Non-Trad Student - Communications Degree

[hoofservant]

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Hey, there all.

New on the boards and I am glad I found them searching for info on the MCATs. There has been a wealth of information to read and its been especially fascinating reading other people's experiences.

I'm 33, will be 34 just as the Autumn semester starts, and headed back to school to get my Undergrad in Communications with a Minor in Business. Am also getting my science pre-requisites out of the way at the same time. My goal is DO college, my eye on MSU COM or Lake Erie COM (although MSU is my first choice). I figure somewhere in the next 12-15 years, I might be done. 😛

I have a meeting with the academic advisor at MSU COM next week Thursday to make certain that my current planned school path is acceptable to them. I am thinking that calling LECOM is a good idea as well.

I've worked as a massage and manual therapist in an Osteopath's office, Physical Medicine and Rehab, for the last 5 years; as well as having my own business for massage and manual therapy. So, while I want to explore lots of options, I really like Physical Medicine and Rehab, and Sports Medicine. Internal Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery is very intriguing to me as well.

I do have some questions for people, though.

1. My academic record when I was 18-20 is spotty at best. Erratic, immature and wasteful is a better description. Academics in later years are much more favorable, 4.0, and such. These credits are being forwarded to the college I am accepted to for my Communications degree. How much of the earlier years do I have to forward on to the medical college when I apply? And how much is it going to hinder me?

2. Has anyone taken their science pre-reqs at a junior college as opposed to a 4-year and had any problems transferring the credits to the medical college you were accepted into?

3. How many people have hit their 90 credit hour minimum, taken the MCATs successfully and gotten into medical school?

I am certain I will have more questions on down the road. Thanks for the assistance in advance!

 

[FrkyBgStok]

just so it doesn't look like nobody cares:

1) Upward trend is awesome, but it really depends on what you spotty really means. What is you cGPA? how many credits were taken? etc.

2) There is a lot of debate about CC credits, but the general concensus is if you can take them at a 4 year university, it is far better. CC college credits may hurt you and they may not, but university credits definitely won't hurt you, so why take the chance.

3) Nobody. Maybe the person who's dad is the dean, or someone who really knows someone, but for all practical purposes, everyone who gets into medical school will have a 4 year degree before they matriculate. Some colleges have special programs where the 4 year degree is awarded upon completion of the first year, but this is usually a special 7 year program and very specific within a medical school, or 2 schools with agreements. But nobody just does the 90 credits.

 

[hoofservant]

LOL Thanks for the reply.

1. Spotty means multiple classes attempted and never finished. 55 credits attempted, 14 completed, overall GPA of 2.61 because of the classes I didn't complete. Which is a shame because I had a 4.0 otherwise. I was so immature and undecided as to what to do at that point in my life and was a spoiled dabbler in school, as is very evident. I am not sure if I need to show that academic history or not as it was 15+ years ago. If I do, I may as well attempt to transfer the credits I do have completed to the 4-year that I am accepted to and see what they get me. Otherwise, I am going to let that sleeping dog lie right where it is.

2. Regd the CC credits, its the Physics that is the class I am the most concerned about. And if they will accept the Physics credits from a CC, I am more than willing to go that route, taking everything else at a 4-year. Physics was NOT my strong suit in HS and its the one class out of all of them that scares the beejeebers out of me. I fully intend to utilize every tutor and TA needed to get though the class with the highest GPA I can get.

Our local 4-year is not known for the passability of Physics and several other science classes needed, and the CCs have demonstrated time and time again that their profs are MUCH better at being able to teach at the student level as opposed to teaching to a peer, as the 4-year profs seem to be prone to do.

3. Yeah, I rather figured that, however its a question to ask. 😉 I appreciate the candor.

 

[murfettie]

i'm a comm stds too.

 

[hoofservant]

murffetti, is that what you got your under-grad in before you decided on medical school or is it what you had and then later decided on medical school?

Well, in doing some more peeking around on the school's website, there are quite a few classes that are offered in conjunction with several of the local community colleges. I am starting to think the CC issue is less of an issue, however its still on the question list for the academic advisor tomorrow.

