Help with Plan B

[BostonB]

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Hello people of SDN,

So I applied to a few post-bacs (UVA, Bryn Mawr, Goucher, Scripps, JHU, Colorado) sort of as a long-shot. I applied at the last minute despite the fact that I do not have the necessary experience in the medical field to get in (I thought it was worth a shot). Needless to say I was rejected from BM and UVA, and expect to be rejected from the rest.

My question is this: Would it be better to work for a year, get more volunteer hours/significant experience in the field, and apply again next year to the structured post-bacs (in a more timely manner - perhaps October rather than February), or start a less-structured program now at Harvard Extension?

Thoughts? I know I would much prefer a structured program, but it might not be worth wasting another year when there's no guarantee of getting in the second time.

Thanks for your help!

 

[DrMidlife]

wasting another year when there's no guarantee of getting in

The bolded words are red flags. If you feel that exerting yourself in the pursuit of a medical education could be a waste of time, you're looking at the wrong profession. If you feel that a guarantee of receiving a reward for your premed efforts should be part of the formula, you're looking at the wrong profession.

You are being irresponsible to consider starting the coursework for medical school prior to getting exposure to the practice of medicine. Your competition has hundreds to thousands of hours of exposure through volunteering and paid work and shadowing...not because that's what programs require, but because your competition is interested in medicine and can't stay away.

Go find out if you are interested in medicine before you try yourself out as a premed.

Best of luck to you.

 

[BostonB]

Thanks, you are right. It's not that I feel like I would be wasting time, I just wonder whether I should start taking classes now and throw away my chance to do post-bac later.

In any case, I am having trouble getting anyone to let me work in the medical field. Seems you need experience to get a job, and you can't get experience without a job 🙂

 

[DrMidlife]

Thanks, you are right. It's not that I feel like I would be wasting time, I just wonder whether I should start taking classes now and throw away my chance to do post-bac later.

In any case, I am having trouble getting anyone to let me work in the medical field. Seems you need experience to get a job, and you can't get experience without a job 🙂

You need medical training to get a medical job. Would you want somebody with no medical training participating in your own medical care?

The way premeds get exposure to medicine is by (a) getting medical training that allows them to get paid work, as a CNA or EMT or similar, or (b) volunteering at a facility that has a volunteer program that allows you to push stretchers and escort patients and on occasion do something where you're allowed to touch a patient.

Best of luck to you.