almost done with my pre-med but now got accepted to accelerated BSN program.

[immanuel11421]

Hi,

I am 31 years old and going to be 32 in a few months. I worked full time and go to school full time trying to do all the pre-med sciences courses.
I had an undergraduate degree in art/design and absolutely hated it.
It was a long complicated story of how I got into that intead of pursuing to be a doctor back then. My undergraduate degree GPA was 2.85 due to some tragic events while I was in college.
But years back when I was in my country, I had always been an outstanding science student and so now that I had gotten my greencard, I decided to go back to school to be a doctor.
My postgraduate science GPA is 4.0 so far. I only have Physics 2 and Orgo 2 left to take in the Fall.
However, because of my bad undergraduate GPA, some people recommended me to have a back up plan in case I don't get accepted into medical school.
Someone suggested that I should look into becoming a CRNA.
So, I apply to the accelerated BSN program and surprsingly, I got accepted. The 15 months program starts this year in June.I realize that nursing will never be the same as of practicing medicine.
I am excited more for the reason that I don't have to work in the retail business that I am in right now.
Originally, I plan on taking the mcat next year in April and apply for medical school that starts in 2011.
But now, I am very confused.
I need some advice.
On one hand, if I go for this BSN program, it gives me something to fall back on if MD doesn't work. And it may actually gives me a chance to repair my bad undergraduate GPA and enhance my chance to medical school if I still feel like applying after.
And I can work some shift as a nurse while I am in medical school or it is possible to work at all during medical school?
On the other hand, this will delay me going to medical school for another couple more years since I will not be
able to take mcat next year for being in the accelerated program. Also, I heard rumours that medical committee may look down on me more if my background is RN.
The last thing I need if to pursue another second career that turns out to be something that I hate or be looked down on.
I did not want to be a doctor simply because of money. It's because I truly enjoy studying the material and convinced that I can excel in it and help people with my medical knowledge. Ideally, I would like to be a medical scientist.
I am very confused. The other thing that ever hold me back from becoming a doctor and trade it for becoming a CRNA is that I worry about my biological clock.
I am 32 now. If I start medical school in 2012, by the time when I finish residency, I probably would be 41.
I will probably miss my chance of having kids.
My husband is emotionally very supportive though not financially( that's why I have to work and go to school at the same time). My husband think that I should go with my dream and go to medical school and have kids after medical school but before residency or take a break in between. Is that possible? Residency is hard as it is, having kids around that time would be worse...
Is it really more practical for me to just settle as a CRNA at my age if I do want to have kids?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[ChubbyChaser]

I say follow your dreams...many schools would be willing to overlook your low GPA, especially osteopathic and caribbean if thats the case. If you wont be happy being a CRNA or in some other healthcare field than I say go to medical school, but if you could be then i say do that instead.

 

[sirius08]

You might want to also check out the Nontraditional Students thread:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=110

A lot of people there have wrestled with similar questions and might be able to give you insight. I'd personally also say to follow your dreams, but with careful thought - you might be able to have a child in med school, too, though that would be challenging to manage.

Good luck!

 

[bluesmd]

i second chubbs. don't settle for less than your dream. you don't want to live wondering ... what if. good luck!

 

[TheMagicCookie]

I say follow your dreams...many schools would be willing to overlook your low GPA, especially osteopathic and caribbean if thats the case. If you wont be happy being a CRNA or in some other healthcare field than I say go to medical school, but if you could be then i say do that instead.

i second chubbs. don't settle for less than your dream. you don't want to live wondering ... what if. good luck!

one more vote from me. CRNA is definitely not the same as being an MD and I think that your happiness is much more important that settling for something that might come sooner than another.

 

[njbmd]

Hi,

I am 31 years old and going to be 32 in a few months. I worked full time and go to school full time trying to do all the pre-med sciences courses.
I had an undergraduate degree in art/design and absolutely hated it.
I am very confused. The other thing that ever hold me back from becoming a doctor and trade it for becoming a CRNA is that I worry about my biological clock.
I am 32 now. If I start medical school in 2012, by the time when I finish residency, I probably would be 41.
I will probably miss my chance of having kids.
My husband is emotionally very supportive though not financially( that's why I have to work and go to school at the same time). My husband think that I should go with my dream and go to medical school and have kids after medical school but before residency or take a break in between. Is that possible? Residency is hard as it is, having kids around that time would be worse...
Is it really more practical for me to just settle as a CRNA at my age if I do want to have kids?

First of all, there is no age limit in attending medical school. The oldest person in my medical school class started at age 53 with another person starting at age 49. Both are happily practicing Family Medicine now and never looked back.

If medicine is what you want to do, then don't look for "fall-backs" because you will never be satisfied. Pursue what you want with passion and achieve your goal. You take each day at a time and do something toward your goal every day. It's like losing weight, you take it one meal and one day at a time with constant work, you start to see some progress. It's not going to be overnight.

If you are worried about your "biological clock" then have some eggs/embryos frozen. Certainly "octomom" has shown that this can be done with relative ease. It's not cheap but it will allow you to have more options in terms of being able to have a child (or two but not eight) later on.

Good luck.

 

[LizzyM]

If you are worried about your "biological clock" then have some eggs/embryos frozen. Certainly "octomom" has shown that this can be done with relative ease. It's not cheap but it will allow you to have more options in terms of being able to have a child (or two but not eight) later on.

Good luck.

Just be aware that the likelihood of success (having a life birth) using frozen embyros from non-donor eggs is <30%.
http://www.cdc.gov/ART/ART2006/sect3_fig42-43.htm#f43

Frozen eggs are an even bigger crap shoot, IIRC.

