I'm in Community College. Computer Science to Medical...? Please, need advice!

[juzt2me]

Hi,

I'm currently in a community college, studying Computer Science. This is beginning of my 3rd year here. But, lately, I have been thinking about going to Medical School, and cannot get this out of my head. However, I don't know if it's a good idea or not. I'm really confused. First of all b/c of my current major, and second, I haven't taken any pre-requisite courses towards Medical degree, and third, i have to transfer out of here this coming Fall '10. Before this "being a doctor" idea hit me in the head, I was thinking about transferring to a 4 year school that's known for being pretty good with Computer Science degrees, but I don't know how good they are when it comes to anything related to medicine. Before I transfer, I need to decide what I will major in. Cause, I know that that school, wherever I will transfer to next, has to be recognized by a Medical School.
I really do not know the procedures when it comes to changing a major, or going to Medical School and all that. So, please, any advice would be helpful...

Thank you!

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[Hifey]

1. why do you want to be a doctor?

Other than that, you can be whatever major you want to be, you just have to knock the premed prereqs out, preferably at the 4 year university. After you're done with those, you will need to take your mcat. score well on that. In addition, most medical schools also expect a bit of research and at least 100 hours of volunteering, clinical and non clinical. After you've got the whole package, apply.

 

[Trexate]

Hi,

I'm currently in a community college, studying Computer Science. This is beginning of my 3rd year here. But, lately, I have been thinking about going to Medical School, and cannot get this out of my head. However, I don't know if it's a good idea or not. I'm really confused. First of all b/c of my current major, and second, I haven't taken any pre-requisite courses towards Medical degree, and third, i have to transfer out of here this coming Fall '10. Before this "being a doctor" idea hit me in the head, I was thinking about transferring to a 4 year school that's known for being pretty good with Computer Science degrees, but I don't know how good they are when it comes to anything related to medicine. Before I transfer, I need to decide what I will major in. Cause, I know that that school, wherever I will transfer to next, has to be recognized by a Medical School.
I really do not know the procedures when it comes to changing a major, or going to Medical School and all that. So, please, any advice would be helpful...

Thank you!

*cracks knuckles* I'll give it a whirl.

I've got a BS CS and I'm going to med school starting in the fall. Don't think your technical savvy is a bad thing. Quite the contrary. You don't have to change majors either. Also, most schools that have a decent CS program place a significant amount of emphasis on technology and science, so you'll likely find the pre-med classes more than sufficient. Finally, the undergrad institution you go to matters, but not to the extent you're thinking. I went to a crappy state college, got my degree and a job, and now I'm going to med school. It's not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.

However, you better have a damn good answer to that question posed by Hifey.

 

[DrSmooth]

Like Hifey said, you can major in anything. Just transfer to the best 4-yr school you can get into and afford. While you are taking your major courses, you'll need to at least take Bio 1 & 2 and General Chem 1 & 2, Organic Chem 1 & 2, and Physics 1 & 2, and then take the MCAT before you apply to med school.

Call your doctor or any doctor and tell them you are interested in becoming a doctor and would they let you shadow them for a few days. That will give you an initial idea of if this is more than a passing interest for you. After that, search around for a hospital to start volunteering in to really confirm your interest.

Spend some time searching around this site, reading all the FAQs, etc, and you will get a very good idea of what you need to do to get into med school. Good luck with whatever you end up doing!

*And don't feel like you are behind schedule. There are a lot of us here doing this in our 30's and 40's!

 

[tremulousNeedle]

*cracks knuckles* I'll give it a whirl.

I've got a BS CS and I'm going to med school starting in the fall. Don't think your technical savvy is a bad thing. Quite the contrary. You don't have to change majors either. Also, most schools that have a decent CS program place a significant amount of emphasis on technology and science, so you'll likely find the pre-med classes more than sufficient. Finally, the undergrad institution you go to matters, but not to the extent you're thinking. I went to a crappy state college, got my degree and a job, and now I'm going to med school. It's not easy, but nothing worth doing ever is.

However, you better have a damn good answer to that question posed by Hifey.

Agreed. I too have a computer science and have survived medical school just fine. Your degree should be in something you are interested in, regardless of whether you continue with a computer science degree or change your focus. My computer science degree actually came up a lot during my medical school and residency interviews; it’s always nice to have something unordinary to talk about.

Any university or large-to-medium size college should be sufficient (as mentioned by a previous poster).

If you decide to continue down this road, check out more of this site, so you can get an idea of what else is expected from med school applicants (i.e. clinical experience, shadowing, volunteer, research, etc.). These are many threads and other resources out there that cover this information in great depth.

