I have a PhD in sociology, now I want to go to Med school

[jmp2114]

Hello, I am teaching history and sociology full time at an underserved urban high school. I hold a PhD in sociology from 1st ivy, a MA in quantitative methods (3.84 gpa) from 2nd ivy, and a BA in soci and history (3.65 gpa, only science credits are 2 semesters of AP Chem) from a 3rd ivy. I was fortunate enough to attend 3 ivy league schools and complete a postdoc at a top 25 school. My dissertation was about 19th century east asian international relations. Luckily, I did take enough calculus and statistics for med school.

Although I like teaching, I became more interested in preventive medicine and public health. The main reason I am resigning from my teaching position because of my partner. He will be starting a postdoc (in astrophysics) in AZ. As a spouse, I can take courses at a reduced rate at his home institution. So I figured that in my early 30's, I can go back to school for some prereqs and a health care degree.

This winter, I took human anatomy at a comm. college while teaching 4 classes in the morning and got an A in my first college bio course. I am also considering the PA or NP route but since the MD/DO requirements included physics, which I really want to take, I am leaning towards the DO route. Unfortunately, I lack Health Care experience hours and some schools don't take volunteer hours. PA schools look for that. I figured doing a year of entry-level health care work for a year plus 28 months of PA school would not be saving me much time if med school is 4 years. Because I have had a track record of being an excellent student, I am considering DO but I might apply to both PA and MD/DO. Am I being foolhardy?
More specifically,
Q1: Is it possible to take the MCAT and do well while still taking prereq courses?

Q2: I want to start a family soon. Did anyone manage to study for the MCATs while nursing and taking care of small children?

Q3: Should I do some coursework in public health as well as science to make use of my strong social science background?
In addition to the bare bones DO requirements, I plan to take microbiology, human anatomy, genetics, and biochemistry (since PA programs require that and I want to cast my net widely)?

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[QofQuimica]

Just to summarize so I can make sure I understand: you're currently underemployed as a sociologist and have no clinical experience whatsoever, but after three degrees and a CC class, you're thinking now that PA or even med school would be a good idea so you can do public health....My friend, I'm the last person to criticize anyone else for wanting to go back to school and get more degrees; I've got five of them at this point myself. But as my mom pointed out, maybe it's time to start actually using all that knowledge you've amassed instead of continuing on as a professional student, jumping from one thing to the next. Particularly if you've got Ivy-sized loans to go with those Ivy degrees, you'd be doing yourself, and your future family, a whole lot of good as well by not amassing even more debt to train for yet another career without giving your current one a fair try.

There's no doubt in my mind that you're intelligent enough and hard-working enough to get into (and through) medical school. But I read what you've written and think, here's a gal who has no earthly idea what she wants to be when she grows up. That's not the impression you want to be giving to adcoms of professional programs. So here's what I suggest: assuming you and your boyfriend are committed to the long term, see if you can find gainful FT employment in your own field in AZ. And then start doing some research and introspection about what kind of career you want.

First off, you don't need an MD/DO to do public health; you only need one if you're going to be seeing patients. Since you can take classes at his university for free, then sure, take some MPH classes on the side and see if you even like it. On the other hand, if you're seriously considering changing careers to medicine/PA, then forget the classes for right now. You should start by spending some time shadowing and/or volunteering in a hospital or other clinical venue, again, to see if you even like it. There is nothing you're going to learn in a classroom that will give you an idea of whether you'll enjoy seeing patients. Taking post bac classes first before you decide you're committed to becoming a clinician is definitely putting the cart before the horse.

 

[jmp2114]

Thanks, that's true! I don't know what would be the ideal path but then again I am moving to a new city in August that does not accept my out of state teaching license and without Spanish language skills, I am locked out of social services jobs. I have no loans and about one year's salary saved up (not including my retirement fund). I am volunteering now, so I will start more formal shadowing processes in July. And I want to keep my options open! I am taking the prereqs first because my husband's postdoc is only for 3 years (with a possible 2-year extension after that). So I have a small window during which I can take advantage of reduced rate courses. And if I go back into public school teaching, I would rather teach middle school science because high school history spots don't open up easily.

 

[NonTradJp]

The above advise is from well respected and knowledgeable people. My thoughts are more related to your questions.

1. Yes you can take the MCAT while or before doing pre-reqs. Just know the material either through studying yourself or some other way. The first time I took the MCAT, I did not take any biology or pre-med related courses besides high school and was happy with my score.

2. Nursing is a good time to study unless your child is a colicky one. While they nap you read. It is when they become toddlers that you are left with no time. Also expect to be awaken often so if your mind is fine with that it would not affect you.

3. It sounds like you like public health issues. Take some courses towards an MPH. You do not need an MD/DO/PA/NP to do public health.

I am curious about your student population. I have limited knowledge so I was just wondering about you teaching middle school and high school. Is it because of your license issue? The only schools I've know that has PhD's teaching middle or high school level are expensive private schools that is hidden away from the rest of society and people like myself. Is it common in other parts of the nation to have a phd and teach young students?

 

[futuremdforme]

it sounds a lot easier to get a teaching license than to get a post bacc and do medicine. Why do you want to be a doctor beyond convenience?

 

[jmp2114]

I am curious about your student population. I have limited knowledge so I was just wondering about you teaching middle school and high school. Is it because of your license issue? The only schools I've know that has PhD's teaching middle or high school level are expensive private schools that is hidden away from the rest of society and people like myself. Is it common in other parts of the nation to have a phd and teach young students?

