Looking for someone to tell me I'm crazy (need honest input)

[NonTradOverLS]

Hi everyone,

**super long post sorry**

TL;DR: Do I have a chance at MD/DO schools as a non-trad (28yo) first-generation Hispanic applicant with 3.25/3.4 GPAs (no current MCAT), and is it worth it to give up on law school if I'm miserable despite doing reasonably well and pursuing the med school dream?

****

Thanks for all replies in advance. So, might be a very typical situation, but... I'm a current second-year law student very unhappy and considering dropping out to start the med school route.

Current Situation:

-2L at a T20 law school (26 yo), top 10% grades with a summer associate-ship(?) lined up at a selective firm for next summer.
-Was pretty miserable all of 1L, but that's to be expected. I got a chance to work at a firm this past summer and honestly just hated it. The work felt pretty meaningless, unfulfilling, and by the end of the summer I felt that I was mainly in it just for the paycheck. The thought of reading, researching, and writing briefs for the foreseeable future seems kind of unbearable the more I have thought about it over the last few weeks.

-Have had very little motivation in the courses I am currently taking since becoming disillusioned with the law.

- I am currently ~30K in total UG + LS debt, so I've been somewhat fortunate financially.

-I wanted to pursue medicine as a teenager, and I even started undergrad as a pre-med, but after getting a C- in O-chem (after getting a B/A in GenChem 1/2) I freaked out and decided to drop pre-med. I definitely still have to shadow/volunteer and make sure I'm not rushing into something I regret, but this was my first passion, and I don't think I want to make a career as a lawyer.

-Decided on law school after graduating with Econ degree after going through the rest of UG aimlessly. I worked as a paralegal for a couple years so maybe I should have known better.

- Have really been regretting my immature undergrad decisions at this point, and I didn't think med school would ever be possible because of my undergrad GPA, but the more I have read these forums and into post-bacs, the more I think this is possible.

Stats:

3.08 cGPA from HYPS undergrad
2.65 sGPA, but have only taken 20 units that count toward BCPM (gen chem + 2 takes of first ochem class)
First generation, Hispanic, low-SES upbringing (not sure if this matters like it does kind of in LS apps)

My thought is to enroll in one of the career-changer UC/CSU post-bac program to take the classes I have left in addition to volunteering/shadowing over the course of the next two years.

I have been playing around with AMCAS GPA calculators, and *if* I maintain a 3.8 average across all post-bac classes, I would end up with: ~3.25 cGPA / ~3.45 sGPA when I apply, with the possibility of improving that with a couple more classes over the summer I apply to schools. I consider myself an above-average standardized test-taker (great LSAT/SAT scores fwiw) and believe in my ability to get an above-average MCAT score.

My poor undergrad experience always worried me that I wouldn't have the dedication to go through with pre-reqs for med school, but after the discipline and study skills I developed over 1L, I believe that I can accomplish this if I put my mind to it and commit.

I am probably romanticizing med school a bit, but I am very unhappy in law school despite being on the "right track," and med school was always the dream before I let my immaturity ruin my UG academics. A couple of my friends are a year or two into med school, and I am fascinated with their experience and just envy them when we speak now. My friends and their med school classmates I've met appear to be at least superficially happier than most law students.

My thoughts are that I should get out of law school now that I know I will be miserable before incurring more debt, but really unsure, maybe a leave of absence?

Input really appreciated:
SO, thoughts? Am I crazy and having a quarter-life crisis?
Can I make it into an MD/DO program if I get the grades and the MCAT?
What range of schools might I have a chance at, if so?
Should I stay put and graduate? It would be another $20K on top of my current debt ($40K).

I used to think I would be happy as long as I had a high-paying job, but after experiencing biglaw and practice, I can't imagine pushing paper and being an attorney for the rest of my life. I used to think medicine was out of reach, but feel like I can do this now, but am i tripping?

Again, sorry for the word vomit. Any and all responses are greatly appreciated!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[libertyyne]

Hi everyone,

**super long post sorry**

TL;DR: Do I have a chance at MD/DO schools as a non-trad (28yo) first-generation Hispanic applicant with 3.25/3.4 GPAs (no current MCAT), and is it worth it to give up on law school if I'm miserable despite doing reasonably well and pursuing the med school dream?

****

Thanks for all replies in advance. So, might be a very typical situation, but... I'm a current second-year law student very unhappy and considering dropping out to start the med school route.

Current Situation:

-2L at a T20 law school (26 yo), top 10% grades with a summer associate-ship(?) lined up at a selective firm for next summer.
-Was pretty miserable all of 1L, but that's to be expected. I got a chance to work at a firm this past summer and honestly just hated it. The work felt pretty meaningless, unfulfilling, and by the end of the summer I felt that I was mainly in it just for the paycheck. The thought of reading, researching, and writing briefs for the foreseeable future seems kind of unbearable the more I have thought about it over the last few weeks.

-Have had very little motivation in the courses I am currently taking since becoming disillusioned with the law.

- I am currently ~30K in total UG + LS debt, so I've been somewhat fortunate financially.

-I wanted to pursue medicine as a teenager, and I even started undergrad as a pre-med, but after getting a C- in O-chem (after getting a B/A in GenChem 1/2) I freaked out and decided to drop pre-med. I definitely still have to shadow/volunteer and make sure I'm not rushing into something I regret, but this was my first passion, and I don't think I want to make a career as a lawyer.

