Career Change

[luiscastaneda25]

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum, and I was wondering, if any one have any thoughts or similar situations for my question. To begin with, I graduate high school in 2009, after I got my A.S in EMS. To make story short I wasn't getting paid much, so I got hired for a big business company where I'm currently working. Being there since then, i got my bacherlor in Business, and I was thinking on going back to school to pursuit my dream, I always wanted to become a Doctor. I'm currently 24 turning 25 years old. I was wondering what would be the best way to do it, I would have to get a undergraduate in Science like Biology, I just feel I'm getting older and older and I will always regret not doing it.

Thank you in advance

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[Drrrrrr. Celty]

You don't need to get another bachelors. That is unless your gpa is dismal, in which case you'll need to pretty much do the equivalent in retakes and new courses.

But yes, to get into medical school you'll need to do 1 year of bio, chem, organic chem, english ( comp & lit is the easiest combo), physics, and math. Biochem is also a class you'll almost certainly need to take however.

Having a BS in math, you likely already have the math & english covered so you'll need to basically take 2 years worth of science. Ideally you'll be able to do all of these courses in a 4 year college or at least half of them in one. So look for cheap post-baccs, science in the evening programs, and or enroll in your county's cc and ask around for programs that may work well for you.

So basically if you decide to hit things hard, you'll be applicant ready in 2 years and able to start medical school by the 3rd. ( ~1 year with summers for a heavy post bacc + a few months of mcat studying + shadowing/ec/etc and then waiting till the following June).

 

[luiscastaneda25]

Thank you for your reply, my GPA was 3.6, I didn't take much science since it wasn't relative. I tool biology and anatomy and physiology got A on both as far as I remember.

I can be done with the science courses in like 2 or 3 years, since I'm planning on taking 3 classes each semester

So basically I would have to take this classes?

• 8 semester hours of Biological Science (includes biology, embryology, genetics, microbiology, physiology, etc.)
  • 8 semester hours of General Chemistry with laboratory
  • 8 semester hours of Organic Chemistry with laboratory (biochemistry may be substituted for all or part of Organic Chemistry II)
• 8 semester hours of Physics
• 6 semester hours of English/Humanities (must include 3 semester hours of English)

For showdowing, can I showdow any doctor? My best friend its an internist maybe can start showdowing him.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Go for it. If you've taken 2 bio classes and aced them that's good. Take a few more upper levels for good effort.

 

[JDMcNugent]

As a career-changer myself, I strongly urge you to give your coursework great attention and do NOT get behind in any subject. Maybe the evolutionary biology part of gen bio but the rest require a strong understanding of the concepts that are taught and they will provide a strong foundation for your mcat preparation. Don't rush through the process and make sure that your getting solid grades that will make you competitive. As a non-traditional student, you will be strongly judged based on your recent coursework and especially the pre-med sciences. Your whole body of work is important but there seems to be less room for error as a non-trad. Good luck!

 

[Indianarn]

Thank you for your reply, my GPA was 3.6, I didn't take much science since it wasn't relative. I tool biology and anatomy and physiology got A on both as far as I remember.

I can be done with the science courses in like 2 or 3 years, since I'm planning on taking 3 classes each semester

So basically I would have to take this classes?

• 8 semester hours of Biological Science (includes biology, embryology, genetics, microbiology, physiology, etc.)
  • 8 semester hours of General Chemistry with laboratory
  • 8 semester hours of Organic Chemistry with laboratory (biochemistry may be substituted for all or part of Organic Chemistry II)
• 8 semester hours of Physics
• 6 semester hours of English/Humanities (must include 3 semester hours of English)

For showdowing, can I showdow any doctor? My best friend its an internist maybe can start showdowing him.

Yea, you can shadow your own doc. As a matter of fact, I shadowed my children's pediatrician and he gave me a wonderful LOR. Also try and shadow at least one Osteopathic physician, just in case. Good luck, you can do it.

 

[DrEnderW]

Go for it.

You're in a great spot with your past successes. There are many, many people that start med school at the age you'll be.

 

[ALF85]

It is never too late to start, and you can always take it slow to ease into it if you need to. I did a post bac, and never regretted it once. I ended up doing it part time as I had to work full time to support myself through this whole thing. Anyway, if it is really what you want, then go and get it. In my post-bac classes, there were people who were starting their pre-reqs at 40. It is never too late to chase your dream.

My biggest advice would be to not over commit yourself to anything prior to getting a handle on your classes. I started out volunteering everywhere I could while taking chem and bio as well as working. After my first exam, the reality check set in and I had to drop some volunteering activities to remedy that first test. Anyway, good luck!

 

[luiscastaneda25]

Thank you so much everyone, I want to stay in Florida, we have a lot of school here of MD and DO.

