For those who did/are doing pre-med while working full-time, how did you balance the studies with a full-time job?

[porkchopismycorgi]

My current full-time job is very demanding and I work long hours. Just wondering how many of you all switched to part-time or switched to a new job. As I’m just starting out to take classes, I prefer not having to give up my current job because the pay is competitive and I would like to save as much money as I can at the moment.

I’d love to get some insights from whoever was in the same boat. Thanks!

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[Frosty808]

I think my thumbnail picture says it all. Some people can handle a full-time job and some can't. It depends how many classes you will do... are you planning on doing part-time school or part-time MCAT studying?

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

I usually worked 15-30 hours per week during full time classes (FT at work when doing part time classes). It was pretty difficult to keep up in class at more than 15 hours. I’m certain my grades would have been better if I hadn’t worked. If you’re able to, I recommend reducing work commitments. I was able to pay for school by working but I sometimes think going into debt would have been worth getting better grades and being able to participate in more ECs.

I’ve heard of people working full time during pre med though. It depends on how much you need to study and sleep.

 

[CricB4Tube]

I worked 40 hours per week Monday-Friday, then most weekends worked 8-10 hours per day in the National Guard. I also always took the max or close to max amount of credits allowed for a full time student and was a hard science major. On top of all that, I spent 1 hour at the gym every morning and still found time to hang out with friends and enjoy my hobbies.
Two strategies:
1) Sleep less, if you can. I never slept in and most night were between 3-6 hours of sleep and almost never more than 6 hours. I'm able to function fine with that amount of sleep but I understand some people might not be able to.
2) Fill in time gaps with studying. Whenever I was in the car, I would be playing youtube playlists or podcasts on topics I needed to study (MCAT, chem, bio, etc.) While eating lunch, working out, waiting in line, walking to my next class, on break at work, doing the dishes at home, walking the dog, etc. I always either had headphones in my ears playing these study topics or I had my phone in my hand doing Anki. You'd be amazed how much extra time we have in our days that we waste doing nothing productive.

However, if you're able to cut down your hours at work, I recommend doing that. What I did was effective for me but it came at a price. I didn't have a ton of friends in college since I never hung out with people unless it was late after work or during a club event. I also missed out on plenty of birthdays and holiday gatherings, but I was already used to this having spent years in the active duty military.

 

[almostasloth]

I did it. I worked full time in a very demanding job, clinical and non-clinical volunteering, finishing masters program (non-science), on top of taking pre-med classes also full-time (4-5 classes with labs per semester). It was hell. No social life, no going out, no vacations and sick days, no TV. Lack of sleep, being able to afford to sleep for 6 hours felt like Christmas. But the worst part, no guarantees that all this sacrifice and struggle won't be in vain. I wouldn't want to go back and do it all over again. But it paid off. I received As this cycle and will be starting med school in July. Hang in there. It will suck but one day you'll thank yourself for doing this

 

[acstylin]

I saved up money so I could focus on my studies. I studied a freaking ton. My score was good but it took a lot of work and family time sacrificed to get there. You have to figure out what kind of environment is suitable for you to REALLY be able to focus. If a mosquito burped while I was trying to study, I’d be totally thrown off so I had to go to the library. Studying at home was not an option. My wife would drop the kids with me for an hour or two for a dinner break where we’d chat and hang for a bit then she’d pick them up and I’d be back in the books. I hated studying for the MCAT and I’m glad it’s over. If you do it right, you will also hate studying for the MCAT.

 

[porkchopismycorgi]

I think my thumbnail picture says it all. Some people can handle a full-time job and some can't. It depends how many classes you will do... are you planning on doing part-time school or part-time MCAT studying?

Very true! I’m planning on doing part-time school while working full-time. From Sept to Feb, I work minimum 55 - 60 hours per week. I’m not sure if taking 2 classes would be too aggressive since I do want to make sure I have time to really study well.

 

[porkchopismycorgi]

I usually worked 15-30 hours per week during full time classes (FT at work when doing part time classes). It was pretty difficult to keep up in class at more than 15 hours. I’m certain my grades would have been better if I hadn’t worked. If you’re able to, I recommend reducing work commitments. I was able to pay for school by working but I sometimes think going into debt would have been worth getting better grades and being able to participate in more ECs.

I’ve heard of people working full time during pre med though. It depends on how much you need to study and sleep.

