In need of some input pls.

[jawbelly]

.Hi, this is my first post and I need some input. For the past year I've been thinking about a career change. I graduated about 3 years ago with a BBA in finance, since then I've been a banker and absolutely hate it. It was always a dream of mine to become a doctor when I was young, but somehow everything just screwed up when I entered college. I totally lost myself, let myself go, did a ton of partying, cut class, studied enough just to get by, worked full-time/attended school full-time to support myself and ended up graduating with a cum. GPA of 2.62. What makes this even worse is that I took a bunch of science/math classes during freshman and sophomore year and performed extremely poor on them. My BCPM is 2.07? (or 2.35 if my environmental class on energy conservation could be factored in.) The classes I took are as follows:

Precalc
Calculus
Discrete Mathematics
Business Statistics
General Physics
General Chemistry
General Biology (which I withdrew from after falling asleep during my first exam, sigh)
Energy Conservation (From what I've gathered, depending on whether I choose the MD or DO route, this could be factored in.)

Sigh, is there anyway to salvage this at all? Feel free to destroy any hope I have if its impossible. Thank you.
.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[OncoCaP]

.Hi, this is my first post and I need some input. For the past year I've been thinking about a career change. I graduated about 3 years ago with a BBA in finance, since then I've been a banker and absolutely hate it. It was always a dream of mine to become a doctor when I was young, but somehow everything just screwed up when I entered college. I totally lost myself, let myself go, did a ton of partying, cut class, studied enough just to get by, worked full-time/attended school full-time to support myself and ended up graduating with a cum. GPA of 2.62. What makes this even worse is that I took a bunch of science/math classes during freshman and sophomore year and performed extremely poor on them. My BCPM is 2.07? (or 2.35 if my environmental class on energy conservation could be factored in.) The classes I took are as follows:

Precalc
Calculus
Discrete Mathematics
Business Statistics
General Physics
General Chemistry
General Biology (which I withdrew from after falling asleep during my first exam, sigh)
Energy Conservation (From what I've gathered, depending on whether I choose the MD or DO route, this could be factored in.)

Sigh, is there anyway to salvage this at all? Feel free to destroy any hope I have if its impossible. Thank you.
.

As you probably know, it would take a long time (years) to get your GPA back within the range where you can get admitted. It could be done, but not quickly and not easily.

What do I think based on the tiny bit I know about you from this message? I would suggest you look at *all* of your career options (including just working for a different company). Right now the financial field is going through a tough time.

If you can avoid going to school for the next decade and have a career that you more or less enjoy, I would recommend that. Consideration of all the options you have is an important step that would help you if you actually did go back and find yourself in the dark cave of medical training. Every medical student at some point will question why they chose this road and it's very reassuring to know that one considered all the options and this one did and still does make the best sense.

If you sincerely considered all alternatives to medicine, you would probably be less upset with yourself if you found yourself much more miserable than you are today for certain periods of time during medical training and beyond. Medical training and work can be very rewarding but certain aspects are at best tolerable.

In considering your options, perhaps there are areas of business that would appeal to you (where you would use your finance skills, but not be working as an analyst, per se). For example, perhaps you could aspire to leadership in hospital or other health care management. I'm not saying this to discourage you. If medicine is your ideal destiny, by all means, go for the >10 year slog with mucho tutition and fees. It's a blast and totally worth it if you are a good fit. Unfortunately many suffer through the experience.

Make sure if you go on this long road that you actually are going to like it, because odds are very high that medical training and work is quite different imagine it to be currently.

 

[sgtbrushes]

Or how about some middle ground? If you're really interested in the medical field, you can become an RN. Or a physician's assistant. Even for D.O. schools, you will need 1-2 years of full-time 4.0 semesters to be competitive. It's doable... but is it what you want to do?

