Medical School for the non-traditional applicant - w/o all prerequisites

[Anonymous5678]

I have wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. I was constantly deterred from pursuing this while in college from family members and friends and ultimately decided against pursuing it. However, everything brings me back to it which is why, despite pushback, I am pursuing it.

Long story short - I graduated undergrad a few years ago with a behavior science degree in health care management and I have an MBA. I have completed classes such as bio 1 & 2, cell biology and statistics, and various psychology and sociology classes, all of which I received an A. I have not taken chemistry or physics.

Currently, I am being tutored for the MCAT, which I plan on taking late spring.

I do not have extensive volunteer experience, but I do have some. I currently work for a medical group where I am responsible for training the new physicians on their EMR. Because of this, I do one-on-one support with them. Just this year I have trained 25 doctors. My department is responsible for understanding and implementing all of the inner workings of our medical group. I know it is not the same, but it is wishful thinking that this would be considered by admissions?

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[Lannister]

Why take the MCAT when you haven't taken all the pre-reqs? Postpone the test and take chemistry, physics, and, most importantly, biochemistry.

 

[freedoctor17]

Why take the MCAT when you haven't taken all the pre-reqs? Postpone the test and take chemistry, physics, and, most importantly, biochemistry.

If they're being tutored for it then might not be an issue depending on how easily they're learning things. I had a friend do something similar and scored above 90th percentile then while taking the prereqs afterwards the classes were much easier for them. The whole thing seemed way too backwards to me lol but for some people it could work.

If your struggling with the material or not doing too well on practice exams then I'd definitely recommend delaying as well until after you take the prereqs. You'll need them for most schools anyways and the mcat is only good for 3 years so no point in risking it expiring on you or whatnot while you figure out all the rest of your stuff.

@Goro @LizzyM @Catalystik @HomeSkool @gyngyn can probably comment better on your volunteer experience though it definitely sounds like something that'll stand out to me, though you still need to make sure you get formal shadowing hours.

 

[LizzyM]

You are going to need to take chem and organic chem and physics. Typically, organic chem has chemistry as a pre-req. If you stay on the job and take the classes part-time, you are likely to need 2 academic years to complete the required courses. Then you'd apply during a gap year.

Don't take the MCAT until you are scoring at least 510 on the MCAT. Don't take it just to see how you do as a bad MCAT will haunt you like a whacko ex.

Your employment by a physician group does give you an insider view of one portion of medical practice. You should have some exposure, if you don't get it on the job, of what a physician's entire day looks like, including time spent face-to-face with patients and in other clinical activities.

You have mentioned volunteerism but have not describe what that has entailed for you. That will be something that some schools will want to see.

Some schools will be looking for research experience and a familiarity with the scientific method. Any experience in that regard? Any clinical outcome research?

What was your undergrad gpa?

 

[operaman]

If they're being tutored for it then might not be an issue depending on how easily they're learning things. I had a friend do something similar and scored above 90th percentile then while taking the prereqs afterwards the classes were much easier for them. The whole thing seemed way too backwards to me lol but for some people it could work.

If your struggling with the material or not doing too well on practice exams then I'd definitely recommend delaying as well until after you take the prereqs. You'll need them for most schools anyways and the mcat is only good for 3 years so no point in risking it expiring on you or whatnot while you figure out all the rest of your stuff.

@Goro @LizzyM @Catalystik @HomeSkool @gyngyn can probably comment better on your volunteer experience though it definitely sounds like something that'll stand out to me, though you still need to make sure you get formal shadowing hours.

I was one who scored over the 90th percentile and had never set foot in a science class since sophomore year of high school. Just taught myself and used free online materials and courses. Started pre reqs after the mcat while I was applying in order to shorten the gap. It worked for me and I went into it knowing I could do it and also knew I could reapply. It was definitely high risk but it was what was necessary given my own unique situation at the time.

 

[Kr#36]

I know it is not the same, but it is wishful thinking that this would be considered by admissions?

It is wishful thinking. Take the courses, crush the mcat, and increase your volunteer hours along the way. This is coming from a fellow non-trad who held several jobs working face to face with physicians and patients in the past. It is great experience that helps on my apps and in my interviews, but before it can be helpful you need the pre-reqs with a good gpa and a solid mcat.

 

[HomeSkool]

As always, LizzyM gives outstanding guidance. You'll need to take all prerequisite courses, and the MSAR will tell you what those are for every school. There's a huge amount of overlap between schools, but a few have unique requirements. If you already have a preferred school in mind, be sure to check its requirements specifically.

There are four major categories of ECs schools want to see.

1. Clinical volunteering. In addition to demonstrating altruism, this shows schools that you enjoy working with and serving the sick/injured. Paid clinical work also demonstrates your commitment to care for patients.
2. Nonclinical volunteering. This also shows altruism, in addition to well-roundedness.
3. Shadowing. Unlike clinical volunteering, this is observational in nature, and it's meant to introduce you to many aspects of a doctor's clinical and nonclinical role and responsibilities.
4. Research. This is meant to introduce you to the scientific process and allow you to display an interest in science and the advancement of knowledge.

