Howdy! Where I should go from here?

[A Doctor Maybe]

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G'day everyone! 🙂

Let me first give some information on my background:

I am currently a Senior in a fairly highly ranked UG business school. My cGPA is 3.6 with an upward trend. I should be able to graduate with a ~3.7 cGPA.
The only sGPA classes I have taken have been Business Statistics and Calculus and unfortunately with the lack of +/- system I finished with high 80s, and thus Bs in both classes.

Medicine is long something I've considered and honestly the thought of pursuing it is something I just can't shake(trust me, I've tried). Compounding this, my mother fell ill two years ago which has further reinforced my desire to go into medicine. I just can't ignore this any longer. I actually posted a thread in pre-med last year, but again, I pushed it back. At this point my thread belongs in non-trad anyway.

I will graduate this May with my two business majors and I will go on to work in the business department for a BioPharma company working towards cancer treatments. Originally I had hoped working in biopharm would be a nice bridge between my academic background and my area of interest, but I've realized it isn't what I'm meant to do.

With that said, realistically I can't stay in school for another year because I need to make some money, and with my degree it should be fairly easy to land a "good" job.
My plan is to essentially do an non-formal post bacc and take classes at night at my current school, all while working during the day making money.

Has anyone attempted working ~50 hours a week while taking classes?
I plan to take Physics 1/2, Bio 1/2, Chem 1/2, Orgo 1/2. I think I could upon completion of these courses I could have a sGPA of around 3.6-3.7 and a cGPA of 3.7-3.8.

I'm aware there are people more "non-trad" than me, but I will be applying to medical school at ~25 in this scenario with some money saved up.

Any advice for this latecomer? Am I in decent shape?

 

[Pons Asinorum]

You're solid. I think you have a good plan. Just make sure you don't take more classes at one time than will allow you to a) not get fired, and b) make straight A's. You really need to try to keep a long view of this process. You can work and take prereqs, but it will certainly require more discipline and will be dependent on how easily you find learning the material. Just ease into it and then titrate up to the number of credit hours you can take while working and still knock out A's. You do that, you'll in a great position. And your PS practically writes itself, bridging from where you started to where you are while applying. Good luck.

And on a personal note, thank you for breaking that OP up into digestible paragraphs and using normal, adult punctuation.

 

[BHB2008]

Two classes with 50 hours/work a week is going to be difficult, but if you take one class at a time, it will take a long while to get your prereqs finished.

Have you considered:

a) Working part-time
b) Full-time student status (with loans for prereqs?)

Good luck!

 

[el_duderino]

Classes half time while working full time really isn't a big deal.

The big problem is that since you have no basic science classes, you have four semesters of work in front of you. That's two years... a little less if you want to do some of those as hyper-compressed summer courses, but you probably won't learn as much and the time crunch will be much more severe.

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

Classes half time while working full time really isn't a big deal.

The big problem is that since you have no basic science classes, you have four semesters of work in front of you. That's two years... a little less if you want to do some of those as hyper-compressed summer courses, but you probably won't learn as much and the time crunch will be much more severe.

Do you think it would be wise to take a Bio next semester? It would bring me to 18 credits but I wouldn't be working yet, which would be nice!

 

[operaman]

Do you think it would be wise to take a Bio next semester? It would bring me to 18 credits but I wouldn't be working yet, which would be nice!

If anything I would say do Chem 1 as this is really the rate-limiting step of the pre-reqs (ie. you have to take gen chem before orgo).

I know everyone is different, but you may want to just take the hit and remain a student to do your pre-reqs. Can you delay your graduation and declare a second major, even if you have no intention of finishing it? There really isn't a financial advantage to delaying; the additional years of lost income will likely exceed your entry-level salary many times over.

The argument for pushing through is multifaceted. Non-trads work and do part time classes because there's no other choice; I think most would want to get it done and move on with their medical education if given the choice. There's a practical human nature issue with delaying; remember, the EMS and volunteer fire departments of America are filled with people who are planning to go to medical school "some day." Life doesn't always go as planned. It's also a lot harder to step away from a nice full time salary and become a student again.

I don't know what your major requirements are exactly, but I'd try to do a couple pre-reqs this spring if possible (maybe bio and chem1) assuming you can nail As in both. Do Chem 2 and PHysics 1 over the summer. Next fall do Orgo 1, Phys 2, bio 2. Next spring do Orgo 2 and maybe another new-mcat related course plus lots of MCAT study. Take MCAT late spring 2016, submit AMCAS June 1 2016, Start MS1 August 2017. There's lots of time in there to volunteer, shadow, etc. Maybe even a little research though that's not really necessary.

Just another possibility to consider. Good luck with whatever you do!

