25, did architecture, now pre-med? Is there still hope for me?

[adriantada]

I guess this is the right thread for me.sorry for the double post!

I think I am having some quarter-life crisis or something. This post may be long but please someone help me out!

Here is a brief story about me first:

I’m 25, graduated from a UC with a B.A in architecture + two minors, interned for a bit and currently working in a non-architecture job (cause it pays well and it’s hard to find an architectural job with just a B.A degree, it’s quite sad)

I applied to grad school last year, got into Columbia, decided to defer for a year until fall 2013, applied again this fall to see if I can get into more schools with better financial support

And now……….

I have cold feet. Well, I started to have cold feet when I transferred from CC to UC in 2007 while I was doing architecture, but more so now. I’m still on the fence with this major. Some days I feel good about it cause I like how I can spin architecture to do good things (like designing better buildings for community/environment, I can even work for nike if I wanted to), but there are days when I feel absolutely miserable about it. The job security is sketchy and the pay absolutely sucks.

I don’t hate the major, but I’m just contemplating the what ifs? I mean, I don’t even know why I went straight to architecture after high school. I guess I do, I took some drafting classes, liked it, went to CC and it was easy. I still like designing, but I just don’t know if it’s worth it anymore.

I never tried anything else and I kinda wish I did. I kinda wish I diversified my classes when I was at CC and UC. I think I also picked architecture cause I got to avoid all the sciences and math classes. Now I regret it! I sucked at it when I was in high school, but when I had to take some math classes as a requirement, I enjoyed it. I didn’t pass with flying colors, but I enjoyed it.

I’m just so confused right now. It’s making me depressed sometimes cause I feel so late and not really reached my full potential. I even considered doing computer science too. I don’t even know why I am considering doing pre-med now cause I absolutely don’t have any background in it. never really did anything related to it.

But I wanna know:

1. Am I too late for medicine?
2. What should/can I do to see if medicine is right for me?
3. If I want to go through this, what are the steps? do I need to get another degree or something…? (obviously I didn’t do my research, but panic attacks can cause someone to loose patience)
4. Can I even do it while doing my Masters? (like what can I do better prepare myself if I say I wanted to drop half way through?)
5. what is the cheapest and fastest way to go about this? and I would like to stay in california with my target schools UCSF/UCLA/Standford

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[theseeker4]

I guess this is the right thread for me.sorry for the double post!

I think I am having some quarter-life crisis or something. This post may be long but please someone help me out!

Here is a brief story about me first:

I’m 25, graduated from a UC with a B.A in architecture + two minors, interned for a bit and currently working in a non-architecture job (cause it pays well and it’s hard to find an architectural job with just a B.A degree, it’s quite sad)

I applied to grad school last year, got into Columbia, decided to defer for a year until fall 2013, applied again this fall to see if I can get into more schools with better financial support

And now……….

I have cold feet. Well, I started to have cold feet when I transferred from CC to UC in 2007 while I was doing architecture, but more so now. I’m still on the fence with this major. Some days I feel good about it cause I like how I can spin architecture to do good things (like designing better buildings for community/environment, I can even work for nike if I wanted to), but there are days when I feel absolutely miserable about it. The job security is sketchy and the pay absolutely sucks.

I don’t hate the major, but I’m just contemplating the what ifs? I mean, I don’t even know why I went straight to architecture after high school. I guess I do, I took some drafting classes, liked it, went to CC and it was easy. I still like designing, but I just don’t know if it’s worth it anymore.

I never tried anything else and I kinda wish I did. I kinda wish I diversified my classes when I was at CC and UC. I think I also picked architecture cause I got to avoid all the sciences and math classes. Now I regret it! I sucked at it when I was in high school, but when I had to take some math classes as a requirement, I enjoyed it. I didn’t pass with flying colors, but I enjoyed it.

I’m just so confused right now. It’s making me depressed sometimes cause I feel so late and not really reached my full potential. I even considered doing computer science too. I don’t even know why I am considering doing pre-med now cause I absolutely don’t have any background in it. never really did anything related to it.

