Law School to Med School

[mnsdgsg]

I am a third year law student about to graduate in a month. I posted on here two years ago after realizing that I really really really disliked law school. I was pressured to go to law school by my parents after I finished undergrad. I didn't really know what to do with my life so I just went.



I am not lazy at all. I got a 3.9 undergrad GPA at my state school and got into a top 10 law school. I really did not enjoy law school and found it really difficult. I have a 3.2 GPA here. I wanted to drop out after my first year, but everyone, including people on here told me to stick with it. Everyone said it would look bad to quit something I started, and having a JD would be better than just stopping after a year.



Well, I'm getting my JD in a month and I still hate law. There are two reasons why I dislike it. First, while not true to all lawyers and law students, I feel like I don't fit the personality type of most of these people. It's not so much that they are sleazy (that does bother me too), it's that the skill you need to be a lawyer is to be be a backslapping salesman. I'm pretty introverted and do not like to argue very much. I don't like how much of my professional work will be based in arguing and networking and less on what I learned in school.



And that's what brings me to why I dislike law school the most. I cannot stand legal work. I don't like writing memos and briefs at all. And I know people will say that you write in every profession, but it's just not at the extent you do in law. I've interned at law firms for two years, and the assignments most young attorneys work on are like "please write a 30 page memo on what the word reasonable means in Massachusetts as opposed to California." Being a lawyer is basically like being a professional research paper writer on extremely nitpicky topics. I know doctors write patient histories and reports, but I think I would find that fun. It's writing that is much less like writing a research paper and on much more tangible things.



I have always been into math and science, and I am not going to be in any debt. My parents are very well off and paid for my law school. That's one of the reasons I decided to go after they pressured me to. They are open to the fact that I don't like law and are potentially on board with me switching careers.



Is it possible for me to get a post bac and go to med school? I am 25 years old now. Will my lower law school GPA hurt me? I am just at a huge loss as to what I should do, and I really don't view myself as a lawyer. I really dislike all the attorneys I've interacted with, and I find law to be such a nitpicky, extroverted, and sleazy profession. Anyone have any advice?

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[SpoiledMilk]

You've stuck it out and will get the JD, but don't see yourself practicing. As long as you finished. That's fair. Now, with your undergrad 3.9, you don't need a PB.
What you do need to do is:
-start volunteering (clinical, non-clinical, shadowing PCPs, leadership positions, anything to help the underserved and those less fortunate than you).
-your law gpa won't be an issue with MD schools for admissions purposes; DOs might have some questions
-study for and ace the MCAT
-Write a compelling personal statement that reasonably explains who you are, why you chose medicine and what drove you to medicine, and NOT why you are running away from law. If you PS includes any hint that you despise law, that just won't look positively on you
-Take 1-3 years to get your ECs up to a competitive level and don't rush the process, medical school will be around when you are ready to apply with your best app
-work on being less of an introvert because when you start interviewing, your interviewers will not look kindly on someone who is too quiet because they will be thinking, "Is this how this person is going to be with patients?"

GL!

 

[Ampharos]

I have met a few JD's on the interview trail so it certainly is possible.

 

[mnsdgsg]

Thanks so much! But I think I need a post bac because I didn't take all of the science classes at all. I was a poli sci major. The only math/science classes I took in undergrad were calc 1, stats 1, and biology 1. So I would have to do a post bac to get all the pre-reqs, right?

 

[Goro]

I am a third year law student about to graduate in a month. I posted on here two years ago after realizing that I really really really disliked law school. I was pressured to go to law school by my parents after I finished undergrad. I didn't really know what to do with my life so I just went.



I am not lazy at all. I got a 3.9 undergrad GPA at my state school and got into a top 10 law school. I really did not enjoy law school and found it really difficult. I have a 3.2 GPA here. I wanted to drop out after my first year, but everyone, including people on here told me to stick with it. Everyone said it would look bad to quit something I started, and having a JD would be better than just stopping after a year.



