Management Consultant at Top-tier firm looking to go to Med School. Chances?

[heisenberger]

Hi all,

I am currently finishing up my second year as a management consultant in a top-tier firm. After working long hours and dedicating my life to the firm, I always feel fruitless. I hate corporate life and want to change careers to live life as a doctor, where I can actually help people heal and not feel like a sellout everyday. The medical school workload and life don't phase me as I already work close to 80-90 hour weeks, and had very good studying habits throughout my life.

I had explored the idea of going to Medical School in college and taken all the Pre-med classes except for Bio 2. My other stats and extra curriculars are as follows:

1. Graduated 3.7 GPA in Chemical Engineering from Rutgers
2. Obtained A in both Orgo 1 and Orgo 2
3. Ran private tutoring practice during all 4 years of college and was a TA for Engineering Classes
4. Currently finishing up second year as a management consultant
5. Volunteered as a live-in assistant for a month in a physical therapy and rehab facility in the Philippines
6. Wrote as a sports columnist in my college newspaper
7. Recruitment lead for my firm for East Coast colleges

My question is: Could I still apply and get in to Med School with all these stats combined given a good MCAT score WITHOUT ever having taken Bio 2? I have taken all other pre-med classes: Bio 1, physics 1/2, Gen Chem 1/2, Orgo 1/2 and 2 semesters of writing

Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Pose]

Most schools will require either bio 2, or an upper level bio course. A select few schools seem not to require specific prereqs, and there was recently a thread about those schools somewhere in this forum.

What kind of exposure to medicine have you had? I think you have a really interesting application, but you'll need to demonstrate that you know what being a physician entails. You very well might end up feeling like a sellout as a physician, and frustrated by your lack of ability to help people because of all of the bureaucracy, red tape, paperwork, insurance, etc.

 

[SN12357]

I'm not sure you want to risk trying to matriculate without Bio 2, but you can definitely apply without it. I wrapped up my last prereq this last fall semester while applying. If your other grades and MCAT are good enough they have no reason to doubt you'll do well in a last remaining prereq, it won't affect your application. But you probably still have to take it.

 

[ChE04]

You should probably try to work in some kind of semi-long-term medical volunteering and some shadowing. As was said previously, you can apply without Bio 2, but it's very any school will let you matriculate without it. Your grades are good enough, just take it at a community college during your application year.

 

[Goro]

Strongly concur.

You should probably try to work in some kind of semi-long-term medical volunteering and some shadowing. As was said previously, you can apply without Bio 2, but it's very any school will let you matriculate without it. Your grades are good enough, just take it at a community college during your application year.

 

[heisenberger]

Thanks for the responses guys

ChE04 : I appreciate the suggestion of taking Bio 2 at a community college, will probably end up going that route.

Also when you say semi-long volunteering - can you clarify? Like would a 3 month stint suffice or should it atleast be half a year?

 

[TLAD123]

Thanks for the responses guys

ChE04 : I appreciate the suggestion of taking Bio 2 at a community college, will probably end up going that route.

Also when you say semi-long volunteering - can you clarify? Like would a 3 month stint suffice or should it atleast be half a year?

You can say 3 months, but that means nothing if you volunteer 1 hour per month... You need enough volunteering experience/shadowing to prove to yourself and the ADCOMs that you know how deep the water is that you are diving into. Get maybe a day's worth of shadowing with 3+ different physician specialties. Could find a free clinic somewhere and volunteer for a few months when it operates, volunteer your available hours (doesn't sound like you have many unless you are planning on taking a year off your current job to do all this) at a local hospital and work your way to the ER/floors if possible to get to a point of actually seeing doctors at work. I have no idea how to quantify the hours but get some good quality experiences.

 

[ChE04]

Thanks for the responses guys

ChE04 : I appreciate the suggestion of taking Bio 2 at a community college, will probably end up going that route.

Also when you say semi-long volunteering - can you clarify? Like would a 3 month stint suffice or should it atleast be half a year?

I suppose the longer the better really. I'd probably aim for at least 6-9 months of a once a week gig. The point is to show you are committed and that medicine is not just a passing fancy that you decided to have a go at, so however long that takes.

 

[DokterMom]

Do the shadowing first, since you've got a stable and lucrative career currently. No point in compromising that unless you're certain you want to be a doctor.

Then find a volunteer gig that will be grateful for whatever time and/or expertise you can give. Look for something LOW GLAMOR and domestic since you'll be able to demonstrate altruism and possibly get some meaningful clinical experiences at the same time. Affluent urban and suburban hospitals often have waiting lists for volunteers and enough staff so that you won't actually get to do anything meaningful anyway. Hospice and nursing homes, disabled kids, veterans -- all count.

If you start soon with relatively light hours, you can rack up 'longevity' while you attend school and study for the MCAT. Then rack up more hours after the class and MCAT are behind you. (Maybe take a vacation and volunteer instead?)

 

[EngtoDoc]

Agree with comments above. Most school require two semesters of bio, and some require biochem as well. You don't need them to apply, but will need them to matriculate, and in my experience, will need them to do well on the MCAT (upper level bio and chem classes really help to tie the basic science knowledge together). I have taken most of my pre-reqs in a community college - cheap and offer a flexible schedule, as i only take evening classes. Volunteer in a free clinic or ER - that's always a good start.

 

[Being]

Also when you say semi-long volunteering - can you clarify? Like would a 3 month stint suffice or should it atleast be half a year?

I think it should really be from now until whenever you get your first acceptance. Otherwise you run the risk of it looking like you were just checking off items on a list and didn't really care. Just what feels better to me as a fellow pre-med with no experience, though, so FWIW.

 

[theseeker4]

Thanks for the responses guys

ChE04 : I appreciate the suggestion of taking Bio 2 at a community college, will probably end up going that route.

Also when you say semi-long volunteering - can you clarify? Like would a 3 month stint suffice or should it atleast be half a year?

I applied with a resume not nearly as impressive as yours, started my clinical volunteering the same month I submitted my application, and applied to a single school (EDP) and was accepted. That pathway is by no means ideal or recommended, but if you really won't want to wait an extra year to apply (assuming you can prepare for and successfully take the MCAT by June), don't skip this upcoming application cycle based on the difference between applying with 3 months of volunteering vs. a year and three months of volunteering.

Start now, get in as many hours as you reasonably can while sufficiently studying for the MCAT, and plan to take your bio II after your MCAT is done. Alternatively, if you want to wait until a year from this June to apply, you can be a little less time-intensive in your studying and volunteering, and get bio II in before you take the MCAT. Really depends on how much time you want to spend and how much you want to do.

Volunteering should be consistent from now until you are accepted, and you should have at least a few shadowing experiences in there as well by the time you apply.