Advice on whether or not I even have a shot at med school

[egroom]

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Hi, I just wanted to ask and see if I really had a shot at being a physician at all, my situation is that I'm a junior in college with a lot (5 years) of research experience in the environmental sciences and life sciences, a lot of fieldwork mostly, but recently I've gained an interest in medicine that I've just pushed to the side in the past as a "pipe dream" but now have given more regard...

I've got a Ph.D in plant biology lined up that, out of respect for my PI, I can't back out on, so I plan on using the time to pursue clinical experience, either while in grad school and/or in a gap year after , through hospice care (which I tried doing in undergrad but work kept me too spread thin) or through getting an EMT license and working in emergency departments. When I did pre-med stuff before I was getting 510s with a slightly upwards trajectory in my practice MCATs, and ai have a 3.4 UG GPA that won't change, really.

My interest is in rural health care, as I'm from rural northern California, and in my travels throughout the US and the world as a field botanist I've seen the types of communities I'd be aiming to help, those typically neglected by the advancements of urban medicine... I've got a WFR now and have served as the "medic" (as my scope of practice permits) for field groups and stuff, it's motivated me to want to work in low-resourxe care, or, I guess more politely, "lower resource care" like rural health, global health, wilderness medicine, etc, but my primary interest is going into a career in primary care or emergency medicine, as then I get to be on the "front lines" of healthcare. for this reason and for my low GPA, I was thinking of applying to DO programs and some MD programs after I get a Ph.D and a good bit of clinical experience, but do I really have a shot here?

 

[A224B]

There's a bit to unpack here. You're a junior, you can ABSOLUTELY back out on a Ph.D offer prior to matriculation. Your advisor will understand. Don't do a Ph.D if your dream is medicine: it will take 4-6 years of attending physician salary and it will be difficult if your passions lie elsewhere.

3.4 is well below the average GPA for DO matriculants, which is around 3.62 these days. You're better off using a gap year or two to get north of 3.5 and getting a year of clinical experience in EMT or a similar job.

 

[Faha]

You are not required to do a PhD so skip the PhD. Your 3.4 GPA is competitive for most DO schools. If your MCAT is 505 or higher you are competitive for most DO schools. You should accumulate 50 hours of in person physician shadowing (including DO and primary care) and 150+ hours of clinical volunteering/employment with patient contact. You also should accumulate 150+ hours of non clinical volunteering such as food bank or homeless shelter.

 

[Med Ed]

A PhD isn't something you just kinda do over a pinky swear. It's years of hard work. In your case it would be an unmitigated waste of time. And very costly when you factor in the opportunity cost of becoming a doctor.

Just do what everyone else does (or tries to, at least). Finish college strong, take 1-2 gap years to get clinical experience and polish your ECs, post a solid MCAT score, and apply broadly. It's not easy, but it's also not complicated.

 

[egroom]

Well I'm mainly doing a Ph.D just.. . well because I am passionate about plant biology as well, it's a passion, though, medicine is my calling. I understand the people here telling me to focus on pre med track stuff but I simply dont have the luxury of being able to go get clinical experience and shadowing hours out of nowhere. I can't do it in undergrad, I already work 2 jobs.. I am doing a lot of non-medical community service as well (I help out with the student garden and donate food I grow in it to the student pantry)...but.. well I'm at UC Davis, the nearest place I believe I could get clinical experience is the UCD Med Center in Sacramento, but I can't drive so I've got to take an hour bus there and back which... just... probably won''t be sustainable.

I figured grad school may be a good time to get clinical experience as then I've got a bit more autonomy (I decide my workload, my Pi avows it, and I should be able to drive ny then) than undergrad and I've got the financial and hopefully, depending on what workload I can work out with my PI, logistical flexibility neccesary to go and get clinical experience and shadowing hours. I understand the concern of the previous replies, but with all due respect my concern was if I had a shot at medical school, not if I should go to grad school. Botany is how I got my start as a scientist and I'm seeing it through, that's that. Once I do that then I'll pursue medicine.

If getting a Ph.D won''t hurt me, I'll do it just so I have something to fall back on that would still be an albeit less fulfilling but good career if this whole medical school thing falls through, I don't want to be another biology major pre med stuck without a job or path because they couldn't get into med school.

