I'm a bit of lost. Please give me some advice, thanks..

[IceDancer]

I originally posted my stats on pre-med forum.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=691997&highlight=icedancer

Current year: Junior

GPA: cGPA 3.85+ sGPA 3.8+ (spend the first two years in a community college, but I got decent grades, not sure if that matters )

MCAT 29Q (V7 PS12 BS10), will retake it in March

ECs:

Community service/clinical experience:

Volunteer at a local hospital since Feb 2009 (100hrs+)
Volunteer as a tutor at an alternative high school (for special-aid/disadvantaged students) one summer (80hrs+)
Volunteer at a nursing home for only one month in 2008 (20hrs)
Worked/Volunteered at a Chinese acupuncture clinic for one summer in 2008 (100hrs+)

Shadowing

FM, just started (I only have 5hrs so far, but I will probably have about 20hrs by the time when I apply)
EM, going to shadow him (I will probably have 15-30hrs by the time when I apply)

Working experience

Worked as a librarian 12-15hrs/week and 20hrs/week during summer (Jan 2008-July 2009)
Gift shop retail 12-15hrs/week (Feb 2009-August 2009)

Leadership

Co-founder/Officer of a non-medical related club (sophomore year)
Member of a health club (sophomore year)

Research

Will have one year research experience at a clinical lab (no publications, no presentations, and all I do is to mask, trace/analyze patients MRI images)

Scholarships

None




Now I'm not so sure if I want to be a doctor anymore. I changed my perspectives after I shadowed a MD doctor. Well, It was a cool experience but I'm really not sure if that's what I want.

I originally wanted to be a pharmacist but since I've had good grades and passions, my parents and friends encouraged me to consider medical schools. My ultimate goal is to work in the medical field so I never really thought it over and see what's right for me..After I thought about it, I think pharmacy is the right path for me, but I don't have any pharm experiences (except that I deliver specimen/blood to the pharm lab sometimes). I mean..Can anyone give me any advice please? Because now I feel like I'm stuck in the middle and have no clue where to turn.

Thank you for reading this ridiculously long post. Thank you so much.

By the way, I'm a California resident and I will apply to Californian schools (so no PCAT needed)

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[dreezy10]

your stats are really good, looks like you are all set to enter the professional school of your choice..... now the hard part

Which one??

This is impossible for anyone to answer but you. not even your family can tell you. The best option would be to get experience in the pharmacy and see if you even like it. what if pharmacy is not for you, like the MD you shadowed? you will regret your choice, I say go out in to retail or clinical pharmacy and see if you like it (if you can get shadowing or a job).

My buddy was pre pharm with me for three years, shadowed a pharmacist and now hates it, he is in pre med now, but wants to shadow and see if he likes it. you are in the same boat.

so go see if you like it and research it like crazy, try to talk to people as much as you can.

Good Luck!!!

 

[IceDancer]

your stats are really good, looks like you are all set to enter the professional school of your choice..... now the hard part

Which one??

This is impossible for anyone to answer but you. not even your family can tell you. The best option would be to get experience in the pharmacy and see if you even like it. what if pharmacy is not for you, like the MD you shadowed? you will regret your choice, I say go out in to retail or clinical pharmacy and see if you like it (if you can get shadowing or a job).

My buddy was pre pharm with me for three years, shadowed a pharmacist and now hates it, he is in pre med now, but wants to shadow and see if he likes it. you are in the same boat.

so go see if you like it and research it like crazy, try to talk to people as much as you can.

Good Luck!!!

Thanks, you are being very helpful. I guess I still have about 3-4 months to think it over and "research it like crazy", and then make a decision before June =]

 

[Passion4Sci]

I agree w/ Dreezy - You're qualified. An MCAT of 29 will probably relegate you to Carib schools so you might be best served in the long run in choosing pharmacy over medicine. But, as Dreezy also noted, it's an entirely personal decision.

 

[phathead]

Your grades alone, tied with a decent PCAT, should be enough to overcome minimal experience.

I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone about shadowing someone... don't do it once. Find a different doc, in a different area. MDs are just as varied as pharmacists so while you may not have enjoyed what that particular MD did, you may enjoy what another does.

Same goes for pharmacy, if you're really considering a switch, go shadow a couple of pharmacists now. You have to be very careful what you research about pharmacy because while a doctor today is doing the same job as a doctor ten years ago, the same cannot be said for a pharmacist.

It is a rapidly evolving field that still has a ways to go. The public is mainly aware of the retail pharmacist, but there is much more to it.

Just make sure you cover all of your bases thoroughly before making the switch. It is only the rest of your life ya know

 

[IceDancer]

I agree w/ Dreezy - You're qualified. An MCAT of 29 will probably relegate you to Carib schools so you might be best served in the long run in choosing pharmacy over medicine. But, as Dreezy also noted, it's an entirely personal decision.

