Making the decision to go to medical school

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sarahg

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What should be the first step for someone who has just started to consider medical school? I'm a senior psychology major currently on track to go to occupational therapy school after I graduate (which will be next january). However, I've been having a nagging thought that maybe med school is a better route for me. I have been volunteering with a couple of OTs, and while I really enjoy working in the early childhood intervention setting, I'm not sure that it would be intellectually challenging enough to suit me long term and I'm not really interested in doing OT in other settings (and working with pediatrics doesn't pay as well as most OT specialties). I'm very interested in how the body works and diseases, and becoming a doctor could allow me to still have the social aspect that attracts me to OT while having the opportunity to challenge myself more and use more science. I also want a profession I can do internationally (in developing/tropical countries if possible) and medicine might be more conducive to that.

One of the main factors that draws me back to OT is that I could go to a highly ranked graduate school immediately after graduating, and be gainfully employed and making a decent living within 2.5 years after that. Whereas, medical school would take a year of post-bac prereqs, 4 years of school (probably only getting into a lower-tier program), then $$ (yes, residency, but residents make about the same as starting salary for a pediatric OT). So, obviously, there are opportunity costs.

Besides online research, what should I do to help me figure out whether med school is the right choice for me? How did everyone here decide to leave their current fields and pursue medicine? I'm leaning strongly towards it right now, but the opportunity costs are so high I'd like to be sure. I'm still in school so I have a pre-med advisor that can set me up with some shadowing experiences that I could start in the fall and I could do a 1-month premed internship (I graduate after next january term -- my school is expensive so I'd rather do postbac work at a public school than stay here longer). If it's relevant to anything, my GPA is currently 2.9 but I anticipate bringing it up to at least 3.1 by graduation (the 2.9 is due to one awful semester which brought my GPA down from 3.2 to 2.8). I also haven't taken any of the prereqs besides high school AP credits for intro bio and calc 1-2, so I'll have the opportunity to get a good GPA in those. (Feel free to move this if I'm not non-traditional enough -- but with the GPA issues and needing to do a post-bac program eventually, I felt like I have more in common with the posters in this forum than the regular pre-MD forum.)

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What should be the first step for someone who has just started to consider medical school? I'm a senior psychology major currently on track to go to occupational therapy school after I graduate (which will be next january). However, I've been having a nagging thought that maybe med school is a better route for me. I have been volunteering with a couple of OTs, and while I really enjoy working in the early childhood intervention setting, I'm not sure that it would be intellectually challenging enough to suit me long term and I'm not really interested in doing OT in other settings (and working with pediatrics doesn't pay as well as most OT specialties). I'm very interested in how the body works and diseases, and becoming a doctor could allow me to still have the social aspect that attracts me to OT while having the opportunity to challenge myself more and use more science. I also want a profession I can do internationally (in developing/tropical countries if possible) and medicine might be more conducive to that.

One of the main factors that draws me back to OT is that I could go to a highly ranked graduate school immediately after graduating, and be gainfully employed and making a decent living within 2.5 years after that. Whereas, medical school would take a year of post-bac prereqs, 4 years of school (probably only getting into a lower-tier program), then $$ (yes, residency, but residents make about the same as starting salary for a pediatric OT). So, obviously, there are opportunity costs.

Besides online research, what should I do to help me figure out whether med school is the right choice for me? How did everyone here decide to leave their current fields and pursue medicine? I'm leaning strongly towards it right now, but the opportunity costs are so high I'd like to be sure. I'm still in school so I have a pre-med advisor that can set me up with some shadowing experiences that I could start in the fall and I could do a 1-month premed internship (I graduate after next january term -- my school is expensive so I'd rather do postbac work at a public school than stay here longer). If it's relevant to anything, my GPA is currently 2.9 but I anticipate bringing it up to at least 3.1 by graduation (the 2.9 is due to one awful semester which brought my GPA down from 3.2 to 2.8). I also haven't taken any of the prereqs besides high school AP credits for intro bio and calc 1-2, so I'll have the opportunity to get a good GPA in those. (Feel free to move this if I'm not non-traditional enough -- but with the GPA issues and needing to do a post-bac program eventually, I felt like I have more in common with the posters in this forum than the regular pre-MD forum.)

