Realistic chances of being accepted to medical school

[careerchange1]

Hi all,

I am looking for some advice on the career change I want to make. I am just trying to get some facts straight so I can make the best decision possible.

To make a long story short, I was always involved in sports growing up and never really stopped to 'think' about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was too involved in other things. The one thing I am thankful for is my dad steered me into engineering because of the career stability, etc.... I went to college to play football and ended up quitting the team and just enjoying school and focusing on what had to be done in my studies. I was quite immature, blind, ignorant, whatever the correct term is to where I wasn't always enjoying my coursework and just pushing through it without thinking of the future impacts. Now here I am, after 'awakening'/maturing, longing to do something that will be a little more meaningful in my life and have a more direct impact on the world. I have recently became extremely interested in the human body and its workings (the greatest engineering feat of all time essentially) and would love to learn all about it, and in return, get to help people everyday of my life.

I have not taken the mcat yet (still weighing options), but honestly I am not concerned about that part, studying and preparation will take care of it and I am extremely interested in studying the material.

The only thing I am really concerned with is my lack of extracurricular resume that many others who knew they wanted to go into medicine will likely be presenting on applications.

The things I do have going for me which work in my favor:

-graduated in 2011 with a M.E. degree, overall GPA of 3.73. engineering/math/science degree closer to 3.9. overall GPA was affected in my first year or so being immature and missing class, not studying for tests, etc.
-I am in it for the right reasons. I would be leaving a top 5 engineering, procurement, and construction firm where I have been promoted to a lead mechanical engineer at age 24 and am making over $90k already and quickly moving up the ranks, so money/financial success doesn't play much of a role as I would likely be making a substantial amount of money in my current field by the time I finished medical school.

non-medical extra curricular:
-football into college as a quarterback
-helped local high school kids with an engineering design contest for the past two years
-selected as a future leader of my company by management


What are my chances of getting into medical school (M.D.) with the information above? Let's assume I get a good score on the mcat.

Just curious to know how much weight is placed on those volunteer activities.

I could probably write a pretty compelling story on my application to try and sway em'

Any feedback is much appreciated.

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[Chiroptile]

Without any clinical extracurriculars not much of a chance.. M.D. or D.O...
Not saying it's impossible, but it's pretty highly unlikely.

 

[Catalystik]

Hi all,

I am looking for some advice on the career change I want to make. I am just trying to get some facts straight so I can make the best decision possible.

To make a long story short, I was always involved in sports growing up and never really stopped to 'think' about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was too involved in other things. The one thing I am thankful for is my dad steered me into engineering because of the career stability, etc.... I went to college to play football and ended up quitting the team and just enjoying school and focusing on what had to be done in my studies. I was quite immature, blind, ignorant, whatever the correct term is to where I wasn't always enjoying my coursework and just pushing through it without thinking of the future impacts. Now here I am, after 'awakening'/maturing, longing to do something that will be a little more meaningful in my life and have a more direct impact on the world. I have recently became extremely interested in the human body and its workings (the greatest engineering feat of all time essentially) and would love to learn all about it, and in return, get to help people everyday of my life.

I have not taken the mcat yet (still weighing options), but honestly I am not concerned about that part, studying and preparation will take care of it and I am extremely interested in studying the material.

The only thing I am really concerned with is my lack of extracurricular resume that many others who knew they wanted to go into medicine will likely be presenting on applications.

The things I do have going for me which work in my favor:

-graduated in 2011 with a M.E. degree, overall GPA of 3.73. engineering/math/science degree closer to 3.9. overall GPA was affected in my first year or so being immature and missing class, not studying for tests, etc.
-I am in it for the right reasons. I would be leaving a top 5 engineering, procurement, and construction firm where I have been promoted to a lead mechanical engineer at age 24 and am making over $90k already and quickly moving up the ranks, so money/financial success doesn't play much of a role as I would likely be making a substantial amount of money in my current field by the time I finished medical school.

non-medical extra curricular:
-football into college as a quarterback
-helped local high school kids with an engineering design contest for the past two years
-selected as a future leader of my company by management


What are my chances of getting into medical school (M.D.) with the information above? Let's assume I get a good score on the mcat.

Just curious to know how much weight is placed on those volunteer activities.

I could probably write a pretty compelling story on my application to try and sway em'

Any feedback is much appreciated.

