Need advice from interviewees

[CPAguy]

Question for those of you who have already gone through the interview/application process. First, some background. I am a CPA working in a job/career that I hate. I have always wanted to be a physician for as long as I can remember, but was too immature when i was a undergrad to realize this. I wanted to get out and start making some money right away. Anyway, now I am 28 years young and coming to grips with my greatest regret....not pursuing my dream. Well, I have made the decision to go back now and fulfill my premed requirements (Start fulltime in Fall '02). My question is this.....do admissions committees/schools check work references (i.e., will they call my boss)? The reason I am asking is because my boss is going to hate me when I tell him that I am quitting and I don't want him to negatively affect my chances of getting in. Has anyone else had to deal with this tough situation? What did you tell your bosses? <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="eek.gif" />

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[mpp]

I am in a similar situation. Although I put my current work reference contact and phone numbers in my application, none of the schools have contacted them. Some schools get near 10,000 applications and it is impossible for them to check everyone's references.

Don't worry about it...good luck!

 

[Doctora Foxy]

Congrats on your decision and good luck to you!

I doubt that schools will actually call up your past references, yet you will still be asked to list your work experiences with contact info on your amcas application. If you choose not to list it, it probably doesn't look too good. You will always be able to explain why you left the job, so don't worry. Your boss shouldn't be so immature so as to hate you for puruing your dream.

Most importantly, unless they have some reason not to believe that you worked at your past job, I REALLY doubt med schools would call your references..they have too many applicants to deal with to concentrate on such minute details.

Buena suerte!

 

[P60001]

I agree with what the others have said. However, there are some school that request you give them a letter of rec. from a past employer if you had a year or more of full-time employment. I would hope there is someone else you work with that could do this. Your boss would be a total A$$ if he/she would not help you pursue a dream. Although, I tell you this only as a precaution. I think you should not have a problem because I only had one secondary that requested this, so there are very few that require this.

 

[jase133]

I would recommend trying to talk to out with your employer resulting your leaving in a mutually beneficial manner.

By doing this, you will be able to gauge how your boss will react if a medical school does decide to call him/her up. Also, by talking it over, his/her feelings of your leaving so abruptly would have subsided slightly when the schools end up calling him/her.

 

[CPAguy]

Thanks for everyone's input. I am trying to figure out a way to let my boss know that will cause the magnitude of his anger to be less. The only problem is, the time that I am planning to quit (i.e. this June) is during the busiest time for the accounting department. I am totally stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have to do it though, I know. If it ever comes up in the application process I will just be honest. Maybe I am all wrong though, and perhaps my boss will respect my decision. He may end up supporting me, who knows. I am just trying to prepare myself for the worse and hope for the best.

Other than the anxiety that I am going through about quitting my job, the rush that I am feeling about going on to pursue a lifelong dream is amazing. I cannot believe that I am finally doing it. Thanks everyone.

 

[Trek]

First off...do NOT tell him before. Make sure you have an acceptance firmly in hand before you do. You'll obviously have to put him down as an "activity/job" you did, but they won't contact him. I guess you'll have to get a letter of letter of recommendation from someone else that is above you in your present job. ALso, why you do need to leave in June? You say you're doing your pre-reqs so I assume you mean at a college- couldn't you start up during the fall semester (september) and avoid having to REALLY piss him off? --Trek

 

[EpiII]

I agree with what others have said earlier. Since you are an older applicant (I am 29 and starting Med School next fall) and have a full time job, it would probably help your chances to have a recommendation letter from an employer since that has been a big part of your life for the past several years. Not all will require it, but many others will think it is wierd for you not to have one. I have heard this straight from admissions folks.

I am fortunate in that I told my boss a year ago and since he is an MD, he was excited for me and actually volunteered to write a letter. He has been very supportive through this process.

On the other hand, it appears that you may be a couple of years away from actually applying so you might get away with out a recommendation from a past employer.

Anyway, good luck and enjoy the ride.

 

[jase133]

I have to disagree and say that you should inform your employer beforehand. The worst is if you get an acceptance and he/she gets an unanticipated phone call.

Just a thought. People always like people who are straightforward, upfront, and honest.

 

[sorrento]

Congratulations on your decision, CPAguy. For what it's worth, I, too left a business career (consulting) two years ago to pursue the medicine dream. And I, too, thought my boss would hate me, especially because I'd just accepted a promotion a few months before. But she ended up being incredibly cool and has been one of my strongest supporters in this quest ... so don't lose heart!

So what do you do? work your butt off and be a wonderful employee until the spring, and don't let on what you are about to do (but don't lie) so there are no nasty rumors. You want to be the first one to break the news to your boss. When you resign, do everything you can to make your boss feel good about the opportunities he's given you, explain that you have learned so much but that this has been a dream that has been in the back of your mind for a long time, you never realized it until now. You want to leave him feeling good for graciously letting you go to pursue your lifelong dream - if he feels good, he is much more likely to think of you fondly and write you a good reference. You will also feel better yourself for having not completely dumped someone who has probably been a reasonable boss over the years. And you might be surprised - people were much more supportive of my leaving for medical school than they were of others who had resigned to join a competitor or do a less drastic career change.

When the time comes, he may need some coaching to write a strong medical school reference.

best of luck to you. this whole thing is a lot of work, but totally worth it.

 

[jase133]

Actually, I'd advise against getting a reference from him. He may act like he doesn't care, but he may write you a crappy reference and you won't even know it.

 

[YBee]

hi cpaguy

I too was an acct. and did not like it - mulled over the m.d. career for quite a while before taking the plunge! No acceptances yet, but I am at 5 interviews so far and feeling hopeful

Just make sure that there is someone from your office from whom you can get a letter of rec. Maybe not your direct boss, but someone higher or who occasionally supervised you. E.g., if you work for a big acct. firm, the mg. partner on a given audit. I say this because I think schools will want to see a good letter from your career that you've had for six years. My boss too was not thrilled with me when I left, but I got a letter from HIS boss, who had directly supervised me on a number of occasions as well, so it worked out just fine.

good luck.