But I wanna know:

1. Am I too late for medicine?
2. What should/can I do to see if medicine is right for me?
3. If I want to go through this, what are the steps? do I need to get another degree or something…? (obviously I didn’t do my research, but panic attacks can cause someone to loose patience)
4. Can I even do it while doing my Masters? (like what can I do better prepare myself if I say I wanted to drop half way through?)
5. what is the cheapest and fastest way to go about this? and I would like to stay in california with my target schools UCSF/UCLA/Standford

1: no, it is certainly not too late for you.
2: start volunteering in a clinical setting, such as at a free clinic or hospital, and find a few doctors in different specialties to talk to and shadow. The first thing to ask, is why are you looking at medicine at all?
3: you need to get in a year each of general chem, organic chem, biology, and physics, all with labs. You need to have a year of English somewhere on your transcripts. That is the bare minimum, some schools require additional courses including biochem, calc, stats, etc. what is your current GPA including every single course you ever took at any university or community college? What biology, chemistry, physics, and math classes have you taken, and what were your grades? For both questions, include every attempt; even if you retook the class for a better grade later, MD schools will see and count every attempt.
4: how much free time will you have during your masters? Could you manage the masters and a couple science courses at the same time, while getting solid As in the sciences? Obviously, neither you nor I can answer that until you try it, but it can really hurt your options if your pre req grades suffer from trying too much at once.
5: cheapest and fastest are not necessarily he same thing. Cheapest would be takin the classes you need at a CC. Fastest would probably be a high quality formal post bac (if you do well in it). Where you can get in will depend on your performance, your past GPA, your MCAT, your ECs, etc., but planning on staying in your geographic area through med school is a bad idea, since yours is the most competitive of almost any in the country.

If you have more questions, let us know, and welcome to SDN.

 

[Deadlifts]

I'm just so confused right now. It's making me depressed sometimes cause I feel so late and not really reached my full potential. I even considered doing computer science too. I don't even know why I am considering doing pre-med now cause I absolutely don't have any background in it. never really did anything related to it.

But I wanna know:

1. Am I too late for medicine?
2. What should/can I do to see if medicine is right for me?
3. If I want to go through this, what are the steps? do I need to get another degree or something…? (obviously I didn't do my research, but panic attacks can cause someone to loose patience)
4. Can I even do it while doing my Masters? (like what can I do better prepare myself if I say I wanted to drop half way through?)
5. what is the cheapest and fastest way to go about this? and I would like to stay in california with my target schools UCSF/UCLA/Standford

1. Nope! There's a lot of nontrads on here that have a decade+ on you.

2. You should start calling doctors in your area to see if you can shadow them. Be polite, confident and open to try another office/doctor if you get turned down. If you have a family member in medicine, see if they have any recommendations. One of my friends asked me why I would spend whole days shadowing a doctor when I could just watch Grey's Anatomy or House and see what doctors do. Don't be that friend and assume TV is reality.

You can also look into working as an ED Scribe (probably the best experience-based job, the pay is pretty meager but you're in direct contact with physicians all day) but they usually require you having some years of science under your belt.

3. You have a bachelors so you meet that requirement. Some schools differ in their upper division requirements (calculus, genetics, etc.) but the basics are 1 year of biology(w/ lab), chemistry(w/ lab), organic chem(w/ lab), physics (w/ lab), english/writing, and some math. Some schools want biochemistry, cellular biology, etc. You don't need a new degree or even a B.S. You'd most likely be doing a Post-bacc (formal or informal). Your best bet is to look up the schools themselves and double check.

4. Masters in Architecture is pretty time consuming, isn't it? I just remember how many long nights my undergrad friends spent in the studio. If you do a post-bac, you really want to aim for all As because it shows your aptitude for difficult science classes and that you're serious about your career path change.

5. Taking the classes at a community college would probably be the cheapest. I don't know how the California schools treat CC classes though. Maybe a California resident can speak more about this?

