From law degree to med school?

[mnsdgsg]

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I went to law school for the wrong reasons. I did debate and mock trial in undergrad, and I had a degree in political science. My parents really pushed me to do law school, and I felt it was the next natural step. I graduated my state school undergrad with a 3.9 GPA and got into a top ten law school.

I haven't done the greatest in law school and my GPA is a 3.2. On top of that, I really don't like the work. I've spent the last two summers working at law firms and realize that for the first 5-10 years, associate attorneys pretty much write memos all day. These 10-20 page memos are on really boring topics like "what does the word reasonable mean in California as opposed to New York." And even if more exciting work is involved, I have found lawyers to be extremely sleazy and egotistical. I know that people are like that in all fields, but it seems that the actual work of lawyers is sleazy.

And on top of that, the work itself feels less tangible than in medicine. In medicine, you actually can use your knowledge to help patients in tangible ways. In law, these memos are just a prerequisite to give a big speech that depends more on speaking ability than anything else or to engage in settlement negotiations that also has more to do with making deals and generally being sleazy.

I know there are non-sleazy attorneys just like I know there have been short NBA players. I just know that the personality of all the attorneys and law students I've met over the past three years doesn't sit well with me. The more I work with attorneys and attend law school classes, I realize my personality doesn't really fit well with that of an attorney. I am much more nerdy and introverted. I like doing things by the rules.

I haven't taken a science class since high school, but I've always enjoyed it. I really would like to use tangible knowledge to help people. I've always been a good student and really enjoyed studying and learning. Would it be feasible with my high undergrad GPA to get into a post-bac program and then get into medical school? I will graduate law school this year at the age of 25.

My law school GPA isn't the greatest, and I haven't been able to find a legal job so far... largely because of that. I am truly considering getting a post-bac instead of going into a really low paying legal job. Would my law school GPA deter me in the medical field in any way.

My parents are also relatively wealthy and paid my ~$200,000 legal education entirely. I know I'm very lucky for this. They don't really support my idea to go to medical school and said I would have to take out loans. These would be the first loans I would ever take out, so it might be managable. Any insight would definitely be appreciated.

 

[rmalia]

I went to law school for the wrong reasons. I did debate and mock trial in undergrad, and I had a degree in political science. My parents really pushed me to do law school, and I felt it was the next natural step. I graduated my state school undergrad with a 3.9 GPA and got into a top ten law school.

I haven't done the greatest in law school and my GPA is a 3.2. On top of that, I really don't like the work. I've spent the last two summers working at law firms and realize that for the first 5-10 years, associate attorneys pretty much write memos all day. These 10-20 page memos are on really boring topics like "what does the word reasonable mean in California as opposed to New York." And even if more exciting work is involved, I have found lawyers to be extremely sleazy and egotistical. I know that people are like that in all fields, but it seems that the actual work of lawyers is sleazy.

And on top of that, the work itself feels less tangible than in medicine. In medicine, you actually can use your knowledge to help patients in tangible ways. In law, these memos are just a prerequisite to give a big speech that depends more on speaking ability than anything else or to engage in settlement negotiations that also has more to do with making deals and generally being sleazy.

I know there are non-sleazy attorneys just like I know there have been short NBA players. I just know that the personality of all the attorneys and law students I've met over the past three years doesn't sit well with me. The more I work with attorneys and attend law school classes, I realize my personality doesn't really fit well with that of an attorney. I am much more nerdy and introverted. I like doing things by the rules.

I haven't taken a science class since high school, but I've always enjoyed it. I really would like to use tangible knowledge to help people. I've always been a good student and really enjoyed studying and learning. Would it be feasible with my high undergrad GPA to get into a post-bac program and then get into medical school? I will graduate law school this year at the age of 25.

My law school GPA isn't the greatest, and I haven't been able to find a legal job so far... largely because of that. I am truly considering getting a post-bac instead of going into a really low paying legal job. Would my law school GPA deter me in the medical field in any way.

My parents are also relatively wealthy and paid my ~$200,000 legal education entirely. I know I'm very lucky for this. They don't really support my idea to go to medical school and said I would have to take out loans. These would be the first loans I would ever take out, so it might be managable. Any insight would definitely be appreciated.