Have you considered continuing on with psychology as a career?
 
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What should be the first step for someone who has just started to consider medical school? I'm a senior psychology major currently on track to go to occupational therapy school after I graduate (which will be next january). However, I've been having a nagging thought that maybe med school is a better route for me. I have been volunteering with a couple of OTs, and while I really enjoy working in the early childhood intervention setting, I'm not sure that it would be intellectually challenging enough to suit me long term and I'm not really interested in doing OT in other settings (and working with pediatrics doesn't pay as well as most OT specialties). I'm very interested in how the body works and diseases, and becoming a doctor could allow me to still have the social aspect that attracts me to OT while having the opportunity to challenge myself more and use more science. I also want a profession I can do internationally (in developing/tropical countries if possible) and medicine might be more conducive to that.

One of the main factors that draws me back to OT is that I could go to a highly ranked graduate school immediately after graduating, and be gainfully employed and making a decent living within 2.5 years after that. Whereas, medical school would take a year of post-bac prereqs, 4 years of school (probably only getting into a lower-tier program), then $$ (yes, residency, but residents make about the same as starting salary for a pediatric OT). So, obviously, there are opportunity costs.

Besides online research, what should I do to help me figure out whether med school is the right choice for me? How did everyone here decide to leave their current fields and pursue medicine? I'm leaning strongly towards it right now, but the opportunity costs are so high I'd like to be sure. I'm still in school so I have a pre-med advisor that can set me up with some shadowing experiences that I could start in the fall and I could do a 1-month premed internship (I graduate after next january term -- my school is expensive so I'd rather do postbac work at a public school than stay here longer). If it's relevant to anything, my GPA is currently 2.9 but I anticipate bringing it up to at least 3.1 by graduation (the 2.9 is due to one awful semester which brought my GPA down from 3.2 to 2.8). I also haven't taken any of the prereqs besides high school AP credits for intro bio and calc 1-2, so I'll have the opportunity to get a good GPA in those. (Feel free to move this if I'm not non-traditional enough -- but with the GPA issues and needing to do a post-bac program eventually, I felt like I have more in common with the posters in this forum than the regular pre-MD forum.)

A 2.9 with 4 years of quality points weighing it down is a huge problem that can't easily be overcome with a post bacc comprised only of the pre-reqs. You may face additional years of GPA repair...do some shadowing, volunteer in a hospital, and get a feel for what docs do everyday, and if this motivates you, do some research on your options for overcoming that lousy GPA...
 
shadowing/volunteering. Medicine in practice is often very different than people imagine. So see it first hand and see if you still think it's something you'd want to do for a living.

Thanks, I'll be sure to ask my advisor if she has connections with any doctors I can shadow.

Have you considered continuing on with psychology as a career?

That was my plan when I became a psych major, but I've realized it's not for me. I don't want to work in research, and I'm more attracted to psychiatry (and other aspects of medicine) than clinical psychology. Plus psych PhD programs generally take 5-7 years plus a 1-2 year postdoc, so they're really the same time commitment as medical schools and just as hard to get into (but significantly cheaper).

A 2.9 with 4 years of quality points weighing it down is a huge problem that can't easily be overcome with a post bacc comprised only of the pre-reqs. You may face additional years of GPA repair...do some shadowing, volunteer in a hospital, and get a feel for what docs do everyday, and if this motivates you, do some research on your options for overcoming that lousy GPA...

It's actually 3 years of points, I took last fall off so I've just begun my senior year, and I should be able to bring it up to at least 3.1 with summer school. But I understand that I'll have to take extra classes beyond the required prereqs and I'm willing to do that. I was also thinking of going DO as I've heard they'll give you more credit for positive trends in grades even if your overall GPA isn't great but I'd prefer MD for international purposes if that's attainable for me.
 