 

[BHB2008]

Don't underestimate the problem of pre-req sequencing. In most places, you cannot take Bio 1 until you have taken Chem 1, and you cannot take Chem 1 or Physics 1 until you have taken College Algebra, and you cannot take College Algebra until . . . you get the idea. Get as much done while you can before working, and start the Chem sequence first as it is the longest.

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

You're solid. I think you have a good plan. Just make sure you don't take more classes at one time than will allow you to a) not get fired, and b) make straight A's. You really need to try to keep a long view of this process. You can work and take prereqs, but it will certainly require more discipline and will be dependent on how easily you find learning the material. Just ease into it and then titrate up to the number of credit hours you can take while working and still knock out A's. You do that, you'll in a great position. And your PS practically writes itself, bridging from where you started to where you are while applying. Good luck.

And on a personal note, thank you for breaking that OP up into digestible paragraphs and using normal, adult punctuation.

Thank you for the response! It's definitely easier to read when a post is written in such a format, so I try to keep that in mind when posting. 🙂

I really appreciate the kind words. First and foremost, it sounds like I should take General Chemistry 1 next semester. Just need to decide if working or 5th year is more appropriate!

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

Two classes with 50 hours/work a week is going to be difficult, but if you take one class at a time, it will take a long while to get your prereqs finished.

Have you considered:

a) Working part-time
b) Full-time student status (with loans for prereqs?)

Good luck!

Don't underestimate the problem of pre-req sequencing. In most places, you cannot take Bio 1 until you have taken Chem 1, and you cannot take Chem 1 or Physics 1 until you have taken College Algebra, and you cannot take College Algebra until . . . you get the idea. Get as much done while you can before working, and start the Chem sequence first as it is the longest.

Excellent point, and duly noted. I am thrilled that this thread has directed me in the right direction of which classes to take first (ie. Gen Chem). From what I've gathered, Gen Chem has some "math" innately built into the subject matter, which should give me a good idea of where I stand from a mathematical ability benchmark for the pre-reqs. I wouldn't consider myself skilled in this area, especially judging from past experience where my Bs have come from classes with more math.

A) I haven't considered working part-time. I doubt the company I would be working for would invest in a part-time employee, one of which they know they will lose in a couple years. I must admit, from their side of the fence it makes more sense to hire the individual that is eager to work many hours and is in it for the long haul.

B) I have considered full-time student status. I am leaning against it right now because I can't afford the upfront costs. During my time here, the loans have never covered the full in-state tuition. Fortunately, my scholarships have made it manageable to date. It is a consideration that will have to be strongly pondered and discussed amongst family over the coming months, though.

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

If anything I would say do Chem 1 as this is really the rate-limiting step of the pre-reqs (ie. you have to take gen chem before orgo).

I know everyone is different, but you may want to just take the hit and remain a student to do your pre-reqs. Can you delay your graduation and declare a second major, even if you have no intention of finishing it? There really isn't a financial advantage to delaying; the additional years of lost income will likely exceed your entry-level salary many times over.

The argument for pushing through is multifaceted. Non-trads work and do part time classes because there's no other choice; I think most would want to get it done and move on with their medical education if given the choice. There's a practical human nature issue with delaying; remember, the EMS and volunteer fire departments of America are filled with people who are planning to go to medical school "some day." Life doesn't always go as planned. It's also a lot harder to step away from a nice full time salary and become a student again.

I don't know what your major requirements are exactly, but I'd try to do a couple pre-reqs this spring if possible (maybe bio and chem1) assuming you can nail As in both. Do Chem 2 and PHysics 1 over the summer. Next fall do Orgo 1, Phys 2, bio 2. Next spring do Orgo 2 and maybe another new-mcat related course plus lots of MCAT study. Take MCAT late spring 2016, submit AMCAS June 1 2016, Start MS1 August 2017. There's lots of time in there to volunteer, shadow, etc. Maybe even a little research though that's not really necessary.

Just another possibility to consider. Good luck with whatever you do!

Firstly, I am immensely appreciative of the degree of detail you provided in your post. It is a great feeling to know people care enough to respond in such a sincere way.

I *could* delay my graduation. As currently slotted, I am set to graduate with a double major this upcoming May. Now, I have to "apply" for graduation status within the first two weeks of the second semester. If I choose to not do this, I can seemingly stay at the school taking classes if I were to declare a third major. Perhaps I wouldn't even need to declare a third major, but instead I could simply take my science requirements?

You bring up a great point. At this point in my life, would the lost physician salary far outweigh the 2 years at ~55k/yr of income? It sure sounds like it would now that I think about. I suppose my financial worries are focused in the short term, which may not be very wise at all. Thank you for highlighting this possibility!