 

[flip26]

Hi,

I am 31 years old and going to be 32 in a few months. I worked full time and go to school full time trying to do all the pre-med sciences courses.
I had an undergraduate degree in art/design and absolutely hated it.
It was a long complicated story of how I got into that intead of pursuing to be a doctor back then. My undergraduate degree GPA was 2.85 due to some tragic events while I was in college.
But years back when I was in my country, I had always been an outstanding science student and so now that I had gotten my greencard, I decided to go back to school to be a doctor.
My postgraduate science GPA is 4.0 so far. I only have Physics 2 and Orgo 2 left to take in the Fall.
However, because of my bad undergraduate GPA, some people recommended me to have a back up plan in case I don't get accepted into medical school.
Someone suggested that I should look into becoming a CRNA.
So, I apply to the accelerated BSN program and surprsingly, I got accepted. The 15 months program starts this year in June.I realize that nursing will never be the same as of practicing medicine.
I am excited more for the reason that I don't have to work in the retail business that I am in right now.
Originally, I plan on taking the mcat next year in April and apply for medical school that starts in 2011.
But now, I am very confused.
I need some advice.
On one hand, if I go for this BSN program, it gives me something to fall back on if MD doesn't work. And it may actually gives me a chance to repair my bad undergraduate GPA and enhance my chance to medical school if I still feel like applying after.
And I can work some shift as a nurse while I am in medical school or it is possible to work at all during medical school?
On the other hand, this will delay me going to medical school for another couple more years since I will not be
able to take mcat next year for being in the accelerated program. Also, I heard rumours that medical committee may look down on me more if my background is RN.
The last thing I need if to pursue another second career that turns out to be something that I hate or be looked down on.
I did not want to be a doctor simply because of money. It's because I truly enjoy studying the material and convinced that I can excel in it and help people with my medical knowledge. Ideally, I would like to be a medical scientist.
I am very confused. The other thing that ever hold me back from becoming a doctor and trade it for becoming a CRNA is that I worry about my biological clock.
I am 32 now. If I start medical school in 2012, by the time when I finish residency, I probably would be 41.
I will probably miss my chance of having kids.
My husband is emotionally very supportive though not financially( that's why I have to work and go to school at the same time). My husband think that I should go with my dream and go to medical school and have kids after medical school but before residency or take a break in between. Is that possible? Residency is hard as it is, having kids around that time would be worse...
Is it really more practical for me to just settle as a CRNA at my age if I do want to have kids?

What is your UG GPA? No one can advise you without knowing that...

No need to miss having kids...I live near several residents, and half the women are pregnant...

You have already proven you can get into this nursing program. You can always fall back on that if you don't get in med school.

 

[bellakk]

Go for your dream! When you are 60 with kids and maybe grandkids, you dont want to be looking back saying "what if!" or be upset with your self for "settling" into a career you dont want.

If you start the ABSN this summer, when will you take Physics 2 and Organic 2, it sounds like you'd have to put those off until 2010? You shouldnt do that! Dont put off your dreams any longer than necessary. Although being an RN/CRNA/Nurse Practitioner is an excellant career, it is definately not the same as being a physician and is in no way a substitution. I dont think an admissions committee will look down on you for being a RN, you will have gained some great clinical experience from it, but they will wonder why you went to nursing school if you knew you wanted to be a physician, why waste those extra years in nursing school. Also, you would be able to work as an RN for only a short time before medical school. There is absolutely no time to work during medical school except during breaks and the summer and I dont think a hospital would hire you simply for breaks. You'll be living on student loans.

I think it would be smart to make an advising appointment with a local medical school whether MD or DO to see their opinion on your undergraduate GPA. Assuming you got your undergraduate degree back in your early 20's I highly doubt your low GPA would be as big of a deal as someone whose low GPA is more recent. Your current GPA seems great!

Also, you might be able to get in contact with some of their current medical students and ask their opinion about when is a good time to have kids (you would probably get better results from DO students than MD students). I say this because OSU-COM is in my city and they have an email address where you can shoot the med students any quesiton under the sun and they all take turns answering. Also, I think about half the current MS1 class is married and although I dont plan on having kids for a while, I've asked them about it and they all know a girl or two or three whose had a baby during school.

Between your 2nd and 3rd year of medical school is a good time for kids since your clinical years of medical school are not quite as taxing as your residency. But let's not forget that Halle Berry had her daughter at 40 and she's doing great! And I'm sure that there is some female physician (actually probably many) who got pregnant during their residency and found a way to make it work. If you want to go into orthopedic or cardiac or neurosurgery, then having a baby during residency definately wouldnt work, but if you go into a more family friendly specialty such as family medicine or pediatrics or ob/gyn, they are definately a little more understanding of family planning.

If in a couple years, you've applied to medical school 2 or 3 times and havent been accepted, maybe then you should look into nursing, but not a moment before! I have no idea how much money you make at your current job, but I work part time as a CNA for about 10 an hour, so if your current salary compares to that, it might be good to look into becoming a CNA or AUA (advanced unlicensed asst/patient care tech) because you'll need clinical exprience. I took my CNA course full time for 2 weeks at christmas break and I think an AUA is like 3-4 evenings a week for a whole semester.

Best of luck and I know if you truely want to become a physician, you'll get there 🙂

 

[Revilla]

I agree with Bellakk, but I will also add that there's a nursing shortage in the U.S. If you don't want to be a practicing nurse, I wouldn't take a spot from someone who does.

Also, there are many people who have kids during med school, after med school, in residency (after intern year!), or afterwards. If you have a supportive husband who understands that it will mean he might have to play Mr. Mom for a little while, you can do it.

In addition to the non-traditional forum linked above, also check out the women in medicine forum:

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/forumdisplay.php?f=199

And MomMD:

http://www.mommd.com/

 

[DOquestions]

i second chubbs. don't settle for less than your dream. you don't want to live wondering ... what if. good luck!

Agreed. You don't want to be 70 years old and wonder if you would have became a doctor if you would have just given it your all when you were 30 years old.

