Career Change from Engineering.. low uGPA - path forward?

[PEconsideringMD]

Hey everyone... I have posted before but I think in the incorrect forum.
I'm 27 years old and a Chemical Engineer doing Project Engineering (~$15MM projects), living in Louisiana

Summary of how I got to where I am:
-Grew up in foster care, approaching college was particularly hard so although I had wanted to go to medical school my entire life I wanted the fastest path to get on my feet (I'm good at math, engineering seemed logical)
-Worked three jobs to get through college (Colorado School of Mines)
-Graduated with 2.88 GPA, I could have done better but with working 60+ hours a week I did not put into school what I should have
-I am very good at my job but at the end of every day I find myself asking "WHY?", and now that I am experienced enough to see the corporate side... I could do it for the rest of my life, but would not be happy
-Battled infertility for three years with my husband, worked with an amazing RE
-Gave birth to my twin boys one month ago

My experience with infertility has been affirmation for me that I belong in medicine, specifically I would like to work in reproductive medicine as at least an OB/GYN, RE if I would get that far.

As a ChemE I took most of the pre-reqs already, with the exception of some labs and general things like english.

This is the path that I'm thinking:
April 2018 - Start volunteering at the hospital, would like to get shadowing experience but how do you find these opportunities??
January 2019 - Take MCAT.. I would like to start studying for this now. Mostly to learn some material and develop my line of thinking for this test. I don't think waiting to re-take the courses will help me do any better, and if I don't get a good score then I should abandon the path anyways. I would also like to take it while I'm not taking classes
May 2019 - Leave my full time job and start school at LSU full time, complete at least 40 credit hours between Summer 2019-Summer 2020. If I can basically ace all of these courses I can raise my GPA to a 3.15.
Summer 2020 - Apply to medical schools

Is my line of thinking logical? Am I missing something? If I can perform strongly on the MCAT I feel like all I would be missing are these clinical/research hours I keep reading about...

Thank you!!!

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[curbsideconsult]

From what you posted, you have an amazing story and I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone not interested in you as an applicant. Though maybe you should take that statement with a grain of salt because I've worked extensively with foster children so I may be a little biased towards you

I think your timeline is fine. Most people do classes first then MCAT, but I can see where you're coming from and there's nothing wrong with your schedule.

I think the 3.15 GPA might hurt you, but if your last year or so will be all A's and A-'s that will look good to adcoms. Upward trends are fantastic.

Shadowing opportunities are hard to come by. You just have to pull out a phone book so to speak and pick at random. Maybe ask your OB for some recommendations?

As for volunteering opportunities: I think it would look great on your application if you did something with foster children. Kind of a completing the circle sort of thing.

Does LSU have an official post-bacc program? Or at least a pre-med committee you would be able to take advantage of? I can't stress enough how important it is to have the guidance of someone who's familiar with the application process and has helped get hundreds of students into medical school. They're not always right about everything and everyone, but there is something to be said for experience.

 

[PEconsideringMD]

From what you posted, you have an amazing story and I think you would be hard pressed to find anyone not interested in you as an applicant. Though maybe you should take that statement with a grain of salt because I've worked extensively with foster children so I may be a little biased towards you

I think your timeline is fine. Most people do classes first then MCAT, but I can see where you're coming from and there's nothing wrong with your schedule.

I think the 3.15 GPA might hurt you, but if your last year or so will be all A's and A-'s that will look good to adcoms. Upward trends are fantastic.

Shadowing opportunities are hard to come by. You just have to pull out a phone book so to speak and pick at random. Maybe ask your OB for some recommendations?

As for volunteering opportunities: I think it would look great on your application if you did something with foster children. Kind of a completing the circle sort of thing.

Does LSU have an official post-bacc program? Or at least a pre-med committee you would be able to take advantage of? I can't stress enough how important it is to have the guidance of someone who's familiar with the application process and has helped get hundreds of students into medical school. They're not always right about everything and everyone, but there is something to be said for experience.

Thank you for your response! I'm hesitant on how much of my story to tell - my history is a big part of who I am, but I definitely don't want the sympathy points, does that make sense?