 

[Jlaw]

.Hi, this is my first post and I need some input. For the past year I've been thinking about a career change. I graduated about 3 years ago with a BBA in finance, since then I've been a banker and absolutely hate it. It was always a dream of mine to become a doctor when I was young, but somehow everything just screwed up when I entered college. I totally lost myself, let myself go, did a ton of partying, cut class, studied enough just to get by, worked full-time/attended school full-time to support myself and ended up graduating with a cum. GPA of 2.62. What makes this even worse is that I took a bunch of science/math classes during freshman and sophomore year and performed extremely poor on them. My BCPM is 2.07? (or 2.35 if my environmental class on energy conservation could be factored in.) The classes I took are as follows:.

.Precalc.
.Calculus.
.Discrete Mathematics.
.Business Statistics.
.General Physics.
.General Chemistry.
.General Biology (which I withdrew from after falling asleep during my first exam, sigh).
.Energy Conservation (From what I've gathered, depending on whether I choose the MD or DO route, this could be factored in.).

.Sigh, is there anyway to salvage this at all? Feel free to destroy any hope I have if its impossible. Thank you..

My experience is similar, though I graduated with a 2.996 and didn't take any science classes.

My advice is to either find a post bacc program that you can get into with that GPA (many have a 3.0 cutoff) or just take the pre reqs over again in a non degree setting. If you can get competeitve grades (3.5+) in bio 1 and 2, chem 1 and 2, phys 1 and 2 and organic 1 and 2 then you will be looking alot better. This will take time though, probably 1.5-2 years, don't try to rush it and overload yourself.

Once that is done start studying for and take the MCAT while all the sciences are fresh. Your GPA will probably need more bolstering so I would also make a strategic list of classes to retake and find a few upperlevel science courses that would interest you. If you plan to go the D.O. route you have the added benefit of grade replacement so if you retake your really horrible undergrad courses you can raise your GPA quickly.

You can definitely do it but it's going to take time, money and alot of work.

Good luck!

 

[dudechiefboss]

.Hi, this is my first post and I need some input. For the past year I've been thinking about a career change. I graduated about 3 years ago with a BBA in finance, since then I've been a banker and absolutely hate it. It was always a dream of mine to become a doctor when I was young, but somehow everything just screwed up when I entered college. I totally lost myself, let myself go, did a ton of partying, cut class, studied enough just to get by, worked full-time/attended school full-time to support myself and ended up graduating with a cum. GPA of 2.62. What makes this even worse is that I took a bunch of science/math classes during freshman and sophomore year and performed extremely poor on them. My BCPM is 2.07? (or 2.35 if my environmental class on energy conservation could be factored in.) The classes I took are as follows:.

.Precalc.
.Calculus.
.Discrete Mathematics.
.Business Statistics.
.General Physics.
.General Chemistry.
.General Biology (which I withdrew from after falling asleep during my first exam, sigh).
.Energy Conservation (From what I've gathered, depending on whether I choose the MD or DO route, this could be factored in.).

.Sigh, is there anyway to salvage this at all? Feel free to destroy any hope I have if its impossible. Thank you..

How does that happen? Anyways, DO may be the best route due to retakes being fully replaced. It may take some time, but if you were to do night classes and summer course then the classes would take less than two years.

To pursue the physician assistant route you would have to take some of those courses over again. Individuals applying to PA school could apply (stat wise) to DO/MD school. Mosst PA programs require a 3.0 sGPA, however some only require a 2.75 sGPA.

FMG is not out of the question, but would also require some retake of courses. Either way, you need to take some pre-reqs over (during summer, or at night).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
In two years (4 summer months, and night classes during regular semester) you could finish 4 years of pre-reqs. Physics I and II first summer, 1st year GenChem I and II, second summer GenBio I and II, and 2nd year Ochem I and II.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
^ can be done, but you have to want to do it (summer classes are no fun).

Best of luck

 

[gman33]

Figure out if this is what you really want to do.
If you can find something else, do that.

Now, if you decide you really want to go down this path, I'd forget about MD schools. Not impossible, but it will take many, many years to even have a shot.

For DO schools, you can retake classes and they will only count your new grade. 2-3 years of solid work and you could have a competitive GPA.

Don't just pick medicine because you hate your current career. Look into other options because you are looking at a 10+ year commitment.