FANG software engineer -> Med school

[softwareeng842]

Hi all,

I'm approaching my late 20s and have spent the last 5-8 years working at top tier tech companies (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google, etc) as a software engineer. Between hard work and luck, I've managed to save up enough money to pretty much retire. I'm not very fulfilled working in tech, and I'm not money obsessed, so I've been thinking about second careers. Medicine is at the top of my mind, since it seems rewarding and challenging. It's something I thought of doing back in high school, but I was terrified of the debt that I'd have to incur (which now won't be a problem)

I'd likely be 28 or so if I did go down this route, which feels a little old. My bigger concern is my undergrad coursework though. I got a 3.5 in computer science from a flagship state school, which I know is lower than average (I was taking 1.5x normal credits to graduate ASAP, didn't care about my GPA since it doesn't matter for tech). Additionally, I'll still need to take bio, chem and o chem classes.

I guess my main question is, would med school admission panels give leniency to my weak(ish) grades given my alternate route? Would it look bad if I took bio / chem classes at a community college during nights/etc? Any other advice would also be appreciated.

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[phys_enthusiast]

I’m in the same boat as you, right down to FAANG and GPA. I’m going to a dedicated post-baccalaureate program to fulfill prerequisites and then applying from there. I figured that formal programs will look good and rigorous, I’d get a chance to up my GPA, and the top formal programs would probably weed me out if they didn’t think I had a shot.
I think a background in CS is a plus, and all that’s left is to show how you’ve grown as a person. As someone who has already had a career and lived outside of college, we have a unique perspective on life, work, etc and can really showcase that maturity as a positive.

 

[deleted966837]

I took the same route. Completing my application took about 2 years of fulltime work after I left tech. Now I'm a second year DO student, currently 28 which does not feel old at all. Almost all of my classmate friends are the same age or older.

I did all prereqs either online or community college. However, if I could go back, I would have done a formal postbacc. There are lots of boxes you need to check and it is much easier to check them at a large university. You have more access to letters of recommendation, shadowing/volunteering, and you'll be applying as "John Doe university student" as opposed to "John Doe unemployed 30 year old man".

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Hi all,

I'm approaching my late 20s and have spent the last 5-8 years working at top tier tech companies (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google, etc) as a software engineer. Between hard work and luck, I've managed to save up enough money to pretty much retire. I'm not very fulfilled working in tech, and I'm not money obsessed, so I've been thinking about second careers. Medicine is at the top of my mind, since it seems rewarding and challenging. It's something I thought of doing back in high school, but I was terrified of the debt that I'd have to incur (which now won't be a problem)

I'd likely be 28 or so if I did go down this route, which feels a little old. My bigger concern is my undergrad coursework though. I got a 3.5 in computer science from a flagship state school, which I know is lower than average (I was taking 1.5x normal credits to graduate ASAP, didn't care about my GPA since it doesn't matter for tech). Additionally, I'll still need to take bio, chem and o chem classes.

I guess my main question is, would med school admission panels give leniency to my weak(ish) grades given my alternate route? Would it look bad if I took bio / chem classes at a community college during nights/etc? Any other advice would also be appreciated.

You don’t need to worry about classes just yet. You say that medicine is at the top of your list of possible new careers since it “seems” rewarding and challenging, so you now need to do some shadowing and gain some clinical experience and see what you actually think about the field. Don’t make any career decisions or take any premed classes until you’ve done this research.

Spend a week or two shadowing a primary care physician and set up some clinical volunteering. If you remain interested in medicine after shadowing and working/volunteering with patients, only then will it make sense to leave your job and go back to school.

Once you’re at that point, it is best to take all your prerequisites at a 4 year university, as some medical schools do not accept online/CC (especially for science prerequisites). A 3.5 uGPA won’t be a big deal if you earn a 4.0 postbac at a 4 year university on a DIY basis or through a formal postbac program.

 

[softwareeng842]

I took the same route. Completing my application took about 2 years of fulltime work after I left tech. Now I'm a second year DO student, currently 28 which does not feel old at all. Almost all of my classmate friends are the same age or older.

I did all prereqs either online or community college. However, if I could go back, I would have done a formal postbacc. There are lots of boxes you need to check and it is much easier to check them at a large university. You have more access to letters of recommendation, shadowing/volunteering, and you'll be applying as "John Doe university student" as opposed to "John Doe unemployed 30 year old man".

Darn, sad to hear about not being able to do them at a CC. Any regrets leaving tech?


And to you/others, is it reasonable for me to work 30 hrs per week and slowly take the science pre-reqs at a nearby 4 year college? Or is it better to quit and do it all together?

