Attorney who went to Med School - ask away if you have questions

[Beagles]

I used this website as a resource when I started my application process and will be starting my M2 year soon at a US MD school. Started browsing this site again and thought I give back by being a resource for lawyers who are interested in pursuing medicine. When I looked there were some resources on this site for lawyers but not much that wanted to pursue medicine.

A bit about me: 30's with spouse and kids. Practiced law for about 10 years and plan to integrate law into the field of medicine. Finished some pre-requisites while I worked. Applied with about a 3.7 and 30+ MCAT.

I will respond to all questions other than ones that are clearly derogatory (ie, bad lawyer jokes).

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[Brotato]

I will respond to all questions other than ones that are clearly derogatory (ie, bad lawyer jokes).

But are good lawyer jokes allowed?

 

[diagonal]

subtle, very subtle

 

[Beagles]

But are good lawyer jokes allowed?

Sure but I get to decide if they are funny.

 

[OREdwardsJR]

What made you go from Law2Doc?

 

[Beagles]

What made you go from Law2Doc?

That is actually another person. I recall some of his posts. Perhaps he can contribute here as well.

 

[OREdwardsJR]

That is actually another person. I recall some of his posts. Perhaps he can contribute here as well.

I was trying to ask you what made you switch from being an attorney to pursuing medicine in a clever way.

 

[Beagles]

I was trying to ask you what made you switch from being an attorney to pursuing medicine in a clever way.

Oh, I thought you were referring to someone I recall the last time I was on this site back during my application process.

Medicine is one of the possible career paths that I considered in college but did not eventually follow through with it. Still somewhat in the back of my mind as time passed. I enjoy the practice of law so it wasn't that I was trying to escape it. I still hope to integrate my legal background into the field of medicine.

I started searching and found this site as well as oldpremeds and was inspired by others who pursued medicine from other careers. Based on that, I talked with people and got the process started for applying to medical school.

 

[2old4med]

I hope this isn't too personal, but how are you handling med school with a spouse and kids? Is there a financial burden on your spouse? What about time management with a family?

 

[Beagles]

I hope this isn't too personal, but how are you handling med school with a spouse and kids? Is there a financial burden on your spouse? What about time management with a family?

We both worked before school so had some savings. We are relying on that for our living expenses. I was also fortunate to receive a scholarship that pays a portion of tuition. Still accruing more debt that I would like though. Our kids are very young and my wife will likely return to work as they get older.

My school records lectures so I can listen/view lectures around my schedule, which is a great resource. No doubt that my classmates without families can spend more time studying than I can but that is ok. As long as you manage your time, medical school with a family is definitely doable and many do.

 

[Law2Doc]

....Perhaps he can contribute here as well.

I'm happy to contribute. However I disagree with you initial post which suggests there haven't been that many threads for lawyers seeking to go into medicine. There have been dozens.

 

[Beagles]

I'm happy to contribute. However I disagree with you initial post which suggests there haven't been that many threads for lawyers seeking to go into medicine. There have been dozens.

I do recall threads but most of the advice were from non-lawyers. In fact, you are the only attorney that I specifically recall here that actually went to med school and offered advice. Just making myself available as another data point. But point well taken, people should also do thread searches as well.

 

[Law2Doc]

I do recall threads but most of the advice were from non-lawyers. In fact, you are the only attorney that I specifically recall here that actually went to med school and offered advice...

not accurate. There are at least 3-4 former lawyers/law students who regularly offer advice on these threads.

But ask away.

 

[Beagles]

not accurate. There are at least 3-4 former lawyers/law students who regularly offer advice on these threads.

Like I said, the last time I spent any time here was during the application process, maybe 1-2 year ago. Not going to dispute that there are a few others that are similarly situated. They too are encouraged to participate. Just trying to be a resource.

Below is a question sent to me. I think it will benefit others so I am reposting a portion of it here anonymously.

"How did you explain your personal switch from law to medicine? What did you find that most medical schools, if any, were most hesitant regarding accepting a lawyer into medical school or did you find that this was usually viewed as a positive thing? Thanks so much"

How you explain it has to be your own personal story. Mine was referenced in a post earllier. I don't have any intention of leaving the law and made that known on my application. At a minimum, I wan't to integrate it, possibly in public policy policy matters.

I did feel that I had more question marks about me than others who went through the application process. I think admission folks would have more "warm, fuzzy" thoughts If I were a teacher, dancer, or a philosopher than a lawyer. Also, although subtle (and at times not so subtle), there is a stigma against lawyers in the medical field, especially among practicing doctors.

