Is this a bad idea?

[mlm55]

I am at a crossroads right now with deciding what direction to take. I graduated from college a few years ago and have been living with my parents in a small town ever since, working at a local hospital in research because I thought I wanted to do a PhD in psychology. However, after being rejected from PhD programs several times (despite having excellent grades and a good GRE score), I'm considering other options. I think my dream job would be a psychiatrist because I think medication is an important part of treatment too. However, I also really want to move out of my parents' house, have some stability in my life, and be around people my own age as soon as possible.

So a plan I am considering is to take all the premed classes at a local college (while still living at home) in one year. My schedule would look like this (already took gen chem 1 and bio 1):

Fall: Gen Chem 2, Physics 1, and Anatomy
Spring: Organic chem 1, Physics 2
Summer: Organic chem 2
Take MCAT in July or August

I am now getting a little psyched out by this plan because while I was a strong student and got A's in gen chem 1 and bio, math has never been my strongest subject and it has been years since I took it. Also, it's my understanding that to have the best chance at acceptance, it's best to submit application materials in June so I will be at a disadvantage taking the July or August MCAT. I really don't know if I could deal with it if I didn't get in the first time so that it would be a total of three years before beginning med school. Being a psychiatrist is my ideal but there are other paths that might be satisfying too which would no longer be open to me, should I take this risk and fail. Do you feel that this plan is too risky?

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[Goro]

It's always best to apply with the strongest possible package, so I suggest

Fall I: Gen Chem 2, Physics 1, maybe one Bio course
Spring: Organic chem 1, Physics 2
Summer: A Bio course
Fall II Organic chem 2 and Anatomy
Take MCAT in early Jan-Feb-Mar of year II
Apply in summer II.

I am now getting a little psyched out by this plan because while I was a strong student and got A's in gen chem 1 and bio, math has never been my strongest subject and it has been years since I took it. Also, it's my understanding that to have the best chance at acceptance, it's best to submit application materials in June so I will be at a disadvantage taking the July or August MCAT. I really don't know if I could deal with it if I didn't get in the first time so that it would be a total of three years before beginning med school. Being a psychiatrist is my ideal but there are other paths that might be satisfying too which would no longer be open to me, should I take this risk and fail. Do you feel that this plan is too risky?[/QUOTE]

 

[el_duderino]

I'm concerned about you failing to get into a PhD program; makes me wonder what else is up. I know PhD is kind of a crapshoot though.

Is psychiatry the only thing that interests you?

 

[mlm55]

I'm not sure why I didn't get into a PhD program. I received different feedback from different schools about the flaws in my application (not enough pubs, didn't stand out, etc). I also did not apply to a ton of schools because I was not willing to move across the country for school.

At this point in time, I'm mostly interested in psychiatry, but I also like developmental pediatrics and genetics. I feel like my life has been on hold since graduating college and am bulking at waiting three more years before I can really move on with my life...so I'd really like to know whether there is any way my timeline could be feasible...

 

[Cawolf]

Did you take calculus yet? Or is it required for the physics at your school? It was here.
Also - does the school offer the first and second portions of the class both semesters?
You need Chem 2, Physics 1, Physics 2, Orgo 1, Orgo 2, and Bio 2. I don't see Bio 2 in your list? Also make sure you take all of the labs.

You would be applying really late and it would be really hard to study for the MCAT and take all of these classes in that time frame.

 

[Law2Doc]

... I feel like my life has been on hold since graduating college and am bulking at waiting three more years before I can really move on with my life...

This is the absolute wrong attitude to have. This is long long process of lifelong learning. The journey is just as important, in fact more important than the destination. Many people who don't get into med school didn't because they tried to rush things. They looked for shortcuts instead of triying to get all their ducks in a row. Would rather reach the finish line than actually run the race. You are trying to rush into a tunnel and that light you see at the end is really a train, sorry. Take the prereqs at a pace that you will get A's. The goal has to be to get into med school, not to "move on with your life" faster. Your life goes by at the same pace whether you are studying organic chem or are in med school. Enjoy the journey. It's a long one. Another year of prereqs not kill you. In fact, it's lighter fare than what's to come -- you'll sleep a lot more, eat better, get more exercise, see more sunlight, tv, movies, friends, during that stage than most of what's thereafter.

 

[LupaCupcake]

Do you have research experience? If not, that may be why PhD didn't take you. Research time is great for med school although not required, with PhD in psych I would say if you don't have some time as a RA or something along those lines, I doubt you will get in.

Someone on this forum told me "it is a marathon, not a race" and that simple statement has stuck with me. If you go the med school route, please remember that.

Do not go this route because you are unsure what other options you have. Only do this is you really and truly want it.....do you? Is it a passion for you? Would you fight for it? If you were offered a PhD program and med school at the same time, which would you pick? I fyou say graduate school then you need to a better application for graduate school.

 

[QofQuimica]

Along with everything L2D said, you not being willing to move for school could be an issue too, especially if you're from the Northeast or the West Coast. If you are truly not willing to go OOS for med school, you need to re-evaluate how serious you are about medicine. Because getting into med school is much harder than getting into grad school, and even if you do manage to get into your local med school, you may match somewhere OOS for residency and have no choice but to move. In general, most people do end up moving at least once during their medical training.

Also, what kind of clinical experience do you have? Before you go signing up for umpteen classes, it'd be wise to spend some time at least shadowing a few physicians or volunteering for a mental health center to help you decide if this is something you can see yourself doing for the next 3-4 decades. Check with your local docs/clinics/hospitals to see about setting something up.

Whether or not you can maintain that post bac schedule is academic at this point. What's more concerning IMO is that I don't get a strong sense of commitment to this career path from you. You have to really want medicine in your soul and be willing to make some major life sacrifices to do this. I'd argue that you should wait to apply as long as necessary until you're psychologically ready to do what it takes to get into (and through) med school/residency. If that day comes in ten years, then you apply in ten years. And if that day never comes, then better for you to not start down this path at all.

 

[LupaCupcake]

relocation can be hard, but graduate school and med school often require this little hassle

My advice.....build a savings acct with enough money to live on for 6 months if you had no other income coming in. This does not count moving expenses you would incur. This may or may not be very feasible depending on your situation, but if you can do it....I strongly advise it.

 

[mlm55]

Thank you for the advice. I do have several years of full time research experience in psychology and a few poster presentations. As far as what I would choose between med school and a psychology phd...probably med school if I could start right now; however I feel I could accomplish my career goals through either path (I want to work in an academic medical center doing clinical work and research). I understand that this process is a marathon and I should not rush it but I am also a woman in my mid 20s, looking at being age 31 when finishing med school and 36 when finishing residency if I get in first try. I'm scared that I will always regret not living up to my potential, but I KNOW that I would regret not having a family and being in training could make that more difficult. So I kind of feel like it is now or never for me.

Another question, and this may be a stupid one...at my school the bio 1 class is clearly identified but I kind of thought any bio class would count for bio 2? I'm assuming this is incorrect?

 

[Cawolf]

That could vary school to school.

Most schools on my list ask for "One year of General Biology with Labs". This requirement needs Bio 1 and Bio 2.