Non-trad with pathology lab experience...chances?

[UD912]

Reposted from the non-trad forum since this one seems more fitting.

I am currently on rotations finishing up my Master's to become a pathologists' assistant and have been seriously considering continuing my education with a medical degree. I do not plan on applying for another few years (want to whittle down the debt I already have a little first) so let's say, hypothetically, I will apply when I am 26 after working for two years. I just wanted to see what my chances would be and had a few other questions. I would like to stay on the East Coast for medical school (any state between Massachusetts and Florida is fine, but ideally somewhere in withing a 100 mile radius of Baltimore) and am open to MD or DO. Here are my stats:

B.A. in Biology: GPA = ~3.6, Science = ~ 3.4 (I could be very wrong on this).
A's and B's in all prerequisite classes and most science except Cell Biology (C+, my only C during undergrad) and Genetics (B-).

M.S. in Pathology: GPA = ~3.75 after 55 credit hours, still 36 more to go (expecting all A's this semester at least).
First year included mostly medical school classes (gross anatomy, histology, micro, physiology, pathology) and received all A's and B's.
Poster for a VERY interesting case study, going to complete at least one more before graduation.

EC's: Kind of light, member of some honors societies (phi beta kappa, golden key, etc), did some volunteering and shadowing in the past, no research (does not interest me much), worked about 30-40 hours per week throughout undergrad and, not being a premed, did not exactly kill myself doing extra stuff with my little free time.

By the time I apply I will have worked at least 2 years in a pathology lab doing a mix of gross examination of surgical specimens and autopsies, potentially some management responsibilities depending where I work.


The one thing that has really been holding me back about going to medical school is the time constraint on family. I am about to get married and would like to have kids when I am decently young. My father was 45 when I was born and was diagnosed with Ahlzheimer's when he was 65. After seeing what happened to him I know I want to be able to watch my kids grow up and not be brain-dead by the time they are old enough that I can have a friend-like relationship with them, rather than just being a parent.

I realize my fear is fairly illogical, but I was just curious how hard it is to be there as a parent when having children during residency. My girlfriend/fiance is 100% supportive of me going back to school for medicine (she has been supporting me through my Master's as is) but neither of us want to start having children much later than age 30.

Any opinions or advice is welcome, I know I would not be applying for a while but just wanted some feedback to help me think about it.

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[Led Zep]

Reposted from the non-trad forum since this one seems more fitting.

I am currently on rotations finishing up my Master's to become a pathologists' assistant and have been seriously considering continuing my education with a medical degree. I do not plan on applying for another few years (want to whittle down the debt I already have a little first) so let's say, hypothetically, I will apply when I am 26 after working for two years. I just wanted to see what my chances would be and had a few other questions. I would like to stay on the East Coast for medical school (any state between Massachusetts and Florida is fine, but ideally somewhere in withing a 100 mile radius of Baltimore) and am open to MD or DO. Here are my stats:

B.A. in Biology: GPA = ~3.6, Science = ~ 3.4 (I could be very wrong on this).
A's and B's in all prerequisite classes and most science except Cell Biology (C+, my only C during undergrad) and Genetics (B-).

M.S. in Pathology: GPA = ~3.75 after 55 credit hours, still 36 more to go (expecting all A's this semester at least).
First year included mostly medical school classes (gross anatomy, histology, micro, physiology, pathology) and received all A's and B's.
Poster for a VERY interesting case study, going to complete at least one more before graduation.

EC's: Kind of light, member of some honors societies (phi beta kappa, golden key, etc), did some volunteering and shadowing in the past, no research (does not interest me much), worked about 30-40 hours per week throughout undergrad and, not being a premed, did not exactly kill myself doing extra stuff with my little free time.

By the time I apply I will have worked at least 2 years in a pathology lab doing a mix of gross examination of surgical specimens and autopsies, potentially some management responsibilities depending where I work.


The one thing that has really been holding me back about going to medical school is the time constraint on family. I am about to get married and would like to have kids when I am decently young. My father was 45 when I was born and was diagnosed with Ahlzheimer's when he was 65. After seeing what happened to him I know I want to be able to watch my kids grow up and not be brain-dead by the time they are old enough that I can have a friend-like relationship with them, rather than just being a parent.

I realize my fear is fairly illogical, but I was just curious how hard it is to be there as a parent when having children during residency. My girlfriend/fiance is 100% supportive of me going back to school for medicine (she has been supporting me through my Master's as is) but neither of us want to start having children much later than age 30.

Any opinions or advice is welcome, I know I would not be applying for a while but just wanted some feedback to help me think about it.

First of all, nice work on the whole pathology assistant thing, I've shadowed a couple and found the work very interesting. Your education has definitely given you an edge though for med school which will no doubt be honed more so as you work. Without knowing an MCAT it's hard to say, but here is what I will say, if you want it, go for it, seems like you can handle it. But if the family thing means a great deal to you remember that med school is a lot of time and sacrifice.

IMO, as you work over the next 2-3 years and make your decision think about what you want in this life to be satisfied and when you make the decision don't look back, too many of us hurt ourselves when we dwell on our past. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

 

[UD912]

First of all, nice work on the whole pathology assistant thing, I've shadowed a couple and found the work very interesting. Your education has definitely given you an edge though for med school which will no doubt be honed more so as you work. Without knowing an MCAT it's hard to say, but here is what I will say, if you want it, go for it, seems like you can handle it. But if the family thing means a great deal to you remember that med school is a lot of time and sacrifice.

IMO, as you work over the next 2-3 years and make your decision think about what you want in this life to be satisfied and when you make the decision don't look back, too many of us hurt ourselves when we dwell on our past. Good luck in whatever you decide to do.

Thanks for the reply. I know it's hard to give any chances without an MCAT score, I just wanted to see if everything else was up to par. If anyone can shed some more light on parenthood during/after residency, or have any other additional comments, it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[canjosh]

I have 2 kids, ages 5 & 1. First year med student. It is doable, but I wouldn't recommend having your first kid as a first year or something. Either have one very soon, or wait until 3rd or 4th year. Make sure your baby momma is 1000% comfortable with being your support system during med school. She'll basically be a single parent at times. I say the non-student has to actually be more driven and persevering than the med student. It's a really difficult job.

It seems as though you'll have plenty of opportunities to shadow a pathologist. This could be beneficial, but make sure you get same patient interaction by shadowing another specialty.

Your application will be pretty unique, but the best thing you can do is to smash the MCAT. Make sure you prepare thoroughly.

 

[Catalystik]

Your fairly unique educational background and experience will get you some attention as they are an excellent, unique activity. Your undergrad GPA is decent. Your BCPM is on the low side; it might be good to do a calculation so you know for sure where you stand. Don't assume that your graduate GPA will bail you out, as grad grades are generally not regarded in the med school application process.

You will be expected to have the usual and customary ECs. Research isn't required: only 60% list it. About 1.5 years of clinical experience is typical. How much did you gain in undergrad? About 50 hours of shadowing is average, and 60-80 would meet the expectations of most schools; be sure to shadow a primary care doc among the 2-3 specialties you choose. Some nonmedical community service is a good idea and this should be recent. Teaching and leadership are other good activities to develop. Hobbies and artistic endeavors also have a place on your application.