It's Never Too Late

[medKandi]

...said my father who is my inspiration for myself going back to school so I can make a wonderful career change. My dad turns 56 years old this year and he is graduating from nursing school this year as well. Because of him I'm going to follow a dream of mine to become a doctor. I am a 31 year old wife and mom of two who is making a career change. Luckily I have the support of my husband and I'm so glad that he'll be by my side as I take this journey.

I have been in IT for 11 years and I have a BS in Business Management. Because my degree is over 10 years old I have to start all over again and earn another BS degree because my credits are too old they tell me. I think that part stinks, but I can't do anything about this. This Fall I start college and I am going to fulfill the medical school course requirements and do whatever it is I need to do to get accepted into medical school.

I have been thinking about this for two years now and I'm finally going to start working on this to make it happen. I bought a book today called "Planning a Life in Medicine" and I've read it from cover to cover. I basically know what I have to do in terms of coming out successful. To supplement the book I went looking for a community like this one, with real people with experience and I'm happy to have found it.

I have a great love and interest in nutrition and fitness and so my major, although I know it does not matter, is going to be in Dietetics. I am looking forward to all of the science and math that will be coming my way shortly.

Again, it's nice to have landed here.

--medKandi

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[DrMidlife]

Because my degree is over 10 years old I have to start all over again and earn another BS degree because my credits are too old they tell me. I think that part stinks, but I can't do anything about this. This Fall I start college and I am going to fulfill the medical school course requirements and do whatever it is I need to do to get accepted into medical school.

Incorrect. Your credits are not too old. You only have to take the prereqs: one year each, with labs, of chem, ochem, bio and physics. Any additional upper div science you take, such as biochem, is good as well. There are some structured 1-2 year premed postbac programs (like Bryn Mawr and Goucher) that are for folks in your shoes (if your GPA is very high), but their app dates may have already passed.

A very small number of med schools (such as UMass) expire prereqs once they're 6 years old. This kind of expiration is the exception, not the rule.

Your cumulative undergrad GPA is your fate, and it's more permanent than a tattoo. If your old GPA is 3.5 or higher, you're probably ok. If it's not, assume you need to improve it.

Don't take any more advice from whoever told you about credits being too old.

I have been thinking about this for two years now and I'm finally going to start working on this to make it happen. I bought a book today called "Planning a Life in Medicine" and I've read it from cover to cover. I basically know what I have to do in terms of coming out successful. To supplement the book I went looking for a community like this one, with real people with experience and I'm happy to have found it.

That book talks about the MCAT being a paper test, right? It's not on paper any more. 2005 is a LONG time ago. Triple check every assumption you make about the process. Ideally get a face-to-face opinion as well as SDN consensus (read MUCH more here than you write).

I have a great love and interest in nutrition and fitness and so my major, although I know it does not matter, is going to be in Dietetics. I am looking forward to all of the science and math that will be coming my way shortly.

Feel free to go ahead and get a 2nd degree if you want to spend the time.

Best of luck to you.

 

[medKandi]

Don't take any more advice from whoever told you about credits being too old.

A rep from the school itself told me that my credits are too old and that I needed to apply as a brand new student. I didn't. I ended up applying as a transfer student so I'm hoping that I can get another opinion. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA and I was always on the Dean's list so no worries there. I felt sick when she told me that I had to start all over. They are sorting through my transcripts now and I should be hearing back some time soon, hopefully.

Yep, the book is old but it gave me somewhat of an idea of what I need to do to get things going. I never took Physics before so that is something new.

Thanks for responding!!!

 

[MiniMoo]

A rep from the school itself told me that my credits are too old and that I needed to apply as a brand new student. I didn't.

Which school? Because all of my pre-reqs are 9-11 years old and they were accepted at all of the MD and DO schools I applied to (and I applied ALL OVER the US).

The only thing is that schools do like seeing current classwork, so it is a good idea to enroll in some courses and show them you can still get great grades. But it's not absolutely necessary to repeat your pre-reqs if you've already taken them and done well. Some people do anyways because it might help in MCAT preparation. I didn't and performed fine on the MCAT through self study. Just depends on what you want to do.

Edit: Just reread your original post and became a little confused. Have you taken the pre-preqs yet? If not, then just finish those off and that's all you need to do. Your previous degree and undergraduate classes in no way "expire". You do NOT have to obtain a second bachelor's degree. I'm 100% certain. If you're still unsure, I would call or email the medical school admissions office to ask them directly.

