Can my UG degree hurt my chances?

[298116]

I graduated with a B.S. degree in Radio-Television-Film (3.46 GPA). I was originally a Psychology/Pre-Med major. I became very discouraged with pursuing medicine because I found UT to be very challenging, so I decided to take the "easy" way out.

I love Film. It's a great hobby, and I will always value the technical skills I have. I have also had some amazing experiences on and off set. However, being in the industry now, I feel like I have spent the last four years of my life studying something that I chose out of convenience (and fun) rather than passion.

So now I want to be a DO again. I plan on applying to schools in 2011 to start med school Fall 2012. I took some pre-reqs at UT, but I will have to take most of the pre-reqs at a CC for financial reasons. I also have to work 30+ hours/ week.

I will be volunteering at a hospital January till med school (hopefully), probably start shadowing in May, and take the MCAT in summer 2010.

My questions: Does my undergraduate degree hurt my chances? How can I prove to admissions that I know the difference between television shows and the real life career of a physician? Should I quit my current job to work in a hospital or clinic? Any advice would help. Thanks!

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[iatros]

My questions: Does my undergraduate degree hurt my chances? How can I prove to admissions that I know the difference between television shows and the real life career of a physician? Should I quit my current job to work in a hospital or clinic? Any advice would help. Thanks!

i cant imagine how having a bachelor's degree in anything would hurt. finishing a bachelor's degree requires personal commitment...even if it was an "easy" degree. adcoms like to see diverse applicants who have something different to offer the profession. i cant think of too many premeds with a background in TV/film. in my opinion, this will be a plus for you... it also proves that you have broad interests outside of medicine. adcoms like to see this as well because this is an indication that you will not "burn out" like so many hardchargers.

more importantly, however, will be how well you do in your science classes. a degree in TV/film is cool but if you dont have the chops to dominate organic chem, biochem, genetics, etc no one will take you seriously.

about the job thing: get the most experience you can! i recommend getting a job in a hospital if you can. i lucked out and landed a job as an ER tech. it was an awesome opportunity and it generated some very positive contacts and a nice letter of rec... working in a clinical environment will both prove your commitment to medicine and will prove you understand the difference between real life and tv.

best of luck

 

[298116]

I'm just worried that I wouldn't be taken as seriously as someone with a science degree. I did really well in chem... 5 years ago. I'm gonna try to ace the rest of the pre-reqs and MCAT.

I've started the job hunt, so hopefully I can find something soon. I really don't like my current job.

Thanks for your response. I feel a little more confident now.

 

[Tired Pigeon]

I actually think your non-typical degree will work in your favor. You will stand out a bit more in the admissions process among the sea of biology and chemistry majors. As long as you do well in your pre-med science courses and on the MCAT, you will allay any concerns that may exist regarding your degree. You should definitely use your personal statement to address the reasons for your career change and to demonstrate your understanding of what is involved with "real world" medicine.

Good luck to you.

 

[da Vincis World]

I actually think your non-typical degree will work in your favor. You will stand out a bit more in the admissions process among the sea of biology and chemistry majors. As long as you do well in your pre-med science courses and on the MCAT, you will allay any concerns that may exist regarding your degree. You should definitely use your personal statement to address the reasons for your career change and to demonstrate your understanding of what is involved with "real world" medicine.

Good luck to you.

I agree...my non-typical degree certainly helped me. It made for great conversation for interviews.

 

[ArkansasRanger]

Dude, I have a degree in interdisciplinary studies and don't give a rat's ass what the admissions committees are going to think. It's what I got a degree in six years [although I don't recommend it 😉] as an easy out, and it's what I'll have when I choose to apply.

I'm not trying to be terse. I'm just saying there's only so much about your profile that you can change, and the past isn't part of it. Cheer up. You'll do fine.

 

[ATR]

I graduated with a B.S. degree in Radio-Television-Film (3.46 GPA). I was originally a Psychology/Pre-Med major. I became very discouraged with pursuing medicine because I found UT to be very challenging, so I decided to take the "easy" way out.

I love Film. It's a great hobby, and I will always value the technical skills I have. I have also had some amazing experiences on and off set. However, being in the industry now, I feel like I have spent the last four years of my life studying something that I chose out of convenience (and fun) rather than passion.

So now I want to be a DO again. I plan on applying to schools in 2011 to start med school Fall 2012. I took some pre-reqs at UT, but I will have to take most of the pre-reqs at a CC for financial reasons. I also have to work 30+ hours/ week.

I will be volunteering at a hospital January till med school (hopefully), probably start shadowing in May, and take the MCAT in summer 2010.

My questions: Does my undergraduate degree hurt my chances? How can I prove to admissions that I know the difference between television shows and the real life career of a physician? Should I quit my current job to work in a hospital or clinic? Any advice would help. Thanks!

As a non-trad, the adcoms want two things:
1-To see that you succeeded in what you pursued, whatever it was
2-That you can succeed in science by doing very well in post-bac sciences and doing well on the MCAT.

If you do both of these, your uniqueness becomes an advantage making you stand out from all the homogenous traditional pre-med students which are a dime a dozen. The most important aspect of your application at that point becomes tying it all together, and explaining why medicine is the perfect choice for someone with your particular experiences and background. Getting as much experience in medicine (importantly involving patient care experience) is always necessary and beneficial to any medical school applicant. Show your dedication to medicine in what you do from here out.

 

[298116]

Thanks for the responses. I needed some opinions on this. I don't know anybody else who went the non-traditional route to med school. I'm the first in my family to graduate from college so I don't have anybody to talk to about these things at all. And I don't think there is a pre-med advisor at my CC either. So thanks guys. 😀👍

 

[Catalystik]

If you do get a job in a clinical environment, keep in mind that you still will need to satisfy the expectation for community service/volunteerism. This could be medical or nonmedical, since you'd get enough clinical exposure at work.