CPA Looking Into Medical Field

[CuldntPassAgain]

Good Evening,

I am a CPA, (Couldn't Pass Again) and I have been thinking about the medical field for awhile. I think the hardest part of the decision is that I have come a long way, and I fear the unknown a bit. Probably shocking to hear an accountant say that, eh?

It is my understanding that Medical School is darn near improbable to get into. I am still young, but I have bought a home, and would be leaving a fairly successful beginning.

I understand that it is not just about scores, but I'd like to get an idea of what is needed to simply get in to a school like UT Southwestern.

I have these stats:

BS - Accounting 3.4
MS - Accounting 3.6

Outside of school, I have worked in a Big 4 firm and going into my third year. I know good solid work experience helps in other fields, but not sure if it helps for the medical profession. I suppose I have lived in a world where solid work outweighs the educational statistics.

From my understanding, I would probably have to change jobs and not work 80 hours a week to do a Post-Bacc program to get all of the requirements.

Anyways, I will leave it at that. Nice to meet you all, I have been reading the forum off and on for about a year now and thought I'd get a post or two in.

Thanks for your help.

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[slick27]

Unless you absoulelty hate what you are doing, I would probably keep doing that. Medical school is a long road. Just go into knowing that it takes a lot of luck just to get into medical school. Are you willing to give up the career you have already made on a chance to get into medical school?

 

[nontrdgsbuiucmd]

I work(ed?) in corporate finance for many years, often with accountants and have some background in this area.

Biggest challenge that I can see for a CPA is that there are no guarantees on this -- you could switch jobs, or quit your job, kick butt on the post-bacc courses, nail the MCAT, do all of the volunteer hours, and have it still not quite work out, and need to apply again the following year. (Oh, wait, that's me I'm talking about)

It's almost like you have to be willing to bleed this stuff to succeed. Average GPA is 3.6? Fine, I'll study and keep taking classes until I've got a 3.8. Average person does 100 hrs volunteer work? I'll do 300. Average person studies 1 month fulltime for the MCAT? I'll triple that.

On the plus side, a lot of this IS related to grades - if you've got high enough grades & MCAT score, you'll get the interviews, and then it's up to you.

The toughest thing for me was to quit a job, and use up a lot of savings, in order to pursue post-bacc fulltime, without any promise of admittance into med school. But those who you're competing with will do this; need to decide if you will, too.

For post-bacc hours and effort required? I had no science background, maybe 8 hrs from undergrad in general science stuff that didn't really meet any requirements. Was fully prepared to sit for the MCAT after 40+ undergrad hrs, which took 1 1/2 yrs fulltime classwork. Remember, this stuff is going to be unfamiliar, you've been out of school for years, and you must earn As on basically every class you take.

Doable, but this is most likely more than 1 yr fulltime prep work, or several years part time prep work.