Pediatrician vs. Physical Therapist

[caringswimmer]

Hello everyone,

I am having a bit of a dilemma choosing between 2 careers. Every since I was a child, I always wanted to become a Pediatrician. I thought it was the coolest job ever and could not wait to wear a lab coat and use a stethoscope. I followed my heart and took advanced science courses in high school and my life seemed to be heading towards medical school. In high school, my younger brother had a Grand mal seizure and I had to perform CPR on him. It was a traumatizing experience that I recovered from and he was diagnosed with epilepsy. I researched his condition relentlessly and majored in Neuroscience in college due to my interests in the human brain.

While in college, I was a member of my college's swimming team. Practices were time consuming and I had a few semesters below 3.0. I ended up graduating with a 3.3 gpa and 3.0 science gpa. My grades do have an upward trend. My extracurricular activities include four summers of volunteer work in the ER, shadowing a pediatrician, and four years of coaching the special Olympics. Working with the Special Olympics made me reflect on my life and I started to consider pursuing a career as a Physical Therapist. It was a way to help children in the medical field combined with my love for exercise. It seemed like a perfect career. After obtaining my observation hours, I decided to apply to Physical Therapy school for next fall. I haven't heard from any of the schools yet, but I am having reservations about Physical Therapy and I am starting to become interested in medical school.

I don't like the narrow scope of practice of PT and how Physical Therapists cannot prescribe medicine, interpret tests, or do anything exciting. Basically the opposite of Pediatricians. It's all about applying heat/ice, electrical stimulation, stretching, and massaging patients, which no longer sounds appealing to me. I am ready to turn in my sneakers in exchange for a stethoscope and tongue depressors. Part of me wants to be the pediatrician I dreamed of being but I could also see myself working in a pediatric hospital as a Physical Therapist helping children cope with their limitations. I am really torn between two amazing careers.

If I go the medical school route I need to retake Biochemistry and Genetics (both Cs) and I would apply to DO schools. I haven't taken the MCATs either but I have all the pre-reqs done, and it feels crazy leaving everything I worked for in Physical Therapy to prepare for medical school. My gpa isn't that great so there is a strong possibility that I might not even get accepted to PT school. I need to make a decision soon because course registration is happening for next semester and I have to find a school to take Biochemistry and Genetics at. Has anyone been in a similar situation or have any insight into what I should do? All help is appreciated. Thank You!

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[Dreamstoo]

Take a deep breath. I've met people in similar situations. A close friend of mind had similar stats (3.3cgpa/3.1sgpa, mostly consistent upward trend) with a ~25 MCAT as a URM. He had a decent chance at a DO school by doing a possible post bacc program but he was much more sold on a different career that he learned about after graduating. He is pursuing that career track and not looking back.

 

[Stlblues17]

Retake all classes that are Cs, give yourself a good enough period to study for the MCAT (the new mcat starts Feb '15). Keep getting involved with clinical exposure. If you really want to be a physician, it's up to you to make it happen.

I wish you the best in your future endeavors.

 

[j4pac]

I had a hard time deciding between PT and MD/DO. I went DO and now applying to PM&R. Look into it.

 

[kalat]

Good story, but it's going to pose some problems with medical admissions. I'm by no means saying that you don't have a chance, but consider a few things:

- You need to take the MCAT. This is essential to do before you start planning for anything. Don't assume the score will be good. I'm assuming you've already taken the GRE if you're pursuing PT schools?
- Your GPA is low. I would say a 3.2 is a reasonable floor for both cGPA and sGPA. Re-take any medical pre-requisite that you got a C in at a bare minimum. You may need to take additional classes depending on the schools you're applying to as well.
- You need to develop a more coherent narrative. I think it's absolutely okay to have taken other careers into consideration (and I also believe it shows maturity), but it doesn't actually seem like you've nailed down the "Why medicine?" question yet. Yes, PT and medicine are somewhat related, but I think the "scope of practice" argument - while relevant - is too easy to rely on.
- A last thing you didn't touch on is "Why osteopathic medicine?" This is going to be important to craft another narrative for for supplementary applications and ultimately interviews.

The other thing is if you were shooting for PT school you'll probably know that it is quite competitive as well with some programs getting GPAs around 3.5-3.8 (cGPA and sGPA) similar to many medical schools (I'm not sure about the GRE competitiveness). It looks like you ended up short on both fronts. Hopefully you'll know DO school is just as competitive and not a fall back. It may not be as competitive as many MD programs, but it definitely still gets some high achieving applicants relative to the general undergraduate population.