Your stats will likely get your application looked at, but in general ECs are what keep adcomms interested enough to offer an interview and ultimately an acceptance. I'm not seeing that right now, but I doubt you'd plan to apply before summer (2014) so you have time to get in some clinical volunteering, physician shadowing, and additional nonmedical community service before then. Even so, they might be considered a bit sparse, but continuing them through the application year will help.

Don't forget to include artistic interests, team design efforts, specific leadership endeavors, and hobbies.

 

[kmp0410]

Well your grades are excellent, and Engineering is a tough degree. That's maybe the hardest part, so you are in good shape. Have you taken all the pre-reqs? Or will you have to go back and take more?

You will obviously have to take the MCAT and you want to score a 32+. You have to get some clinical EC's, and since you have time...that shouldn't be hard. To be honest all you really need is some shadowing and you'd be good.

Bottom line, your in good shape. I'd check out the Non-Trad forum.

 

[Koalafied]

Hi all,

I am looking for some advice on the career change I want to make. I am just trying to get some facts straight so I can make the best decision possible.

To make a long story short, I was always involved in sports growing up and never really stopped to 'think' about what I wanted to be when I grew up, I was too involved in other things. The one thing I am thankful for is my dad steered me into engineering because of the career stability, etc.... I went to college to play football and ended up quitting the team and just enjoying school and focusing on what had to be done in my studies. I was quite immature, blind, ignorant, whatever the correct term is to where I wasn't always enjoying my coursework and just pushing through it without thinking of the future impacts. Now here I am, after 'awakening'/maturing, longing to do something that will be a little more meaningful in my life and have a more direct impact on the world. I have recently became extremely interested in the human body and its workings (the greatest engineering feat of all time essentially) and would love to learn all about it, and in return, get to help people everyday of my life.

I have not taken the mcat yet (still weighing options), but honestly I am not concerned about that part, studying and preparation will take care of it and I am extremely interested in studying the material.

The only thing I am really concerned with is my lack of extracurricular resume that many others who knew they wanted to go into medicine will likely be presenting on applications.

The things I do have going for me which work in my favor:

-graduated in 2011 with a M.E. degree, overall GPA of 3.73. engineering/math/science degree closer to 3.9. overall GPA was affected in my first year or so being immature and missing class, not studying for tests, etc.
-I am in it for the right reasons. I would be leaving a top 5 engineering, procurement, and construction firm where I have been promoted to a lead mechanical engineer at age 24 and am making over $90k already and quickly moving up the ranks, so money/financial success doesn't play much of a role as I would likely be making a substantial amount of money in my current field by the time I finished medical school.

non-medical extra curricular:
-football into college as a quarterback
-helped local high school kids with an engineering design contest for the past two years
-selected as a future leader of my company by management


What are my chances of getting into medical school (M.D.) with the information above? Let's assume I get a good score on the mcat.

Just curious to know how much weight is placed on those volunteer activities.

I could probably write a pretty compelling story on my application to try and sway em'

Any feedback is much appreciated.

OP, do you even shadow?

 

[mcloaf]

Current chances pretty much zero, regardless of your MCAT score.

No medical school wants a student that's going to decide he/she made the wrong choice and drop out, and simply saying that you've recently become interested in the human body as a feat of engineering and you want to help people isn't going to be very much assurance to an admissions committee.

Do some shadowing of physicians in various specialties to figure out if medicine is what you actually want to do first. If it is, then go full steam ahead on the MCAT and get involved in some volunteer work. The good news is that if you follow through with a solid MCAT and get your activities in order you should have a great shot at ending up in medical school.

 

[careerchange1]

Thanks for all the replies thus far, this type of insight is exactly what I am looking for. As mentioned, I am definitely a noobie when it comes to knowledge of the path to medical school and know that the competition is likely people who have been dreaming about become a physician their whole life, thus have put in the volunteer time. Now that I have interested, I'm kicking myself in the ass for taking so long to come around to it. I guess the main purpose of my post was to determine if it was even worth taking the mcat and applying without much EC to list... and it sounds like I need to get some EC under my belt before spending time applying.

With that being said, I am about to turn 25 in Sept, am single and don't have any dependents.. so I figure now is the time to make a life change if I am not getting satisfaction from my current work. Obviously I want to make that change as soon as possible, but it for sure would not be happening until end of 2014 or start of 2015 anyway as I still have to knock out organic and biology.

