Need some help!

[Blair Book]

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This is my first time posting, after lurking around the site for awhile, and I could use some suggestions. I have a B.A. in Liberal Arts, mostly writing and literature. After I graduated I went into the Navy, where I spent five years as a Hospital Corpsman. I performed alot of patient care, physicals, immunizations, and also Search and Rescue.

I know I want to become a Doctor, the problem is the pre-reqs(I have none), and a low GPA from College. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the amount of classes I should take? I am working part-time now, so would one class be a good starting point? This will take awhile to achieve, so time is not really of the essence.


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance!

 

[Scottish Chap]

This is my first time posting, after lurking around the site for awhile, and I could use some suggestions. I have a B.A. in Liberal Arts, mostly writing and literature. After I graduated I went into the Navy, where I spent five years as a Hospital Corpsman. I performed alot of patient care, physicals, immunizations, and also Search and Rescue.

I know I want to become a Doctor, the problem is the pre-reqs(I have none), and a low GPA from College. Does anyone have any suggestions as to the amount of classes I should take? I am working part-time now, so would one class be a good starting point? This will take awhile to achieve, so time is not really of the essence.


Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance!

Welcome and congratulations on your decision! From your post, I'm not sure if you're saying you're slightly afraid to 'overload' on classes or you’re slightly afraid that you won't like/have an affinity for science classes.

Basically, you have your degree, and in terms of satisfying the academic requirements, there a number of ways you can do this. 1. Take a formal post-bac premed course, but that will probably mean quitting your job for 2 years and studying full-time. Then, take the MCAT. 2. Take the premed classes over a longer period of time in the evenings. You'll need 8 credits each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and general biology. Some schools will also ask for 3-4 credits of statistics or math and some schools will ask for 6-8 credits of English (which I’ll bet you already have). I don’t think it will hurt you by not taking math (unless you really want to go to a school that asks for it). If you just want to try a couple of science classes to gauge your interest, I would suggest starting with a general chemistry class since chemistry is arguably the best class to prepare you for medical school and the MCAT thought-process. After that, you can decide if you want to pick up more classes, then take the MCAT.

Don't let a less than stellar past academic performance intimidate you. If your GPA is 3.0 (or close to it) or above, be sure to aim for mostly A's or close to it in your science classes. With a lot of dedication, you'll do it. Also realize that there's 'more than one way to skin a cat'; if you don't feel you'll make it into a U.S. M.D. program, there are other avenues if you are committed, such as going overseas for your M.D. or doing a D.O. if you like their philosophy of medical care. Thousands of people in your position have done this before you and thousands will do it after you. Good luck!

 

[Blair Book]

Welcome and congratulations on your decision! From your post, I'm not sure if you're saying you're slightly afraid to 'overload' on classes or you’re slightly afraid that you won't like/have an affinity for science classes.

Basically, you have your degree, and in terms of satisfying the academic requirements, there a number of ways you can do this. 1. Take a formal post-bac premed course, but that will probably mean quitting your job for 2 years and studying full-time. Then, take the MCAT. 2. Take the premed classes over a longer period of time in the evenings. You'll need 8 credits each of general chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and general biology. Some schools will also ask for 3-4 credits of statistics or math and some schools will ask for 6-8 credits of English (which I’ll bet you already have), but I don’t think it will hurt you by not taking math (unless you really want to go to a school that asks for them). If you just want to try a couple of science classes to gauge your interest, I would suggest starting with a general chemistry class since chemistry is arguable the best class to prepare you for medical school and the MCAT thought-process. After that, you can decide if you want to pick up more classes, then take the MCAT.

Don't let a less than stellar past academic performance intimidate you. If your GPA if 3.0 or above, be sure to aim for mostly A's or close to it in your science classes. With a lot of dedication, you'll do it. Also realize that there's 'more than one way to skin a cat'; if you don't feel you'll make it into a U.S. M.D. program, there are other avenues if you are committed, such as going overseas for your M.D. or doing a D.O. if you like their philosophy of medical care. Thousands of people in your position have done this before you and thousands will do it after you. Good luck!

Thanks! I know I want to go the D.O. route, after having worked with alot, I like their view on patient care. The only reason I was asking about the science is that I want to do really well, that is why I was thinking of maybe taking one class a semester.

 

[MiesVanDerMom]

Is that cuteypie baby in the picture yours???

I"m a stay-at-home mom so I am taking my pre-reqs one at a time. It's a really nice change from college when I took a full load. You can really focus on and enjoy each of your classes. There are people on here working full time and taking two classes a semester. I would rather take it slow and really excell in my classes. I think it would be a good idea to start out with one and if you find yourself bored, try two. That's better than starting off with too many and needing to cut back!

I was also a humanities major and taking science classes is so much better: no papers to write!

Good luck to you!

ETA: I don't mean to say people taking several classes while working aren't excelling! I just meant I wouldn't be able to excell as I am if I were taking several classes. Not commenting on anyone else!! 😀

 

[Mike MacKinnon]

Hey!


There are various options for Non-Trad students that are not as avaliable to the traditional applicant when it comes to pre reqs. Besides quitting your job and going back to school at a univ. or CC you can take them online. I know quitting a job isnt a possibility for many non-trads. There are a few online accredited community college programs which offer CHem I & II with lab, Physics I & II with lab, Bio I & II with lab. The labs are done at home with a mini lab kit. Be prepared to work much harder than you would in a normal class. The exams are open book so by definition they are much harder. That being said at least you can get them done and if you motivated yourself you can do well. These classes can enable you to get your pre reqs. The DO schools i talked to didnt care where i got them from as long as my marks were competitive and I already had a degree (which i did).

If you want to know more feel free to msg me and i will help out.