from another health-related professional school

[changeofheart]

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Members don't see this ad.

A very sincere inquiry to members on this board...

Is medical school admissions very averse to people who apply from other health-related professional schools? (while degree in progress)

I am aware of the points that may be raised along the lines of "you should have made a more informed decision on your career choice earlier... etc etc)..."

Finding a vocation is not easy, and at times, finding a vocation while equipped with the confidence to tackle it adds to the variability of life paths chosen. I have hit this latter point in life, but I wonder if I'm just a tad too late.

Nevertheless, at this point I'd very much appreciate anyone's input/ experience concerning applicants such as myself.

Thank you very much!

 

[KyleLuman]

ChangeofHeart,

A couple of additional details might be helpful.

1. What is this 'other health related field'?
2. How old are you?
3. Have you worked in another field before or is the 'other health related field' your first 'career' (I realize that you are still in school for the other health related field.)?

I ask these because,
1. From dentistry to medicine is more difficult to explain than nursing, or public health to medicine. Neither are impossible.
2. If you are young and the other health related field is your first 'career' trajectory, then it will be easier to explain you shift.

I graduated from UCLA's School of Public Health in 1995 with an MPH and worked for 5 years as an epidemiologist before starting medical school this year (I am 30). The question of why I was changing came up, but more often than not, the individuals doing the interviewing thought the change made a lot of sense. They did not see it as rejecting my first career, or selling out, etc. as I had feared.

Even if they do question you and your motives, all you have to do is have a sincere, succinct way of explaining why you want to change.

My explanation: "In public health in the local county government, I am one step removed from where health occurs between individuals and their physician, individuals and their families, individuals and their communties. If I continue in public health, I will only get farther away (state or federal levels). I want to get closer. I want to get out of the stands/bench and into the game."

I had those reasons and even more, but you boil them down and try to turn them into a 'sound bite'.

Hope that helps.

p.s.: In this year's UCSF class, there are 3 other people with MPH degrees. One worked like I did in epidemiology, one just graduated from John's Hopkins and one had worked in community health education for several years. One of our classmates is switching careers from being a successful lawyer.

 

[changeofheart]

Hi Kyle,

Thank you for sharing your insight. I sent you a PM with some details. Best wishes as you brave the wind-tunnel that is parnassus street!

 

[ssh]

It's definitely possible to switch fields but you should be aware that some schools require you to finish your current degree program before matriculating or a letter from your graduate advisor that they are aware you are applying and that you may leave the program before finishing.
Good Luck!

 

[A_Shah]

......................

 

[Caffeinated]

Changeofheart,

I am a practicing optometrist (graduated in 2000) and I am starting med school this fall. So as you can see, it's not impossible to change teams. But like someone said before, you should be ready to justify the switch. The adcoms may question your committment to medicine since you are leaving your current field. Again, anticipate the questions, and use them as a means of reflecting upon your reasons for going into medicine. In my situation, I was ready to be an optometrist at the age of 23 when I started school. I didn't want to do any more than that, so optometry was a good fit. Now, I am a little older, a little wiser, and more mature. I am also ready to take on more complex patient care. When I discover previously undiagnosed disease (ocular or systemic), as an optometrist, I usually have to refer the patient. Of course I can treat some minor disease, but when it comes to the sight/life-threatening stuff, I am out of the loop, right when I want to be most involved. So medicine feels like the next logical step in my evolution. I don't really consider it a career change; it's more like an upgrade. Caffeinated 2.0.

I know my situation is a little different than yours, but I have a friend who was one year ahead of me in opt school that went on to med school right after graduation. She had to make defend her position when it came to questioning her committment; again, she had good reasons and explanations.

It sounds like you have some soul-searching to do. I wish you the best of luck, and let me know if I can give you any more help or info. Feel free to PM me.