How to get experience without experience?

[BostonB]

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Hello,

I am applying to post-bac premed programs, but I'm not particularly hopeful about my chances. Though my GPA and test scores are all up to par, I have little experience in the field and I'm guessing I'll be applying again at the end of the year.

My question is this - if I want to leave my full-time law job for something in the medical field, what can I do without experience? Everything seems to require some kind of certification at the very least, and in the amount of time it will take me to obtain that certification, I'll be applying for post-bacs again.

Any suggestions?

Thank you!

 

[Goucher2013]

Shadowing and volunteering on evenings and weekends should be sufficient. The former gives you the intellectual and emotional ammunition to sell "this is why I want to be a doctor". The latter demonstrates that you can perform public service (if you're already doing a public service law job like public defender or JAG, volunteering should probably be on the bottom of your 'to-do' list). It's not about number of hours or being Mother Theresa.

For the record, I'm one of maybe five people (out of 30) in the Goucher class who have some kind of EMS certification. So we're in the clear minority. It's just not necessary to switch careers or get certified if you're an interesting applicant (i.g. good mixture of scores and story).

An EMT-B certification can help, but it seems so common among applicants that I'm not sure it makes a difference unless you've been doing it for years. In other words, "I've been doing EMS for years and then decided to become a doctor" = interesting; "I just got my EMT-B and decided, heck, why not become a doctor" = maybe interesting; "I decided to become a doctor last and just got my EMT-B cert" = meh.

I understand practicing law requires long hours, but postbacs seem to get at least a dozen legal applicants a year, so it's certainly possible to gain the hours, even if it means sacrificing the little free time and vacation time you have.

Lastly, if your heart is set on getting EMT-certified, there are accelerated courses offered through companies like CCJA. Two weeks, $1,500, and you're ready to take the test.

 

[LakersInSix]

I took an EMT course in the evenings while working. It lasted for just one quarter, two nights per week. I also cold called some local physicians and started shadowing a little over half a day per week. There should be plenty of opportunities to shadow on weekends. Not sure if it's the best idea but I let it be known after the second visit that I was interested in getting a good letter of recommendation down the road. I wanted to make sure if I invested six months of my time I'd get a letter