Is it too late or too unlikely for me to pursue and achieve an MD career?

[Samfb24]

Let me start off by saying that I know this has been asked before on many occasione, but not everyones situation is the same and I am seeking advice on my own circumstances. Basically my story is this, I'm 22 at the moment. I haven't done any college at all. I will be starting within the next month or two at my local community college and basically plan to start with my basic stuff like reading, writing, math, and so forth. I did terrible in high school, don't even want to mention what my graduating GPA was. Not because I was stupid but just because I was a different person at the time and cared more about being "cool" than school. I did graduate however. Initially I started out pursuing a career in IT so basically all my past work experience and expertise is in that field. I have 0% experience in the health field. At this point of my life I've learned that IT isn't really the route I want to take. Which is what brought me here. I would really like to pursue an MD career(still undecided as to specifically what) and am very serious about it. I understand that I would need to do no worst than A's as far as grades when I start classes and I understand the route I'm inquiring about is a long arduous one. I'm not going into this expecting it all to be peaches and creme. I also plan to look into volunteering at health related facilities to start building some background and credibility. Now all that being said, is it realistic for me to switch lanes per say and pursue this? Also can anyone provide some insight or suggestions as to what my gameplan should be, what classes to take and not to take and so forth. I'm still trying to familiarize myself with all that is involved with this field. Looking forward to all your responses, thanks in advance guys.

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[jamcat]

Absolutely realistic! Your high school GPA doesn't count at all; if you haven't started college yet every single option is on the table for you. You have absolutely the right idea of what to do. Take classes, and get As in them.

Also, you're not old Here in the non-trad forum, you'll find people who are in their 20s, 30s, and even 40s who are just beginning this journey.

Good luck!

 

[Samfb24]

Thanks! . I'm very relieved to hear it from someone else. Definitely feel more confident going into it now. I still have tons of questions and uncertainties floating around my head. I'm mainly concerned about starting off right in terms of classes to take and things of that nature. Also, do I want to start at a community college then look to transfer to a university? Or would a better decision be to go to a specialists school to graduate and be able to begin working in the field then move to further studies at a community college/university. I'm sorry if these questions seem dumb, I'm just trying to educate myself before making any big moves.

 

[jamcat]

Doesn't matter if you start at a cc and finish at a university or start at a university to begin with. All that matters is that you take the prerequisite classes and do well in them.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say "specialists school." If you mean should you get a technical degree, then work in that field, then take medical school prereqs, that's not only unnecessary, but it's also a bit of a detour. Although nothing wrong with that, if it's what you want to do!

If I were you, since you had trouble in high school, I'd start a community college, start taking the pre-reqs and your gen ed requirements, do very well and maintain a high GPA, then transfer to a 4-year school to finish your bachelor's degree.

Edit: posted at the same time, gonnif

 

[W19]

@Samfb24 You are relatively young and if you plan to get your degree in 4 year, you should be able to start med school around 27 or so, which is a little bit above the average age that many start med school... Med school seem to be gearing toward accepting non trad students these days anyway. Having all As is ideal, but you don't need all As to get accepted into med school... Start with the basic classes you mention and go from there... You might also want to look into DO school as well...

I started med school in my 30s and there are many non trad in my class...

 

[Samfb24]

Ok I see. Based on what you guys are telling me It sounds like I will be avoiding a technical degree then. Thank you all very much for the helpful information guys, it definitely helps me get better rounded on this all. I'll be diving in further doing research on the web. Still need to figure out what area of MD I want to branch into and the pre-reqs and all that good stuff. Any further advice, info, experiences, or suggestions are welcome and definitely will be beneficial to me.

 

[jamcat]

The only advice I have right now is don't worry about specialty right now! Your journey to graduating with an MD is a cross-country road trip from New York to San Francisco. You make the decision about specialty part-way through medical school, which is about when you get to Reno, Nevada. You're still in Times Square at the moment.

It would be much more worth your time to focus on the pre-reqs right now. Having a long-term view of things is good, but in your case that means having a few rough thoughts about what pre-reqs you might take when, and roughly when might be a good time to take the MCAT, and what extra-curriculars you want to get involved in, all of which are still subject to change!

 

[KaBoom'd]

Bru, 22 with no college experience is just an extension of being 18, from a non-trad's point of view. TRUST me, no college and a little perspective is so much better than a bunch of freshman F's and 10 years of perspective.

As others have pointed out, your H.S. grades are a non-issue, unless they're hindering you from a specific undergrad that you have your eye on. You have a clean slate. Do a little bit of research on what it will take, make a plan, and go kill it. LPT - writing courses your first 2 semesters will pay dividends.

 

[Samfb24]

Very pleased with all the advice I've been given thus far and all are being taken seriously. I did some further research and it seems like my med school of choice will be U of A here in tucson, arizona since I live in phoenix. So the task at hand now is focusing on the pre-reqs like you guys have advised me. I still feel a bit overwhelmed and concerned about getting off to a good start in terms of classes to take and all that but I guess I will learn as I go. I'll be headed to my local CC this week to take my placement tests and register for classes. In regards to math courses, I didn't see anything math related in the pre-reqs page for U of A. Math has never been my strong point so I am a bit concerned about that, I'm wondering if its recommended that I take math courses beyond those that are required for graduation to better my application for med school when the time comes or would this not be necessary?

Bru, 22 with no college experience is just an extension of being 18, from a non-trad's point of view. TRUST me, no college and a little perspective is so much better than a bunch of freshman F's and 10 years of perspective.

As others have pointed out, your H.S. grades are a non-issue, unless they're hindering you from a specific undergrad that you have your eye on. You have a clean slate. Do a little bit of research on what it will take, make a plan, and go kill it. LPT - writing courses your first 2 semesters will pay dividends.

When you say the writing courses will pay dividends, what exactly do you mean by that? Again I've done 0 college as of yet so I am not all too familiar with these things. Sorry if its a dumb question :-/

 

[MedicaMagus]

@Samfb24 Writing courses in undergrad will set you up for success, particularly when it comes to writing your personal statement and assorted essays that you will inevitably need to accomplish in the med school application process.