Decided

[deleted1160908]

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[chilly_md]

Have you liked working directly with human patients? Or did you like veterinary medicine better?

 

[chilly_md]

You could try nursing school or pursue a technician role (X-ray, surgery, respiratory tech etc).

 

[chilly_md]

For nursing wouldn't you have to start all over by being an RN? I am considering medical physics, do they ever have their own practice? What about stability?

You may have some of the pre-reqs, but you would need to take more classes. It would be less schooling and a more viable option than getting into professional school.

I am not familiar with medical physics, but I doubt they own their own practice due to liability and malpractice concerns. The rad onc is in charge. Medical physicist requires a masters or PhD and then a residency. So, it would take many years and it seems getting a residency spot is competitive due to limited spots compared to the number of graduates. And the sub 3 GPA would keep you from the programs with better placement rates probably.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

I think the question is, what do you want to do. And how.much effort are you willing to put into to get there?

 

[gyngyn]

It's just which type of school will accept me despite my gpa and I'll have to take their entrance exam.

Pharmacy no longer has an entrance exam. You might want to wander over to the pharmacy forum for more details on that gpa issue: Pre-Pharmacy

Podiatry seems to be accepting lots of folks with, ahem, academic blemishes: What are my chances: WAMC Podiatry

 

[Coffee-Bean-Counter]

I like both, but I can't think of a type of school that would accept me like PA, etc. I think I'd like to have veterinary medicine continued as a volunteering opportunity, but I would put it in the back on the healthcare side due to the closest school being so far away.

I'm not in medical school, but from my understanding, you will most likely have to move no matter what path you go down. People apply to 20+ medical schools with the hopes of just being accepted to just one. Most of these students will then move to that schools location. What I'm getting at, is don't let location of a school keep you from following the path that will make you the most happy.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

Podiatry seems to be accepting lots of folks with, ahem, academic blemishes: What are my chances: WAMC Podiatry

Podiatry will take pretty much anyone with a pulse at present. Their schools don't even fill.

I've spent some times on the forums over there very recently and it's sounding more doom and gloom than EM at present, but still definitely an option if someone wants to be a physician. Just there is a lot of due diligence needed at present to know what they are getting into.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

I am willing to put into a lot of effort. I've looked at the prerequisites for different post grad schools and I match them. It's just which type of school will accept me despite my gpa and I'll have to take their entrance exam. I'm thinking about compounding pharmacist or dentist. I want to help people, make a difference in the world. By being a dentist, I can help HIV patients as I'm interested in helping them in some form, whether it's pharmacy, dentistry, being a doctor, physician assistant, etc.

You can still do medical school, but if you think you can be happy in all of these other careers then med school may not be a good decision. If you don't have a burning passion to be a doctor and ONLY a doctor then that will increase your chances of having less desirable outcomes later on.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

I'd suggest doing some shadowing and networking or hanging around some of the other forums here. It's difficult to give meaningful general guidance when navigating the healthcare world without painting in broad strokes.

I think all options are still on the table for you, so it's a matter of how much sacrifice you want to make (no negative connotation here). Going into medicine is a huge undertaking, and if you don't love the process and love every step of it then that is when negative outcomes arise like you mentioned in your OP.

For others, they would do anything just to step foot through the door, even if for a day.

 

[chilly_md]

How would I prepare to become a radiation oncologist?

It requires medical school and I do not advise that with the length of training and where you GPA is at.

 

[chilly_md]

Is there anything I can do to improve my application?

You would need to take at least a year's worth of upper-division science classes (around 35 credits) and do well in them. Fewer and fewer people are pursuing rad onc for residency due to the job market as an FYI.

 

[chilly_md]

I have taken general biology, general chemistry, physics course, human anatomy/physiology, ochem i and ii, microbiology, biochemistry, etc.

Since your GPA is low, you would have to show you can handle science courses. It would need to be in new classes like immunology, genetics, molecular biology and virology. That level of commitment is more for medical and dental school. For other programs, you may just need enough to get over their cutoffs.

If you are in an accounting master's program right now, you should really consider your level of debt. Volunteering while working is always a potential avenue to pay the bills while being involved with something that you care about.

 

[gyngyn]

I have taken general biology, general chemistry, physics course, human anatomy/physiology, ochem i and ii, microbiology, biochemistry, etc.

Have you calculated your AAMC or AACOMAS gpa's?
They can differ from your school's calculation.

 

[Fluidity of Movement]

Why don't you shadow a radiation oncologist, or at least hang out and talk to some (we do have a forum with that).

They can help give you a more accurate idea of the career, the training requirements, and see if that's what you actually even want to do. They also be able to tell you other fields that you might be interested in that aren't going to be as much of an uphill battle for you.

I guess what we're saying is it's difficult for us to give you advice on going to medical school if you're not hell-bent on being a physician. Make sense?

 

[gyngyn]

Where can I find that on their websites? I don't see it.

https://students-residents.aamc.org/media/7761/download

Calculating Your AACOMAS GPAs

help.liaisonedu.com