 

[DrMidlife]

1. Spotty means multiple classes attempted and never finished. 55 credits attempted, 14 completed, overall GPA of 2.61 because of the classes I didn't complete. Which is a shame because I had a 4.0 otherwise. I was so immature and undecided as to what to do at that point in my life and was a spoiled dabbler in school, as is very evident. I am not sure if I need to show that academic history or not as it was 15+ years ago. If I do, I may as well attempt to transfer the credits I do have completed to the 4-year that I am accepted to and see what they get me. Otherwise, I am going to let that sleeping dog lie right where it is.

Sorry, but that dog ain't sleepin.

You have to submit every college transcript you ever received when you apply to med school, MD or DO. The GPA on any given transcript doesn't count - so a school's grade forgiveness policy or transfer policy won't help you. W's may turn into F's over time, so I recommend ordering fresh copies of your record so you can see what you're up against. For DO schools, if you repeat old coursework, the old grade isn't included in GPA calcs, but the old grade still shows on your app.

I guess the good news is that you're not alone in this - I have W's and F's from during the Reagan administration. One DO school where I interviewed really wanted to know what those grades were about - starting in 1984 they went line by line. Felt great. (That would be sarcasm.)

Personally I would hope you don't do community college work. In my view, those of us on a GPA comeback have to take the high road and over-prove our worthiness. You have to play the same game as the 21 year olds, and not only win but inspire.

Best of luck to you.

 

[hoofservant]

DrMidLife, I figured that dog was going to come out and play. 😉 Ah well, better hitch him to my saddle and take him for a trail ride.

I am looking at fresh copies of the transcripts from the college that I was in with the crappy academic history. Some of the classes I will be repeating just because I need to have them again for my under-grad, and I don't feel that just because the credits from 15 years ago transfer it means that I don't have to KNOW the information.

I hear what you are saying with regards to taking the high road to prove myself. However, if taking the Physics class at the CC will actually get me through it, I really have to look at it as a viable option for getting through the pre-requisite. Is taking the class over and over and over (potentially) to get a high enough grade actually proving worthiness and tenacity? Or is it merely proving ineptitude? I am hearing that Physics features very highly on the MCATs and I want to be able to understand what I am learning so that I can apply it. I was never able to grasp that in HS.

And maybe I need to take a Physics class at the CC level and then attempt it at the 4-year level to see what happens.

 

[murfettie]

i was comm in college.
i didn't have a green card.
then i got one -- so i went abroad, worked there.
came home, worked here...
then i enrolled at a state university.

that about sums up the last 8 years of my life.
2003-2007 ugrad 2007- 2009 - loitering in life, smelling the roses.

oh on the other hand, i'm going to a intercultural comm project between physicians and patients next semester (i'm a medical interpreter), with one of my old professors..
so comm wasn't totally useless...

btw, if you are going to do comm for a degree. i HIGHLY recommend interpersonal over mass.
I picked the mass concentrated because bleh.. i was confused and young
interpersonal is sooo much more interesting, and certainly do a senior thesis in medical communication in a clinilca setting.
get clinical hours + reserach + fun fun times of compelling data!

btw. physics at 4 year isn't hard at all. from my personal experience...
don't be scared. schaum's is your friend.

 

[hoofservant]

murfetti,

What is the difference between interpersonal versus mass comm? My interest in such a degree is that I have already done some technical writing and I want the options of medical and research writing open to me. Medical communication sounds very fascinating. I think I am going to have to look more into this.

I just made contact with some people for tutoring with regards to Physics. I am going to use the group for my math classes and see how it goes. So, I may just gird up and take the Physics at the 4-year regardless. Its me drawing on my experience with Physics beforehand, which was its own special brand of awful. I've already had my previous beliefs that I was hopelessly stupid in math blown out of the water taking a class with a professor who could teach the way that I needed to learn and managed to 4.0 the class, the first time in my life.

I will look up Schaum's. I am assuming this is a book.

Well, off to have some breakfast and have a meeting with an academic advisor. 🙂

 

[hoofservant]

Ok, murfetti, thanks! I am reading on Schaum's and interpersonal vs mass communication right now. Very interesting. 🙂

 

[murfettie]

good luck! it's interesting huh~
comm is a very interesting area since it underlines so many areas of our daily lives.

 

[hoofservant]

I can definitely see the benefit in choosing to pursue this undergrad.