 

[adriantada]

thanks for the reply guys!

and thanks for the warm welcome theseeker4

yea, i'm starting to think that taking pre-reqs during my masters might be a little hectic, but im thinking if i do go with it, i might start taking easy pre-reqs classes at CC first and then move on to harder ones during downtime.

i hope that makes sense.

and im starting to really question whether Post-baccs programs are really necessary? they are so darn expensive when i don't have to apply to CC and take similar courses?

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

thanks for the reply guys!

and thanks for the warm welcome theseeker4

yea, i'm starting to think that taking pre-reqs during my masters might be a little hectic, but im thinking if i do go with it, i might start taking easy pre-reqs classes at CC first and then move on to harder ones during downtime.

i hope that makes sense.

and im starting to really question whether Post-baccs programs are really necessary? they are so darn expensive when i don't have to apply to CC and take similar courses?

Structured postbac programs are not at all necessary. Some have direct linkages to med schools that will give you a guaranteed admission provided you meet a certain GPA and MCAT. That's useful if you want to go to that particular med school and want to avoid a gap year. Almost all structured postbacs are expensive, but some students are willing to pay the extra cost to get MCAT study integrated into the curriculum and better premed advisors. If you're like me and want to save money, take the same classes at any 4-year college. It'll be much cheaper and you can be more flexible with scheduling classes.

The topic has been discussed at length so a search will yield plenty of information, but you should try to avoid doing the prereq classes at a community college. If it is possible for you, take them at any 4-year college. Your state school will do nicely. If a CC is the only realistic option for you, take the classes there but know that some medical schools won't regard CC credits as highly as those from a 4-year.

 

[plage noire]

I know what you mean about doubts about a future in architecture. I am in the same situation (Bachelors in Architecture and planning a switch to medicine). Like medicine, it requires a certain amount of passion to pursue or else it can feel like an uphill battle. I feel like the opportunities to do projects that are rewarding and meaningful are quite limited and are often only available in volunteer circumstances. The architects that are able to make a stable living doing meaningful work are few and far between.

In my case, my passion for architecture fizzled while spending the past 4 years dealing with my own medical issues. After spending so much time with doctors, educating myself about the science of my condition, and devoting my time to seeking treatment, I found that medicine had become my new passion and I felt worlds away from the architecture world. It just didn't draw me in as it had originally.

Clearly you have some talent in the field, as evidenced by your acceptance to GSAPP. You will be more employable with those credentials after graduation. Try to visualize yourself in the future as an architect versus as a doctor. Are you having trouble really feeling yourself being one or the other? Regardless of which you're thinking of, are you happy? If you feel like architecture is your dream and you're having difficulty finding your way within it, then I would recommend trying to figure out what about it gets you out of bed in the morning and gets you jazzed and set your focus to figuring out how to do that for a living. Collect images of projects that inspire you. Try to seek out a mentor in the field that is doing the type of work that you'd aspire to do in the future. Surround yourself with positive people that support your goals. You have a much better chance of reaching a place of fulfillment if you have a clear goal to begin with. There will be negatives with whatever career path you end up deciding, but the important thing is that you are following your passion.

If, however, you feel an emptiness when pondering your future in architecture or are otherwise strongly drawn to a career in medicine, then go after answering that what-if question as soon as possible, i.e. try to shadow a doc, volunteer in a clinical setting, and take a pre-req science course to see how you do. If doing all of those things reaffirms your interest in medicine, then go for it. Realize however that at some point, you will definitely need a very strong reason as to "why medicine?" Your disillusionment with the architectural profession alone will not be enough to carry you through 1-2 years of pre-med, med school applications, 4 years of med school, and 3-5 years of residency. Getting some experience with the medical profession will hopefully produce in you a more defined drive to becoming a doctor (if that's what's meant to be!)

In my opinion, there's no way (that I could foresee) for you to do this at the same time as your M.Arch. As you know, studio and that whole environment are just too time-consuming to be acing o-chem on the side.

Good luck!