I do think I have a shot on MD/DO schools with a 29 MCAT score if I apply broadly. And I'm going to retake it in March if I decide to stick with MD path (I have been studying MCAT for about four months and I'm confident that I will get a better score this time). To be honest, I don't mind going to a caribbean school if I really want to be a doctor. And if I don't get in this year, I will probably reapply next year. But now I'm just a little bit confused/lost because I don't know what is right for me.

 

[nicolemsm]

I do think I have a shot on MD/DO schools with a 29 MCAT score if I apply broadly. And I'm going to retake it in March if I decide to stick with MD path (I have been studying MCAT for about four months and I'm confident that I will get a better score this time). To be honest, I don't mind going to a caribbean school if I really want to be a doctor. And if I don't get in this year, I will probably reapply next year. But now I'm just a little bit confused/lost because I don't know what is right for me.

i'm just wondering,what exactly attracts you to pharmacy versus medical school?

 

[IceDancer]

Your grades alone, tied with a decent PCAT, should be enough to overcome minimal experience.

I'll tell you the same thing I tell everyone about shadowing someone... don't do it once. Find a different doc, in a different area. MDs are just as varied as pharmacists so while you may not have enjoyed what that particular MD did, you may enjoy what another does.

Same goes for pharmacy, if you're really considering a switch, go shadow a couple of pharmacists now. You have to be very careful what you research about pharmacy because while a doctor today is doing the same job as a doctor ten years ago, the same cannot be said for a pharmacist.

It is a rapidly evolving field that still has a ways to go. The public is mainly aware of the retail pharmacist, but there is much more to it.

Just make sure you cover all of your bases thoroughly before making the switch. It is only the rest of your life ya know

Thanks. I already scheduled to shadow another doctor (Emergency Medicine) and see how I like it. I will also try to find a pharmacist to shadow (if that's possible) and make a final decision before June.

 

[IceDancer]

i'm just wondering,what exactly attracts you to pharmacy versus medical school?

I shadowed a family physician a couple of weeks ago (about 30 hours so far), and I don't see myself doing it for the rest of my life. I thought I really wanted to be a doctor--like the whole "helping the patient" kind of thing, but I realized that I don't even want to be around sick people. I *witnessed* a minor surgery of an ingrown toe and I had a nightmare about it at the same night. It wasn't like what I expected..at all..

I've liked chemistry since I was in high school. I love all the research stuff, chemicals, and mechanisms. Frankly, I'm not sure about pharmacy-path either, at least not until I shadow or at least have experiences first..

 

[nicolemsm]

I shadowed a family physician a couple of weeks ago (about 30 hours so far), and I don't see myself doing it for the rest of my life. I thought I really wanted to be a doctor--like the whole "helping the patient" kind of thing, but I realized that I don't even want to be around sick people. I *witnessed* a minor surgery of an ingrown toe and I had a nightmare about it at the same night. It wasn't like what I expected..at all..

I've liked chemistry since I was in high school. I love all the research stuff, chemicals, and mechanisms. Frankly, I'm not sure about pharmacy-path either, at least not until I shadow or at least have experiences first..

if you saw a surgery of an ingrown toe*.... god save you in the er room.... i was in there once and a guy came in with a 2x4 with a nail STUCK in his head HANGING, i repeat hanging........... as if I wasn't already sick enough GOING to the er in the first place.... still haunts my mind how he managed that one.

what about nuclear medicine? or radiology? they deal with chemicals all day and chemistry type stuff?

 

[IceDancer]

if you saw a surgery of an ingrown toe*.... god save you in the er room.... i was in there once and a guy came in with a 2x4 with a nail STUCK in his head HANGING, i repeat hanging........... as if I wasn't already sick enough GOING to the er in the first place.... still haunts my mind how he managed that one.

what about nuclear medicine? or radiology? they deal with chemicals all day and chemistry type stuff?

Now I'm worried how I will be able to get through four years' medical school. There is a good chance that I might puke on the cadaver

 

[nicolemsm]

I don't know how I'm able to get through four years' medical school. There is a good chance that I might puke on the cadaver

as long as you don't take pictures with the cadaver and post them on FB to be found 4 years later i say you have a GOOD chance getting through med school. Second thoughts though? What are your true interests? I mean like TRUE TRUE interests, not what mom & dad tell you to like

 

[IceDancer]

as long as you don't take pictures with the cadaver and post them on FB to be found 4 years later i say you have a GOOD chance getting through med school. Second thoughts though? What are your true interests? I mean like TRUE TRUE interests, not what mom & dad tell you to like

Haha, you know, I dreamed about opening my own restaurant when I was a kid. I just love to eat. The funny thing is I don't even know how to cook..lol..Anyway, I did truly want to be a doctor before I saw what it was really like..I knew at that moment that I won't be happy doing that for the rest of my life..Or maybe you are right about shadowing more specialties, like radiology, or oncology..