Wow...You potentially will be one well-educated and legalistically-minded doctor. I have personally met several jd/md's, so there's no issue there. Assuming you have clearly thought the process through, I don't see any insurmountable barriers. A post-bac seems reasonable as well, but just be aware that aside from the academics, there's a significant amount of collateral effort that goes into an acceptable application. I do hope you've had some exposure to a clinical environment that confirms your very serious and life-altering decision.

 

[Goro]

I went to law school for the wrong reasons. I did debate and mock trial in undergrad, and I had a degree in political science. My parents really pushed me to do law school, and I felt it was the next natural step. I graduated my state school undergrad with a 3.9 GPA and got into a top ten law school.

I haven't done the greatest in law school and my GPA is a 3.2. On top of that, I really don't like the work. I've spent the last two summers working at law firms and realize that for the first 5-10 years, associate attorneys pretty much write memos all day. These 10-20 page memos are on really boring topics like "what does the word reasonable mean in California as opposed to New York." And even if more exciting work is involved, I have found lawyers to be extremely sleazy and egotistical. I know that people are like that in all fields, but it seems that the actual work of lawyers is sleazy.

And on top of that, the work itself feels less tangible than in medicine. In medicine, you actually can use your knowledge to help patients in tangible ways. In law, these memos are just a prerequisite to give a big speech that depends more on speaking ability than anything else or to engage in settlement negotiations that also has more to do with making deals and generally being sleazy.

I know there are non-sleazy attorneys just like I know there have been short NBA players. I just know that the personality of all the attorneys and law students I've met over the past three years doesn't sit well with me. The more I work with attorneys and attend law school classes, I realize my personality doesn't really fit well with that of an attorney. I am much more nerdy and introverted. I like doing things by the rules.

I haven't taken a science class since high school, but I've always enjoyed it. I really would like to use tangible knowledge to help people. I've always been a good student and really enjoyed studying and learning. Would it be feasible with my high undergrad GPA to get into a post-bac program and then get into medical school? I will graduate law school this year at the age of 25.

My law school GPA isn't the greatest, and I haven't been able to find a legal job so far... largely because of that. I am truly considering getting a post-bac instead of going into a really low paying legal job. Would my law school GPA deter me in the medical field in any way.

My parents are also relatively wealthy and paid my ~$200,000 legal education entirely. I know I'm very lucky for this. They don't really support my idea to go to medical school and said I would have to take out loans. These would be the first loans I would ever take out, so it might be managable. Any insight would definitely be appreciated.

Several thoughts:
A) Right now, you have a rather starry eyed view of Medicine, so you need to start volunteering with patients and shadowing doctors
B) You will need to show that you're running TO Medicine, rather than running AWAY from Law (and a bad employment environment)
C) There are plenty of other ways to help people without having to become a doctor.
D) Your law school GPA is 100% irrelevant for med school.

 

[workaholic181]

I went to law school for the wrong reasons. I did debate and mock trial in undergrad, and I had a degree in political science. My parents really pushed me to do law school, and I felt it was the next natural step. I graduated my state school undergrad with a 3.9 GPA and got into a top ten law school.

I haven't done the greatest in law school and my GPA is a 3.2. On top of that, I really don't like the work. I've spent the last two summers working at law firms and realize that for the first 5-10 years, associate attorneys pretty much write memos all day. These 10-20 page memos are on really boring topics like "what does the word reasonable mean in California as opposed to New York." And even if more exciting work is involved, I have found lawyers to be extremely sleazy and egotistical. I know that people are like that in all fields, but it seems that the actual work of lawyers is sleazy.

And on top of that, the work itself feels less tangible than in medicine. In medicine, you actually can use your knowledge to help patients in tangible ways. In law, these memos are just a prerequisite to give a big speech that depends more on speaking ability than anything else or to engage in settlement negotiations that also has more to do with making deals and generally being sleazy.

I know there are non-sleazy attorneys just like I know there have been short NBA players. I just know that the personality of all the attorneys and law students I've met over the past three years doesn't sit well with me. The more I work with attorneys and attend law school classes, I realize my personality doesn't really fit well with that of an attorney. I am much more nerdy and introverted. I like doing things by the rules.

I haven't taken a science class since high school, but I've always enjoyed it. I really would like to use tangible knowledge to help people. I've always been a good student and really enjoyed studying and learning. Would it be feasible with my high undergrad GPA to get into a post-bac program and then get into medical school? I will graduate law school this year at the age of 25.