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

I am 36... I shouldn't have to say anymore!

 

[adriantada]

I know what you mean about doubts about a future in architecture. I am in the same situation (Bachelors in Architecture and planning a switch to medicine). Like medicine, it requires a certain amount of passion to pursue or else it can feel like an uphill battle. I feel like the opportunities to do projects that are rewarding and meaningful are quite limited and are often only available in volunteer circumstances. The architects that are able to make a stable living doing meaningful work are few and far between.

In my case, my passion for architecture fizzled while spending the past 4 years dealing with my own medical issues. After spending so much time with doctors, educating myself about the science of my condition, and devoting my time to seeking treatment, I found that medicine had become my new passion and I felt worlds away from the architecture world. It just didn't draw me in as it had originally.

Clearly you have some talent in the field, as evidenced by your acceptance to GSAPP. You will be more employable with those credentials after graduation. Try to visualize yourself in the future as an architect versus as a doctor. Are you having trouble really feeling yourself being one or the other? Regardless of which you're thinking of, are you happy? If you feel like architecture is your dream and you're having difficulty finding your way within it, then I would recommend trying to figure out what about it gets you out of bed in the morning and gets you jazzed and set your focus to figuring out how to do that for a living. Collect images of projects that inspire you. Try to seek out a mentor in the field that is doing the type of work that you'd aspire to do in the future. Surround yourself with positive people that support your goals. You have a much better chance of reaching a place of fulfillment if you have a clear goal to begin with. There will be negatives with whatever career path you end up deciding, but the important thing is that you are following your passion.

If, however, you feel an emptiness when pondering your future in architecture or are otherwise strongly drawn to a career in medicine, then go after answering that what-if question as soon as possible, i.e. try to shadow a doc, volunteer in a clinical setting, and take a pre-req science course to see how you do. If doing all of those things reaffirms your interest in medicine, then go for it. Realize however that at some point, you will definitely need a very strong reason as to "why medicine?" Your disillusionment with the architectural profession alone will not be enough to carry you through 1-2 years of pre-med, med school applications, 4 years of med school, and 3-5 years of residency. Getting some experience with the medical profession will hopefully produce in you a more defined drive to becoming a doctor (if that's what's meant to be!)

In my opinion, there's no way (that I could foresee) for you to do this at the same time as your M.Arch. As you know, studio and that whole environment are just too time-consuming to be acing o-chem on the side.

Good luck!

an impressive background story!

at the moment I am currently finishing my grad school apps for M.ARCH, but when I am done I am going to tart finding some doctors to shadow around and maybe do some volunteer service.

i really hope some doctors will allow me to do so. A lot of people are saying that doctors are busy a lot and I'm not sure if they will pick me over those who are driven to be a doctor.

it's a long battle head, but like i said, if I start seeing myself as a doctor and happy doing it, then i'm going to fight it.

 

[plage noire]

an impressive background story!

at the moment I am currently finishing my grad school apps for M.ARCH, but when I am done I am going to tart finding some doctors to shadow around and maybe do some volunteer service.

i really hope some doctors will allow me to do so. A lot of people are saying that doctors are busy a lot and I'm not sure if they will pick me over those who are driven to be a doctor.

it's a long battle head, but like i said, if I start seeing myself as a doctor and happy doing it, then i'm going to fight it.

Sounds like a good plan to me - good luck!

 

[raptortheballer]

an impressive background story!

at the moment I am currently finishing my grad school apps for M.ARCH, but when I am done I am going to tart finding some doctors to shadow around and maybe do some volunteer service.

i really hope some doctors will allow me to do so. A lot of people are saying that doctors are busy a lot and I'm not sure if they will pick me over those who are driven to be a doctor.

it's a long battle head, but like i said, if I start seeing myself as a doctor and happy doing it, then i'm going to fight it.

Hi there! Your story and background was quite inspiring to read. I'm kind of on a similar boat actually...finished my Bachelor's but considering either a career in medicine or architecture. Wondering how everything worked out for you!? 🙂