Looking for help planning as active duty military

[gaesekkiya]

So I am active duty, I am trying to avoid the worst case scenario of having to attend a 2 year pre med course before med school when I get out. I am a few clep tests away from an associates in korean with 3.86 gpa, this is an accredited physical instution i attended as part of my training, not devry, phoenix nonsense. I have over 2 years left, so I could get a bachelors in east asian studies by the time i get out from university of maryland distance college, i know online isnt ideal but it still isnt a for profit ****house. I know the problem is not having science labs done, so could i take care of this by taking science labs at a local community college? If i could that would make it so much easier by eliminating the need for further college time.

And the last part is relevant medical experience. Are there many realistic opportunities for shadowing, interning, etc late after a normal workday or on the weekend? Or should I expect to have to spend a siginifigant amount of time atter the military and before medical school getting this sort of experience?

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[alpinism]

Unfortunately, with the military schedule, its going to be very tough to complete science courses and also get the needed clinical experience while on active duty. Don't forget, you also need time to study for the MCAT.

As much as you'd like to start med school ASAP (believe me I was in your shoes once), you have to take your time and put together a solid application before applying. Applying is crazy expensive/time consuming and you only want to do it once.

My best advice would be to finish your bachelors while still Active duty if possible (UMUC east asian studies is fine). At the same time you can start finding physicians to shadow (military or civilian) and maybe clinical volunteering during evenings or weekends (contact local hospitals or medical schools with university hospitals nearby). You can also start working on community service at the same time if you don't have much already. When you get out i'd do the science prereqs and labs together since you'll have more time to study and it will be easier to get As. Keeping that GPA high is your #1 priority. Then take the MCAT and apply. Depending on when you get out it might take 1.5 to 2 years before you can apply.

The problem with your plan is that some med schools don't accept online prereqs and also at most community colleges you have to enroll in classes and labs together. Plus the lab material usually goes along with the accompanying class.

Another option might be to just take all the prereqs at a local CC. You could start doing this while still active duty after the bachelors is done.

Good luck!

 

[Aloft085]

I'm actually a military guy myself, hoping starting medical school next year. You can generally shadow your local military doctors, with permission from your commander. However, it would help to actually be a little further along in your pre-medical career first. I had already taken the MCAT, all the pre-reqs, etc, before I asked to shadow. They take you more seriously if you're almost there. However, if you're getting out soon, it couldn't hurt to ask anyway.

Now for your application questions. You're probably going to need to show that you did well in at least 1-2 years of normal college coursework, not part time while working. Imagine that you're a medical school admissions committee, with a lot of competitive applicants, and one guy only has a degree from a distance learning school? That's not going to be impressive. Also, not to be overly critical man, but how applicable is an East Asian Studies degree going to be for an American doctor?

Also, you really have no basis to judge whether or not you're even qualified/competitive for medical school until you've taken some of the pre-reqs and/or the MCAT. Definitely hedge your bets going forward, and have a solid backup plan or two in mind in case the med school plan doesn't work out. That's not to doubt your abilities, I had to hedge my bets as well. Perhaps consider doing 2 years at your local state university, preferably a well-known one, and getting a degree in something that will be useful to you even if you do not go to medical school. If you finish your East Asian Studies degree (or close to it), you can probably get a second bachelor's in only two years, especially if you take summer courses.

 

[MAAntonius]

Nice to see another DLI guy here, I'm from a different region altogether but understand your desire to do something different. Not nearly as shiny a prospect once in, right? Gotta love the 5-6 year commitment, too. I'm looking at very similar things myself and hope we can encourage each other through the obstacles, though >3.8 in Korean there says you've got your study habits locked away! Fair winds and following seas to you.

V/r,
MMA

 

[MrLogan13]

It's going to be really tough getting your science pre-reqs done while on AD; many community colleges have their science classes setup as lecture and lab as a single course, you can't take them separately. That can easily eat up 5 hours of a day, and your AD schedule probably won't be flexible enough to swing that.

As far as shadowing, I'm sure you could find a local physician that would let you shadow on a Saturday.

Heh. Good going at DLI. I had a buddy at DLI who was studying Mandarin; he failed and re-classed as a medic, which is how I met him.

 

[KaBoom'd]

Not to sound like a crotchety veteran or whatever, but you may just have to wait on the sciences. If you can't take face to face sciences at a local institution, you'll have to wait until you finish your commitment. Don't get tunnel vision on a goal that in all reality may be 3 or 4 years down the road; you'll go crazy. Do your best to enjoy what you have going on right now and make the most of your situation.