My law school GPA isn't the greatest, and I haven't been able to find a legal job so far... largely because of that. I am truly considering getting a post-bac instead of going into a really low paying legal job. Would my law school GPA deter me in the medical field in any way.

My parents are also relatively wealthy and paid my ~$200,000 legal education entirely. I know I'm very lucky for this. They don't really support my idea to go to medical school and said I would have to take out loans. These would be the first loans I would ever take out, so it might be managable. Any insight would definitely be appreciated.

I have tons of lawyers in my family, almost went to law school myself, and a bunch of friends are L2s and L3s now. So I feel where you're coming from on a lot of this.

Frankly though I'm surprised you kind of classify the law as you do. There are so many areas you can practice in. Is it possible you have just not gotten exposure to other areas because as you say, you're at a top ten school likely gunning to work at a big firm? If you have no debt, why not consider being a DA, working for an environmental firm, etc etc. A lot of my friends NEED to work big firm jobs they hate to pay their loans back, all the doors of the law are open to you. I'd recommend exploring more career options in the law.

Your post does read as if you're running from the law rather to medicine. Why do you want to be a doctor? You more explain why you DONT want to be a lawyer.

Ultimately I turned down a top 40 law school (you prob way outscored my LSAT) to finish my prereqs and apply to med school as I've done. I'm so glad I chose this route, but it took a lot out of me. The sacrifices in pursuing medicine are real. Dont make this decision lightly.

 

[Doctor-S]

Would it be feasible with my high undergrad GPA to get into a post-bac program and then get into medical school? I will graduate law school this year at the age of 25.

My law school GPA isn't the greatest, and I haven't been able to find a legal job so far... largely because of that. I am truly considering getting a post-bac instead of going into a really low paying legal job. Would my law school GPA deter me in the medical field in any way.

... I would have to take out loans. These would be the first loans I would ever take out, so it might be managable. Any insight would definitely be appreciated.

Based on your post, here are my initial comments:

1. Pre-Medical Post-Baccalaureate Programs.

Some post-bacc programs require a minimum undergraduate cumulative GPA or a minimum undergraduate science GPA before an applicant will be considered for admission into the post-bacc program. In addition, some post-bacc programs require a minimum test score (e.g., MCAT) or at least one unsuccessful attempt to be admitted to medical school, among other things. For these reasons, your law school GPA will not be relevant.

In case you're interested, here is an online link posted by the Association of American Medical Colleges ("AAMC") regarding pre-medical post-baccalaureate Q&A, including a database of post-baccalaureate pre-medical programs:

Post-baccalaureate Programs

Assuming you successfully ace a pre-medical post-bacc program, it is important to remember that "gaining an acceptance" into medical school may pose its own sets of challenges, obstacles and issues.

For instance:

Your post did not provide clear and convincing evidence that you are dedicated, committed and passionate about becoming a physician (e.g., I did not see evidence indicative of clinical volunteering experience or non-clinical volunteering experience). Just saying. Instead, it sounded as if you are indecisive, anxious, discouraged and unsure about "what" you want to pursue (or actually do); especially since you have been unable to find a legal job thus far. Those are just my humble thoughts, that's all.

As a result, it is advisable to take time to seriously "think" about what you actually want to do before you pursue a brand new career that will require a significant amount of dedicated work, perseverance, time and expensive tuition. At the very minimum, it is advisable to shadow different physicians, volunteer in a busy hospital, meet with a career counselor, etc. Or, check into non-law firm jobs (e.g., contracts administration, management, etc.).

2. Law School GPA.

Your law school GPA will not be an issue (see Item No. 1 above).

3. Loans for Post-Baccalaureate Program and Medical School Tuition.

It is advisable to discuss potentially expensive post-bacc program loans and subsequent medical school loans with a qualified financial aid/loan officer.

I wish you success in your career, whatever that may be in the future.

 

[AnotherLawyer]

You appear to have an overly negative view of lawyering and an overly positive view of medicine. I wouldn't give up on the law without giving it a fair shot. It sounds like you've been doing some kind of commercial litigation. How about going to work at a legal aid society? There you'll use your skills to make a tangible and relatively immediate positive impact on real people. You can do tons of real good with a JD. Likewise, I wouldn't commit to medicine without getting exposure.

