Hello from a newbie :)

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ITtoMD

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I've been lurking in the shadows for a couple of months, and just wanted to say hello to all and thanks for the great advice posted here! It's helped me guide my decisions a great deal.

I'll be 33 in a couple of weeks. My uGPA was 3.44 in psychology, and my graduate GPA was 4.0 (again, psychology, masters program). I didn't finish the masters as I took a promotion that required a lot (23 weeks one year) of travel. My uGPA is one of those jekyll/hyde type things, 2.8'ish while I floundered around looking for something I liked, 4.0 from the time I took intro to psych and became fascinated with neuroscience.

So, starting this summer I'll take physics 1, then physics 2/org 1 in the fall, and org 2/biochem in the spring. I might toss in 1 or 2 more classes, especially in the fall (thinking physiology and genetics to help on the MCAT??) as I plan on taking the MCAT in Late May next year.

And I'm doing this by going all in...I will work through the summer but intend to quit or go parttime/consultant for the fall/spring. I need to do a lot of shadowing/volunteer work. I've positioned myself to be able to do this (but will be selling the house to help). Perhaps not the most conservative decision, but I think will be the best short term one (as far as getting into school and paying for it goes).

Again, thanks for all the advice already given and I look forward to more of it, and maybe contributing some later on myself :)

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Welcome to the boards. First of all, the GPA should be fine if you do well on the MCAT. Solid post-bach and strong upward trends are usually noticed. Though psychology is not regarded as a difficult major, you shouldn't really be at a significant disadvantage.

I wouldn't take extra courses specifically for the MCAT. None of them are going to help you much. You'd be better served taking an MCAT class, doing full-length practice tests, and really focusing on basic science principles and reading comprehension. Pace yourself and you will absorb much, much more. Of course, those extra courses might be a good idea for other reasons.

What's more important is your clinical experience and other ECs. Coming in with a slightly lower GPA just means you'll have to stick out a little more. There are lots of things you can do, but don't discount some basic ones like a well constructed and entertaining personal statement and very strong letters of recommendation.

Good luck!
 
Thanks! Yeah I figure that my GPA will be 3.77 after the classes I had to take (getting all A's I assume, which I've done my last 22 undergrad classes and all the grad), which should help and keep the upward trend going.

But I definently realize (which was somewhat of a suprise honestly) that I'm hugely lacking in clinical time. You are probably right, focusing on those and the MCAT would be a better use of the time that spring.

To be honest, I'm excited to go to med school, but short term I'm just excited to go to school without a full time for the first time since I was 14! Gotta stay focused and use it wisely.
 
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Hi and welcome. Best of luck to you!
 
Take an EMT-B class instead of shadowing and get a job in an ER. You'll see way more than you would volunteering only you're getting paid for being there. Besides, you bring a good background with you into an ER.

IMHO.
 
Thanks! Yeah I figure that my GPA will be 3.77 after the classes I had to take (getting all A's I assume, which I've done my last 22 undergrad classes and all the grad), which should help and keep the upward trend going.

But I definently realize (which was somewhat of a suprise honestly) that I'm hugely lacking in clinical time. You are probably right, focusing on those and the MCAT would be a better use of the time that spring.

To be honest, I'm excited to go to med school, but short term I'm just excited to go to school without a full time for the first time since I was 14! Gotta stay focused and use it wisely.

i was also non-traditional with an IT background. my post-bacc GPA wasn't close to as good as yours, though, and I got into one of my top choice schools

your work ethic is impressive. i want you to be my doctor some day :)
 
Thanks everyone!

I'll have to look into the EMT-B, that's an interesting possibility. Do they often have part time jobs available?

nu2004, gratz on getting in, and to your first choice no less!
 
if you have savings--it would be better to spend those and keep the house (if you plan on staying where you are now for med school). FAFSA doesn't count your house as an asset when developing your financial aid award (vs. counting any of your savings in the bank).
 
if you have savings--it would be better to spend those and keep the house (if you plan on staying where you are now for med school). FAFSA doesn't count your house as an asset when developing your financial aid award (vs. counting any of your savings in the bank).

Yeah, we considered this. Thing is we were already planning on selling the house to relocate (and still may do that) closer to the county she works. Sadly, there are no med schools (though some residency options) in Jacksonville, so I will at least be staying someplace different. My best bet (aside from growing up a Gator fan, which is the best reason to pick a med school) is UF, as I have an uncle there, and it is close to home. Everyone would be happy. We'll just have to see how it plays out. And there is the chance (wife is finishing her internship as a School Psychologist) she doesn't get a job offer around Jacksonville for next year, very few openings, so then she would just come with for the time being.

Thanks for the note about FAFSA, I remember seeing that elsewhere now that you mention it!
 
Thanks everyone!

I'll have to look into the EMT-B, that's an interesting possibility. Do they often have part time jobs available?

nu2004, gratz on getting in, and to your first choice no less!

I got my EMT-B licensure (6 month painfully boring class with LOTS of unmotivated students and a surprisingly brutal licensing exam) to work as an ER tech in a Level I trauma center, and you know what? When I went to work there, none of the other techs had it. Some of them were CNAs, but others were just people who worked as ER techs.

EMT-B may look good on an application (even then, ACTUAL EMT-B's do little more than transport patients to and fro), but in your case I would skip it. Just go to an American Heart Association CPR class and get your CPR cert. Then march into the Level I or II ER closest to you and politely ask to speak to the manager :thumbup:
 
I thought about dedicating a year to get the EMT-B, but if it is true that you can get by with a cpr cert. as a ER tech. that would save me a full year. That's one year closer to being a doctor.
 
I thought about dedicating a year to get the EMT-B, but if it is true that you can get by with a cpr cert. as a ER tech. that would save me a full year. That's one year closer to being a doctor.

