All those who have been there...

[moobaloo]

---

Members do not see this ad.

I am new to this group and haven't found anything directly linked to my concern. There are quite a few things I would like to accomplish in my time and I'm not sure if I should worry about the smaller things before or after the whole med school journey.
I waited 6 years to go back to school so I feel far behind to start with, then I started at a community college. I want to pursue a few degrees (history and language as well as the bio and chem reqs for pre-med) and am not sure if I should wait until before or after the pre-med/ med school course.
I also want a chance to travel, however I haven't heard any success stories while putting off school, I've heard taking time to travel makes you a weaker candidate. Is it also true that the older you are the harder it is? Sorry for the length, I just have so many questions. Thanks 🙂

 

[njbmd]

You are going to be evaluated on your academics and MCAT. In addition, you want to make sure that your entire application, AMCAS or ACOMAS, is as competitive as possible. Age is not going to be a factor if you are a competitive applicant.

Take your coursework in any order that allows you to achieve your best work.

 

[Quix]

You are going to be evaluated on your academics and MCAT. In addition, you want to make sure that your entire application, AMCAS or ACOMAS, is as competitive as possible. Age is not going to be a factor if you are a competitive applicant.

Take your coursework in any order that allows you to achieve your best work.

Seconded. And don't rule out courses because they might not be clinically useful. For instance, the art history class I initially dismissed as just "fulfilling an elective" helped to get me a "T" for writing on the MCAT.

 

[pguin]

I am new to this group and haven't found anything directly linked to my concern. There are quite a few things I would like to accomplish in my time and I'm not sure if I should worry about the smaller things before or after the whole med school journey.
I waited 6 years to go back to school so I feel far behind to start with, then I started at a community college. I want to pursue a few degrees (history and language as well as the bio and chem reqs for pre-med) and am not sure if I should wait until before or after the pre-med/ med school course.
I also want a chance to travel, however I haven't heard any success stories while putting off school, I've heard taking time to travel makes you a weaker candidate. Is it also true that the older you are the harder it is? Sorry for the length, I just have so many questions. Thanks 🙂

Actually traveling is one of the most popular things people do when they take time of from medical school. If you can afford it and its something you want to do I personally definately think you should do it. Medical schools are not going to look down on you at all for doing this....unless by traveling you mean going to tiajuana. If during part of your travels you do SOMETHING revolving around humanitarian aid in a poor and underserved country, the adcoms will absolutely LOVE it. The think of this as much better than simply getting a job to pay the bills. Plus you're only young for a while and medical school and medicine is going to consume almost all of the rest of your life!...if you want to go now is definately the time. Just dont spend all your time in amsterdam.

You should probably get all your pre-med requirements done, then take the MCAT, then apply, and you can start traveling right then. just as long as you make it back for your interviews!...g'luck with everything!!

 

[gotmeds?]

When I started the pre-med route a couple of years ago, my plan was to keep working and take a couple of classes at a community college or state school every semester and then apply. My brother is in med school and he gave me some very simple advice: don't half-a** it. Probably the best advice I ever got. I quit my job, cashed out my 401K, and started a post-bacc program soon after. If you're trying to get into med school, especially as a non-trad (I'm 30, btw), you have to give it everything you've got and show them that you're serious. If you need to do any traveling or want to take some classes for fun, get those out of the way before you become a pre-med. These past two years have been tough, but 10 interview invites (and counting) later, I'm glad I followed my brother's advice. Best of luck. It'll be worth it.

 

[Nof55]

When I started the pre-med route a couple of years ago, my plan was to keep working and take a couple of classes at a community college or state school every semester and then apply. My brother is in med school and he gave me some very simple advice: don't half-a** it. Probably the best advice I ever got. I quit my job, cashed out my 401K, and started a post-bacc program soon after. If you're trying to get into med school, especially as a non-trad (I'm 30, btw), you have to give it everything you've got and show them that you're serious. If you need to do any traveling or want to take some classes for fun, get those out of the way before you become a pre-med. These past two years have been tough, but 10 interview invites (and counting) later, I'm glad I followed my brother's advice. Best of luck. It'll be worth it.

I completely agree with the above post. I was a nontraditional med student, I am now a practicing ER doc, done residency. You need to remeber the common thread all docs have is that they are focused and driven. Many very bright people that interviewed for med school and then residency are not given spots because the panel feels they are " not yet ready". Often if you are a nontraditional student you have that area covered, you've explored other options, you've sown your wild oats and now you know what you want and are going after it with all your world experience behind you. If are not ready to make that commitment you may not be ready to do this process yet. Get out, explore the world and figure out what you want to do. When you are done you'll have time and money to do things, but you'll be at least 8 years older and what you want to do will probably have changed. Good luck to everyone on this forum, I can honestly say it was totally worth it (I started med school at 29) and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

 

[LifetimeDoc]

I completely agree with the above post. I was a nontraditional med student, I am now a practicing ER doc, done residency. You need to remeber the common thread all docs have is that they are focused and driven. Many very bright people that interviewed for med school and then residency are not given spots because the panel feels they are " not yet ready". Often if you are a nontraditional student you have that area covered, you've explored other options, you've sown your wild oats and now you know what you want and are going after it with all your world experience behind you. If are not ready to make that commitment you may not be ready to do this process yet. Get out, explore the world and figure out what you want to do. When you are done you'll have time and money to do things, but you'll be at least 8 years older and what you want to do will probably have changed. Good luck to everyone on this forum, I can honestly say it was totally worth it (I started med school at 29) and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

That's all well and good, but the rest of us are in uncertain territory. We have sacrificed our careers to pursue medicine with no guarantees we will be accepted. If we don't make it, we won't be able to say it was worth it because it won't. It sucks to be a non-traditional because of that.