Realistically, if I were to go through with graduating with 2 majors I could only take one science class as that would bring me to 18 credits. Now, if I delayed my graduation I could take a balanced science/business course load next semester. With being so close to having a truly quality degree from quite a respectable business school I certainly want to have that degree in my backpocket, though. It's not like it could hurt me, and maybe even some academic diversity would be interesting to an adcom or two out there. 🙂

Your timeline is excellent. I will be reviewing this closely. Again, while my appreciation is understated through this textual medium, please do trust that your post has left me inspired. 🙂

 

[hawkbit]

Also be advised that biochemistry will be on the new MCAT as well as intro psychology/sociology concepts. Biochemistry is a required prereq at many schools. The new MCAT makes more work for us non-trads due to the greater breadth of material covered.
I do 40 hours a week and have one call night, but all my hours are worked on Fri-Sun (except for the call night). One class with lab plus one regular class is ok, 2 classes with labs starts to be a bit much, mostly because I take as much time out for my family as possible. If I was single I would def do 3/4 time maybe even full class load.

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

Also be advised that biochemistry will be on the new MCAT as well as intro psychology/sociology concepts. Biochemistry is a required prereq at many schools. The new MCAT makes more work for us non-trads due to the greater breadth of material covered.
I do 40 hours a week and have one call night, but all my hours are worked on Fri-Sun (except for the call night). One class with lab plus one regular class is ok, 2 classes with labs starts to be a bit much, mostly because I take as much time out for my family as possible. If I was single I would def do 3/4 time maybe even full class load.

Good luck to you too, sir!

Do you believe that the Biochemistry and psychology/sociology components will require formal classes, or will new MCAT prep books be adequate?

 

[el_duderino]

I think a lot of schools are already requiring biochem, and more will require it after the new MCAT rolls out. Many also may start listing psych/soc as prereqs. I'm not sure. That might be a problem though.

 

[clairephillips]

Excellent point, and duly noted. I am thrilled that this thread has directed me in the right direction of which classes to take first (ie. Gen Chem). From what I've gathered, Gen Chem has some "math" innately built into the subject matter, which should give me a good idea of where I stand from a mathematical ability benchmark for the pre-reqs. I wouldn't consider myself skilled in this area, especially judging from past experience where my Bs have come from classes with more math.

A) I haven't considered working part-time. I doubt the company I would be working for would invest in a part-time employee, one of which they know they will lose in a couple years. I must admit, from their side of the fence it makes more sense to hire the individual that is eager to work many hours and is in it for the long haul.

B) I have considered full-time student status. I am leaning against it right now because I can't afford the upfront costs. During my time here, the loans have never covered the full in-state tuition. Fortunately, my scholarships have made it manageable to date. It is a consideration that will have to be strongly pondered and discussed amongst family over the coming months, though.

I would also add that your financial aid options will be severely limited by graduating. As a nontrad who returned to get a second Bachelors, I didn't qualify for much assistance all, but could have delayed graduation and continued to get more assistance. Don't graduate until you are done taking classes and don't fulfill your last graduation requirement until you are ready to graduate.

 

[Pons Asinorum]

Also, for the viewers at home, this right here is how you get your question answered. Ask an easily readable and thoughtful question, be appreciative for the responses that help, perhaps show a little slice of humble pie when advice cuts across your desires, and lo and behold, good advice comes pouring out of the woodwork. So adult-like, this thread is.

 

[hawkbit]

Good luck to you too, sir!

Do you believe that the Biochemistry and psychology/sociology components will require formal classes, or will new MCAT prep books be adequate?

This is individually dependent. Some people are not as good with self directed learning, and so do better taking classes, while others can hit the prep books and find any missing information from the web or textbooks etc. For myself, I *think* I can do a content review and then after taking a few AAMC practice tests I'll know where I stand and what may need further study. I'll let you know post MCAT how that worked out. 😉 A student who took Ochem with me said she could never do that, and was taking the Kaplan review course (official in person) because she said she needed the structure. The pattern will be the same with the new MCAT as far as whether you need structure or not in order to get the content down.

 

[kraskadva]

G'day everyone! 🙂

Let me first give some information on my background:

I am currently a Senior in a fairly highly ranked UG business school. My cGPA is 3.6 with an upward trend. I should be able to graduate with a ~3.7 cGPA.
The only sGPA classes I have taken have been Business Statistics and Calculus and unfortunately with the lack of +/- system I finished with high 80s, and thus Bs in both classes.

Medicine is long something I've considered and honestly the thought of pursuing it is something I just can't shake(trust me, I've tried). Compounding this, my mother fell ill two years ago which has further reinforced my desire to go into medicine. I just can't ignore this any longer. I actually posted a thread in pre-med last year, but again, I pushed it back. At this point my thread belongs in non-trad anyway.

I will graduate this May with my two business majors and I will go on to work in the business department for a BioPharma company working towards cancer treatments. Originally I had hoped working in biopharm would be a nice bridge between my academic background and my area of interest, but I've realized it isn't what I'm meant to do.

