Geographically Limited and no In-state?

[chimpanzeemd]

Hello everyone,

I am a long-time lurker, first-time poster. I have been practicing law as a corporate attorney for about five years in the great state of Delaware and am considering a career change to medicine. I have been volunteering at a local children's hospital and absolutely love it and have gained great experience. My problem, though, is this: there are no medical schools in Delaware. I have a house and family here in Wilmington and don't want to relocate. While Philadelphia schools and Rutgers are both commute-able, my main problem is that Temple and Rutgers would both be comparatively harder to get into given my OOS status, which leaves only Drexel, Penn, and Thomas Jefferson. From everything I've read, that's

Obviously I am still extremely early in the process (I would start doing my pre-reqs at UD in the next year or so) but I was wondering if anyone else has faced a similar geography problem (bonus if you're in the same 'lack-of-instate' boat as me!) and what they ultimately did. I do feel drawn to medicine, but I'd have to spend more time mulling this over if it would involve uprooting my established life here and starting over someplace new (in addition to a new career), which would probably take long enough to make me too old to embark on this path at all.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated - and please correct any mis-stated premises in my post (especially about the difficulty of getting into an out of state public school).

Cheers.

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[NonTrad16]

I think you need to become comfortable moving if you want a chance. You have some choice in medical school (if you're an outstanding candidate, you can get in and choose one near you), but eventually you'll have residency where it's outside of your control -- deep in debt (or huge cut to savings) and with no ability to practice without moving forward, you need to apply widely. If you're an amazing candidate (great GPA, mcat, volunteering, etc) then you could have some luck with early decision, but that's risky and often better done after consulting with the school you're targeting. And OOS schools (public) have clear biases for their residents, but again: if you're a great candidate you can still make it. If you're more borderline... Broad is best.

I'm an engineer applying with a SO who has job prospects limited to big cities. We are moving, and will likely have to move again (and again) over the next 7 years if everything goes as planned. Definitely a sacrifice, but... For a cause.

 

[GreenDuck12]

A former colleague of mine was in a similar situation. In that case, he went through three application cycles before finally being admitted to the only university in the city his spouse was employed. The reality is that medical schools admissions are incredibly competitive with schools receiving dozens of applications for each spot. Many applicants apply to a minimum of 10+ programs and some applying to upwards 30. I totally get the desire not to uproot your family but it may not be avoidable for medical school, internship, residency, and fellowships.

 

[QofQuimica]

See if any of the schools on your list offer an early decision admissions process. Assuming you are a competitive candidate, that would be a reasonable option for you. Otherwise, you will have to make a decision: is it more important for you to stay in your current location, or is it more important to you to become a physician? If you're ok with the possibility of applying and not getting accepted anywhere, then sure, feel free to be as geographically limited as you want to be. If you are not ok with that outcome, and especially if you're not a competitive enough candidate to be accepted ED, then you need to be willing to move so that you have a good chance of getting accepted to medical school.

Bear in mind too that even if you get accepted to a local med school, there is a good chance you'll be moving four years later for residency. Medicine really isn't a great career path for people who are "geographically limited" during their training years.

 

[Goro]

You also have PCOM...but with only four schools on your app list, I can't recommend applying. What if you get shut out from all four. You're really saying "I wanna be a doctor, but only if I can go to school in Philly".

Gtown, GWU, VCOM, EVMS and VCU aren't that far away. You can rent your house out as well. Forget the NJ MD schools, they strongly favor the home team. Cooper might be doable, though.

Hello everyone,

I am a long-time lurker, first-time poster. I have been practicing law as a corporate attorney for about five years in the great state of Delaware and am considering a career change to medicine. I have been volunteering at a local children's hospital and absolutely love it and have gained great experience. My problem, though, is this: there are no medical schools in Delaware. I have a house and family here in Wilmington and don't want to relocate. While Philadelphia schools and Rutgers are both commute-able, my main problem is that Temple and Rutgers would both be comparatively harder to get into given my OOS status, which leaves only Drexel, Penn, and Thomas Jefferson. From everything I've read, that's

Obviously I am still extremely early in the process (I would start doing my pre-reqs at UD in the next year or so) but I was wondering if anyone else has faced a similar geography problem (bonus if you're in the same 'lack-of-instate' boat as me!) and what they ultimately did. I do feel drawn to medicine, but I'd have to spend more time mulling this over if it would involve uprooting my established life here and starting over someplace new (in addition to a new career), which would probably take long enough to make me too old to embark on this path at all.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated - and please correct any mis-stated premises in my post (especially about the difficulty of getting into an out of state public school).

Cheers.

 

[wagonwheel23]

Knowing I would likely have to say goodbye to my home (Stanford and UCSF are tough odds...) was one of the hardest parts of embarking on this process. I know how hard it can be, but there is much adventure to be had that I am sure your family can get behind. Good luck!

 

[BeMD13]

Knowing I would likely have to say goodbye to my home (Stanford and UCSF are tough odds...) was one of the hardest parts of embarking on this process. I know how hard it can be, but there is much adventure to be had that I am sure your family can get behind. Good luck!

Love your picture

 

[Gem91]

Have you read the FAQ's on Jeffersons website? Located here http://www.jefferson.edu/university/skmc/admissions/faq.html
One mentions that "Sidney Kimmel Medical College is the official medical school for the state of Delaware, and Delaware residents may be given preferential treatment."