My nontraditional story

[hibore222]

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I've really appreciated the advice of others on here, so I thought I'd just share my story, and, when necessary, update this post over the next couple years on my way to hopefully being admitted to medical school.

I'm a single, child-free, 25-year old guy living in Chicagoland. I work a normal IT office job. I plan on taking one night class at Northeastern Illinois U in Chicago this spring (Gen Chem I). For this upcoming summer, fall, and the spring of 2013, I plan on being a full-time student (taking the Chems, Bio I and II, and Physics I and II), and finishing all my pre-reqs at NEIU by May of 2013. My final semester (Spring 2013), I'll only be enrolled in one course (Org II) and spending most of the rest of my time studying for the MCAT. I plan to take the MCAT in April of 2013. My goal is to have a good MCAT score and good grades by summer of 2013, and then to start applying for medical schools, with the goal of beginning medical school in the fall of 2014.

I'll be using loans to cover tuition and living expenses for the year (June 2012 - May 2013) that I'm a full-time student, I'm praying that the financing works out for those loans. I'll find any sort of job in the glide year before hopefully starting med school in the fall of 2014. I've applied to start volunteering at a naerby hospital, and have beginning discussing research opportunities while I'm at NEIU.

I'm starting my pre-reqs with a 3.5 overall GPA from college, getting a BA in economics. I had three good years of 3.7, and an ugly 1st semester soph year of 2.3 (had some serious personal issues), followed by a 3.6 my second semester of sophomore year. I had two Bs in the two 2-credit science courses that I took. I also did a master's degree in economics, at a top private university in Mexico City (in a program entirely in Spanish), finishing with an 87% overall average (school doesn't do GPAs), and did get a 95% on my thesis.

A pretty big sports fan, and my Christian faith is very important to me. No strong interest in any one specialty as of now, but am definitely considering being a primary care physician. My sister had Down's Syndrome and had four heart surgeries in the first few years of her life, and there were a couple doctors that repeatedly made a really big impact on her life, so I'd love to pay back the favor. In short, that's why I want to be a doctor.

I really am flexible about which med school I would want to go to, MD/DO, possibly Caribbean if necessary (EDIT: def not gonna go Caribbean!).

So that's my story. The next step for now is to start the Gen Chem I in January and get an A in that, followed by getting admitted as a second degree student this spring and being approved for the necessary loans. I'm really excited about this process. I always enjoyed school and studying economics, but I never had a clear idea of what career I wanted. I naively assumed that I'd find a job that I enjoyed equally as much, but that hasn't happened. A series of jobs that I was not particularly interested in. Over the past several months, I've been thinking about this career path, and for the first time in my life, I really am excited about one specific career path. I've asked myself the question: "Is this a job that I believe I'd still enjoy when I'm 50?", and I feel like the answer is yes. A comfortable salary, high long-term demand, numerous opportunities nationwide and worldwide, the chance to use my skills in high-need volunteer opportunities, and high job-security are all added bonuses as well.

So, that's my story. I'm open to any questions, and I'd love to hear your story. I plan on updating this periodically over the coming years, hopefully culminating in the news of which med school I'll be attending in the fall of 2014. Have a great day!

 

[LUCPM]

As a fellow Chicagoan, welcome and good luck with your journey.

 

[want2bDr]

You're story is similar to mine. Only that I am a female, but I am also 25. I am actually taking Chem 1 right now, and I plan on taking Orgo and Bio next semester. I will take Phys 1 and 2 in the summer; microbio, orgo 2,and calc in fall of 2012, and Chem 2, Cell Bio and study for the MCAT in spring. I am shooting to take the MCAT in June of 2013 and then apply for Medical school in that semester. I am working fulltime and it's been a little stressful to balance courses too, but I plan on going fulltime for an informal Post Bac at the local state school. I am just waiting to hear back to see if I get in, and also if I get the financial aid that I need to fund my education. It's encouraging to read about others who are also in the same boat as you.

 

[hibore222]

Thanks for the replies..

@LUCPM Have you been accepted into med-school yet? What stage are you in the process?