When working full time, how many credit hours per semester did you take? I don’t want to take more than I can handle

 

[porkchopismycorgi]

I worked 40 hours per week Monday-Friday, then most weekends worked 8-10 hours per day in the National Guard. I also always took the max or close to max amount of credits allowed for a full time student and was a hard science major. On top of all that, I spent 1 hour at the gym every morning and still found time to hang out with friends and enjoy my hobbies.
Two strategies:
1) Sleep less, if you can. I never slept in and most night were between 3-6 hours of sleep and almost never more than 6 hours. I'm able to function fine with that amount of sleep but I understand some people might not be able to.
2) Fill in time gaps with studying. Whenever I was in the car, I would be playing youtube playlists or podcasts on topics I needed to study (MCAT, chem, bio, etc.) While eating lunch, working out, waiting in line, walking to my next class, on break at work, doing the dishes at home, walking the dog, etc. I always either had headphones in my ears playing these study topics or I had my phone in my hand doing Anki. You'd be amazed how much extra time we have in our days that we waste doing nothing productive.

However, if you're able to cut down your hours at work, I recommend doing that. What I did was effective for me but it came at a price. I didn't have a ton of friends in college since I never hung out with people unless it was late after work or during a club event. I also missed out on plenty of birthdays and holiday gatherings, but I was already used to this having spent years in the active duty military.

Appreciate the advice! And it’s amazing that you were able to work that many hours while being a full-time student.

 

[porkchopismycorgi]

I did it. I worked full time in a very demanding job, clinical and non-clinical volunteering, finishing masters program (non-science), on top of taking pre-med classes also full-time (4-5 classes with labs per semester). It was hell. No social life, no going out, no vacations and sick days, no TV. Lack of sleep, being able to afford to sleep for 6 hours felt like Christmas. But the worst part, no guarantees that all this sacrifice and struggle won't be in vain. I wouldn't want to go back and do it all over again. But it paid off. I received As this cycle and will be starting med school in July. Hang in there. It will suck but one day you'll thank yourself for doing this

Congratulations! You definitely earned it! I can’t imagine taking 4 - 5 classes per semester on top of everything.

Did you take classes during the day? I don’t think my work would be okay if I were to be offline during the day for classes.

 

[almostasloth]

Congratulations! You definitely earned it! I can’t imagine taking 4 - 5 classes per semester on top of everything.

Did you take classes during the day? I don’t think my work would be okay if I were to be offline during the day for classes.

Thank you!
I am lucky enough to live in a city that offers many options for pre-meds and there is a variety of evening classes to choose from. Most of my classes started at 6pm or later. I would finish work at 5 and drive to my 6pm class. Lecture+lab usually 4 hours. Repeat 4-5 times a week.
Having said this, I would strongly discourage you or anyone else to take more than one class with a lab during their first semester when working full time. Depending on a school and a class, the lab portion can be notoriously difficult and time consuming, despite being worth only 1 credit. My physics lab was a beast and I would spend 5+ hours writing a lab report for each lab, as the instructor was extremely picky and unforgiving. I would suggest taking only 1 class and a lab for starters and then see how you feel and if you're prepared to take on more. Good luck!

 

[crandmat]

I worked 40 hours per week Monday-Friday, then most weekends worked 8-10 hours per day in the National Guard. I also always took the max or close to max amount of credits allowed for a full time student and was a hard science major. On top of all that, I spent 1 hour at the gym every morning and still found time to hang out with friends and enjoy my hobbies.
Two strategies:
1) Sleep less, if you can. I never slept in and most night were between 3-6 hours of sleep and almost never more than 6 hours. I'm able to function fine with that amount of sleep but I understand some people might not be able to.
2) Fill in time gaps with studying. Whenever I was in the car, I would be playing youtube playlists or podcasts on topics I needed to study (MCAT, chem, bio, etc.) While eating lunch, working out, waiting in line, walking to my next class, on break at work, doing the dishes at home, walking the dog, etc. I always either had headphones in my ears playing these study topics or I had my phone in my hand doing Anki. You'd be amazed how much extra time we have in our days that we waste doing nothing productive.

However, if you're able to cut down your hours at work, I recommend doing that. What I did was effective for me but it came at a price. I didn't have a ton of friends in college since I never hung out with people unless it was late after work or during a club event. I also missed out on plenty of birthdays and holiday gatherings, but I was already used to this having spent years in the active duty military.

Unrelated to the thread topic but I doc I work with lived like this (no sleep) for 20 years and had a massive heart attack during one of his shifts resulting eventually in x4 bypass.

