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[MedLaw]

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I posted here a while back asking for suggestions and comments about going to Medical school after law school (I'm a current first year law student) not because i dislike law, but because my dream has been to be a practicing physician with a strong involvement in medical policy and law. I have talked to a member of the admissions board at the local medical school and received some very positive comments and encouragement to work towards my goal.

Here is where you come in for help!

I had always wished to be a physician, but later in life i made the decision to enter Catholic seminary. Obviously, after about 2 1/2 years I found that wasn't where I wanted to be in life. I finished my degree (Philosophy, it is required before you start theology) without any pre-reqs, and decided that since I had an interest in policy to first attend law school. So here I am.

My dillemma is figuring out WHEN in the world I can fit in my pre-reqs. Law school doesn't leave me with a lot of extra free time, and right now my only option seems to be class over the summer.

It just seems counterproductive for me to try and stretch my pre-reqs over a 3-4 year period, when I could just focus on law school now, get out and have a job while I finish my pre-reqs.

Anyway I just wanted to hear what you guys had to say. Would summer classes be a good idea, or should i focus on other things like shadowing etc so that I build up a strong background of volunteering and clinical experience over the next few years. Would taking classes over an extended period look bad to an admissions board? Would it make the MCAT more difficult since things may not be quite as "fresh" as they would be if I took them all together and closer to the MCAT?

 

[DrMidlife]

I could just focus on law school now, get out and have a job while I finish my pre-reqs.

I like this one. It keeps you from screwing up law school. It has you practicing law for a while so you're not just a school hopper. I think it's important for you to actually practice law, not just get the degree.

Would summer classes be a good idea, or should i focus on other things like shadowing etc so that I build up a strong background of volunteering and clinical experience over the next few years.

In your shoes I'd be looking for summer gigs that put you in community service, public health, immigrant law etc. Do a law thing that's for the community. Maybe clerk for a malpractice attorney, get exposed to the dirty underbelly. This is your opportunity to have a truly unique EC.

But start clinical volunteering now, during school, so that you can put together a ton of hours and start making connections. Get a 4 hr/wk gig in an ER, for example.

Would taking classes over an extended period look bad to an admissions board? Would it make the MCAT more difficult since things may not be quite as "fresh" as they would be if I took them all together and closer to the MCAT?

Extended classes are fine. Schools that expire prereqs talk about 6 years as a limitation. Just make absolutely sure your GPA stays high, over 3.5.

Some people don't need more MCAT prep than the prereq coursework, but for the sake of planning, assume you'll need a prep course. Plan on this being a heavy workload for the 2-6 months before you take the test. Given your undergrad background, for you I'd recommend that you take a practice test now on www.e-mcat.com. Yes, now. See where you're at with verbal, at least. This kills the mystery of it.

Best of luck to you.

 

[MedLaw]

DrMidlife,

Thanks for the advice! I already have a lot of volunteer experience working with the poor and handicapped, and have volunteered in various medical facilities.

How should I go about shadowing? Should I wait, or should I just call up a random doctor and ask if I could shadow them?

Tony

 

[DrMidlife]

How should I go about shadowing? Should I wait, or should I just call up a random doctor and ask if I could shadow them?

Work every angle you can. I took advantage of friends and acquaintances, anybody who works for a doctor or is a doctor. It's easier to find a DO than an MD, because DO schools require a DO letter. I'd recommend this whether you've ruled out that angle or not. (http://www.osteopathic.org/YOM/Mentor_main.htm)

Here's a summary of my shadowing, which is likely overkill but I loved every minute of it:
- ~3 yrs of volunteering in the county ER, during which I followed and interrogated residents of every stripe
- a day with colorectal surgeons, half clinical half in the OR. Scored this through their head nurse who's a friend
- two days observing neurosurgeons doing spine work in the OR. My sister is a PA who assists in surgery
- 3 days with a DO orthopedic surgeon, 2 in clinic, 1 in the OR. Got this through the DO mentoring program
- 1 night with a DO ER attending. Cold-called her by trolling the hospital websites for DOs.

Best of luck with this.

 

[Law2Doc]

It just seems counterproductive for me to try and stretch my pre-reqs over a 3-4 year period, when I could just focus on law school now, get out and have a job while I finish my pre-reqs.

If you mean what I think you are suggesting, I would agree with this. There are huge advantages IMHO to applying to med school as a working lawyer rather than as someone in law school looking to jump from school to school. IMHO it looks bad to be in law school already taking prereqs to make your next jump. Not insurmountable necessarily, but disadvantageous. It gets hard to not get the "professional student" label if you are already taking prereqs without even trying your hand as an attorney.