Dral]

Just think about it a lot. It will help if you plan out what you'll generally be doing every year for the next ten years since that's how long minimum it will be before you're out working again (if you don't fellow).

You also have at least 6 major exams to take (if you don't fellow, and that 6 is not counting residency ITEs) if you go Osteo and want to go ACGME residency, tack on two more.

Four of them take a good month or two of intensive prep if you want to do well on them.


Potentially a quarter of a million in debt. At least 2 to 15% interest. It's like running dollar bills through the paper shredder on a daily basis.

Missing numerous events. I've missed 5 in the last 2 months alone studying for boards.

Taking orders from attendings who might be 8 or so years you junior. One of my Chief residents when I was a first year resident was technically young enough to be my son.

It's ok to learn about all those things and decide against it. No shame in it.

Just know what you are getting yourself into.

 

[Dullhead]

I managed to get through your excruciating post. for me.

Even if it's not your intention or sentiment, you currently give the impression of serious waffling between business and medicine. You mention lack of confidence in your own ability to motivate yourself to take this on should you enter the workforce now. All said and done, should you manage to somehow score interviews, your indecision will definitely show. In my opinion, the application process is all about presenting a story that "this" is everything you want, that you're prepared for it, that you understand the long slog that it is, and here is the proof (clinical volunteering, shadowing, whatnot).

You posted here but you don't sound like a non-trad. I assume you're in your early 20s. If this is the case, go enter the workforce per your plan and take those 3 years to prep. 3 years is nothing at all in the grand scheme of things. Really. So go join the workforce and if you are still motivated 3 years from now, present a strong story (application). JMO but you don't sound like you're ready now. Your self-assessment is correct - you may be one of those folks who needs time away from medicine to appreciate if that's what you want. Applying now (or soon or next year) will probably just waste you some $ even if you have a good MCAT score.

 

[BleedinBlue2016]

Thanks for all of the input! I think I am going to take the year or two away from medicine to explore healthcare business/consulting, and decide if I want to come back to it after having some time for self-reflection out of college. I think that is what I need to be sure.
I still am having some trouble fully putting myself into pursuing one field or the other because of the fact that the grass always seems greener and I keep feeling as though I'll be missing out on something no matter what I choose. Right now, that means that I am not fully motivated to seek out networking opportunities for jobs/prep for the GMAT because I keep thinking in the back of my mind that this may not be really what I want and that I will end up changing my mind.
Has anyone else dealt with this/how did you overcome it? I know that's a question without the easiest answer, but any thoughts from those who have gone through something similar are helpful!

 

[RustBeltOnc]

Thanks for all of the input! I think I am going to take the year or two away from medicine to explore healthcare business/consulting, and decide if I want to come back to it after having some time for self-reflection out of college. I think that is what I need to be sure.

OP: you have already found something that interests you, and med school, clinical training will only take time away from climbing the corporate ladder.

 

[Dral]

Thanks for all of the input! I think I am going to take the year or two away from medicine to explore healthcare business/consulting, and decide if I want to come back to it after having some time for self-reflection out of college. I think that is what I need to be sure.
I still am having some trouble fully putting myself into pursuing one field or the other because of the fact that the grass always seems greener and I keep feeling as though I'll be missing out on something no matter what I choose. Right now, that means that I am not fully motivated to seek out networking opportunities for jobs/prep for the GMAT because I keep thinking in the back of my mind that this may not be really what I want and that I will end up changing my mind.
Has anyone else dealt with this/how did you overcome it? I know that's a question without the easiest answer, but any thoughts from those who have gone through something similar are helpful!

I was an Art/Biology double major in college and my PS centered around this topic (choosing between two things and hearing doors close behind you as you choose one).

If you want to get philosophical about it, consider choosing one over the other as a new horizon that opens even new doors and endless possibilities as you move forward. One of my classmates is finishing residency and will practice a bit, but he is focusing on the business side of our specialty (luckily our specialty is very conducive to business ventures).

If you want to get pragmatic about it, think through your imaginable career options and realize you can't do it all. You have to at some point choose and be happy with/make the best of what you choose.

 

[BleedinBlue2016]

OP: you have already found something that interests you, and med school, clinical training will only take time away from climbing the corporate ladder.

To be perfectly honest with you, I am not certain that this field 'interests' me more than medicine does; it's more of the fact that I want to be sure that I am not closing the door on a field that may give me more happiness by pursuing medicine. My internship experience has shown me that the 9-5 desk job work life is something that I do not really like at all, but I feel as though I still really need experience with an actually long-term job before I can make the cut without any regret and say "This is not for me, and I will only be fulfilled if I become a doctor." I know there it probably takes just as much time to climb the corporate ladder and get to a place of full satisfaction in business as it does to complete medical training, so I am not sure if this makes much sense, but there is definitely a part of me that is saying that I need the job experience to figure out exactly where my interests lie.

 

[BleedinBlue2016]

I was an Art/Biology double major in college and my PS centered around this topic (choosing between two things and hearing doors close behind you as you choose one).

If you want to get philosophical about it, consider choosing one over the other as a new horizon that opens even new doors and endless possibilities as you move forward. One of my classmates is finishing residency and will practice a bit, but he is focusing on the business side of our specialty (luckily our specialty is very conducive to business ventures).

If you want to get pragmatic about it, think through your imaginable career options and realize you can't do it all. You have to at some point choose and be happy with/make the best of what you choose.

Thank you for the straightforward response - this is definitely something I have had trouble accepting as I near the end of my college career. I think I'm still at the point where I'm convincing myself that I'm young enough to pursue one field while keeping the other in the back of my head as a backup, but it is true that I'm reaching that point where I just have to choose. I think I've set a kind of end goal for myself in that sense by telling myself that if I reach 25 and have still not had it in me to leave a job and pursue medicine, then I have officially made my choice.

 

[RustBeltOnc]

To be perfectly honest with you, I am not certain that this field 'interests' me more than medicine does; it's more of the fact that I want to be sure that I am not closing the door on a field that may give me more happiness by pursuing medicine. My internship experience has shown me that the 9-5 desk job work life is something that I do not really like at all, but I feel as though I still really need experience with an actually long-term job before I can make the cut without any regret and say "This is not for me, and I will only be fulfilled if I become a doctor." I know there it probably takes just as much time to climb the corporate ladder and get to a place of full satisfaction in business as it does to complete medical training, so I am not sure if this makes much sense, but there is definitely a part of me that is saying that I need the job experience to figure out exactly where my interests lie.

BleedinBlue2016-

You attended Duke for a reason. If you do pursue medicine, when you graduate, you will still want to be a leader in your hospital system. But the business guys won't take you seriously unless you are one of them. Ergo ...

 

[belle88]

All of it is going to be hard. What helped me was thinking about my future in some other field. I found myself still wanting to be a doctor even if I was successful in another field/job.