He had zero risk factors save for pre-hypertension

Sleep is very important 😀

Other than that solid advice ahaha

 

[Archaeologist_turns_Dr]

I worked close to FT and took pre-med/post-bacc classes part time. I really needed to get solid grades as my undergrad GPA was less than stellar, so it was the plan from the get-go to take my time with classes. I definitely did not switch jobs because I am past the point in my life where I can ask my parents for financial help with rent, bills, groceries, etc., and the job was in medical research (flexible and decent pay)-- so very helpful to my app & school schedule. It took ~2 years, but I came out of it with a 4.0 and will be starting med school (MD) in the fall. Best of luck!

 

[pyrotechnicpork]

I worked full time, and did significant volunteer work and research while doing a formal post-bac. I also maintained all my hobbies, and took many international vacations. Overall, from deciding to go to medical school to matriculating took 6 years, but as an MS1 at my top choice school with a substantial scholarship, I have no regrets.

I limited myself to 6-9 units at a time, did summer courses selectively, and accepted that it was a marathon, not a sprint. Otherwise, I made sure to aggressively enjoy my vacations whenever I took them.

Talking to my classmates, it sounds like people do a lot of deferred gratification and can get pretty bitter about it sometimes. Our deans emphasize frequently that it's important to not forget to live our lives as we go through the training process, and personally I couldn't agree more.

 

[GreenDuck12]

I worked full time as a teacher, took two classes per term at night and volunteered. It took a while to complete the prereqs and to adequately prepare for the MCAT but it was worth it. Like the poster above, it took about 5 years to matriculate, but I did so at my dream program with a scholarship so it worked out.

Mcat prep was probably the worst part. I spent 5 months studying from 3:30-7 before work everyday and a few hours at night. It had to be this way because I struggled with studying and absorbing material at the end of the work day. Doing this and working full time can be done but it’s ok to have to cut back to make things work.

 

[AB92]

I worked full time (40 hours per week, M-F 8-5) for the last 2 years while taking pre-req's. I took anywhere from 9-14 hours a semester. For the most part, I only took 1-2 science classes at a time, with another "easier" class. So like I took Organic 1 with Psychology. And Organic 2 with Sociology. Also, whenever I took a course in the summer, I only took 1 science course, since they're usually accelerated and needed more time devoted to them in a shorter amount of time. Like many above have said, I had to accept that this was going to take me a while. I couldn't knock it all out in a 1 year and then apply. Once I accepted that, It was much easier to give myself the time I needed to balance work and school.

Also, for my non-science classes like Psychology, Sociology, etc. I tried to take those online if possible. This cuts down on commute, and you can fit them in your schedule where they fit. You're not tied to a class time, no commute, etc. Big time saver! I wouldn't recommend taking any of your science classes online, especially those with labs, but for the humanities, English, etc. I think that is fine!

I also learned how to "compartmentalize." When you're studying/doing hw, don't think about how you wish you were at the gym, with your friends, etc. Conversely, when you're taking breaks and doing activities that you enjoy (which you 100% still need to do these things), don't feel guilty and think about how you should be studying right now, etc. This really helped me because it allowed me to stay present in the moment, which made me more productive/efficient at studying, but also allowed me to get the important benefits from still doing things I enjoy. You NEED those breaks. There is more to life than trying to get into medical school. And if you lose sight of those good things in life, is what you're pursuing worth it?

OH, and 1 last thing- if you're up late studying and you're really tired, go to bed! The sleep will be WAY more beneficial than the 1 or 2 facts you may or may not learn, that may or may not be on your test the next day. Your first inclination is to stay up and push through, but when you have to go work 8+ hours before going to take a test that next evening, it's not worth it. And it will take you much longer to catch up on all the lost sleep, affecting much more study/homework times. This is at least how I looked at it!

This is just my 2 cents though, for what it's worth! I did end up with a 4.0 (DIY) post-bacc GPA across 50 credits, kept my same job/salary so I could afford to pay for these classes, went to the gym multiple times a week, and still had time for fun things, my family, and my friends!

 

[TragicalDrFaust]

When working full time, how many credit hours per semester did you take? I don’t want to take more than I can handle

Anywhere from just one class to 16 credit hours of 400-level science classes. The most sustainable for me was a full schedule of 14-16 credit hours and working two days a week. I had my classes all on Tuesday/Thursday so I had five days not in school. But that usually meant I was in class from 10am-6pm or longer if I had labs.