@want2b Best of luck with the funding and the whole process, I hope to hear good news in the future.

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

Two masters degrees and now medical school? You must really, really love lecture hall chairs. I am impressed.

It sounds like you've got a good plan. I'd like to point out that Caribbean schools are becoming an increasingly bad option due to their poor residency match rates, and in your case not worth applying to. There are plenty of threads on SDN about the subject, so I won't go into detail here. In any case, your stats are certainly good enough for US schools, assuming you do reasonably well on your prereq classes and MCATs. Have a fun nontrad journey!

 

[want2bDr]

Thanks, I will update as things change. Good luck to you too.

Thanks for the replies..

@LUCPM Have you been accepted into med-school yet? What stage are you in the process?

@want2b Best of luck with the funding and the whole process, I hope to hear good news in the future.

 

[dmf2682]

Two masters degrees and now medical school? You must really, really love lecture hall chairs. I am impressed.

you leave lecture hall chairs behind upon completing the bachelors degree. Rite of passage kind of thing.

 

[Scottish Chap]

I've really appreciated the advice of others on here, so I thought I'd just share my story, and, when necessary, update this post over the next couple years on my way to hopefully being admitted to medical school.

I'm a single, child-free, 25-year old guy living in Chicagoland. I work a normal IT office job. I plan on taking one night class at Northeastern Illinois U in Chicago this spring (Gen Chem I). For this upcoming summer, fall, and the spring of 2013, I plan on being a full-time student (taking the Chems, Bio I and II, and Physics I and II), and finishing all my pre-reqs at NEIU by May of 2013. My final semester (Spring 2013), I'll only be enrolled in one course (Org II) and spending most of the rest of my time studying for the MCAT. I plan to take the MCAT in April of 2013. My goal is to have a good MCAT score and good grades by summer of 2013, and then to start applying for medical schools, with the goal of beginning medical school in the fall of 2014.

I'll be using loans to cover tuition and living expenses for the year (June 2012 - May 2013) that I'm a full-time student, I'm praying that the financing works out for those loans. I'll find any sort of job in the glide year before hopefully starting med school in the fall of 2014. I've applied to start volunteering at a naerby hospital, and have beginning discussing research opportunities while I'm at NEIU.

I'm starting my pre-reqs with a 3.5 overall GPA from college, getting a BA in economics. I had three good years of 3.7, and an ugly 1st semester soph year of 2.3 (had some serious personal issues), followed by a 3.6 my second semester of sophomore year. I had two Bs in the two 2-credit science courses that I took. I also did a master's degree in economics, at a top private university in Mexico City (in a program entirely in Spanish), finishing with an 87% overall average (school doesn't do GPAs), and did get a 95% on my thesis.

A pretty big sports fan, and my Christian faith is very important to me. No strong interest in any one specialty as of now, but am definitely considering being a primary care physician. My sister had Down's Syndrome and had four heart surgeries in the first few years of her life, and there were a couple doctors that repeatedly made a really big impact on her life, so I'd love to pay back the favor. In short, that's why I want to be a doctor.

I really am flexible about which med school I would want to go to, MD/DO, possibly Caribbean if necessary.

So that's my story. The next step for now is to start the Gen Chem I in January and get an A in that, followed by getting admitted as a second degree student this spring and being approved for the necessary loans. I'm really excited about this process. I always enjoyed school and studying economics, but I never had a clear idea of what career I wanted. I naively assumed that I'd find a job that I enjoyed equally as much, but that hasn't happened. A series of jobs that I was not particularly interested in. Over the past several months, I've been thinking about this career path, and for the first time in my life, I really am excited about one specific career path. I've asked myself the question: "Is this a job that I believe I'd still enjoy when I'm 50?", and I feel like the answer is yes. A comfortable salary, high long-term demand, numerous opportunities nationwide and worldwide, the chance to use my skills in high-need volunteer opportunities, and high job-security are all added bonuses as well.

So, that's my story. I'm open to any questions, and I'd love to hear your story. I plan on updating this periodically over the coming years, hopefully culminating in the news of which med school I'll be attending in the fall of 2014. Have a great day!

Welcome.