With that said, realistically I can't stay in school for another year because I need to make some money, and with my degree it should be fairly easy to land a "good" job.
My plan is to essentially do an non-formal post bacc and take classes at night at my current school, all while working during the day making money.

Has anyone attempted working ~50 hours a week while taking classes?
I plan to take Physics 1/2, Bio 1/2, Chem 1/2, Orgo 1/2. I think I could upon completion of these courses I could have a sGPA of around 3.6-3.7 and a cGPA of 3.7-3.8.

I'm aware there are people more "non-trad" than me, but I will be applying to medical school at ~25 in this scenario with some money saved up.

Any advice for this latecomer? Am I in decent shape?

You've gotten some good advice here already, but I'll throw in my .02 as well.
Yes, you've got a good plan and you're in good shape. If you swing all As in the pre-reqs, you should be golden. I would start with 1 at a time while you are new at your job, and then increase as feels comfortable. You're not in the position that gpa-repair people are, in that you've already proven you can be competent in school, you just need these classes. So don't feel rushed and don't feel like you have to take on huge chunks at once. If you end up applying at 26 or 27 instead of 24 it's not the end of the world by any stretch and will give you 1) more experiences to talk about in your application essays and 2) more time to work in all the other, non-academic parts of your app that you'll need (like shadowing and volunteering).
Also, while you may not want to do business forever, it is certainly a good set of skills to have, so don't discount that. I can work to your advantage down the road. Working in biopharm, even in the business side will also put you in contact with a lot of people who would be able to help you as you go through the process.
The advice I would give in addition to what's already been said would be to bank as much of your salary as you can. The jump in pay from student to professional will feel enormous, but if you set it up so you never see a sizeable chunk of your paycheck because it's funnelled directly into a savings account or a CD, then you can put aside a fair bit in relatively short order that will go a long ways towards reducing stress when it comes time to apply and then move to start med school. At a bare minimum, I would strongly recommend putting $5k into a CD within your first year of working (definitely doable on a professional salary), and keep it rolling over until application time. This will cover app fees and interview travel costs. Any more you bank beyond that will be your cushion in case of life crises (which are almost guaranteed to happen at some point).
Best of luck!

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

You've gotten some good advice here already, but I'll throw in my .02 as well.
Yes, you've got a good plan and you're in good shape. If you swing all As in the pre-reqs, you should be golden. I would start with 1 at a time while you are new at your job, and then increase as feels comfortable. You're not in the position that gpa-repair people are, in that you've already proven you can be competent in school, you just need these classes. So don't feel rushed and don't feel like you have to take on huge chunks at once. If you end up applying at 26 or 27 instead of 24 it's not the end of the world by any stretch and will give you 1) more experiences to talk about in your application essays and 2) more time to work in all the other, non-academic parts of your app that you'll need (like shadowing and volunteering).
Also, while you may not want to do business forever, it is certainly a good set of skills to have, so don't discount that. I can work to your advantage down the road. Working in biopharm, even in the business side will also put you in contact with a lot of people who would be able to help you as you go through the process.
The advice I would give in addition to what's already been said would be to bank as much of your salary as you can. The jump in pay from student to professional will feel enormous, but if you set it up so you never see a sizeable chunk of your paycheck because it's funnelled directly into a savings account or a CD, then you can put aside a fair bit in relatively short order that will go a long ways towards reducing stress when it comes time to apply and then move to start med school. At a bare minimum, I would strongly recommend putting $5k into a CD within your first year of working (definitely doable on a professional salary), and keep it rolling over until application time. This will cover app fees and interview travel costs. Any more you bank beyond that will be your cushion in case of life crises (which are almost guaranteed to happen at some point).
Best of luck!

Always open to more advice! I am truly honored to be able to learn from those that have been and done what I'm trying to do. 🙂

Looks like we have a vote here for the 'graduate and work while taking it slow' method. I am very fortunate to have been pretty solid in school until this point. My weakest year was my Freshman year, then Sophomore, then Junior... With last year flirting with above a 3.7. If I can finish this year with my best year yet I will feel very confident about my cGPA being in a good spot for where I want to go.

My story should tell itself as previously alluded too, and I do think having some extra life experience can't hurt. I already have over 10k saved up from various summer internships, and I doubt my spending habits will be worse than they are now as I've always been pretty budget conscious.

Thank you for your post! I just need to decide if I should work or knock on my pre-reqs to get to the end-goal in a quicker fashion.

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

I'd put off graduating. Working a full the job is hard. Doing it while studying is harder. I made a lot of short sighted decisions based on money in the immediate term and I regret them. If you're sure about med school, take the classes, write the mcat, and apply as a traditional student without the complications of 4 transcripts and night class.