Of these, research is the least important (though not unimportant) except at a few research-focused schools. LizzyM previously gave a breakdown of how many hours are desirable for the other three categories, which you can find here: How many volunteer hours are solid? Your work is excellent and will show adcoms that you have exposure to a portion of clinical practice, but it can't take the place of clinical volunteering/work or shadowing.

I have wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. I was constantly deterred from pursuing this while in college from family members and friends and ultimately decided against pursuing it.

This behavior from family and friends irritates me so much. "It's really competitive and demanding" is no reason to avoid something of true value to oneself and others. I'm forever grateful that my family supported me every step of the way.

a bad MCAT will haunt you like a whacko ex.

@LizzyM, that analogy made my day. I had a whacko ex-girlfriend in college. Oh, the memories...

I was one who scored over the 90th percentile and had never set foot in a science class since sophomore year of high school. Just taught myself and used free online materials and courses. Started pre reqs after the mcat while I was applying in order to shorten the gap.

I also took the MCAT prior to multiple prereqs (in my case, gen chem 2, gen chem lab, and physics 1 and 2 and their associated labs) and did very well. However, I do not recommend that others do the same. LizzyM's guidance is the key to success here: it's imperative that you not take the test until you're consistently achieving good scores on full-length practice tests simulating actual testing conditions.

 

[alexlex143]

While some people seemed to have had luck taking the MCAT without taking prereqs first, I'd be concerned about your MCAT score expiring by the time you finish your prereqs and apply. I'm sure it can be done but you should keep a timeline in mind. At my school, we were required to show proof of passing gen chem before taking ochem, and then ochem before biochem. That's 3 years.

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[Goro]

I have wanted to be a doctor for as long as I can remember. I was constantly deterred from pursuing this while in college from family members and friends and ultimately decided against pursuing it. However, everything brings me back to it which is why, despite pushback, I am pursuing it.

Long story short - I graduated undergrad a few years ago with a behavior science degree in health care management and I have an MBA. I have completed classes such as bio 1 & 2, cell biology and statistics, and various psychology and sociology classes, all of which I received an A. I have not taken chemistry or physics.

Currently, I am being tutored for the MCAT, which I plan on taking late spring.

I do not have extensive volunteer experience, but I do have some. I currently work for a medical group where I am responsible for training the new physicians on their EMR. Because of this, I do one-on-one support with them. Just this year I have trained 25 doctors. My department is responsible for understanding and implementing all of the inner workings of our medical group. I know it is not the same, but it is wishful thinking that this would be considered by admissions?

I think it's extremely risky to take a career-deciding, high stakes exam without taking the coursework behind it. Kudos to operaman and Homeskool for pulling this off, but in reality, they're outliers.

 

[HomeSkool]

I think it's extremely risky to take a career-deciding, high stakes exam without taking the coursework behind it. Kudos to operaman and Homeskool for pulling this off, but in reality, they're outliers.

As the great Goro has said elsewhere, I do have a knack for understatement. I don't recommend that others do as I did, and I've edited my previous post to make that clear. This test is too important to take chances on.

 

[@Hazel-rah]

I cannot disagree that taking formal pre-reqs is a good idea.

BUT: You can be accepted and not have taken all the pre-reqs at an increasing number of schools. (There are a few threads listing those schools; do a search.)

A strong well-rounded MCAT could prove competency in the prerequisite sciences. If you are a strong self-motivated learner, you can become competent in these subjects without pursuing a formal transcript.

(If you do end up taking classes, one of the best possible classes to take would be biochemistry, IMHO.)

Read this school's competency-based admissions requirements for one example:
Requirements

Best wishes to you!

 

[@Hazel-rah]

I would strongly disagree with that interpretation of the very brief blurb on UMich website of how competencies can be shown simply by MCAT success. These core competencies have been developed over the past decade by the AAMC and focus on course work. A more indepth explanation complete understanding can be seen on the Albert Einstein Medical School site where it states

Suggested Minimum Credit Hours and Experience

• In our experience, the above Knowledge Competencies are most successfully attained by applicants who have had a minimum of three years of study toward a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or Canada as well as 40 credit hours of science and mathematics, including advanced biology courses for which letter grades are available (not Pass/Fail, unless college policy), 40 credit hours of humanities and social sciences, and substantial experience in clinical, community, and/or research activities (as described above). Students who complete their science course work in a post-baccalaureate program must have completed at least 30 credit hours in a U.S.-chartered college or university whose grades can be reported and verified by AMCAS.

You’re right—the initial blurb is shallow. Scroll down and open the lengthly descriptions of their interpretation of each of the competencies, in which the AAMC competency document is also linked.

 

[PreMedMissteps]

I have completed classes such as bio 1 & 2, cell biology and statistics, and various psychology and sociology classes, all of which I received an A. I have not taken chemistry or physics.

Currently, I am being tutored for the MCAT, which I plan on taking late spring.

What????

Do not take the MCAT in the spring... you’re not ready.

This is not the ACT/SAT where you can take it multiple times and schools will just take the highest score or superscore. You don’t want a low MCAT on your record. Some med schools may average your MCAT scores. Getting a 500 now and a 510+ later is not a good thing.