I will continue to educate myself on the possibility of this path.

-what type of EC activity is the best exposure? How long/frequent should the shadowing be?

I think gaining exposure while dipping back into the university setting for organic would be extremely reasonable. Depending on the time required to be put in for the volunteer activities and shadowing, I could likely still work part time as an engineer and support myself.

I would appreciate any recommendations you guys/gals may have on helpful activities/studies/references should I decide to embark on this journey.

I just need to fully gauge the feasibility of this, because ultimately its going to boil down to how bad I want it and if I can see myself in my current job in a few years. I think I owe myself at least the chance. In my opinion, spending a semester or two shadowing while finishing the core requirements will only give me more insight, I can always come back and work as an engineer...

Thanks again for everything.

 

[careerchange1]

negative Koalafied*, as I said, this is still in the early stages and I'm looking for advice.

thanks.

 

[house19s]

Thanks for all the replies thus far, this type of insight is exactly what I am looking for. As mentioned, I am definitely a noobie when it comes to knowledge of the path to medical school and know that the competition is likely people who have been dreaming about become a physician their whole life, thus have put in the volunteer time. Now that I have interested, I'm kicking myself in the ass for taking so long to come around to it. I guess the main purpose of my post was to determine if it was even worth taking the mcat and applying without much EC to list... and it sounds like I need to get some EC under my belt before spending time applying.

With that being said, I am about to turn 25 in Sept, am single and don't have any dependents.. so I figure now is the time to make a life change if I am not getting satisfaction from my current work. Obviously I want to make that change as soon as possible, but it for sure would not be happening until end of 2014 or start of 2015 anyway as I still have to knock out organic and biology.

I will continue to educate myself on the possibility of this path.

-what type of EC activity is the best exposure? How long/frequent should the shadowing be?

I think gaining exposure while dipping back into the university setting for organic would be extremely reasonable. Depending on the time required to be put in for the volunteer activities and shadowing, I could likely still work part time as an engineer and support myself.

I would appreciate any recommendations you guys/gals may have on helpful activities/studies/references should I decide to embark on this journey.

I just need to fully gauge the feasibility of this, because ultimately its going to boil down to how bad I want it and if I can see myself in my current job in a few years. I think I owe myself at least the chance. In my opinion, spending a semester or two shadowing while finishing the core requirements will only give me more insight, I can always come back and work as an engineer...

Thanks again for everything.

for ECs you should try volunteering at a free clinic where you will be able to interact with patients. hospital volunteering would be good too (but you may not get much contact with patients, it depends on the rules of the hospital. I would try for both hospital and clinic volunteering). shadowing is a must! make sure you know this is what you want to do. try shadowing doctors in different specialties as well as primary care

 

[DokterMom]

Think of this as a 2-year process, because that is what it will take to get your application competitive. Fortunately, you're starting from a good place, not in a hole, like many non-trads.

First step - Start now shadowing some doctors now (just follow them around) for a few days to be sure you'd even like being a doctor. You need to do that anyway, and it makes sense to do that first, right? Try to do that on a few weekends now.

If you still like medicine, sign up for night or weekend classes for your missing pre-reqs and fit them into your existing schedule. (CC is OK for this since your undergrad GPA is strong and in a difficult major.) You'll need a year's + worth of classes, right? The last thing you'd want to do is take too many classes at a time to do well in... You've got a top GPA already, and they'll look more at these new biological science classes than those even. Study for the MCAT as you take your pre-reqs and plan to take your MCAT early in 2015 for application spring 2015.

Live like a college student, not a young professional and save your money. (On $90K, you can make a big dent in your future loans.) And you'll have to go back into genteel poverty for a few years anyway as a med student.

And volunteer at a community clinic. Again, start right after you've done enough shadowing to know you want to move forward with medicine. Even if you can only give an hour or two a week, a longer length of service will look much better than a "0 to Mother Theresa" stint of many hours right before you apply. You'll have a much easier time finding a volunteer slot in a grungy free clinic than in a nice suburban hospital, and it'll look better on your application anyway.

If it's worth a two-year effort, I'd rate your chances at excellent. If you try to crunch it into one year, your relative lack of ECs will really diminish your chances.

 

[Goro]

STRONGLY concur. Here's the deal: You need to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into, and show off your altruistic, humanism side. We need to know that you're going to like being around sick or injured people for the next 40 years.