Thanks for the reply! I am definitely leaning this direction now having read the responses in this thread. I have spoken with my mother about it, and she has been supportive.

My father will be irate as he has always gotten upset whenever I've mentioned my desire to pursue medicine, but maybe I can convince him why I need to stay in school to do this.

 

[BHB2008]

To the OP re: psychology and sociology.

I do not think psychology and sociology classes are worth taking. If you have a humanities background, as do many non-trads, then you can learn the material on your own very easily. It is anyone's guess at this point, but I would be willing to wager that the psych/soc portions of the MCAT will be subject-specific critical reasoning sections, which provide you with much of the information you need to answer the questions. Furthermore, there's little guarantee, psych 101 at X college will cover the material on the MCAT. From experience, Psych 101 is a wildly varied class (unlike, say Algebra, or Physics) and can focus on any number of things, usually tailored to the professor's, and not the MCAT's, preference.

Biochem is a new pre-req, so the Chemistry sequence is 5 semesters long. If you are willing and able, take advantage of summer intensive semesters to get the Chem sequence under control.

As far as full-time student status, you can get Stafford loans to cover Community college classes AND living expenses, which will not push you over the lifetime limit most likely. This depends on how much in Stafford loans you have taken out. The amount this will cost is very small compared to total debt you'll be taking on, so really give it a decent thought. If you're comfortable with the pedigree of your undergrad and able to take community college classes, that's an option for financing.

I personally have decided to go this route, because full-time work is distracting and not worth the time investment - salary, when compared to future earnings as a doctor.

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

Hello all!

I just went to my University's Pre-Medical advising office. I was told I "had to" take BioChem, Cell Bio and Phys, and Genetics in addition to the other classes. Anyone have any opinion on this? I was not too thrilled to hear I also needed to take these classes.

I have never viewed myself as a slacker but in the interest of time I really was looking to do the minimal requirements, which I tried to explain during the appointment, though it seemed she felt the aforementioned additions were part of that bare minimum.

The way it was outlined made it impossible for me complete the necessary classes with even a full extra year of schooling. They wanted me to do it over two years...

 

[mspeedwagon]

Based on doing apps, BioChem is almost a universal requirement these days so you'd have to fit it in anyway. Based on the MCAT I took I wish I had recently taken genetics (this is luck of the draw). Physio will save you a lot of self-studying for the MCAT.

I think these are great classes to take generally. If I were to rank them in terms of importance biochem > phys > genetics = cell bio. You can always put some off till your application year if needed.

Hello all!

I just went to my University's Pre-Medical advising office. I was told I "had to" take BioChem, Cell Bio and Phys, and Genetics in addition to the other classes. Anyone have any opinion on this? I was not too thrilled to hear I also needed to take these classes.

I have never viewed myself as a slacker but in the interest of time I really was looking to do the minimal requirements, which I tried to explain during the appointment, though it seemed she felt the aforementioned additions were part of that bare minimum.

The way it was outlined made it impossible for me complete the necessary classes with even a full extra year of schooling. They wanted me to do it over two years...

 

[kraskadva]

Hello all!

I just went to my University's Pre-Medical advising office. I was told I "had to" take BioChem, Cell Bio and Phys, and Genetics in addition to the other classes. Anyone have any opinion on this? I was not too thrilled to hear I also needed to take these classes.

I have never viewed myself as a slacker but in the interest of time I really was looking to do the minimal requirements, which I tried to explain during the appointment, though it seemed she felt the aforementioned additions were part of that bare minimum.

The way it was outlined made it impossible for me complete the necessary classes with even a full extra year of schooling. They wanted me to do it over two years...

Well, with just the GenChem + Orgo Sequence, it's 2 years anyway... Biochem is a requirement now at many schools and certainly will be tested on the MCAT when you take it, so that adds a 5th semester typically.
IF (and this is a very strong 'if') you do really well in classes the first year and you feel really comfortable with chemistry, you might be able to talk your school into letting you take orgo and biochem together. But you're still looking at at least 2 years. With no science background currently, they won't let you overlap much to start with, and it's probably in your best interest not to. Just take it one step at a time.

As for the other classes- I found both Genetics and Cell Bio extremely helpful for the MCAT (and I have a science background). Physio was 'meh' for me, and I did the majority of that prep on my own. However, I couldn't have done that without the Genetics/Cell courses prepping me with signaling pathways and regulation processes, since the majority of Physio stuff tested is metabolic/endocrine/biochemical rather than anatomical.

And don't worry if it takes longer than you were initially planning- this is a marathon, not a sprint. You're going to be in training for at least the next decade on this path, so what's another year?

