DO school drop out here...considering going back...did pre-reqs change along with the MCAT change?

[MedIsInMyBlood]

Hi guys, I went to school at a DO school in 2011 and dropped out for certain reasons my first year.

For the past 5 years I have been in the work field at a local business. It's not too bad but medicine and science is where i need to be.

I am thinking of going back to medical school now...and I see that the MCAT has added sociology and psychology? Does this mean that these are new med school pre-reqs too and I'll have to go take these courses?



Edit: And yep, I know that a biochemistry has been added to the new MCAT too...but I already took biochemistry 1 and biochemisty 2 in undergrad so I'm good with that if any DO school requires them.

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[gannicus89]

There are more and more schools which require 1-2 classes in psychology/sociology. You should look at the schools you want to apply to and see what their specific requirements are.

 

[Dr. Death]

Some schools like LECOM and MUCOM require some psych and soc credits but most do not. Not sure if it was a prereq before but biochem is a prereq for many schools

 

[Gandyy]

Isnt it really hard to get re-admitted to medical school?

 

[Goro]

It is exceptionally hard. OP would be DOA at my school.

Isnt it really hard to get re-admitted to medical school?

 

[Seth Joo]

Hi guys, I went to school at a DO school in 2011 and dropped out for certain reasons my first year.

For the past 5 years I have been in the work field at a local business. It's not too bad but medicine and science is where i need to be.

I am thinking of going back to medical school now...and I see that the MCAT has added sociology and psychology? Does this mean that these are new med school pre-reqs too and I'll have to go take these courses?



Edit: And yep, I know that a biochemistry has been added to the new MCAT too...but I already took biochemistry 1 and biochemisty 2 in undergrad so I'm good with that if any DO school requires them.

It all depends upon the circumstances upon which you left, I know people who left because of illness or other issues and were able to return, but if you just dropped out it might be hard to be readmitted and continue as an advanced standing student. You might have to take the MCAT all over again, maybe take additional pre requisite course work and start all over again.

I myself left school for a while, but I had a very good personal reason and documented it to my school which approved my leave from school and they readmitted me and allowed me resume my studies. But it seems as if you left school and went into a different field of work, I had to care for a severely ill family member who lived far away from me.

 

[costales]

Your best bet would be your old school. In fact, I'd suggest talking to the dean before proceeding further. If they're not receptive, then perhaps you should move on with your life or pursue a non-physician career.

 

[Seth Joo]

Your best bet would be your old school. In fact, I'd suggest talking to the dean before proceeding further. If they're not receptive, then perhaps you should move on with your life or pursue a non-physician career.

It really depends upon why he left school, if he just left for some kind of whimsical reason, its not going to look good, if he left for a serious personal reason like a physical or mental illness, then I am sure the school would be willing to take him back.

 

[Goro]

My school has accepted people who matriculated other medical schools but had to leave due to physical illness. Mental illness? We're too leery.

Any other reason and the OP will be dead meat.

It really depends upon why he left school, if he just left for some kind of whimsical reason, its not going to look good, if he left for a serious personal reason like a physical or mental illness, then I am sure the school would be willing to take him back.

 

[Seth Joo]

My school has accepted people who matriculated other medical schools but had to leave due to physical illness. Mental illness? We're too leery.

Any other reason and the OP will be dead meat.

Anything that requires some form of medical intervention, whether it is mental or physical would need to considered. Mental Illness is also protected under federal laws just like physical ailments since they require medical intervention to correct. In fact, mental illness is quite common among students and faculty in higher education and its quite treatable, the issue is that many students and faculty fear getting help because of the stigma attached to it and the perception of having a mental illness.

There was a professor at Princeton who had a serious mental illness, he won a Nobel Prize, I believe he was recently killed in a car crash, but his illness plagued both his personal and professional life. There was a film made about him called "A Beautiful Mind". Dr. John Nash was his name.

Students do not have to disclose details about mental illness and treatment to schools anyway, that information is to remain confidential anyway. Its against the law for schools to request such information from students. Such information is up to the discretion of the student. The same goes for faculty and staff. Sometimes mental illness can explain why a student is not performing well academically so a student will disclose it and seek some kind of mandated treatment and intervention.

 

[MedIsInMyBlood]

Hey guys...it was a mental illness that lead to me dropping out of school.

 

[Seth Joo]

Hey guys...it was a mental illness that made me drop out of school the first time.

You should explain it to your school then. And see if you got treatment. I know at my school students have taken time off because of emotional issues and other life crises.

 

[Goro]

We'll be doing OP no favors by re-admitting him/her back into the furnace without adequate proof of the ability to handle said furnace.

