Expected (predicted) time to completion

[RevGood]

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I am a minister, and have a B.A. in Pastoral Ministries. I am planning on going back to school to take ALL the pre-reqs so I can apply to medical school. I have to do extremely well because my undergrad GPA is miserable (2.6).

How long does it take? What would be a reasonably expected amount of time to take the pre-reqs (while still working full-time for the time being)? I would like to begin in a year or two, and would like to be in med school by the time I'm 40. I am currently 33.

Thanks!

 

[Loon]

The general prereqs are a year each of gen chem, ochem, biology and physics. Most postbaccs look at it as about 2 years full time. It might take 3-4 parttime, depending on all sorts of factors. It'll take more time if you need to take more classes (my school recommends lots of upper division biology to offset poor undergrad performance). Note that I have no idea what the time commitment involved in being a pastor is, nor how flexible the hours are. Regardless, if you're boosting your GPA, it may well take more time than listed above.

It sounds like you might be well into med school by the time you hit 40.

 

[Buckeye4life]

Getting the prereqs out of the way in two years, then taking the MCAT while the material is fresh in your mind is ideal. Also, you are possibly going to need a slightly above average MCAT than other matriculating students to offset a g.p.a that may not rise that significantly by taking con-ed classes. The application process adds another year. Realistically, you could be in med school (ostepathic is your best bet IMO) in 3 years after you start. Much success to you.

 

[njbmd]

I am a minister, and have a B.A. in Pastoral Ministries. I am planning on going back to school to take ALL the pre-reqs so I can apply to medical school. I have to do extremely well because my undergrad GPA is miserable (2.6).

How long does it take? What would be a reasonably expected amount of time to take the pre-reqs (while still working full-time for the time being)? I would like to begin in a year or two, and would like to be in med school by the time I'm 40. I am currently 33.

Thanks!

In short, General Chemistry is a pre-requisite class for Organic Chemistry and therefore, it will take at least one full fall and spring semester. You could conceivably take summer coursework and speed up the process but since you are working full-time, I would strongly recommend:

• Not taking summer courses because they move too fast for good mastery of knowledge base.
• Not taking more than one lab class per regular semester
• Making sure that your College Algebra skills are very good before General Chemistry. Don't underestimate the importance of good math prep.
• Not trying to rush any coursework because you need excellent grades.
• Making sure that you earn no grade less than B+ to raise your GPA.

It is very difficult to work and thoroughly master the pre-med courses. When students who are full-time workers attempt to load up on classes, generally something suffers and it's not your work performance.

Take your time and do high quality work. Make sure that you approach your courses from the standpoint of total mastery. If it takes you a year or two longer, it's not much of a problem as long as you are successful. Rushing through the process only to have a string of "C" grades won't help your cause.

There is no age limit for acceptance into medical school but many schools have high average GPAs and MCAT scores. Make sure that you take your time, work strong and keep your eye on your long-term goals.

 

[RevGood]

Thanks for the replies so far. You have all confirmed my thoughts that it would take at the very least two years, and probably for me three to four. I definitely want to do my best.

Thanks for the tip njbmd regarding Algebra. Math wasn't my strongest subject when I was in High School.

I am a little anxious about going back to school after having been out of college for 10 years. Hopefully I can get into the swing of it, and do much, much better this time.

 

[MSmentor018]

Thanks for the replies so far. You have all confirmed my thoughts that it would take at the very least two years, and probably for me three to four. I definitely want to do my best.

Thanks for the tip njbmd regarding Algebra. Math wasn't my strongest subject when I was in High School.

I am a little anxious about going back to school after having been out of college for 10 years. Hopefully I can get into the swing of it, and do much, much better this time.

Rev, I know exactly where you're coming from. I am a RN, worked 60-80/hrs wk. went back for prereqs, now in med school....9 years later. it took me 3 yrs to complete pre reqs. like above, try to only take 1 lab per semester/quarter if possible. I doubled up phy and org due to class/work schedule. not a great idea!! while waiting to take the mcat on the 2nd try in apr I took biochem (I think now you can retake it more often).

good news is some med schools only require org 1 and upper level chem (I used biochem instead of org 2) so that helped buffer my gpa. so you can play with your gpa a little by doing that. taking your time and scoring high is much better than just completing the course so choose wisely! another option b/c of work schedule is taking correspondence/internet courses. either way, just know it's do able. the options are out there and plenty of support. good luck! 👍