Hello, I teach in NJ where they have alternate route. You can start teaching and take evening courses throughout the year to get your certification. My current public high school hires lots of PhDs because it is an early college. 9th and 10th grade progresses as high school after that students spend 2 years earning an associate's degree from the college that sponsors our network of schools. I am sure some private and charter schools hire phds.

But the reason I am leaving teaching is multifaceted. There is an immediate and long-term downside to teaching high school history. In the short-term, new state means new training and new license applications. The students are downright rude and disrespectful. I know, most jobs, especially nursing would entail unpleasant interactions at times. Also, being around the students with severe ADHD made me more interested in medicine. In the long-term, the outlook for social studies teachers are poor. A lot of under-performing school districts such as the one I teach at regularly hires and fires batches of teachers. I know a lot of teachers who were forced into early retirement at 50 and trying to figure out their next steps.

I did look at job sites to figure out what I can do with my existing skills in Tucson, of course. There are not lot of industries there and getting an university admin job is largely based on who you know (true in most fields). Medicine had been a persistent pull for me since I undergrad that I had never actualized. It's just that whenever I tell people of my plans to apply for nursing schools, friends in biomedical research as NIH postdocs tell me "don't you mean you want to do public health?" I do have quite a bit of data science training but I want a job where I move around. Or friends in medical school, tell me, "You are so smart, why not just go for the MD?" But it is a long and stressful journey to become a practicing physician. Luckily, I think I have a better grasp of what my goals are now. I will take pre-med prereqs. I started volunteering and shadowing an OBGYN this summer.

 

[jmp2114]

it sounds a lot easier to get a teaching license than to get a post bacc and do medicine. Why do you want to be a doctor beyond convenience?

Why would anyone think becoming a MD is convenient? I love problem-solving and understanding how people work. Previously, I placed a strong emphasis on social factors such as poverty, peer groups, and gender affecting social outcomes. And living in a low income area, I notice these poor health choices - fast food and alcohol. When people are in good health, then they can focus on pursuing goals that make them happy and improve their quality of life.

 

[NonTradJp]

Hello, I teach in NJ where they have alternate route. You can start teaching and take evening courses throughout the year to get your certification. My current public high school hires lots of PhDs because it is an early college. 9th and 10th grade progresses as high school after that students spend 2 years earning an associate's degree from the college that sponsors our network of schools. I am sure some private and charter schools hire phds.

But the reason I am leaving teaching is multifaceted. There is an immediate and long-term downside to teaching high school history. In the short-term, new state means new training and new license applications. The students are downright rude and disrespectful. I know, most jobs, especially nursing would entail unpleasant interactions at times. Also, being around the students with severe ADHD made me more interested in medicine. In the long-term, the outlook for social studies teachers are poor. A lot of under-performing school districts such as the one I teach at regularly hires and fires batches of teachers. I know a lot of teachers who were forced into early retirement at 50 and trying to figure out their next steps.

I did look at job sites to figure out what I can do with my existing skills in Tucson, of course. There are not lot of industries there and getting an university admin job is largely based on who you know (true in most fields). Nursing had been a persistent pull for me since I undergrad that I had never actualized. It's just that whenever I tell people of my plans to apply for nursing schools, friends in biomedical research as NIH postdocs tell me "don't you mean you want to do public health?" I do have quite a bit of data science training but I want a job where I move around. Or friends in medical school, tell me, "You are so smart, why not just go for the MD?" But it is a long and stressful journey to become a practicing physician. Luckily, I think I have a better grasp of what my goals are now.

I can relate to your issues with teaching. I love children and spent time with many different type of special needs children as well as non-special needs middle school and high school children. I love the kids, but hated the system. In private schools it isn't as bad but it is becoming so. Sorry to badmouth the education system of our future minds. But America has a lot to go before we teach kids well despite the overall success of America. I had explored teaching and decided to go back to the tech field because of the same things you mentioned and didn't mentioned about in teaching.

In terms of NJ I'm impressed by the titles of the teachers. I mean getting early college and getting taught by experts.

Medicine is a long path. Know it through shadowing and volunteering before taking the plunge. The application process also sorts out many people who are going into medicine without knowing it. And a few decide to leave in the process. But since it is so long, expensive, and draining, the opportunity costs can keep someone in the path even if they find out they do not want to stay. That's something to consider. But...but...if its something you want to do it can be awesome.[Or at least I'm told since I am still a tadpole.]

Nursing's way of thinking and medicine's way of thinking are very different. That's something you should pay attention to. I do not know much about any of the fields but I think NP is on one side of the perspective and PA, DO, and MD are on the other side.

I noticed some teaching friends I have do well when they go to less popular areas such as small towns, newly developing towns, and rural towns in terms of freedom, authority, and pay. That is a consideration if you love teaching more than anything.

Your description in the OP emphasizes public health quite a bit. There are joint MD/MPH programs but that's a different bred too.

As for opinions about taking classes right now. I think its' a great idea. I mean I love to learn. If there is no certain path right now and it is not detrimental to study, why not. A growing mind is a joyful mind IMO. And that does not mean at all you can't do other things like teach, volunteer/shadow, explore life. Studying, taking courses or not, should be integral to a person's life if possible IMO. That is just my opinion so it might not work for everyone.