Poor Undergrad, 28 year old IT Engineer with a desire to attend Medical School

[Jeex]

When I was 17 I thought computer science would be the right choice for me, but a lot has changed in those 11 years. I went from being an overweight, lazy, video gaming addicted nerd (still a nerd but with very high emotional IQ too - I'm a consultant!) into a well informed about nutrition, fit and active person that enjoys being out in the world and meeting people and learning about others. I'm definitely a late bloomer - my parents while being great - are lower middle class workers that were naive on pushing me and I was the first in my family to go to college and did so after I had moved out and lived on my own... that's okay though, I love them and I'm doing fairly well for myself as is

Now, I'm older, I'm more health orientated, I LOVE science now instead of HATING it previously - I am social and love helping PEOPLE rather than helping COMPANIES make more money - I need a career where I am on my feet interacting with people rather than staring at a computer screen for 50 hours a week. I make great money for my age (80k a year) and am on track to save about 50k in cash over the next year and a half. This will leave me debt free with about 30k in my 401k (won't touch), a car worth about 12k, and 20k cash in the bank.

My undergraduate bachelors in Management Information Systems GPA is rough - a 2.5 (class of 2010) all over the board. My computer classes are straight A's and what I at the time considered to be "filler classes" such as science/accounting/electives were just enough to pass.

I test very well and do very well when I care and when I apply myself. If I were to take all pre-requisites again and get a 3.7+ GPA on those, and attain 90th percentile (33+) on the MCAT would I actually have a shot at getting into medical school?

I am very interested in putting this plan into motion and would probably be looking at applying to medical school when I am around 30, or 31.

Thanks in advance for your consideration and thoughts on my situation!

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[I'mJustCurious]

Of course you have a chance as long as you keep your word. I can relate to you because my brother is a late bloomer, he is somewhat addicted to gaming but is making progress with staying focus on school.

 

[Jeex]

Thanks for the kind words - a 2.5 GPA is okay from a few years ago (will be about 7 years) as long as I have high MCAT/Pre Req GPA? I am scared that I will spend 10k on classes and still be denied acceptance to the medical schools.

 

[GreatAdviceForPass]

Dude, 80K/ yr is not thatbad. Med school is not worth it in your case, IMO. You might have to go do post-bac for at least two years, just to raise your GPA enough to get into DO schools. Oh wait, I believe some DO schools do grade replacements, so you might have a chance after all. However, that two years plus med school = a lot of loss income, headache and pain. Simply, it is not worth it for you. But if you really want it, no one is stopping you!

 

[I'mJustCurious]

Thanks for the kind words - a 2.5 GPA is okay from a few years ago (will be about 7 years) as long as I have high MCAT/Pre Req GPA? I am scared that I will spend 10k on classes and still be denied acceptance to the medical schools.

No there are many stories out there where people decide to go back to school or change their career choice. Do well in your pre rep classes and do well on the MCAT. If you really want to go to medical school be willing to work your butt off.

 

[Moose A Moose]

If you're willing to work a hard, uphill battle then go for it. I personally know others much older than you who have just matriculated, and are performing very well.

 

[Malcolm X]

I don't wanna get into my situation due to anonymity
But I have many close friends who did post baccs where they did just the pre-med coursework and did well on the mcat... And due to retaking classes are competitive for MD & DO schools and have gotten accepted.




However, OP, your situation is different due to your GPA, you should talk to a pre health counselor or adcom BEFORE pursuing this... just to verify you won't get auto rejected

 

[NeuResurgens]

I might suggest a different school situation like a post bacc or something just to get a better GPA. Computer science is rough, but a 2.5 will never do for med school. If you can get a better GPA from a different program taking the medical pre-reqs, and do well on the MCAT, you'll have a better chance.

