One in a million shot

[CarolinaGirl]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

So, I have a Master's of Science in Nursing and am a Family Nurse Practitioner. I currently live and do community development work in South Asia. I have decided I can do more to help others if I return to school.

The problem: I have only taken Anatomy and Physiology 1 yr, Microbiology sem, and Intro to Org. 1 sem. I am really struggling with why I should have to take more classes to get into med school. I feel my background should speak for itself. I realize that is not how it works!

So, I don't want to spend a year taking the basic required classes. I am going to do self study for the MCAT. I plan to take it this April. If my past grades are really good, I have done plenty of humanitarian work, and if my mcat's are not embarassing... What are my chances?

The school I am looking at is in my home state and does not require any classes, they are just recommended.

What do you think??😕

 

[primadonna22274]

PM me. I just responded to your post re "South Carolina schools".
Lisa PA-C
Emergency Medicine now, 6 yr in primary care...and also feeling the need to go back to school....

So, I have a Master's of Science in Nursing and am a Family Nurse Practitioner. I currently live and do community development work in South Asia. I have decided I can do more to help others if I return to school.

The problem: I have only taken Anatomy and Physiology 1 yr, Microbiology sem, and Intro to Org. 1 sem. I am really struggling with why I should have to take more classes to get into med school. I feel my background should speak for itself. I realize that is not how it works!

So, I don't want to spend a year taking the basic required classes. I am going to do self study for the MCAT. I plan to take it this April. If my past grades are really good, I have done plenty of humanitarian work, and if my mcat's are not embarassing... What are my chances?

The school I am looking at is in my home state and does not require any classes, they are just recommended.

What do you think??😕

 

[medicomel]

So, I have a Master's of Science in Nursing and am a Family Nurse Practitioner. I currently live and do community development work in South Asia. I have decided I can do more to help others if I return to school.

The problem: I have only taken Anatomy and Physiology 1 yr, Microbiology sem, and Intro to Org. 1 sem. I am really struggling with why I should have to take more classes to get into med school. I feel my background should speak for itself. I realize that is not how it works!

So, I don't want to spend a year taking the basic required classes. I am going to do self study for the MCAT. I plan to take it this April. If my past grades are really good, I have done plenty of humanitarian work, and if my mcat's are not embarassing... What are my chances?

The school I am looking at is in my home state and does not require any classes, they are just recommended.

What do you think??😕

i think you're going to have to call the state school and find out. i'm pretty sure that you'll have to take all the science classes. maybe do this first before studying on your own for the mcat, because having taken those classes will definitely help your score.

 

[babycapybara]

why do you think you won't need the usual prereq classes? i personally think having to take physics is foolish. But you do need basic chemistry to help with biochem. or have you already done genchem since you took organic 1? If so, you might only need physics and organic 2 which you could fit in a summer. Your AP and micro could count for biology credits. I guess the best thing to do is contact the school directly.

 

[scpod]

why do you think you won't need the usual prereq classes? QUOTE]

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) doesn't have any prereq requirements. You don't HAVE to take anything. However, the MCAT will be hard without having taken some of them. MUSC averages about a 29O. If you can handle that, then I don't see any reason to go farther. It can be tough, though, when you are "putting all of your eggs in one basket". You won't be able to apply to any other schools, but being a resident is a definite bonus. Personally, I don't like Charleston all that much. If you do, then you might have a great time.

 

[Nasrudin]

why do you think you won't need the usual prereq classes? QUOTE]

Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) doesn't have any prereq requirements. You don't HAVE to take anything. However, the MCAT will be hard without having taken some of them. MUSC averages about a 29O. If you can handle that, then I don't see any reason to go farther. It can be tough, though, when you are "putting all of your eggs in one basket". You won't be able to apply to any other schools, but being a resident is a definite bonus. Personally, I don't like Charleston all that much. If you do, then you might have a great time.

Wow. Op this is great news for you. Before hearing this I would have thought you were barking up the wrong tree with forgoing the science prereqs.

While your experience clearly has prepared you for medicine. The courses which you describe to do not come close to the rites of passage in science that 99.9% of premeds must go through to get to medical school.

But if you can get around this obstacle by applying to your rather unique state school and capitalize on your rather amazing resume then boom! touchdown for you.

I think studying for the MCAT without these courses and doing well will be a monumental task. If you can do that then you stand a good shot at that one school based on your other strengths. But as Scpod says, this is putting all your eggs in one basket bigtime. Good luck.

 

[CarolinaGirl]

Well I just received an email from MUSC and they said they only look at MCAT and GPA among LOR's and EC's. That is the good news. I realize that I am betting it all on one school but I figure I don't have much to lose at this stage.

I don't finish my commitment working in South Asia until early Nov 2007. So either way I could not start classes until 08. I am going to try to self study and see what happens. If I don't get in then when I return home will take the classes and reapply. I won't have lost any time that way.

I do think the prereq's are important and I don't see myself as more intelligent or better than those who have had to take them. I am just taking a shot at this particular moment in time. If it does not work, no worries, I will just do the classes.

Oh, FYI, I love Charleston. I lived there for ten years and compared to Columbia, please that's a no brainer🙄

 

[efex101]

Sorry to be a the bearer of bad news but the pre-reqs are there so you can do well on the MCAT. I realize that you have extensive healthcare background but you still have to do well enough on the MCAT to get in. I would suggest you get your hands on a practice MCAT and take one. See how you do, obviously if you get a 30+ then you do not need any refresher but if you get a 25 then I would start thinking about the pre-reqs.

