Competetiveness for Nontraditional Aplicant

[CBFutureHelper14]

I graduated college in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. That was not my plan when I entered college back in 2010. I had planned on getting a BSN then going to med school. It didn't happen that way. Now I am planning on going to interview for masters of science in Counselor education. If I get accepted, I will complete the degree in 2018. Get licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor( in North Carolina) in 2020. Will having a license as a professional counselor help with my competitiveness for med school if I decide to go to med after getting licensed? I'd have to take the science pre reqs and MCAT as well.
Also, if I don't get into the counseling program, my intent is to go back to do the science prereqs for med school. Would it be better to be a second degree student or pursue a post bacc program as far as making me competitve?

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[GreenDuck12]

So, if I'm reading this correctly, you're planning on earning a MS in Counseling, becoming a licensed counselor and then going back to school to complete the pre-reqs and become a doctor? If you are already interested in medicine, I'm confused as to why you would want to complete a different graduate program and pursue the requirements for a profession you don't plan to be in for very long? If you're pursuing this in order to improve your chances for a medical school admission, your time (and money) could be much better spent in other areas. Bear in mind that I am a teacher, I have a masters degree. I became interested in medicine after I completed my degree and had been teaching for a few years. Teaching is a large part of my reason for pursuing medicine but I am not counting on the masters degree factoring in to an admissions decision.

As for the second bachelors degree, it entirely depends on your GPA from the first degree. How is your GPA?

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

So, if I'm reading this correctly, you're planning on earning a MS in Counseling, becoming a licensed counselor and then going back to school to complete the pre-reqs and become a doctor? If you are already interested in medicine, I'm confused as to why you would want to complete a different graduate program and pursue the requirements for a profession you don't plan to be in for very long? If you're pursuing this in order to improve your chances for a medical school admission, your time (and money) could be much better spent in other areas. Bear in mind that I am a teacher, I have a masters degree. I became interested in medicine after I completed my degree and had been teaching for a few years. Teaching is a large part of my reason for pursuing medicine but I am not counting on the masters degree factoring in to an admissions decision.

As for the second bachelors degree, it entirely depends on your GPA from the first degree. How is your GPA?

I am not sure If i will get into the counseling program. I had applied to counseling programs because I had thought going back for medicine was impossible. I have since found out that going back for med may not be impossible. Medicine has always been my dream and when it didn't work out the first time, One because of some poor choice on my part( i apparently picked the wrong major, i was an intended nursing major) as well as lack of guidance on the part of my advisors( my advisor only told me i was in the "wrong" major when advising i may face a tuition surcharge if i continued in the nursing major), I was very discouraged. I took a year off after I graduated to reevaluate my reasons and I had still wanted to be in the medocal field, which is why I applied to graduate schools. My GPA from my first degree was 3.5 out of 4.0. I had only taken one general chemistry course which i made a C in, and a Biology course which I made a B in. I also took Anatomy/Physiology which I also made a C in.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Just out of curiosity, how did it not work out the first time? There isn't a "wrong" major for medical school. Medical schools accept students with majors in music, theater, international relations and sculpture. The only thing you need to do is complete the pre-req classes. If you are interested in going to medical school your first step is to take the pre-req classes and not enroll in a graduate program. Doing well in a graduate program doesn't add much to your application as medical schools believe graduate GPAs to be inflated and most applicants do not have a graduate degree. Medical schools will evaluate you based on the things they are looking for such as performance in pre-reqs, sGPA, cGPA, MCAT score, clinical experience and volunteer experience. In your situation, I would enroll in a local university and start taking pre-req classes (both semesters of general chemistry, both semesters of biology, both semesters of physics, biochemistry, genetics, cell biology). The MS in counseling won't add much substance to your application (especially if you start taking post bac classes immediately).

 

[GreenDuck12]

I am going to amend what I wrote above. If you earn an MS in counseling and work for a few years, it could add to your story/application as it would give you another set of experiences and perhaps play into your "why medical school" answer. However, I would caution against pursuing the MS in counseling with the goal of building up your application. Your cGPA is fine and you are in a good position to earn an MD admission if you keep your grades up in post bac and earn a strong MCAT score.

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

Just out of curiosity, how did it not work out the first time? There isn't a "wrong" major for medical school. Medical schools accept students with majors in music, theater, international relations and sculpture. The only thing you need to do is complete the pre-req classes. If you are interested in going to medical school your first step is to take the pre-req classes and not enroll in a graduate program. Doing well in a graduate program doesn't add much to your application as medical schools believe graduate GPAs to be inflated and most applicants do not have a graduate degree. Medical schools will evaluate you based on the things they are looking for such as performance in pre-reqs, sGPA, cGPA, MCAT score, clinical experience and volunteer experience. In your situation, I would enroll in a local university and start taking pre-req classes (both semesters of general chemistry, both semesters of biology, both semesters of physics, biochemistry, genetics, cell biology). The MS in counseling won't add much substance to your application (especially if you start taking post bac classes immediately).

To be honest, I let my advsior and others talk me out of my dream. THAT was my mistake. I wasn't ready to be a doctor then. I may still not be ready now, thats why i am volunteering at the hospital, which i enjoy, and hunting for docs to shadow. I am also talking with current med students. I have always wanted to be a doctor, and I don't want to regret not trying again.
If you are wondering what is stooing me from going back for med, its fear. I am afraid that I'll fail again, that somehow something else will go wrong and I will be back in this situation again.