You are starting with strong academic credentials. My best advice would be to take your time with the prerequisite classes to ensure strong grades, and the rest will follow. Agree with the others that applying to a Caribbean medical school at this point is a very bad move, and should be used only as a last resort.

Good luck!

 

[hibore222]

Yea, I'll strongly try to avoid the Caribbean. Ha, also, I got's me just one Master's degree.

 

[hibore222]

I know that there has been a lot of talk about AP credits, and I'd appreciate some opinions no my situations. (Semi-related, but I have good English grades). Anyways...

I got a 4 on AP Statistics, a 5 on AP Calculus AB, and when I took Calculus II in college in my 'semester from hell', I got a C.

If I were to get good science grades in the next year and a half, how would adcoms view my math history? Would that history meaningfully hurt my admissions chances?

If I were to get good grades/MCAT moving forward, would retaking and getting As in any of those above-mentioned courses meaningfully improve my admissions chances? Or, would med school adcoms in 2013 primarily focus on my recent science courses and not give much importance to math results from 2004 and 2005?

Thanks!

 

[theseeker4]

I know that there has been a lot of talk about AP credits, and I'd appreciate some opinions no my situations. (Semi-related, but I have good English grades). Anyways...

I got a 4 on AP Statistics, a 5 on AP Calculus AB, and when I took Calculus II in college in my 'semester from hell', I got a C.

If I were to get good science grades in the next year and a half, how would adcoms view my math history? Would that history meaningfully hurt my admissions chances?

If I were to get good grades/MCAT moving forward, would retaking and getting As in any of those above-mentioned courses meaningfully improve my admissions chances? Or, would med school adcoms in 2013 primarily focus on my recent science courses and not give much importance to math results from 2004 and 2005?

Thanks!

Unless there is a school you are applying to that actually has Calc II as a pre-req, I doubt it will be a huge issue. I had a C+ in both Calc II and Calc III and the interviewer told me flat out they weren't worried about math classes at that level. The adcoms will care a lot more about current science classes and the MCAT than they will worry about decade-old math classes.

If those above are your only math classes, however, make sure the AP credits are accepted by the med schools, or you may need to take another math class or two. That is the only way I can see it being an issue, is if they want at least a year of math and they don't accept the AP credits, or if they require stats, for example, but won't accept the AP.

 

[hibore222]

Thanks for the reply, I appreciate it.

 

[hibore222]

I plan to keep this thread going for as long as the "getting into med school" process lasts.

I'm currently working a full time 9-6 office job. A week from today, I started "General Chemistry 1" on Monday and Wednesday nights at my local community college.

I've contacted several hospital near me and am trying to find a regular volunteer slot, hopefully on Sundays.

If I'm still interested in the medical school route by May, I'll be leaving my current job and being a full-time "pre-req" student for a year at my local state school (living primarily off loans and trying to work odd hours part-time). Gonna see how I feel a few months from now before I make that decision.

Best of luck to everyone!

 

[valk]

Are you me?

Good luck with all your goals!

 

[hibore222]

@Valk - What's your story?

Thanks for the wishes, best of luck with your goals too.

 

[mkim27]

I am in my last year of undergraduate studies at DePaul University (Chicagoland) and earning a bachelor's in Business Management.

Upon graduating, I plan to go FT doing a post-bac at either Loyola, Northwestern, or Franklin Roosevelt. Hopefully I can finish in 1-2 years. As I near completion, I plan to set aside hours for 6-8 weeks to study for the MCAT.

Hopefully, I can start Med School by Fall 2014. Please let me know what you guys think in the planning of it all 🙂

 

[Neurocentric]

Good luck, OP! By the sound of things, everything looks good for you! Just keep pushing forward. And I second the option about not doing Caribbean. You can find a ton of threads on it, but yeah, it's not a good option. Your grades also seem just fine for MD/DO!

 

[hibore222]

@Neuro thanks for the encouragement

@mkim27 .. You and me seem to be in the exact same boat, Chicagoans hoping to start med school in the fall of 2014. have you considered doing a Do-It-Yourself postbac at (public) Northeastern IL U (on the Northwest side of Chicago)? I'm pretty sure that it's a lot cheaper than the private ones, and you should be able to knock out all your pre-reqs in 12 months. It's a very small state school/ They've been very helpful to me so far in my interactions with them.

