Non-traditional Engineer questions

[al100100]

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I have been an engineer in the workforce for about one year but I am having second thoughts about my career choice... I used to be premed in college until I switched to full engineering due to my GPA which I did bring up on a good upward trend after the switch (Ended at 3.42). I am considering becoming a part-time pre-med student while working to cover all my requirements before applying (most likely the 2023-2024 cycle) but I have major questions:

I would need to take Bio 1/2, Orgo 2 and Biochem as prereqs but the only location I can do them at would be my local community college; would this look poor in an application? (taking big prereqs at CC)

I also never did research in college but I've heard that I can count my senior capstone as research hours, is this reasonable?

I am also currently doing an online Master's degree in my engineering discipline (too far in to back out lmao), would this be an app booster by any means?

Any help would be appreciated, I'm only in the early stages of this process though

 

[deleted966837]

I was in the same position. I did all prereqs at a community college, while working. It probably didn't help but certainly didn't stop me. I had 3 MD and 5 DO interviews, and ultimately matriculated to a DO school. The hardest part for me was clinical experience - in fact an MD interviewer said "if you don't get accepted, you need to get more clinical experience and reapply".

 

[al100100]

I was in the same position. I did all prereqs at a community college, while working. It probably didn't help but certainly didn't stop me. I had 3 MD and 5 DO interviews, and ultimately matriculated to a DO school. The hardest part for me was clinical experience - in fact an MD interviewer said "if you don't get accepted, you need to get more clinical experience and reapply".

Yeah, that is one thing I've been worried about... I am already setting up a volunteer position at my local hospital but I am not sure how much of a clinical experience it would provide. Congrats on getting into DO school btw!

 

[deleted966837]

That volunteer position sounds great. The hardest part is getting your foot in the door. Use it as an opportunity to meet physicians (go out of your way to do so if necessary), ask to shadow, and then hopefully they will be willing to provide letters of recommendation.

For community college classes, most people would say buy the MSAR and see if your target schools would accept those credits.

 

[al100100]

That volunteer position sounds great. The hardest part is getting your foot in the door. Use it as an opportunity to meet physicians (go out of your way to do so if necessary), ask to shadow, and then hopefully they will be willing to provide letters of recommendation.

For community college classes, most people would say buy the MSAR and see if your target schools would accept those credits.

Yeah the MSAR was one of my first purchases in the process, looks like only one school on my very early school list didn't want biochem at a community college which is sad but I can't control that. A good amount also say case-by-case it seems

 

[Doctorswithborders013]

I finished undergrad with a sub 3. Worked in military/engineering for about 4 years, then quit and did school full-time at a community college for a year and applied. Less than 100 hours of shadowing but a lot of clinical hours in the military. I ended up with 3 MD Interviews and 2 DO Interviews.

It's definitely possible with even a few clinical hours, but I think what they want to see is that A) You know what it's like to actually be a member of the workforce and B) That you know what you're getting into as far as what being a physician really is.

 

[al100100]

I finished undergrad with a sub 3. Worked in military/engineering for about 4 years, then quit and did school full-time at a community college for a year and applied. Less than 100 hours of shadowing but a lot of clinical hours in the military. I ended up with 3 MD Interviews and 2 DO Interviews.

It's definitely possible with even a few clinical hours, but I think what they want to see is that A) You know what it's like to actually be a member of the workforce and B) That you know what you're getting into as far as what being a physician really is.

Yeah thats for sure my main goal right now to get some clinical hours before moving too far ahead in the process, if you dont mind me asking, how many classes did you take at community college?

 

[Doctorswithborders013]

Yeah thats for sure my main goal right now to get some clinical hours before moving too far ahead in the process, if you dont mind me asking, how many classes did you take at community college?

I took the year of OChem, BIO, and then each quarter took a third class. So it was something around 16 credits a quarter?