But you can't let that stop you. I got more interviews than I had expected but that translated into fewer acceptances than you would expect (but I was thankful for them). At the end of the day, I gave myself one application cycle and it worked out but was prepared to move on with my life if it didn't.

For the law students out there, my greatest satisfaction and real education about the law came from practice and not school. For that reason, my advice is to practice law before deciding on pursuing medicine. Maybe for not as long as I did, but for at least a year or two.

For lawyers who may be toiling at large law firms, I feel your pain. Before you think about jumping ship into medicine, consider the government and/or smaller shops. My greatest highs within law - winning my first trial or winning a summary judgment motion and getting the decision published - did not come while I was at a large law firm.

Also, do medical volunteering to get experience in the medical field before committing to applying. But if you do all of that and want to pursue medicine, I encourage you to do so. Have competitive grades and MCAT with medical experience, and you should be fine. Yes, some schools may give you slack for your law background but others may view it positively.

The skills you learn as a lawyer, especially those who have practiced, have developed skills like critical thinking, arguing both sides, being creative, and articulating clear arguments. I think these skills are needed in the medical field, especially given the changing climate.

I have said a lot (maybe too much). If anyone still has questions, let me know.

 

[2old4med]

Thank you for sharing your experiences and advice. Will you describe your MCAT study plan that you followed while juggling your other responsibilities?

 

[vc7777]

I'm always curious what kinds of law you guys practiced before med school. Healthcare? Contracts? Corporate? Large/medium/small/boutique firms? Just curious if there is a particular "flavor" of lawyer who gravitates to medicine or some association that can be made. For example, I've never met a med-mal going into medicine - yet I suspect this is what most simplistic/ignorant docs assume was your career. Do you guys get tired of being assumed to be a litigator (assuming you were not) and do you try to correct them?

Thanks, big fan of the show. I'll take my answers off the air.

 

[Beagles]

Thank you for sharing your experiences and advice. Will you describe your MCAT study plan that you followed while juggling your other responsibilities?

I used examkrakers and the berkeley review books and I think that there are practice exams on AAMCAS. I studied mostly in the evenings and weekends. If I could do it all over again (not that I would want to), I would start studying much earlier. If you have a job and have not looked at this stuff for awhile, I would start maybe 1 year before the test.

I started I think 6 months before but definitely felt anxious as the date got closer. I think that I ended up taking the test somewhat late so that taking another one would not realistically give myself enough time for applications. Understanding concepts is much more important than memorization. If I recall, I think examkrakers had a list of formulas at least for physics on the back page.

Not sure if you are in law school or an attorney but don't neglect the verbal portion. I did fairly well on the LSAT so I pretty much ignored studying for the verbal section. I ended up doing poorly on the verbal section (was 3 to 4 points lower than my science scores). I was surprised but decided against taking it again given the circumstances.

Best of luck.

I should add that I did not have children when I studied for the MCAT and applied. If I did, probably would not have pursued it. Not that people with families can't pursue medicine but if we knew that we were expecting, likely not have pursued it given the time commitments needed for newborns.

 

[Back 5]

I'm not an attorney, but I am in my 30's and looking to apply next year.

How did you feel with the overload of information your first year of classes? I'm doing an unofficial post-bacc all while working 40+ hours a week, so I feel as if I am experiencing the stress and fast paced nature of school again (I have been out for a number of years as well).

Did you feel as if your MCAT prep gave you the foundation for the sciences your first year? Did you feel behind and had to study all that much more just to catch up?

 

[Law2Doc]

I'm not an attorney, but I am in my 30's and looking to apply next year.

How did you feel with the overload of information your first year of classes? I'm doing an unofficial post-bacc all while working 40+ hours a week, so I feel as if I am experiencing the stress and fast paced nature of school again (I have been out for a number of years as well).

Did you feel as if your MCAT prep gave you the foundation for the sciences your first year? Did you feel behind and had to study all that much more just to catch up?

