Could I still achieve the dream with this plan?

[Spaceball1]

I am currently an undergrad going into my final semester. I am a health science major with a minor in biology. My main plan was to go for physical therapy. But secretly, I am in love with the idea of being a physician. Everything they do fascinates me. Plus I've learned so much already as I get A's in pretty much all of my sciences. I've paid particular close attention to A&P and other physiology classes as I've especially enjoyed them. But I haven't done any preparatory shadowing in the medical field at all nor have I taken orgo or the MCAT yet. My plan is to graduate, take organic part time, get some shadowing experience in, and study like a madman for the MCAT. Then apply late spring of 2018 to MD schools. My overall gpa is a 3.5. Is it too late to bother with med school? I am willing to do anything possible to get in. But will med schools look down on me because it will end up taking me an extra year to fulfill their prerequisites? I've worked part time for 6 years but I don't currently have any medical exposure other than 70 hours of physical therapy shadowing at inpatient rehab facilities. Any input appreciated. Thanks!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Mclovin0351]

They won't look down on you. Read this website some more, take a year or two to finish prereqs, crush the mcat, and get some clinical experience. You'll be in a good place.

 

[kraskadva]

You can also delay graduating while you finish the pre-reqs. This would keep your fin aid situation stable for the moment and allow you access to priority registration. Probably easier than graduating and then dealing with loans coming due and being the last one able to register for classes.

 

[docE15]

I was in exactly your position with Spring 2015 being my planned last semester. I was also planning on pursuing PT but changed my mind last minute. I decided not to graduate and instead enrolled in Orgo 1, 2, and biochem for summer through spring 2016. During those semesters, I did my shadowing, research, and a lot of volunteering. I took the MCAT spring 2016 and applied this cycle with much success. You could definitely do it but it requires a lot of dedication and time management.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Spaceball1]

I was in exactly your position with Spring 2015 being my planned last semester. I was also planning on pursuing PT but changed my mind last minute. I decided not to graduate and instead enrolled in Orgo 1, 2, and biochem for summer through spring 2016. During those semesters, I did my shadowing, research, and a lot of volunteering. I took the MCAT spring 2016 and applied this cycle with much success. You could definitely do it but it requires a lot of dedication and time management.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Very interesting. That is very similar to my situation. I left out a the fact that I need to take biochem as well. I plan on doing everything you did. However I do not know where or how to get a research opportunity. I am not at all opposed to hard work and effort to get this done, but is no research experience able to be overlooked? As I have no idea where to go to conduct it. I like what you just explained a lot though.

 

[docE15]

Very interesting. That is very similar to my situation. I left out a the fact that I need to take biochem as well. I plan on doing everything you did. However I do not know where or how to get a research opportunity. I am not at all opposed to hard work and effort to get this done, but is no research experience able to be overlooked? As I have no idea where to go to conduct it. I like what you just explained a lot though.

It's going to be difficult to find any bench or wet lab research having so little time to dedicate to their lab, as that was my case. But I did find a clinical research and non-science research opportunities (think, public health, epidemiology, sociology). I was also allowed to complete a senior thesis/independent research which I opted out of due to the requirement of paying for an extra 5 credits (no, thanks). I think research could be overlooked if all else fails depending on the schools you're targeting.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Spaceball1]

It's going to be difficult to find any bench or wet lab research having so little time to dedicate to their lab, as that was my case. But I did find a clinical research and non-science research opportunities (think, public health, epidemiology, sociology). I was also allowed to complete a senior thesis/independent research which I opted out of due to the requirement of paying for an extra 5 credits (no, thanks). I think research could be overlooked if all else fails depending on the schools you're targeting.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Huh, at least non-clinical research is an option to consider. Thank you for your input. Based on your first comment I assume you got into med school. If this is the case and you don't mind me asking, what was your undergrad gpa just out of curiosity?

 

[docE15]

Huh, at least non-clinical research is an option to consider. Thank you for your input. Based on your first comment I assume you got into med school. If this is the case and you don't mind me asking, what was your undergrad gpa just out of curiosity?

It was around a 3.5 but I raised it to 3.7 within that last year. That is also why I decided not to graduate to keep those last classes under my undergrad GPA


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[Spaceball1]

It was around a 3.5 but I raised it to 3.7 within that last year. That is also why I decided not to graduate to keep those last classes under my undergrad GPA


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Interesting. Not bad. I appreciate your input. And good call on not graduating to put those extra classes towards undergrad gpa. I'll keep that in mind