nontrad applicant and career changer

[boshhini]

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Hi Everyone,

First-time posting, but a long-time lurker on these forums. Firstly, the stories and knowledge that has been shared on this forum has been a source of inspiration to me and has been a great resource as I begin to prepare (again) for my MD application. Thank you everyone for giving me the courage to share my own story for the first time. This may be a bit of a ramble, but it is as much an exercise for me to vent some thoughts that I have been internalizing for some time. As a non-traditional with a range of different experiences (some relating to medicine), I am struggling to find the best way to position myself in the eyes of an admittance committee. Any input or advice would be welcomed on how I may best prepare my application for the 2022 admission cycle.

So a little about me, I'm a 27-year old with undergraduate degrees in both Microbiology & Immunology (my first degree) and Architecture (my most recent degree and current field I am working in). Bear with me, as I know that these are opposing worlds, but I'll do my best to articulate why I have had a change of heart recently and hope to see myself in the future as a practicing physician.

This has been a source of anxiety for me as I am ambivalent about sharing my story to an admissions panel for fear of being judged for changing my mind again. Architecture for me wasn't a sporadic decision. At the time, I carefully chose to study this field as after dozens of meetings with practicing professionals and academics, I felt that my personal needs to help and see the results of my work make a positive difference in people's lives could be fulfilled. Although the discipline attracts many people with humanitarian-centered values, the reality of the profession is that our role in improving society is negligible, at best. Not to mention, spending my days working from a computer screen is another layer of abstraction to the actual difference that I am contributing to my community.

Ultimately, I don't see myself as an architect and I have deceived myself into thinking that I was more creative than I actually am, at least the level that is necessary to produce at the rate that is required for career designers.

So why do I want to apply again?

• I have come to the realization that I enjoy being creative much more as a hobby than I do as a career. Go figure.
• I want a job that helps people daily.
• I haven't found any other compromise for the direct patient interaction that a physician has on a day-to-day basis. I want to help people and use my skills and knowledge in the sciences to do so.
• I miss the daily exposure to society and all walks of life.

Unfortunately, Covid-19 has shut down all volunteer opportunities in the hospitals in my province. Hopefully, this will change from now until the application cycle begins for 2022.

Should I be worried about how I may be perceived as returning back to apply to medicine? How can I communicate my commitment this time around?

Thanks everyone.

 

[antibody dance now]

Hey! As a non-trad myself with two career changes before deciding to go into medicine, my advice would be to dig a bit deeper into why you want to go into medicine. That has made the difference between my application 2 years ago and my application this cycle. The best way to show that you've reflected on this journey is to work on your experiences. Enrolling in an EMT course is a way to gain some experience since many hospitals are restricting volunteer/shadowing experiences. Virtual shadowing, attending virtual grand rounds, and reading medical journals are other ways to explore a career in medicine. You could also reach out to physicians in fields you might be interested in to see if you can schedule a Zoom call with them and learn more about a career in medicine. As you are pursuing these experiences, create a journal to document/reflect on your experiences. Journaling gives you that space to reflect while providing fodder that is ready-to-use for your personal statement, Work and Activities, and secondaries. Finally, use your experience as an architect to your advantage! Think about the transferrable skills/experiences you gained as an architect and the unique perspective that you bring that will make you a better/different physician. From an admissions committee perspective, you are one out of thousands of applicants, but your experience will definitely help you stand out from the crowd if you are able to provide a compelling story. I wish you all the best in your journey!

 

[m222222]

Hi, I agree with the previous post. I’m a nontrad, mid 30s, and am applying for admission this cycle after earning a graduate degree in a different field.

My take is that your reasoning as currently articulated is weighted thematically toward “why not architecture” rather than “why medicine.” I suspect that admission committees are not especially interested in why not X and are much more interested in a clear explanation for why medicine, with clear support, examples, anecdotes, etc. It’s absolutely ok (in my opinion) to present the decision to pursue a career in medicine as one you’ve taken seriously and carefully, and to explain some of the justifications for why you decided against it for some time. But that should be prelude to the core explanation — why medicine, why now, what specific experiences have informed it, and how can you convey to schools that this isn’t a decision made on a whim or one you may back away from?

To that end, specific clinical experiences are super important. They’re important for everyone, but you really want to be able to use them to demonstrate how you have come to this decision. You presumably have had some experiences already, as I suspect that your decision to pursue medicine was inspired by more than a sense of dissatisfaction with architecture. And if you don’t have those experiences, then it’s super important to pursue them as they may change your mind or otherwise inform your process.

Also, a follow up response to one of the reasons you explain for your interest in pursuing a career in medicine: “I haven't found any other compromise for the direct patient interaction that a physician has on a day-to-day basis. I want to help people and use my skills and knowledge in the sciences to do so.”

There are other careers that have patient interactions (e.g. social workers, clinical psychologists, PAs). It is important to be able to explain why medicine specifically, and clinical experience is key to that.
Hope that helps!