More or less non-traditional

[NuclearWhammy]

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Hello Everyone,

So here is my story. Coming from a stormy family background, I let myself persuaded not to bother with medical school (too expensive, blah blah, you wont have a life. etc.) So I ended up getting into medical imaging. (currently CNMT Certified in Nuclear Medicine) I have an Associates in General Studies (GPA Around 3.8) and an Associates in NM. (GPA around 3.5). The reason for the lower GPA was that I just want to get done with it, and have it as a "backup" plan if Med. School wont be feasible. I've got positive feedback from all the hospitals I trained in. In hospitals people tried to persuade me towards PA programs, no disrespect towards PAs but I want the full-MD experience, with all of its responsibilities. I'm 23, in the "Normal" age for a B.S., no family members in medicine to get advice from. I'm involved in radiology, but surgery is my original interest, which is famous for its long training years. On my second day in clinical practice I've regretted my choice of not getting into med. school, but I had too many uncertainties in the past. Now I might get a full-time job, and I'm stuck with part-time schooling option only. I can get my credits transferred into an online B.S. Program that would give me a degree, but pre-req courses are still not covered, so its no different on the long run. I want to get into med. school, and I know I can do it, I just don't know how. I also don't know how seriously Medical schools take people with previous healthcare experience.

 

[EsotericAlchemy]

Hey! I'm a CNMT also. Welcome to the forums. I worked as a nuclear med tech for 6 years. Now I'm 28 and will be starting MD school tomorrow actually.
Med schools like folks with Healthcare experience.

Rock your classes and the MCAT and where there's a will, there's a way.

 

[Goro]

We LIKE people with clinical training! You already know what patients are like.

Hello Everyone,

So here is my story. Coming from a stormy family background, I let myself persuaded not to bother with medical school (too expensive, blah blah, you wont have a life. etc.) So I ended up getting into medical imaging. (currently CNMT Certified in Nuclear Medicine) I have an Associates in General Studies (GPA Around 3.8) and an Associates in NM. (GPA around 3.5). The reason for the lower GPA was that I just want to get done with it, and have it as a "backup" plan if Med. School wont be feasible. I've got positive feedback from all the hospitals I trained in. In hospitals people tried to persuade me towards PA programs, no disrespect towards PAs but I want the full-MD experience, with all of its responsibilities. I'm 23, in the "Normal" age for a B.S., no family members in medicine to get advice from. I'm involved in radiology, but surgery is my original interest, which is famous for its long training years. On my second day in clinical practice I've regretted my choice of not getting into med. school, but I had too many uncertainties in the past. Now I might get a full-time job, and I'm stuck with part-time schooling option only. I can get my credits transferred into an online B.S. Program that would give me a degree, but pre-req courses are still not covered, so its no different on the long run. I want to get into med. school, and I know I can do it, I just don't know how. I also don't know how seriously Medical schools take people with previous healthcare experience.

 

[NuclearWhammy]

We LIKE people with clinical training! You already know what patients are like.

I hear Med. Students writing blog posts about patients smelling and stuff. Like they didn't know what they signed up for.

 

[NuclearWhammy]

Hey! I'm a CNMT also. Welcome to the forums. I worked as a nuclear med tech for 6 years. Now I'm 28 and will be starting MD school tomorrow actually.
Med schools like folks with Healthcare experience.

Rock your classes and the MCAT and where there's a will, there's a way.

I see that Tc-99m shortage and other technical issues are pulling techs away from the field. The job market is flooded.

 

[EsotericAlchemy]

I see that Tc-99m shortage and other technical issues are pulling techs away from the field. The job market is flooded.

I'm in Oregon and the job market on the west coast is pretty bad. This was one of many reasons that I decided to return to school. When I was a tech at a hospital, a few new cardiology groups opened in town and essentially took the lion's share of our outpatient MPIs. This combined with isotope shortages led to job cuts.