 

[cliquesh]

I switched careers. I liked my previous career more. Make sure you really want to be a physician before switching. It's a long and painful process if you don't like it very much, especially if you are already making decent money.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I switched careers. I liked my previous career more. Make sure you really want to be a physician before switching. It's a long and painful process if you don't like it very much, especially if you are already making decent money.

Do you regret it?

 

[cliquesh]

Do you regret it?

I don't regret trying medicine. I probably would have wonder "what if I went to med school" my whole life.

However, after knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have done it again.

 

[luiscastaneda25]

I think it will be worth the hard work,
What you used to do before?

I switched careers. I liked my previous career more. Make sure you really want to be a physician before switching. It's a long and painful process if you don't like it very much, especially if you are already making decent money.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I don't regret trying medicine. I probably would have wonder "what if I went to med school" my whole life.

However, after knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have done it again.

Fair enough.

 

[cliquesh]

I think it will be worth the hard work,
What you used to do before?

I was an engineer.

 

[TopTomato]

I don't regret trying medicine. I probably would have wonder "what if I went to med school" my whole life.

However, after knowing what I know now, I wouldn't have done it again.

Is it anesthesia? Or medicine in general?

 

[cliquesh]

Is it anesthesia? Or medicine in general?

I like science and reading about medicine, and I enjoyed my first two years of school. I absolutely hated my 3rd and 4th years. I hated nearly every speciality, except for anesthesia, radiology and pathology.

Medicine is, at least for me, just a job. It's nothing special. It's not what I thought it was going to be.

I didn't shadow too many doctors before I applied to school and the ones I shadowed were in the outpatient setting, which is very different than the hospital setting. I simply didn't know what I was getting into. I would caution anyone with a decent job to switch careers if they are not certain they want to be a doctor.

Some of my co-interns and fellow grads from medical school absolutely love what they are doing...so take what I have to say with a grain of salt, I guess.

 

[TopTomato]

I like science and reading about medicine, and I enjoyed my first two years of school. I absolutely hated my 3rd and 4th years. I hated nearly every speciality, except for anesthesia, radiology and pathology.

I didn't shadow too many doctors before I applied to school and the ones I shadowed were in the outpatient setting, which is very different than the hospital setting. I simply didn't know what I was getting into. I would caution anyone with a decent job to switch careers if they are not certain they want to be a doctor.

That's interesting. A doctor I was shadowing once told me to "only do it if you can see yourself doing nothing else".

 

[chizledfrmstone]

I was an engineer.

I like science and reading about medicine, and I enjoyed my first two years of school. I absolutely hated my 3rd and 4th years. I hated nearly every speciality, except for anesthesia, radiology and pathology.

Medicine is, at least for me, just a job. It's nothing special. It's not what I thought it was going to be.

I didn't shadow too many doctors before I applied to school and the ones I shadowed were in the outpatient setting, which is very different than the hospital setting. I simply didn't know what I was getting into. I would caution anyone with a decent job to switch careers if they are not certain they want to be a doctor.

Some of my co-interns and fellow grads from medical school absolutely love what they are doing...so take what I have to say with a grain of salt, I guess.

Have you looked into something that's a bridge between engineering and medicine?

 

[cliquesh]

Have you looked into something that's a bridge between engineering and medicine?

Yea, sort of. I don't think I'm ambitious enough to make that work.

I've pretty much decided that I'm going to work part time (1 or 2 days) a week when I'm done residency, and find fulfillment in other activities.

 

[luiscastaneda25]

Thank you all, after considering my new career, and talking to advisor I found out its going to be the same or almost the same amount of time if I take all my pre-reqs than getting a second Bachelors.
I kind of like that idea, of getting a second degree, I will really prepare better for the new paths, anyways.

I called different schools, in my area FIU has a biology program.


UF also has a Biology and a Microbiology program online. Looking at the curriculum the Biology route looks somewhat shorter and easier.
http://ufonline.ufl.edu/degrees/undergraduate/biology/#degree-requirements (Biology)

http://microbiology.ifas.ufl.edu/program/curriculum (micro bio)
My local College also has a B.S in biomedical science, but not sure if this will fulfill the requirements.
http://www.mdc.edu/main/biologicalsciencesbs/courses.aspx

Thank you all!!

 

[luiscastaneda25]

Anyone?

 

[abolt18]

Not sure how a degree in micro can be achieved online? Every one of my micro classes (I have a BS in microbiology) had a weekly (or twice a week) lab.

 

[luiscastaneda25]

Not sure how a degree in micro can be achieved online? Every one of my micro classes (I have a BS in microbiology) had a weekly (or twice a week) lab.

you must go and do the lab at your local acreditated college or university, or take it in UF for consecutive 11 days.