OD to MD

[mdod]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hi,
I was wondering if there are some ODs (Optometrists) here thinking about going to med school or taking prerequisite classes for med school. I have a degree and licence in optometry and I love the profession. I have been in practice for 7 years but something in me keep telling me to go back to MD school and be an eye surgeon. I listened to that inner voice and am now taking classes for med school requirement(making AAAs) and plan to take MCAT in about 2 or 3 years from now. I have an optometry practice and plan to work weekends if I get into med school. I plan to hire an optometrist to work in my practice if I get into med school. Meanwhile am not young anymore(40yo) and married with 3 kids. Am I alone in this thought process and is it a good idea to think in this way?

 

[FrkyBgStok]

i wouldn't normally say don't do it but in this situation i would recommend that you don't do it. first, working part time in medical school may be possible but it is also considered nuts. second, eye surgery is a very very competitive specialty. having a family and a part time job something is going to give and it will be your studies and if you want to go into eye surgery, your studies cannot suffer.

the most important thing is what if you don't get into your specialty of choice, will you regret your decision? if you love optometry, this process is brutal on a family and going at it alone it will be tough. at least consider it. if you decide to movie forward i wish you the best of luck.

 

[gman33]

If you just started taking the prereqs, I assume you are 2-3 years away from starting med school. Add on 4 years of school, plus 4 years of residency. You'll be in your 50's when starting practice.
Is it worth it to put in 10 years of work for a 15 year career (or maybe a little more)? Only you can answer that part.

As said above, optho is one or the harder specialties to get into.
Realistically, you need to account for the possibility that you won't match into the field. I'm a non-trad who busted his ass in med school. I'm pretty much an average student and I probably wouldn't get into optho if I applied. Not saying that will be you, just think about if you would want to do something else in medicine if you don't get in.

Some people work part-time, but they are few and far between. Froget about that during years 3/4 and residency. You would probably be better off just selling your practice as you won't have much time for distractions.

 

[MCAT guy]

Hi,
I was wondering if there are some ODs (Optometrists) here thinking about going to med school or taking prerequisite classes for med school. I have a degree and licence in optometry and I love the profession. I have been in practice for 7 years but something in me keep telling me to go back to MD school and be an eye surgeon. I listened to that inner voice and am now taking classes for med school requirement(making AAAs) and plan to take MCAT in about 2 or 3 years from now. I have an optometry practice and plan to work weekends if I get into med school. I plan to hire an optometrist to work in my practice if I get into med school. Meanwhile am not young anymore(40yo) and married with 3 kids. Am I alone in this thought process and is it a good idea to think in this way?

Agree with above.

I wouldn't do this with a part time job. If you can ditch the practice then I'd say do whatever you think is best.

 

[drgioiadds]

I'm a 35 yo DDS of 10 years and have applied to DO school. If you are not happy with your profession, then apply.

 

[DocJL]

Wow! never heard of anybody doing this (obviously not counting dual degree MD/DDS OMFS).

Can I ask why the career change? specific interest in a field of medicine? what type of practice have you done for the last 10 years?

 

[drgioiadds]

Wow! never heard of anybody doing this (obviously not counting dual degree MD/DDS OMFS).

Can I ask why the career change? specific interest in a field of medicine? what type of practice have you done for the last 10 years?

I think I've always been interested in medicine more. I'm a general dentist, and I knew from first year of dental school that dentistry was not for me. I just thought it would change once I graduated and started working.

Once I started working, I met a DO that influenced my decision, so I took the Mcat a couple days ago and now hoping for the best. Tough exam :/

 

[DocJL]

deleted, didn't want to hijack the thread!

 

[J ROD]

I would advise not to at this point due to the opportunity cost and the fact you have a wife and 3 kids....they will need to be taken care of and will go to college, etc....

 

[mdod]

Thank you guys for the response. I appreciate all your advice. I am aware that age is not on my side, but I am also aware of the improvement on human longevity due to improvemnet in lifestyle, exercise, medical advancement and knowledge. Most of us may end up practising our chosen profession up to the age of 80. I know some doctors in their 70s and 80s still practising medicine and optometry. The point I am making is that I do not want to be thinking about medicine at that age when I could have sacrificed 7 or 8 years and get it out of the way. Meanwhile Opthalmology residency is just option 1 and if I don't it, I can get into family practice or pediatrics and combine it with optometry profession. I know a doctor licenced on optometry and family medicine. Thanks to my DDS friend for encouraging me and I wish you good luck in your MCAT.
In summary, this is what I will do. I will continue with the prereq classes. The MCAT will break the tie. I will take the MCAT once. If I do good in MCAT, I will proceed to medical schoo but if I don't I will stop there.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Thank you guys for the response. I appreciate all your advice. I am aware that age is not on my side, but I am also aware of the improvement on human longevity due to improvemnet in lifestyle, exercise, medical advancement and knowledge. Most of us may end up practising our chosen profession up to the age of 80. I know some doctors in their 70s and 80s still practising medicine and optometry. The point I am making is that I do not want to be thinking about medicine at that age when I could have sacrificed 7 or 8 years and get it out of the way. Meanwhile Opthalmology residency is just option 1 and if I don't it, I can get into family practice or pediatrics and combine it with optometry profession. I know a doctor licenced on optometry and family medicine. Thanks to my DDS friend for encouraging me and I wish you good luck in your MCAT.
In summary, this is what I will do. I will continue with the prereq classes. The MCAT will break the tie. I will take the MCAT once. If I do good in MCAT, I will proceed to medical schoo but if I don't I will stop there.