With FT work, 2 science classes (with lab) was doable for me. But it depends on a lot of things like how much time you spend commuting, how much work you take home (none for me- I worked in specialty coffee) and how rigorous your individual classes are. I had some 400-level science classes that only required cramming the day before the exam and others that required 8+ hours of work outside of class a week (hard exams plus writing lab reports and presentations etc).

 

[Audio808]

Front load your days. Wake up earlier and give yourself 3 hours of time to work on school/study before your job. Im a dad of two boys one of which is a newborn, working full time, and doing school full time. If I can do it, you definitely can! Lol good luck!

 

[petomed]

Don't bite off more than you can chew. You need to ace your classes and not get fired from the 9-5. I made sure every moment I wasn't working or taking care of the essentials was spent studying. This meant eating in the car, shaving in the car, mouthwash in the car, keeping a wardrobe in the car so that I could go straight from work to volunteering at the hospital, switching up my workouts so that I could spend more time running while ripping through flashcards, etc. Working a fulltime and ticking off those post-bac's is tough but you would be amazed how productive you can become when you enjoy every minute of what you are doing.

 

[knava1985]

I didn't really have a life outside of work, school, studying, and sleeping. It was pretty intense for me particularly because I had been out of school for 4 years and was taking a full load of heavy science courses in addition to working 45 hours a week. After two semesters, I received academic scholarships, which allowed me to reduce my hours to 20-25 a week since I no longer had to pay tuition. This was much more manageable, plus I had extra time for volunteering and community work.

My advice for you is to continue working full-time for as long as you feel you can handle it, only you can make that decision. Long enough to have decent savings. Make smart use of all your time. I always had my backpack with me so I could bust out a textbook at a moment's notice. Go out less (easy to do nowadays), and avoid distractions. However, don't give up something that helps you de-stress. For me, it was going on long walks at the forest preserve with my dog. You absolutely need to have some time to yourself, away from work and school. Eventually, it might be a good idea to go down to a part-time position so that you can have time to volunteer, shadow, etc. What matters most is that you don't burn yourself out and that you are able to do well in your courses. And last, as someone before me said, remember it's a marathon, not a sprint. It took me 6.5 years to finish undergrad because I never took more than 14 credits a semester, no more than 12 if I had a heavy science/math course. I accepted that everybody's journey is different; be willing to sacrifice and be flexible.

 

[TinyTimeLady]

I just started my pre-med journey and am working full time hours (30 or so per week). For starters, I made a plan and back up for how I wanted to schedule my time. I knew I needed to sacrifice certain things, but I wanted to make sure I had some down time as well to avoid burn out. I came up with taking only 2 night courses per semester and volunteering two additional nights for a few hours each. I also planned study time into my schedule to make sure I didn't use that as an excuse.

For me I needed to write out and revise my schedule a few time until I found the balance that works for me and my life. Everyone above has great advice, but only you know what will work for you. I say try some things out and adjust when you find it not working. Good luck!

 

[porkchopismycorgi]

Thanks so much to all that shed some light on how your premed journey was/is. I feel very inspired and cannot wait to take on this journey with y’all. Good luck

 

[woktheline]

For those who maintained regular FT status, did anyone at work know? How did you interact with your superiors (if you had them) to communicate this other obligation, or did you at all?

I am in a similar situation considering dropping my lab job that pays little to nothing as I already have reams of research experience, and going for higher paid remote statistical work. Should I mention my intentions to go to medical school up front or will this be a huge detriment to hiring?

 

[almostasloth]

For those who maintained regular FT status, did anyone at work know? How did you interact with your superiors (if you had them) to communicate this other obligation, or did you at all?

I am in a similar situation considering dropping my lab job that pays little to nothing as I already have reams of research experience, and going for higher paid remote statistical work. Should I mention my intentions to go to medical school up front or will this be a huge detriment to hiring?

I told my colleagues that I was taking classes but I didn't go into specifics. I would not mention anything about medical school until you get an acceptance. Medical school may or may not happen, no need to inform your employers about your plans until you're ready to leave the job to start med school. Focus both on your job and your classes. Just my $0.02

 

[FutureMD_89]

Some great advice here. Does anyone here have a spouse and children? If so, how were you able to manage that?

 

[petomed]

Some great advice here. Does anyone here have a spouse and children? If so, how were you able to manage that?