 

[deleted966837]

I consistently underestimated how difficult it is to just complete the application. Watch out for the cognitive bias that your field is superior to other fields, and that you can easily do other things. I certainly had that going into this process. You will go back to square zero, and you will struggle.



Can you get accepted while working and taking CC classes part time? Absolutely. Definitely try that out if you want. I did one semester while working full time. In my experience it prolongs and may suck the fun out of an already difficult process.

Do you already have places that will let you shadow/volunteer? I didn't and had to knock on a lot of doors for that. The application is way more than just taking classes, and being affiliated with a university might make the extracurricular aspects of it easier.

So far no regrets. I'm happy with the decision and feel it’s such a privilege to try something totally different. This is just a web comic, but I really do believe that we can live multiple lives, that I am doing that right now, and that you can too Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - 2012-09-02



 

[Blueprint Med School]

Your most straightforward path would be to attend one of the top post-bacc programs like Bryn Mawr, where you'll take the prereqs and prepare for the MCAT. You seem like the perfect applicant for such programs.

Medical schools look favorably on applicants like you, knowing that you could easily take the money and run in FAANG. The fact that you're willing to start all over and go into medicine will earn you brownie points at basically any school you apply to.

Kevin W, MCAT Tutor
Med School Tutors

 

[phys_enthusiast]

So far no regrets. I'm happy with the decision and feel it’s such a privilege to try something totally different. This is just a web comic, but I really do believe that we can live multiple lives, that I am doing that right now, and that you can too Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - 2012-09-02

I love this so much. This is my philosophy too and it is so freeing because it gives you permission to take chances and make mistakes.

 

[kidthor]

Hi all,

I'm approaching my late 20s and have spent the last 5-8 years working at top tier tech companies (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google, etc) as a software engineer. Between hard work and luck, I've managed to save up enough money to pretty much retire. I'm not very fulfilled working in tech, and I'm not money obsessed, so I've been thinking about second careers. Medicine is at the top of my mind, since it seems rewarding and challenging. It's something I thought of doing back in high school, but I was terrified of the debt that I'd have to incur (which now won't be a problem)

I'd likely be 28 or so if I did go down this route, which feels a little old. My bigger concern is my undergrad coursework though. I got a 3.5 in computer science from a flagship state school, which I know is lower than average (I was taking 1.5x normal credits to graduate ASAP, didn't care about my GPA since it doesn't matter for tech). Additionally, I'll still need to take bio, chem and o chem classes.

I guess my main question is, would med school admission panels give leniency to my weak(ish) grades given my alternate route? Would it look bad if I took bio / chem classes at a community college during nights/etc? Any other advice would also be appreciated.

You sure you wouldn’t be happy with a pivot into promoting health (population health data science, public health, health IT, health consulting, being part of gates foundation) Vs being a doctor?

You will be infantilized all the way from post bacc through residency after being top dollar talent. It’s rough and probably not worth it unless singularly obsessed with being a doctor. Which, if you are, good luck!

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hi all,

I'm approaching my late 20s and have spent the last 5-8 years working at top tier tech companies (Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, Google, etc) as a software engineer. Between hard work and luck, I've managed to save up enough money to pretty much retire. I'm not very fulfilled working in tech, and I'm not money obsessed, so I've been thinking about second careers. Medicine is at the top of my mind, since it seems rewarding and challenging. It's something I thought of doing back in high school, but I was terrified of the debt that I'd have to incur (which now won't be a problem)

I'd likely be 28 or so if I did go down this route, which feels a little old. My bigger concern is my undergrad coursework though. I got a 3.5 in computer science from a flagship state school, which I know is lower than average (I was taking 1.5x normal credits to graduate ASAP, didn't care about my GPA since it doesn't matter for tech). Additionally, I'll still need to take bio, chem and o chem classes.

I guess my main question is, would med school admission panels give leniency to my weak(ish) grades given my alternate route? Would it look bad if I took bio / chem classes at a community college during nights/etc? Any other advice would also be appreciated.

28 isn't too old to become a doctor. I actually have a cousin who was pursuing a successful career in tech and roughly 28. In his words, he felt "empty." He went to medical school, became an MD and is now also going for his PhD. His research was recently published in JAMA. IOW, it can be done.

As others have done, I suggest you get some clinical exposure. You need it to make an intelligent decision and to apply. Shadowing is a good place to start, but if you find clinical practice appealing, then go beyond shadowing and either become an EMT or volunteer in an hospital, hospice, or free clinic.

Academically, I recommend a post-bac program. Some formal post-bac programs have linkages to medical schools, but not all. Whether you do a formal or informal post-bac program is something you can explore and decide. There are pros and cons to each one.