 

[GreenDuck12]

I completely understand. Keep volunteering and find a few doctors to shadow. Explore the profession so that you have a clearer idea of what you are getting yourself into. There is no rush to get started so wait until you are ready and are in the best position to do well in your classes.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

To be honest, I let my advsior and others talk me out of my dream. THAT was my mistake. I wasn't ready to be a doctor then. I may still not be ready now, thats why i am volunteering at the hospital, which i enjoy, and hunting for docs to shadow. I am also talking with current med students. I have always wanted to be a doctor, and I don't want to regret not trying again.
If you are wondering what is stooing me from going back for med, its fear. I am afraid that I'll fail again, that somehow something else will go wrong and I will be back in this situation again.

I think volunteering and shadowing are great places to start. Get some exposure to medicine so that you can be VERY sure that this is the right field for you before you start taking prereqs.

Don't let past issues in school stress you out. And do your research! Nursing wouldn't have been the right major for you anyway, if you want to be a doctor! If you're sure that medicine is what you want, start taking prereqs! You can do this by either enrolling in a formal postbacc program or doing it informally by enrolling as a non-degree student at a university near you. (Personally, I think the informal route is a good way to go because it's usually cheaper and more flexible.) Start by taking 1 or 2 basic science courses and see how you do. Medical school isn't an impossible goal but you'll need to do better than your previous C's in prereqs.

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

Thank you @GreenDuck12 and @thatwouldbeanarchy for your responses. I am considering doing second degree, because as a nondegree i may not have priority regestration and I may have to pay out of pocket for the classes. I am still volunteering at the hospital and looking for doctors to shadow. If you guys/girls have any extra tips for finding doctors I would greatly appreciate it. I am trying to find docs through the hospital i volunteer at and the school of medicine. I have so far been in contact with two pbysicians and I am awaiting their responses.

 

[Goro]

Merely having a counseling license will not help your admissions chances.

Having hundreds to 1000s of hours counseling will.

Don't bother getting a graduate degree if you have no intention of going into that field.

Just do the post-bac. You can do it in a formal program, or DIY.

I graduated college in 2014 with a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice. That was not my plan when I entered college back in 2010. I had planned on getting a BSN then going to med school. It didn't happen that way. Now I am planning on going to interview for masters of science in Counselor education. If I get accepted, I will complete the degree in 2018. Get licensed as a Licensed Professional Counselor( in North Carolina) in 2020. Will having a license as a professional counselor help with my competitiveness for med school if I decide to go to med after getting licensed? I'd have to take the science pre reqs and MCAT as well.
Also, if I don't get into the counseling program, my intent is to go back to do the science prereqs for med school. Would it be better to be a second degree student or pursue a post bacc program as far as making me competitve?

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

Merely having a counseling license will not help your admissions chances.

Having hundreds to 1000s of hours counseling will.

Don't bother getting a graduate degree if you have no intention of going into that field.

Just do the post-bac. You can do it in a formal program, or DIY.

Yes I know merely having the license won't help. I have considered doing counseling for probably 3-5 years or more, then going back for med, particularly if I still have an interest in mental health, I'd look real good as a mental health counselor with close to a decade of experience, then going for psychiatry as a specialty. But I thought, why would I do counseling if I knew all along I wanted to do med. So right now counseling is iffy, and it will only work if I get accepted into a program.
If I do not get accepted into a counseling program,(won't be notified of acceptance until April 15 at the latest, my interview for one of the schools is Feb 12, which is in two wks), then I would go and do prereqs.
Doing a formal post bacc program would require me to move three hours away from where i live now, which is plausible, compared to going back to my undergrad institution as a second degree, completing pre reqs in my current town. Also if I am not mistaken, the post bacc is also considered second degree, for financial aid purposes because the classes are undergrad level classes not grad level classes.
Thank you for responding by the way.

 

[thatwouldbeanarchy]

Yes I know merely having the license won't help. I have considered doing counseling for probably 3-5 years or more, then going back for med, particularly if I still have an interest in mental health, I'd look real good as a mental health counselor with close to a decade of experience, then going for psychiatry as a specialty. But I thought, why would I do counseling if I knew all along I wanted to do med. So right now counseling is iffy, and it will only work if I get accepted into a program.
If I do not get accepted into a counseling program,(won't be notified of acceptance until April 15 at the latest, my interview for one of the schools is Feb 12, which is in two wks), then I would go and do prereqs.
Doing a formal post bacc program would require me to move three hours away from where i live now, which is plausible, compared to going back to my undergrad institution as a second degree, completing pre reqs in my current town. Also if I am not mistaken, the post bacc is also considered second degree, for financial aid purposes because the classes are undergrad level classes not grad level classes.
Thank you for responding by the way.

You should take whatever path feels right for you. Just know that you definitely don't need years of counseling experience to get into medical school! If it's something you want to do, then fine. Just seems to be a very long detour, if medicine is what you really want.

As far as financial aid goes, you typically only qualify if you're pursuing a degree. Post-bacs usually aren't degree-granting so you wouldn't qualify for financial aid, if you went that route. You may be able to get financial aid, if you actually go back to school and get a second bachelor's degree.

 

[GreenDuck12]

Alternatively, you could access financial aid by enrolling as a second degree student and then leave after you have finished the classes that you want to take.

 

[CBFutureHelper14]

Yes @GreenDuck12 and @thatwouldbeanarchy, a second degree does allow better access to financial aid and possibly work study. As well as priority registration. I would also consider taking a few upper level science courses, (biochem is one that is strongly recommended), to offset that C in General Chem. Also as you stated @GreenDuck12, I don't have to complete the second degree as a whole, I could just do the prereqs, a Pre-Med advisor informed me of this option.