I think I know what you're going to say but...

[nontrad411]

I need advice...

I currently live across the country from my place of residency (TX).. Complicated, but due to tax returns blah blah I am classified as a Texas resident.

I do not like Texas and do not want to live in Texas the next three years to complete my pre requisites. I have a life across the country, I'm incredibly happy there, and I do not want to leave. If I go back to Texas, I would be a full time student, shadow, research and volunteer without having to pay rent, but I will not be happy mentally.

Or I can work full time and do my pre reqs living where I'll be happy but might not have as many opportunities as if I went back to Texas...

It's a no brainier isn't it? I need to go, but cannot imagine leaving where I am for at least three years (if not more)

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[etp123]

Why would you not have as many opportunities where you are now? There's absolutely NO opportunities to volunteer/shadow there?

If you are really against living in Texas that much then I would more thoroughly research your options. If you can do the prereqs where you are, then I assume there is a university nearby with other aspiring pre-meds, so perhaps you can find research opportunities there or resources that can point you in that direction. There must also be some clinics or hospitals in your area you can contact for shadowing. Time might be an issue if you work full-time but perhaps you can negotiate one morning out of the week with your workplace to allow you to shadow, or find weekend/evening opportunities, etc.

If you think being in Texas might jeopardize your academic performance (depression, etc), it wouldn't be worth going back for the free rent. I'd say stay where you are and do your prereqs, and if need be then perhaps you could go back to Texas to finish up whatever you need. For instance, if you can't find any good extracurriculars where you are, then just focus on working full-time and doing your prereqs for 2 years, then go back to Texas for 1 year to get your volunteering/shadowing/etc while studying for the MCAT or something. That way you dont have to spend all 3 years in TX.

Remember the bigger goal is worth putting up with crap now, but also take care of yourself.

Good luck

 

[nontrad411]

Why would you not have as many opportunities where you are now? There's absolutely NO opportunities to volunteer/shadow there?

If you are really against living in Texas that much then I would more thoroughly research your options. If you can do the prereqs where you are, then I assume there is a university nearby with other aspiring pre-meds, so perhaps you can find research opportunities there or resources that can point you in that direction. There must also be some clinics or hospitals in your area you can contact for shadowing. Time might be an issue if you work full-time but perhaps you can negotiate one morning out of the week with your workplace to allow you to shadow, or find weekend/evening opportunities, etc.

If you think being in Texas might jeopardize your academic performance (depression, etc), it wouldn't be worth going back for the free rent. I'd say stay where you are and do your prereqs, and if need be then perhaps you could go back to Texas to finish up whatever you need. For instance, if you can't find any good extracurriculars where you are, then just focus on working full-time and doing your prereqs for 2 years, then go back to Texas for 1 year to get your volunteering/shadowing/etc while studying for the MCAT or something. That way you dont have to spend all 3 years in TX.

Remember the bigger goal is worth putting up with crap now, but also take care of yourself.

Good luck

Thank you for the response and advice.. Time would definitely be an issue with working full time... The reason I say I have more opportunities in Texas is because I already have a research opportunity set up, I have a lot of physician connections for shadowing, and I have a unique volunteer organization that I developed.

I am all for making sacrifices to get where I want to go, but three years for school plus another for a gap year terrifies me. Ideally I would like to go to med school Near the steam I'm living now (there's plenty of options around)... Four year is just a crazy long time to be gone from the one place that makes me happy (as ridiculous as that seems).

ive read on here that getting a second bachelors degree is not an effective or wise use of time as a non trad applicant, but that also was a reason I felt like Texas was a better option, because I could pay the same for an entire second bachelors, over the same amount of time, and leave with a far more competitive GPA.

 

[futuremdforme]

Texas is a great school for med schools so all else being equal, I'd want to keep my residency there. What are your in-state options where you live now? No one who lives alone wants to move back in with their parents (assuming that's your option) so I get that. I dunno what I would do, but getting research, etc, as a non-trad is hard and even harder when you work full-time, so just consider your options carefully.

 

[etp123]

Well the thing with the second bachelor's is that it depends. Certainly if you are not in need of GPA repair (as in, you took the prereqs before and had a slew of mediocre grades) then it is a waste of time and money.

You'll just have to weigh whichever will be best for you, whether that be sucking it up and taking advantage of your opportunities in TX or trying to make it work where you are. Your mental health has a big impact on your performance too.

 

[Seattle Mariners Fan]

Make or break is going to be GPA and MCAT for most people.

A few DO programs exception, mediocre EC's on the back of a 3.8 and a 516 is in stronger shape than stellar EC's and a 3.4 and a 516, and much stronger than stellar ECs and a 3.8 and a 504.

 

[Goro]

Rick Perry and Greg Abbott can do that to people.

I need advice...

I currently live across the country from my place of residency (TX).. Complicated, but due to tax returns blah blah I am classified as a Texas resident.

I do not like Texas and do not want to live in Texas the next three years to complete my pre requisites.

ore)

 

[QofQuimica]

Hey, if not living in Texas means more to you than maximizing your odds of becoming a doc, then heck yeah, that makes the decision easy: stay where you are, roll the dice, and take your lower chances. Conversely, if being a doc some day is the thing that really matters to you, then moving to the state of max opportunity for several years will not seem like such a sacrifice to you. The fact that it does tells us what we need to know regarding your priorities, and that's totally ok - being a doctor isn't the pinnacle of self actualization for everyone. There's no right or wrong hierarchy of values here; it's still a free country where we all get to pick what matters most to us. Even in Texas. ;-)

 

[silleme]

Does living in TX REQUIRE you to be in that specific space that brings you down? Since the cost of living is so cheap, would it be possible for you to get a job and live in a studio apartment somewhere nearby on your own and have all those opportunities and still obtain peace of mind? If the answer is still no, then keep on doing what you're doing, and everyone has already given you plenty of advice on that. And don't focus on having to get that second Bachelor's. You can enroll as a degree-seeking student for aid purposes, get your pre-reqs out of the way and be done with it....no second degree required. No, schools do not frown upon that from what a myriad number of applicants have seen over the years. Med schools just want to see you crushing your courses and the MCAT.

I'm the opposite of you, I literally uprooted my life and moved everything to TX in order to be able to take advantage of their strong in-state student requirement and dirt-cheap tuition rates. It doesn't get any better for me, but you're 100% a different person, so I understand and respect that. Best of luck to you on your journey though.

 

[italiancowgirl]

Can I say I totally get needing to be where you are happy, but I also would encourage you to try and consider that 3 yrs is nothing in the grand scheme. My husband is military and we have lived places that I really couldn't stand. Find what makes you happy in yourself and see if you could find ways to get by. Sometimes for me that meant volunteering or spending time on a hobby. Part of my happy is having my dogs with me, so I prioritize situations that make that work. Try to build your happy around you so you can deal with what the world will ask of you to get to your bigger goals.