 

[shaggybill]

Your best shot is probably going DO, unless you want to spend a couple more years working on a new Bachelors, which will still leave your cumulative GPA looking "high-risk" to a lot of MD programs. I was in a situation similar to yours, albeit I was 26 when I went back to school. I had completed 4.5 semesters at a small college after HS before dropping out mid-semester and going to work full time. After a few years of dead-beat job, I decided to try for med school, but since my GPA was 2.5 from before, I had to spend several years rectifying that. Raised my GPA to a 3.3-3.4 before applying with a MCAT of 27.

Not sure if you're interested in the DO degree, but a lot of people in our situation pursue it because it almost caters to those of us who are looking for second careers after doing not-so-well in previous college attempts.

 

[Jeex]

I wouldn't want to go the DO route - I want to go MD.

Simply put, is a 2.5 undergrad from a few years ago not going to cut it even if I scored a 4.0 doing post bacc? In what scenario is it possible for admittance? I am willing to work extremely hard for this. I want to put the pieces in motion now so I can start planning for it.

2.5 Bach
+ 4.0 Post Bach
+ 35 MCAT

Is that enough or would I need to get an entirely new bachelors?

 

[Catalystik]

I wouldn't want to go the DO route - I want to go MD.

Simply put, is a 2.5 undergrad from a few years ago not going to cut it even if I scored a 4.0 doing post bacc? In what scenario is it possible for admittance? I am willing to work extremely hard for this. I want to put the pieces in motion now so I can start planning for it.

2.5 Bach
+ 4.0 Post Bach
+ 35 MCAT

Is that enough or would I need to get an entirely new bachelors?

If you completed 120 credits to get your 2.5 GPA and plan to complete another 60 hours of 4.0 you will get your GPA to a 3.0. That is the minimum level that will pass most less-competitive MD schools' computer-driven auto-cutoffs. You might want to figure out what your BCPM GPA would be too (all math, bio, chem, and physics) with this scenario.

 

[mimelim]

When I was 17 I thought computer science would be the right choice for me, but a lot has changed in those 11 years. I went from being an overweight, lazy, video gaming addicted nerd (still a nerd but with very high emotional IQ too - I'm a consultant!) into a well informed about nutrition, fit and active person that enjoys being out in the world and meeting people and learning about others. I'm definitely a late bloomer - my parents while being great - are lower middle class workers that were naive on pushing me and I was the first in my family to go to college and did so after I had moved out and lived on my own... that's okay though, I love them and I'm doing fairly well for myself as is

Now, I'm older, I'm more health orientated, I LOVE science now instead of HATING it previously - I am social and love helping PEOPLE rather than helping COMPANIES make more money - I need a career where I am on my feet interacting with people rather than staring at a computer screen for 50 hours a week. I make great money for my age (80k a year) and am on track to save about 50k in cash over the next year and a half. This will leave me debt free with about 30k in my 401k (won't touch), a car worth about 12k, and 20k cash in the bank.

My undergraduate bachelors in Management Information Systems GPA is rough - a 2.5 (class of 2010) all over the board. My computer classes are straight A's and what I at the time considered to be "filler classes" such as science/accounting/electives were just enough to pass.

I test very well and do very well when I care and when I apply myself. If I were to take all pre-requisites again and get a 3.7+ GPA on those, and attain 90th percentile (33+) on the MCAT would I actually have a shot at getting into medical school?

I am very interested in putting this plan into motion and would probably be looking at applying to medical school when I am around 30, or 31.

Thanks in advance for your consideration and thoughts on my situation!

I wouldn't want to go the DO route - I want to go MD.

Simply put, is a 2.5 undergrad from a few years ago not going to cut it even if I scored a 4.0 doing post bacc? In what scenario is it possible for admittance? I am willing to work extremely hard for this. I want to put the pieces in motion now so I can start planning for it.

2.5 Bach
+ 4.0 Post Bach
+ 35 MCAT

Is that enough or would I need to get an entirely new bachelors?

