Architecture grad looking for a way into medicine

[WellerZ06]

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[jophe]

Weller:

I can sorta relate to your situation. I have a strong passion for the visual arts, especially graphic design. I pursued it for a while as an undergrad after doing the pre-med coursework. But what stopped me from going all the way was what you described. Creativity is definitely on the back-burner, and I do not want to spend my day behind a computer. Unless, of course, you relocate to NYC/LA/Europe, and end up in a real fresh design or ad agency. Even then, you are kind of flying by the seat of your pants. I love the arts, and I will continue to engage in the work - just not full-time. Fortunately, I have a passion for medicine - and it engages me in SO many more levels than just design. So for someone in your position, I would recommend finding some quality volunteer work first. Look at state-sponsored free clinics, you will get a lot of experience due to the fact they are so short on staff. Or just go through local hospitals. The main point is to see what medicine is all about, to watch doctors do their thing and see if the work itself interests you.
Then you should track down some doctors who will let you shadow them - another excellent way to observe. Read some books - see if you can find "The Intern" by Doctor X it really helped me figure out if medicine was right for me. Research all of the steps you will have to take to get into med school, and what you have to do once you are in. Then if you are still serious about it, look at what undergrad classes you need to take and how long it will take you to complete them. Also look at cost as well. Medicine is a long road, and it takes a great deal of commitment - but its hardships reveal rewards that make it all worthwhile to those who are in it for the right reasons. Best of luck!

 

[Pemberley]

So, forum... I'm asking your advice. Should I drop everything and go back to school full-time? Should I just take classes part-time somewhere around here and then apply to med-school?
thanks in advance for any advice

A lot depends on you... your financial situation and personal tolerance for risk.

My own tolerance for financial risk is quite low and my husband's graduate stipend isn't enough for both of us, so I did 2x classes per semester while still working full time. It was VERY TOUGH. But I'm glad that I did it. It wasn't the fastest route to medicine -- but this isn't a race. I pulled my 3.0 up to a 3.3, which still isn't stellar, but gives me a shot.

I have a friend who's still working part time while going to school not-quite-full-time. That's working out well for her, but she's a little younger than I, and not looking to start a family.

I know other people who lay out the $$ to go back full-time to do extra undergrad classes, or who lay out $$$$$ to do an official post-bac. I would only do that option if it had a linkage agreement, but that's just me. Your results may vary.

 

[WellerZ06]

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[relentless11]

WellerZ06,

I would highly recommend shadowing a physician before making a full committment. Shadow more than one time to try to get a decent picture. As you pointed out, some professions such as being an architect, isn't all its built up to be. However that may also apply to medicine, so its crucial that you witness what goes on in the trenches.

Your GPA is better than mine😳, but assuming you are good to go with this, I'd recommend you to boost it a tad (3.2-3.3 range) to be competative for post-bacc/SMP, and then apply to a Special Masters (SMP), or career changer post-bacc program. Perhaps a program with linkage as well. To boost your GPA from a 3.0, you can just finish off your pre-reqs. Although CC coursework is OK, its highly recommended that you take it at a 4-year university since some schools are biased against CC coursework. Either the SMP or post-bacc route would expedite the journey assuming you do well.
Of course there are many other hoops to jump through, even after taking all the classes such as the MCAT, and extracurriculars, but the most important thing right now is knowing if medicine is the right thing for you.

I've known people who wanted to be physicians since high school, only to realize it wasn't for them while in college. There are a handful of people who realize that during med school too, so its perfectly normal, but also something to be aware of. Its easy to say that you want to be something now, but when faced with the reality, things may be a lot different. Regardless good luck with whatever you choose!

 

[Law2Doc]

WellerZ06,

I would highly recommend shadowing a physician before making a full committment. Shadow more than one time to try to get a decent picture. As you pointed out, some professions such as being an architect, isn't all its built up to be. However that may also apply to medicine, so its crucial that you witness what goes on in the trenches.

