Plotting my path forward

[shrinkgirl15]

Hi all,

I'm a non-trad in my early thirties with a bachelor's in psychology (GPA in mid 3's). I've been on the path to applying to PhD programs in psychology, but since I recently began volunteering at my local medical university hospital's psychiatry department (in both a clinical and research capacity), I've been thinking about going with psychiatry instead. I have some good connections within the department already, including with faculty, which I think will benefit me. I want to make sure that if I do go down this path, I know exactly what I'm supposed to be doing. This is what I have so far:

1. Go back to school to get two semesters each of general chem, general bio, o chem, and physics. This will take one year of full-time school, right?

2. Continue to volunteer within the psychiatry department and maintain/build those relationships. Take the MCATs.

3. Apply.

Am I missing anything? Thanks so much for any feedback!

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[KyleV]

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[it'sabeautifullife]

Am I missing anything?

Have you had biochem?

 

[gracie369]

1. No. It will take at least 2 years to complete pre-med classes. You will do one year of general chemistry before one year of organic chemistry. Look at when the university offers the classes. It also takes one year for med school interviews. If everything works out perfectly you could start med school in 3 years. You would then have 4 years of med school and 3 years of residency before you could be a board certified Psychiatrist. You are looking at 10 years before you start making a good salary.

2. Never put an "s" on MCAT. There is only one entrance test to medical school. Even if you end up taking it multiple times an "s" would still be wrong.

3. I'm a few years out from med school and obviously took the old MCAT. I think biochem is on the new one. You may want to look into that.

4. Talk to an advisor and weigh the pros and cons of PhD vs MD. The MD route is going to be more difficult but you also have more options for therapy and employment.

 

[keitaiKT]

Looks like you have a game plan. Doing all those classes and getting straight As (which you really have to aim for) is challenging, especially while also volunteering. Doing it in one year (assuming you will do the summer before, the fall, winter, and summer following terms, or whatever the quarter equivalent is) is possible, and I've seen it done. But really make sure you can handle an academic load like that before you start, because you really are way better off taking more time to complete it with better grades than racing through and getting Bs and Cs.

See my previous post from yesterday about embarking a career like this, there is advice in there that may help you.

 

[it'sabeautifullife]

Doing all those classes and getting straight As (which you really have to aim for) is challenging, especially while also volunteering. Doing it in one year (assuming you will do the summer before, the fall, winter, and summer following terms, or whatever the quarter equivalent is) is possible, and I've seen it done. But really make sure you can handle an academic load like that before you start, because you really are way better off taking more time to complete it with better grades than racing through and getting Bs and Cs.

I did it this way, completing all premed prereqs over the course of one calendar year. So, yes it can be done. And yes, it is challenging. If you do start out with this plan and realize you bit off too much, it would be better to withdraw and take it slower. Guard your GPA like a hawk.

 

[shrinkgirl15]

Thank you so much for your input, everyone! I will definitely keep in mind that I might find it all a little too exhausting. I might even take 2-3 classes to start out with and see how it feels before diving in whole hog.

I have a similarly lengthy career trajectory before me with the PhD path (at least eight years total from now until I'll get it if all goes according to plan), so the thought of not making a decent salary for another decade doesn't bother me too much. My husband has a very well-paying job, which, I know, makes me a very lucky non-trad!

I'll look into biochem, though it wasn't mentioned on my medical university's website as a requirement. If it's covered on the MCAT (not plural!), though, perhaps it'd be best to take it anyway.

I'm still at the beginning of looking into a transition, so I'm trying to line everything up to compare and contrast. This has been very helpful, as have the other threads I've seen on this forum so far! Thank you again!

 

[it'sabeautifullife]

I might even take 2-3 classes to start out with and see how it feels before diving in whole hog.

This was a good idea for my family and me. I started out taking two non-premed courses just to see if I even had any business being in an academic setting, and equally important, to test out how my husband and children would fare having much less of my attention. We all adjusted, and I worked up to taking six courses at a time.

*Be sure to buy the official guidebook for the MCAT to see exactly what is on the test. I'm sure you'd have done this anyway. I took the old test, but my friends who took the new one said it is biochemistry heavy.

 

[Nasrudin]

You've got the basic lay out. Your contacts will be useful for letters of recommendation. (LOR's). Which I have a suggestion for if application strategies have not shifted in this regard: get a service like interfolio and start collecting LOR's as you go forward. Then you're not married to these contacts for other reasons. Because honestly, they're not THAT helpful outside of that. Unless your SO's job is geographically restricted and you'll eventually need a residency spot in your exact location. In which case the utility is not a guarantee so much as more worth the investment.

Buy the MSAR. Nobody can mislead you from who requires what from this biblical reference except by error of the school itself.

Apparently there's new components of the MCAT that I have no idea about so get updated materials. I just learned, from another thread, that these new components have the ability to screen out insensitive pigs like myself. Haha. Thank goodness I passed it way back when...

 

[it'sabeautifullife]

I just learned, from another thread, that these new components have the ability to screen out insensitive pigs like myself. Haha.

Off topic, but--This is asking an awful lot of a test.

 

[shrinkgirl15]

Inter folio sounds really neat--will have to look into that, thanks! And it's awesome to hear about the MSAR. I'd been wondering if there was something like that I could buy! (And LOL about the insensitivity screening component. I *think* I'll be okay there... )

 

[Nasrudin]

Off topic, but--This is asking an awful lot of a test.

Right? As if I couldn't game that system like any other sociopath or narcissist that populates the field.

 

[clausewitz2]

Just a small caveat - it sounds like maybe you have not looked into the requirements for any med schools beyond where you're currently at. I would suggest researching more of them - realistically most non-rock stars these days have to apply to 20-plus schools to be on the safe side.

Also have a serious conversation with your husband about the portability of his high-paying job. Better you all are in consensus about contingencies around moving before it materializes than it coming as a nasty surprise a couple years down the line.

 

[shrinkgirl15]

Thank you, clause. That's very wise. It is something we've talked about extensively and planned for, since there are no psych PhD programs near us anyway. So in the event that I don't get into my state med school where I have connections, we're talking contingency plans (which may involve doing what we were originally planning to do and moving). His job is very flexible, which is nice.