#1 If you actually know what you are getting into and want to practice medicine, you would not make a comment like "I wouldn't want to go the DO route - I want to go MD." Are they equivalent? No. Should you go MD over DO if given the opportunity? Yes. But, if your sole reasons for going into medicine are a) you are 'health oriented' b) you like science, c) you want to help people and d) you want to be on your feet, DOs are physicians that function in the same fashion as MDs.
#2 Virtually every single person that ends up in medical school is 'willing to work extremely hard' or at a minimum says that they are. Also, many would make the argument that even working extremely hard is not enough for some to get a 35+ on their MCAT.
#3 If you had a 4.0 in a post-bacc in the typical pre-reqs and a 33+ on your MCAT, there are going to be some MD schools that are interested in you. However, that is a lot of time and resource investment to be only accepting that MD is the only outcome, given your 2.5 in the past.
#4 When it comes to 'upward trends' or 're-invention', most people quote 3+ semesters of high quality work in standard pre-med (non-fluff) classes to help neutralize poor prior performance. Just realize that even a 4.0 will on paper average you out to a low 3 GPA at best.
#5 You need to spend some time actually figuring out what a doctor does. "I like science/health and working with people" is a starting place, but very generic and to be honest not a great reason to go to medical school as there are a ton of other professions that fulfill those qualities without 7-11 years of training.

 

[Goro]

Beggars can't be choosy.

But yes, acing a post-bac and MCAT will be rewarded by schools that believe in reinvention, which interestingly enough, include DO schools.

But words are easy and doing is hard.

I wouldn't want to go the DO route - I want to go MD.

Simply put, is a 2.5 undergrad from a few years ago not going to cut it even if I scored a 4.0 doing post bacc? In what scenario is it possible for admittance? I am willing to work extremely hard for this. I want to put the pieces in motion now so I can start planning for it.

2.5 Bach
+ 4.0 Post Bach
+ 35 MCAT

Is that enough or would I need to get an entirely new bachelors?

 

[blueharbor]

The number you need to be worried about is your overall GPA - your undergrad and postbacc GPAs combined, weighted by number of credits. Your 2.5 from 4 years of school is not going to budge much. If you do 4 more years of school with the same number of credits you already took, making a 3.7 GPA, your overall GPA will only be a 3.1. A 3.0 is usually the bare minimum required for consideration. Getting into an MD school will be far from a guarantee with that GPA, even with the reinvention aspect. It just isn't worth the risk. You also still have no idea what you'll make on the MCAT.

You'd be much, much better off re-taking your worst grades and applying DO. (In case nobody's said it, the DO application allows you to replace old grades with new ones for retaken classes, while MD schools don't.)

Edit: On a more encouraging note - as a fellow nontrad who will turn 30 shortly after matriculating, don't let people tell you you're too old to start down this path. Life is long and if you're passionate about being a doctor, it'll all be worth it.

 

[LizzyM]

I am assuming that you took very few medical school pre-requisites as an undergrad (Bio I and II, Chem I and II, Organic Chem I and II, Physics I and II, some places want to see Psychology and/or, Biochemistry and/or, English). If so, your best bet may be begging your way into a strong post-bac program that will get you through those courses and provide links to research and volunteer opportunities, and a strong advisor who will write a strong letter with a sympathetic telling of your story of reinvention. The trick may be convincing such a post-bac program to admit you and the second trick will be making it through with a super-strong GPA. If you can pull that off, then you may have a good chance.

 

[blueharbor]

I am assuming that you took very few medical school pre-requisites as an undergrad (Bio I and II, Chem I and II, Organic Chem I and II, Physics I and II, some places want to see Psychology and/or, Biochemistry and/or, English). If so, your best bet may be begging your way into a strong post-bac program that will get you through those courses and provide links to research and volunteer opportunities, and a strong advisor who will write a strong letter with a sympathetic telling of your story of reinvention. The trick may be convincing such a post-bac program to admit you and the second trick will be making it through with a super-strong GPA. If you can pull that off, then you may have a good chance.

Even if his/her overall GPA is under a 3.0? A 4.0 in a one or two year postbacc program won't be enough to raise the overall GPA over a 3.0.