You're already ahead of the game taking classes online. If you're still hell bent on "as fast as possible," start pursueing early separation for school 6 months from now (18 months from your current ETS date, 12 months from your intended ETS date).

And the obvious: if you can't do the sciences now, pick a university you think you'd like to finish your degree at, do your best to determine the degree you want, and take classes that should transfer in toward that degree. You should be able to email advisors at that school far before you apply. I'm separating in April and starting at my final undergrad institution in May. I met with the pre med advisor there last month. She evaluated all of my transcripts I have and we came up with a degree plan right there. I should mention I'm not applying to this school until January.

Good luck!

 

[MrLogan13]

Yeah, I'll second that. Don't be in a rush, take your time and do it right once. The journey is just as important as the destination.

 

[Kimimonster]

Another DLI Grad here (Arabic). That GPA is impressive, my DLI GPA isn't doing me any favors (3.4). I would say Alpinism has the right idea. The only thing is, as someone else mentioned, online degrees aren't very competitive. I would do a bit of research on the specific schools you plan to apply to and see if they mention anything about their policy regarding online degrees.

I'm in about the same place you are (2 years from ETS, AA from DLI), my plan is to get out and go to a brick and mortar for Arabic Studies using my GI Bill, do my pre-reqs then study and take the MCAT. It's a longer plan, but I feel like it's the one that will yield the best chances.

Best of luck to you!

 

[NotAnOperator]

I'm active duty as well (2 years left) and in similar shoes. I've taken a few classes/CLEPS but I've ultimately come to the decision to pursue a BS at a traditional 4 year university AFTER active duty simply because there's less hoops to jump through, ANG pays 100%, can put more focus on school and a more competitive application, focus and study harder for MCAT, and actually enjoy my undergrad experience rather than scrambling to hit a certain number of credits and pre reqs.

Depending on your job in the military, it may be easier for you to obtain your goals while on active duty though. My job/schedule/deployment flow makes it literally impossible to do anything besides CLEPS and online classes so there's no point in trying. If I were a finance airman or had a cushy 9-5 no weekends job then I'd definitely take night classes and my plans would be different.


Talk to your education office on base and call some universities in the area to see if they can work with your schedule at all.

Also, if you have an MTF near you, they're always happy to let you shadow and take vital signs in the ED on your off time.

 

[18dstring]

I'll chime in.

Sounds like you have a fairly solid career going for you, with good potential for a smooth transition with good earnings potential. Why jump into a brand new field? What prompted the desire to become a physician?

Not sure which branch you're in or where assigned, but deployments are a great way to get exposure to community based med, free time helping at a clinic will never be turned down. Mtf's are also a great environment for initial exposure. Clear it with your chain, and just walk into the ER, always a few nvd's to practice a physical exam.

Get with the edu center on post, they may have relationships with comm colleges to take sciences on post.
Google SOCAD colleges, the list grows all the time. George Washington u and western Carolina u have great health programs and generously give credit from mil experience.

Univ of New England has an expansive list of online classes with labs, for pre meds, expensive but TA is accepted.

Look at USUHS new Enlisted to Medical Degree Preparatory Program, geared toward those with a bachelors who need pre reqs.

Stay proactive ask questions and follow up, each school has their own policy on online pre reqs but if you articulately explain your situation and intent, chances are better and you ultimately become a memorable candidate once the apps roll in.

I am Like you still AD, and my application included transcripts from VCU, WCU, UNE, HCC, and JST, adcoms who said no initially said yes down the road. There are many resources out there" the hardest part is developing the plan. Good luck.

 

[general0409]

I'll chime in.

Univ of New England has an expansive list of online classes with labs, for pre meds, expensive but TA is accepted.

University of New England online is awesome. Hard work, but I have two interview invites. I used UNE while in Korea to do some of my pre-reqs.

 

[DadofSnorf]

Just chiming in to say I feel you. AD myself, trying to work on everything before I get out so the transition is smooth, but it's difficult. I have to put my schooling on hold for a while for this special program I got picked up for. It's cool because it gets me some great experience (and interview fodder), but it delays me finishing my degree and pre-reqs. I have to obliserv, so I'll probably still have time to get everything done depending on where I go after training.

Good luck to you.