I need some help deciding on the career path in medicine

[happydude007]

Hey guys-

I previously posted that I am switching gear from business to an eventual path towards medicine. I know I need a post-bac etc. to get in. I have been looking through the forums during my time at work (I know I am real productive), but I need some help to help determine if this is the ABSOLUTE path I want to take.

1) Is there books anything in general that I should read up on which gives me an idea on what I am about to embark on?

2) If this is the path I take, I am sure I will be going in the fall or spring of next year etc. Are there any books that can get me ahead of the game? I took AP CHEM & AP BIO (Also Bio in college as prereq). I know Organic Chem is a very frightening course. I want to get a head start.

3) As much time I have spent reading and enjoying the discussion on SDN, I HAVE A HARD TIME FIGURING OUT all the Acronyms! LOL I just recently discovered what SMPs meant. LOL Is there a database I can reference? I don't want to look like an idiot.

4) Should I shadow volunteer at a hospital on the weekends or in the evenings? Where is good place to look? I live in San Diego. I saw a thread where Scripps in La Jolla has volunteer programs.

I really appreciate the help you guys can give me. This is truly a great place to learn all that you can about MD. I am grateful to have this site.

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[pdavis68]

HappyDude,

Yes, buy some books (or get them at the library). Read about what's involved. There are also tons of web sites with information and of course, you can always ask questions here too.

I'm fairly new at the game myself. I got Kaplan's "Get Into Medical School - A Strategic Approach." It's good for getting a general overview of what's involved, I think. So far it seems to jibe with other sources and hell, it's Kaplan, so I'm sure it's pretty accurate.

I can't really say how frightening organic chem is. I've heard a lot of people say that, but I taught myself a great deal of organic chem between my junior and senior years of high school. I'm pretty good at learning stuff on my own, but I guess it depends on how well you do at that stuff. I'm currently reading a general chem, organic chem, and biology textbooks (I start with general chem this summer). Actually, I was a chemistry major my freshman year and I'm simply re-taking general chem for 2 reasons: To bring up my grades (got a b & c) and to get a refresher before going into organic chem.

If you're good at learning on your own, grab the books and just start reading and doing problems from them. That works for me.

There are still acronyms I have trouble with (hey guys, can anyone tell me what the deal is with call schedules like Q1, Q2, Q4, Q6, etc.. What do these mean?) But you pick it up pretty fast. If you just follow the forums, I think you'll find that you pick them up quickly. If there's a good source, I'd like to know what it is too.

As for volunteering, there are a lot of ideas about what's best. I'm going to be volunteering in the E.R. of a local hospital. It's one of the few options available where I live. I'm going to try to shadow some doctors too. I hear it helps a lot. I know a couple in the area.

One final piece of advice, I'd get a premed advisor at your school. I hear they can be a great help in getting you on the right track. I'm meeting with mine tomorrow morning for the first time, so I'll have more info about it then.

As for a post-bac degree, others will probably have better info than me, but my understanding is that they want to see you do undergrad science and do it well, so a second degree, or simply a bunch of undergrad science may serve you better, but again, others can address this better than I.

Pete

 

[happydude007]

Pete-

Thanks for the help! I will definitely check out that book.

Anyone else have an opinion?

 

[JamieMac]

Pete-

Thanks for the help! I will definitely check out that book.

Anyone else have an opinion?

I am also from a business (finance/accounting) background, and have found the transition to be quite interesting.

Just a few comments for you:

Another book that you might want to try is Getting Into Medical School! by Kenneth V. Iserson, M.D. I ordered this book through Amazon and I found it to be very helpful. It was referred to me by a non-trad doc that took a path similar to my intended path. The book has a lot of statistics that interested me including those related to GPA's, MCAT scores, averages for those accepted at each school. It also includes information about MD, DO, etc. I believe he is also the key speaker at the upcoming Oldpremeds conference.

As far as preparation for classes...I was very nervous about going into undergrad classes having been out of undergrad for 10 years (there was no official post-bacc available near me). It had been more than that since I had taken any bio or chem class, so I picked up two books on general chemistry and ended up testing into the class that I wanted. (Since it has been so long I had to score high on the placement exam, or take a pre-req class). It was a little tough at first, but once I got my bearings, things worked out just fine.

I cannot give you feedback on Ochem, but I can say that after a couple of semesters of doing well in gen chem...I feel pretty good about it. Initially, I was nervous about it, but now I'm looking forward to it.

I think that by taking the initiative to shadow a few docs (in specialties that you may be interested in - if you can) would be another great thing to do. I am going to volunteer and shadow this summer while also taking classes. I also plan to include dentistry shadowing as well. I want to make certain that I do not rule out this option since it also interests me.