Agree with this. OP - from your post we know why you don't like your current job but not really why you want medicine. Salary is a nice perq but cannot be a driving force to get through what will be another good, hard, decade of school and training. And a lot of medicine is routine -- it's simply not like ER or Gray's. You can feel underpaid, overworked, bored, underutilized and underappreciated in any field, especially medicine. So the key is to really look before you leap, and make sure this path is for you.
Shadow doctors. Volunteer in hospitals. Talk to people in many specialties -- particularly more recently minted folks (the older docs will have different perspectives as the state of medicine has drastically changed in the last couple of decades, thanks to insurance company involvement). Find out what medicine is all about.
Much as you probably once thought architecture was more exciting than it actually is, the same may go for medicine. Or you may love it. But you need to find that out FIRST. Because hating your prior job and hoping for a higher income are simply not enough of a reason to launch down this path. It is not something you can dabble in. You have to actually WANT to practice medicine. No other reason will get you through.

 

[WellerZ06]

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[relentless11]

While salary is a factor in my decision to leave Architecture, it is not what led me to explore medicine. The fact that I'm not permitted to think outside the lines, to be as creative as I want to be, the complete waste of talent and skills in a market that's only looking to to get by with what's "practical". With medicine, people expect your highest performance. Nothing is more important to a person than their own physical self. I love helping people. It's in my nature. This, ultimately, is what led me to explore medicine.

In theory, people expect the relative highest performance from any profession. You'd be surprised what is considered important to people. However generically saying that you want to help people isn't adequate to be a physician. EMTs, paramedics, nurses, scientists, teachers, dentists, pharmacists, etc all help people, and people do expect the highest performance from these professions. So again, I'd recommend looking into this field, since it seems your decisions are still quite embryonic.

Assuming I have the intelligence of 26-year old college graduate and already know that medicine isn't what's seen on television, can someone answer the questions I have pertaining to a post-bac and what exactly a linkage agreement is?
thanks

To tell you the truth, I've been a pre-med since undergrad, never watching those TV shows, nor did I expect medicine to be like TV. However everyday I have run into the good, bad and ugly of medicine. Certainly don't hear about these things our there in the public. Whats important is, again, seeing it in person, to get a more "hands-on" perspective.

In regards to linkage, some post-bacc programs are linked to a med school. If you attend such a post-bacc, and provided you maintain a certain performance criteria, you get a conditional acceptance to the school they are linked to. For example, Scripps down in Southern California is linked to George Washington University or something, while Mills College in Northern California is linked to Tulane University. Obviously good if those are your dream schools, and of course a "guaranteed admission" if you do well. On the down side, these programs are usually quite competative to get into, and also quite expensive.

 

[WellerZ06]

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[relentless11]

Honestly, I don't really have any "dream" schools in mind. I'm not sure why people invest so much time and money for the sake graduating from a particular school. This is another realization that doesn't hit until after being introduced into the dog-eat-dog world of the work force. Your degree from that fine university isn't worth any more than the average Joe's. In some instances, firms tend to overlook candidates with expensive degrees because they know they'll be looking for more than average.
Before taking the plunge, I will definitely "shadow" a local physician. I'll also ask if he recommends any anesthesiologists to consult as I'm almost positive this is the area I'd like to focus in.
Should I decide to go back to school, am I basically looking at a year of physics, a year of chemistry, a year of biochemistry, and a year of biology? As stated above... I have math completed up to calculus 2. I've only take one Biology class. Any recommendations on choosing a major or will I even need to?
thanks again for all the replies. I really do appreciate them.🙂

You probably won't need a major unless you're willing to do another bachelors degree. For a post-bacc program, there isn't any major. At most there is a certificate. For Special Masters Programs, you obviously get a masters degree. You don't have to take biochemistry for most schools, some schools require an upper division science class which may include biochemistry or genetics too. You are also forgetting Organic Chemistry, which is taken the year after general chemistry. Biochemistry is usually not a year long program, unless you are a biochem major. As a biochem major, during my first year I fullfilled my general chem, biology, and calculus (just math for most schools) requirements. The second year I fullfilled my organic chemistry and physics requirements. Somewhere during both years I finished up my english requirement too. Not until my third year did I take biochemistry, physiology, and what not...which, again, are not required for med school or the MCAT, but I found them to be helpful. You might be able to compress chem, bio and physics in the first year, and then do OChem the 2nd year, so you are looking at atleast 2 years.

