I Want to Be a D.O. but need some advice

[AngelaChanel34]

I have previously posted here asking if I were too old to start college from scratch and become a Doctor. I beleive in my heart that I am not. I know I will have to sacrafice a lot but my situation now is very dire. I have two kids, were on public assistance and it's all due to the economy. I used to be a sports massage therapist but everything crumbled. I had to close shop. I have always wanted to be a doctor but I never believed in myself until I had my 2 year old (I have a 2 and 11 year old). I took a job as a Tech at a local hospital and I have learned a lot about healthcare and I have considered going to Nursing school but I simply do not feel the passion to be Nurse like when I research Osteopathic Medicine. I think becoming a Nurse would help my family financially but a Nurse I work with told me it's not what it used to be it's all stress and she told me I should just go for the D.O. degree, I have to do what makes me happy I can find ways to support my family. I found this advice encouraging, I also have a aquaintence at work who is a D.O. and she told me Osteopathic Medical schools a a little different than Allopathic schools, the environment is not so hard core competitive and they are more open to Non Traditional Students, and they look at more than just your MCAT Scores and Grades. They still need to be very good but If they are not as strong I can make it up in other ways by showing my people skills and community outreach. She encouraged me to look into her Medical School AT Still in Kirksville Missouri. She stressed it's more of a people oriented profession and I may find it a bit easier to get into than say a traditional Medical school. I have always loved the practice of the D.O. but never look too much into the admission process. I feel this has given me a little boost towards my goal because I found they are a bit more lienient towrds a Non trad and the MCATs and tip top grades are not the end all. Now Im not saying I will not try and do no less than my best but I want to feel like if I am going to do this I have no chance cause Im not 18 and the top student of my high school class like a lot of medical schools seem like they are looking for. Has anyone had any experience with D.O. Schools and do you agree with what my Doctor/Co-Worker told me. Thank YoU!

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[DocHomer]

I have previously posted here asking if I were too old to start college from scratch and become a Doctor. I beleive in my heart that I am not. I know I will have to sacrafice a lot but my situation now is very dire. I have two kids, were on public assistance and it's all due to the economy. I used to be a sports massage therapist but everything crumbled. I had to close shop. I have always wanted to be a doctor but I never believed in myself until I had my 2 year old (I have a 2 and 11 year old). I took a job as a Tech at a local hospital and I have learned a lot about healthcare and I have considered going to Nursing school but I simply do not feel the passion to be Nurse like when I research Osteopathic Medicine. I think becoming a Nurse would help my family financially but a Nurse I work with told me it's not what it used to be it's all stress and she told me I should just go for the D.O. degree, I have to do what makes me happy I can find ways to support my family. I found this advice encouraging, I also have a aquaintence at work who is a D.O. and she told me Osteopathic Medical schools a a little different than Allopathic schools, the environment is not so hard core competitive and they are more open to Non Traditional Students, and they look at more than just your MCAT Scores and Grades. They still need to be very good but If they are not as strong I can make it up in other ways by showing my people skills and community outreach. She encouraged me to look into her Medical School AT Still in Kirksville Missouri. She stressed it's more of a people oriented profession and I may find it a bit easier to get into than say a traditional Medical school. I have always loved the practice of the D.O. but never look too much into the admission process. I feel this has given me a little boost towards my goal because I found they are a bit more lienient towrds a Non trad and the MCATs and tip top grades are not the end all. Now Im not saying I will not try and do no less than my best but I want to feel like if I am going to do this I have no chance cause Im not 18 and the top student of my high school class like a lot of medical schools seem like they are looking for. Has anyone had any experience with D.O. Schools and do you agree with what my Doctor/Co-Worker told me. Thank YoU!

Obviously, your situation is very different from a lot of applicants to medical school. I know there will be people who will immediately say that if it's your dream to be a doctor and you have the passion for it, then just go for it!

But you have a lot of practical issues to deal with. You have children, so you have to consider how you will support them. Are you married? If so, is you husband/partner able to provide for the entire family while you are in school? Also, is your partner willing to make the sacrifices that come along with having a partner in medical school? If you are not married, then your situation becomes even more complicated.

Also, how old are you, and how long will you be working after you're done with residency? You need to figure out how many good working years you will have and what kind of nest egg you will have when you retire. Remember, you may potentially have a lot of loans to pay back.

What is your academic record like? Osteopathic medical schools do look beyond the numbers so to speak, but they are still a significant part of your overall application. Also, DO schools are becoming more competitive every year. You can work hard and dig yourself out of a hole academically, but you really need to excel from this point on.

