What job did you have before you went to med school?

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
I'm applying this year for 2009 entry. Because I haven't written the MCAT yet, my choices are limited. If I don't get in, then I'll be writing the MCAT and applying for 2010 entry.

I've been teaching second grade for 5 years. I have a 4-year BA in anthropology/psychology and a 1-year Bachelor of Education.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Design engineer in the oilfield, bachelors of science in mechanical engineering. I just started as a post-bac, so tt will be a few years until I am ready to apply.
 
I worked as a feature film production coordinator and then ran post-production on a network TV show before medical school...
 
Members don't see this ad :)
BS in Biology approx 8 yrs ago.
Chose not to do research.
Did quality assurance w/ American Red Cross for a couple years.
Also worked as a claims adjuster.
 
I was a college dropout and decided to pursue the almighty paycheck.

I worked my way up in sales until I held a position as an Account Executive working in advertising. But then I tipped the scale and decided to pursue poverty and medicine!!! So much for an early retirement.
 
Nurse practitioner 5 years (working backwards from there, nurse 3 years, paramedic 4 years, blocklayer 6 years)
 
okay here it goes

Cliff Diver/Actor
Threatened and Endagered Species Institute
Tested for Radon
Machine Gunner (USMC)
Built trails
EMT-B
Roadie and DJ
Nanny

And those are just the interesting ones.
 
Obtained my BSN..then worked as an ICU nurse for 3 years at a teaching hospital.
 
Yes, I have to say that I don't regret working as an RN before going to med school. It has really helped me define the big picture. :)
 
applecran said:
Yes, I have to say that I don't regret working as an RN before going to med school. It has really helped me define the big picture. :)
Click to expand...

My step mom is a PA and I think she regrets not going for MD to start with. I think she gets frustrated with the lack of autonomy that she has in certain situations regarding her contributions to treatment decisions.
 
I can understand why. Most of the time, PA and nurses know the patient so much more than the MDs assigned to them.

Sometimes you try to voice your opinion, or advocate for your patient. It is very frustrating when no one listens and you've been with the patient 12 hrs/day, 4 days a week!
 
Members don't see this ad :)
Chronologically speaking:

Weed whacker
Failed Undergrad (2 yrs)
US Navy Corpsman
EMT-Paramedic
Deputy Sheriff/Flight Paramedic
Firefighter/Paramedic
Trauma Surgery Physician Assistant
Thoracic/Vascular/Trauma Surgery & Tactical Medicine Physician Assistant
Wine Shop Owner (my entrepreneurial streak - this is part time right now)


Currently finishing an MPH/MHA and will take rest of prereq's this summer for MCAT in August...:D
 
Before starting med school, I was a consultant.

The $$$ was great. It sucks being broke.
 
I'm not in med school (yet!!!) but here is the list: (starting from UG)

-cafeteria cashieer
-secretary for the intramurals/club sports office
-bus driver (greatest job)
-EMT-B
-Residential counselor for adults with mental disabilties (good job): I'm in the process of becoming med certified... I can give out drugs yay!
 
Greetings.

B.A., Drama

Actor
Food / Payroll / Pap-smear Delivery (no joke)
Teaching Credential Student (for Secondary social studies)
Telemarketer
Car Salesman
Baker
Financial Advisor's assistant (current)
CNA Med-Surg (current)
Actor (current)

Glad to see other Rennaisence folk here. It's rather invigorating for the aged like myself who remember when Weezer wasn't ironic.
 
I didn't know we were listing all of the jobs we've ever had! Teaching is actually a second career for me, so my list is quite long.

During high school
- grocery store cashier

During undergrad (I worked A LOT to pay my way through school)
- book store clerk
- career and education information assistant
- French language teacher
- travel counsellor
- data collector at a cemetery
- student employment counsellor

After undergrad (3 jobs to save money to pay for a six-month trip to Africa)
- substitute teacher
- garden centre worker
- waitress

After Africa:
- career counsellor for 2 years (my first career!)

Then teacher's college.

THEN I started teaching, and have been for the past five years.
 
teacherlady said:
...(3 jobs to save money to pay for a six-month trip to Africa)
- substitute teacher
- garden centre worker
- waitress

After Africa:
- career counsellor for 2 years (my first career!)

Then teacher's college.

THEN I started teaching, and have been for the past five years.
Click to expand...

Where in Africa?

My RN friend who's getting a MPH at Hopkins got her interest in Medicine from her peace corps work in Senegal.

I'm noticing a pattern with Teaching and Medicine for other "non-traditionals."
 
Thespian666 said:
Where in Africa?

My RN friend who's getting a MPH at Hopkins got her interest in Medicine from her peace corps work in Senegal.

I'm noticing a pattern with Teaching and Medicine for other "non-traditionals."
Click to expand...