 

[LizzyM]

Even if his/her overall GPA is under a 3.0? A 4.0 in a one or two year postbacc program won't be enough to raise the overall GPA over a 3.0.

A "really old" applicant with a LOR from a well known post-bac program might have a chance. A post-bac advisor will know where to target the application and might even have professional relationships with deans of admissions who will be on the lookout for applicants from that post-bac program based on the reputation of the program and the advisor. Who do you think those people are on Table 25 who get in with a GPA < 3.0? Plus, the post-bac does increase the GPA even if only a little.

 

[blueharbor]

A "really old" applicant with a LOR from a well known post-bac program might have a chance. A post-bac advisor will know where to target the application and might even have professional relationships with deans of admissions who will be on the lookout for applicants from that post-bac program based on the reputation of the program and the advisor. Who do you think those people are on Table 25 who get in with a GPA < 3.0? Plus, the post-bac does increase the GPA even if only a little.

I'd have thought that the <3.0 success stories mainly came from people with x-factors that most of us don't have, like legacy or a truly exceptional achievement. I don't know if being 5 years out of undergrad makes you "really old" in the eyes of adcoms, but you're a better judge of that than me. With a 2.7 and a 35 MCAT, the table gives OP a 27% chance of acceptance.

Of course, nothing would prevent the OP from going the DO route if the postbacc-with-connections doesn't pan out. But he'd be out a big chunk of money and an admissions cycle.

(Edited the acceptance rate)

 

[Goro]

One of those X factors is acing a post-bac or SMP.

I'd have thought that the <3.0 success stories mainly came from people with x-factors that most of us don't have, like legacy or a truly exceptional achievement. I don't know if being 5 years out of undergrad makes you "really old" in the eyes of adcoms, but you're a better judge of that than me. With a 2.7 and a 35 MCAT, the table gives OP a 27% chance of acceptance.

Of course, nothing would prevent the OP from going the DO route if the postbacc-with-connections doesn't pan out. But he'd be out a big chunk of money and an admissions cycle.

(Edited the acceptance rate)

 

[Neutropix]

You make 80k a year working 50 hours a week, sitting? That's not bad at all. Is that common in your field? I've been thinking about other careers and that seems awesome.

That's as much as PCP will make in 10 years for busting their asses.

 

[wholeheartedly]

i think you've gotten some great input here.

Just wanted to mention we also have a nontraditional student forum geared for people shifting directions later in the game. Discussions about juggling pre reqs with working fulltime or raising kids, getting shadowing opps as a Nontrad, etc. might want to pop over there and do some searching and reading. Lots of stories of people reinventing themselves after less than stellar starts.


http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forums/nontraditional-students.110/

 

[blueharbor]

One of those X factors is acing a post-bac or SMP.

I aced my post-bacc a few years after a poor showing in undergrad, and I'm sure it helped me this cycle, particularly with interviews at schools way out of my league. But my acceptances still hover around or just above my LizzyM score. My n=1 experience probably influences my feelings about the power of a postbacc.

This is kind of an odd conversation for me to be having, because I normally think posters on SDN are way too quick to tell underdogs they should only apply DO (or quit the dream altogether).

 

[Goro]

Many SDNers have a distorted view of what it takes to get into medical school. One does NOT have to have a 3.9/39!
Can you share your IIs and accept experiences? PM if needed. This will help me better advise people in the future.

This is kind of an odd conversation for me to be having, because I normally think posters on SDN are way too quick to tell underdogs they should only apply DO (or quit the dream altogether).[/QUOTE]

 

[blueharbor]

Many SDNers have a distorted view of what it takes to get into medical school. One does NOT have to have a 3.9/39!
Can you share your IIs and accept experiences? PM if needed. This will help me better advise people in the future.

This is kind of an odd conversation for me to be having, because I normally think posters on SDN are way too quick to tell underdogs they should only apply DO (or quit the dream altogether).

