Engineer to Med School?

[rp324393]

I'm just wondering, from a medical school acceptance point of view, what I would have to do to make myself competitive to be able to get into a good program. I have a Bachelors in Civil Engineering so I have a sufficient background in Math, Calc I, II, III, Differential Equations...etc. as well as physics, statics, dynamics, thermodynamics, electricity & magnetism...all the engineering basics. I have taken college-level courses in basic Chemistry, I & II, and have always found chemistry to be a subject that comes easy to me. Unfortunately I have NOT taken any courses in organic chemistry so that would certainly be something I need to take. I also haven't taken any courses in Biology since high school, so I am lacking in that as well.

So I guess I'm wondering, what other courses should I take to prepare myself for med school, the MCAT, or even take to qualify for applying to med school?! And once I know the courses I need to take, is it sufficient to take them at a community college? Or is that frowned upon? (Just looking to save some money).

I graduated engineering school with a 3.5 GPA and I work full time for General Electric, so would something like this help on an application, I.E. that I hold/have held a full time job and have real-world experience? Also does it help if I volunteer to work part time at a hospital/medical facility or something to expose myself to other medical professionals? What type of volunteer work would you recommend if any? I have many questions and if just a couple of them could be answered, I would greatly appreciate it. I believe I have the capacity and work ethic to get where I want, but I would just like some guidance on how to get there.

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[gyngyn]

In addition to organic and biochemistry, courses in Psych and sociology would help with the new MCAT. Verbal and critical reasoning are also emphasized.
Successful applicants demonstrate a commitment service as well as evidence of understanding our profession.
Here is a place to get started: https://wmpeople.wm.edu/asset/index/btsher/competenciesworksheet

 

[trapperjohn4077]

You'll need to work on several areas to gain an acceptance:

• Academics: Your GPA is good enough, but as you know you'll need to take two semesters of Organic Chem, two semesters of Biology, and at least one semester of Psychology. Some schools require multiple semesters of Phych and/or Biochemistry as well. Some schools also require all coursework to be taken within 5 or 10 years of matriculation, you'll need to research this for your top choices.
• MCAT: This test is brutal. If you aren't fresh with General Chem and Physics, you may need to re-take. I am also from a non-trad engineering background, and did my refresher by taking an MCAT prep course and studying 6 hours a day independently for 3.5 months, but I had taken almost all of the prerequisites already. You'll have to be honest with yourself and gauge your readiness with practice tests; most premeds will wisely re-take old coursework.
• Volunteer work: You need to have volunteer work these days. A few hours a week over a long period of time is better than two weeks full time. I recommend at least 100-200 hours spread over a year or two. It does not have to be clinical, but if you have contact with patients you can kill two birds with one stone.
• Clinical experience: You need clinical experience as well, preferably with direct patient interaction/contact. This can be paid or volunteer. I would recommend over 100 hours spread over a year or two.
• Shadowing: Shadowing is an important part of your application, but you don't need a ton of hours here. If you plan to apply to DO schools, you should shadow a DO physician (most DO schools have a preference for having a DO letter of rec), and really try to find one that practices OMM/OMT.
• Research: I don't think research is quite as important for non-trads with significant work experience, depending on the school again. Research-focused schools may want to see some research background.
• Letters of Recommendation: You'll get these from professors (required), physicians (required), and previous employers (optional).

The unfortunate part of this is... your engineering background won't count for as much as it should. You will still need to check all the same boxes as a traditional student. The greatest benefit your experience gives will be apparent when writing the essays and performing at interviews, at least that's how it seemed to me.

As for the next step, I would start with one of these things (for example, call up clinics/hospitals to find volunteer opportunities, or start taking classes), then add on one thing at a time. Remember that coming back to school after a long break can be challenging, so go easy on yourself at first. Also, start contacting admissions offices of schools you would like to attend and ask them what they recommend.