Want to do medicine, but I'm pointed in the complete wrong direction.

[Diesel47]

Hey guys, this is my first post. I want to go into medicine but everything I've done is computer related.

Some background: I'm 21 years old and since I went to college I wanted to do something in the computer field. From programming, to networking, then to cybersecurity.... I couldn't find a field that I enjoyed. I got an associates degree in general studies and left college, then I found an IT job working full time in the US government.

So far if I want to get a job in computers I would have a wonderful set up. I constantly have my peers tell me how lucky I am, etc etc. I have a bunch of work experience and references, I have a great job right now that I can build on, I have a decent amount of knowledge, and I like computers in general. The problem is, liking computers =/= liking computer jobs. Very unfortunate.

After a lot of thinking, reading, and talking to post-med school relatives. I've decided the only thing I want to do is medicine. I want to go to med school and I want to become a Doctor.

Now I've read that you need a good GPA and good MCAT score to get into med school. Which I'm prepared to do. My previous GPAs haven't been amazing (3.09), but I'm going to work hard on a bachelors degree to get the numbers higher. I'm going to study my ass off for the MCAT.

Some questions I have are..
0. First of all, what is the thing I need to do right now? Go to school for a bachelors?
1. What GPAs do they look at? All of them? Or the recent ones? Will my 3.09 be added in?
2. Does it matter where I get my bachelors? For example, the easiest (and cheapest) would just be going to my community college. But I want to make sure I am prepared. (I live in Maryland. Choices are University of Maryland, UMBC, John Hopkins, etc.)
3. Is it worth going to big name schools like John Hopkins if accepted?
4. Has anybody worked while getting their bachelors? Should I take loans? How about during med-school?
5. How do jobs act generally when it comes to students? Would an IT related job be willing to work with a student that isn't studying IT? I know I should ask, but I've only been here for a month and do not want to show signs that I'm going to be leaving or something. The job is worth keeping imo. But if it comes down to going to med school or working this job, I will take the former.


Thanks alot for reading guys and I look forward to your experience and wisdom.

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[lelz]

congrats for making this choice, i wish u success in the future. get a bachelor's degree from anywhere, I'd choose the place that you get accepted and have to pay the least money. all of your post-secondary grades will need to be reported come application time, so pick an interesting major that you can do well in and take pre-med classes. Keep your grades up; they look at science gpa and cumulative. Can't speak about working, but I do have a friend that puts in 20 hrs a week at NetApp and still keeps up with a 15 credit hour schedule, so it's possible, but you gotta make sure you can get in extensive and consistent clinical and non-clinical volunteering, shadowing, and, not totally necessary but, research as a student. Also have a back up plan, pre-med route is hard and many have been convinced they want medicine, only to find out they don't after a while. Also, talk to a pre-health advisor at the school you gain admission to, admissions offices at medical schools, and peruse this website for things you may be unsure about (i.e. how much volunteering and shadowing, necessity of research). Getting into medical school requires a narrative of your past experiences/scores that show you know what medicine is about/what a physician does, are passionate about medicine and serving others, and are ready to handle the rigor of the curriculum.

 

[blueharbor]

0. Yes, go to school for a bachelor's.
1. Every course you have taken at a college/university will be factored into your GPA. They will look at both your cumulative GPA and your science GPA, as well as the breakdown of your GPA for each of your years in college - so an upward trend will be evident. You should shoot for a 4.0 science GPA to emphasize the upward trend. However, even with an upward trend, a low cumulative GPA can have you screened out from consideration at some med schools. Try to get your cumulative GPA over a 3.5 by the time you apply. Don't be afraid to take a while getting there.
2. In my opinion, you should get your bachelor's at the cheapest decent 4-year university where you can be accepted, unless you have buckets of money. Keep in mind the difficulty level of the schools you're considering - the most important thing you need to do right now is raise your GPA.
3. In my opinion, no, because Johns Hopkins will be a very competitive atmosphere for premeds and you may have a harder time raising your GPA. It will also be more expensive. This is just my opinion.
4. Again, your priority is raising your GPA - and getting an awesome MCAT score. If working interferes with any of that, it's NOT WORTH IT. Take loans, lots of them. During med school, just about nobody works. Your physician salary will be more than enough to pay off your loans.
5. I have no idea...

As the other poster said, you also need to take on extracurriculars that show your commitment to medicine and service. Good luck!!

 

[AspiringERMD]

Hey guys, this is my first post. I want to go into medicine but everything I've done is computer related.

Some background: I'm 21 years old and since I went to college I wanted to do something in the computer field. From programming, to networking, then to cybersecurity.... I couldn't find a field that I enjoyed. I got an associates degree in general studies and left college, then I found an IT job working full time in the US government.

So far if I want to get a job in computers I would have a wonderful set up. I constantly have my peers tell me how lucky I am, etc etc. I have a bunch of work experience and references, I have a great job right now that I can build on, I have a decent amount of knowledge, and I like computers in general. The problem is, liking computers =/= liking computer jobs. Very unfortunate.