It's actually 3 years of points, I took last fall off so I've just begun my senior year, and I should be able to bring it up to at least 3.1 with summer school. But I understand that I'll have to take extra classes beyond the required prereqs and I'm willing to do that. I was also thinking of going DO as I've heard they'll give you more credit for positive trends in grades even if your overall GPA isn't great but I'd prefer MD for international purposes if that's attainable for me.

Do the math on your GPA to fully understand where you stand. Assume you make nothing but As on remaining degree credits, plus the post bacc classes you need for pre-reqs...then compute your maximum GPA...and then tell us where you will theoretically stand.

It can be fairly shocking to learn how many credits of A (with nothing less) you will need to raise 3 years of a 2.9 to the reasonably competitive 3.5, much less to the median matriculant 3.7...roughly, it looks like about 3 years of straight As to get to the 3.5 area...

Not trying to talk you out of it. Do some shadowing and volunteering, do the math, and if you really want it, you will figure out how to get there.

Not so sure I understand your preference for MD over DO for "international purposes." Like what?

DO is more forgiving on retakes of courses with low grades - they "replace" the old grade with the new grade - MD / AMCAS "averages" them...thus it is easier to raise a low GPA with retakes for DO schools, but retaking is not really your problem...
 
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Take it from another psych major...you'll be spending much more than a year doing pre-reqs. I agree with the other posters, you should spend a considerable amount of time volunteering/shadowing in a hospital, to see if it's a good fit for you.
 
Law2Doc,

Have you ever posted a non-killjoy response in your SDN life?

<prepared for a stupid link to a stupid counter-example>

He gave his usual realistic advice based on personal experience. The advice is consistent with other posts on this thread. Not sure what other issues you have with L2D, but there isn't anything here that would justify such a response.
 
Take it from another psych major...you'll be spending much more than a year doing pre-reqs. I agree with the other posters, you should spend a considerable amount of time volunteering/shadowing in a hospital, to see if it's a good fit for you.

Hmm...I already have credits for Calc I and II and Bio through AP tests, and I only have 1 class left for my psych major so I have room for two summer classes and 3 classes in Spring (obviously not all can be lab science, but a few can) so I was hoping to get by with just one year post-bac to finish prereqs and take relevant electives. Should I count on longer than that?
 
Hmm...I already have credits for Calc I and II and Bio through AP tests, and I only have 1 class left for my psych major so I have room for two summer classes and 3 classes in Spring (obviously not all can be lab science, but a few can) so I was hoping to get by with just one year post-bac to finish prereqs and take relevant electives. Should I count on longer than that?


What about Gen Chem I and II, Organic I and II, Physics I and II? Check with your institution but I'm almost positive you won't be able to take these simultaneously. Some are pre-reqs for others
 
Hmm...I already have credits for Calc I and II and Bio through AP tests, and I only have 1 class left for my psych major so I have room for two summer classes and 3 classes in Spring (obviously not all can be lab science, but a few can) so I was hoping to get by with just one year post-bac to finish prereqs and take relevant electives. Should I count on longer than that?

I'm not sure I would count on AP credit to count as Bio credit for med schools. I'm actually a little surprised your pysch dept there counted it for the major. I was also a pysch major and since it was in the same Arts/Sciences "dept" as bio and chem we had to take the normal Bio I and II instead of any AP credit or the bio for non-science majors.

I guess you could always contact a few schools and see. Start going online and making an actual list of what schools require and/or recommend. There are some differences but in general I'd say plan on doing Bio 1 & 2 and lab, Chem 1 & 2 and lab, Organic 1 & 2 and lab, Physics 1 & 2 w/ lab, possibly Biochem, and even things like Genetics that may not be required but recommended or suggested.

You'll have to do the math to see what a year of even all A's will bring you up to, but it's not going to be a fun year.

Just trying to be honest. I was in a somewhat similar position. After my first 2 years of undergrad I took some time off of school and was sitting on a 2.something GPA. Started back by getting my AA and then finishing my degree and was able to get up to ~3.4-3.5 but it's just hard to pull something like that back up after you've taken a decent amount of credits. It definitely took more than a year.
 
If you don't have the hrs and qualifications for clinical psychology, then you may wish to pursue some research opportunities. Almost every major university that has a psychology program is looking for help in research.
 
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