The med school curriculum is not easy -- there is so much to know. But i think if you treat it as a long houred job, something you are going to do from the time you finish your coffee in the morning to the time you veg out in front of a late night TV show before you fall asleep, you do fine. In this respect the career changers have it easier -- we are used to getting up and working for 60+ hours a week every week, showing up to everything on the schedule, not taking a few days to goof off, not feeling like we are missing out when we have to work through an entire weekend here or there. For a college kid, that is a big change, for us it's just life. As for the sciences, med school truly teaches you everything you need to know. You just need the prereqs to get in and as foundation. Many science majors each year find themselves at the bottom of their med school classes each year because college rarely scratches the surface of the typical med school, there are many black pearls you have to unlearn, many college courses are not as good as their course titles in terms of what you need to know in medicine, and you really don't remember enough college science by the time you could use it in med school anyhow. So no, you aren't playing catch up, so much as keep up. Sort of like a one mile foot race uphill where some people get a half step head start but many of them are wearing work boots instead of sneakers.

 

[Beagles]

I'm not an attorney, but I am in my 30's and looking to apply next year.

How did you feel with the overload of information your first year of classes? I'm doing an unofficial post-bacc all while working 40+ hours a week, so I feel as if I am experiencing the stress and fast paced nature of school again (I have been out for a number of years as well).

Did you feel as if your MCAT prep gave you the foundation for the sciences your first year? Did you feel behind and had to study all that much more just to catch up?

I don't think that the MCAT gave me much of a foundation. I do actually think that my classmates had more familiarity with the material than I did, mostly because of my background. More than a few that significant coursework in some of the first year courses like anatomy and a few others.

That said, similar to Law2Doc mentioned, if you put in the hours, you will be fine.

 

[Esquire]

I did feel that I had more question marks about me than others who went through the application process. I think admission folks would have more "warm, fuzzy" thoughts If I were a teacher, dancer, or a philosopher than a lawyer. Also, although subtle (and at times not so subtle), there is a stigma against lawyers in the medical field, especially among practicing doctors.

For lawyers who may be toiling at large law firms, I feel your pain. Before you think about jumping ship into medicine, consider the government and/or smaller shops. My greatest highs within law - winning my first trial or winning a summary judgment motion and getting the decision published - did not come while I was at a large law firm.

1. What kind of anti-lawyer comments/questions did you get during the interview process? How did you deal with them?

2. Times have changed for the kids in Big Law. Regarding government, there's a big glut in the pipeline due to mass layoffs of Big Law associates for the past few years. Small law firms come with a big pay cut and it's not worth it if you're not a litigator.

 

[Beagles]

1. What kind of anti-lawyer comments/questions did you get during the interview process? How did you deal with them?

Not really comments but I got an impression that folks thought I just stay in law. There is a general bias that doctors have against lawyers. You may have one that interviews you. Just be prepared for that higher level of scrutiny and have a reason for pursuing medicine.
There are schools that will actually value your legal background. If this is what you want to do and you have done due diligence (both in the legal and medical realms), there is no reason why you can't do it (assuming you have the grades, scores, volunteering experience, etc).

2. Times have changed for the kids in Big Law. Regarding government, there's a big glut in the pipeline due to mass layoffs of Big Law associates for the past few years. Small law firms come with a big pay cut and it's not worth it if you're not a litigator.

Don't let this be the reason for you to go into medicine. Things will get better. Also (assuming you are in school or a fresh grad), don't worry about the money but go for experience. For example, one person approached me years ago stating that she was interested in gaining experience while she waited for her bar exam results. I was impressed and I let her come to several depositions and even second-chaired a trial (could not examine witnesses yet because she wasn't barred yet). I heard that she now works at a boutique law firm.

 

[jldub]

I'm hoping to have similar stats, 3.7 GPA right now, 4.0 sGPA but no MCAT, and was wondering how many schools you applied to, how many you got interviews with and finally how many you got an offer from?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to do this. Hopefully in a couple years I can do something similar.

 

[Beagles]

I'm hoping to have similar stats, 3.7 GPA right now, 4.0 sGPA but no MCAT, and was wondering how many schools you applied to, how many you got interviews with and finally how many you got an offer from?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to do this. Hopefully in a couple years I can do something similar.

Because of my atypical background, I applied broadly: approx 40 schools, 8 or 9 interviews, 2 acceptances, and one waitlist.

Not too many law specific questions but mostly general non-traditional ones. I will try and come back once in awhile to see if anyone has specific law-related ones. But won't be able to check in as often.

Best of luck.

 

[vc7777]

Fyi, you don't need to monitor this thread because you can have SDN email your registered email account whenever someone posts.

Sent from my phone

 

[jldub]

Thanks for the response Beagles. I'm planning on applying to about 40 schools also and it's nice to know I'm not going overboard with that many. I live in Texas and I'm hoping with the way texas schools take so many tx residents I'm hoping I get in here somewhere but I'm going to cast my application net far and wide to get the best chances possible.