Communication Sciences/Disorders Undergrad?

[neabby21]

Hi! Okay, so I'm a little late in the game in switching to pre-med. I am currently a junior majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders (previously on an SLP track) and Hispanic Studies. I am planning on adding an extra year + summer classes to get a minor in Biology along with the pre-reqs I'll need for medical school and the classes I'll need to take the MCAT.

I am very intimidated by the process, and I don't have anyone in my family who is familiar with it at all.

Clinically, I worked as a CNA for 18 months, I've been a PCA for 3 years, and I'm currently working as a phlebotomist. I also volunteer with Hospice, and with some of the Spanish Immersion programs in the area. I'm working on research for this upcoming fall that is CSD related and partially neurology based.

Am I on track? I'm planning on taking a few months after my extra year of school to study for the MCAT, so I can have a couple gap years. I have a 4.00 right now, but I am expecting hard sciences courses to be more of a challenge for me than my CSD and Spanish courses. I am planning on doing some shadowing this summer, but I'm not really sure how many hours to shoot for. Additionally, I am planning to spend a summer volunteering at a camp for children with special needs.

Mostly, I am just very intimidated by this process, and I'm not sure if I'm on track or not, or if there's anything I'm missing. I am based in Northern Minnesota and hoping to focus on rural based medicine (UMD is preferred school).

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[KnightDoc]

Yes, you are on the right track. There is no need to be intimidated -- there is an entire community here on SDN, as well as through advising at your school, to help guide you along the way.

You don't need the biology minor unless you want it. You only need the prereqs for med school, plus the classes in the subjects that are covered in the MCAT. Your GPA is GREAT, and no one is going to look down on any major as being less challenging than another. That's the whole point behind prereqs and the MCAT -- to have a common baseline to determine competence in the subjects necessary to do well in med school as well as to have a common baseline to compare candidates to each other. As long as you do well in the hard sciences, you will be well on your way.

Also, your experiences and research are perfect to demonstrate interest and knowledge about what you are getting into, and will make for great essays on your application. As far as shadowing goes, 50+ hours is recommended, spread across primary care and one or more specialty. Due to the pandemic, I couldn't get more than the 50 hours in primary care. Any so-called deficiency never came up in any interview, and I have done just fine this cycle.

I happen to think you are positioned to be very successful here. One step at a time. Don't be intimidated, and don't be shy about reaching out for help, both here and IRL. Good luck!!

 

[Mr.Smile12]

We can definitely help. There are the authoritative AAMC applicants/Premed webpages and social media accounts for starters, but we can definitely give you links and pointers to more information. Basically what are your main questions that you need answered for now? We can go from there.

 

[neabby21]

We can definitely help. There are the authoritative AAMC applicants/Premed webpages and social media accounts for starters, but we can definitely give you links and pointers to more information. Basically what are your main questions that you need answered for now? We can go from there.

Thank you so much!

I am taking Chem 1/2 this summer, ochem 1, Bio 1/2 and genetics next school year, and I will take an extra year of upper division classes to prepare myself for the MCAT. Luckily, I am mostly done with my CSD program, so I only have 6 credits/semester to take. Thankfully, I do have some hard sciences for CSD as well, such as neuroanatomy/neurophysiology, A/P, acoustics, speech science, auditory science, language disorders, and rehab for deaf/HOH.

I am mostly curious about what classes I should be sure to take (planning to go through Biochem, cell bio, micro??, and Anatomy/Phys). I have taken physics in HS, as well as an intro class in college, so I was planning to self study for that. As for psych/soc, my major includes a strong emphasis on psych (gen psych, developmental psych, language development). I did take sociology in HS, and am not sure I will have room for another soc class in college. I am curious how feasible it would be to self-study for a few topics (psych, sociology, and physics). I am also unsure if I want to wait to take the MCAT or rush into it after my pre-req year and apply the '24-'25 cycle, but I will wait on that decision I think.

Also, is it pre-emptive and unnecessary to be reviewing psych/soc and physics material now? Am I better off just waiting?

My other question is how important shadowing is? I feel as though I have a greater exposure to the medical field than most, as I've been working upwards of 30 hours/week in UG. Also, should I space my shadowing out between specialties, or just focus on primary care specialties? I do know a few physicians through family friends, but COVID has been terrible in my area and has so far barred me from getting any experience shadowing.

If you have any resources I should consider, I would love links to them!

The timeline of it is the most confusing to me, and I don't want to feel as though I am rushing into it, although it feels like you need to with such a long process!

Thank you so much, in advance!

 

[neabby21]

Yes, you are on the right track. There is no need to be intimidated -- there is an entire community here on SDN, as well as through advising at your school, to help guide you along the way.

You don't need the biology minor unless you want it. You only need the prereqs for med school, plus the classes in the subjects that are covered in the MCAT. Your GPA is GREAT, and no one is going to look down on any major as being less challenging than another. That's the whole point behind prereqs and the MCAT -- to have a common baseline to determine competence in the subjects necessary to do well in med school as well as to have a common baseline to compare candidates to each other. As long as you do well in the hard sciences, you will be well on your way.

Also, your experiences and research are perfect to demonstrate interest and knowledge about what you are getting into, and will make for great essays on your application. As far as shadowing goes, 50+ hours is recommended, spread across primary care and one or more specialty. Due to the pandemic, I couldn't get more than the 50 hours in primary care. Any so-called deficiency never came up in any interview, and I have done just fine this cycle.

I happen to think you are positioned to be very successful here. One step at a time. Don't be intimidated, and don't be shy about reaching out for help, both here and IRL. Good luck!!

This is so relieving to hear! I am hesitant to join any pre-med clubs, because it feels like such a huge thing to call myself "pre-med" because of the assumed pressure that comes with it, and the feedback I would get from my peers in CSD. Unfortunately, they are both super competitive programs!

I am very excited to start the process. I am taking Chem 1 and Chem 2 this summer, so it's starting to feel real. There is definitely a reality shift, though, in changing my mind set to "What if I became a doctor?" to "What do I do next to become a doctor?". Again, thank you so much for the reply.

 

[KnightDoc]

This is so relieving to hear! I am hesitant to join any pre-med clubs, because it feels like such a huge thing to call myself "pre-med" because of the assumed pressure that comes with it, and the feedback I would get from my peers in CSD. Unfortunately, they are both super competitive programs!

I am very excited to start the process. I am taking Chem 1 and Chem 2 this summer, so it's starting to feel real. There is definitely a reality shift, though, in changing my mind set to "What if I became a doctor?" to "What do I do next to become a doctor?". Again, thank you so much for the reply.

My pleasure! Don't worry about the pre-med club. It's a ton of neurosis mixed in with a little valuable content, such as when they bring in speakers, sponsor med school fairs, or get you discounts on MCAT prep material or classes, which is really the primary reason to join.

Believe me, med schools are NOT impressed with listing membership as an activity, so there is no reason to feel any pressure to join unless you want to. That said, trust me, it's not a huge thing to call yourself "pre-med." The vast majority of people who do so freshman year never even apply to med school, let alone ever get accepted!