Ob/Gyn is my dream, but MD feels out of reach

[Lady Belle]

This is and has always been my dream. I am 29, sophomore and am tied to nyc area for the next 6-10 years for the sake of my daughter. On top of this, so far, I have a 3.86 GPA, but this semester I am struggling in Genetics and Chem 2 and will hopefully end up with a B in them. I have always wanted to go to med school, but little by little I feel like it won't happen. NYC med schools are very competitive, and I don't know if I can keep my gpa in the 3.8 range. I'd hate to have put so much effort into my dream, and end up not being able to provide for my family, so I need to know some other routes.
So my question is. What are some good alternatives that can allow me to work in maternal medicine. I realize that I could do midwifery, but I am worried about pretty much starting over again in my science courses, since the requirements can be pretty strict. So aside from nursing possibility, what other careers will allow me this.

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[HinduHammer]

This is and has always been my dream. I am 29, sophomore and am tied to nyc area for the next 6-10 years for the sake of my daughter. On top of this, so far, I have a 3.86 GPA, but this semester I am struggling in Genetics and Chem 2 and will hopefully end up with a B in them. I have always wanted to go to med school, but little by little I feel like it won't happen. NYC med schools are very competitive, and I don't know if I can keep my gpa in the 3.8 range. I'd hate to have put so much effort into my dream, and end up not being able to provide for my family, so I need to know some other routes.
So my question is. What are some good alternatives that can allow me to work in maternal medicine. I realize that I could do midwifery, but I am worried about pretty much starting over again in my science courses, since the requirements can be pretty strict. So aside from nursing possibility, what other careers will allow me this.

Hello, For what its worth I'm about to be 30 and have just been accepted to medical school this cycle with a MUCH lower GPA than yours. If you are still interested in medicine, the first step (aside from keeping up your grades) is doing well on the MCAT. So, if you are serious about pursuing medicine at all, the MCAT should be your next step - focus all attention on doing well. Only after your MCAT score will you know whether NYC area school are too competitive for you. That being said, there are many medical schools in NY - NYMC, AMC, the SUNYs....

If you are looking for other ob/gyn related fields that is not nursing or midwifery (and BTW, you might have better look in other forums here on SDN, this particular sub-forum is for non-traditional students interested in pursuing DO/MD) -- but you could consider being a Physiciant Assistant. PAs can specialize in pretty much every specialty and I'm sure you could work in an OB related field. PA school is less competitive to get into and shorter (I think 2 years of classes + 2 years of clinicals), however you need like 1000+ clinical shadowing hours to qualify for PA school, so that is something to consider.

Good luck with your journey!

 

[Goro]

PA

Ultrasound tech

This is and has always been my dream. I am 29, sophomore and am tied to nyc area for the next 6-10 years for the sake of my daughter. On top of this, so far, I have a 3.86 GPA, but this semester I am struggling in Genetics and Chem 2 and will hopefully end up with a B in them. I have always wanted to go to med school, but little by little I feel like it won't happen. NYC med schools are very competitive, and I don't know if I can keep my gpa in the 3.8 range. I'd hate to have put so much effort into my dream, and end up not being able to provide for my family, so I need to know some other routes.
So my question is. What are some good alternatives that can allow me to work in maternal medicine. I realize that I could do midwifery, but I am worried about pretty much starting over again in my science courses, since the requirements can be pretty strict. So aside from nursing possibility, what other careers will allow me this.

 

[ridethecliche]

DO is also not out of reach for you.

 

[22031 Alum]

Without an MCAT score, who knows what is out of your reach? Prepare well, and you very well may have a shot at an NY school. But you have to prepare specifically for the exam, do not think that your experience with your classes will be enough.

If you decide you don't want to pursue a career as a physician: in the hospital and clinic settings, I've worked with CNMs, NPs, PAs, PTs (specialized in pelvic floor), PsyDs, ultrasound tech's, social workers, and registered dietitians who all have made some aspect of women's health the specific focus of their career. You really have to figure out what your career preferences are aside from "maternal medicine." It's a vast field.

 

[DocWinter]

A good ultrasound tech is a commodity.

 

[BorntobeDO?]

This is and has always been my dream. I am 29, sophomore and am tied to nyc area for the next 6-10 years for the sake of my daughter. On top of this, so far, I have a 3.86 GPA, but this semester I am struggling in Genetics and Chem 2 and will hopefully end up with a B in them. I have always wanted to go to med school, but little by little I feel like it won't happen. NYC med schools are very competitive, and I don't know if I can keep my gpa in the 3.8 range. I'd hate to have put so much effort into my dream, and end up not being able to provide for my family, so I need to know some other routes.
So my question is. What are some good alternatives that can allow me to work in maternal medicine. I realize that I could do midwifery, but I am worried about pretty much starting over again in my science courses, since the requirements can be pretty strict. So aside from nursing possibility, what other careers will allow me this.

PA school is an option, but frankly I think your GPA is very good. You could go down quite a bit and still be fine with a decent MCAT. How close are you to a bachelors? Once your finished with the prereqs I would consider switching to an easier major like health science/allied health and focus purely on the MCAT.

 

[ThreadStalker]

3.86 is a very good gpa. Re-double your efforts in the classes you're having trouble in now and see what you can do this semester. It won't be the end of the world if you end up with B's, but acquiring the additional skills will pay off in the long run. You will need to study harder than ever to get through med school, and you'll have to get over a lot of discouraging tests along the way, so you might as well start practicing now. If you show that you can handle the undergrad workload with a child, then no school is going to doubt that you can handle the medical curriculum. Med school is far more about work ethic than talent.

Also, remember that gaining acceptance to med school is not entirely about gpa and MCAT scores. Students who enter med school with >3.4 gpa and >28 MCAT have effectively equivalent USMLE pass rates with the 4.0/40 crowd, so the schools know that you're capable. They're interested in what else you bring to the field.

Take care of yourself and your daughter, and don't give up!

 

[j4pac]

Take the USMLE...bomb it...then start worrying. Until then you are stressing yourself out for nothing. Your GPA is competitive.

 

[Lady Violette]

My friend is preggo and her OB is a DO. There are quite a few DO OB's in that practice. Hers is really awesome and takes time explaining things better than my 3 MD OB's ever did when I had my kids lol. I wish you well in whatever you do

 

[gyngyn]

If that is you in your avatar, I recommend that you protect your anonymity in online fora.