Non-traditional second chance into med school

[miketutor]

Hi All!

My name is Mike and I always wanted to get into med school. My background is Electrical and Biomedical Engineering and I am currently working as an electrical engineer. A year and a half ago I have applied for both med school and law school. Unluckily, med school did not accept me but I got accepted to part-time law school instead. I am on my second year of law school now but I am also trying to get into med school as it was always my biggest interest. If med school continues to not accept me I may end up working as a patent lawyer for medical devices.

I am very good in my university biomedical courses and have been involved in a few medical researches in my local hospital. I am also one of the co-author for a medical journal published in the Canadian Journal of Cardiology.

I am passionate about the medical industry and hope that from this forum I could learn what to expect in med school and in a doctor’s career.

I am in my early twenties (almost to mid) and I was wonderring if anybody else is in the same boat as I am.

Thanks!

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[SyrianHero]

What are the breakdown of your stats?

 

[WellWornLad]

#1 question you will get asked during interviews: Why law and medicine?

 

[miketutor]

I got 3.5ish GPA on average (Similar when I am in Engineering and now in law).

I actually took MCAT and LSAT around the same time and applied for both law school and med school (I just applied to the universities within my province). My LSAT score is considered above average but my MCAT was bad (I think it was 33-35, I might have to double check).

So in the end Law school accepted me as a part-time student but not Med school. I did not retake my MCAT again yet though...

As for the interview question, the only answer I can provide is that it was always my biggest interest... I can't think of another!

 

[Gfliptastic]

#1 question you will get asked during interviews: Why law and medicine?

This is probably your biggest obstacle. (If you do have a 33-35 MCAT)

"it was always my biggest interest" is REALLY vague to anyone scrutinizing you for matriculation.

I've LUVED Jacques Cousteau and his underwater documentaries, but you didn't see me making life-altering/consequential decisions because oceanography is one of my biggest interest. In fact, I even had a chance to just get scuba-certified one summer and I decided not to do it.

Cuz the usual follow-up question is, "If you DON'T get accepted to med school, what is your alternative?" Possibly, "Why not just nursing or PA school instead?"

MCAT's, grades, even really liking medicine is part of an AdCom's decision. However, since they can NOT sit down for a whole day and learn everything about you, they can only base their final decision on what they gather from the interview.

Some schools use folks like me (MS3's/MS4's) to interview. And if you didn't show me, and explain to me how passionate you are about being a physician, I would NOT endorse you to the AdCom.

Get specific. Know exactly why ONLY medicine and practicing as a physician is the ONLY pathway for you and all you do is wait for someone to ask you the question, "Why do you want to be a physician?"

Start there, and good luck!!