Currently doing an unrelated PhD and want to go back to school as pre-med

[futuremedic]

Hello!

I'm American, and currently pursuing an unrelated PhD in social science at an elite British university. I did my undergrad in the US at a top school (HYPSM, etc.) and have a high GPA (3.7+). I am seriously thinking about going back to medical school, either in the US or out of it.

I'm curious about a few things and was looking for your wisdom:

- I'm about 1.5 years into a 3 year PhD in social science. Does it make sense to finish up, just so I already have the degree? Or quit now and just start doing pre-reqs for medical school?

- Should I do the pre-reqs while doing the PhD (entirely possible)? Can I do them at a university outside the US and still go to an American medical school? How does it work? Can I do some online and the rest when I get back to the US?

- If I want to practice in the US, which makes the most sense *financial* and otherwise -- doing the MD outside and then trying to come back for residency, or trying to get into an American school as a much older, PhD or PhD dropout?

- I'm thinking of pursuing psychiatry, and perhaps research psychiatry -- how do I find out if this is for me? Is it possible to volunteer at a mental hospital? Is this a good idea?

Anything else that would be helpful would be much appreciated!

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[theseeker4]

Hello!

I'm American, and currently pursuing an unrelated PhD in social science at an elite British university. I did my undergrad in the US at a top school (HYPSM, etc.) and have a high GPA (3.7+). I am seriously thinking about going back to medical school, either in the US or out of it.

I'm curious about a few things and was looking for your wisdom:

- I'm about 1.5 years into a 3 year PhD in social science. Does it make sense to finish up, just so I already have the degree? Or quit now and just start doing pre-reqs for medical school?

- Should I do the pre-reqs while doing the PhD (entirely possible)? Can I do them at a university outside the US and still go to an American medical school? How does it work? Can I do some online and the rest when I get back to the US?

- If I want to practice in the US, which makes the most sense *financial* and otherwise -- doing the MD outside and then trying to come back for residency, or trying to get into an American school as a much older, PhD or PhD dropout?

- I'm thinking of pursuing psychiatry, and perhaps research psychiatry -- how do I find out if this is for me? Is it possible to volunteer at a mental hospital? Is this a good idea?

Anything else that would be helpful would be much appreciated!

Probably would be better to finish your PhD instead of dropping out of it. It would look better that way.

Generally, schools want you to complete the pre-reqs at American universities, so you would return to the US and do your pre-reqs here. Most schools won't accept or at least don't like online pre-reqs, and the labs will need to be taken in person, so it would be better to wait until you return.

If you want to practice in the US, attend med school in the US. With the increasing number of US MD students each year, it will get more and more difficult to gain a residency coming from a non-US school. The fact that you have a high GPA means there is no reason you couldn't gain an admission here. Again, it is much much much harder to gain a US residency from a foreign school, so if you ever want to practice in the US, go to med school in the US.

You will decide which specialty is right for you during your 3rd year clinical rotations, so don't worry about that part too much now. You should volunteer and/or shadow if you are able in a variety of clinical settings, whether mental health or otherwise, to learn what a doctor's job and life is like. There is nothing wrong with doing this in GB, but you will want to have some experience in the US as well as schools will want to know you are familiar with the US health care system.

 

[prolixity29]

Hello!

I'm American, and currently pursuing an unrelated PhD in social science at an elite British university. I did my undergrad in the US at a top school (HYPSM, etc.) and have a high GPA (3.7+). I am seriously thinking about going back to medical school, either in the US or out of it.

I'm curious about a few things and was looking for your wisdom:

- I'm about 1.5 years into a 3 year PhD in social science. Does it make sense to finish up, just so I already have the degree? Or quit now and just start doing pre-reqs for medical school?

- Should I do the pre-reqs while doing the PhD (entirely possible)? Can I do them at a university outside the US and still go to an American medical school? How does it work? Can I do some online and the rest when I get back to the US?

- If I want to practice in the US, which makes the most sense *financial* and otherwise -- doing the MD outside and then trying to come back for residency, or trying to get into an American school as a much older, PhD or PhD dropout?

- I'm thinking of pursuing psychiatry, and perhaps research psychiatry -- how do I find out if this is for me? Is it possible to volunteer at a mental hospital? Is this a good idea?

Anything else that would be helpful would be much appreciated!

If it's only 1.5 years remaining (and you are certain about this) I would just finish it. If it is longer than say 2 years to finish, I would consider grabbing my master's, cutting my losses, and heading to med school. You won't be able to take pre-reqs overseas, so you must factor in time for them, plus the actual admissions timeline is about 1.5 years alone (unless you link in a formal post-bacc program).

It also depends on your ultimate goals. If you are looking to attend a top medical school, you must follow a stricter path. If you simply want the joy of practicing medicine, I would guess that you could probably attend school abroad and make it back to the US for residency, given your academic acumen. It is competitive in residency, but I have met other Americans with decent but not stellar qualifications who have made it into MD residencies after going to school in the Caribbean.