 

[pdeco1]

Line Five: 2.85

DO or Carib are your options. A 2.85 will not get you a sniff from any allopathic school.

You can always fall back on the BSN program. I am a non trad in a similar situation. I am shooting for DO school and will fall back on a BSN if I cannot get in.

Good luck.

 

[binko]

There's at least one single mom currently making it work at OUCOM from what the med student panel said to the pre-SOMA meeting I went to recently. If you have a good support system and enough money you can do both.

 

[starfishprime]

Agreed. You don't want to be 70 years old and wonder if you would have became a doctor if you would have just given it your all when you were 30 years old.

Nor do you want to be a 70 year old doctor wishing you had not gotten so tied up in "dreams" and had a family.

All I'm saying is it's a complicated issue and the answer isn't just "follow your dream."

 

[immanuel11421]

So, are u guys saying that I should turn down the offer to the accelerated program right now and apply to DO?
Or should I accept the offer and finish the BSN in a year and then apply to medical school?
My post -graduate all science courses GPA is 4.0 though it's from a community college. Not sure how that would help to overwrite my bad undergraduate GPA of 2.85.
If my chance right now to allopathic is so slim, doing the BSN for a year and getting a good GPA will actually help me to get into allopathic medical school, right?
That would over write my previous bad UG GPA .
Time is approaching. I have to decide by May this year if I should quit my job and accept the accelerated program offer....

Still, when u said that u have seen residents who are pregnant, are they allow to take a break after the babies are born and then continue their residencies?
Can u have a gap after medical school graduation to have babies and then start residencies?

 

[CarrieBad]

Hi,

I need some advice.
On one hand, if I go for this BSN program, it gives me something to fall back on if MD doesn't work. And it may actually gives me a chance to repair my bad undergraduate GPA and enhance my chance to medical school if I still feel like applying after.
And I can work some shift as a nurse while I am in medical school or it is possible to work at all during medical school?
On the other hand, this will delay me going to medical school for another couple more years since I will not be
able to take mcat next year for being in the accelerated program. Also, I heard rumours that medical committee may look down on me more if my background is RN.
The last thing I need if to pursue another second career that turns out to be something that I hate or be looked down on.
I did not want to be a doctor simply because of money. It's because I truly enjoy studying the material and convinced that I can excel in it and help people with my medical knowledge. Ideally, I would like to be a medical scientist.
I am very confused. The other thing that ever hold me back from becoming a doctor and trade it for becoming a CRNA is that I worry about my biological clock.
I am 32 now. If I start medical school in 2012, by the time when I finish residency, I probably would be 41.
I will probably miss my chance of having kids.
My husband is emotionally very supportive though not financially( that's why I have to work and go to school at the same time). My husband think that I should go with my dream and go to medical school and have kids after medical school but before residency or take a break in between. Is that possible? Residency is hard as it is, having kids around that time would be worse...
Is it really more practical for me to just settle as a CRNA at my age if I do want to have kids?

There are many people who have kids during med school. It is NOT an easy route, but if you have a supportive spouse and support close by, you can do it. Also, seriously, look into DO programs. You have have all the same practice abilities as an MD, but DO schools tend to be more supportive of non traditional students (that's a TREMENDOUS generalization, but you get the point). Seriously, have kids when you are your husband are ready, and you will figure out how to balance school with being a mom. Worse comes to worse you can take a year off in the middle of med school (I have a friend who took a year between 2nd and 3rd year to take care of her newborn). You might not have the best GPA in your medical school class and you might not have the board scores to go into some crazy residency, but you CAN become a great doctor and have kids.

 

[DrMidlife]

So, are u guys saying that I should turn down the offer to the accelerated program right now and apply to DO?
Or should I accept the offer and finish the BSN in a year and then apply to medical school?

You need to decide whether you want to be a doctor or a nurse. Doing a nursing program after age 30 with the intent to eventually also do medical school is the LAST thing I would advise.

My post -graduate all science courses GPA is 4.0 though it's from a community college. Not sure how that would help to overwrite my bad undergraduate GPA of 2.85.

The "A" in GPA is "average." So average in those community college grades and see what your cumulative GPAs (overall and science) are. This is what med schools will look at. I hate to tell you this, but on top of a 2.85 bachelors degree, doing prereqs at a community college was a bad plan - you haven't demonstrated your ability to handle the rigors of med school to anybody who has a bias against community colleges.

If my chance right now to allopathic is so slim, doing the BSN for a year and getting a good GPA will actually help me to get into allopathic medical school, right?
That would over write my previous bad UG GPA .

Absolutely incorrect. Every college transcript you've ever received must be reported when you apply to med school. If you apply DO, you can replace a grade if you repeat a course. But the coursework for nursing has almost no overlap with the coursework for premed, so you buy yourself nothing in retakes. Two years of additional undergrad coursework might get you barely to a 3.0, which is not at all competitive for medical school, so you would need to do additional work to prove your mettle (such as a medical masters program). Furthermore, you will be questioned as to why you used up a nursing school seat with no intent to be a nurse, when there is a huge nursing shortage.

Still, when u said that u have seen residents who are pregnant, are they allow to take a break after the babies are born and then continue their residencies?

Generally, yes. You are expected to use up your sick leave and vacation leave first.

Also, take a look at UNECOM (a DO school in Maine) for a published 5-year policy, where you can effectively plan ahead to have kids during med school by slowing things down.

Can u have a gap after medical school graduation to have babies and then start residencies?

Sure. This isn't the best career planning, but people do it.

More than 50% of medical students and residents are women in their prime child-bearing years. Breaks for babies are the norm, and it won't be long before the dads are looking for leaves too. Keep in mind, as you think about this, that the intensity of medical training is such that if you get time off which another student or resident does not, this will be resented. A good attitude would be one where you extend support and favors to your peers in anticipation of needing their help. Don't assume your peers will feel overjoyed and supportive when you take leave - plan ahead, make friends, not enemies.