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

Well, with just the GenChem + Orgo Sequence, it's 2 years anyway... Biochem is a requirement now at many schools and certainly will be tested on the MCAT when you take it, so that adds a 5th semester typically.
IF (and this is a very strong 'if') you do really well in classes the first year and you feel really comfortable with chemistry, you might be able to talk your school into letting you take orgo and biochem together. But you're still looking at at least 2 years. With no science background currently, they won't let you overlap much to start with, and it's probably in your best interest not to. Just take it one step at a time.

As for the other classes- I found both Genetics and Cell Bio extremely helpful for the MCAT (and I have a science background). Physio was 'meh' for me, and I did the majority of that prep on my own. However, I couldn't have done that without the Genetics/Cell courses prepping me with signaling pathways and regulation processes, since the majority of Physio stuff tested is metabolic/endocrine/biochemical rather than anatomical.

And don't worry if it takes longer than you were initially planning- this is a marathon, not a sprint. You're going to be in training for at least the next decade on this path, so what's another year?

If anything I would say do Chem 1 as this is really the rate-limiting step of the pre-reqs (ie. you have to take gen chem before orgo).

I know everyone is different, but you may want to just take the hit and remain a student to do your pre-reqs. Can you delay your graduation and declare a second major, even if you have no intention of finishing it? There really isn't a financial advantage to delaying; the additional years of lost income will likely exceed your entry-level salary many times over.

The argument for pushing through is multifaceted. Non-trads work and do part time classes because there's no other choice; I think most would want to get it done and move on with their medical education if given the choice. There's a practical human nature issue with delaying; remember, the EMS and volunteer fire departments of America are filled with people who are planning to go to medical school "some day." Life doesn't always go as planned. It's also a lot harder to step away from a nice full time salary and become a student again.

I don't know what your major requirements are exactly, but I'd try to do a couple pre-reqs this spring if possible (maybe bio and chem1) assuming you can nail As in both. Do Chem 2 and PHysics 1 over the summer. Next fall do Orgo 1, Phys 2, bio 2. Next spring do Orgo 2 and maybe another new-mcat related course plus lots of MCAT study. Take MCAT late spring 2016, submit AMCAS June 1 2016, Start MS1 August 2017. There's lots of time in there to volunteer, shadow, etc. Maybe even a little research though that's not really necessary.

Just another possibility to consider. Good luck with whatever you do!

To the OP re: psychology and sociology.

I do not think psychology and sociology classes are worth taking. If you have a humanities background, as do many non-trads, then you can learn the material on your own very easily. It is anyone's guess at this point, but I would be willing to wager that the psych/soc portions of the MCAT will be subject-specific critical reasoning sections, which provide you with much of the information you need to answer the questions. Furthermore, there's little guarantee, psych 101 at X college will cover the material on the MCAT. From experience, Psych 101 is a wildly varied class (unlike, say Algebra, or Physics) and can focus on any number of things, usually tailored to the professor's, and not the MCAT's, preference.

Biochem is a new pre-req, so the Chemistry sequence is 5 semesters long. If you are willing and able, take advantage of summer intensive semesters to get the Chem sequence under control.

As far as full-time student status, you can get Stafford loans to cover Community college classes AND living expenses, which will not push you over the lifetime limit most likely. This depends on how much in Stafford loans you have taken out. The amount this will cost is very small compared to total debt you'll be taking on, so really give it a decent thought. If you're comfortable with the pedigree of your undergrad and able to take community college classes, that's an option for financing.

I personally have decided to go this route, because full-time work is distracting and not worth the time investment - salary, when compared to future earnings as a doctor.

Based on doing apps, BioChem is almost a universal requirement these days so you'd have to fit it in anyway. Based on the MCAT I took I wish I had recently taken genetics (this is luck of the draw). Physio will save you a lot of self-studying for the MCAT.

I think these are great classes to take generally. If I were to rank them in terms of importance biochem > phys > genetics = cell bio. You can always put some off till your application year if needed.

If anything I would say do Chem 1 as this is really the rate-limiting step of the pre-reqs (ie. you have to take gen chem before orgo).

I don't know what your major requirements are exactly, but I'd try to do a couple pre-reqs this spring if possible (maybe bio and chem1) assuming you can nail As in both. Do Chem 2 and PHysics 1 over the summer. Next fall do Orgo 1, Phys 2, bio 2. Next spring do Orgo 2 and maybe another new-mcat related course plus lots of MCAT study. Take MCAT late spring 2016, submit AMCAS June 1 2016, Start MS1 August 2017. There's lots of time in there to volunteer, shadow, etc. Maybe even a little research though that's not really necessary.

Just another possibility to consider. Good luck with whatever you do!