I spent 3 months backpacking in Eastern and Southern Africa (started in Nairobi and ended up in Johannesburg). Then I spent 3 months volunteering at a friend's youth centre in Jo'burg. I would have liked to have stayed longer, but I was self-funded and I needed to get home so that I could start making money and paying off my student loans. I would have loved to have joined something like the Peace Corps, but most long-term Canadian volunteer organizations (like VSO) require several years of professional experience, and I was fresh out of undergrad.

I think that teaching and medicine are actually a lot more closely related than one might think!
 
BA in Philosophy & Religion

Outdoor Expedition Guide
Crazed Hippie... who knew the Forest Service had Special Agents?!
Lifeguard
Raft Guide
Shipyard Worker in Vancouver, BC
Retail Peon at REI
Winery Tour Guide
Currently a Lab Tech in a bacterial genetics lab
 
B.A. in Professional Writing
B.S. in Business Administration

I was an Investment Banker at a top 5 firm. Money was great. Limos were great. Now I'm just a poor student :( but happier :D
 
helpfuldoc2b said:
What job did you have before you went to med school for those who worked full time before med school. What undergrad degree did you have?
Click to expand...

Undergrad degree: Biology and chemistry

Job: Wedding planner (family business, so of course I was obligated to work there the moment I had turned 16). I did this for 8 years, including the 2 years I took off after undergrad. I still loved medicine way more than having my own bridal business, so I decided to head on to med school. :D
 
Helicopter Mechanic
 
I got rejected in the US last year, reapplied in the UK this year, and will be starting next fall...
I worked in restaurants as a cook & caterer, then kitchen manager
then I worked in theatre management
Now I work as a university instructor (Electronic Music)

Alas, I'm going to be a doctor! Now I've been accepted, I've begun obsessing about which specialty I want to practice. Infectious Disease, Forensic Pathology, Family Practice, or what?
 
IN order, least to most current:

lifeguard
swim instructor
gymnastic teacher
pooper scooper (stablehand)
molecular bio tech
urine lab tech
biochem tech
nuclear reactor operator
medical assistant
secretary
nanny

Some of these were simultaneous positions. Can't wait for a real job.
 
Intellectual Property Attorney (Patent, Trademark, Copyright)

BA History and Political Science double major
JD University of Florida
Post-bac at City College of New York
 
EMH, thanks ... yea i would like Emergency Medicine, Big suprise there huh. I would also like to specialize in Pediatrics.
 
I was a marketing and finance major in college and then spent 4 years on the front lines as a Special Operations Ranger Medic. Got out to use my "fancy" degree and became a Management Consultant.

Quickly realized (less than a year) that this was not my calling, I LOVED being a medic but wanted more responsibility, moved to another state and will be taking mcats in late May.......

We'll see!!! GIDDE UP
 
Marine Corps 6 years so far with 2 to go.

4 Years in the infantry with 2 combat tours and now I am with the airwing as a helicopter mechanic.

Also a Half time student and Voulneering at my local hospial.
 
I'm not in med school yet, but going to be working as a USAF space and missiles officer while I get my pre-reqs done.
 
Worked in the horse industry for a few years after I graduated from college the first time. Worked for a few good farms and then worked for a few creeps. Went back to school for a degree in medical technology where I have been working for the past decade.
 
Java/Web developer for insurance/financial industry, 8 years. BS in Comp Sci.
infantry scout, USMC, 9 years
 
I am a nurse practitioner who has always dreamed of going to med school. My first degree was in microbiology/chemistry but an early failed marriage and being a single parent got in the way of going after my dream. Now my daughter is grown and I have a great supportive husband who believes in me and wants me to do this.

We all worry about the admissions committee thinking we're too old and that it's difficult to compete with the young college students right out of undergrad. But reading about all the careers everyone has makes me think that this group is so much more interesting and well-rounded. Also, I can't tell you how many residents and new attendings I talk to who tell me if they had to do it over they would not have done medicine. The overwhelming majority are those who went to med school immediately after college. It would seem to me that if you had another career, have seen the world, and come to the realization that med school is your dream, you are much more likely to hang in there on those tough days of med school and residency...we've been in the trenches already and want more out of life!

Good luck to everyone
 
BS Biomedical Science

Worked for the NIH for a year doing research in the Dominican Republic
2 years Physician Recruiting
5 years Rural Hospital Consultant

Money was great, travelled constantly though, kinda wears you down after a few years.

I think the life experience we bring to the table is a definite feather in our caps. Thats just my thoughts.
 
take the shot said:
I am a nurse practitioner who has always dreamed of going to med school. My first degree was in microbiology/chemistry but an early failed marriage and being a single parent got in the way of going after my dream. Now my daughter is grown and I have a great supportive husband who believes in me and wants me to do this.

We all worry about the admissions committee thinking we're too old and that it's difficult to compete with the young college students right out of undergrad. But reading about all the careers everyone has makes me think that this group is so much more interesting and well-rounded. Also, I can't tell you how many residents and new attendings I talk to who tell me if they had to do it over they would not have done medicine. The overwhelming majority are those who went to med school immediately after college. It would seem to me that if you had another career, have seen the world, and come to the realization that med school is your dream, you are much more likely to hang in there on those tough days of med school and residency...we've been in the trenches already and want more out of life!