 

[DrMidlife]

A rep from the school itself

It's rare to find a premed adviser at an undergrad school who knows what they're doing.

If you spend some time reading this forum, you'll see a vast horde of former lawyers, engineers, nurses, teachers, musicians etc. who earned their undergrad degrees 10-20 years ago. The age of a degree is never questioned; the age of prereq coursework sometimes is.

The actual authority on any issue, with med school admissions, is med schools. Pick one and look at the requirements web page under admissions. You can also pick up a book called the MSAR that lists requirements for all schools (details of which change frequently and should be verified on med school websites before applying).

 

[medKandi]

Which school? Because all of my pre-reqs are 9-11 years old and they were accepted at all of the MD and DO schools I applied to (and I applied ALL OVER the US).

The only thing is that schools do like seeing current classwork, so it is a good idea to enroll in some courses and show them you can still get great grades. But it's not absolutely necessary to repeat your pre-reqs if you've already taken them and done well. Some people do anyways because it might help in MCAT preparation. I didn't and performed fine on the MCAT through self study. Just depends on what you want to do.

Edit: Just reread your original post and became a little confused. Have you taken the pre-preqs yet? If not, then just finish those off and that's all you need to do. Your previous degree and undergraduate classes in no way "expire". You do NOT have to obtain a second bachelor's degree.

Rutgers University is where I am going this Fall and a rep told me in an email that my credits are too old to transfer into their school. Maybe she was wrong? I don't know, but I did apply as a transfer and they requested my transcripts. I'm waiting to hear back.

I have done a few pre-preqs (the minimum) that I was required to take my first time. I do not meet the minimum requirements to get into Univ. of Medicine and Denistry of NJ so I have to go back to undergrad. I'm missing physics completely and I only took general Chemistry...everything else I have taken.

If they take the credits wonderful, but I do need to brush up because I took those classes so long ago. I hope they will accept what I have because then I can just concentrate on my the pres I have to take.

 

[medKandi]

It's rare to find a premed adviser at an undergrad school who knows what they're doing.

If you spend some time reading this forum, you'll see a vast horde of former lawyers, engineers, nurses, teachers, musicians etc. who earned their undergrad degrees 10-20 years ago. The age of a degree is never questioned; the age of prereq coursework sometimes is.

The actual authority on any issue, with med school admissions, is med schools. Pick one and look at the requirements web page under admissions. You can also pick up a book called the MSAR that lists requirements for all schools (details of which change frequently and should be verified on med school websites before applying).

Will do. Thank you!

 

[wepio]

I wonder if there is a disconnect between the information you are trying to seek (and or convey) and the advice SDN'ers are giving you. Your posts refer to a "transfer of credits" and "applying as a new student" in the fall. I may be misunderstanding the situation, but what I think the Rutger's rep is telling you is that you need to apply as new student to be admitted as a student for their undergraduate school (whether as a post-bacc, or whatever classification). As for getting into medical school, 99% of all medical schools have similar pre-req's: bachelor's degree, bio/chem/phy/etc, which none of these course credits actually transfer into nor are applied toward the medical school program (you just have to show that you've met these requirements). I hope I understand you correctly, and this help your situation. If not, sorry I couldn't.

 

[7starmantis]

Rutgers University is where I am going this Fall and a rep told me in an email that my credits are too old to transfer into their school. Maybe she was wrong? I don't know, but I did apply as a transfer and they requested my transcripts. I'm waiting to hear back.

Sounds like the confusion in this thread is between ugrad and med school "acceptance policies". Your talking about transferring your "old" credits to a undergrad university (Rutgers) and we are responding to those same "old" credits being accepted by medical schools.

You do not have to retake all your courses or get a second degree. Now, Rutgers may want you to retake courses for a second degree from them, but that is not needed to matriculate in medical school. You dont have to do a formal program to take the pre-reqs (at most ugrad schools) so maybe you should talk to Rutgers about being a non-degree-seeking student.

From this point out, your advice and the "authority" whose advice you follow should be medical schools, not really ugrad schools.

I repeat, you do not have to receive a second degree, but would quite possibly need to take the pre-reqs.

