B.A., returning for pre-med

[heartsink]

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I've read all the previous threads on this subject i could find -- people coming back to school just for pre-med. None of them ever returned to update their progress, or say how it went, and no one replied saying they'd done it, or that it was feasible, and im hoping to find someone on SDN who might share a story of how they came back, spent two years doing all the pre-reqs and got in to an allopathic school. This is what i am considering doing now.

A little about me; 3.75 B.A. in Psychology, graduated last year from a small private university. I've been groomed for a doctoral program in clinical psychology for the last several years, research experience, decent LORs from psychology professors, decent GREs and the like. Explaining why im turning from doctoral programs to med school is a long story but if for whatever reason anyone is particularly curious they can PM me (its not overly personal, just long).

I'm 23, and the few people i've told about this have told me i'm young enough that i have enough time to turn my path around and its not too late. I mostly believe them. Mostly because i know what it takes to be competitive for doctoral programs and the people who start early and know exactly what they're going for succeed the most, and the quickest, and my understanding of the pre-med -> med school process is similar. I know it will look wishy-washy to committees and reviewers of why i suddenly changed paths.

How realistic is this plan? How many people have successfully come back and gotten into allopathic med schools (i'm aware of the stigmas, founded or unfounded, of DO) ?

I appreciate any advice and i'll take any criticism; i would like the blunt truth. Thanks

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

You'll have better luck searching the nontrad forum. There are lots of people there who returned to college for the prereqs and got into med school.

Progress threads:
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=532071

LOW GPA/MCAT Success Stories
http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=675835
Mine is in there somewhere.

 

[quiltlady]

The fact that you didn't take the pre-reqs as an undergraduate is hardly unique. The people I know who returned to uni to do them ended up with second bachelors degrees in general science, did well on the MCAT, and matriculated at allopathic med schools and now are in the residencies of their dreams . You have a couple years to do shadowing, volunteering, etc and come up with some very good reasons why you want to be a doctor. 23 is not old by any means. Go for it.

 

[heartsink]

Thanks to both of you. I completely missed that subforum, i don't know how, but i'll be reading up on those threads now. The encouragement was appreciated!

 

[Lya]

I just want to add something in addition to the poster above.

There are many people who came back and successfully got into allopathic medical school. I think your question is not about what are the chances to do so. If you know for sure that you want to go to medical school badly, the question is then about how to do so.

Check various SMP programs and I would go from there.

If you want to know if this is really feasible, I would check out:

http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Dr-Journey-Migrant-Surgeon/dp/0520274563

It's a great book about how a migrant farm worker became a renowned neurosurgeon at Hopkins.