Will do, when I finish this paper. (My SDN posting frequency correlates closely with paper due dates)

 

[Jeex]

I aced my post-bacc a few years after a poor showing in undergrad, and I'm sure it helped me this cycle, particularly with interviews at schools way out of my league. But my acceptances still hover around or just above my LizzyM score. My n=1 experience probably influences my feelings about the power of a postbacc.

This is kind of an odd conversation for me to be having, because I normally think posters on SDN are way too quick to tell underdogs they should only apply DO (or quit the dream altogether).

Could you elaborate on LizzyM score? Can you elaborate on your experiences with me? Thank you so much!

 

[GreatAdviceForPass]

You make 80k a year working 50 hours a week, sitting? That's not bad at all. Is that common in your field? I've been thinking about other careers and that seems awesome.

That's as much as PCP will make in 10 years for busting their asses.

This is why I am saying he should reconsider his options. If I were him, I would try to get a masters degree in computer engineering or other IT stuff through night/weekend classes and continue to collect those paychecks. Who knows, he might even move up to a mid-management position with masters. which could net him 100K+ salary in few years.
OP is throwing away a lot for something POSSIBLY better. I would just hold on to that bird instead of looking for two

 

[Neutropix]

This is why I am saying he should reconsider his options. If I were him, I would try to get a masters degree in computer engineering or other IT stuff through night/weekend classes and continue to collect those paychecks. Who knows, he might even move up to a mid-management position with masters. which could net him 100K+ salary in few years.
OP is throwing away a lot for something POSSIBLY better. I would just hold on to that bird instead of looking for two

His POV sounds VERY uninformed. It's great he wants to be healthy but how many doctors do you see who are the epitome of health. The answer - very few; now, that's not to say it's an impossibility. It's just ironic he's just learned how to live life and he wants to forfeit it for medicine.

OP, this isn't a cake walk, dude. If you like cooking everyday, feeling well rested, and essentially living life, why the hell would you want to change. 50 hours a week for 80k is wonderful compensation in my opinion.

In my opinion, you don't sound like you understand the state of medicine and are being overly idealistic. Whatever you do take everything with a grain of salt you read on here and do your research. Just remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Prestige is overrated.

I say stick to what you know, stay out of debt, and continue to pursue your health interests.

 

[GreatAdviceForPass]

Medicine = stress and no free time.

I feel just going through med school, residency and fellowship alone cuts one's life expectancy by 5 years

 

[Jeex]

His POV sounds VERY uninformed. It's great he wants to be healthy but how many doctors do you see who are the epitome of health. The answer - very few; now, that's not to say it's an impossibility. It's just ironic he's just learned how to live life and he wants to forfeit it for medicine.

OP, this isn't a cake walk, dude. If you like cooking everyday, feeling well rested, and essentially living life, why the hell would you want to change. 50 hours a week for 80k is wonderful compensation in my opinion.

In my opinion, you don't sound like you understand the state of medicine and are being overly idealistic. Whatever you do take everything with a grain of salt you read on here and do your research. Just remember the grass isn't always greener on the other side. Prestige is overrated.

I say stick to what you know, stay out of debt, and continue to pursue your health interests.

Thanks for the thoughtful response. Do you have any resources on debt/paying off medical school/real world time value of money analysis? I have been reading "White Coat Investor" and am interested in some more information on this.

Here is the link for anyone interested: http://whitecoatinvestor.com/calculating-your-debt-slave-ratio/?print=print

 

[Neutropix]

Thanks for the thoughtful response. Do you have any resources on debt/paying off medical school/real world time value of money analysis? I have been reading "White Coat Investor" and am interested in some more information on this.

Here is the link for anyone interested: http://whitecoatinvestor.com/calculating-your-debt-slave-ratio/?print=print

WCI is famous on SDN; it's smart you're reading it.

No, it mostly depends on how you "go about" medical school. In state vs out of state (OOS), scholarship, pricing in general. A lot of physicians will pay it off ASAP by living frugally for a couple of years until it's paid off. Others take longer.