 

[MedIsInMyBlood]

We'll be doing OP no favors by re-admitting him/her back into the furnace without adequate proof of the ability to handle said furnace.

This is true.

Actually what I am doing now though is requiring more effort and hours than what I was doing in my 2 months of M1. This can't be used as proof though, I would suppose.

But what do you think would be proof? I take the new MCAT and kill it?

 

[Goro]

Do a post-bac and ace it, AND take MCAT and ace it.

This is true.

Actually what I am doing now though is requiring more effort and hours than what I was doing in my 2 months of M1. This can't be used as proof though, I would suppose.

But what do you think would be proof? I take the new MCAT and kill it?

 

[Seth Joo]

Do a post-bac and ace it, AND take MCAT and ace it.

To the OP go with Goro's advice and since you mentioned you had issues with mental health I would seek mental health treatment as well but keep that treatment and your mental health issues confidential, I would only disclose it if you feel you need to share it, that would be a personal choice, but given the kind of bias against people with mental health issues, probably best to keep silent, get treatment to keep it under control.

 

[Goro]

Seth, OP has to answer on the app form "have you matriculated at any other med school" What should s/he write?

And at interviews, OP WILL be asked about the withdrawal. What should they say???

To the OP go with Goro's advice and since you mentioned you had issues with mental health I would seek mental health treatment as well but keep that treatment and your mental health issues confidential, I would only disclose it if you feel you need to share it, that would be a personal choice, but given the kind of bias against people with mental health issues, probably best to keep silent, get treatment to keep it under control.

 

[Seth Joo]

Seth, OP has to answer on the app form "have you matriculated at any other med school" What should s/he write?

And at interviews, OP WILL be asked about the withdrawal. What should they say???

It depends upon what reason he gave to the school as to why he withdrew. We do not know what he actually disclosed to his school, when it comes to mental health people do not openly disclose these matters to their schools. Who really knows why the OP left and what he told his school. If he told his school he had mental health issues, then he could discuss what he has done with his life to address such issues, and why he can now handle the pressure of school. Things like employment help people with such issues.

Given the current environment with regards to mental health and the stigma towards people with such issues, I think students should be cautious about disclosing such issues with their school. And students facing such issues should seek help and treatment ASAP to get any issues under control.

As I mentioned the story of Princeton professor Dr. Nash, who was severely mentally ill, taught at Princeton and won a Nobel Prize. That being said schools tend to behave in punitive ways towards mentally ill people.

 

[TrueWolverine]

It depends upon what reason he gave to the school as to why he withdrew. We do not know what he actually disclosed to his school, when it comes to mental health people do not openly disclose these matters to their schools. Who really knows why the OP left and what he told his school. If he told his school he had mental health issues, then he could discuss what he has done with his life to address such issues, and why he can now handle the pressure of school. Things like employment help people with such issues.

Given the current environment with regards to mental health and the stigma towards people with such issues, I think students should be cautious about disclosing such issues with their school. And students facing such issues should seek help and treatment ASAP to get any issues under control.

As I mentioned the story of Princeton professor Dr. Nash, who was severely mentally ill, taught at Princeton and won a Nobel Prize.

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding but it sounds an awful lot like you're telling OP to lie and cover it up....I definitely agree that there may exist a stigma towards those with certain mental illnesses and that one should not go flaunting it but I don't know if hiding it from adcoms is the best decision. If OP is dealing with his illness and getting treatment I don't see anything to hide. It seems like it would go over much better to talk about what happened, how OP sought treatment and how s/he plans to work through med school with the mental illness.

Who knows....maybe that's a terrible idea and it won't get OP anywhere haha but IMO it seems like transparency is the way to go, up front and not trying to hide anything.

 

[Seth Joo]

Maybe I'm just misunderstanding but it sounds an awful lot like you're telling OP to lie and cover it up....I definitely agree that there may exist a stigma towards those with certain mental illnesses and that one should not go flaunting it but I don't know if hiding it from adcoms is the best decision. If OP is dealing with his illness and getting treatment I don't see anything to hide. It seems like it would go over much better to talk about what happened, how OP sought treatment and how s/he plans to work through med school with the mental illness.

Who knows....maybe that's a terrible idea and it won't get OP anywhere haha but IMO it seems like transparency is the way to go, up front and not trying to hide anything.

Its not lying, mental health is a sticky issue, look up the very serious matter regarding campus mental health and what happens when students and other community members who have mental health issues approach school administrators for help with such issues, often they are not met with sympathy but treated punitively. This is a very serious matter, and in terms of the law the school cannot have access to a student's mental health records and treatment records, such information is confidential, they can only get information as to whether a student is a danger to themselves or to the campus community not whether they have an actual mental illness. Excluding a student from school on the basis that they have a mental illness is discrimination and violates federal and local disability laws.