 

[ADSigMel]

You're me last May, except that I had been practicing law for 9 years at the time. I've spent the past 16 months shadowing, gaining clinical experience, taking all of my science prerequisites, and taking the MCAT, and it looks like I might actually get to go to medical school next year, but let me warn you: this stuff is not for the faint of heart. I went from making 6 figures to making $9 per hour as a scribe surrounded by kids a decade younger than me (although I will grant that having been a lawyer helps me write truly masterful patient histories). Fortunately, I've found that I love the medical field (the 2000 or so hours of it that I've seen anyway), and I'm willing to spend the next 10 years or so learning how to do it well. I highly recommend that you take advantage of the laidback nature of 3L year to volunteer in the healthcare field, shadow some doctors, and think long and hard about how much more of your life you're willing to spend in school. I changed careers for a lot of the same reasons that you want to: I never really wanted to be a lawyer (my family pushed me into it), I didn't like the work (and I worked in lots of practice areas), and I hated how ambiguous and subjective everything was. None of these reasons are sufficient to explain to a medical school admissions committee why they should entrust you with a seat in their medical school. This is where the shadowing and volunteering and clinical experience come in - assuming that you like them, they'll give you reasons to go into medicine that DO NOT involve getting away from law.

 

[Geo16]

My parents are also relatively wealthy and paid my ~$200,000 legal education entirely.

Everyone's dream! You've mentioned post-bacc.
To be honest, perhaps you should take some light 1-2 courses each semester while working full-time. Either through Univ. Extension or Community College.
Take Algebra and Trig. These will clear out the math requirements for most post-bacc programs(and they will be useful!). They are all used in science courses like Chem (alg) and Physics (trig). A light introductory science courses like Introductory Physics/Fundamentals of Chemistry/ Introductory Biology etc. could be a good idea. Like, at least work as a lawyer for a year before you pay into expensive $$$ post-bacc programs.
Even my state's university will cost roughly $8k per year for a full-time. That's from a state university (CSU East Bay). Privates cost around $20-60k.

 

[Tenk]

For now I think not finishing law school would be a mistake. If you are interested in the medical field, I would not suggest taking courses but instead look into medicolegal. If you don't want to be "sleazy" then try to look into defense attorneys and also what hospital attorneys do. This will give you tons of exposure to medicine and doctors. If in the end you hate law, that's when I would suggest pursuing medical school and taking pre-reqs. You're still young (I'm assuming) so dropping out of a paid law school for a chance at some fairy tale med school is pretty ridiculous.

 

[AttemptingScholar]

Echoing the above--your grades and abilities certainly won't hold you back. It's the worry that, with law, you didn't know what you were getting into. What if the same thing happens with medicine? Will you get frustrated with seemingly callous co-workers? Annoyed at the large amounts of necessary paperwork that will take you away from patients? Are you prepared for medical school--a path which is stressful and oftentimes unhealthy, where many people have to put their social lives and families on hold for four years? The difficulty of a residency, the way aspects of it can seem like abuse?

You can do this. And I'm not saying you shouldn't. But step one is clinical volunteering--work with patients. Work alongside doctors. Make sure this is what you want to do. If it is, then the medical world will benefit from a doctor with legal knowledge.

 

[Obnoxious Dad]

You appear to have an overly negative view of lawyering and an overly positive view of medicine. I wouldn't give up on the law without giving it a fair shot. It sounds like you've been doing some kind of commercial litigation. How about going to work at a legal aid society? There you'll use your skills to make a tangible and relatively immediate positive impact on real people. You can do tons of real good with a JD. Likewise, I wouldn't commit to medicine without getting exposure.

I have a law degree and a license to practice law. I think the OP's opinions about the practice of law are essentially accurate. The legal profession is an absolute snake pit. Very few lawyers are happy with their careers. Lawyers have to perform some absolutely revolting tasks in areas like criminal law, family law and personal injury law. The practice of law is a happy hunting ground for sociopaths.
A Diagnosed Sociopath Says Her Disorder Made Her A 'Great Lawyer'

I do believe the OP should finish law school. He's sunk two years into the process. There is no way of knowing how he will perform in science classes or on the MCAT. If he stinks at college level science, he can get an MBA and have the law degree as a useful addition to his resume.