clinical degrees and applying to medical school ?

[willi113]

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Hi everyone,

I am in my first year of a 4 year Au.D. (doctor of audiology) program and am considering going to medical school afterwards. Before I embark on trying to make this happen I wanted to get the opinion of some people on whether its going to be worth it considering my situation. So here it goes... I went to a good undergraduate school (Northwestern) and have a degree in human communication disorders and a minor is psychology . As far as grades go, the first 2 years didn't go so well (although not horrible ... nothing below a C) but the last 2 years went very well and I ended up with a 3.45 at graduation. I haven't taken the pre-reqs except for a quarter here and there of a few things. Now I am in graduate school at Vanderbilt and likely will be able to get a pretty decent GPA boost here . Also, since my program is part of the medical school we do take some of those types of classes (ie. general anatomy, neuroscience, microbiology, and pathologies). As far as any volunteer experience goes, I worked as a medical assistant for a year in Chicago and I plan to start volunteering at a free clinic here soon. Oh and Im 22 if that affects anything. so that brings me to my questions...

1) I have heard that medical schools don't like to admit students from other health professions because they are taking professionals out of those fields. any thoughts on this ?

2) Should I just wait to start my prereqs until I get out of graduate school and am working (do them part time and work) or try to take them while I am in grad school and go straight to med school afterwards?

3) any other suggestions on things I might consider when thinking about this would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[njbmd]

Hi there,
Medical schools want the best students that show solid evidence of being able to do well in medical school and become a good physician. It does not really matter what major you had as an undergraduate as long as you have done well in the pre-med courses and on the MCAT. Your undergraduate GPA is more important than your graduate GPA.

During an interview, you may be asked to explain why you are shifting careers but other than that, there is no downside to having a previous career in healthcare. I had previous healthcare experience and was accepted at six out of six schools. I was only asked about my prevous healthcare experience at only one of my interviews and the experience was very positive.

As for your pre-reqs, if you can start taking them while in graduate school (meaning that you do not have to pay extra for them) then take what you can. Depending on what you need to take, you need at least two years to take the pre-med coursework and the MCAT.

Most medical schools will not accept you until you are done with your graduate degree so you are going to have to finish this degree anyway. If your graduate program does not mind you taking extra coursework then take what you can within this degree program. Do beware that graduate students have extra work assigened with they take undergraduate courses so you might want to take them after your graduate degree. Whatever you do, just do well.

njbmd 🙂

 

[QofQuimica]

willi, you should PM TheDarkSide. She is a nurse with 6 years of work experience who was just accepted to medical school for next fall. I'm sure she'd be able to give you some good insight and tips for applying to med school from another health field.

 

[DarkWingDuck]

Hi everyone,


1) I have heard that medical schools don't like to admit students from other health professions because they are taking professionals out of those fields. any thoughts on this ?

I wouldn't worry about that. Chances are 99% of admissions committees wouldn't even consider that.

 

[MollyMalone]

Hey there!

I can tell you that I have not experienced any problems with my clinical background -- interviewers I have spoken with have been nothing but positive about my experience. That said, I had been practicing for a while prior to applying, which might make a difference for some people.

I think as long as you can articulate your excellent reasons (whatever they may be) for pursuing your audiology program and then medical school you should be ok. Adcoms understand that people change their minds based on growth and experience... just let them know about it in a positive way.

Without knowing a little more about where you're coming from, it's hard for me to say anything more specific, but do feel free to PM me, and best of luck to you!

 

[tiredmom]

Hey there!

I can tell you that I have not experienced any problems with my clinical background -- interviewers I have spoken with have been nothing but positive about my experience. That said, I had been practicing for a while prior to applying, which might make a difference for some people.


I've got a similar background (sorry, usually post in the ob/gyn forum, seldom wander far 🙂 ) I was a l&d RN for 4 years before going to med school, now an MS3. If I can help in any way, pm me and let me know. I felt as though my prior life as a nurse really made me stand out at interviews. I really only had one interviewer not mention it. Most of the questions were "why go to medical school?" or "why not just be a midwife?". Have clear reason for WHY medical school is the way to go for you... mine was that I valued the autonomy that medicine provided, I did not want to be tied to having to have a doctor sign off on every patient I saw. I also wanted to see patients over a lifetime, instead of only in the hospital those few days. Be careful and don't disparage the field you are coming from. Good luck.
PS. If anyone has any questions about UTHSC-San Antonio, pm me as well, and I'll try to answer... it's a good program, pretty flexible... my 5 year old has occasionally come to class with me over the last 2 years, without ever having a problem.

 

[SOUNDMAN]

As a PA going back to medical school, the biggest thing they wanted to know is why? So if you can explain that, and your desires of being a physician, you might actually have a leg up. I know me being a PA has had nothing but support during interviews. We are able to talk more medicine a lot of times, and it adds a nice dimension to the interview.

 

[primadonna22274]

Soundman,
Where are you at school? I'm still trying to figure out where to go. OHSU's ridiculously expensive even for in-state; UW is a bit cheaper. I don't like CA.
I've been a family practice PA for 5 years and am soooo tired of the glass ceiling. I have a lot of autonomy as a PA but nothing short of independent practice will satisfy me; thus, med school.
Lisa PA-C