-senior medical student (T-42 days) / admissions committee interviewer

 

[thesauce]

Hi,

I'm currently in a community college, studying Computer Science. This is beginning of my 3rd year here. But, lately, I have been thinking about going to Medical School, and cannot get this out of my head. However, I don't know if it's a good idea or not. I'm really confused. First of all b/c of my current major, and second, I haven't taken any pre-requisite courses towards Medical degree, and third, i have to transfer out of here this coming Fall '10. Before this "being a doctor" idea hit me in the head, I was thinking about transferring to a 4 year school that's known for being pretty good with Computer Science degrees, but I don't know how good they are when it comes to anything related to medicine. Before I transfer, I need to decide what I will major in. Cause, I know that that school, wherever I will transfer to next, has to be recognized by a Medical School.
I really do not know the procedures when it comes to changing a major, or going to Medical School and all that. So, please, any advice would be helpful...

Thank you!

I can't believe you haven't had to take physics anytime in your first 2 years. Isn't this usually one of the first courses that CS majors take?

 

[organdonor]

Just transfer to the best 4-yr school you can get into and afford

NOT NECESSARY!! Any university that offers the pre reqs is fine. I am at a no name state school that is cheap as sh*& and I as well as several classmates have already been accepted this cycle. According to USnews, we are "4th tier". Whatever that means. Translated to terms that actually matter, if you drive 75 miles away noone knows the name of my school. At all.

Not only do I have a medical school acceptance, I've also got 0 debt. Beat that Mr. Harvard/Stanford/insert fancy college name here.

If you like computer science (that is what you mean by cs right?) go for it. Just take the pre reqs too. Depending on what med school you are interested in, you may need to also take some upper level science courses.

 

[jlimback]

I think the best way to "Test" your motives/desire to attend med school would be:

1. Ask yourself why you want to do this, especially if you haven't had previous experience with the field of medicine. Not that this in any way makes your motives wrong....just a bit questionable.

2. Gain some hands-on experience before you go taking a ton of classes....possibly wasting time and money. Take DrSmooth's advice and find a doc to shadow. This way you can see what you're getting into and if that lifestyle is what you're looking for.

3. Make your way through the pre-med courses. Try to get a good grasp on ALL of the concepts, so that you can own the MCAT.

If you make it through all of this with flying colors, I'd say you're on a good track. Look for advice from these forums and try to get a well-rounded CV going.

 

[DrSmooth]

NOT NECESSARY!! Any university that offers the pre reqs is fine. I am at a no name state school that is cheap as sh*& and I as well as several classmates have already been accepted this cycle. According to USnews, we are "4th tier". Whatever that means. Translated to terms that actually matter, if you drive 75 miles away noone knows the name of my school. At all.

Not only do I have a medical school acceptance, I've also got 0 debt. Beat that Mr. Harvard/Stanford/insert fancy college name here.

If you like computer science (that is what you mean by cs right?) go for it. Just take the pre reqs too. Depending on what med school you are interested in, you may need to also take some upper level science courses.

You are assuming this person will be apying to medical school in the future. Chances are quite strong that they will end up doing something else. Whatever they do the stronger the school they can graduate from the more options and opportunites they will have. No one says that going to a noname school will keep u out of med school. But > school = > options, all else being equal. No need to beat a dead horse, but similar students comin out of Stanford and cal state dominguez hills will not be viewed the same way by many adcoms. And more options is always a good thing. Financial reasons are worth considering nonetheless, but that is a different issue than school status.

 

[organdonor]

You are assuming this person will be apying to medical school in the future. Chances are quite strong that they will end up doing something else. Whatever they do the stronger the school they can graduate from the more options and opportunites they will have. No one says that going to a noname school will keep u out of med school. But > school = > options, all else being equal. No need to beat a dead horse, but similar students comin out of Stanford and cal state dominguez hills will not be viewed the same way by many adcoms. And more options is always a good thing. Financial reasons are worth considering nonetheless, but that is a different issue than school status.

To me, being out of debt is much greater than graduating from a "prestigious" school. I think some people really overestimate how much who gives you your degree matters. I've seen plenty of jobs stipulate "college degree required" but I have yet to come across "Ivy league degree required" postings. If students from Yale and no name college are truly similar, they will get similar MCAT scores and hence similar consideration. The MCAT (not MCATs, that irks me lol) is the great equalizer. It doesn't care where you went to school. There is also a likely chance that the no name student will get more 1 on 1 time with professors or a better curve, resulting in a higher GPA.

In the end I think we are going to have to agree to disagree. Some people think prestige matters, some don't. Some are comfortable with debt, some aren't. To each his own.