I actually asked my OB yesterday, and he didn't have any recommendations. The hospital that I want to volunteer at is a Woman's hospital, so a wide range of OB/GYNs. I may be able to find a connection there. I am also going to take my boys to meet my RE and plan on talking to him. On other threads I read about the hundreds of shadowing hours that people have - is it something that I absolutely need? As far as reproductive medicine, I've lived it from a patient side.

I was a CASA volunteer (~200 hours) before I moved out of the city of Baton Rouge. With my full time job being an hour in the opposite direction, it didn't make sense to continue after my 2 yr case closed. I suppose I should also note that I'm the philanthropy advisor for a sorority at LSU, and have guided them in raising about $200k for women's heart health. I'm hoping that the hospital hours will give me more of what admissions is looking for, but maybe I already have a better base than I thought?

LSU does not have a formal program, but I have enough transfer credits that I may just be able to get a second BS degree, depending on what they will take. LSU-NOLA Med does admissions counseling starting May 1, so I've put that in my calendar to call and set something up. LSU admissions didn't know if they had a pre-med committee but I feel like they have to. I'll work on contacting the college of science and see if I can meet with someone.

 

[curbsideconsult]

Thank you for your response! I'm hesitant on how much of my story to tell - my history is a big part of who I am, but I definitely don't want the sympathy points, does that make sense?

I actually asked my OB yesterday, and he didn't have any recommendations. The hospital that I want to volunteer at is a Woman's hospital, so a wide range of OB/GYNs. I may be able to find a connection there. I am also going to take my boys to meet my RE and plan on talking to him. On other threads I read about the hundreds of shadowing hours that people have - is it something that I absolutely need? As far as reproductive medicine, I've lived it from a patient side.

I was a CASA volunteer (~200 hours) before I moved out of the city of Baton Rouge. With my full time job being an hour in the opposite direction, it didn't make sense to continue after my 2 yr case closed. I suppose I should also note that I'm the philanthropy advisor for a sorority at LSU, and have guided them in raising about $200k for women's heart health. I'm hoping that the hospital hours will give me more of what admissions is looking for, but maybe I already have a better base than I thought?

LSU does not have a formal program, but I have enough transfer credits that I may just be able to get a second BS degree, depending on what they will take. LSU-NOLA Med does admissions counseling starting May 1, so I've put that in my calendar to call and set something up. LSU admissions didn't know if they had a pre-med committee but I feel like they have to. I'll work on contacting the college of science and see if I can meet with someone.

I think you do have a better base than you previously thought. Your ECs are great and as long as you keep up with volunteering like you're planning you should be fine.

I understand not wanting sympathy points. It's like winning at a game somebody let you win. However, you should use any and all leverage you have when applying to medical schools. It's a brutal game and it doesn't hurt to have an interesting story. Just make sure you write about your history in a not "woe is me" fashion. Many students center their personal statements around overcoming cancer, a traumatic accident, being a teen parent, etc. etc. and that's what gets them in.

Shadowing is so weird. I'm pretty sure I shadowed only about 20-30 hours. I honestly don't remember the exact number, but I do remember that i wasn't a long time. You do need to shadow a DO if you're planning to go that route because most DO schools require DO letters. I don't think you need to shadow hundreds of hours. Just a few hours so you can say you know that this is what you want and possibly get a letter out of it.

 

[bennard]

Good evening. I'm a former engineer, current MS3. Just wanted to point out that if you're considering LSU-NO, they have what they call the "32-hour" policy, in which they will consider your most recent post-bach work as your GPA for admissions. So, if you can go back to school and kick butt on the prereqs, that can really help make up for a less than stellar uGPA.

Regarding shadowing, I don't believe that you need a ton of hours. You just need to be able to articulate that you understand what the day-to-day life of a doctor is like, and that you're sure it is a path you want to go down.

Best of luck!

 

[PEconsideringMD]

Good evening. I'm a former engineer, current MS3. Just wanted to point out that if you're considering LSU-NO, they have what they call the 32-hour policy in which they will consider your most recent post-bach work as your GPA for admissions. So, if you can go back to school and kick butt on the prereqs, that can really help make up for a less than stellar uGPA.

Regarding shadowing, I don't believe that you need a ton of hours. You just need to be able to articulate that you understand what the day-to-day life of a doctor is like, and that you're sure it is a path you want to go down.

Best of luck!

Yes I have looked into the policy and I feel fortunate to be a LA resident - I'm hoping to still make myself a more attractive candidate to other schools as well, as to not put all of my eggs in one basket. Are you attending LSU-NO?

