keeping part-time job during med school and residency

[davidperez1970]

I have a part time job that takes about 12 hours per week. (I'm an Adjunct Professor at a local community college.) Do you think I'll be able to keep this job while in medical school... and still do ok?

I don't need to do great in classes, or get honors, etc. [I just want to do psychiatry.]

Background on me: Honestly, I'm pretty good in science and test taking. And when most of the pre-meds were struggling in college, with how tough everything was, I was sailing pretty smooth. [physics major at Princeton, hard core in science... MCAT: 82 back in 1990, [which I think translates as a 41, nowadays] ... accepted to HMS, but didn't go....]

I'm thinking of going to UCLA, if they take me, and being able to mostly cruise. But maybe it's a mistake to think that I could handle the part time job at the same time.

I just figure, I'll be able to learn things faster than most med students... at least good enough to get by.

thoughts?

Thx...

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[PeepshowJohnny]

Med school? Maybe in years one and two. If you're as smart as you think you are, you could probably do it. The problem is going to be if you struggle at all. I've done a little bit of counselling of struggling med students and schools tend to not be as friendly when people aren't making med school the one and only focus of their lives. Anyway, first years your schedule is pretty controllable, and I probably had 12 hours a week I COULD give up (but I enjoyed using tha time for myself.) I worry about you wearing yourself thin unless being a prof is something you just couldn't live without.

Third and fourth years? No way. Your schedule is at the mercy of the attendings and residents and their schedules. Sure you can miss a call every once in a while for a one time thing, but if you're missing every Thursday evening to teach, that's not going to be acceptable.

Residency? No chance.

 

[lord_jeebus]

I don't need to do great in classes, or get honors, etc. [I just want to do psychiatry.]

As a psychiatrist you will benefit from the best medical education you can get. There's no point in sacrificing your medical foundation for the sake of a part-time job, particularly after years 1&2 (where working may be possible).

 

[AmoryBlaine]

Most people are going to say that it's not feasible and I would tend to agree with them. I suppose that if the job were able to significantly reduce your debt load then it might not be a bad idea for years 1/2. Working during Med/Surg/OB will be next to impossible. A few other thoughts...

-Even during M1/2 med school can be an "all-day process." My hours were by no means predicatable. While MOST days were basically 8:30-2/3/4/5 some started at 7:00 and some ended at 10:00.

-Lets just say, hypothetically, that you did have some academic trouble. Sounds like this might be ulikely for you (41) but med school does strange things to people. The first thing the admin is going to do is suggest or demand that you quit your outside job.

-The fact that psych is not difficult to get into does not mean that you should not prepare well for it.

-Beware the pre-med/M1/M2 mentality of "I just want to do psych/FP/IM/Peds so I don't have to work that hard." A few of these people fall in love with Ortho/Ophtho/Derm and then wish they hadn't been so blase about studying.

 

[Anka]

I worked throughout med school (M1-M4) and did fine. My work was pretty flexible with hours, however. I'm not sure I would have been able to teach a class that required me to be in a specific place at a specific time in any reliable manner. That said, I had a great experience with working, and would be happy to discuss it with anyone by PM.

Anka

 

[Flopotomist]

I think the attitude by the OP is rather disturbing. You aren't going to medical school so you can "just scrape by on tests," you are going to medical school so that you can learn important material that you need to know in order to take care of real live human beings.

Failing to do your best, or study your hardest has consequences beyond "not getting honors" that include (at the most extreme) death of patients.

As a mature non-trad, and a professor no less, you of all people should be aware of this.

 

[njbmd]

Moving to Pre-Allo as this is a pre-med issue. Allopathic medical students read and respond to threads in pre-allo and may follow and respond to this one if desired.

 

[167649]

I have a part time job that takes about 12 hours per week. (I'm an Adjunct Professor at a local community college.) Do you think I'll be able to keep this job while in medical school... and still do ok?

I don't need to do great in classes, or get honors, etc. [I just want to do psychiatry.]