 

[Buddy.the.Elf]

I thought I wanted to be a PT for a while too. For many reasons, medicine was what I decided on, but I've done some research on PM&R, and it seems to combine the best of both worlds (PT and medicine). Maybe this will be a good fit for you. You may need to take some extra classes to get your GPA up.

 

[caringswimmer]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Yes I am aware that my grades are below the mark for PT and medical school. I did take the GREs and I scored 150 VR/156QR/4.0 AW.

As for the why medicine question, I have an interest in disease process. I love learning about symptoms, treatments, and applying my knowledge to case studies. I loved learning about the different groups of streptococci in microbiology and dissecting animals in anatomy and physiology. I loved memorizing the cranial nerves for neuroscience and learning the diagnostic tests for each cranial nerve abnormality. I would also love to go on medical mission trips to under served areas and treat children.

I earned a C+ in general bio 1 and 2, and Bs and above in gen chem, o chem and physics. Retaking bio 1 and 2, biochem, and genetics would bring my cgpa to 3.49 and my science Gpa to 3.487, using grade replacement, and assuming I get As. Retaking all 4 courses would be a great refresher for the MCAT too.

I know it will be a long road to earning acceptance to medical school, but I will not give up. I know what needs to be done and I'm ready to buckle down and work for my childhood dreams. It does seem overwhelming at this moment but I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I want to be happy with my chosen career path. Does this sound like a practical situation in front of me?

 

[67552931811]

I thought I wanted to be a PT for a while too. For many reasons, medicine was what I decided on, but I've done some research on PM&R, and it seems to combine the best of both worlds (PT and medicine). Maybe this will be a good fit for you. You may need to take some extra classes to get your GPA up.

PM&R is boss.

 

[Dreamstoo]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Yes I am aware that my grades are below the mark for PT and medical school. I did take the GREs and I scored 150 VR/156QR/4.0 AW.

As for the why medicine question, I have an interest in disease process. I love learning about symptoms, treatments, and applying my knowledge to case studies. I loved learning about the different groups of streptococci in microbiology and dissecting animals in anatomy and physiology. I loved memorizing the cranial nerves for neuroscience and learning the diagnostic tests for each cranial nerve abnormality. I would also love to go on medical mission trips to under served areas and treat children.

I earned a C+ in general bio 1 and 2, and Bs and above in gen chem, o chem and physics. Retaking bio 1 and 2, biochem, and genetics would bring my cgpa to 3.49 and my science Gpa to 3.487, using grade replacement, and assuming I get As. Retaking all 4 courses would be a great refresher for the MCAT too.

I know it will be a long road to earning acceptance to medical school, but I will not give up. I know what needs to be done and I'm ready to buckle down and work for my childhood dreams. It does seem overwhelming at this moment but I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I want to be happy with my chosen career path. Does this sound like a practical situation in front of me?

Yes, very. Based on what you said about only retaking 4 classes to get an A to bring your GPA to that level, I think you should really give it a shot. I've met people who took awhile to get into medical school also (late 20s, early 30s). There is no rush. The average age of a student I believe ranges from 24-26.

 

[j4pac]

Thanks for the replies everyone! Yes I am aware that my grades are below the mark for PT and medical school. I did take the GREs and I scored 150 VR/156QR/4.0 AW.

As for the why medicine question, I have an interest in disease process. I love learning about symptoms, treatments, and applying my knowledge to case studies. I loved learning about the different groups of streptococci in microbiology and dissecting animals in anatomy and physiology. I loved memorizing the cranial nerves for neuroscience and learning the diagnostic tests for each cranial nerve abnormality. I would also love to go on medical mission trips to under served areas and treat children.

I earned a C+ in general bio 1 and 2, and Bs and above in gen chem, o chem and physics. Retaking bio 1 and 2, biochem, and genetics would bring my cgpa to 3.49 and my science Gpa to 3.487, using grade replacement, and assuming I get As. Retaking all 4 courses would be a great refresher for the MCAT too.

I know it will be a long road to earning acceptance to medical school, but I will not give up. I know what needs to be done and I'm ready to buckle down and work for my childhood dreams. It does seem overwhelming at this moment but I have the rest of my life ahead of me and I want to be happy with my chosen career path. Does this sound like a practical situation in front of me?

With grade replacement it is very possible. Do well on your MCAT, get your GPA above 3.5, and get some clinic experience.