Also, the people you are speaking with may have mislead you into thinking that osteopathic medicine is different from traditional medicine. It's pretty much the same thing with some manipulative techniques added to it. The schools advertise the holistic approach and all that jazz, but at the end of the day many DO's practice like MD's.

I'm not being negative. I just want you to consider the path ahead of you and the issues you will face. Don't just jump into it. If, after you do a thorough analysis and are still gung-ho about it, then go for it and don't let anything stop you.

Finally, keep in mind that there are other options that might appeal to you. Being a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant has its perks, and will still provide a comfortable life.

 

[lawyerdoc2b]

First, the "age" thing, for example PCOM Georgia newly admitted Class of 2013's oldest student is 47 years of age. DO schools look at the entire person - the whole record. With a two year old child, I presume that you are much younger than 47. So your age is a non issue.

Next issue is do you really want to be a medical doctor? Unless you have a fire in your belly that nothing short of a medical degree will put out don't do it. Consider Nurse Practitioner or Physician's Assistant. The road is shorter and rewarding in and of itself.

How do you get there? The prerequistes take time and money and the application process is arduous. The schools charge a supplemental application fee (usually $50 per school - some are more) plus a couple of hundred bucks for the MCAT, 200 -300 for the AACOMAS applications, a few grand to travel for interviews plus, if you get accepted a $1,500 - $3,000 class deposit. All of this is before student loans kick in. This is after you finish undergrad college.

You need good grades. A 3.3 - 3.5 is probably competitlve and a 25 or better on the MCAT. Note than over the last several years average grades and MCAT have increased so you should strive for more than the past minimums.

So, you get accepted? Four years of medical school and $150,000 - $200,000 in student loan debt (a conservative number). Then at least a three year residency at a minimum making $40,000 per year? No real money for seven years and then the interest on your loans accumulates and now you owe a quarter million dollars or more.

I have painted a stark but realistic picture. You can do it but you have to decide for yourself if you really want it and how bad that you want to work for it.

I am a nontraditional applicant changing careers. I have a wife and three kids. If I can do it Lord willing you can too! Good luck.

 

[PunkmedGirl]

First, the "age" thing, for example PCOM Georgia newly admitted Class of 2013's oldest student is 47 years of age. DO schools look at the entire person - the whole record. With a two year old child, I presume that you are much younger than 47. So your age is a non issue.

Next issue is do you really want to be a medical doctor? Unless you have a fire in your belly that nothing short of a medical degree will put out don't do it. Consider Nurse Practitioner or Physician's Assistant. The road is shorter and rewarding in and of itself.

How do you get there? The prerequistes take time and money and the application process is arduous. The schools charge a supplemental application fee (usually $50 per school - some are more) plus a couple of hundred bucks for the MCAT, 200 -300 for the AACOMAS applications, a few grand to travel for interviews plus, if you get accepted a $1,500 - $3,000 class deposit. All of this is before student loans kick in. This is after you finish undergrad college.

You need good grades. A 3.3 - 3.5 is probably competitlve and a 25 or better on the MCAT. Note than over the last several years average grades and MCAT have increased so you should strive for more than the past minimums.

So, you get accepted? Four years of medical school and $150,000 - $200,000 in student loan debt (a conservative number). Then at least a three year residency at a minimum making $40,000 per year? No real money for seven years and then the interest on your loans accumulates and now you owe a quarter million dollars or more.

I have painted a stark but realistic picture. You can do it but you have to decide for yourself if you really want it and how bad that you want to work for it.

I am a nontraditional applicant changing careers. I have a wife and three kids. If I can do it Lord willing you can too! Good luck.

Single mom here.

 

[AngelaChanel34]

Thank You. I really appreciate your advice. Funny. I was at work on luch break when I read your post and I happen to be having lunch with a Nurse Practioner from the unit I work on. And she too wanted to go to med school but she to has three kids and lost her husband, she knew she could scrap by as a RN but she wanted to provide a comfy life for her kids and Med School realistcally was out of the question so she when for her NP and she said she said she was so surprised at how much it's like practicing like a MD she loves it and she really gave me some insite and shed some new light on the field. In the time she would have been making a LOT of money she says she is returning to school for a CRNA and our Hospital is helping her pay and they said they will offer her around 160,000 a year. So there are options similar to a Physician and the pay can be great as well and thats minus the cost and time. Thanks again. I may reconsider my goals, She is emailing me some info on Nurse Practioners this evening. I may have to be abit more realistic about how these goals will play out. Thanks DocHomer!

 

[ShyRem]

Age is nothing if you are qualified and can handle the work (that last bit is important). I'm 42 and a fourth year at UNECOM, applying for residency positions currently.

Bottom line: do you want it? how supportive is your family? can you handle the workload (which makes 21 college credits of math and science in a single semester look like child's play)?