Looking for some advice on my options

[ConfusedSWE]

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Hello all,

I am currently a CS student who is about to graduate with a master's degree in CS. With how the market for CS is looking and just general loss in passion, I want to go back to pursuing medical school. During my undergrad, I took all the necessary pre-med courses with an overall science GPA of ~3.79. I graduated from undergrad in 2023. I am personally unsure on how to pursue recommendation letters if I were to try and apply for medical school. Would recommendation letters from professors 3-5 years ago hold weight? Along with studying for the MCAT and recommendation letter pursuit, should I try to find work/volunteer opportunities at clinics/hospitals? What can I do to become a competitive non-traditional applicant? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[glycolysister]

Hi there!

You have set yourself up really well with your GPA, and having your prerequisites done already puts you in a great position to pivot without taking on more coursework.

If you have not started shadowing or gained any clinical exposure yet, begin there. Shadow a few physicians, go volunteer in a clinic-- anything that helps you confirm your interest. You will likely walk away with meaningful stories that can inform your personal statement later.

A couple of older academic letters are fine, but aim to add two or three recent references who can speak to your current character and motivation. A physician you shadow, a volunteer coordinator, or a professional supervisor are all strong options.

I have seen people tackle the MCAT in a hundred different ways and still do well. Anki and UWorld worked for me.

When you apply, highlight the skills and perspective you bring from computer science. Problem solving, systems thinking, and analytical reasoning are all assets in medicine. Just make sure your story focuses on why you are pursuing medicine, not what you are running away from.

You are in a great spot. Build some exposure, show sustained commitment, crush the MCAT, and you will be a compelling applicant if you choose to move forward.

Godspeed!

 

[ConfusedSWE]

Hi there!

You have set yourself up really well with your GPA, and having your prerequisites done already puts you in a great position to pivot without taking on more coursework.

If you have not started shadowing or gained any clinical exposure yet, begin there. Shadow a few physicians, go volunteer in a clinic-- anything that helps you confirm your interest. You will likely walk away with meaningful stories that can inform your personal statement later.

A couple of older academic letters are fine, but aim to add two or three recent references who can speak to your current character and motivation. A physician you shadow, a volunteer coordinator, or a professional supervisor are all strong options.

I have seen people tackle the MCAT in a hundred different ways and still do well. Anki and UWorld worked for me.

When you apply, highlight the skills and perspective you bring from computer science. Problem solving, systems thinking, and analytical reasoning are all assets in medicine. Just make sure your story focuses on why you are pursuing medicine, not what you are running away from.

You are in a great spot. Build some exposure, show sustained commitment, crush the MCAT, and you will be a compelling applicant if you choose to move forward.

Godspeed!

Thank you for your advice! Do you think getting clinical experience like working as a scribe would be worth it or do you think looking for a physician to shadow would be better? Also, I have some experience working with the research department of a Medical school as a software engineer but I did work directly with researchers and physicians. Do you think that is also a good resource to get some recommendations?

 

[Faha]

Before you submit your application, you should accumulate 50 hours of in person physician shadowing (including primary care), 250+ hours of clinical volunteering with patient contact, and 150+hours of non clinical volunteering such as food bank, homeless shelter.

 

[karaya]

Thank you for your advice! Do you think getting clinical experience like working as a scribe would be worth it or do you think looking for a physician to shadow would be better? Also, I have some experience working with the research department of a Medical school as a software engineer but I did work directly with researchers and physicians. Do you think that is also a good resource to get some recommendations?

Scribing is fine and you can count some of those hours as shadowing, as long as they're not double-counted for clinical. For letters, there is really only one litmus test. Ask your writers if they know you well enough to write a strong letter of recommendation, and give them an easy out. Anything less than an enthusiastic yes will not be a good letter.