Absolutely. I think that most of getting a low-level job like that in an ER is about charming the department manager. I wouldn't be surprised if some ERs had more robust requirements for their techs, but the one I worked at was a Level I trauma and didn't require that their techs have anything other than current CPR, so I can't imagine it's much different elsewhere.
 
I've been lurking in the shadows for a couple of months, and just wanted to say hello to all and thanks for the great advice posted here! It's helped me guide my decisions a great deal.

I'll be 33 in a couple of weeks. My uGPA was 3.44 in psychology, and my graduate GPA was 4.0 (again, psychology, masters program). I didn't finish the masters as I took a promotion that required a lot (23 weeks one year) of travel. My uGPA is one of those jekyll/hyde type things, 2.8'ish while I floundered around looking for something I liked, 4.0 from the time I took intro to psych and became fascinated with neuroscience.

So, starting this summer I'll take physics 1, then physics 2/org 1 in the fall, and org 2/biochem in the spring. I might toss in 1 or 2 more classes, especially in the fall (thinking physiology and genetics to help on the MCAT??) as I plan on taking the MCAT in Late May next year.

And I'm doing this by going all in...I will work through the summer but intend to quit or go parttime/consultant for the fall/spring. I need to do a lot of shadowing/volunteer work. I've positioned myself to be able to do this (but will be selling the house to help). Perhaps not the most conservative decision, but I think will be the best short term one (as far as getting into school and paying for it goes).

Again, thanks for all the advice already given and I look forward to more of it, and maybe contributing some later on myself :)

Hi, and welcome. I'm another CS to MD career changer. I can think of a few other CS or IT folks here off the top of my head - it seems popular as nontrad paths go.

I'll be 35 when I start med school this summer, so I guess I started a year or two earlier than you! The age won't be a problem for you in terms of applications/interviews/acceptances. It definitely came up in my interviews, but almost universally in positive terms related to life experience, maturity, etc. It also meant I always had plenty to talk about in my interviews, and they were generally easy discussions where I was able to just have a conversation about who I was, what I was thinking, and all the rest. I could come across as a confident, interesting applicant without feeling at all forced.

Forget about the grad GPA. Everything I've heard indicates that adcoms give it very little weight. The upward trend in your undergrad GPA, on the other hand, is a big positive.

Your plan sounds good, but here's my suggestion: you need volunteering and shadowing experience, but I'd say that years are more important than hours. In other words, you should start as soon as possible and do stuff over an extended period of time to show your ongoing commitment, but you don't necessarily need to put in a lot of hours each week. Adcoms tend to understand that you only have so many hours, especially if you're also taking classes and still working. But they want to believe that you know what you're getting yourself into, and they want to be sure this isn't just a spur-of-the-moment "I don't like my job so I'll try being a doctor instead" decision. I understand about wanting to get everything done as soon as possible so you can apply and start school, but you might want to at least think about slowing down and stretching it over one more year. Along with showing ongoing commitment, you also want to set yourself up to do as well as possible in your classes and especially on the MCAT.

Here's what I did. There are lots of different ways to do everything you need to do and get into med school, but this worked for me: I took classes in the evenings while I was still working, one or two at a time over three years. I volunteered a few hours a week in a hospital over two years, where I was able to work in a couple different departments. I shadowed a few doctors one day each. (This was probably one of the weaker points in my application, and I'd recommend a bit more than I did - but you definitely don't need anything crazy like 200 hours shadowing.) After I finished my prereqs, I took an MCAT prep class one summer (while still working and volunteering) and took the test in August. Then I took biochem and English, worked on my application, and applied early the following year. I could have gotten everything done a year or two faster if I'd arranged things differently, but this way I felt like I put together the strongest app I could - and I'll still have a paycheck coming in until a month or two before I start med school.

I wouldn't take extra courses specifically for the MCAT. None of them are going to help you much. You'd be better served taking an MCAT class, doing full-length practice tests, and really focusing on basic science principles and reading comprehension. Pace yourself and you will absorb much, much more. Of course, those extra courses might be a good idea for other reasons.

I also wanted to second these points by thoffen. I think an MCAT prep course will do a lot more for you than a few more science classes, but however you prepare make sure you've got a plan and a schedule that lets you pace yourself and spread the prep over enough time.

Good luck!
 
Hi, and welcome. I'm another CS to MD career changer. I can think of a few other CS or IT folks here off the top of my head - it seems popular as nontrad paths go.

I'll be 35 when I start med school this summer

This summer? Mind if I ask where?
 
This summer? Mind if I ask where?

I still don't know - I'm deciding between Case Western, UConn, or UMass, and the problem is there are great arguments for any of the three. How about you?
 
I still don't know - I'm deciding between Case Western, UConn, or UMass, and the problem is there are great arguments for any of the three. How about you?

i have a few acceptances in hand but i'm 99% committed to Case:

- i love the new curriculum. the early and frequent clinical experiences will keep me motivated to slog over microbio and pathology for hours and hours...

- the cohesiveness and overall satisfaction of the student body are very important to me, and i thought these were great at case. the 4 advising groups seem to promote this. i'm 25 though and not that long out of college; i guess this may be less of a big deal to you if at 35 you have family and other commitments to keep you occupied ;)

- the only medical school in Cleveland. this is... huge. not to mention the quality of the hospitals Case students rotate through.

- cost of living in Cleveland is great (so much less than Chicago, i'm still in shock a little bit). i'm eyeing a 3BD/2.5BA witha 2-car garage that is very near campus. at 210k it's a steal.

anyway, maybe i'll see you at second look weekend. if the admissions committee gave you an offer, they must have seen something pretty unique. choose Case!
 
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