We're also not looking for merely for good medical students, we're looking for people who will make good doctors, and 4.0 GPA robots are a dime-a-dozen.

I've seen plenty of posts here from high GPA/high MCAT candidates who were rejected because they had little patient contact experience.

Not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, nursing homes, rehab facilities, camps for sick children, or clinics. Check out your local houses of worship for volunteer opportunities.

Current chances pretty much zero, regardless of your MCAT score.

No medical school wants a student that's going to decide he/she made the wrong choice and drop out, and simply saying that you've recently become interested in the human body as a feat of engineering and you want to help people isn't going to be very much assurance to an admissions committee.

Do some shadowing of physicians in various specialties to figure out if medicine is what you actually want to do first. If it is, then go full steam ahead on the MCAT and get involved in some volunteer work. The good news is that if you follow through with a solid MCAT and get your activities in order you should have a great shot at ending up in medical school.

 

[IJL]

There is some good advice in this thread that will help make you more competitive.

I would also like to add my opinion.... DON'T DO IT!!!

Don't get me wrong, I love medicine and would probably go into it again, but at the end of the day it is just a job. Sure, you get to help people, but you can help people doing just about any kind of work (including engineering).

If you decide to go down this route, you have a long, long road ahead of you. At least 2 years to even get accepted to medical school. Then four years of school. Then 3-6 years of residency. Then possibly fellowship. You could be 35-40 before you are really practicing medicine. On top of this you would likely have some substantial student loan debt (maybe not).

Where would you be in your current field if you stayed in it until 40? Probably much further ahead, with MUCH less personal sacrifice.

 

[BLACKMD]

op, do you even shadow?

lol

 

[1TB4RKSB4CK]

Doesn't shadow
OP is a vampire

 

[kjsdf]

Consider taking the mcat in 2014. It's going to change significantly in 2015. If you take it in '14, most schools should still accept the score for a couple years.

 

[careerchange1]

There is some good advice in this thread that will help make you more competitive.

I would also like to add my opinion.... DON'T DO IT!!!

Don't get me wrong, I love medicine and would probably go into it again, but at the end of the day it is just a job. Sure, you get to help people, but you can help people doing just about any kind of work (including engineering).

If you decide to go down this route, you have a long, long road ahead of you. At least 2 years to even get accepted to medical school. Then four years of school. Then 3-6 years of residency. Then possibly fellowship. You could be 35-40 before you are really practicing medicine. On top of this you would likely have some substantial student loan debt (maybe not).

Where would you be in your current field if you stayed in it until 40? Probably much further ahead, with MUCH less personal sacrifice.

Precisely why I am conducting my feasibility study! If only life were easy, right? This is absolutely just the beginning of this...it hasn't been on the table long, but obviously the student loans and length of school, long hours, etc was the first thing that came to mind.

Obviously it would be a big decision and I would ultimately decide if I consider it 'worth it'. At this point I am just grateful for the opportunity to weigh my options and that I am not yet stuck being in a corporate money-hungry zombie environment; the situation would be quite the no brainer if I were 26, 27,28 versus 24, or if I had a family to support.

The thought of the studying really didn't bother me, I generally like studying these days, but the commitment for 7+ years, 36 hour rotations, & starting to practice at age 32-34 versus progressing to 32-34 yrs of age in my current position were the initial freight trains that came to mind. With that being said, they didn't totally overwhelm me either to where I stopped looking into it. IF I were to enjoy medicine, in my opinion it would be worth the work and challenge ahead. The loans were pretty worrisome, but figured living frugally once practicing could cut them down relatively quickly (correct me if I am being extremely naive here)... but I also don't like entertaining the thought of being in debt til I am in my mid to late thirties.

Just looking for exactly what you guys have been doing, giving me your wisdom from experience and lessons learned. I guess the main reason I directed this post more towards ECs is because I had troubled myself about the other aspects I mention above and was concerned about extending the time frame of even getting in if I had to take time to build my EC resume to get a shot.

It sounds like my next move is to get some volunteer work and shadowing under my belt and see if I enjoy the daily life of the medical field.. because if it's not something that I consider would be a significant enhancement to my personal work experience, I can stop wasting all of your time and give it up right there!

Much thanks.

 

[sector9]

Moving to "What are my chances"