 

[wholeheartedly]

Yeah, sounds like there is confusion on what exactly you're trying to do. Make sure Rutgers knows that you don't want/need another degree. I don't know about there specifically but at other places in addition to coming in as a new student (i.e. freshman) or a transfer student (student seeking a degree with courses already under your belt) you also have the option of being a non-degree seeking student (just taking some classes you need for a non degree goal like meeting the pre-req. requirements of medical schools without the cost of completing a whole new degree).

At Rutgers check out this link, the non-matriculating student option will be the one you want.

http://admissions.rutgers.edu/applynow/moreforparttimeandnondegreeapplicants.aspx

 

[NTF]

I agree that there seems to be a disconnect. I'd be shocked if Rutgers didn't have a continuing education department that allows non-degree seeking students to take undergradute classes with out all the hoopla. I think you should investigate further before going through unnecessary bureaucratic headaches. If you have a 3.8, you do not, I repeat, do not have to finish a 2nd bachelor's.

Best of luck. Keep us posted and don't forget to get a lot of shadowing and clinical experience. Make sure you know what you're getting into for the long haul.

 

[vc7777]

A rep from the school itself told me that my credits are too old and that I needed to apply as a brand new student. I didn't. I ended up applying as a transfer student so I'm hoping that I can get another opinion. I graduated with a 3.8 GPA and I was always on the Dean's list so no worries there. I felt sick when she told me that I had to start all over. They are sorting through my transcripts now and I should be hearing back some time soon, hopefully.

Yep, the book is old but it gave me somewhat of an idea of what I need to do to get things going. I never took Physics before so that is something new.

Thanks for responding!!!

I didn't have any issue in any of my interviews re: "Old" credits...Between the MCAT and more recent coursework, I believe most school were satisfied with my level of academic preparedness. But that is just one person's experience...take it with a grain of salt.

-vc7777

 

[medKandi]

Ha! Yes, I was confused! OK I understand now. I just need to go to Rutgers to complete the courses I need for medical school. I do not need another degree. Got it! I explained to the rep what I wanted and I thought she knew what she was doing. So, I applied to Rutgers incorrectly. Going to call them tomorrow to straighten things out. Thanks so much for the clarification. Sorry for the confusion as well. I feel like a doy because I didn't know about non-matriculating, matriculating and non-degree. I will also call UMDNJ to get more info as to what I need to do exactly. Thanks again!

 

[DrMidlife]

Ha! Yes, I was confused! OK I understand now. I just need to go to Rutgers to complete the courses I need for medical school. I do not need another degree. Got it! I explained to the rep what I wanted and I thought she knew what she was doing. So, I applied to Rutgers incorrectly. Going to call them tomorrow to straighten things out. Thanks so much for the clarification. Sorry for the confusion as well. I feel like a doy because I didn't know about non-matriculating, matriculating and non-degree. I will also call UMDNJ to get more info as to what I need to do exactly. Thanks again!

Note, however, that matriculation status affects financial aid and registration priority. You may want to stick with degree-seeking...

 

[medKandi]

Note, however, that matriculation status affects financial aid and registration priority. You may want to stick with degree-seeking...

I'll see what I can do. The school is currently telling me that they will not accept any of my credits from my BS, but they have yet to get back to me officially on it. I'll discuss it tomorrow with them as well. I cannot wait to get all of this sorted because it's worrying me. I need to go get a latte and calm down. Thanks!

 

[futureboy]

Note, however, that matriculation status affects financial aid and registration priority. You may want to stick with degree-seeking...

I agree with this. OP (original poster), stay a degree-seeking student, declare a major, take the prereqs/upper level science courses you need, and decide at that point whether to apply to and go to medical school, or actually continue on to get the 2nd degree (if you really want it) before applying to med school.

DO NOT tell them that you don't intend to get a degree.

By the way, it's hard to believe that they won't transfer in your coursework, even for general education requirements. You have to retake English 101? That's just stupid. At 10 years, your credits aren't THAT old. Is this person at the school an official advisor or an assistant dean? I have a gut feeling they're wrong. If not, and if you really want the 2nd degree, I'd petition the school to accept the transfer credits.

 

[futureboy]

"Planning a Life in Medicine"

--medKandi

I recommend the book "Medical School Confidential."

 

[Dr Heart]

Follow you dream.....