Non traditional applicant-working as an actuary

[thehater1234]

I am currently working in an unrelated field as an actuary and am considering trying to apply to med school. My gpa is a 3.38 but I do have a horrible downward trend, with a 2.2 and 2.7 in two of my last 3 semesters, which basically rules out MD. White male.

Anyway, I am thinking about taking some classes at a community college while I continue to work my actuarial job and apply.

For a non traditional applicant, how much clinical experience, etc. is needed, and what mcat would I need to be competitive? I would think probably like 510 but not sure. Would it be ok to take classes at a community college outside of lab obviously?

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[AJS59]

I am currently working in an unrelated field as an actuary and am considering trying to apply to med school. My gpa is a 3.38 but I do have a horrible downward trend, with a 2.2 and 2.7 in two of my last 3 semesters, which basically rules out MD. White male.

Anyway, I am thinking about taking some classes at a community college while I continue to work my actuarial job and apply.

For a non traditional applicant, how much clinical experience, etc. is needed, and what mcat would I need to be competitive? I would think probably like 510 but not sure. Would it be ok to take classes at a community college outside of lab obviously?

Welcome!

How many med school pre-reqs have you taken, and how many occurred in those last 3 semesters?

As a general rule of thumb, anything above 505 is good for DO, and anything above 510 is great.

At a minimum you will need:
-150 hours of clinical experience
-150 hours of service orientation (food distribution, shelter work, job/tax assistance, transport services, or housing rehab) focused on underserved communities
-50 hours of physician shadowing, ideally some with a PCP and ideally some with a DO

Community college is fine; 4 year university is better if you can swing it but if you can't just do it at the CC.

 

[Goro]

That terrible senior year GPA is not going to DO you any favors with do schools.

 

[thehater1234]

The pre reqs I took were only physics and 1 semester of chemistry my freshman year.

So I would need to take:

Chem 2
Bio 1
Bio 2
O chem 1
O chem 2
Biochem
Anatomy/physiology
Psychology
Maybe another semester of biochem?

 

[thehater1234]

Welcome!

How many med school pre-reqs have you taken, and how many occurred in those last 3 semesters?

As a general rule of thumb, anything above 505 is good for DO, and anything above 510 is great.

At a minimum you will need:
-150 hours of clinical experience
-150 hours of service orientation (food distribution, shelter work, job/tax assistance, transport services, or housing rehab) focused on underserved communities
-50 hours of physician shadowing, ideally some with a PCP and ideally some with a DO

Community college is fine; 4 year university is better if you can swing it but if you can't just

That terrible senior year GPA is not going to DO you any favors with do schools.

So you think the downward trend is a big problem?

IIR, I had a 3.83 after 5 semesters. Is this better or worse than having a flat gpa throughout?

 

[DO2015CA]

So you think the downward trend is a big problem?

Depends how long ago it was and what you do with all those pre-reqs you need to take. If it was several years and ago you ace all of those listed pre-reqs then it shouldn’t be a huge barrier. Now if you don’t ace the classes then it’s a nail in the coffin

 

[thehater1234]

How long do you think it would take before I had enough prereqs to take the mcat and apply?

 

[DO2015CA]

Would focus on taking the classes in manner that allows you to focus on them to do well and get the foundational knowledge to do well on the MCAT. Minimum 1 year based on how classes line up but would not recommend working full time while trying to do that. More reasonably 1.5-2 years then take mcat and apply

 

[thehater1234]

Depends how long ago it was and what you do with all those pre-reqs you need to take. If it was several years and ago you ace all of those listed pre-reqs then it shouldn’t be a huge barrier. Now if you don’t ace the classes then it’s a nail in the coffin

It was 6-7 years ago I graduated in 2018

 

[DO2015CA]

It was 6-7 years ago I graduated in 2018

Ya if you do well in the post-bacc then you can call it a reinvention story. Should be fine.

 

[Goro]

So you think the downward trend is a big problem?

Yes, but there are plenty of med schools that reward reinvention

 

[thehater1234]

Yes, but there are plenty of med schools that reward reinvention

Do you think it’s worse ir better than having a flat gpa

 

[Goro]

Do you think it’s worse ir better than having a flat gpa

Reinvention? Or a significantly poor SR year?

