HPSP NON PRE-MED Question

[nm140520]

So after scouring through this forum and overall website, I have a few questions of my own for the HPSP program concerning my situation.

I have recently finished my undergrad degree as of December 2012 with a final GPA of approximately 3.76 and it WAS NOT a premed program (art degree). Of course only with finishing my undergrad do I realize I do not want to pursue that field as a career and I am interested in the medical field, thus I am considering the HPSP Program. As such, My undergrad degree was not strong in the science or math courses and I have only done the minimal requirements for that degree (aka no organic chem course, regular chem courses or physics, and no calculus). If I was wanting to follow the path of the HPSP program, would the following be my best course of action?

A. Research medical school pre req requirements on undergrad classes need and complete those (Approximately a years worth I believe) and take my MCAT

B. Contact a recruiter to discuss my situation and my interest in HPSP

C. Apply to Med School

Thanks in advance for any help with this situation, I've been a bit lost seeing as the majority of posters on this subject have a Pre-Med undergrad and I do not

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[Fiddlergirl]

You've already listed the steps you need to take. You need to take the medical school pre-reqs first. There are some post bac programs out there for people in your position to complete the prereqs and be ready to apply to medical school. At some point in there take the MCAT. Assuming you do well in all the courses and on the MCAT, then apply to medical school. At that point go ahead and contact a recruiter, but that step is way down the road from where you are now.

 

[notdeadyet]

You also might try the Non-Traditional forum. There are lots of postings from and for folks like you who are discovering an interest in pursuing medicine with none of the legwork done. That forum will provide a lot better advice for how to go about getting ready than you'll get here.

Once you're done with pre-reqs, volunteering, and are considering applying to medical school, ruling in (or out) HPSP and other military options would make sense. Best of luck to you...

 

[Cooperd0g]

I recommend you purchase access to the MSAR from AAMC. It is not very expensive and gives you a fantastic consolidated place to look at the requirements for all schools. You can also look at individual schools to find their prerequisite courses as well. At a minimum you will need 2 semesters of general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and biology. Some schools specifically want intro level biology for those courses. Some schools are starting to want biochemistry and possibly additional upper level biology courses. Also, some schools want things like psychology and sociology.

I would say that you are facing two years of prerequisites. You will have a hard time with organic chem if you haven't taken general chemistry. You will have a hard time with physics if you have not taken calculus. Figure out what courses you need/want to take for the most efficient path to apply to the maximum number of schools. Take calculus, gen chem, biology and the ancilary ones like psych and soc the first year. Then take o-chem, biochem, physics, and upper bio (if needed) second year.

Study and take the MCAT in the spring of the second year of prereqs and get your application in early prior to finishing all those prereqs. Contact a recruiter as soon as you start the application cycle. They won't really care about you until you are actually applying other than to tell you less than what you can find out on this forum.

If the state you live in doesn't have a state med school, or only one that is hyper competative, consider moving to a state with a less competative med school, or multiple state med schools, and establish residency. Get a part time job while taking prereqs, pay taxes, get a drivers' license, vote, etc. Ideally your part time job would be medically related - being a scribe or an entry level tech with a physicans office or something along those lines.

I don't recommend joining the military simply because they will pay for medical school. It isn't necessarily financially beneficial in the long run and the military requires a certain type of personality that can handle the generally higher levels of bearuocracy/red tape/ass pain. Make sure you actually want to be in the military first. Also, read the threads about FAP to learn how that can be a good option as well with less limitations associated with HPSP.

 

[nm140520]

Thank you for the valuable feedback. Another chunk of information that I am looking for feedback on. I have recently moved to New York (3 months here). Seeing as I am in need of several pre med courses, would it benefit me more to do these courses here in New York at a location such as Columbia or NYU or head back home to do them at a cheaper school with an overall lower cost of living? (Dallas, Texas) AKA, would spending the extra money in living expenses and more expensive classes of somewhere like NYU or Columbia be more beneficial down the road into being accepted into a better Medical school? Or would the extra money overall spent not be worth it?

 

[Cooperd0g]

Thank you for the valuable feedback. Another chunk of information that I am looking for feedback on. I have recently moved to New York (3 months here). Seeing as I am in need of several pre med courses, would it benefit me more to do these courses here in New York at a location such as Columbia or NYU or head back home to do them at a cheaper school with an overall lower cost of living? (Dallas, Texas) AKA, would spending the extra money in living expenses and more expensive classes of somewhere like NYU or Columbia be more beneficial down the road into being accepted into a better Medical school? Or would the extra money overall spent not be worth it?

Move back to Texas. Are you techincally still a resident of Texas? License, car registration, voter registration? Texas and Florida are probably the two best states to be a resident of for trying to get into medical school. Both states have several state schools which will favor you over out of state residents and tuition is cheaper than private schools by a boatload. Take your courses at a state school. Don't listen to anyone who says you need to go to a more expensive, higher ranked, more "prestigious" blah blah. Debt is a burden you only truly understand once you have been in it. While you will incur some debt, keep it as minimal as you can. When all is said and done you'll still be a doctor making the same money as someone who went to a top 10 school so why have the top 10 debt?

 

[nm140520]

great point. I am still a resident of Texas, I'll start getting the ball rolling per se on looking at schools to finish up classes at

 

[MaxillofacialMN]

So after scouring through this forum and overall website, I have a few questions of my own for the HPSP program concerning my situation.

I have recently finished my undergrad degree as of December 2012 with a final GPA of approximately 3.76 and it WAS NOT a premed program (art degree). Of course only with finishing my undergrad do I realize I do not want to pursue that field as a career and I am interested in the medical field, thus I am considering the HPSP Program. As such, My undergrad degree was not strong in the science or math courses and I have only done the minimal requirements for that degree (aka no organic chem course, regular chem courses or physics, and no calculus). If I was wanting to follow the path of the HPSP program, would the following be my best course of action?

A. Research medical school pre req requirements on undergrad classes need and complete those (Approximately a years worth I believe) and take my MCAT

B. Contact a recruiter to discuss my situation and my interest in HPSP

C. Apply to Med School

Thanks in advance for any help with this situation, I've been a bit lost seeing as the majority of posters on this subject have a Pre-Med undergrad and I do not

December 2012 hasn't happened yet....

 

[nm140520]

*december 2011