In terms of the school, for the most part, if you go to any accredited university, you are good to go!👍 However, I must admit there are SMALL "biases" towards the schools that are known for being more challenging/prestigous. This effect is relatively limited, and really only matters when you have two people with similar stats. One of the admissions committee members at UCSF once told us if you had two engineering majors, both with a 3.5 GPA, similar MCAT scores, etc. One went to UC Berkeley, the other went to some unknown school, they would probably favor the person from Berkeley. This is mainly due to Berkeley's name in engineering, as well as its reputation as being a very competative school. It also helps that UCSF is quite familiar with UCB's curriculum. Therefore school familiarity may play a role too, such as UC Davis and Tulane. The UCD students with good stats tend to do well when applying to Tulane, and Tulane med students tend to come back to UCD for residency too. These aren't really official things. However at the very least, going to a big name school, as a pre-med, provides you with resources that less known schools lack. BUT, I have known many physicians to have gone to "lesser known" schools and have done well! For me, I can say that going to UC Davis has helped me do more clinical research, which I would have had a hard time finding if I went to a local California State University. To each their own, but strive for the most rigorous, AND enjoyable route.

 

[Pemberley]

Before taking the plunge, I will definitely "shadow" a local physician. I'll also ask if he recommends any anesthesiologists to consult as I'm almost positive this is the area I'd like to focus in.

Definitely do this. Expect some tough interview questions on how you can be sure medicine is for you when you've changed your mind about career fields once already. I have a shadowing experience that I can be genuinely enthusiastic about, which has helped me enormously in interviews so far.

Should I decide to go back to school, am I basically looking at a year of physics, a year of chemistry, a year of biochemistry, and a year of biology? As stated above... I have math completed up to calculus 2. I've only take one Biology class. Any recommendations on choosing a major or will I even need to?

Not quite... "standard" for you would be 1 year each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and biology. You will not need a second major. You WILL need all your coursework to be on the undergraduate level in order to bring up your GPA. Graduate level work won't get averaged in the same way.

That'll take you 2-4 years depending on your workload and how much time you can commit, less if you stop working and go full-time at some point. Keep in mind that you will probably want a reduced courseload -- none at all if you're working full-time -- while you study for the MCAT. You'll also want to set aside time for long-term volunteering and at least one in-depth shadowing experience. Make a long-term plan. Make it slow enough that you can get good grades and bring up that GPA, but fast enough that the light at the end of the tunnel is as visible as you need it to be to keep motivated. And for goodness sake get out of credit card debt before you incur any more debt!!!

A few schools (Texas ones, that I know of) require another year of bio and a few require 1-2 semesters of biochem. Most places like to see biochem but don't make it a pre-req.

 

[Law2Doc]

Before taking the plunge, I will definitely "shadow" a local physician. I'll also ask if he recommends any anesthesiologists to consult as I'm almost positive this is the area I'd like to focus in.

In terms of this point, absolutely shadow a local physician (more is even better). However don't get your heart set on one field so early. Most people change their minds at least once before making a final decision. You may find you love another field better while doing rotations, or may find you don't like anesthesiology as much when you actually see it in practice. Also to some extent, your board scores, grades, etc. will play a role in whether certain specialties are even going to be possible. More than a few people end up changing their focus once they see what is going to be realistic to get. Good luck.

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

My husband is an architect and you're quite right: the pay never gets any better and neither do the hours. The work is definately not about creativity. If you love it, it's worth it (my huband does love it, so we make it work) but if you don't, get out! Your significant other will be grateful (perhaps this bitterness is due to his just coming home from another 36 hour day?)

Shadow and get in some volunteer time. Committing to a volunteer program at a hospital for a couple of years will help show adcoms you're committed to this new path. I do a few hours on Saturdays every week. I got this advice form a dean of a med school. I would take classes part time while working. It's very do-able. Do one or two per semester. And for goodness sake, get that CC debt paid off! The student loans aren't an issue but the CC debt is. You're making a nice salary for an architect so it shouldn;t take you too long 😉