So close to a BA, here's my fork in the road...

[Rady Ruck]

Hi there! Thanks in advance for reading.

I'm a nontrad who's been lurking in this forum as well as Pre-Allo. My story goes:

• Started school after the military, focused on business (roughly 5 years ago)
• Lost interest in the major, started taking random classes that were more health/science related
• Few bumps in the road in the shape of severe financial hardship and family issues that led to divorce, all classes were stopped for a couple of years
• I have earned over 90 semester credits thus far
• Currently taking two science fundies classes to get my feet wet again
• Working full time but looking to reduce or cut hours completely* to facilitate volunteering and shadowing opportunities while...
• ...hitting the ground running next fall by continuing my BA while taking prereqs; roughly 18 credit hours per term until 2017
• 3.5 cGPA not counting an early F in math that was retaken for a B (I'm aware that it counts for AMCAS) and 3.02 current/3.16 sGPA after this term (I did count the F for this; that one math class really screwed me up!)
• My last 9 classes are all A's, I've finally matured and have the proper motivation, with high hopes to continue this trend
• MD is the what my heart is set on, but I'd consider DO if it was the only possible route to physician. I respect both sides of the profession and want to go in with eyes wide open!

That's the short and sweet version. As always, there's more but I won't mention it at this time. My schooling has been in bits and pieces, but now I'm roughly 10 classes away from my Bachelor's in Business Administration.

*Since I have some veteran benefits left, I'm trying to see if double-majoring will let me receive the stipend/benefits while taking the prereqs. The bennies only go toward a degree-granting program, which is why I'd at least need to look like I was double-majoring on paper. Has anyone around been in this situation?

My other thought was just finishing up my bachelor's, then doing a self-guided postbac or other program for the prereq's. That seems to be a fairly popular route here, but most of the people whose threads I've followed already had their BA/BS. I want to look good to the adcoms, while utilizing my available resources to their fullest on the way there.

Any thoughts? Other things that should be considered?

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[theseeker4]

Hi there! Thanks in advance for reading.

I'm a nontrad who's been lurking in this forum as well as Pre-Allo. My story goes:

• Started school after the military, focused on business (roughly 5 years ago)
• Lost interest in the major, started taking random classes that were more health/science related
• Few bumps in the road in the shape of severe financial hardship and family issues that led to divorce, all classes were stopped for a couple of years
• I have earned over 90 semester credits thus far
• Currently taking two science fundies classes to get my feet wet again
• Working full time but looking to reduce or cut hours completely* to facilitate volunteering and shadowing opportunities while...
• ...hitting the ground running next fall by continuing my BA while taking prereqs; roughly 18 credit hours per term until 2017
• 3.5 cGPA not counting an early F in math that was retaken for a B (I'm aware that it counts for AMCAS) and 3.02 current/3.16 sGPA after this term (I did count the F for this; that one math class really screwed me up!)
• My last 9 classes are all A's, I've finally matured and have the proper motivation, with high hopes to continue this trend
• MD is the what my heart is set on, but I'd consider DO if it was the only possible route to physician. I respect both sides of the profession and want to go in with eyes wide open!

That's the short and sweet version. As always, there's more but I won't mention it at this time. My schooling has been in bits and pieces, but now I'm roughly 10 classes away from my Bachelor's in Business Administration.

*Since I have some veteran benefits left, I'm trying to see if double-majoring will let me receive the stipend/benefits while taking the prereqs. The bennies only go toward a degree-granting program, which is why I'd at least need to look like I was double-majoring on paper. Has anyone around been in this situation?

My other thought was just finishing up my bachelor's, then doing a self-guided postbac or other program for the prereq's. That seems to be a fairly popular route here, but most of the people whose threads I've followed already had their BA/BS. I want to look good to the adcoms, while utilizing my available resources to their fullest on the way there.

Any thoughts? Other things that should be considered?

Hi, welcome to SDN!

Your plan sounds good on the surface so far. MD schools are not completely eliminated for you, but you will need to have all A's from now on to have a decent chance at getting in to one when you apply. If you want to be a physician as soon as possible, you will want to apply to both MD and DO schools and go to the best/favorite school that accepts you. If you want to risk multiple application cycles (not recommended), you can apply just MD and see how it goes.

Try to get the pre-reqs in while still pursuing your undergraduate degree. It is usually easier and may be cheaper to take the courses as a degree-seeking student than to graduate and then take more courses after that. Regardless of veteran benefits or not, it is best to get the pre-reqs in while still going toward your degree rather than to graduate and then add them on.

Have you looked at what ECs you will be doing/want to do? Definitely don't jump in too soon and hurt your grades, but you should start thinking about it now, and add some on once you are sure you can maintain your grades. You definitely want to include volunteering (clinical and/or non-clinical), clinical exposure (employment or volunteering), and shadowing, including a primary care doctor. Other ECs are good to have, but your non-traditional status and especially military service help a ton.

Let us know if you have any other questions!

 

[Rady Ruck]

Thanks for the run through, seeker.

I was heavily involved in volunteer activities during my military career, which dropped off afterward but I have continued occasional community service. I'm restarting service in a program geared toward community involvement with emergency response (non-medical or fire related). There are fairly decent shadowing opportunities here, but my clinical exposure may be limited simply because I need the money coming in from my current position.

I'm aware of the need for stellar grades, and that' s a really scary thought but it's totally possible. That being said, I fear the Orgo like other premeds do here, as well as physics. Science was something I always strayed away from in school until more recently.

Just curious, I was willing to go through up to 2 cycles; one MD only and the second with both (but hopefully unneeded). Is there a specific reason why only one cycle is recommended? I could only think of financial reasons. I'm a resident of a state that's historically been less than friendly to out-of-staters which give me hope as well.

 

[theseeker4]

Thanks for the run through, seeker.

I was heavily involved in volunteer activities during my military career, which dropped off afterward but I have continued occasional community service. I'm restarting service in a program geared toward community involvement with emergency response (non-medical or fire related). There are fairly decent shadowing opportunities here, but my clinical exposure may be limited simply because I need the money coming in from my current position.

I'm aware of the need for stellar grades, and that' s a really scary thought but it's totally possible. That being said, I fear the Orgo like other premeds do here, as well as physics. Science was something I always strayed away from in school until more recently.

Just curious, I was willing to go through up to 2 cycles; one MD only and the second with both (but hopefully unneeded). Is there a specific reason why only one cycle is recommended? I could only think of financial reasons. I'm a resident of a state that's historically been less than friendly to out-of-staters which give me hope as well.

One cycle is recommended because it increases your earning potential by one year of attending salary, it is less expensive than re-applying, it is less stressful, and most schools want to see significant improvement between cycles, so you can't relax even after you apply; if you don't apply with a lot of safeties you have to assume you WON'T get in so you can adequately prepare for the next cycle, which means continuing and improving your EC's, coursework, etc. while applying and waiting for responses. It is generally assumed that a student has a lower chance at a particular school as a re-applicant than they do as a first-time applicant. The application cycle also tends to be a lot more emotionally draining on applicants than they think it will be going in; look around SDN and you will see many applicants who say they wish they had applied more broadly/earlier/the next year to avoid having to go through the application process a second time.

As far as clinical exposure, if you can start hospital volunteering or the like now, and just put in a couple hours a week, you will be fine as long as you continue it until you are accepted. You don't need to dedicate 20 hours a week to it for it to be meaningful; med schools care more about you being able to talk about it and its influence on you, and the longitude of your exposure.