 

[Bliss26]

Hi! I'm new to SDN but I just wanted to say good luck! I was in a similar situation 2.5 years ago. Now I'm 26 and will be starting medical school in the fall! It's all doable and goes by faster than you would think. If you need any advice, please let me know!

 

[hibore222]

@Bliss - Thanks! I'll hopefully be starting med school at the age of 28, and though many people might think that's too old, the way I see see it, I'll still have 30+ years of working as a doc. Plenty of time to make a good career and achieve financial stability.

 

[Bliss26]

@Bliss - Thanks! I'll hopefully be starting med school at the age of 28, and though many people might think that's too old, the way I see see it, I'll still have 30+ years of working as a doc. Plenty of time to make a good career and achieve financial stability.

I'll have just turned 27 by the time I matriculate this fall and I don't think it's too old. There will be a lot of older people in your medical school class! Don't worry about age, you're still young and in your 20's. By this time I feel like age is starting to get irrelevant anyway. Plus I know I wasn't ready for medical school at 23- I had to get some stuff out of my system =). Now I'm ready to go and I'm sure you are too!

 

[hibore222]

+1

I wanted to share a paragraph from a message that I wrote to a friend, that I thought others of you might enjoy reading....

"And I'll also say this too: I definitely feel a little afraid about this whole process. For all intents and purposes, my life has been fairly easy so far. I didn't have to work that hard in school growing up, nor in college or grad school, nor in any of the jobs that I've worked since graduating college. And furthermore, I've never made this big of a potential commitment in my life. It is kinda scary to think that the decisions I'm making now could have a huge impact on what I'm doing with my life twenty years from now, and there's always the fear of "Is this the right decision?". But I suppose that fear is a good thing, cause it's definitely a sign that I'm being pushed out of my comfort zone."

 

[ChemMed]

Yea, I'll strongly try to avoid the Caribbean. Ha, also, I got's me just one Master's degree.

Don't worry you have plenty of time to join the throngs of those with alphabet soup after their name LOL.
28 is young on this forum. You're in the right group 🙂

 

[ljafri14]

@Neuro thanks for the encouragement

@mkim27 .. You and me seem to be in the exact same boat, Chicagoans hoping to start med school in the fall of 2014. have you considered doing a Do-It-Yourself postbac at (public) Northeastern IL U (on the Northwest side of Chicago)? I'm pretty sure that it's a lot cheaper than the private ones, and you should be able to knock out all your pre-reqs in 12 months. It's a very small state school/ They've been very helpful to me so far in my interactions with them.

What is the GPA requirement to get in their "Post Bac" if there is one.

 

[hibore222]

Northeastern doesn't have a "post-bac program". I'm just taking the necessary classes on my own. For an in-state resident, tuition is $3100 a semester. To be eligible for financial aid (scholarships and loans), you need to be admitted as a "Second Degree Seeking Student", which is fairly easy to do.

 

[aspiringDR24]

I am in a similar non-trad situation.I am 24yrs old w/ no kids or wife, I graduated with my undergrad in a non-science in May of 2011. I just recently found the confidence to decide to go back and pursue medicine. My undergrad cGPA is 2.85 and my science is a 4.0 (unless my lone geology class counts). I have been working a job I hate (am at work right now) to save up money for my pre-reqs. I will start them in the fall of 2012 and hope to be finished with them by spring of 2014. Then take the MCAT and hopefully apply and matriculate the following fall. I know my cGPA is a little low but if I do well these next two years It will be above a 3.0 and my sGPA will be over a 3.5. I have alot of experience shadowing in orthopedic surgery as well as some time in child psych, peds and general practice. I also have experience on the business side of healthcare doing internships. I plan on getting more experience doing volunteer work at a hospital as well as doing more shadowing. I know I am rambling but just wanted to get my story out there. Any comments or suggestions would be great. Thanks and good luck to everyone!