Is there anychance 4 me???

[katieTX]

Hi everyone,

Life is just a dead end when you dont see your future. I am feeling that way right now.

I had been a computer engineer for about 8 years. I got laid off 2 years ago, just 3 months before I got married. Now, I'm working 60 hrs/wk to support my family and my wife who is still going to college. I love my family and we are doing fine. However, my job is just temporary and I know I wanna do something different than that. This is the time that I think about going back to school for 2 reasons: make my childhood dream come true and be able to support my family by doing what I love to do.

I am living in Texas, therefore I plan to apply to all 7 schools in state and some others out of state. Beside General Chemistry 1 that I took 10 years ago, I have nothing else relating to Chem and Bio prereqs. My undergraduate GPA is 3.4 with a solid science GPA. My questions are:

1. Do I have to take Math and Physics classes again if I took them 10 years ago?

2. Is there any different if I take the classes at community college instead of university? (the reason is conflict with working schedule)

3. Besides GPA and MCAT, any extra activities that I should and be able to do with my working hours? Any suggestion is extremely helpful.

4. Finally, what do you think about my chance?

I know there is no easy way to get into medical schools but I believe I can do it. Please give me advice and sugesstion. I deeply appreciate all of you.

Ken

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[RaaMD]

1. Do I have to take Math and Physics classes again if I took them 10 years ago?

Not sure, but it would help if you are going to take the MCAT

2. Is there any different if I take the classes at community college instead of university? (the reason is conflict with working schedule)

University is preferred, but community college is okay

3. Besides GPA and MCAT, any extra activities that I should and be able to do with my working hours? Any suggestion is extremely helpful.

Health Care experience, if you can research wouldn't hurt. Perhaps you can get money doing both experiences and still be able to support your family.

4. Finally, what do you think about my chance?

Just work hard and do well. You have some unique experiences that I believe would contribute to the diversity of any med student body, which I think is good.

 

[tinkerbelle]

I am living in Texas, therefore I plan to apply to all 7 schools in state and some others out of state. Beside General Chemistry 1 that I took 10 years ago, I have nothing else relating to Chem and Bio prereqs. My undergraduate GPA is 3.4 with a solid science GPA. My questions are:

1. Do I have to take Math and Physics classes again if I took them 10 years ago?

I don't think so. And since your an engineer, it should all come back to you when you prep for the MCAT. Otherwise, consider taking an MCAT prep course like the Princeton Review.

2. Is there any different if I take the classes at community college instead of university? (the reason is conflict with working schedule)

I don't think it matters if you're only taking a few classes.

3. Besides GPA and MCAT, any extra activities that I should and be able to do with my working hours? Any suggestion is extremely helpful.

You need to volunteer at a hospital or do something else health related to show AdComs that you know what you're getting into. You should also try to volunteer and do something non-health realated.... becuase some med school applications ask about both health related and non-health-related volunteer experiences. You could even turn your volunteering into a family activity Take your family with you to help out at a soup kitchen or something. Since you're working a lot, you could also consider being a phone hotline counselor for runaway teens or abuse or something. Some of these places will let you volunteer from home.

4. Finally, what do you think about my chance?

I think you have a decent shot. Your gpa is good for an engineer. I have a 3.4 as well, and I've still gotten into a few schools. Make sure you have a good reason for why you want to swith over from engineering to medicine. Or how you can use your engineering knowledge as a doctor.

My computer engineering friends knew a little electrical engineering and computer science as well. Do you? If you decided you wanted research experience, you should check out biomedical engineering labs. Whenever I planned projects, i always needed cs/ce/ee people to help me. Plus, so something biomedical in nature will sort of help you show how your engineering interest is moving towards medicine.

Good luck

 

[nico05]

Since you have a decent GPA, think about a graduate program in biomedical sciences or another health related field (you can do this and finish the chem and bio pre-req's that you didnt take). The masters program will also allow you to take night courses where an undergraduate field may not always allow you to, which allows you to work during the day.
Again, rather than retaking all undergraduate pre-reqs, take a review course (kaplan, princeton review, exam krackers, etc.) to prepare for the MCAT; you have all of the knowledge, you just need to dig it up and a review course will force you to do that rather than doing it on your own.
I Liked the previous posters idea regarding research based work, but since it's not that easy to come by, look for any position in a hospital. The result will provide two advantages: you will continue to work and make money (good thing) and you will get some hospital exposure without volunteering (even better). Some may say you need to volunteer, i disagree. With the experiences you have, you do not need to volunteer simply to "buff" your application.