Finally, I can say that the most difficult part for me was actually getting started. I had the intention of doing this 5 years ago, but never put one foot in front of the other. Once getting started, I felt that I was right where I was supposed to be. I truly enjoy learning more in both bio and chem sciences...I've always found them to be quite fascinating.

Hope this helps! Best of luck!

 

[happydude007]

JamieMAc-

Thanks. I have put that book on order. I came from a Finance International Businesss and Managemen Science background. I know it's going to be a totally different experience. I am slowly preparing myself.

 

[mshheaddoc]

Honestly, if you can "borrow" the boosk from the library it is your best bet. You won't really need to keep these books for reference. I talked to alot of people, as well as volunteered a little, and I read a few of the "esteemed" med school books that pre-meds often read. But I am not concerned with "how is med school" I'm concerned about doing my best. Nothing will prepare you for medical school. But being well-balanced with a strong organized support system is the way to go.

If you search on the web for hospital abreviations, that might help you. I know that UMDNJ-RWJ Camden students were given a list of abbreviations (I have a copy of it). If I come across the link I will share it with you.

As for everything else, just take your time. You can't learn everything in a few weeks or even months. The knowledge I've acquired with the med school process has mostly been a collection of reading and responding to posts on here. And I have been commented to many times at my knowledge of the process. I'm not applying for another year or so either I remember being lost in your shoes, but with time, you will learn what you need to know as long as you aren't afraid to seek advice and network with others.

 

[montessori2md]

Books I read which I liked (I was a history major, I read to think)

First Cut (1st year anatomy lab)

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down (er, multicultural experiences in medicine, the difficulties of having cases you can't just "fix", why patients not listening to you is not the worst thing in the world)

Complications (surgery residency)

On Call (sort of blah, but lots of easy to read short segments, it's also more recent, so closer to the new era of residency since the laws limiting the number of hours, etc, took effect)

I'm mostly frightened of physics -I've taken to reading scientific american and discover magazine in the hopes of at least feeling familiar with some of the terminology.

I think shadowing and volunteering are both good ideas. I think spending some time in the places you will eventually "live" (eg work) is important to keep from creating your own utopian image of medical practice. I especially think, for career changers, that we need to get over the fantasy -unlike kids still in school, this should be more than just a "job" in order to make it worth all the bother and expense -after all, we all ready have "jobs" : ) I want to be really sure I want the "real thing" before I jump in, taking my family with me!

I talked to the post-bacc advisor at UMD and she felt that trying to "teach yourself" things like the science prereqs is an unnecessary form of torture. take that for what it's worth.

 

[.edu-MD]

There are still acronyms I have trouble with (hey guys, can anyone tell me what the deal is with call schedules like Q1, Q2, Q4, Q6, etc.. What do these mean?)

The "q" means "every" so q1 would mean every day/night--which would obviously be incompatible with a life. q4 would be every 4th day/night.

 

[Lanced]

I have a similar story and I'm applying this Spring. What I did was 3-4xweek during lunch and after work I would talk to Physicians about their life and career. I then began working in a free clinic once a week in the evening and later shadowing a surgeon all day once a week.

All of those experiences, combined with a lot of introspection and a pretty good understanding of the reality of the medical profession led me to "take the leap" and quit my job, give up my career and go to school for 18 months to take all my pre-reqs.

If it makes you feel any better I was an economics major, psych minor with no science other than math. I completed my pre-reqs with a 3.9 average over 40 credits and have been averaging mid 30s on the MCAT practice tests (real scores don't come out until June).

Don't make the decision based on an image or idea or because of the prestige, make sure you're making the decision based on reality and the intrinsic rewards (and costs) and I think you'll be happy.

Best of luck.

 

[vtucci]

For general fun reading, I recommend War Hospital by Sherri Fink very interesting and moving account. Complications as already recommended was good as was Intern Blues and House of God, although the last two books are a little dated.

For public health-- the Coming Plague and The Collapse of Global Public Health by Laurie Garrett are excellent.

If you want guides to help you prepare for classes, I would get the textbook list at the college where you are going to do your post-bac and start reading them. Bio- campbell is probably the best for intro; ochem- wade is a pretty good text. Physics is universally awful.

Don't feel bad-- a lot of us come from non-science backgrounds. I was a lawyer. Only recommendation I have for you all, is to take a lot more science than is required. For example, take genetics, take biochem 1 and 2, immunology and microbio, histology and cell bio and definitely anatomy and physio (although take these last two when you are applying). It really sucks to compete with students who have undergrad or worse, grad degrees in these areas.