Having carefully considered suggested timeline, I have come up with the following tentative timeline:

Spring 2015
(4) BIO 1
(4) GEN CHEM 1
(3) SPEC TOPICS in SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
(3) BUSINESS POLICIES
= 14 credits

Summer 2015
(3) GEN CHEM 2
(3) PHYSICS 1

Fall 2015
(4) ORGO 1
(4) PHYSICS 2
(4) GENETICS (BIO2)
= 12 credits

Winter 2016
Clinical Work

Spring 2016
STUDY FOR AND TAKE MCAT LATE SPRING
(4) ORGO 2
(4) CELL BIO
(4) BIO CHEM
= 12 credits

Summer 2016 - Onwards
Clinical Work

CLASS OF 2016 B.S. SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT
MATRICULATE MED SCHOOL 2017
----
This would mean I am 'dropping' my marketing degree as I won't be taking the last two classes. Instead, I am taking 12 credits both semesters my final year so that I can focus on the pre-reqs, and leave time to study for the MCAT. I simply can't afford TWO gap years, so I need to take that MCAT in Spring 2016 like you have suggested.
The most feasible way for me to adequately prepare would be for me to only take the science classes 5th year and effectively pass on completing my Marketing major requirements. Additionally, with your help I have formatted my schedule so I am taking the least MCAT relevant classes that spring semester.

Thoughts?

 

[kraskadva]

Well, it'll be a busy couple of years, but it is possible.
I would be wary of doubling up in the summer, and while Genetics is important, it usually won't substitute for Bio 2. Other than that, it looks fine to me - pretty similar to what I did.
Also, could you take the last 2 business courses in Fall 2016 and graduate in December? That way it would be a part time load in the Fall while you're interviewing, but you would still have the paper to show for the previous years of work.

 

[operaman]

Sounds like a good plan, though be careful that schools you're interested in attending will count things like genetics as bio 2. Most probably will since it's an upper level biology course. Make sure it has a lab too as that is a common requirement.

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

Well, it'll be a busy couple of years, but it is possible.
I would be wary of doubling up in the summer, and while Genetics is important, it usually won't substitute for Bio 2. Other than that, it looks fine to me - pretty similar to what I did.
Also, could you take the last 2 business courses in Fall 2016 and graduate in December? That way it would be a part time load in the Fall while you're interviewing, but you would still have the paper to show for the previous years of work.

Thanks again for your reply! You've been a huge help during this process! 🙂

The summer is actually broken up into two sessions I believe, so really I would just be taking one at a time, 5 days a week.

Hmm, interesting point in regard to Bio2. My University Pre-Med center actually literally told me to "not worry about Bio2. You don't need that." I believe the assumption here is Bio222 (Genetics) or Bio 330 (Cell Bio/Physiology) would count as my Bio 2 to most medical schools. It would seem weird to instruct all the students here to skip the literal Bsci106 Principles in Biology II(Bio2) if it was something that most schools looked for, no?

The problem is I really don't want to pay the thousands of dollars that those two classes would cost. If all goes well and I go on to become a doctor, am I really going to miss the Marketing double major not being on my academic pedigree? I will still be graduating from my highly ranked B-School with a degree B.S. in Supply Chain Management, which I can always fall back on and enter Big Pharma/Med Device industry if Medicine does not work out.

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

Sounds like a good plan, though be careful that schools you're interested in attending will count things like genetics as bio 2. Most probably will since it's an upper level biology course. Make sure it has a lab too as that is a common requirement.

Thanks again for the reply! You're extremely helpful! 🙂

Again, in regard to Bio2 - My University Pre-Med center actually literally told me to "not worry about Bio2. You don't need that." I believe the assumption here is Bio222 (Genetics) or Bio 330 (Cell Bio/Physiology) would count as my Bio 2 to most medical schools. It would seem weird to instruct all the students here to skip the literal Bsci106 Principles in Biology II (Bio2) if it was something that most schools looked for, no?

 

[operaman]

Yeah it's probably fine. I never actually took any bio; I just ask the dept chair if I could skip it if I promised to study hard and kick arse in the upper level coursework, which I did. Again: non-trads' greatest advantage is our appearance and demeanor and ability to relate easily with other adults. Amazing what can be accomplished!

So yes, the genetics should be just fine (assuming it has a lab), and a LOT more interesting and relevant to what you'll do in med school.

 

[kraskadva]

Thanks again for your reply! You've been a huge help during this process! 🙂

The summer is actually broken up into two sessions I believe, so really I would just be taking one at a time, 5 days a week.

Hmm, interesting point in regard to Bio2. My University Pre-Med center actually literally told me to "not worry about Bio2. You don't need that." I believe the assumption here is Bio222 (Genetics) or Bio 330 (Cell Bio/Physiology) would count as my Bio 2 to most medical schools. It would seem weird to instruct all the students here to skip the literal Bsci106 Principles in Biology II(Bio2) if it was something that most schools looked for, no?