 

[glycolysister]

If you change your mind on the unrelated PhD, hit up the peeps at Sutter Health for volunteer hours. If you pursue both and 20 years from now you've figured out how to make me photosynthetic, please reach out.

 

[egroom]

View attachment 417081


If you change your mind on the unrelated PhD, hit up the peeps at Sutter Health for volunteer hours. If you pursue both and 20 years from now you've figured out how to make me photosynthetic, please reach out.

Thank you for the research idea lol, and thank you for the resource, I'll be sure to reach out to them! Last time I checked they're not taking people but I'll keep checking, I'm sure that will change with the new academic year.

 

[A224B]

What about doing a MD Ph.D program where your dissertation project blends botany and the biomedical sciences? Lots of labs study natural products of plants.

The real risk here is that the heavy demands of Ph.D pull you away from the medical track.

 

[egroom]

What about doing a MD Ph.D program where your dissertation project blends botany and the biomedical sciences? Lots of labs study natural products of plants.

The real risk here is that the heavy demands of Ph.D pull you away from the medical track.

You make a very good point, but I just don't think I'd be able to get enough clinical experience with the time I have left in undergrad to warrant applying to med school now. I've just done some WFR stuff but I dont think that quite counts as actual clinical experience. Not to mention if I apply to an MD/Ph.D I'd probably need more clinical experience than the typical MD applicant, no? Since those programs to my understanding are more competitive?

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Hi, I just wanted to ask and see if I really had a shot at being a physician at all, my situation is that I'm a junior in college with a lot (5 years) of research experience in the environmental sciences and life sciences, a lot of fieldwork mostly, but recently I've gained an interest in medicine that I've just pushed to the side in the past as a "pipe dream" but now have given more regard...

I've got a Ph.D in plant biology lined up that, out of respect for my PI, I can't back out on, so I plan on using the time to pursue clinical experience, either while in grad school and/or in a gap year after , through hospice care (which I tried doing in undergrad but work kept me too spread thin) or through getting an EMT license and working in emergency departments. When I did pre-med stuff before I was getting 510s with a slightly upwards trajectory in my practice MCATs, and ai have a 3.4 UG GPA that won't change, really.

My interest is in rural health care, as I'm from rural northern California, and in my travels throughout the US and the world as a field botanist I've seen the types of communities I'd be aiming to help, those typically neglected by the advancements of urban medicine... I've got a WFR now and have served as the "medic" (as my scope of practice permits) for field groups and stuff, it's motivated me to want to work in low-resourxe care, or, I guess more politely, "lower resource care" like rural health, global health, wilderness medicine, etc, but my primary interest is going into a career in primary care or emergency medicine, as then I get to be on the "front lines" of healthcare. for this reason and for my low GPA, I was thinking of applying to DO programs and some MD programs after I get a Ph.D and a good bit of clinical experience, but do I really have a shot here?

First question: have you talked with a prehealth advisor at your program? Medical school admissions officers?

Second, have you talked HONESTLY with your PI? You haven't signed a contract where you are obliged to finish a PhD.

If you are interested in rural care, why can't you focus more on being a medic, not necessarily in wilderness med? How many hours have you been doing this (or I guess you are just starting)?

Have you looked up Rural-PRIME UC Davis Medical Education Program - Rural Medical Training Collaborative ?

Sure, you can do https://www.fs.usda.gov/wildflowers/ethnobotany/medicinal/index.shtml , and you don't have to go through the meded grind and debt. Maybe consider going pharmacy-adjacent? Go into pharma?

 

[A224B]

You make a very good point, but I just don't think I'd be able to get enough clinical experience with the time I have left in undergrad to warrant applying to med school now. I've just done some WFR stuff but I dont think that quite counts as actual clinical experience. Not to mention if I apply to an MD/Ph.D I'd probably need more clinical experience than the typical MD applicant, no? Since those programs to my understanding are more competitive?

MSTPs require the same amount of clinical experience as MD or DO-only programs, give or take a little. They require more research, and the stats can be pretty competitive but with a nice MCAT you are in the running at a bunch of places like Michigan State and Nova.