Best of luck to you.

 

[OncoCaP]

Do what you think is right. It is confusing because there are so many factors; many unknowns for you. You are wise to ask the questions that you raise. My sense from reading your post is that RN, PA, or NP career with a family may very well be satisfying and much less painful than the MD route. These RN/PA/NP/NA routes give you a decent career & income but often leave enough time for a nice personal life. Certainly the MD & family can be done; I see a lot more suffering/tradeoffs on this route than I do on the PA route for example. It's not a trivial issue. MD students sometimes have their dreams crushed as well by various brutal realities. The fact that your spouse is not financially contributing very much is certainly a big factor as to why I'm suggesting what I am saying above. Again, do what you think is right. You may want to explore what it is about becoming a physician that appeals to you and see to what extent those needs might be met by other careers. I have met a lot of physicians (men & women) with wonderful careers and broken/damaged personal lives. Physicians are certainly not the only ones who have trouble when it comes to their personal lives, but the high stress and intense time commitments during training and early career take their toll. Hopefully you will have a clear sense of your priorities if you decide that the MD route is right for you because they will be challenged early and often. Medicine is a jealous lover. 🙂

 

[princekc]

immanuel...DrMidlife have done a great job by answering your question/concern line by line. If I were in your position; I would definitely follow my gut feeling. If you think you wouldn't be happy as a nurse then pursue the MD/DO route. May be you should consider starting procreation now so by the time you start med sch your child could be at least a year and plus older.

 

[immanuel11421]

thanks so much for all of your inputs, supports and empathies.
I do have a lot of unknown in my life and the lack of financial support makes me tempted to play it safe.
I am already accepted to the accelerated BSN program.
If my previous undergraduate GPA wasn't so low as 2.85, I probably will be more confident that I will get accepted to med-school.
Though I got all science courses in my post-graduate GPA 4.0, they are from community college. ( I have to take them from CC because of my overtime work schedule and financial situation).
If someone can convince me that the A from community college can still look appealing to medical committee, I probably will be more steadfast in pursuing med-school. But I just read some very negative things from other thread about taking classes from CC. On top of that, my 2.85 UG GPA from 10 years ago probably doesn't help.(though I took no classes in science back then and it was an art major)
As much as I would like to be a doctor, with my biological clock ticking and my 'useless' A from community college( though I work very hard for and all tests I score 100%), I probably should play it safe and accept the offer to BSN accelerated program.
Unless anyone of u know someone who has a bad UG GPA and then good post graduate GPA from community college and still got accepted to med-school?

 

[princekc]

A 2.85 will not get you a sniff from any allopathic school.

....I completely disagree! If you enroll & did very well in a rigorous post-bac program and score >30 on the mcat your luck might shine. otherwise I'll recommend that you should apply broadly (DO/MD sch).

Do not be discourage. I was an immigrant like you and completely understand how difficult things can get coming to this country. You try to learn the system, you work full time and at the same time put yourself through sch.

Again, if you think you'll be happy as a nurse then go for it otherwise stick with becoming a MD/DO.

Good luck.

 

[Excelsius]

thanks so much for all of your inputs, supports and empathies.
I do have a lot of unknown in my life and the lack of financial support makes me tempted to play it safe.
I am already accepted to the accelerated BSN program.
If my previous undergraduate GPA wasn't so low as 2.85, I probably will be more confident that I will get accepted to med-school.
Though I got all science courses in my post-graduate GPA 4.0, they are from community college. ( I have to take them from CC because of my overtime work schedule and financial situation).
If someone can convince me that the A from community college can still look appealing to medical committee, I probably will be more steadfast in pursuing med-school. But I just read some very negative things from other thread about taking classes from CC. On top of that, my 2.85 UG GPA from 10 years ago probably doesn't help.(though I took no classes in science back then and it was an art major)
As much as I would like to be a doctor, with my biological clock ticking and my 'useless' A from community college( though I work very hard for and all tests I score 100%), I probably should play it safe and accept the offer to BSN accelerated program.
Unless anyone of u know someone who has a bad UG GPA and then good post graduate GPA from community college and still got accepted to med-school?

Listen, people on SDN sometimes are unnecessarily and overly negative. You definitely need the reality check that some members gave you here, but you are on the right path and there is no need to be so negative. The answer to you question is yes, absolutely. There are many applicants who get into medschool below the average numbers. For some further reality check and encouragement, look here: AMCAS GPA, MCAT, vs Acceptance, or here AMCAS Statistics Refinement: MCAT vs GPA vs Acceptance (if you are not URM). About 15% of applicants with your GPA range are accepted to medschool every year. (About 11% for non-URMS.) That's a lot less than the 46% national average, but so what? This process is very individualistic. First of all, if you can get a good MCAT score and you are maintaining close to 4.0, there are schools out there who will overlook your performance from so many years ago. Some schools place over three times more weight on your upper division work than your freshman year. Other schools like to see a good character. Some are interested in research and some care about involvement in your community. You definitely can do this if you want to.

I also have to tell you that if you can easily get discouraged by what some people tell you in an anonymous forum and not pursue your career, then you may not be able to do it. Medicine involves a lot of pressure and being discouraged from applying is not the worst thing that you may experience. Are you willing to pull through regardless of who says what? When I came to SDN, I was even more discouraged than you are now, but I never gave up. You need to decide for yourself whether this is something you really want to do. There are people on SDN who can't get into medschool even with 3.8+. There are also people who give up on MD schools even though their GPA and MCAT are right at the average levels. Given the wide range of personalities, some will discourage you based on their experience. All you need to worry about is what YOU have to do to get what you need. If you decide that MD school is too much work, you can always go the DO route - they replace your bad grades if you retake your courses. Essentially, you can have 4.0 in your prereqs if you retake all of them. As a guide, check out the BCPM link in my signature and plan your moves. I think you have an opportunity to have a very high BCPM GPA. That's half the battle. Don't forget to also do some volunteer work, shadowing, research (if you like it), and perhaps start preparing for the MCAT. Your task is not impossible. Getting into med school is not as hard as SDNers describe (many of them in their teens or low 20s). If you apply to around 40 schools - the right schools - your chances of getting into medschool will be higher than of those if above average stats applying to 10 or so schools. I have calculated this statistically.

