Biotech to med school? Questions about relevance of work and timelines

[llamaflower]

Hi all,

I finished undergrad as an Ecology major in 2017 with a 3.67 GPA. Since then, I’ve been working in biotech and have made my way up from tech to a scientist position (with one year off, 6 months as a caregiver for my mom who was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and 6 months with americorps doing childrens literacy work). I’m now at an infectious disease company. I’ve worked in developing therapeutics and am now in diagnostics, mostly in R&D but some production support - I love it because I get to help make sure patient samples are run and see the results, and sometimes we hear via the doctors how they’re doing. I originally thought of going back to school for research, but I kept getting drawn closer and closer to the patient side and would really like to pursue medical school and become a physician.

I’m already 26, so I’d like to get started sooner than later, and was hoping to apply in the next cycle (for Fall 2024 admission).

I’ve taken the year of physics, math, and gen chem+lab, but I only took two quarters of ochem and never took the lab.

Would it be unreasonable to take the last part of ochem and the labs and biochemistry this year, get some shadowing and clinical experience, and study for the mcat while I work full time? Or should I be pursuing a post-bacc program since I’ve been out of school for so long and my GPA isn’t great? And would my background in biotech be helpful for my application?

Any advice would be really appreciated, thank you so much!

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[deleted1112122]

Hello,

What is your science GPA? Assuming your 3.67 is your cumulative? sGPA is v important too.

I'm about your age and am applying this cycle so can offer my advice on timing as I balanced full-time work in tech/tech-adjacent while prepping my app. If you're hoping to apply next cycle, that means you have 12 months to do all of the things you outlined while working a full-time job, I honestly think that may be very difficult. Studying for the MCAT while working/taking pre-reqs is a beast unto itself, couple that with meaningful development with volunteer work and clinical experience and it's a lot to do in 12 months.

From what I've learned is that your experience in biotech could make you a better applicant, but it won't by any means get you into med school (thats what I was told).

Repeating advice I was given when I started: If this is really what you want, I'd shadow a doctor or at least begin working/volunteering in a clinical setting and accept that it may take longer than 12 months for you to have a ready application. Would you dismiss the idea of a dream if you have to wait til 2024 to get the application going? Just my 2c.

Good luck!

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Have you taken a year of biology + labs yet? I don't see that in your plan, but I'm assuming you have. If not, you'll need bio as well. Many medical schools also require at least a semester or two of social sciences and English and/or writing intensive humanities coursework.

If you intend to apply during the 2023 cycle for fall 2024 matriculation, you should be at the point of finalizing your application this time next year. As such, it seems like a pretty tall order to finish up your outstanding prerequisites, and get all your shadowing and clinical hours in, and study for the MCAT, and continue full time employment AND complete this all in the next 12 months.

If your circumstances require that you continue to work full time, I'd encourage you to target a fall 2025 matriculation instead.

Since you are still in the exploration stage and don't have any clinical experience or shadowing, I strongly recommend starting there. Follow a primary care physician for a week or two and get a couple months of clinical work/volunteering in, and then reassess if you want to commit more time and money to this process. I don't think it makes sense for prospective nontraditional premeds to pay for classes before gaining meaningful clinical exposure.

To address your question about your work experience: any employment experience is a plus, especially if you held leadership positions, and adcoms will highly value your Americorps service as well.