as long as you are OK with not getting ophtho i would say good luck, i wish you the best. i hope you do well and get the residency you are desiring, but if you don't, you have a backup plan that will make you happy. go for it.

 

[JW08]

I think I've always been interested in medicine more. I'm a general dentist, and I knew from first year of dental school that dentistry was not for me. I just thought it would change once I graduated and started working.

Once I started working, I met a DO that influenced my decision, so I took the Mcat a couple days ago and now hoping for the best. Tough exam :/

There is one Doc in Denver area who is a DDS, and then went to MD school, and now works as a oral-max surgeon. Great doc.
Good luck

 

[Alby]

I'm a firm believer in following your dreams... no regrets.

Sounds to me like you have already made up your mind and you are looking for approval from others due to societal pressures of leaving your current career and heading down a long path to another career... who cares what society thinks?

I understand how you feel. I will be graduating with my PharmD in a couple months... I knew that pharmacy was just a poor replacement for my true dreams. Therefore, I took the MCAT this past summer and applied to medical school. I was accepted to an MD school last week. I am in my young 30s and feel the pressure to start living a "normal life". My parents are unhappy with my decision, but it is my life and I will follow my own path. Only you know what is right for you. As long as your immediate family supports you, go for it. I also plan to work weekends as a pharmacist to minimize my loans (as they are already outrageous). I believe that my experience in the medical field should ease some of the pressure of didactics. This will probably be your case as well, however, it is advisable to sell your practice so that you are not distracted by the business while trying to focus on your new career... just staff on weekends.

Best of luck. We "second career" folk need to stick together.

 

[DocJL]

There is one Doc in Denver area who is a DDS, and then went to MD school, and now works as a oral-max surgeon. Great doc.
Good luck

Thats a different thing entirely than the OP is looking at. He wants to completely change his profession.

an oral and maxillofacial surgeon is a dental specialist. most attended a 4 year hospital based residency after dental school for the specialty certificate. some choose to attend a 6 year program, where 2 years are spent in med school to pick up the MD.

 

[st2205]

I'd recommend bypassing allopathic applications and looking strictly at osteopathic schools, if for no other reason than being a DOOD. On a more serious note, I see no problem with taking the MCAT. Unless you're drastically rearranging your life to apply to medical school, I see it as very low risk with high reward (at least in terms of getting into medical school). Should you not get acccepted, you're already an OD in practice. It's not like you're some 22 year old with a biology degree and a bit of volunteering on your resume. Not much to lose.

 

[mdod]

Thank Alby my PharmD friend for your words of inspiration. I am curious on how you studied for MCAT while in final year of pharmacy school. Did you abandon your pharmacy school/clinical work or is it a matter of being smart?

 

[folly916]

Check your private messages mdod, didn't want to spam a huge post.

 

[ChemMed]

I believe you should do what is best for you and your family. If that is going to med school so that you can be happy then that may make your family happy to, just be aware of the balance factor.

I think taking the MCAT to see where you are is a great idea. I switched from science to DO and I'm just about to get started this fall. I personally think it was one of the best and hardest decisions that I have made. Good luck.

 

[Alby]

Thank Alby my PharmD friend for your words of inspiration. I am curious on how you studied for MCAT while in final year of pharmacy school. Did you abandon your pharmacy school/clinical work or is it a matter of being smart?

When I look back on it, I'm not sure how I did it either. I studied for the MCAT during my last didactic quarter of pharmacy school, while working part-time as a pharmacy intern at a local hospital. I took the exam a few days after finals. I did not abandon my school work, as I maintained a 4.0 ... and I don't consider myself exceptionally smart. I am, however, dedicated and driven. It is all about time management and focus (which is good practice for medical school). I only studied a little over a month for the MCAT. OF course, I only really needed to focus on physics and some minor review of general chemistry. My recommendation, don't waste time studying what you already know. Set aside a certain amount of time each day and stick to that schedule.

If you really want to go to medical school, you will find the time to prepare properly. Best of luck

 

[coppertopdoc]

I actually started a thread several years ago about this exact thing. Unfortunately, circumstances haven't allowed me to do anything different.

The main difference is that I'm bored stiff with optometry. Every time I have reason to interact with physicians I realize i should have followed my initial instinct to go to med school. I listened to a lot of blue sky from practicing O.D.'s about how great it is.

I plan to work til I'm 70 anyway so still plenty of time! LOL!