You obviously have a lot of reading to do. If you hang out around SDN and read voraciously - read 50 times as much as you post - in about three months you'll know almost everything you need to know, and in six months you'll be an expert. Last summer I spent every day reading SDN, other blogs, AMCAS statistics, and any other information I could find. Now I have a huge file full of statistics and vital application data. My experience has shown that many times posters do not evaluate situations correctly and that all medschool admission books lack the most important pieces of information. Bottom line - you cannot get more information from any other source than SDN and the AMCAS website. Once you understand the information, you'll be the best judge of your situation.

I also recommend that you visit every single medschool in your area and try to talk to the dean or someone else in admissions about your situation and what you can do to become a better candidate. Be proactive. Sometimes that requires kicking some ass, including your own!

 

[flip26]

So, are u guys saying that I should turn down the offer to the accelerated program right now and apply to DO?
Or should I accept the offer and finish the BSN in a year and then apply to medical school?

No, do not attend the BSN program now. I am suggesting you should take the next year to try to get in med school, and if it doesn't happen for you, THEN reapply to the BSN program. You could ask them now about a deferral, but my real point is that you have already established that you can get into a BSN program, so I see no reason why you couldn't turn that down and reapply in a year...

 

[DOquestions]

Hi,

I am 31 years old and going to be 32 in a few months. I worked full time and go to school full time trying to do all the pre-med sciences courses.
I had an undergraduate degree in art/design and absolutely hated it.
It was a long complicated story of how I got into that intead of pursuing to be a doctor back then. My undergraduate degree GPA was 2.85 due to some tragic events while I was in college.
But years back when I was in my country, I had always been an outstanding science student and so now that I had gotten my greencard, I decided to go back to school to be a doctor.
My postgraduate science GPA is 4.0 so far. I only have Physics 2 and Orgo 2 left to take in the Fall.
However, because of my bad undergraduate GPA, some people recommended me to have a back up plan in case I don't get accepted into medical school.
Someone suggested that I should look into becoming a CRNA.
So, I apply to the accelerated BSN program and surprsingly, I got accepted. The 15 months program starts this year in June.I realize that nursing will never be the same as of practicing medicine.
I am excited more for the reason that I don't have to work in the retail business that I am in right now.
Originally, I plan on taking the mcat next year in April and apply for medical school that starts in 2011.
But now, I am very confused.
I need some advice.
On one hand, if I go for this BSN program, it gives me something to fall back on if MD doesn't work. And it may actually gives me a chance to repair my bad undergraduate GPA and enhance my chance to medical school if I still feel like applying after.
And I can work some shift as a nurse while I am in medical school or it is possible to work at all during medical school?
On the other hand, this will delay me going to medical school for another couple more years since I will not be
able to take mcat next year for being in the accelerated program. Also, I heard rumours that medical committee may look down on me more if my background is RN.
The last thing I need if to pursue another second career that turns out to be something that I hate or be looked down on.
I did not want to be a doctor simply because of money. It's because I truly enjoy studying the material and convinced that I can excel in it and help people with my medical knowledge. Ideally, I would like to be a medical scientist.
I am very confused. The other thing that ever hold me back from becoming a doctor and trade it for becoming a CRNA is that I worry about my biological clock.
I am 32 now. If I start medical school in 2012, by the time when I finish residency, I probably would be 41.
I will probably miss my chance of having kids.
My husband is emotionally very supportive though not financially( that's why I have to work and go to school at the same time). My husband think that I should go with my dream and go to medical school and have kids after medical school but before residency or take a break in between. Is that possible? Residency is hard as it is, having kids around that time would be worse...
Is it really more practical for me to just settle as a CRNA at my age if I do want to have kids?

Never a day in my life did I ever think I had what it took to become a doctor. I've been doing a lot ECs, research, health care patient contact work, shadowing and a lot other stuff and I never once thought I had what it took to get into a medical school. Over the past couple of weeks I have been talking with admissions counselors at DO medical schools and all of the work that I have done during my college days and before are greater than most applicants they have ever seen. My only drawback is my GPA. So apply to DO schools (leave those competitive 18-20 year old kids with no real world experience with those 3.85 GPAs go to the allopathec schools and leave them bitch about how they hate medical school and how they wish they were like their finance or business friends making money and getting drunk on the weekends).

Seriously. Go for your dream. You will know if your dream is a reality over the next few years. If you don't get the chance to make it into medical school, there is nothing wrong with doing the accelerated nursing program and working you way up the nursing career ladder to whatever area you find desirable.

 

[immanuel11421]

Hi guys,

I am honestly too chicken to turn down the offer of the accelerated BSN program because of my background for fear that I will have nothing to fall back on if I do not get accepted into any med-school(both DO/ MD).
So, here's my new plan and would appreciate your input.
If I am determine to shoot for 2010 entrance and want to take the mcat in June, do u think the medical school committee cares that I still have 2 outstanding pre-req??
I am still going to finish the pre-req but I want to submit application for 2010 and without mcat, I cannot do so.
I will take the outstanding pre-req after mcat next year while I am in the accelerated BSN program.
Before I was informed that I got accepted into the BSN program, I was intedning to quit my job after I got acccepted into medical school and take mcat next year and apply for 2011. But now, I am going to quit my job to take the BSN program anyway, I might just as well quit a few months earlier and study for the mcat and take it now before I staret the BSN program. If I get into 2010 med-school classes, it will even save me a year of my valuable 'youth'.
Also, applying before I start the BSN program will not look so bad like I they will see that I am already enrolled in BSN and still apply to med-school and they will wonder what's wrong with me.
I still have Physics 2 and Orgo 2. It's too late to register for them now.
I am inspired by the fact that if u took your clasees so long ago and still did fine in mcat, it's really from studying on your own and the Kaplan classes, not from college classroom.

