I am currently in the first semester of my senior year at college. And I have decided to make a career change once I graduate. I will graduate in December with a degree in early childhood education. However, the only pre-reqs for med school which I have completed is the English requirement. My goal after I graduate is to take my pre-reqs part time while working so that I can still make money (which I need) and get my classes knocked out. However, I am extremely nervous to start this because its a big life change. Has anyone else ever had this feeling? Does anyone know of some good ways to help calm myself down? And are there any secrets for how to do well in your pre-reqs besides bustin your butt, working hard, and asking for help when the first signs of struggle appear?
Nervous about starting the process
- Thread starter stc55
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Where would you take these pre-reqs? Community college? Maybe you can try to defer graduation and get those pre-reqs busted out in the next year so you can get financial aid still and not have to work. Trying to work and doing pre-reqs part-time will make the process longer and possibly more difficult.
How do you even know if medicine is right for you? Have you tried shadowing/volunteering? What are your reasons for this sudden change? Get some exposure before you make this huge life-altering choice. Maybe once you realize that medicine is what you really want in life, you won't be so nervous and will be able to focus and do what needs to be done.
Good luck.
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It's definitely a big decision and the fact it makes you nervous is a good thing. I look at it as it means you know what you are getting yourself into haha. My biggest piece of advice would be to not over-extend yourself. The classes are important because GPA is a major part of the whole process. You need to be sure you not only do well in the pre-reqs, but also retain the information so you can get the best MCAT score you possibly can. Along those same lines of not over-extending yourself would be to make time for your EC's. (extra curriculars). Volunteering, shadowing, research experience, etc, are all factors that med schools look at when deciding who to accept vs someone else. The goal is to make yourself the best candidate you can be.
As for staying calm... I find that taking time out for yourself is critical. Balancing work, school, social life, etc will drive you crazy if you don't take a step back every once in awhile. Reading, spending time with loved ones, or whatever it is that puts things in perspective will help keep the crazy at bay.
Perhaps you would be able to talk to a pre-med advisor at your institution who can give you some resources?
I would also take a look at the Non-Traditional section of the forums as they may have people who are more familiar with your type of path.
Last but not least I apologize if I assumed you weren't familiar with the med school route and elaborated too much.
As for staying calm... I find that taking time out for yourself is critical. Balancing work, school, social life, etc will drive you crazy if you don't take a step back every once in awhile. Reading, spending time with loved ones, or whatever it is that puts things in perspective will help keep the crazy at bay.
Perhaps you would be able to talk to a pre-med advisor at your institution who can give you some resources?
I would also take a look at the Non-Traditional section of the forums as they may have people who are more familiar with your type of path.
Last but not least I apologize if I assumed you weren't familiar with the med school route and elaborated too much.
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I worked 40 hours a week (and still do) while taking ~15 hours a semester. I've done it for four years and have close to a 4.0 GPA. Anyone can do it. You will give up free time and feel stressed but keep the goal in sight.
After all, all you need is your sciences basically, so you will only be taking two classes a semester. If you need sociology or any of that see if you can find an online course through a community college!
Step out on the ledge and JUMP!
After all, all you need is your sciences basically, so you will only be taking two classes a semester. If you need sociology or any of that see if you can find an online course through a community college!
Step out on the ledge and JUMP!
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I'm making a career change after 10 years of working, so I know how you feel. The hardest thing for me was to make the decision and start taking action. Now I'm excited to start school in June.
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Post-bacc classes are almost always more expensive than UG classes, sometimes much more. It might be worth your while to postpone graduation and knock out the pre-reqs before you graduate. Also, don't forget the ECs. You may have a lot of catching up to do as far as shadowing/research/volunteering. If you're trying to work at the same time that you are taking your pre-reqs, as well as paying big money for post-bacc classes, you're going to have a more difficult time balancing all that and keeping your sanity. Don't over-do it because burn-out will be just around every corner.
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I started after 2 years in sales. First I did one class on Saturday mornings, then the next semester I did two and started in the ED, then that summer I did another two while cramming for the MCAT, and last semester I went full-time at school. Of couse I kept a 4.0 the whole time.
See what works for you. What's important is finishing strong and acing all your science pre-reqs (this will have the added benefit of helping immensely with the MCAT).
See what works for you. What's important is finishing strong and acing all your science pre-reqs (this will have the added benefit of helping immensely with the MCAT).
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