Non-Trad (help me start my journey)

[pmn1234]

Hi everyone,

I have thought about going to medical school and becoming a physician for a long time but I chose a different career path and I have regretted it every single day. A bit about me: I'm 29 years old from Canada, I have done my undergrad in Bsc (Psychology) with cumulative GPA of 3.66 and recently got my JD (GPA is not so great 3.0 but it is on the law school curve and average for law schools here) and I'm currently doing my clerkship in Canada. I took one semester of Bio, general chemistry and Calculus in my first year of undergrad when I had just immigrated to Canada and did poorly (3.3). I don't have a lot of clinical experience other than some shadowing I have done. I am confident that I can perform well on MCAT (if I study properly) and get good grades in my pre-requisite courses and bring up my science GPA. I'll be looking at lower tiered US med schools and DO schools. I am also interested in Pediatrics, having said that I understand that my interest might change. I have done some research and in Canada there is no Post-Bacc programs similar to what US schools offer. My questions are as follows:

1. Can I take my pre-requisite courses on a part-time basis as a non-degree student? Or do I have to take on a full course load? It would be great if I can continue working.

2. What are some suggestions to gain clinical and research experience in my situation? I'm assuming it will be similar to traditional students (research, clinical experience, volunteering)

3. Should I retake those science courses since they are old or I can take more advanced level courses to bring up my science GPA?

4. I'm not exactly sure how I can get my letter of recommendation from a science faculty member, any tips would be appreciated. I have no problem getting recommendation letters from my Psychology and law school professors as well as my current employer.

5. How negatively will my JD be viewed by admission committees? In other words, because I'm a non-traditional applicants, do they expect more tangible and related clinical experiences? I have seen non-traditional applicants who have worked in health related fields but not so many like myself.

6. I thought my undergrad GPA was competitive if I bring up my science GPA courses. However, now I'm doubting it if my GPA includes my law school grades. I read this forum but I couldn't find a conclusive answer as to whether professional schools are included for GPA calculation or not and whether I'll be an auto-reject before the committee get a chance to see my application due to my law school GPA?

P.S. Sorry for too many questions, I appreciate anyone who can answer any of these questions. Also, I would appreciate if posts don't suggest I stick with law. I've already considered and weighted my options carefully as I have worked and interned in different areas of law and will practice to sustain myself until (hopefully) I get into medical school. I understand that I'm older than average applicants and will be in my early 30s when I actually start medical school.

Thanks in advance!

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[GreenDuck12]

1. Can I take my pre-requisite courses on a part-time basis as a non-degree student? Or do I have to take on a full course load? It would be great if I can continue working.
- Yes, part time is fine but minimum of 8 credits (two courses) per semester. You're going to need a couple of semesters to show you can still handle the rigors of medical school.

2. What are some suggestions to gain clinical and research experience in my situation? I'm assuming it will be similar to traditional students (research, clinical experience, volunteering)
- Research is nice, but not required for admission to medical school. You need clinical exposure through volunteer work or paid employment. This will be difficult to attain during the pandemic. You also need to get shadowing (50 hours is the goal, make sure about half of this is in primary care fields)

3. Should I retake those science courses since they are old or I can take more advanced level courses to bring up my science GPA?
- You should retake courses that you received a C or worse in, if you need you to relearn the material, or if the schools you want to apply to require prereqs to be completed within a certain time frame.

4. I'm not exactly sure how I can get my letter of recommendation from a science faculty member, any tips would be appreciated. I have no problem getting recommendation letters from my Psychology and law school professors as well as my current employer.
- First week of classes, go to office hours and talk to you professors about your intentions ie to go to medical school and you need letters of rec. Ask what you need to do to be able to ask them for a letter of rec. I did this and never had a problem with it. Much better to be upfront so your profs pay attention to you and remember you instead of waiting till after the semester.

5. How negatively will my JD be viewed by admission committees? In other words, because I'm a non-traditional applicants, do they expect more tangible and related clinical experiences? I have seen non-traditional applicants who have worked in health related fields but not so many like myself.
- Its not a negative - one of my professors got his jd several years before starting medical school. However, be prepared to really articulate why you want to become a doctor and how you know it will be the right career path for you. As a non trad, you need to have a more substantive answer than a 22 yo applicant talking about helping people.

6. I thought my undergrad GPA was competitive if I bring up my science GPA courses. However, now I'm doubting it if my GPA includes my law school grades. I read this forum but I couldn't find a conclusive answer as to whether professional schools are included for GPA calculation or not and whether I'll be an auto-reject before the committee get a chance to see my application due to my law school GPA?
- Undergraduate coursework is counted together. Graduate courses, ie your JD, would be calculated separately. This preserves your UG GPA but also highlights that you law school GPA isn't particularly great. I wouldn't worry about this much, but recognize that you need your recent coursework to show that you still have the academic chops to do well. Med school is quite challenging, after all.

 

[pmn1234]

@GreenDuck12 Thanks for your response. Regarding question (6), do DO schools also treat graduate degree GPA similarly?

 

[deleted367183]

Not to be a downer, but just in case things don't work out, we had a JD in my med school class who eventually quit med school and was easily able to start working as an attorney again. So this is actually not such a high-risk endeavor for you. As far as I know, he just quit to spend more time with his family--he had a horrible commute that he couldn't change.