I didn't while I was checking off the post-bac's but I do now and am currently working fulltime while studying for the mcat. The work-life balance is forever shifted if you choose medicine and the spouse needs to be onboard with the very time consuming new amount of work you have in front of you. Mine understands that from the moment medical school starts, I will essentially have an 80 hr/wk job with frequent and unpredictable overtime required. That's step 1. Once that eventual future is mutually understood, you can begin to hash out the hours commitment you believe you will need for your post-bac work and for the mcat. That's step 2. Lastly, you need to meet your deliverables. You need to actually study during you're available study windows. The entire window. You need to be present during family time. You need to do things around the house. With a family you just don't have the luxury of being inefficient or lazy. It's not fair to the spouse and kids and you will only fall behind, beginning a vicious feedback loop that ends badly for either school, family, or finances.

 

[chicandtoughness]

I worked more than full time (40 hr full time job + 30 hr part time job) while taking 3-4 classes each semester. It just comes down to being willing to sacrifice in other areas. I literally did NOTHING else besides work and school. No going out with friends, no weekend outings, nothing. My full time job was also a night shift that required very little work (I was a supervisor for a residential facility). Once I did my paperwork for the night and cleaned the common areas, I could get in 5 or so hours of studying/homework. If you have the stomach for night shift, I HIGHLY recommend it. I literally got paid to sit and learn orgo. And night shifts usually have good differential so you’re earning more. Psychiatric hospitals are always hurting for night shift and the work is fairly easy - just doing q15 checks on patients and some paperwork. Most of them will sleep through the night.

 

[AB92]

For those who maintained regular FT status, did anyone at work know? How did you interact with your superiors (if you had them) to communicate this other obligation, or did you at all?

I am in a similar situation considering dropping my lab job that pays little to nothing as I already have reams of research experience, and going for higher paid remote statistical work. Should I mention my intentions to go to medical school up front or will this be a huge detriment to hiring?

I haven't told anybody at work. I've been doing post-bacc classes for the last two years and will be applying this upcoming cycle. Even if I get accepted this upcoming cycle, I wouldn't be starting med school for another year and a half. So in total 3 and a half years from starting this journey. I can't afford to not have a job during this time, so I haven't said anything.

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but considering that I'm changing careers totally, I don't see anyone at my work being supportive. And if things at work got tough, I don't want to be the one they think of to let go because they know I'm changing careers anyway.

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I'm doing 2-3 classes a semester on top of 60+ hour work schedule.

 

[porkchopismycorgi]

I'm doing 2-3 classes a semester on top of 60+ hour work schedule.

I’m working more than 60 per week now. How do you manage 2 or 3 classes on top of 60 hours work?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

I’m working more than 60 per week now. How do you manage 2 or 3 classes on top of 60 hours work?

I really don't do anything else tbh. I play video games a few hours a week and hang out with my dog/bf around the house. Other than that, I am working or studying. I don't have time to do MUCH with ECs right now, planning on doing most of the heavy lifting for those while doing MCAT + the final year after I finish pre-reqs.

 

[porkchopismycorgi]

I really don't do anything else tbh. I play video games a few hours a week and hang out with my dog/bf around the house. Other than that, I am working or studying. I don't have time to do MUCH with ECs right now, planning on doing most of the heavy lifting for those while doing MCAT + the final year after I finish pre-reqs.

How many hours per week are you in classes and studying?

 

[Nontrad_FL_LGBT]

How many hours per week are you in classes and studying?

I'm in class / watching lectures for my online stats class about 7-8 hours a week. Studying probably about 25ish. I'm taking Stats and Calc I this semester and math is my weakest subject so I'm trying to get ahead of things early in the semester. This number will likely increase as I have to do a research project for Calc later in the semester.

 

[porkchopismycorgi]

I'm in class / watching lectures for my online stats class about 7-8 hours a week. Studying probably about 25ish. I'm taking Stats and Calc I this semester and math is my weakest subject so I'm trying to get ahead of things early in the semester. This number will likely increase as I have to do a research project for Calc later in the semester.

Got you. Good luck!! You got this!

 

[petomed]

I haven't told anybody at work. I've been doing post-bacc classes for the last two years and will be applying this upcoming cycle. Even if I get accepted this upcoming cycle, I wouldn't be starting med school for another year and a half. So in total 3 and a half years from starting this journey. I can't afford to not have a job during this time, so I haven't said anything.

Maybe I'm just paranoid, but considering that I'm changing careers totally, I don't see anyone at my work being supportive. And if things at work got tough, I don't want to be the one they think of to let go because they know I'm changing careers anyway.

Same boat here and couldn't agree more. Nobody likes the quitter, your boss least of all.