Need some help everyone

[Member 7211]

Hi, I am a 22 year old male and I have a bachelors in Architecture. I just recently graduated last may with honors and have been working in the architecture and engineering field for the past 3 years now. As much as I like it, I am just not feeling like it is the career for me. I am very interested in becoming a doctor. I would need to take the pre-recs like bio-chem and the others that are needed in order to apply for medical school, but am I taking too big of a risk thinking about jumping in to med school when I am just interested? I know the courses will be tough, but I have always excelled in the classroom, but I have heard you need to be like die hard set on being a doctor before trying med school. I figured I am interested enough to start and then would hopefully find my nitch once I started and then pursue that area more specifically. Am I being foolish?

Also, I thought maybe volunteering at a hospital or shadowing to get a better understanding what I would be up against, do hospitals help out people like me and allow me to volunteer? What would be the best way to go about all of this. Thanks

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[ValentineLissar]

Hospitals aren't picky about who they allow to volunteer. As long as you pass their background check, get the immunizations in, and express an interest in pursuing medicine (or even getting exposure to the healthcare field), you should be good to go!

I agree that your first step should be doing some hospital volunteering to see if this is something you want to do. However, you should take the experience with a grain of salt. You, as a volunteer, might not be doing some spectacular stuff like handing warm blankets to patients, cleaning equipment, transporting patients, but it will still give you a feel for what the hospital environment and it will help you see if you like being around patients.

Good luck!

 

[theseeker4]

Hi, I am a 22 year old male and I have a bachelors in Architecture. I just recently graduated last may with honors and have been working in the architecture and engineering field for the past 3 years now. As much as I like it, I am just not feeling like it is the career for me. I am very interested in becoming a doctor. I would need to take the pre-recs like bio-chem and the others that are needed in order to apply for medical school, but am I taking too big of a risk thinking about jumping in to med school when I am just interested? I know the courses will be tough, but I have always excelled in the classroom, but I have heard you need to be like die hard set on being a doctor before trying med school. I figured I am interested enough to start and then would hopefully find my nitch once I started and then pursue that area more specifically. Am I being foolish?

Also, I thought maybe volunteering at a hospital or shadowing to get a better understanding what I would be up against, do hospitals help out people like me and allow me to volunteer? What would be the best way to go about all of this. Thanks

Volunteering is the best way to go, along with shadowing and talking to various doctors in different specialties. Get some exposure to the medical field before you decide whether this is really something you definitely want to do.

You said you excel in the classroom, but just to put it out there, average US MD matriculate GPA is between 3.6 and 3.7. If you are there, or almost there, you are good. If you are below that, you will need to worry about GPA repair as well as any pre reqs you need to take.

Good luck, and once you figure out if this is something you want to pursue further, this is a great place for advice and guidance.

 

[Member 7211]

Volunteering is the best way to go, along with shadowing and talking to various doctors in different specialties. Get some exposure to the medical field before you decide whether this is really something you definitely want to do.

You said you excel in the classroom, but just to put it out there, average US MD matriculate GPA is between 3.6 and 3.7. If you are there, or almost there, you are good. If you are below that, you will need to worry about GPA repair as well as any pre reqs you need to take.

Good luck, and once you figure out if this is something you want to pursue further, this is a great place for advice and guidance.

Thanks a lot for the advice. My Undergraduate GPA is a 3.7 although I would have to do the pre reqs so I would have to do well in all of those to maintain my GPA. Also how early must you start applying to med schools if you want to start that upcoming term?

 

[Goro]

Sounds like you have some more thinking to do. There's a big difference in being interested in something, and a calling. Medicine is the latter, like fireman, policeman or priest.

Definitely do some volunteer work to see if you like helping others, and being around sick and injured people. If it's what you want to do, you'll know. Then dive in!

Hi, I am a 22 year old male and I have a bachelors in Architecture. I just recently graduated last may with honors and have been working in the architecture and engineering field for the past 3 years now. As much as I like it, I am just not feeling like it is the career for me. I am very interested in becoming a doctor. I would need to take the pre-recs like bio-chem and the others that are needed in order to apply for medical school, but am I taking too big of a risk thinking about jumping in to med school when I am just interested? I know the courses will be tough, but I have always excelled in the classroom, but I have heard you need to be like die hard set on being a doctor before trying med school. I figured I am interested enough to start and then would hopefully find my nitch once I started and then pursue that area more specifically. Am I being foolish?

Also, I thought maybe volunteering at a hospital or shadowing to get a better understanding what I would be up against, do hospitals help out people like me and allow me to volunteer? What would be the best way to go about all of this. Thanks

 

[theseeker4]

Thanks a lot for the advice. My Undergraduate GPA is a 3.7 although I would have to do the pre reqs so I would have to do well in all of those to maintain my GPA. Also how early must you start applying to med schools if you want to start that upcoming term?

You begin applying over a year in advance. People began applying this past June to start next August. You can apply later than that, but you do not want to be too late in getting everything in.

You are good as far as GPA, so just look into whether you want to pursue medicine further via volunteering and shadowing, then look into where you can take the pre reqs.