Dilemma...

[puchi]

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Hello all,

I am 21 years old, just graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a BS in Anthro (GPA 2.67....I had a rough freshman/sophmore/junior year), my science GPA is pretty low <2.5...

I applied to 3 post back programs, and got rejected from two...still waiting to hear from another...if i dont get into that program, my plan is to take my own post-bacc at CUNY Hunter...

However, I have to admit, Ive been getting down about what my scholastic career has become, and Im thinking about taking a few years off to work ( I am an EMT-B) and get my life in order, then jump back into business?

My question is...should I take the year(s) off? Or should I go through the post-bacc route and then go onto medical school? Im reading about non-trads who are going back to school in their 30's and its making me think that I should try to work....

To those who are going back to school (30+) do you wish that you made the choice to go back to med school earlier?

Thanks

 

[LPeterson]

I can't answer the "Do you wish you did it earlier" question, but if you're looking for a unique experience for a couple of years, I highly recommend the Peace Corps. Have you ever thought about joining? I am a 26-year-old just finishing up my second year teaching English in Bulgaria as a Peace Corps Volunteer and it has been amazing. I'll be starting the Pre-Health Program at Penn in the fall, and I know that my experience as a volunteer (even though it is not a health-related assignment) was an important factor in my application. If you're interested in traveling and learning a new language and doing something really different for a couple of years, I just think there's nothing better...Feel free to PM me if you have any questions.

 

[Law2Doc]

My question is...should I take the year(s) off? Or should I go through the post-bacc route and then go onto medical school? Im reading about non-trads who are going back to school in their 30's and its making me think that I should try to work....

To those who are going back to school (30+) do you wish that you made the choice to go back to med school earlier?

Thanks

No. The short answer is NEVER NEVER NEVER jump into a postbac/med school path until you are ready to give it your full focus and energy. With your GPA you are going to need a few years of "mostly A's", and until you have the mindset to do it, you will be digging yourself a bigger hole by unsuccessfully trying.

This is not a race and there are no brownie points for jumping back in quicker. There are, however distinct benefits to having put all your demons to rest and being able to approach the sciences and medicine reinvigorated and ready to work. From what I've seen more trads hit burn out periods than nontrads because they didn't have the time off and don't appreciate being back in school as much. The adcom emphasis on maturity and "why medicine" both suggest that spending whatever time you need to figure out where you are going in life are positives.

Life doesn't start when you finish med school. Those folks going back to school at 30+ likely picked up valuable life experiences; it just turns out that their first career wasn't their final one. I haven't met too many with regrets about the duration of their pre-medicine career paths.

 

[Scottish Chap]

Hello all,

I am 21 years old, just graduated from SUNY Binghamton with a BS in Anthro (GPA 2.67....I had a rough freshman/sophmore/junior year), my science GPA is pretty low <2.5...

I applied to 3 post back programs, and got rejected from two...still waiting to hear from another...if i dont get into that program, my plan is to take my own post-bacc at CUNY Hunter...

However, I have to admit, Ive been getting down about what my scholastic career has become, and Im thinking about taking a few years off to work ( I am an EMT-B) and get my life in order, then jump back into business?

My question is...should I take the year(s) off? Or should I go through the post-bacc route and then go onto medical school? Im reading about non-trads who are going back to school in their 30's and its making me think that I should try to work....

To those who are going back to school (30+) do you wish that you made the choice to go back to med school earlier?

Thanks

Hi there!

No, I have no regrets about waiting until I was older to enter medical school. I had a hugely rewarding career, I learned a lot about myself, and I got to travel. People sometimes worry more about their age than they should. This really is a minor point. Medical schools like to admit qualified, and interesting applicants.

In your case, you just need to do some damage control on your GPA. I would not focus much on unique experiences and health care exposure until you have fixed the grades because they matter far more. If you do well in your postbacc, your average GPA will increase somewhat and allopathic schools (those that don't use a computer screen) have been known to consider the new grades as proof of academic success if the MCAT is acceptable. Osteopathic medical schools actually replace the old grades with the new ones, and so you can see that a competitive GPA is within reach if your postbacc goes well.

Good luck!

 

[puchi]

Thanks, you guys have really been helpful...

I never thought about the peace-corps...

Im not sure if the way Im feeling is due to the fact that I got rejected from my post-baccs or a feeling that "Im tired with school" or something like that...I want to be able to jump back in with a clear head and reach my goal. I just wanted to make sure that I wasnt making a mistake because I "had a chance and blew it."

Taking time off really sounds good to me, but Im not sure how it would sound to my mother. I may work for a few years (no more than 5) then go back by doing a "career changing" program.

Also, Im reallllly thinking about DO schools b/c I like the philosphy and the method of teaching they use (muscoskelto...I think thats it) and the fact that they are more friendly to Non-trads...

I really dont care how old I am once Im a doctor. The most important thing is that I reached my goal, and after reading the stories here, its never too late!

Once again thanks for your help.

 

[Phoenix.]

Puchi: Seriously, don't listen to your mother. It's your life (even if she's trying to save you from making mistakes she felt she made). Mine *insisted* that I go immedicately to a grad school post-college even though I wanted to take a year off and figure out what I really wanted to do. She felt if I took time off I'd never continue my education. So, I caved to her pressure to "just" apply to law school and see what happened. I got in, practiced for seven years (all the while feeling like I was unfulfilled and had not actually chosen what I was doing, but instead "fell" into it), and the rest is history. I'll be applying to med school this summer at the age of 32. I don't regret the path I've taken and the experiences I've gained, but if I had to do it over again, I definitely would have taken a year or two after college to find what I really wanted to do rather than "jumping" into something a bit by parental coercion. Good luck.

 

[Static Line]

I was 29 before I started undergrad and 34 before med school. I wouldn't give up any of my previous career and life experiences, and glad I have them. I think many non trads who worked hard before med school appreciate med school more than the traditional student. We don't whine as much either.

I also new that I wanted something different in life than the direction I was headed so I worked harder in undergrad than many of my 19-20 year old colleagues. Thus, I am an MSII and many of them aren't MS anythings.

Until you decide that you much rather have a future as a physician than not then you won't get it together in post-bacc which you really need to do.

 

[StrengthDoc]

I agree with what everyone has posted and want to echo what L2D stated. I thought about going premed the first time around and ended up going business to MBA. Every time I want to wish that I had done things differently I stop and realize that, honestly, if I had gone premed the first time I don't think I would have made it through.

Kudos to the trads who run right through 20 years of school elem-med, but I am far more focused on making this happen at 30+.

If working a year or more will help you feel fully confident and committed then it won't be time wasted.