Non-traditional Backgrounds and Interviews

[aamartin81]

I am preparing to take the MCAT this April (2005) and am planning to begin medical school in the Fall of 2006. I would like to hear from those who have non-traditional backgrounds (i.e. not originally science-based coursework) and are currently enrolled in medical school. Were interviewers genuinely impressed by accomplishments you had in other areas, or did they seem to have little impact on the entire process. I have received various feedback, and understand that any accomplishment is looked favorably upon, but did you feel anything you did gave you an advantage over the traditional students applying?

I have a BS in business administration with a concentration in finance. I passed level one of the Charted Financial Analyst examinations (3 year test similar to the CPA), as well as obtained securities brokerage and insurance licenses through the NASD and various state organizations.

Also, in your interviews, did questions regarding your GPA tend to sway toward your original work (I had a 3.60 undergrad) or toward the pre-req science work you took post-bacc?

Thanks, I look forward to hearing your replies!

Adam

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[OrthoFixation]

Yea, I have a great friend who holds securities licenses like Series 7, 13, et al. I don't think anyone really cares much that you can study and pass an exam. Maybe it shows that you are determined? No one has even asked about my engineering designations. The PE allows me to design structures where lives are at stake, but no one cares.

 

[dr_pepper]

Having a business background has to help - it sets you apart from the hordes of bio majors. It certainly won't compensate for weakness in the sciences, but it could show that you have that "something extra" they are always looking for.

 

[freaker]

I think it's great that you pursued another career path and that you advanced down that career path. How many years of experience did you have with your previous job?

You're in a better position than me. I worked for a year and a half as a paralegal/legal researcher and then started law school for a semester. Fortunately (from my perspective) or unfortunately (from an admissions perspective), I found my calling to medicine right before I began law school. So it was a quick semester. I had finished the pre-med curriculum in college, so I just up and took the MCAT after that semester of law school.

Now I'm having interviewers really thoroughly questionging me over my background. I was also an English major with a minor-equivalency in art history, so really non-trad. It didn't matter that I'd been volunteering for years, that I'd had interesting clinical exposure. Nor does it seem to matter that I left a law school that guaranteed me an awesome job coming out.

So now I keep getting waitlisted at schools when my numbers are well above their averages. I really can't think of anything other than schools doubting my commitment to medicine based upon my background. I just want someone to give me a chance.

Again, I think the fact that you've advanced down your career path will be to your advantage. Me, I changed in mid-flow (which certainly saved me a lot of $$$ and blood, sweat, and tears, but...).

You want to impress them? Let them know your accomplishments, and then tell them how those didn't fulfill you when you knew you needed to be doing something else. Or just give them your story. Let them know that you were at the top of your field, but that you guess it didn't mean as much to you as it should (it's okay to brag when you can be modest about it). Just my humble opinion.

I also think any questioning of your course work is going to be on your post-bac. You have little if anything to bring up with a 3.60 in your colllege days. That's impressive enough, as is. If you did fine in post-bac, I wouldn't see any reason to question your coursework at all.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

You can choose to further your business interests in medicine by pursuing an MD/MBA joint degree. Many schools offer it; check out md-mba.org to learn more.

 

[aamartin81]

I think it's great that you pursued another career path and that you advanced down that career path. How many years of experience did you have with your previous job?

I actually had been working with a wealth management group (roughly 6 months) on the side while obtaining the licenses. When it came time to enter a long-term agreement, I spoke with a large number of the investors and advisors and found that the most had gotten into the field to find a way to use their background in conjuction with working directly with cilents. However, most felt that they were simply pushing money around to make a career and weren't really thrilled with the work (though the compensation was great). The thing that really finished it for me was that no matter how much work you put into analyzing an investment, if the industry/market tanks, so does the investment. I did not want to work in an environment where I could not directly influence my results. I had previously interviewed with and examined many other industries/professions, but none offered the type of daily interaction I was looking for without entering sales (not for me).

In reality, I grew up around doctors (father, three uncles and grandfather), but was pushed away by the business takeover of managed care. I'm not at all upset about my business background, I currently handle financial accounts for a local physician and see the impact of "business models" in the day to day management of the practice. The only thing that kinda sucks is at 24, I'll be roughly 35-36 when I finish specialty residencies (if that is the path I take). Nothing like a 12 year plan... ha! Thanks for the responses, I wasn't expecting them so quickly.

Adam

 

[lightnk102]

i come from a consulting background (financial services market unit) and am currently applying to medical school. i've only been asked directly about my non-science background at about half the interviews i've been to, but i've had to talk about my non-science background at all the interviews because a standard question at these things is, "why medicine."

being non-trad has its pros and cons. pro is that it does set you apart from the rest of the premeds. so your application is a bit more eye-catching and memorable. that and, if you get interviews, you can always say you have the "soft skills" of being a physician and back it up with your business experience. the con is that you have to work really hard to convince them of your commitment to medicine and be able to back it up with proof (i.e. volunteering, shadowing, lab work, community service, etc.). your commitment to medicine will always be the big question mark inside their brains. another thing i've always been asked is not just "why medicine", but "why the change". Switching from a low-paying non-medical field to medicine is substantially different from switching from a high-paying non-medical field to medicine.

