Hi There, I am very new to the forum (actually just signed up). I have been reading so much these past couple of weeks and I am really hoping to get an unbiased opinion on what everyone thinks is my best plan of attack to pursuing a career in the health field.
I am a career changer (currently working in accounting/big4/cpa exam) and can tell it is just not for me. I have always been interested in med school but to be quite honest, up until taking the CPA exam and passing it on my first try, I never had confidence in myself to believe I was smart enough to pursue a career in medicine.
With that said here is where I am at: thanks to my undergrad school, from what I could tell pre-req wise for most med schools I need 2 semesters of Bio, 1 semester of Chem, 2 semesters of Orgo (yikes). I have taken AP physics B and C in hs and took 2 semesters of physics with lab in college as well, along with a soc, 2 psych courses, stats, and Calc I and II. So I would really like to either A) apply to med school this fall or B) do a postbacc program with linkage so that either way I can hopefully start medical school in 2018!
I have an undergrad 3.3 gpa (not sure if major gpa counts? but for business its 3.7) and with regards to postbacc I have a 1430 (750 math; 680 reading) for the SAT.
1.) Would it be beneficial for me to do a postbacc program for one year and bust my butt and get into a linkage, or take the pre-reqs at either a CC or local state uni? (cost is a huge issue but lets face it, med school is a worthwhile investment).
1.) Any postbacc programs that are 1 yr that anyone could recommend? I am from the NJ coast area(I would really like to commute but do not mind a 1.5 hr commute like Bryn Mawr).
2.) With regards to residencies and future jobs, is it important to go to a top-ranked med school?
-If I had perfect scores, I love Columbia, UPenn, and Temple (who doesn't lol) but I know with my scores they are a long-shot to say the least.
3.) Are there any good postbacc or links to these programs? Or should I worry more about getting into med school and not about the us news ranking?
4.) I was originally tossing up between getting my DPT vs. MD in PM&R, but after shadowing physicians I like the idea of having a more medical focus and being able to work in a hospital and diagnose as well as prescribe treatments (I love manual therapy a lot, so I will miss this by not doing the DPT but I weighed the pros and cons of both)
I know this is asking a lot, and if it is not already obvious I am stressed as to my best way to pursue a career in medicine, the internet is great but it can also make your head spin.
Thank you so much for everyone's honest answers, you have no idea how much it means!!
I am a career changer (currently working in accounting/big4/cpa exam) and can tell it is just not for me. I have always been interested in med school but to be quite honest, up until taking the CPA exam and passing it on my first try, I never had confidence in myself to believe I was smart enough to pursue a career in medicine.
With that said here is where I am at: thanks to my undergrad school, from what I could tell pre-req wise for most med schools I need 2 semesters of Bio, 1 semester of Chem, 2 semesters of Orgo (yikes). I have taken AP physics B and C in hs and took 2 semesters of physics with lab in college as well, along with a soc, 2 psych courses, stats, and Calc I and II. So I would really like to either A) apply to med school this fall or B) do a postbacc program with linkage so that either way I can hopefully start medical school in 2018!
I have an undergrad 3.3 gpa (not sure if major gpa counts? but for business its 3.7) and with regards to postbacc I have a 1430 (750 math; 680 reading) for the SAT.
1.) Would it be beneficial for me to do a postbacc program for one year and bust my butt and get into a linkage, or take the pre-reqs at either a CC or local state uni? (cost is a huge issue but lets face it, med school is a worthwhile investment).
1.) Any postbacc programs that are 1 yr that anyone could recommend? I am from the NJ coast area(I would really like to commute but do not mind a 1.5 hr commute like Bryn Mawr).
2.) With regards to residencies and future jobs, is it important to go to a top-ranked med school?
-If I had perfect scores, I love Columbia, UPenn, and Temple (who doesn't lol) but I know with my scores they are a long-shot to say the least.
3.) Are there any good postbacc or links to these programs? Or should I worry more about getting into med school and not about the us news ranking?
4.) I was originally tossing up between getting my DPT vs. MD in PM&R, but after shadowing physicians I like the idea of having a more medical focus and being able to work in a hospital and diagnose as well as prescribe treatments (I love manual therapy a lot, so I will miss this by not doing the DPT but I weighed the pros and cons of both)
I know this is asking a lot, and if it is not already obvious I am stressed as to my best way to pursue a career in medicine, the internet is great but it can also make your head spin.
Thank you so much for everyone's honest answers, you have no idea how much it means!!