My new plan is to quit my job and study hard for the mcat now.
I know I will have to study harder on my own since I haven't taken these 2 classes but I figure I can take some Kaplan classes.

And some people suggest after all, the Biological science part, Orgo is not really that big a percentage and some poeple suggest that they are able to answer question in Physcial science using only their Physics 1 knowledge. Maybe they bluff.

But the main thing is will the committe weed me out for having 2 outstanding pre-req( which I will finish later, I am sure I will manage to squeeze in the pre-req while I am in the BSN program )?
Do they care about the 2 outstanding pre-req if my mcat is above 32 during the reviewing process of my application?
Had anyone ever applied wihout finishing their pre-req?

 

[flip26]

Hi guys,

I am honestly too chicken to turn down the offer of the accelerated BSN program because of my background for fear that I will have nothing to fall back on if I do not get accepted into any med-school(both DO/ MD).
So, here's my new plan and would appreciate your input.
If I am determine to shoot for 2010 entrance and want to take the mcat in June, do u think the medical school committee cares that I still have 2 outstanding pre-req??
I am still going to finish the pre-req but I want to submit application for 2010 and without mcat, I cannot do so.
I will take the outstanding pre-req after mcat next year while I am in the accelerated BSN program.
Before I was informed that I got accepted into the BSN program, I was intedning to quit my job after I got acccepted into medical school and take mcat next year and apply for 2011. But now, I am going to quit my job to take the BSN program anyway, I might just as well quit a few months earlier and study for the mcat and take it now before I staret the BSN program. If I get into 2010 med-school classes, it will even save me a year of my valuable 'youth'.
Also, applying before I start the BSN program will not look so bad like I they will see that I am already enrolled in BSN and still apply to med-school and they will wonder what's wrong with me.
I still have Physics 2 and Orgo 2. It's too late to register for them now.
I am inspired by the fact that if u took your clasees so long ago and still did fine in mcat, it's really from studying on your own and the Kaplan classes, not from college classroom.

My new plan is to quit my job and study hard for the mcat now.
I know I will have to study harder on my own since I haven't taken these 2 classes but I figure I can take some Kaplan classes.

And some people suggest after all, the Biological science part, Orgo is not really that big a percentage and some poeple suggest that they are able to answer question in Physcial science using only their Physics 1 knowledge. Maybe they bluff.

But the main thing is will the committe weed me out for having 2 outstanding pre-req( which I will finish later, I am sure I will manage to squeeze in the pre-req while I am in the BSN program )?
Do they care about the 2 outstanding pre-req if my mcat is above 32 during the reviewing process of my application?
Had anyone ever applied wihout finishing their pre-req?

For someone planning to apply to medical school in a few months, you are very poorly informed about the the most basics of applying, the timing of pre reqs with respect to applications and taking the MCAT, the idea of dropping in on a few Kaplan classes, how med schools will react to a current nursing student applying to med school, etc...

If somebody else wants to spoon feed you the answers to your very basic questions while pointing out your folly, they can go ahead and do it, but IMO if your goal is med school, you are embarking on a path towards failure with this plan.

My advice: take the BSN path and never look back.

 

[immanuel11421]

Hi Flip 26,

There's no need for u to be so annoyed at my indecision.

I am frustrated with all my unknowns and poverty that always make me afraid.

One other reason that I refused to turn down the BSN offer is that accelerated program is also very competitive, especially to state school since it's so cheap and so fast.

I applied to a few state school and only one accept me probably because of my previous low UG GPA.

I mean to take the mcat in April and apply through AMCAS in May.

At that time, no one will even know that I will be a nursing student in July.
Yes, I know my plan is not much of a precise plan but it's my one last shot out of desperation.

And yes, if they do call me for an interview later.

I am not saying that I will learn everything I need to know from stepping into a few Kaplan clases either. But I am just saying that they will help.

Honestly, I had some pretty crappy professors and I manage to get good score in the test from teaching myself and studying on my own.
I have called up some med-school and they saying it's ok to have one outstanding pre-req while applying but just have to be finished later on before med-school start.

But my major question for posting this is that if having 2 outstanding pre-req outstanding is too much? And if that will lower my chances.

It may sound like I am such a indecisive coward. I still have my dream of being a doctor and I never quit in my life. I had a dream too 12 years ago of coming to USA and I had gone through deportation to being homeless etc. I finally realize my dream now and become American but I am just not sure if I am ready to make all these sacrifice and pay such a big price and risk everything that I have now for my dream again. That's why I try to play it safe and looking for back up plan.

 

[scarletgirl777]

Hi Flip 26,

There's no need for u to be so annoyed at my indecision.

I am frustrated with all my unknowns and poverty that always make me afraid.

One other reason that I refused to turn down the BSN offer is that accelerated program is also very competitive, especially to state school since it's so cheap and so fast.

I applied to a few state school and only one accept me probably because of my previous low UG GPA.

I mean to take the mcat in April and apply through AMCAS in May.

At that time, no one will even know that I will be a nursing student in July.
Yes, I know my plan is not much of a precise plan but it's my one last shot out of desperation.

And yes, if they do call me for an interview later.

I am not saying that I will learn everything I need to know from stepping into a few Kaplan clases either. But I am just saying that they will help.

Honestly, I had some pretty crappy professors and I manage to get good score in the test from teaching myself and studying on my own.
I have called up some med-school and they saying it's ok to have one outstanding pre-req while applying but just have to be finished later on before med-school start.