Honestly, there are more experienced people on here. I'd consult: @madjack or @mimelim or @gyngyn or @SouthernSurgeon to discuss further.

 

[drsaurus]

Those that are saying you should play it safe and stick to where you're currently at have a point. But high risk can leave you with high reward. You don't want to always "play it safe" throughout your whole life. Take the risk, and put everything you have into this.

 

[blueharbor]

Could you elaborate on LizzyM score? Can you elaborate on your experiences with me? Thank you so much!

I'll PM you when I get a chance. (Still working on the aforementioned paper)

 

[GreatAdviceForPass]

Those that are saying you should play it safe and stick to where you're currently at have a point. But high risk can leave you with high reward. You don't want to always "play it safe" throughout your whole life. Take the risk, and put everything you have into this.

No one is stopping him. I am just telling him to think carefully, esp if he has a family. Plus, with Obamacare and Hiliary waiting to take the helm soon, MD salary will continue to become less lucrative than inthe past.

 

[Jeex]

No one is stopping him. I am just telling him to think carefully, esp if he has a family. Plus, with Obamacare and Hiliary waiting to take the helm soon, MD salary will continue to become less lucrative than inthe past.

I'm not sure about MD salaries decreasing in the future, but I haven't looked into it. I doubt they will. The need for MD's will increase by 23% in the next 20 years due to the aging baby boomer population.

No wife, no kids, I've made a pact with myself for no serious girlfriends anymore and I don't want a family or plan on getting married until I am in my 30's anyways.

I really need to crunch the numbers I suppose but I don't see myself sitting behind a desk doing computer consulting for the next 20 years without blowing my brains out. I'm not the same person I was 10 years ago when I chose to go to school for this and work in this career, I have changed drastically.

I feel like I have missed a calling, or I am wasting the potential of really making a difference in the world.

 

[Atmosphere123]

I would suggest doing some shadowing and gaining firsthand exposure to the profession. You have great ideals but you may be disappointed by the realities of practice. To give up your career and spend the years it will take to make yourself a competitive applicant is a serious commitment and you should be well-informed of what your getting yourself into. Furthermore, significant long-term exposure to medicine is essentially a pre-requiste for admission so start ASAP. (You will list your shadowing hours and clinical hours on your application)

Based on my limited experience, there are people in medical school with a similar background as your own so it is certainly doable.

A piece of advice on grade rehab: You need to take hard classes. None of this "Masters in Biomedical Sciences" fluff offered at a small state school. Again based on my limited experience, it is widely believed that many masters programs inflate grades so you need to find a challenging and reputable program. Going back for second bachelors might be your best bet.

 

[sliceofbread136]

You should shadow before making this life changing decision.

Also you would be stupid to not consider DO. It would take you an extra year or even 2 to get an MD over a DO, which is a huge waste of time if your goals are truly as you say

 

[Jeex]

You should shadow before making this life changing decision.

Also you would be stupid to not consider DO. It would take you an extra year or even 2 to get an MD over a DO, which is a huge waste of time if your goals are truly as you say

70% matching vs. 95% matching and much less opportunity to specialize, correct?

 

[sliceofbread136]

70% matching vs. 95% matching and much less opportunity to specialize, correct?

Most DOs match, and as long as you are moderately competent (ie above 200 step) I am confident that you will be capable of matching with a DO degree. It may not be derm or plastics, but for someone who is just looking for a "health oriented" career where you can "be on your feet" it shouldn't make much of difference.

 

[Jeex]

Most DOs match, and as long as you are moderately competent (ie above 200 step) I am confident that you will be capable of matching with a DO degree. It may not be derm or plastics, but for someone who is just looking for a "health oriented" career where you can "be on your feet" it shouldn't make much of difference.

Gotcha, the main goal was to eventually get into a derm program, i know they're about 5% but the work life balance is great.

 

[NonTrad16]

Gotcha, the main goal was to eventually get into a derm program, i know they're about 5% but the work life balance is great.

Just curious -- what's your experience with derm?