i chose to address all of this upfront in my personal statement to settle any questions they may have about me (and hopefully convince them to give me an interview).

i've never been asked how successful i was in business, whether i'd been promoted, or what position i held before i left. in fact, i'm not even sure if they recognized my consulting firm, and it's one of the big 5 (or is it 4 now?). i wouldn't count on them recognizing your business achievements, not because they discredit that, but just becuase they have no idea. a few maybe will know about the business exams and certifications if they have kids in the field, but most won't.

edit: p.s. the average age of most med school classes is 23-24, so don't worry about the age thing. i'll be 25 if i get in this year, and i've got the biological clock working against me

 

[flash]

OP, I am entering class of 05 and came from almost an exact background as you (feel you on the age thing, btw).

I think it is helpful in getting interviews. My undergrad was 3.6 as well, shouldn't hurt you at all. Do well in post-bacc stuff and MCATS.


As far as the interviews themselves, I usually draw attention to my background, trasnferable skills, leadership experiences, etc. Focus a tad on what you actually did, and more on experiences/skills that differentiate and highly transferrable. Present values, valuations and accretion/dilution are a thing of the past, but the analytical skills, working with large teams in 80 hour/wk, high pressure environment, leading project temas soft skill-set built will serve u well as a physician. Think of examples: answers to questions like "describe a stressful situation, leadership activities" should blow them away with your experience (in comparison to "trad" applicant").

And the most important question is why the switch, obviously.

Short on time, but PM me if u want more info now, later, whenever.

 

[vtucci]

I have a non-trad background and am in the application/interview process now. I was an IP attorney for three years in NYC with a history/political science undergrad. I completed a post-bac program and did okay but not exceptionally well on the August MCAT. So far I have 7 interviews (these seem somewhat random), 2 rejections and 2 that I have not received secondaries yet for (UNC and UCSF) out of the 34 places I applied. I applied before my MCAT score came out so I have a really big range of places.

For the most part, I have found that the non-trad experience sets us apart and that interviewers look upon it favorably. I only had one quasi negative experience involving a med student interviewer who questioned my willingness to start from the bottom of another profession and how I would fit into a class where most students came straight out from undergrad. I am only 28 and not that much older than many students in med school so that was a little weird. The faculty interviewers seem to love the non-trad background.

I would recommend participating in a lot of clinical projects (EMT, Clinical Research etc) to demonstrate your commitment to medicine. You should also do well on the MCAT and write a kick ass personal statement about why you want to be a doctor now. Mine took me 9 months to write and revise.

Any other questions, PM me.

 

[Old_Mil]

Adam,

As a nontraditional student who is currently going through the process, I'd strongly recommend that you apply to a few DO schools. There are very real statistics behind the perception that students over 30 have a significantly lower chance of getting into allopathic schools than osteopathic schools.

 

[erebus77]

i come from a consulting background (financial services market unit) and am currently applying to medical school.

financial services market unit, huh? sounds like acn nomenclature.

consultants can also draw parallels between patients and clients, treating issues, delivering solutions or care, managing relationships, lifelong learning, professional collaboration, and teaming. its easier to explain a transfer from consulting into medicine than from finance.

 

[TexasRose]

Adam,

As a nontraditional student who is currently going through the process, I'd strongly recommend that you apply to a few DO schools. There are very real statistics behind the perception that students over 30 have a significantly lower chance of getting into allopathic schools than osteopathic schools.

I think the statistics have more to do with the average MCAT scores and UG GPA of nontrads than a bias against admitting older students. You have to have the numbers to compete with the traditional students at allopathic schools. ( I know nothing about DO, so I won't venture an opinion on DO admissions)

I'm about as nontrad as they get (over 30, mom, non science background) and I was accepted to more than one allopathic school.

If you're numbers are good, your age shouldn't hold you back.

 

[DianaLynne]

I think the statistics have more to do with the average MCAT scores and UG GPA of nontrads than a bias against admitting older students. You have to have the numbers to compete with the traditional students at allopathic schools. ( I know nothing about DO, so I won't venture an opinion on DO admissions)

I'm about as nontrad as they get (over 30, mom, non science background) and I was accepted to more than one allopathic school.

If you're numbers are good, your age shouldn't hold you back.

My experience has been that my background makes me an interesting applicant. I'm 34, my first degree is in acting(!), and I've worked in social justice for several years. It makes for easy interview material, I've interviewed in several places, and have already been accepted to a couple of programs.

I think the key to being a nontrad is explaining why you have chosen to study medicine now and how your previous experiences will help you in your new career.

 

[skypilot]

Age does not become an issue till you are over 35. And if you have accomplished a lot in the business world you certainly could bring those skills to bear on problems in the medical world. I would talk about why and how you will use those skills to manage failing hospitals and medical practices once you become a doctor.

Good luck

 

[lightnk102]

financial services market unit, huh? sounds like acn nomenclature.

consultants can also draw parallels between patients and clients, treating issues, delivering solutions or care, managing relationships, lifelong learning, professional collaboration, and teaming. its easier to explain a transfer from consulting into medicine than from finance.

*ding ding ding*. first prize goes to erebus.