Yes that's weird. Some schools do allow you to substitute an upper level like genetics for Gen Bio 2, but I wouldn't say 'most' do. I'd take their advice with a large grain of salt, and maybe ask where they're getting their info the next time you talk to them.
As far as MCAT prep goes, you should get everything you need in Genetics/Cell Bio/Biochem in more detail than you would get it in Bio2***, but I would still check the requirements for the schools you're interested in and make sure that genetics will substitute for the requirements.

***This is also assuming that your school's Bio 2 is the half of the sequence with "Cells, Molecules, and Membranes", rather than the half with "Ecology and Evolution". But sometimes the order is switched at different schools. If it's the Ecology and Evolution half that they do in Bio2, then your school counselors are totally wrong. Because that stuff does appear on the MCAT and you won't cover it in other classes without a full-on Bio degree.

The problem is I really don't want to pay the thousands of dollars that those two classes would cost. If all goes well and I go on to become a doctor, am I really going to miss the Marketing double major not being on my academic pedigree? I will still be graduating from my highly ranked B-School with a degree B.S. in Supply Chain Management, which I can always fall back on and enter Big Pharma/Med Device industry if Medicine does not work out.

Oh, it's a double major. Ok, cool then. I was thinking it was just the one original major.
Meh. If you end up getting it, great, but no it's not a huge loss.

 

[BHB2008]

This looks doable, and not *too* rushed. Obviously it's all going to come down to your performance in classes, and even more so, your MCAT score. Good luck.

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

***This is also assuming that your school's Bio 2 is the half of the sequence with "Cells, Molecules, and Membranes", rather than the half with "Ecology and Evolution". But sometimes the order is switched at different schools. If it's the Ecology and Evolution half that they do in Bio2, then your school counselors are totally wrong. Because that stuff does appear on the MCAT and you won't cover it in other classes without a full-on Bio degree.

To clarify:

Bio I - Special emphasis on cellular and molecular biology
Bio II- Organismic, ecological and evolutionary biology

I ought to find out why my school is telling people they do not need to take Bio II. Perhaps it is an easy self study? Will report back once I receive an answer.

 

[kraskadva]

To clarify:

Bio I - Special emphasis on cellular and molecular biology
Bio II- Organismic, ecological and evolutionary biology

I ought to find out why my school is telling people they do not need to take Bio II. Perhaps it is an easy self study? Will report back once I receive an answer.

Ohh, yes. Definitely check on that.
Because the typical sequence is reversed, which is why people here are saying you can sometimes replace it with the other upper levels. I wouldn't say it's difficult material, but a class is usually recommended (and often required).

 

[A Doctor Maybe]

Ohh, yes. Definitely check on that.
Because the typical sequence is reversed, which is why people here are saying you can sometimes replace it with the other upper levels. I wouldn't say it's difficult material, but a class is usually recommended (and often required).

While I haven't officially confirmed, I think the belief is that there is overlap between Bio II and genetics, or that is what they made it sound like when they said you'll take genetics instead. Genetics at my school is
"Principles and mechanisms of heredity and gene expression. Considers plant, animal, and microbial organisms."

It also has a lab, which I literally just confirmed.

 

[kraskadva]

While I haven't officially confirmed, I think the belief is that there is overlap between Bio II and genetics, or that is what they made it sound like when they said you'll take genetics instead. Genetics at my school is
"Principles and mechanisms of heredity and gene expression. Considers plant, animal, and microbial organisms."

It also has a lab, which I literally just confirmed.

To some extent there is an overlap, but it's not total.

In Bio 2 (read- Ecology and Evolution), you'd cover: various types of evolution (convergent, divergent, etc.); different types of organisms and their lifecycles (haploid, diploid, polyploid, etc.) and basic Punnett squares; different types of environments (forest, tundra, tropical, etc.) and their relative contribution to the environment, to species diversity, to biomass, etc.; and bits of photosynthesis, aerobic respiration, other plant stuff, etc., etc. dependent on the professor.

In Genetics you'd cover: heredity (Mendelian and otherwise); mechanisms of DNA replication and gene expression; regulation of gene expression and division, etc., etc. There was maybe a single lecture's worth of material total on plants. A bit more on bacteria (though almost none in Bio "2") and the majority on eukaryotic/mammalian organisms. Did not cover the evolution/biomes/species diversity aspects at all.

For me *at my school*, the overlap was maybe a total of one week's worth of lectures. Both courses covered things that were important for me for the MCAT (though Genetics had more of this by far, there was an entire passage when I took it that only dealt with the gen bio stuff).
So... as far as MCAT prep goes, if you're solid in genetics, you could definitely teach yourself the Bio material.
BUT, that still may not fulfil the requirement at some schools (most in my experience), so you should definitely check the med school's web sites before making a decision to forgo Bio 2 at your school.
And, personally, I would fact check everything you hear from those counselors from here on out.