Well, I'm getting my JD in a month and I still hate law. There are two reasons why I dislike it. First, while not true to all lawyers and law students, I feel like I don't fit the personality type of most of these people. It's not so much that they are sleazy (that does bother me too), it's that the skill you need to be a lawyer is to be be a backslapping salesman. I'm pretty introverted and do not like to argue very much. I don't like how much of my professional work will be based in arguing and networking and less on what I learned in school.



And that's what brings me to why I dislike law school the most. I cannot stand legal work. I don't like writing memos and briefs at all. And I know people will say that you write in every profession, but it's just not at the extent you do in law. I've interned at law firms for two years, and the assignments most young attorneys work on are like "please write a 30 page memo on what the word reasonable means in Massachusetts as opposed to California." Being a lawyer is basically like being a professional research paper writer on extremely nitpicky topics. I know doctors write patient histories and reports, but I think I would find that fun. It's writing that is much less like writing a research paper and on much more tangible things.



I have always been into math and science, and I am not going to be in any debt. My parents are very well off and paid for my law school. That's one of the reasons I decided to go after they pressured me to. They are open to the fact that I don't like law and are potentially on board with me switching careers.



Is it possible for me to get a post bac and go to med school? I am 25 years old now. Will my lower law school GPA hurt me? I am just at a huge loss as to what I should do, and I really don't view myself as a lawyer. I really dislike all the attorneys I've interacted with, and I find law to be such a nitpicky, extroverted, and sleazy profession. Anyone have any advice?

Yes. Go to a postbac program for career switchers, and start shadowing doctors and volunteering with patients.

 

[Willy38]

Totally doable. We have a couple lawyers in our class actually. I would say first definitely get some clinical exposure either volunteering or shadowing. Before you begin the insanely tedious process of applying to med school, make sure its a rabbit hole you want to go down. If you end up deciding its for you then you have a long path ahead of you. Your undergrad gpa is awesome and the top 10 law school thing won't hurt (if anything will make you unique). Just be sure you are able to clearly justify why you made the switch.

Edit: And I don't think law school gpa really matters. Undergrad GPA definitely does and you are all set in that regard.

 

[curbsideconsult]

Agreed with @Goro and @Willy38. Also agreed with Goro's reply to your thread a few months back.

Have you done anything to begin your med school journey since you started a similar thread a few months ago? If not, I think your hate for all things law is skewing your vision of what you really want and you're just looking for an alternate highbrow career. You absolutely need to find clinical experiences whether it's volunteering or working. I suggest doing something pretty difficult like working as a CNA (if you can deal with wiping bums for hours on end, you can probably handle medicine) or hospice volunteering (can't deal with death? probably shouldn't go to med school) or working with a very at-risk youth population (you need to build up thick skin for medical school) or something else equally difficult.

Loans for med school shouldn't be a problem.

Yes, you need to do some kind of post-bacc to get the prereqs. By this point with all the research you've done for writing memos, you should be good at doing some sleuthing so research the programs that best fit your needs.

You probably realize this, but I think it's worth repeating given your grass-is-greener-on-the-other-side view of medicine: there are sleazy people in med school too. Not everyone goes into this for altruistic reasons (which bugs me still though I consider myself cynical of most things in life). You will come across the same gunners you've come across in law school. You will find med students/residents/attendings who will throw you under the bus just as you've probably found with law students/associates/partners. Go into medicine because you really, really, really want to do it and you find it's the best thing to do for you. You don't want to waste your entire 20s regretfully going through two professional programs.

 

[mnsdgsg]

I understand that there are sleazy people in every single profession. I also understand that there are tall people in every profession. But there are WAY more tall people in the NBA, and based on my experience, there are WAY more sleazy people in the legal profession.

Law is basically like being a mini politician. The job itself IS politics. Other jobs have politics associated with them, but that's why people have to hire lawyers if things go bad. I'd really like a profession that is based more on tangible skills, and medicine really seems like that. I used to always be into that kind of stuff growing up but was afraid to do pre-med in undergrad because people scared me away from it. Now I'm so scared of being stuck in a profession I hate that nothing really seems that scary anymore. Idk, it's just a frustrating time for me and I want to make a change.

 

[DubbiDoctor]

I understand that there are sleazy people in every single profession. I also understand that there are tall people in every profession. But there are WAY more tall people in the NBA, and based on my experience, there are WAY more sleazy people in the legal profession.

Law is basically like being a mini politician. The job itself IS politics. Other jobs have politics associated with them, but that's why people have to hire lawyers if things go bad. I'd really like a profession that is based more on tangible skills, and medicine really seems like that. I used to always be into that kind of stuff growing up but was afraid to do pre-med in undergrad because people scared me away from it. Now I'm so scared of being stuck in a profession I hate that nothing really seems that scary anymore. Idk, it's just a frustrating time for me and I want to make a change.

As others have asked, have you taken concrete steps toward shadowing doctors and volunteering in a clinical setting? I'd even suggest you work as a medical assistant, CNA or scribe to show that you're dedicated to and passionate about medicine. For now you come across almost as viewing medicine as an idealized fantasy - an escape from your bleak legal career.

 

[longhaul3]

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[Goro]

I understand that there are sleazy people in every single profession. I also understand that there are tall people in every profession. But there are WAY more tall people in the NBA, and based on my experience, there are WAY more sleazy people in the legal profession.

Law is basically like being a mini politician. The job itself IS politics. Other jobs have politics associated with them, but that's why people have to hire lawyers if things go bad. I'd really like a profession that is based more on tangible skills, and medicine really seems like that. I used to always be into that kind of stuff growing up but was afraid to do pre-med in undergrad because people scared me away from it. Now I'm so scared of being stuck in a profession I hate that nothing really seems that scary anymore. Idk, it's just a frustrating time for me and I want to make a change.

This is simply not a good enough reason to choose a career in Medicine.

 

[mnsdgsg]

This is simply not a good enough reason to choose a career in Medicine.

I totally agree. Disliking law is not a good reason to go into medicine at all. It is only a good reason to ditch law and look at all other fields.

I've been exploring a potential career in medicine for a lot of reasons. I have a lot of family members in healthcare and actually did a lot of shadowing in high school. I really like how doctors use what they learn about science to directly help people with problems. As I've gotten older I've kind of embraced the nerdier side of myself, and I really like science, math, etc. I definitely feel I need more exposure before I plunge into a post bac or medical school, but I really feel it could be a viable option.

I was really short sighted when I chose to go to law school. I liked mock trial in undergrad, so I figured I should just go. But now that I know what a lawyer does (writing briefs all day and researching caselaw), I just don't see myself doing that for the next 40 years, let alone 10 years. From the little I have seen of the medical profession, I feel like I could do something like that for 40 years and be excited to get up in the morning. Obviously, I'd have to learn more. I admit I'm very confused at this point and do not want to waste money and time on school if I don't have to. But I really am frustrated with my current position. I'm not in any debt and I'm relatively young, but I also feel like my career is not a good fit for my personality at all.

 

[Goro]

If you like Science and being nerdy, get an MS or PhD instead. Medicine is a calling, like being a priest or a fireman

 

[Willy38]

I totally agree. Disliking law is not a good reason to go into medicine at all. It is only a good reason to ditch law and look at all other fields.

I've been exploring a potential career in medicine for a lot of reasons. I have a lot of family members in healthcare and actually did a lot of shadowing in high school. I really like how doctors use what they learn about science to directly help people with problems. As I've gotten older I've kind of embraced the nerdier side of myself, and I really like science, math, etc. I definitely feel I need more exposure before I plunge into a post bac or medical school, but I really feel it could be a viable option.

I was really short sighted when I chose to go to law school. I liked mock trial in undergrad, so I figured I should just go. But now that I know what a lawyer does (writing briefs all day and researching caselaw), I just don't see myself doing that for the next 40 years, let alone 10 years. From the little I have seen of the medical profession, I feel like I could do something like that for 40 years and be excited to get up in the morning. Obviously, I'd have to learn more. I admit I'm very confused at this point and do not want to waste money and time on school if I don't have to. But I really am frustrated with my current position. I'm not in any debt and I'm relatively young, but I also feel like my career is not a good fit for my personality at all.

Definitely get some exposure and see if its for you. Medicine isn't super warm and cuddly though, especially as a med student who is at the bottom (yes very bottom, like bottom, then 50 ft of crap, then us) of the totem pole. Medicine demands a lot out of you as person and can be absolutely miserable at times. It only really makes sense if you can't see yourself doing anything else. People told me this before I started med school and I didn't believe them, now I do. Its an amazing privilege to take care of sick people and I can't imagine not being in the OR but it sure comes at a high price, and this is just what I've seen in my few years as a student. Having said that I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Definitely volunteer and see if its for you before jumping in head-first. Don't make the same mistake twice .

 

[mnsdgsg]

If you like Science and being nerdy, get an MS or PhD instead. Medicine is a calling, like being a priest or a fireman

I mean, I've thought about it since high school but was just scared off because everyone said how hard it was to get into med school. I didn't necessarily plan to go to law school. I just applied as a senior in undergrad because it didn't have any other prereqs (other than the LSAT). I feel like I really want to have a career where I use what I learn to help people, not just to make money. Is there anything I could do to see if medicine really is for me. Or is it just too late at 25 with a JD?

 

[Willy38]

I mean, I've thought about it since high school but was just scared off because everyone said how hard it was to get into med school. I didn't necessarily plan to go to law school. I just applied as a senior in undergrad because it didn't have any other prereqs (other than the LSAT). I feel like I really want to have a career where I use what I learn to help people, not just to make money. Is there anything I could do to see if medicine really is for me. Or is it just too late at 25 with a JD?

never too late. But you can help people with law too (observation based on the TV series Suits) lol

 

[mnsdgsg]

never too late. But you can help people with law too (observation based on the TV series Suits) lol

Haha I always thought Suits was unrealistic before law school, but I have a lot of professors who actually love it. One of my professors references it almost every class, so maybe it is realistic? Haha but that's kinda my point. I'm nothing like those characters :/

 

[Willy38]

Haha I always thought Suits was unrealistic before law school, but I have a lot of professors who actually love it. One of my professors references it almost every class, so maybe it is realistic? Haha but that's kinda my point. I'm nothing like those characters :/

I dk, I wouldn't switch professions based on my impression of how my personality jived with people at my particular school. You could always find some chill people to work with in some area of law you like. Sounds to me like you're burned out. Take some time to recover, explore volunteering in medicine, and then make a level headed decision.

 

[mnsdgsg]

I dk, I wouldn't switch professions based on my impression of how my personality jived with people at my particular school. You could always find some chill people to work with in some area of law you like. Sounds to me like you're burned out. Take some time to recover, explore volunteering in medicine, and then make a level headed decision.

Agree with that too. But it's not JUST a decision based on personality. I really don't like legal research and writing. I feel bad saying that and don't want it to be perceived like I'm lazy. I don't mind working, but spending the rest of my life writing research papers for a job sounds really awful. It's not the long hours I don't like, it's basically the fact that the work is so tedious and writing intensive. I don't think any other careers are like that, but I could be wrong.

 

[Goro]

I mean, I've thought about it since high school but was just scared off because everyone said how hard it was to get into med school. I didn't necessarily plan to go to law school. I just applied as a senior in undergrad because it didn't have any other prereqs (other than the LSAT). I feel like I really want to have a career where I use what I learn to help people, not just to make money. Is there anything I could do to see if medicine really is for me. Or is it just too late at 25 with a JD?

Nope, not at all!

 

[undetermine]

I mean, I've thought about it since high school but was just scared off because everyone said how hard it was to get into med school. I didn't necessarily plan to go to law school. I just applied as a senior in undergrad because it didn't have any other prereqs (other than the LSAT). I feel like I really want to have a career where I use what I learn to help people, not just to make money. Is there anything I could do to see if medicine really is for me. Or is it just too late at 25 with a JD?

I don't think it's ever "late" to go into med, you probably won't be a traditional student but as @Willy38 said you should take some time off recover and explore medicine to see if it's more compatible with your personality/lifestyle. Nevertheless, congrats on getting your JD! Good luck!