But my major question for posting this is that if having 2 outstanding pre-req outstanding is too much? And if that will lower my chances.

It may sound like I am such a indecisive coward. I still have my dream of being a doctor and I never quit in my life. I had a dream too 12 years ago of coming to USA and I had gone through deportation to being homeless etc. I finally realize my dream now and become American but I am just not sure if I am ready to make all these sacrifice and pay such a big price and risk everything that I have now for my dream again. That's why I try to play it safe and looking for back up plan.

How "accelerated" is this program? Med schools don't like to accept people who are not on track to finish their degree before finishing med school, so if the program is more than a year, that's a problem. Also, will you have time to take your 2 prerequisites and do WELL at the same time as doing an accelerated program?

 

[student1799]

Dear OP,

I'm a fellow nontraditional student, and I recently got accepted to med school at the age of 45. (I have kids already.) I wish you all the best with your plans, but I think you really need to sit down and sort out one very basic question: nursing or medicine? Until you make that decision, you can't really make any intelligent plans for the future.

If you want to be a nurse, go to nursing school, but don't look at it as a bridge to medicine, at least in the very short term (i.e. applying to med school without ever practicing as a nurse). I think this strategy would be very likely to engender negative comments and resentment from medical school admissions committees, because you have taken up a place in nursing school without any real intention of being a nurse. As others have said, this isn't really fair.

On the other hand, you could go to nursing school and work as a nurse for a few years to support yourself and build up some savings while you take premed classes and put in some volunteer time in a community-service capacity. Over on the nontrad forum, I have heard of nurses doing this, and I don't think anyone holds it against them. The tradeoff, of course, is that it will take longer to get to your ultimate goal. If time is precious to you, perhaps that's too big a sacrifice to make. But if money is really tight, perhaps it's the only practical way to work towards your goal. (And, incidentally, it might be a lot easier for you to start a family while working as a nurse than as a med student or resident.)

As far as applying for med school without Physics 2 and Orgo 2, I would definitely NOT try this. These are important classes, and med schools will want to see how you do on them to judge your science ability, especially since your undergrad GPA is so low. In fact, you probably need to take a few extra science classes on top of the basic requirements in order to raise your GPA. (When you say your "postgraduate GPA," what exactly do you mean? If these are undergrad science classes you're taking, they still count in your undergrad GPA.)

Also, if your uGPA really is as low as you say, you'll need a much higher MCAT score than 32 to help your chances of admission to med school. You probably need to spend a fair amount of time studying for this exam, to give yourself a shot at doing really well.

The more I think about your situation, the more it seems to me that nursing is your best option for now--but plan on spending at least a few years in the field. Give the profession a chance and see how you like it; at the same time, work on strengthening your credentials as a potential med school applicant, if your heart is really set on that. But don't try to rush things, as I doubt it will work out for you.

Good luck.

 

[flip26]

Hi Flip 26,

There's no need for u to be so annoyed at my indecision.

I am frustrated with all my unknowns and poverty that always make me afraid.

One other reason that I refused to turn down the BSN offer is that accelerated program is also very competitive, especially to state school since it's so cheap and so fast.

I applied to a few state school and only one accept me probably because of my previous low UG GPA.

I mean to take the mcat in April and apply through AMCAS in May.

At that time, no one will even know that I will be a nursing student in July.
Yes, I know my plan is not much of a precise plan but it's my one last shot out of desperation.

And yes, if they do call me for an interview later.

I am not saying that I will learn everything I need to know from stepping into a few Kaplan clases either. But I am just saying that they will help.

Honestly, I had some pretty crappy professors and I manage to get good score in the test from teaching myself and studying on my own.
I have called up some med-school and they saying it's ok to have one outstanding pre-req while applying but just have to be finished later on before med-school start.

But my major question for posting this is that if having 2 outstanding pre-req outstanding is too much? And if that will lower my chances.

It may sound like I am such a indecisive coward. I still have my dream of being a doctor and I never quit in my life. I had a dream too 12 years ago of coming to USA and I had gone through deportation to being homeless etc. I finally realize my dream now and become American but I am just not sure if I am ready to make all these sacrifice and pay such a big price and risk everything that I have now for my dream again. That's why I try to play it safe and looking for back up plan.

Indecision is not your problem. In fact, it is the opposite. You are making faulty decisions.

Plenty of people apply without having finished pre-reqs - this works out OK for people who have a solid GPA, but that is not your case.

However, to take the MCAT prior to finishing the pre-reqs is very risky.

Kaplan does not have a "drop in for a few classes" payment plan. You talk about poverty being a barrier, well get prepared to drop $2k on a Kaplan class...

You are headed for a huge crash and burn on the MCAT, and that will kill any chance you ever had for med school. This is not a process to rush into - you don't know nearly enough about the hurdles and obstacles in the med school admission process to be taking an April MCAT and submitting AMCAS in June.

Either take the time to do med school apps right and defer the BSN, or go ahead to the BSN program and if you still have the med school bug in a few years, go about taking the MCAT in way that will help you succeed.

 

[bellakk]

As I said in my previous post, you need to make an advising appointment with a medical school and visit them in person about this situation, a phone call will not suffice.

I mean to take the mcat in April and apply through AMCAS in May.

At that time, no one will even know that I will be a nursing student in July.

So you are planning on submitting your AMCAS application this summer, but not telling the AMCAS that you will be in nursing school in the fall? During your interviews, they will ask you what you're currently up to and then you will have A LOT of explaning to do as to why this is not on your application

I am not saying that I will learn everything I need to know from stepping into a few Kaplan clases either. But I am just saying that they will help.

A Kaplan MCAT course cost $1600, you have to purchase the entire course, not just a class here and there. Normally I would not advise taking a course (I took one and it was a waste of money and many friends agree), however since you will be taking the MCAT without all the prereqs completed, the course might be beneficial.