Good luck to everyone
Click to expand...

Absolutely!

I worked as an RN in the Pedi-ICU (and for the last three of those years, on the flight team as well) of a teaching hosptital for seven years. I have done and seen so many things in my life by now (at almost 31 YO) , that I feel ready and excited to meet the challenges of a career in medicine. I, too have known many physicians who admitted that they went into medicine too early and now regret their decisions. This is what I want to let the adcoms know--those of us who are older and more experienced are more mature with well-rounded perspectives on life that will give us an incredible edge as physicians! Good luck to us all! :luck:
 
BS in Engineering
MSPH (Public Health)

I've done:

Forestry
Air quality research
DC intern
Financial consulting
CDC intern
5 years doing public health policy

I earn about 10% more than I did 10 years ago. Time for a new career!
 
I'm still in the application process. Hope to get in this fall. I work as a Critical Care Transport Paramedic. I have been in EMS for 13 years. It has been a challenge for me to get my undergrad done while working 72 hours a week. I'm looking forward to being able to just go to school.
 
BS: Biology and Chemistry

School Companion (worked with troubled kids)

F-15E Avionics/Flight Control Specialist: United States Air Force

Lab Assistant

Phlebotomist/Research Coordinator
 
For the past 4 years I've worked for the Federal government (Health and Human Services) as public health analyst... I do performance evaluations of health care safety-net organizations that get grants from my agency.
 
graduated college in 98, since then
4 years officer in the Marine Corps
currently C-17 pilot in the Air Force reserves
full time student again
 
BS Plant Biology
BA Molecular Cell Biology
MLA Landscape Architecture (never finished)

Rainforest Ecology/Reserve Director
Biomedical Scientist (Dept. Homeland Security)
Senior Research Scientist (Private Firm)
Research Specialist (University)

Entering an SMP this fall!
 
B.A. East Asian Studies.

From most recent to most distant...Podiatrist, podiatry resident, waiter, sales rep, English teacher in Japan, restaurant manager, college tutor, waiter, movie extra, waiter, YMCA lifeguard/coach, cook, busboy, dishwasher, carpet cleaner
 
i started off in high net worth client wealth management

then i worked in health care investment banking

and lastly i worked at a hedge fund

the money was great...but the lack of fulfillment was not
 
Registered Respiratory Therapist since 1993
Flight Therapist
ECMO Specialist
RN, BSN 2003
MS in Nursing 2007

I was going to go the nurse anesthetist route but decided that I want more and dont want to regret not getting MD/DO. Taking pre-reqs now, plan on applying for 2010 marticulation:D
 
BA Social Sciences...worked in high-tech marketing as a product manager and senior marketing manager for 10 years. Marketed high tech doo-hickey's (data storage, voicemail, and cool videoconferencing stuff!) Quit to go back to school for Masters in Physio 3 years ago.

Been teaching college level anatomy and physiology as a grad student (for slave wages I might add :) ) for the last 3 years.

Starting med school in the fall and have never looked back! (although I do miss those nice paychecks!)
 
Life guard prior to boot camp 1 yr
USMC computer specialist 12 yrs
stay at home Mom 1 week
Lumber yard salesperson 2 yrs
neurobio lab tech while undergrad 2 yrs
Security Officer at University Hospital 2 yrs
Med student 4 yrs
Resident 3 yrs

:thumbup:
 
Securities litigator - represented brokerage firms. When I did my premed, I quit litigating and worked as a legal editor on business and securities law....Gaw, just typing that made me yawn.

I will graduate in 16 days. :)
 
vtucci said:
Intellectual Property Attorney (Patent, Trademark, Copyright)

BA History and Political Science double major
JD University of Florida
Post-bac at City College of New York
Click to expand...

Haha, interesting!

I'm a Patent Examiner at the USPTO right now, and am leaving to go to medical school :)

I'm curious though -- How were you a patent attorney without a technical degree? I'm a mechanical engineer and almost all fellow examiners are also engineers, with some having degrees in pure science (bio, chem)
 
I had a bio. degree and hated all things lab. So...
3+ years working as a bicycle courier. hit by half a dozen cars. refused medical care twice and unstrapped myself from a gurney and walked out of an ER once.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread

Similar threads

G
Anything I have to do more before application
Replies
2
Views
555
Dral
Dral
purplepuppy391
Admitted Nontrads, how long did it take you to collect hours and how many hours did you apply with?
Replies
1
Views
581
Snoozles
S
crazyotter
As a nontrad, how did you fulfill your volunteering requirements?
Replies
17
Views
2K
esob
esob
C
How did you pay for your post bacc?
Replies
16
Views
2K
hawktux09
hawktux09
antipeptide
What am I missing or lacking in before I apply?
Replies
10
Views
1K
esob
esob
Top