I'm applying this year from an engineering background, so I can understand some of your motivations, but it may be a good idea to see more physicians in practice and to come to terms with 'the worst possible outcome' (I'm assuming PCP). Personally, I'm interested in the FM route, so I'm fine with MD or DO, but practically speaking I do not want to limit myself. If I get accepted, I plan to go to the 'best' school that admits me taking into account cost (a big pitfall of DO programs), location, etc.

That said: wherever you land on the totem pole, someone will be crapping on you from above. (Example thread: "which philly triplet it the best?" where Drexel gets dumped on, PCOM barely gets a mention.) So... if you scrape by another year or two to improve your app without bothering to apply DO, you may garner an MD acceptance, but there will always be someone to play the "well... X is better" card...

Also, where did you get the 70% match rate for DO's? I've not looked at this before, but from the two match organizations, I see AOA (~41% match, ~12% don't, and 47% don't participate... suggesting they are in the NRMP?) and NRMP (DO's land just shy of 80% match). So I would think DO's would hover around 80-90%, comparable to MD's. Admittedly, this will change with the merger, but I think 70% is biased low.

 

[sliceofbread136]

Gotcha, the main goal was to eventually get into a derm program, i know they're about 5% but the work life balance is great.

Fixating on derm before you are even in medical school is pretty silly

 

[SpartanWolverine]

70% matching vs. 95% matching and much less opportunity to specialize, correct?

My DO school had 100% find a placement (AOA/ACGME/scramble/SOAP) in 2014 and only had twelve (4%) still looking for a spot as of this March. They expect all will have a spot by graduation.

I think you need to educate yourself a bit more as to the DO route, because it's likely your best shot. Not to say you shouldn't also apply MD when the time comes -- do it for your own ego -- but it would be silly to not apply to both. I suppose you'll understand that by the time you get through years of more classes and the MCAT!

 

[NonTrad16]

My DO school had a 100% match in 2014 and only had twelve (4%) still looking for a spot as of this March. They expect all will have a spot by graduation.

I think you need to educate yourself a bit more as to the DO route, because it's likely your best shot. Not to say you shouldn't also apply MD when the time comes -- do it for your own ego -- but it would be silly to not apply to both. I suppose you'll understand that by the time you get through years of more classes and the MCAT!

Is there any composite match stat, or can you just piece together info school by school? It seems that the numbers provided by AOA or NRMP leave some wiggle room for their statistics -- what happened to those 12%?

I expect a sustained effort of 1+ years of a pay cut and classes (or maintain pay, losing any and all free time?) will help provide perspective.

 

[SpartanWolverine]

Is there any composite match stat, or can you just piece together info school by school? It seems that the numbers provided by AOA or NRMP leave some wiggle room for their statistics [...]

I'm not sure if anyone has put together composite statistics -- I just went off of a recent presentation by my school. It would probably be difficult to find AOA/NRMP/SOAP/scramble/military/Canadian match numbers and piece them together from their respective sources (if even available).

[...] what happened to those 12%?

From how I understand it currently, it's possible (being generous) that some of those 12% only listed one or two of their top AOA programs. My understanding is that you are obligated to take an AOA spot if it is offered and then must withdraw from the NRMP... so if you're either looking at a top AOA program or an ACGME program you might just list a couple AOA programs and mostly bank on the NRMP.

 

[moisne]

If this is what you really want - go for it. The oldest student we have is in their 40's I believe.
And we have a lot of people that quit six figures to go to med school = makes sense if you think of it this way. If you were on your death bed, would you regret NOT going to med school and being a doctor?

 

[Jeex]

If this is what you really want - go for it. The oldest student we have is in their 40's I believe.
And we have a lot of people that quit six figures to go to med school = makes sense if you think of it this way. If you were on your death bed, would you regret NOT going to med school and being a doctor?

One of my good friends is on his last year of anesthesiology residency - I've been talking to him alot about the the decision. I'm looking forward to at least getting into medical school. I would definitely regret not even trying. I'll hopefully keep this thread updated!