But my major question for posting this is that if having 2 outstanding pre-req outstanding is too much? And if that will lower my chances.

its not the number of outstanding prereqs that will lower your chances, but more importantly what those courses are. Physics isnt a big deal since no one rarely takes past physics 2. However organic chem might be simply because if you havent taken organic 2 then you definately havent taken biochem, which med schools like to see.

If you are in nursing school for the next fall and spring, when will you have time to take organic 2 and physics2? Nursing school is a full time job and an accelerated nursing program is like working a full time job with A LOT of overtime. You will not have time to have a job outside the nursing program and definately will not have time to take additional classes.

One of the unwritten (actually for many schools, is official) requirements for medical school is to have taken many upper division science courses. Because you are taking all your sciences at a Community College, none of these courses are considered upper division. Therefore, although your science GPA may be a 4.0 (which is awsome and I applaude you for it!), you have no proof on your transcript that you are capable of handling a true upper division science such as genetics, biochemistry (biochem at a CC doesnt count), cell biology or any other similar course. And truth be told, medical school biochem and cell biology is even tougher has even more information to learn.

Although the AMCAS and AACOMAS opening is still months away, do you think you will be prepared for it when it does come time to submit? If you truely want to submit for fall 2010, you will need to take the MCAT NO LATER than july and will need to start studying immediately if you plan to teach yourself organic 2 and physics 2 in addition to reviewing all the other material. Because English is not your first language, you will need to spend lots of extra time studying for the verbal section.

In addition, do you have an idea of who you will get letters of recommendation from? It is strongly preferred that your letter writers have a PhD and most CC professors are not PhD's. If you plan on applying to DO school, you will most likely need a letter of rec from a DO. Also, do you have plenty of clinical experience to write about in your application? I was told by one school that they like to see at least 100 hours of clinical experience (this includes volunteering/working/shadowing).

But most importantly, I completely agree with many of the posts above that there are people all over the country whose life goal is to be a nurse. If you do not want to be a nurse then dont take that spot from someone who does.

And dont be so sure that nursing school will be a piece of cake and raise your GPA. Nursing school isnt hard like medical school is, but it is no walk in the park. Get a hold of a nursing book and see if that material interests you. Nursing school is not science, like how disease works, it is mostly learning how to take care of people.

If medicine is truely what you want to do, you should take the next year and do a post-bac program or a special masters that is specifically tailored to med-school applicants. You need to spend the next year taking courses such as Histology, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, not Fundamentals of Nursing and Health Assesment. It would probably be best to wait until next summer and submit for the 2011 application cycle.

Dont forget that many very qualified applicants get turned down their first try to med school. It takes A LOT of people a second application before they are accepted. Are you prepared for this extra time?

Here is an article you might find inspiring. I have no idea what country you're from, but this guy went from being a 19 year old mexican immigrant who didnt speak english to a 30 year old cum laude from Harvard Medical School and he now works at Johns Hopkins in neurosurgery.
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/dome/0609/top_story.cfm

 

[immanuel11421]

Hi Bellakk,

Thanks for the link, it's very inspiring. It brings tears to my eyes.
It reminded me of my past and present,except that he doesn't have to worry about giving birth....
I actually saw the same guy in the show HOPKINS.

Thanks for everyone's support and input.

 

[Bleurberry]

Hi Bellakk,

Thanks for the link, it's very inspiring. It brings tears to my eyes.
It reminded me of my past and present,except that he doesn't have to worry about giving birth....
I actually saw the same guy in the show HOPKINS.

Thanks for everyone's support and input.

I am 31 in June, I never finished my bachelors in Spanish Lit and went back in 2006, did all the pre-reqs, took the 1 spanish class I needed, graduated, got into med school this year after having taken the pre-reqs and done the scutwork. If it's your passion, it'll shine through, because it has to.
I was listening to a program on NPR that the real innovators are using this economy to further their invention/businesses- because they have to. The "tourist" entrepreneurs who seek out fair weather, as this one interviewee stated it, have little chance.

I will be 41 when I'm done all my schooling; so what? I'd be turning 41 if I wasn't pursuing medicine, either. 🙄 Anyhow, good travels.

 

[Excelsius]

...
I will be 41 when I'm done all my schooling; so what? I'd be turning 41 if I wasn't pursuing medicine, either. 🙄 Anyhow, good travels.

That's a good way to look at it. Lost wages are the only drawback, but in the scheme of things, that's not a big problem. It's not like you'd be making a lot of money with just a bachelor's degree anyway. Plus, you'll get to do what you always wanted to do.

 

[Bleurberry]

That's a good way to look at it. Lost wages are the only drawback, but in the scheme of things, that's not a big problem. It's not like you'd be making a lot of money with just a bachelor's degree anyway. Plus, you'll get to do what you always wanted to do.

Which I didn't know I wanted to do until I was 26 anyway!
I'm a late bloomer, yo.
Teachers make a decent living, but this way i side-step the expensive "mid-life crisis". 😎

 

[KeyzerSoze]

If you are worried about your "biological clock" then have some eggs/embryos frozen. Certainly "octomom" has shown that this can be done with relative ease. It's not cheap but it will allow you to have more options in terms of being able to have a child (or two but not eight) later on.

Good luck.

Congratulations. Never in the history of SDN has such bad advice about Assisted Reproductive Technology been tossed out with such aplomb.

 

[Dissonance]

Congratulations. Never in the history of SDN has such bad advice about Assisted Reproductive Technology been tossed out with such aplomb.

To the OP:

There are several options for non-traditionals like yourself.

Post bacc, SMP's, DO, and Caribbean.

Now that people in this thread have motivated you, do some researching and thread-reading and I'm certain you'll find a path that will suit your situation just fine.