Best of luck, i know where you're coming from. Hang in there, and dont quit.

 

[Law2Doc]

With respect to the ten year old science courses, there was a good recent thread in the nontraditional board you should check out on this. Most schools won't consider the prerequisite courses "expired" but a couple do, so you should contact all those schools you are considering and see what their policy is. (That being said, I took a postbac course where the premed advisor strongly recommended that since I had taken some of my prereqs a decade ago, I should definitely retake them all. So views are split on this). Retaking some of the courses would definitely make studying for the MCAT easier, but if you are good at science, an MCAT course from Kaplan or Princeton Review and solid studying on your own should be adequate as a refresher. Most schools will want to see some recent success in coursework though, so even if you don't take the prereqs, I think it would be prudent to take and ace some science courses (it looks like you have some bio and chem to take anyhow). Community college is probably fine but a 4 year university or postbac program would be better, if it's possible/feasible.
And you absolutely must get something on your resume that shows a dedication to health. Either volunteer with a hospital or do medical research, or both. The ideal premed candidate will have some medical research and some clinical experience, if only to show that he is dedicated to medicine and that he knows what it entails. It will be tough on top of a working schedule and/or coursework, but most adcoms find this critical. This helps in writing a good PS and in getting good nonacademic LORs (ideally people with MD in the name) as well, which are critical for nontraditionals.
As for your chances, no one has a crystal ball, but there certainly are people with your background who have been successful. Coming from Texas with their match system seems to be advantageous, based on the posts on this board, so you've got that going for you as well. Good luck.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Hi everyone,

Life is just a dead end when you dont see your future. I am feeling that way right now.

I had been a computer engineer for about 8 years. I got laid off 2 years ago, just 3 months before I got married. Now, I'm working 60 hrs/wk to support my family and my wife who is still going to college. I love my family and we are doing fine. However, my job is just temporary and I know I wanna do something different than that. This is the time that I think about going back to school for 2 reasons: make my childhood dream come true and be able to support my family by doing what I love to do.

I am living in Texas, therefore I plan to apply to all 7 schools in state and some others out of state. Beside General Chemistry 1 that I took 10 years ago, I have nothing else relating to Chem and Bio prereqs. My undergraduate GPA is 3.4 with a solid science GPA. My questions are:

1. Do I have to take Math and Physics classes again if I took them 10 years ago?

2. Is there any different if I take the classes at community college instead of university? (the reason is conflict with working schedule)

3. Besides GPA and MCAT, any extra activities that I should and be able to do with my working hours? Any suggestion is extremely helpful.

4. Finally, what do you think about my chance?

I know there is no easy way to get into medical schools but I believe I can do it. Please give me advice and sugesstion. I deeply appreciate all of you.

Ken

Your GPA is low for Texas schools. A 30 MCAT and getting to know a physician that you can shadow and get a recommendation from should take care of itself. You will be discriminated against because your science classes are from a community college. If you don't intend on retaking your MCAT classes, then make sure to take a prep class such as Princeton Review.

 

[fateema368]

Start a post bac. program to finish requirements, GPA will only increase-score well on MCAT's 30+, and your wife should get a job-unless she's planing to continue her education her GPA really doesn't matter too much. Also, ensure she find a really good position post-graduation she's going to need to support you for a good while, and lastly hold off on children until your atleast an M3/M4.

 

[OSUdoc08]

Start a post bac. program to finish requirements, GPA will only increase-score well on MCAT's 30+, and your wife should get a job-unless she's planing to continue her education her GPA really doesn't matter too much. Also, ensure she find a really good position post-graduation she's going to need to support you for a good while, and lastly hold off on children until your atleast an M3/M4.

There are 1 year medical post-bacc programs available at UNT-Health Science Center (Ft. Worth, TX) and OSU-Center for Health Sciences (Tulsa, OK)