Career changer, need your advice.

[kubuspl]

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Hey everyone!
I just recently decided to return to my undergraduate institution to complete my premed requirements after I finished my Master's in Counseling Psychology. I have a few questions regarding how to strengthen my candidacy for med school.

First, I know that it is important to have real life experience (working in the medical field). Do you all think that working as a psychotherapist in a college counseling center and a community mental health clinic, conducting individual and group therapy as well as intake and other things therapists do, would classify as working in the medical field? Or, would you suggest I do something else and if so, what might that be?

Second, I know the basic requirements needed to be considered for admissions and I am wondering how important it is to go beyond those courses (2 semesters of general and organic chem, 1 yr of physics and biology) if I am doing them post-bach. And, if I need to take more classes, what should they be?

Lastly, I am currently working in the lab of an MD-PhD physician who does research in the area of colon cancer with opportunities to publish and of course get a letter of recommendation. Beyond the experiences I described here, what else should I be doing to maximize my chances of getting in?

I appreciate your input and I apologize for the lengthy note.

Thanks!

 

[Law2Doc]

Hey everyone!
I just recently decided to return to my undergraduate institution to complete my premed requirements after I finished my Master's in Counseling Psychology. I have a few questions regarding how to strengthen my candidacy for med school.

First, I know that it is important to have real life experience (working in the medical field). Do you all think that working as a psychotherapist in a college counseling center and a community mental health clinic, conducting individual and group therapy as well as intake and other things therapists do, would classify as working in the medical field? Or, would you suggest I do something else and if so, what might that be?

Second, I know the basic requirements needed to be considered for admissions and I am wondering how important it is to go beyond those courses (2 semesters of general and organic chem, 1 yr of physics and biology) if I am doing them post-bach. And, if I need to take more classes, what should they be?

Lastly, I am currently working in the lab of an MD-PhD physician who does research in the area of colon cancer with opportunities to publish and of course get a letter of recommendation. Beyond the experiences I described here, what else should I be doing to maximize my chances of getting in?

I appreciate your input and I apologize for the lengthy note.

Thanks!

Moving to the nontrad forum; You will likely get better responses from folks similarly situated there.

 

[NewmansOwn]

Hey everyone!
I just recently decided to return to my undergraduate institution to complete my premed requirements after I finished my Master's in Counseling Psychology. I have a few questions regarding how to strengthen my candidacy for med school.

First, I know that it is important to have real life experience (working in the medical field). Do you all think that working as a psychotherapist in a college counseling center and a community mental health clinic, conducting individual and group therapy as well as intake and other things therapists do, would classify as working in the medical field? Or, would you suggest I do something else and if so, what might that be?

Second, I know the basic requirements needed to be considered for admissions and I am wondering how important it is to go beyond those courses (2 semesters of general and organic chem, 1 yr of physics and biology) if I am doing them post-bach. And, if I need to take more classes, what should they be?

Lastly, I am currently working in the lab of an MD-PhD physician who does research in the area of colon cancer with opportunities to publish and of course get a letter of recommendation. Beyond the experiences I described here, what else should I be doing to maximize my chances of getting in?

I appreciate your input and I apologize for the lengthy note.

Thanks!

Your experiences sound pretty solid, actually. A lot of med schools increasingly recommed (but do not require) biochemistry, so if you have time/money, you might consider taking that. Is your GPA good, or do you need to boost it? If it's already good, I wouldn't bother taking too many extra classes.

 

[gman33]

I'd add some volunteering time in a hospital and maybe some shadowing as well. It can only help to strengthen your application and give you a better grasp on the daily job of a physician.

 

[Tekar]

I think there is something about "smelling" clinical experience. I have no idea if what you're doing is considered clinical, but Volunteering in an ER or even working there is supposed to be good. I think working there is more important because it really allows you to understand the schedule of residents and the things they do. Working nights in an ER and waking grumpy docs up at 2:00 in the morning and laughing at residents drueling on the keyboard gives you a pretty good idea of what to expect. And then there are the drunks in detox screaming for help all night until the nurse loads them up with Dilatid or whatever it is that puts them to sleep that really make it real.

Supposedly research experience is good.. you have that. See if you can get your name on the authorship list. I hear being published is good for research driven schools. Some people have no clinical, but have research experience.

If you have a degree already, anything above the prerequisites mean nothing in terms of "qualified," but biochemistry and physiology classes will make the MCAT easier, and will also put you ahead of the power curve a bit in Medical school. Think taking a high school language class or two and then majoring in that language later in college. It helped to have it, but you know it really wouldn't have mattered because you would have had to learn it anyway.

I think most important.. we're all unique and our stories are about us... not comparable to the person sitting next to you.

Good luck.

 

[kubuspl]

Thank you all for replying to my questions. I am actually a native of Poland so English is my second language and I am fluent in both. I feel reassured by your replies and I have to say, I need a lot of it these days. Thanks again!