What inspired you to make the transition from the engineering world? Was your work experience/background useful in the application or interview process?

 

[bennard]

Yes. I'm currently at LSU-NO.

There were a number of factors that influenced my decision to go into medicine. Chief among those was the feeling that I felt very disconnected from the engineering work I was doing and any tangible results. I really felt like I needed to be in a place where I could see the direct impact of my work on the lives of others. I felt that medicine was the best field to help me achieve that goal, along with pushing myself to operate at the top of my capabilities.

I think that just having worked before and having gone through multiple job interviews is great experience for the application process. It made me feel much more at ease with the whole thing. I think if you can articulate how your skills as an engineer (or any other field) help prepare you for medicine, that is also an advantage. You have experience in teamwork, technical problem solving, management of time/self, leadership, interaction with customers. All of those things are valuable in the field of medicine, you just need to be able to present them as such on your applications/interviews.

Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions.

 

[DBC03]

GOod luck! I’m a fellow PE who is matriculating this fall. You have a great story and I think you’ll find success. Finding shadowing opportunities WAS A pain in the rear end - aim for 50 and be sure to include some kind of primary care. If you have any questions about going back to school studying for the MCAT, leaving engineering (that was an easy decision), feel free to PM me! I’d write more, but in my true non-trad fashion, I’m ready for bed and will be more alert in the morning.


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[PEconsideringMD]

GOod luck! I’m a fellow PE who is matriculating this fall. You have a great story and I think you’ll find success. Finding shadowing opportunities WAS A pain in the rear end - aim for 50 and be sure to include some kind of primary care. If you have any questions about going back to school studying for the MCAT, leaving engineering (that was an easy decision), feel free to PM me! I’d write more, but in my true non-trad fashion, I’m ready for bed and will be more alert in the morning.


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It's reassuring to hear that I am not alone in my endeavor - congratulations on your acceptance, I wish you success!

 

[winterwarlock88]

Former engineer here, now PGY-1. OP, your story is great, I think Adcoms would be interested in learning more about you - they love non-trads. You don't need to shadow a ton, I did probably 40 hrs and Adcoms never questioned it. I figured that as we are non-trads, they assume we know what we are getting ourselves into. Just shadow any doctor that is allows you to/convenient, doesn't need to be obgyn. Add some clinical volunteering, I did ED because I could fit it in on weekends. I did my own post-bacc so i kept on working full time (disclaimer: did take me 3+ years of night classes). As long as you show continued upward trend in your GPA, score solid on the MCAT, check the EC boxes, and have great letters, you will be competitive. Good luck!

 

[Goro]

This is the path that I'm thinking:
April 2018 - Start volunteering at the hospital, would like to get shadowing experience but how do you find these opportunities??

From your volunteering experiences, network with doctors you've met and ask to shadow them.

OR, ask your own doctor

For clinical experiences, not all volunteering needs to be in a hospital. Think hospice, Planned Parenthood, nursing homes, rehab facilities, crisis hotlines, camps for sick children, or clinics.

Some types of volunteer activities are more appealing than others. Volunteering in a nice suburban hospital is all very well and good and all, but doesn't show that you're willing to dig in and get your hands dirty in the same way that working with the developmentally disabled (or homeless, the dying, or Alzheimers or mentally ill or elderly or ESL or domestic, rural impoverished) does. The uncomfortable situations are the ones that really demonstrate your altruism and get you 'brownie points'. Plus, they frankly teach you more -- they develop your compassion and humanity in ways comfortable situations can't.





January 2019 - Take MCAT.. I would like to start studying for this now. Mostly to learn some material and develop my line of thinking for this test. I don't think waiting to re-take the courses will help me do any better, and if I don't get a good score then I should abandon the path anyways. I would also like to take it while I'm not taking classes
May 2019 - Leave my full time job and start school at LSU full time, complete at least 40 credit hours between Summer 2019-Summer 2020. If I can basically ace all of these courses I can raise my GPA to a 3.15.
Summer 2020 - Apply to medical schools

Is my line of thinking logical? Am I missing something? If I can perform strongly on the MCAT I feel like all I would be missing are these clinical/research hours I keep reading about...

Do NOT take the MCAT until you are 100% ready.
Read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention