Looking for help in Philly

[PAinPA2MD]

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A little background, I'm curently working as a Physician Assistant in the Philadelphia are looking to switch careers and get into a local MD program. Stats: 3.3 Undergrad, most basic sciences complete except Physics II and Organic II (gpa not that great), PA program gpa 3.6 (which means very little since it doesn't include core pre-reqs except A&P), never took MCATs. The kicker, since I'm in my 5th year of practice as a PA my pre-reqs are getting old, some are close to 10 years old.*I'm thinking a formal post-bac is my only real option to get myself prepared to apply before I'm too old to make this happen. A DIY seems too lengthy, plus I like the idea of having advising support. Agree or disagree?
The programs that have caught my eye are Temple and Penn State Brandywine, for very different reasons.
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Temple: I love the linkage and no glide year. Con, I have to quite my job and and go full time. Major con, the wife is not too keen on me being out of work any longer than necessary (anyone know of people who work at least part-time during this program)
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Penn State Brandywine: I like flexible format so I can keep working. Con, no linkages, Trig is required and I never took it.
Any word on these programs, or suggestions for other programs in the area that may meet my needs. Drexel??
Any and all advise is appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

If you've already done most of your basic science classes, wouldn't a formal postbac program be redundant? That's all they are; a year of the basic science prereqs. You said you want an MD program, so retaking classes won't help through grade replacement. Retakes and applying to PCOM might be a good option if you're willing to go the DO route, though. If you can find a linked program to a school you want to go to, that would be worthwhile. In your case an unlinked program probably wouldn't be as beneficial as taking additional upper-division science classes in a self-constructed postbac at any 4-year college and spending lots of time studying for the MCAT. A self-constructed program can be as long or short as you like, that's the great thing about them. I did mine in two semesters plus a summer.

 

[PAinPA2MD]

I guess my thinking behind a post-bac is that by the time I complete my remaining requirements, the ones I have will be outside of the 5-10 year window that most schools like to see them completed within. Is that not a hard and fast policy?
Is anyone familiar with a program in the area that offers these courses in alternative format, such as a compressed layout or nights/weekends?

Sorry if I'm all over the place, but I feel like the more I research the more questions arise.

 

[2008orbust]

I was in the same boat. Some of my science classes were a dozen years old. I did not take them over, but I only applied to one school (MSU-CHM) and they didn't have a line in the sand as far as how old classes could be.

I can't speak to the post-bac question as I have no experience with it.

I was an NP and worked all the way through medical school. I do not recommend it, but it is possible if it is necessary for survival.

Also, take the MCAT very seriously. Very. Good luck.

 

[PAinPA2MD]

Glad to hear you didn't have any trouble with your older classes, and I have incredible respect for anyone who finished med school and held down a job. Sounds hectic at best.
I appreciate the responses, and if there are any people from Philly with any advice on here, I'm all ears. Good luck to all.

 

[deleted6669]

you do know there is a pa to physician bridge program at LECOM, right?
http://lecom.edu/college-medicine.php/Accelerated-Physician-Assistant-Pathway-APAP/49/2205/612/2395
shoot to meet the prereqs for this program and that will be much easier and less expensive than the MD route. if I was younger and single I certainly would. I seriously contemplated applying to the first class. there is a regular poster here at sdn and the pa forum named primadonna in the first class. she is an ms2 now.

 

[primadonna22274]

Just as a side note: LECOM didn't require me to repeat prereqs, most of which were 12-14 yr old by the time I matriculated. It did hurt my MCAT score to take it so many years out from undergrad courses but it didn't matter too much for DO. I will say a lower MCAT score hurt me on MD apps, so if you're dead-set on MD you should do your best. You may need to take an MCAT prep course to refresh you. The 5-year window on prereqs is much more a nursing and PA thing--I didn't run into it when applying to any MD or DO school.
LECOM did appreciate my 3.87 PA GPA, although most other schools didn't give a hoot and cared much more about my ochem grade.
The biggest hurdle you must overcome is the finances. I kid you not, having to live like a pauper whilst relearning how to be a student has been a very difficult challenge. If I were saner I would not have done it (in retrospect), but with just about 20 mos to go I can see a faint light at the end of the tunnel. Also M2 has been much, much easier than M1 and I have been able to work a bit (10-12 hr/wk) and still have plenty of time to read and study and am doing well. Working much at all during M1 would have been near impossible for me.
Good luck!

 

[PAinPA2MD]

I am familiar with the LECOM bridge, I was actually just discussing it with a friend that I graduated from my PA program with, who is planning to apply in 2014. I don't think it's a good option for me, for a couple reasons. I have a wife and child, and I'm trying to maintain some speck of stability, and moving to Erie doesn't work. Also, my ultimate goal is a career in Ortho Surgery, and DO programs seem harder to match with Ortho. It's a shame because PCOM is local and I'm not sure if its worth applying, but I'm realistic enough to know I will struggle to find a MD program to accept my grades. I'm thinking i will make one hard run at applying, and if it doesn't happen i will be content in my current work.

Good luck at LECOM. How's the program? Does it seem like it will be difficult to match with anything but primary care(my friend is interested in cards)?

 

[primadonna22274]

A lot of Ortho folks choose LECOM because we have a linked ortho residency...but PCOM may as well, I'm not very familiar with their postgrad programs.
LECOM is working out for me. I am more likely than not to go into primary care, but by choice (what I enjoy the most). My class is the first of the guinea pigs so we won't know how the match turns out until March 2014.

 

[PAinPA2MD]

Ha, you're right PCOM does have a residency. I guess they are worth an application. I wish I could make the move to Erie, the bridge sounds like a great thing for PAs. What was your MCAT score and what did you do to prep?

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

Because ortho correlates well with the hands-on philosophy of DO schools, it is somewhat of an exception to the rule that MD schools are vastly better than DO when it comes to matching into competitive residencies. For example, last year KCOM matched about 4% of their class into ortho, while Tulane matched 6%. That's not bad for KCOM, especially when you consider that many of the students who went the DO route were already interested in primary care before they matriculated. I use those two schools as examples because I've got interviews to them. I know that N=1 isn't a statistically significant sample and I haven't looked at LECOM's match list, but bottom line, if you want to do ortho, going to a good DO school won't hold you back.

 

[PAinPA2MD]

Thanks for everyone's helpful posts. I've done some thinking, and I have a plan. Let me know how crazy it sounds. I think I'm going to focus on the May MCATs and use those scores to send applications out in 2013. Hopefully my application and MCATs are good enough to get me interviews while I complete my final prereq sciences, probably at a local community college. I realize this is unusual, but it gives me an opportunity to apply next year, and sooner is better at my age. Where does this plan rate on the scale from crazy to doomed?

 

[primadonna22274]

Which prereqs do you still need? If you need gen chem and/ or physics I would highly recommend you take those now, BEFORE taking MCAT. These are high-yield topics that are likely very rusty for you and it's better to avoid a poor MCAT score than to do damage control later.
Good luck!

 

[PAinPA2MD]

Sorry about the delay, life has been a little crazy (stupid Superstorm Sandy), I appreciate the reply. I have taken Gen Chem I&II and Physics I, as well as, Organic I. I really just need Physics II and Organic II, but again i haven't taken them inmany years. I'm thinking either a prep course or some major review is in my future. To me, that sounds better than waiting another year to get applications out. Am I just dreaming with this plan?

 

[pado13]

going to a DO program will not limit your chances for ortho surgery. me and a buddy from pa school are fourth year students both going into ortho from DO schools. it is very doable. if you have any questions, feel free to pm me.