Many current techs that I know are cross-training into CT. My concern is that with all these CNMTs cross-training, the other imaging modalities may become saturated as well.

There are other options of course. Cross-training into a different imaging modality is one. I do know of some accelerated BSN programs that are certainly worth considering. I'm not sure of the admission requirements for these programs. But they can be as short as a year!

I also considered PA school, pharmacy school, or nursing. Personally, I shadowed a physician and spoke to the cardiologists and radiologists that I collaborated with on the job. That was enough for me to realize that this is a great profession that allows for improving the quality of life of many people. The nature of my personality is to investigate and understand issues deeply so the choice of medical school made sense to me.

If you have only an associates degree, I'm fairly certain most med schools require a bachelor's degree. Perhaps some of your classes can be transferred towards completion of bachelor's degree requirements. So I've heard: it's generally preferred by admissions committees that the prerequisite courses be completed in an actual non-online class at a four-year institution. Any degree program that includes the required prerequisite courses will work. If you can return to school full time and not work, that may give you more time to get involved in research and other volunteerism that schools have come to expect. If you must continue to work, that also looks good as it shows commitment to the healthcare field. Perhaps you can get more involved in committees and leadership in your current work environment.

 

[Goro]

That's why we make them do clinical ECs...to weed out the hopelessly naive ones.

I hear Med. Students writing blog posts about patients smelling and stuff. Like they didn't know what they signed up for.

 

[NuclearWhammy]

I'm in Oregon and the job market on the west coast is pretty bad. This was one of many reasons that I decided to return to school. When I was a tech at a hospital, a few new cardiology groups opened in town and essentially took the lion's share of our outpatient MPIs. This combined with isotope shortages led to job cuts.

Many current techs that I know are cross-training into CT. My concern is that with all these CNMTs cross-training, the other imaging modalities may become saturated as well.

There are other options of course. Cross-training into a different imaging modality is one. I do know of some accelerated BSN programs that are certainly worth considering. I'm not sure of the admission requirements for these programs. But they can be as short as a year!

I also considered PA school, pharmacy school, or nursing. Personally, I shadowed a physician and spoke to the cardiologists and radiologists that I collaborated with on the job. That was enough for me to realize that this is a great profession that allows for improving the quality of life of many people. The nature of my personality is to investigate and understand issues deeply so the choice of medical school made sense to me.

If you have only an associates degree, I'm fairly certain most med schools require a bachelor's degree. Perhaps some of your classes can be transferred towards completion of bachelor's degree requirements. So I've heard: it's generally preferred by admissions committees that the prerequisite courses be completed in an actual non-online class at a four-year institution. Any degree program that includes the required prerequisite courses will work. If you can return to school full time and not work, that may give you more time to get involved in research and other volunteerism that schools have come to expect. If you must continue to work, that also looks good as it shows commitment to the healthcare field. Perhaps you can get more involved in committees and leadership in your current work environment.

Same on the East Coast. I figured you spend years in cross training, and you're still only a tech out there looking for a job. What bothers me is I don't know how long will it take to complete the remainder of my B.S. Degree. Of course when it comes to lowering the bar MCAT score and degree wise it also lowers the reputation of the institution and the possible graduates. If this job I applied to doesn't fly, I have no choice but to go back full-time, which again without family support will be hard as well.

 

[NuclearWhammy]

So I've heard: it's generally preferred by admissions committees that the prerequisite courses be completed in an actual non-online class at a four-year institution. Any degree program that includes the required prerequisite courses will work. If you can return to school full time and not work, that may give you more time to get involved in research and other volunteerism that schools have come to expect. If you must continue to work, that also looks good as it shows commitment to the healthcare field. Perhaps you can get more involved in committees and leadership in your current work environment.

Actually it's impossible to do online pre-med, since the lab courses have to be hands-on. There are hybrid programs I heard of that teaches theory online and you have lab on Saturday.