After a lot of thinking, reading, and talking to post-med school relatives. I've decided the only thing I want to do is medicine. I want to go to med school and I want to become a Doctor.

Now I've read that you need a good GPA and good MCAT score to get into med school. Which I'm prepared to do. My previous GPAs haven't been amazing (3.09), but I'm going to work hard on a bachelors degree to get the numbers higher. I'm going to study my ass off for the MCAT.

Some questions I have are..
0. First of all, what is the thing I need to do right now? Go to school for a bachelors?
1. What GPAs do they look at? All of them? Or the recent ones? Will my 3.09 be added in?
2. Does it matter where I get my bachelors? For example, the easiest (and cheapest) would just be going to my community college. But I want to make sure I am prepared. (I live in Maryland. Choices are University of Maryland, UMBC, John Hopkins, etc.)
3. Is it worth going to big name schools like John Hopkins if accepted?
4. Has anybody worked while getting their bachelors? Should I take loans? How about during med-school?
5. How do jobs act generally when it comes to students? Would an IT related job be willing to work with a student that isn't studying IT? I know I should ask, but I've only been here for a month and do not want to show signs that I'm going to be leaving or something. The job is worth keeping imo. But if it comes down to going to med school or working this job, I will take the former.


Thanks alot for reading guys and I look forward to your experience and wisdom.

Only a computer person would use a zero-based list in normal conversation...

 

[superpom_7]

As everyone else said, congrats on making that decision and I wish you the best of luck .

I will summarize my answers for ya. Yes you need to get a bachelors degree first. Your science gpa is extremely important, but your overall GPA matters of course. Basically no it does not matter where you get your bachelors degree. It's worth it if you really want to go the school. Lots of people work while getting their bachelors. I don't know the answer to your last question, maybe someone else can answer this question for you.

 

[Nave]

I quickly skimmed over as it seems others have answered your questions. Only advice is be careful with JHU they're known for grade deflation.

 

[Diesel47]

Thank you for the replies guys. It seems a bit to late to apply for spring 2015, so I will have to wait another semester :\.

Anyways, wish me luck.. Its going to be a rough 10 years+ . Haha.

 

[cactus8910]

0. I'd recommend trying to do some clinical shadowing or volunteering before you quit your job and take on debt to go down this career path. Talking to people about their experience is good, but how can you know if you'll actually enjoy interacting with patients?

 

[Diesel47]

0. I'd recommend trying to do some clinical shadowing or volunteering before you quit your job and take on debt to go down this career path. Talking to people about their experience is good, but how can you know if you'll actually enjoy interacting with patients?

I'm planning to shadow a doc during the winter time. That will be a big deciding factor. But I'm pretty sure I want to go this path.


But not all branches have to deal with people as much as others do they?

Even in my IT job I'm constantly dealing with people.

 

[PlaqueBuster]

0. First of all, what is the thing I need to do right now? Go to school for a bachelors?
Yes bachelors degree and major in whatever doesnt have to be science: you may enjoy computer science or biomedical engineering.
1. What GPAs do they look at? All of them? Or the recent ones? Will my 3.09 be added in?
They look at all GPAs but will put more emphasis on your bachelor's. I recommend you stay above 3.5 in cumulative and science GPA.
2. Does it matter where I get my bachelors? For example, the easiest (and cheapest) would just be going to my community college. But I want to make sure I am prepared. (I live in Maryland. Choices are University of Maryland, UMBC, John Hopkins, etc.)
You have to get into these schools. You make it sound like its going to be easy getting into JHU. Going to a university will be better because you will have more opportunities for doing research, clubs, connections etc.
3. Is it worth going to big name schools like John Hopkins if accepted?
Sure JHU is a great school. It will be competitive but med school is competitive so no reason to think that going to a ower tier school will be better. At the end of the day, I would think that financial costs and opportunities will be the deciding factor in your decision for bachelors. Don't make your decision on the caliber of students at schools or if a school have a better name than others.
4. Has anybody worked while getting their bachelors? Should I take loans? How about during med-school?
Not me but I have seen others do it. It will be difficult trying to balance work with courses and EC'c. If you have to then take loans, but you will most like be taking them during medical school so keep in mind about the debt. You don't want too much debt in undergrad because medical school will be $300-400k.
5. How do jobs act generally when it comes to students? Would an IT related job be willing to work with a student that isn't studying IT? I know I should ask, but I've only been here for a month and do not want to show signs that I'm going to be leaving or something. The job is worth keeping imo. But if it comes down to going to med school or working this job, I will take the former.
Do you work full time? If thats the case then it may not work. You can try taking classes at night but you will be exhausted. You can find jobs on campus also that are IT related but may not be what you re doing right now or have the decent pay. If you are serious about medical school then focus on your education. The things that matter most are your GPA, MCAT, personal statement, EC's,and LOR.