Background on me: Honestly, I'm pretty good in science and test taking. And when most of the pre-meds were struggling in college, with how tough everything was, I was sailing pretty smooth. [physics major at Princeton, hard core in science... MCAT: 82 back in 1990, [which I think translates as a 41, nowadays] ... accepted to HMS, but didn't go....]

I'm thinking of going to UCLA, if they take me, and being able to mostly cruise. But maybe it's a mistake to think that I could handle the part time job at the same time.

I just figure, I'll be able to learn things faster than most med students... at least good enough to get by.

thoughts?

Thx...

I think you are underestimating the intensity of medical school. The material itself is difficult, and as you said you are probably bright enough to do it. But for many people, the most difficult part of medical school is not the difficulty of the material itself, it is the incredibly high volume of material you have to know. Few people, no matter how smart, have enough free time for a job in med school, even part time. And everyone in their right mind would want to savour the free time you do have. Even if getting honors etc. is not that important to you, don't you want to have 100% focus on the training for your future career? Do you want the quality of your future work to potentially suffer because of a part time job at a junior college? If your career goal is to be a psychiatrist, than maintining your current job would really do nothing career wise.

Even if it could work out schedule wise, I wouldn't think it would be the best decision.

 

[Nataliemay24]

why don't you take the mcat again, since you're gonna have to anyway, and report back? if you actually do get a 41, then you can assess your options. btw, can anyone explain how the mcat used to be scored? no wonder my fil who graduated from med school in the early or mid 1980s doesn't remember what he got on the mcat, but he doesn't think he got anything in the 20s, 30s, or 40s.

 

[nonesuchgirl]

why don't you take the mcat again, since you're gonna have to anyway, and report back? if you actually do get a 41, then you can assess your options. btw, can anyone explain how the mcat used to be scored? no wonder my fil who graduated from med school in the early or mid 1980s doesn't remember what he got on the mcat, but he doesn't think he got anything in the 20s, 30s, or 40s.

+1 on the advice and the question.

 

[diosa428]

This is an interesting post...

#1 - my first thought is to call troll, but I could be wrong.
#2 - it's much harder to get into med school now than it was in 1990.
#3 - what kind of work have you been doing for 15 years? I wouldn't underestimate the ability of students straight out of college, who are used to sitting in class and learning all day and taking tests all the time, to do significantly better than you in school. Many of the older students in my class struggle more than the younger students because they've been out of school for too long and can't keep up with it all. Keep in mind, the students in your class are used to juggling class with tons of ECs and while maintaining stellar grades.

I suggest you worry more about getting in than whether or not you can work part-time during school. Visit the non-trad forum to find out about applying as a non-trad. I have a feeling the application process is going to require more than you seem to think it is.

 

[mvenus929]

Why on earth did you turn down an acceptance to med school anyway?

 

[Jolie South]

Why on earth did you turn down an acceptance to med school anyway?

HMS nonetheless . . .

 

[hp540]

Why on earth did you turn down an acceptance to med school anyway?

And to HMS!

 

[davidperez1970]

Thanks for your feedback guys... appreciate it. And sorry if I ruffled any feathers. Basically, it sounds like it might be possible during years 1 and 2 , depending on how smart I really am [or not ] and then impossible for M3 and M4, at least during surgery/OB rotations, just because of the amount of actual "face time" you have to put in.

And then impossible again during residency? [even psychiatry residency, I guess]... mostly because of scheduling.... it sounds.... though maybe in my dreams I might possibly find some residency that is flexible with scheduling... but i'm guessing it would be problematic... from what people are saying.

Anyhow, some of you guys asked... why on earth would I want to keep the job? Well... I *love* teaching. And it pays pretty decent... at least for a non-medical job ... This helps with debt load... and honestly, I really just love the work... and would love to keep doing the job, even after being a psychiatrist!

As far as why I turned down HMS... actually, I didn't totally turn them down... i deferred for two years when I was at Oxford... and then I wasn't sure about medicine... so i deferred another year... and they eventually got tired of me deferring... i guess i thought that so many people who went to medical school seemed to be doing it 'cause it was the next stop on the escalator... and I didn't want to be one of them... so i took some time off.... and tried to really sort out life...

it was the right thing for me... even if it's the long way 'round

Thanks for your input... it's genuinely appreciated.