 

[MtnGntx]

Had similar questions regarding some of my pre-reqs a couple of years ago. I will have a Phd in Medical genetics with focus in electrophysiology. I was told by a number of adcom reps that despite my years upon years of molecular biology, chemistry, and physics related lab work... the pre-requisites were non-negotiable. 😡

I think you will have to suck it up and comply. Sorry🙁
But that shouldnt stop you from asking of the schools you intend to apply to!

Good Luck.

 

[MeowMix]

A few things. #1 is that the course prereqs and MCAT are just the first of many hoops you will have to jump through before and throughout med school. Regardless of your amazing background and clinical experience, you are going to go through the same old crap as all the rest of us. Sometimes I think that this simply ensures that we will be obedient and compliant in our clinical training. Hoop after hoop after pointless hoop. If you rebel against these, there will be plenty more (I'm in third year and I am jumping through hoops every single day).

#2, you do have a great background but all your eggs are going in the MCAT basket if you plan to apply to only one school. You may be a very special person and capable of an excellent score through self-study without the prereq courses (esp physics), but most people do not fit this ideal; it is far more common to be unrealistically optimistic, than to achieve this goal. It is expensive and frustrating to go through an unsuccessful MCAT and application cycle.

#3 is that if you have been out of school for any length of time, you will need to prove your academic abilities and your ability to keep up with very smart students who are very good at studying. You also need to test yourself and figure out if you really want to be back in lectures for X hours a day. Personally, I thought it sucked after years of working.

#4, this is a very long and challenging and EXPENSIVE road. I assume you have thought through all of this already, but the financial consequences are significant for a career-switcher.

good luck

 

[albaniandoc]

So, I have a Master's of Science in Nursing and am a Family Nurse Practitioner. I currently live and do community development work in South Asia. I have decided I can do more to help others if I return to school.

The problem: I have only taken Anatomy and Physiology 1 yr, Microbiology sem, and Intro to Org. 1 sem. I am really struggling with why I should have to take more classes to get into med school. I feel my background should speak for itself. I realize that is not how it works!

So, I don't want to spend a year taking the basic required classes. I am going to do self study for the MCAT. I plan to take it this April. If my past grades are really good, I have done plenty of humanitarian work, and if my mcat's are not embarassing... What are my chances?

The school I am looking at is in my home state and does not require any classes, they are just recommended.

What do you think??😕

I am an RN too with a BSN. I took a practice MCAT with only the pre-rews needed for nursing school (Chem 1, Physics 1, Bio 1&2, and AP) and did terribly. I got 15. Unfortunately, nursing experience is not a substitute for the pre-reqs. Nursing courses believe it or not don't have a lot of science but just teach you what you need to know. In fact, at my university they teach Microbiology for health professions which is a watered down microbiology course. The real Micro course is much harder. A lot of universities will teach similar classes for professions such as nursing and other health care professions.
I would strongly, strongly recommend that you take the pre-reqs. I have spoken with several ADCOMS and was told that most nurses do poorly on the MCAT and in most cases have mediocre grades in med school as compared to their science major counterparts. During my last conversation with an ADCOM I was told to also take Biochem, Cell Bio, Genetics, Immunology on top of the pre-reqs. I am done with the pre-reqs at the moment and feel that I know so much more and understand so much more than I ever knew from nursing classes. Unfortunately, there is so much more to medicine than useless nursing theories.

How do you plan to get LORs? Most schools require two basic science letters and one letter from non science which can be from nursing.

Finally, to the person that said that they don't see the point of taking physics, I am currently taking Applications of Physics in Medicine and I am surprised to see just how much physics applies to biomechanics and pathology. Anything from the bone's tensile strength, to the aplication of Bernoulli's and Pousell's laws to the circulatory system.

Over the years, I have come to the conclusion that the more I learn the more I realize that I don't know anything. You will find out when you take a practice MCAT that nurses don't really know much science.
Good luck

 

[CarolinaGirl]

Thanks for the info guys. Here are some thoughts on what you have stated.

1. I am placing all my eggs in one basket. I have nothing to lose. I can't take prereq's for at least a year so I may as well try with what I have. This way I am not just waiting aimlessly for a year.

2. I do realize I am making a career change. However, it really is not that big of a change. I worked three years MICU and CCU at top hospitals. I went to an excellent grad school. I know what the work load is like. Besides I will most likely end up going back overseas to do community development. I love what I do now, but do to the culture, ect. it is better for me to do it as a doc.

3. The A/P, Micro, and Intro to O. I took were the real deal. I sat along side regular bio and chem majors. They were hard but I did well. I am not counting on nursing theory to get me through med school. My FNP background is only going to help me in the last two years but that is okay.

4. As for taking all those other science non-req classes, I don't think that is necessary. It is great that you now know more but from what I have read all over this site it really makes no difference.

5. LORs- From my understanding as a non-trad and being out of school for three years will give me some lee-way with who writes my letters. I will have some docs I work with write some as will an old prof, and my employers will also.

6. When it comes to going back to school, I don't mind. I have always loved being a student. There are some days that I miss my work load from grad school. I would spend hours studying in Starbucks. By the way I worked full-time and went to school full-time when I got my MSN. I am not worried about studying, etc. I managed a 4.0 from a top MSN program. I love challenges!

 

[shaggybill]

Go for it, Carolinagirl. You're right, you have nothing to lose. If you don't get into MUSC, then you can just take the pre-req's next year. Why not? You may save a year or two.

Best of luck to you.