I wasted 60k on a communication + law concentration degree only to decide that after it was over, I wanted to become a doctor. My GPA was a 3.08. Being a doctor was always a pipe-dream for me, but I always considered myself as not being "smart enough," so I never tried- I never gave the sciences the time they deserved. After undergrad, I taught at a Jesuit missionary college-prep school in the pacific islands and it was there that I truly understood the value of education for the first-time in my life.
However, now I realize I am swimming against the current in my attempt to be a doctor. I have what might be but two favorable accolades for medical school:
1). I have over 3,500 volunteer service hours in since 2013:
A. Six months in South Africa at an NGO/ full-time student through a service-learning program
B. One and a half years aa a teacher at a Jesuit college prep school in Micronesia.
C. Leading various service trips for middle school and high school students
2). I am determined to be an addiction specialist in Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA), a region with the one of the highest opiate useage (and binge drinking) rates in the country. I'm also determined to practice addiction medicine in this area. (A part of TCMC's mission is to combat the physician shortage in NEPA and keep those MD's here to fight the most pressing health issues the region faces. It's a dream of mine to be there within three years and help those struggling with addiction in this area soon thereafter.
Right now I'm trying to figure out the logistics for starting a pre-med program this upcoming spring. Spring is a tough time to start because my school doesn't offer any of the first sections of science pre-reqs outside of the fall semester. I can take Bio II, American medical perspective (philosophy class), and sociology. I don't have any of the pre-reqs but I'm taking an anatomy course right now part-time.
What should my plan of action be? Should I go for a true second degree (Biology, Neuroscience, etc)., or should I do pre-med? I will stop at nothing to get all A's in my science pre-reqs (besides unethical behavior). Is one and a half years a realistic amount of time to take the pre-req's?
I don't wait to:
- a. Rush the classes and make it harder on myself.
- b. Take less than what would be a convincing amount of classes to prove that I can excel at a high-volume course load.
Also, I contacted a few treatment centers in the area to ask about shadowing opportunities.
HELP ME, please.
However, now I realize I am swimming against the current in my attempt to be a doctor. I have what might be but two favorable accolades for medical school:
1). I have over 3,500 volunteer service hours in since 2013:
A. Six months in South Africa at an NGO/ full-time student through a service-learning program
B. One and a half years aa a teacher at a Jesuit college prep school in Micronesia.
C. Leading various service trips for middle school and high school students
2). I am determined to be an addiction specialist in Northeastern Pennsylvania (NEPA), a region with the one of the highest opiate useage (and binge drinking) rates in the country. I'm also determined to practice addiction medicine in this area. (A part of TCMC's mission is to combat the physician shortage in NEPA and keep those MD's here to fight the most pressing health issues the region faces. It's a dream of mine to be there within three years and help those struggling with addiction in this area soon thereafter.
Right now I'm trying to figure out the logistics for starting a pre-med program this upcoming spring. Spring is a tough time to start because my school doesn't offer any of the first sections of science pre-reqs outside of the fall semester. I can take Bio II, American medical perspective (philosophy class), and sociology. I don't have any of the pre-reqs but I'm taking an anatomy course right now part-time.
What should my plan of action be? Should I go for a true second degree (Biology, Neuroscience, etc)., or should I do pre-med? I will stop at nothing to get all A's in my science pre-reqs (besides unethical behavior). Is one and a half years a realistic amount of time to take the pre-req's?
I don't wait to:
- a. Rush the classes and make it harder on myself.
- b. Take less than what would be a convincing amount of classes to prove that I can excel at a high-volume course load.
Also, I contacted a few treatment centers in the area to ask about shadowing opportunities.
HELP ME, please.