Most universities are supposed to provide mental health services on a confidential basis, in other words they are not to share the details of such treatment with administration.

This is one of the reasons I strongly recommend students go to a school where they have an excellent social support system OUTSIDE of school, because that will help their mental health. A good emotional support system is crucial, and they should go to a school where they know they will be happy. I had a classmate of mine from Hawaii in my undergraduate school who was severely depressed and attempted suicide during her first year, she wound up transferring out and going back home. The moral of that story being is that its best to go to school near family and your support system, even if a school is real "prestigious" in my view a family support system is very important particularly to younger people. I was at a time in my life where I grew in maturity so I was able to move far from home for medical school and welcomed being a new region of the country, that and my marriage was going in the tank at the time and my wife was more of a pain than a support, so getting far away from her was a godsend.

What the student is supposed to disclose is the circumstances of why he withdrew from school in the first place, if he mentioned mental health issues then by all means I think he needs to mention that, if he left because he did not like medical school, then he needs to state that. I think my school would be more likely to readmit him if he left for mental health issues assuming he has done something to address those issues. But as I said this is a very thorny issue.

If he has been a good guy in the intervening years I am sure a school will give him another chance.

 

[magic830]

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[costales]

By the way how do I comfort a friend who has dropped out? It's hard because sometimes they won't describe everything or just end up beating themselves up about it. don't know what to say so they can feel better about accepting the present situation.

It's an internal process that heals with time. I'd say most people move on to other productive careers while their former classmates toil away in residencies with little pay but plenty of stress and sleep deprivation, and very little social life to speak of. There are pluses and minuses in every career, and medicine is a job (a very good, but overrated job). You don't need to be a doctor to give meaning to your life - in fact, you shouldn't use a career to define your life's purpose or existence or happiness.

 

[cliquesh]

I'm pretty miserable, magic830. Medicine is really not for everyone. Your friend should be happy they figured it out early on.

 

[Giovanotto]

I'm pretty miserable, magic830. Medicine is really not for everyone. Your friend should be happy they figured it out early on.

Will you elaborate?

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Could you elaborate?

Cliquish was one of those people who in medical school found out that they really don't like medicine.

There's really nothing worse you can do to yourself than stay in medical school if you hate it or hate the idea of practicing on people. These 4 years will simply rob you of a lot of happiness and if you can't find yourself interested in at least some parts it exponentially makes things worse.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I'm pretty miserable, magic830. Medicine is really not for everyone. Your friend should be happy they figured it out early on.

Honestly, even though I enjoy medical school for better or worse and think I love the idea of practice, I wish that people had candidly told me that my happiness was inherently separate from medicine and my professional goals. Truth is that as a person you can find great fulfillment in all sorts of careers and many of them for other people will truly be better matches. I mean in my case I truly ended up finding out that I really love medicine, but that shouldn't have been something I become sure of in medical school either.

 

[Promethean]

I'm curious how OP is doing.

I second the advice that the most likely pathway back to school is going to be to approach the one you left and make your case. If you left in a bad way, hang it up. If you were professional about your withdrawal, you may have a hope. It would be best if you could document your reasons for leaving, including evidence of successful treatment. If you just handled the problem on your own... that is more questionable.

If your school won't let you resume your studies there, then you can try to kill the MCAT, and a post bacc, and then reapply broadly, but it is a pretty big gamble. But if this is absolutely what you have to do with your life and you have a few thousand dollars to throw at an attempt, well, what do you have to lose by trying?

Just, whatever you do, don't neglect ongoing treatment and support for the problem that tripped you up the first time. Even if you feel that you are fully recovered now... mental illness is not a once-and-done problem for most people. Having at least a therapist and preferably also a psychiatrist, even if you only see them infrequently, is crucial. You don't want to try to scramble to access those resources in a crisis, should one arise.

My girlfriend was allowed to continue her education and complete her degrees despite serious mental illness, but she decompensated before finishing her intern year. So, now she has a $300k education and works in retail. She has made a few attempts to return to medicine, but each time, it exacerbates her illness. Not every beautiful mind finds a safe harbor like John Nash did. One of the things that made his story so exceptional was that he did have a support system around him that let him be able to continue his work despite his disability. The take home points from that are that a school is doing you no favors by letting you in if it is going to disrupt your health, and build your network of resources so that it is there if/when you need it.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't try. I'm saying that if you want to have any hope of success, you have to do everything absolutely the right way. You can't afford to cut any corners or just talk your way in. It isn't just about getting in somewhere. It is about being able to thrive there and throughout your career.