 

[161927]

I have a part time job that takes about 12 hours per week. (I'm an Adjunct Professor at a local community college.) Do you think I'll be able to keep this job while in medical school... and still do ok?

I don't need to do great in classes, or get honors, etc. [I just want to do psychiatry.]

Background on me: Honestly, I'm pretty good in science and test taking. And when most of the pre-meds were struggling in college, with how tough everything was, I was sailing pretty smooth. [physics major at Princeton, hard core in science... MCAT: 82 back in 1990, [which I think translates as a 41, nowadays] ... accepted to HMS, but didn't go....]

I'm thinking of going to UCLA, if they take me, and being able to mostly cruise. But maybe it's a mistake to think that I could handle the part time job at the same time.

I just figure, I'll be able to learn things faster than most med students... at least good enough to get by.

thoughts?

Thx...

This must be a trolling thread

 

[Depakote]

Thanks for your feedback guys... appreciate it. And sorry if I ruffled any feathers. Basically, it sounds like it might be possible during years 1 and 2 , depending on how smart I really am [or not ] and then impossible for M3 and M4, at least during surgery/OB rotations, just because of the amount of actual "face time" you have to put in.

And then impossible again during residency? [even psychiatry residency, I guess]... mostly because of scheduling.... it sounds.... though maybe in my dreams I might possibly find some residency that is flexible with scheduling... but i'm guessing it would be problematic... from what people are saying.

Anyhow, some of you guys asked... why on earth would I want to keep the job? Well... I *love* teaching [I teach theater]. And it pays pretty decent... at least for a non-medical job ... This helps with debt load... and honestly, I really just love the work... and would love to keep doing the job, even after being a psychiatrist!

As far as why I turned down HMS... actually, I didn't totally turn them down... i deferred for two years when I was at Oxford... and then I wasn't sure about medicine... so i deferred another year... and they eventually got tired of me deferring... i guess i thought that so many people who went to medical school seemed to be doing it 'cause it was the next stop on the escalator... and I didn't want to be one of them... so i took some time off.... and tried to really sort out life...

it was the right thing for me... even if it's the long way 'round

Thanks for your input... it's genuinely appreciated.

personally, as a M1... getting 12 hours a week to do something non-school related could be tricky.

Sure some weeks are light, others I'm at school from 7:30am to 10pm almost every day. I wouldn't want to have specific time constraints like having to prep for or go teach another class.

As for M3-M4 and residency, you're right... you aren't going to have time (or energy). M3s put in a lot of hours in their various clerkships and still have to go home and study. It's grueling. M4 is better, but you'll still be taking time for your residency interviews and you're not exactly "phoning it in".

Residency... say goodbye to anything remotely resembling free time. I don't know about psych 100%, but I would be shocked if you wound up putting in less than 80 hours/week your first few years of internship/residency, regardless of the field.

 

[PeepshowJohnny]

Well, technically he's REQUIRED to be working less than 80 hours a week. Whether your program honors the work hours rules is another thing entirely, I guess, but I don't think psychology is near a bad offender as surgery for example.

But the point still stands. I don't see anyone holding down a job like you've described during residency.

And I don't want to harp (which is why I left this out of my original post) don't EVER assume you're going to be smarter than your med school class. I've seen Magna/Summa Cum Laudes crushed. I've seen students with a PhD end up humbled. Yes, there are the guys who smoke med school exams with relatively little effort, but they're few and far between. And it's best to assume you're not this guy until proven otherwise.

 

[alyssadk]

I've wondered about this myself. I'm not lucky enough to not have to work through college and will probably need to take a job to reduce my debt in med school. You sound more like yours is because you love your job though

 

[mvenus929]

I've wondered about this myself. I'm not lucky enough to not have to work through college and will probably need to take a job to reduce my debt in med school. You sound more like yours is because you love your job though

Almost everyone comes out of med school with debt. You shouldn't really worry about reducing yours while in school, but rather focus on learning as much as you can so you can earn enough money to pay back all that debt when you do go into practice.