Non-Trad Plan

[dammitjim]

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Hi everybody,

Like many long-time lurkers spurred to action, I’m in need of some good advice.

Some background - forgive me if some of this borders on a rant, but sometimes you just have to get it out.

Well, a few years ago I left my job, went back to school with the intent of heading to med school. Turns out, life is a knuckleball pitcher. (Knuckleballers, if you’re unfamiliar, are way worse than any curveball pitcher. They’re tend to be not only devastating, but demoralizing.)

Details (and baseball) aside, my ex managed to put considerable pressure on meat home to switch to something less time-intensive than a BA, med school, and a residency. I gave in. I dropped some classes, added some others and quickly wrapped-up my BA and compromised by pursuing an MPA with an emphasis in healthcare admin. We split about a year into my master’s coursework. I finished it, but as it turns out, the degree is practically worthless (harmful even) at my career level. Worse yet, it is intellectually uninteresting and I have little passion for it. I’ve learned my lessons: (1) To compromise your passion is tantamount to compromising your conscience. It will weigh on you. (2) Never take a school at their word. Sometimes their intentions are good, sometimes not; and sometimes, they simply confound possibility with feasibility.

So here I am, more or less at square one, with some W’s on my transcript, and science courses so out of date that even if schools do accept them, they’re positively of no use as far as the MCAT is concerned.

Whatever I do next needs a built-in failsafe. In the time it’s going to take me to re-prep for MCAT (I figure 3-4 semesters), I’ll be able to complete an RN or a paramedic certification. I’m thinking either of these might be a good way for me to refresh my pre-reqs, connect with professors for some recommendations, get some in-clinic time, and should I not get in on the first shot (or not at all), give me a means of gainful employment.

What do you all think? Have any of you done something similar?

 

[Forever Geebs]

What is your undergrad overall and science GPAs?

 

[dammitjim]

I haven’t calculated science GPA, but I’d guess 3.5-ish, which is in line with my undergrad 3.545 and graduate 3.575

 

[Forever Geebs]

That's a good start. It's important to calculate your science GPA, too. As far as prereqs go, have you completed them or do you need to take still? If the former, so long as you scored C or better on them, don't retake, and instead, content review for MCAT. If the latter, start the process as soon as you can because that can take anywhere from 1 to 2 years to complete.

There is no failsafe plan, and either completing the prereqs or getting a second bachelor's in a basic science will not necessarily make you very marketable. If you're interested in public health, administration, bioinformatics, and the like, it's a different story.

You mentioned RN--is this a field of healthcare you're interested in? If so, far less training, relatively inexpensive to pursue, and great flexibility. Are you "all in" on medicine? You left your job years ago to pursue med school--was there a reason why you did that to begin with? I guess I'm just trying to better understand your "why medicine" story? This is arduous path that requires significant commitment and sacrifice. Your motivation to pursue medicine and strong support system will help you along the way, which is why I'm asking.

 

[dammitjim]

Oh boy... This might take a while, so I’ll tackle the easy stuff first. I still have a few pre-reqs to go, chem ii, physics, orgo, and some of the “suggested” ones. Luckily, I have a pretty good support system in place, so I can take my time.


The question of “why medicine” is more complicated. Medicine has been able to capture my intellectual curiosity like no other subject (philosophy runs a close second, but I cannot see myself pursuing a career in it in the current academic climate). It seems the more I learn about it, the less satisfied I am with my level of knowledge.
I am something of a polymath. I have always had broad interests, and have studied history, classics, psychology, philosophy, communications science, and management; and have done well enough that professors in those fields have encouraged me to pursue a PhD in their field. I graduated from undergrad with three minors, and all the credits used to earn those were senior-level.

Most subjects though are like summer flings, they can be absorbing, but only for a short while. My knowledge of medicine, though limited, has so far shown no signs of creating such fatigue. I attribute this to the complexities inherent in fusing hard science with very human patients (and staff for that matter). The very breadth of the field helps too. There is always more to learn, more to discover. I’m particularly drawn to pathology and the study of infectious disease.

The reason I was thinking of tacking on an RN (an EMT-P is an outside option) is entirely pragmatic. Should things not work out, there’s a built in career waiting. And, I’ve been around long enough to know that sometimes you can do everything right, and still fail. It’s happened to me, and I’ve seen it happen to others - and it gives me nightmares. (In my part of the country, RNs coming out of school enjoy a near 100% employment rate and make considerably more than what I’m making now.) I think if the worst were to happen, I could always pursue an NP, nurse anesthetist, or clinical management, but those just don’t appeal to me in the same way.

I know my plan sounds a bit round-about, but I am getting older (34) and time-wise and financially, this is probably my last good chance to study what really fascinates me. If it doesn’t work out and I end up in nursing, it won’t kill me (unlike some of the soul crushing HR work I do now), but it will never be my first choice.