-Decided on law school after graduating with Econ degree after going through the rest of UG aimlessly. I worked as a paralegal for a couple years so maybe I should have known better.

- Have really been regretting my immature undergrad decisions at this point, and I didn't think med school would ever be possible because of my undergrad GPA, but the more I have read these forums and into post-bacs, the more I think this is possible.

Stats:

3.08 cGPA from HYPS undergrad
2.65 sGPA, but have only taken 20 units that count toward BCPM (gen chem + 2 takes of first ochem class)
First generation, Hispanic, low-SES upbringing (not sure if this matters like it does kind of in LS apps)

My thought is to enroll in one of the career-changer UC/CSU post-bac program to take the classes I have left in addition to volunteering/shadowing over the course of the next two years.

I have been playing around with AMCAS GPA calculators, and *if* I maintain a 3.8 average across all post-bac classes, I would end up with: ~3.25 cGPA / ~3.45 sGPA when I apply, with the possibility of improving that with a couple more classes over the summer I apply to schools. I consider myself an above-average standardized test-taker (great LSAT/SAT scores fwiw) and believe in my ability to get an above-average MCAT score.

My poor undergrad experience always worried me that I wouldn't have the dedication to go through with pre-reqs for med school, but after the discipline and study skills I developed over 1L, I believe that I can accomplish this if I put my mind to it and commit.

I am probably romanticizing med school a bit, but I am very unhappy in law school despite being on the "right track," and med school was always the dream before I let my immaturity ruin my UG academics. A couple of my friends are a year or two into med school, and I am fascinated with their experience and just envy them when we speak now. My friends and their med school classmates I've met appear to be at least superficially happier than most law students.

My thoughts are that I should get out of law school now that I know I will be miserable before incurring more debt, but really unsure, maybe a leave of absence?

Input really appreciated:
SO, thoughts? Am I crazy and having a quarter-life crisis?
Can I make it into an MD/DO program if I get the grades and the MCAT?
What range of schools might I have a chance at, if so?
Should I stay put and graduate? It would be another $20K on top of my current debt ($40K).

I used to think I would be happy as long as I had a high-paying job, but after experiencing biglaw and practice, I can't imagine pushing paper and being an attorney for the rest of my life. I used to think medicine was out of reach, but feel like I can do this now, but am i tripping?

Again, sorry for the word vomit. Any and all responses are greatly appreciated!

There is lots of paper pushing in medicine.
It sounds crazy.
It is an uphill battle with that GPA for MD
Are you mexican? I am unsure if all hispanics are considered URM.
What is your previous MCAT score?
Medicine is not as glamorous either.
I would complete your degree, work for a year or two and then go back. You may love law just yet. Just in case you dont like medicine or change your mind.
There are plenty of ways you could find fullfilling work in Law provided it doesnt pay well.

 

[libertyyne]

Here is the worst case scenario:
You leave Law school at a t 20.
you take loans for post bac
Life happens
You dont get into MD or DO

you are now a lawschool drop out with 80K of debt with no job. What will you do ?

 

[NonTradOverLS]

Even if you are considered URM, 2.65 is nowhere near competitive, unless you are a high MCAT African.

With DO you can grade replace but it'll take you a while. And DO gives fewer "bonus points" to URMs than MD.

That is my sGPA with only a handful of science classes. I still have to take all OChem/Bio/Physics/Biochem and any other necessary electives, which I would do via a career-changer post-bac. Provided I maintain ~3.8 in all the post-bac classes, I would be around ~3.25cGPA and 3.4x sGPA when I actually apply. Wondering if that changes your thoughts?

 

[libertyyne]

That is my sGPA with only a handful of science classes. I still have to take all OChem/Bio/Physics/Biochem and any other necessary electives, which I would do via a career-changer post-bac. Provided I maintain ~3.8 in all the post-bac classes, I would be around ~3.25cGPA and 3.4x sGPA when I actually apply. Wondering if that changes your thoughts?

Nope.

 

[NonTradOverLS]

Here is the worst case scenario:
You leave Law school at a t 20.
you take loans for post bac
Life happens
You dont get into MD or DO

you are now a lawschool drop out with 80K of debt with no job. What will you do ?

I'm only 30k in debt right now (if I do my SA, I could cut my debt down to 10k), and I would take a leave of absence from law school. I would only continue the post-bac classes as long as I got As, otherwise I could return to law school whenever.

 

[libertyyne]

I meant the interest accrued on debt and Post bac cost. Also you loose 100K every year you delay graduating from law school.

 

[QofQuimica]

Yes, you're romanticizing medical school. And yes, you most definitely need to shadow/volunteer in a clinical setting for a while first before making any decisions about pursuing medicine.

Keep in mind too that attending law school is nothing like practicing law, and there are many other venues for practicing law besides the firm you worked at last summer. So I would suggest also shadowing some lawyers (and maybe judges if that interests you?) to see if there is some other career path in law that you would find meaningful and interesting. Some of the ex-law types here might be able to help you if you give us some more info regarding your path to law. Meaning, there must be some reason why you went to law school in the first place. What was it that attracted you to law?