What was the cause of the poor academics?

 

[thehater1234]

Reinvention? Or a significantly poor SR year?

What was the cause of the poor academics?

I meant is a gpa with downward gpa worse or better than a flat gpa, assuming the cumulative gpa in both cases is the same

 

[thehater1234]

Depends how long ago it was and what you do with all those pre-reqs you need to take. If it was several years and ago you ace all of those listed pre-reqs then it shouldn’t be a huge barrier. Now if you don’t ace the classes then it’s a nail in the coffin

What do you recommend I do to get clinical hours?

 

[DO2015CA]

What do you recommend I do to get clinical hours?

Oh jeez. I would defer to someone that is closer. When I did it 10+ years ago, volunteering at the hospital or free clinics was a big one. I did the free clinic for a few hundred hours. This was before Covid so idk if those opportunities exist anymore, that’s why I defer.

For paid hours, depending on your state, you could work as a nursing aid. Some states require CNA and some don’t require the certification. Others will do a 3 month MA course then do that. Many will scribe in the ER. All of which count. All of which would be a massive decrease in pay from actuary that’s why I think volunteering on nights and weekends makes more sense.

 

[AJS59]

The suggestions provided are good, but if you're looking for some others volunteering is valuable (the VA is a good one) or even just working in a hospital setting where you're serving patients (example: I currently work part-time as a food porter helping deliver meals to patients, get them set up for dinner, etc.)

 

[Goro]

What do you recommend I do to get clinical hours?

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimer’s or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.

 

[Goro]

I am currently working in an unrelated field as an actuary and am considering trying to apply to med school. My gpa is a 3.38 but I do have a horrible downward trend, with a 2.2 and 2.7 in two of my last 3 semesters, which basically rules out MD. White male.

Anyway, I am thinking about taking some classes at a community college while I continue to work my actuarial job and apply.

For a non traditional applicant, how much clinical experience, etc. is needed, and what mcat would I need to be competitive? I would think probably like 510 but not sure. Would it be ok to take classes at a community college outside of lab obviously?

Just out of curiosity, is this you?

Do you guys think there are still many interview slots left? IS, LM 71-72, still silence.

 

[thehater1234]

Just out of curiosity, is this you?

No that wasn’t me, not sure why the username is the same.

 

[thehater1234]

Oh jeez. I would defer to someone that is closer. When I did it 10+ years ago, volunteering at the hospital or free clinics was a big one. I did the free clinic for a few hundred hours. This was before Covid so idk if those opportunities exist anymore, that’s why I defer.

For paid hours, depending on your state, you could work as a nursing aid. Some states require CNA and some don’t require the certification. Others will do a 3 month MA course then do that. Many will scribe in the ER. All of which count. All of which would be a massive decrease in pay from actuary that’s why I think volunteering on nights and weekends makes more sense.

Thanks. Do you know if it is possible to get like a part time job as a scribe in the ER? Or is it one of those things where it’s either full time or nothing

 

[DO2015CA]

That I have no clue. You can always reach out. At this point there are plenty of scribe companies. Many college students do it so I assume there are part time gigs

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Nowadays there are part-time scribing positions. You need to ask around, but figure out why a P/T position is what you need and how it meets the clinic's needs.

 

[thehater1234]

What is your opinion on online classes? My local CC said the lab would be like a kit we can pick up if we can’t do it in person.

I have a somewhat difficult time conceptualizing this-would a school be ok with these take home labs?

The lab and class are not registered for separately like at some schools.

 

[DO2015CA]

What is your opinion on online classes? My local CC said the lab would be like a kit we can pick up if we can’t do it in person.

I have a somewhat difficult time conceptualizing this-would a school be ok with these take home labs?

The lab and class are not registered for separately like at some schools.

What does the transcript say? I took one online class in UG and the transcript was not listed as online but this was way before Covid and less online classes overall.

 

[thehater1234]

What does the transcript say? I took one online class in UG and the transcript was not listed as online but this was way before Covid and less online classes overall.

Not sure but I have an appointment with academic advisor at CC next week so I will be able to get the questions answered then.