Hey all,
I've combed through the forums for about a year now on the advice of a buddy (who is in his second year of DO and swore by this forum). I figured I'd poke my head in (finally) for some advice.
I did 5 years AD in the Marines (watched too many movies) and left in 2012. Using some civilian contacts I made while while stationed on the East Coast, I started working in EMS as an EMT-B. Halfway through my upgrade to a Paramedic (an associates) I took on a second degree in Biology in anticipation of futureproofing myself with a BS.
Well, after clinicals in the ER, precepting and lots of drunken problem solving with my buddy I realigned my goals with becoming a physician. I'll have my NRP done in May of 2015 and all of the core prerequisites for testing and application finished by summer of 2016. I have organic chemistry, another math and physics left. I've been doing very well, but I have had the luxury of working part-time (30-36 a week) and using my GI bill as supplemental income and class payment. Most of these classes for both degrees (and all of the science and lab) have been taken at CC, so I am also anticipating a huge culture shift when I finally move to the 4 year.
This leaves me with a problem; most of the Paramedic credits do not transfer, and I will still have roughly a year and a half left of coursework (at 15 or so credits a semester, including summer) before I have the biology degree. This does not include the obligatory "shut down and prepare for MCAT" phase. Considering I have finished micro, a year of A&P and genchem, and have the other prerequisites done including the new sociology and psychology, the remaining classes will be higher level biology classes and some biochem. I know the biochem will be very useful, but the other courses will not serve too much of a purpose for MCAT.
Should I delay the final "testable" classes until my last year or so, or get them out of the way so I can test early and start digging around for schools in my last year?
Appreciate any input
I've combed through the forums for about a year now on the advice of a buddy (who is in his second year of DO and swore by this forum). I figured I'd poke my head in (finally) for some advice.
I did 5 years AD in the Marines (watched too many movies) and left in 2012. Using some civilian contacts I made while while stationed on the East Coast, I started working in EMS as an EMT-B. Halfway through my upgrade to a Paramedic (an associates) I took on a second degree in Biology in anticipation of futureproofing myself with a BS.
Well, after clinicals in the ER, precepting and lots of drunken problem solving with my buddy I realigned my goals with becoming a physician. I'll have my NRP done in May of 2015 and all of the core prerequisites for testing and application finished by summer of 2016. I have organic chemistry, another math and physics left. I've been doing very well, but I have had the luxury of working part-time (30-36 a week) and using my GI bill as supplemental income and class payment. Most of these classes for both degrees (and all of the science and lab) have been taken at CC, so I am also anticipating a huge culture shift when I finally move to the 4 year.
This leaves me with a problem; most of the Paramedic credits do not transfer, and I will still have roughly a year and a half left of coursework (at 15 or so credits a semester, including summer) before I have the biology degree. This does not include the obligatory "shut down and prepare for MCAT" phase. Considering I have finished micro, a year of A&P and genchem, and have the other prerequisites done including the new sociology and psychology, the remaining classes will be higher level biology classes and some biochem. I know the biochem will be very useful, but the other courses will not serve too much of a purpose for MCAT.
Should I delay the final "testable" classes until my last year or so, or get them out of the way so I can test early and start digging around for schools in my last year?
Appreciate any input
