Optometrist to MD...where to start?

[mosi200]

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Hey guys,

Undergrad GPA: 3.45 (biomedical sciences)
Optometry school GPA: 3.75
Research done in college, none in optometry school.

I am an optometrist who is looking to apply to medical school for fall 2018. I have not taken the MCATs yet.

A little about me:
I only thought about medical school during my rotations in optometry school. There are so many restrictions with OD licenses that I want to be able to do more to help my patients.

I am thinking about taking the MCATs in August 2017. So that gives me few months to prepare. I have forgotten most of chemistry, organic chemistry, and calculus from undergrad.

Do you guys have any recommendations for study material for someone like me? Is 8-9 months enough to prepare for the exam?

What are your thoughts about the minimum MCAT score I need? How many hours of shadowing should I do?

Thanks!

 

[CCmetal94]

8-9 months in probably too much time studying. The general wisdom is a solid 3 months of legit studying is about right (some do more, some do less). There are MCAT prep books (Kaplan, Berkely Review, Princeton etc.) and courses you can purchase to study. The course usually cost around $1500-2000, books you can get deals for $100-$300.

As for an MCAT score you would likely want a 510+ for MD (maybe they'd cut you slack since you're an optometrist but ill let somebody with more knowledge on that comment). For DO you would just need a 500+.

Actually you should go DO because your title would be DOOD.

 

[mosi200]

lol to DOOD!

I thought I wound need more than 8-9 months since I would be relearning chem, orgo, and cal. I took these courses 6-8 years ago! And the review courses are just that, they review but don't help you re-learn. Should I use my undergrad textbooks? Or is there a better way?

 

[banthapug]

lol to DOOD!

I thought I wound need more than 8-9 months since I would be relearning chem, orgo, and cal. I took these courses 6-8 years ago! And the review courses are just that, they review but don't help you re-learn. Should I use my undergrad textbooks? Or is there a better way?

You won't need calculus for MCAT! I'd suggest using Khan Academy for MCAT content review. Maybe plan to watch a certain number of videos everyday for a few months and then dedicate 3 mo to specifically studying for the exam.

 

[mosi200]

Thanks!
What are your thoughts about minimum hours of shadowing?

 

[AnonPanda1]

Thanks!
What are your thoughts about minimum hours of shadowing?

At least 50 hours over 2 specialties

 

[banthapug]

Thanks!
What are your thoughts about minimum hours of shadowing?

It really depends... It's quality over quantity. No matter how many hours you do, you have to be able to convince adcoms that you know what it's like to be a doctor.

Edit: to clarify, it's not the number of hours that will convince adcoms- it's your reflection on your shadowing that you will write in your application.

 

[aalamruad]

It really depends... It's quality over quantity. No matter how many hours you do, you have to be able to convince adcoms that you know what it's like to be a doctor.

Edit: to clarify, it's not the number of hours that will convince adcoms- it's your reflection on your shadowing that you will write in your application.

I disagree. People rarely write extensively about shadowing experiences, and no one really wants to read about a check-box activity like that. You basically just need adequate shadowing hours to check off that box and then you're good to go. I'd much rather have an application with 100 shadowing hours that I didn't particularly enjoy than 20 hours that I loved and learned a lot from. Most activities are quality>quantity, but this isn't one of them.

 

[mosi200]

thanks everyone! you guys been really helpful!

 

[doctorbob23]

This is great but your study materials for "someone like you" is the same as every other pre-med. But I will say your career switch will make a good opportunity for a good personal statement.

I'm going to make the bold statement that your undergraduate GPA, your pre-requisite grades, mcat, and your reason for the switch will make the greatest difference.

A simple google search for all your questions will answer this. Just know why the switch..

 

[PS2020]

You have a unique and interesting story. I think studying for the MCAT should take you less than 6 months. 3 months to relearn chem, orgo, physics, biochem (which I am sure you forgot from your preclinicals), psych/sociology, and 2-3 months of consolidating that knowledge together, refining it, and taking practice tests. You need minimal MD shadowing since you are already a clinician and have a ton of experience working with patients in a real setting. They just need to see that you know exactly what you are getting yourself into. 3.45uGPA is a little low but with a unique personal statement, your passion (and willingness to postpone your career by at least 7 more years, taking on a ton of debt), a good track record (by taking care of patients) and a decent MCAT score, I think you'll sell like hotcakes.

Med schools love nontraditional people that can add diversity to their student body. Writing things in their pamphlets like "This year we have 24 students born outside of the US, 2 PhDs, an Olympic athlete, a professional chef, and an optometrist" makes them look more attractive.

 

[libertyyne]

1)Your EC's seem weak if that is all you have going at this point.
2)Direct patient care is excellent, talk about it extensively.
3) Formulate a clear explanation for the switch.
4) If you plan on taking time off to study 3 months would be sufficient. If working full time i would chalk away 5
5) Make sure you do not have anything less then a C in your pre-reqs. Make sure you have all the pre-reqs necessary.
6)Graduate GPA doesnt matter, and your GPA is an SD or two below the median, you will need to make this up with excellent MCAT performance. preferably greater than 33 on the old scale.
7) You should volunteer.
8) You should probably take an MCAT course since it will keep you on track since you havent been to school in a few years.
9) Apply early and broadly, if you are interested in primary care applying to DO might not be a bad idea the first cycle around.
10) What is your science GPA?

 

[NeuResurgens]

First step is probably to refresh for the MCAT. I enjoyed the khan Academy videos for review. If you find that something in those videos is unclear, try delving into it more and possibly asking colleagues or others you know for help. Khan Academy is free.

You can also read various websites of medical schools to see what they expect from people who have been in the workforce full time. Often, timed school's require professional letters of rec from supervisors and the like rather than ones from professors like for students coming out of college.

 

[libertyyne]

First step is probably to refresh for the MCAT. I enjoyed the khan Academy videos for review. If you find that something in those videos is unclear, try delving into it more and possibly asking colleagues or others you know for help. Khan Academy is free.

You can also read various websites of medical schools to see what they expect from people who have been in the workforce full time. Often, timed school's require professional letters of rec from supervisors and the like rather than ones from professors like for students coming out of college.

They still need 2 science letters or a committee letter from UG the others are just gravy.

 

[NeuResurgens]

They still need 2 science letters or a committee letter from UG the others are just gravy.

Really? I could have sworn at least one of my school's websites said professional letters were accepted in place of professors for applicants who had been working. I think you had to have worked for at least a certain number of years.

 

[libertyyne]

Really? I could have sworn at least one of my school's websites said professional letters were accepted in place of professors for applicants who had been working. I think you had to have worked for at least a certain number of years.

That might be an exception, there is no such thing written in the MSAR for most schools. The non-trad forum has a few threads where people complain about this extensively on how some schools wont even budge on the requirement of two science letters by subbing in a work science letter.

 

[NeuResurgens]

That might be an exception, there is no such thing written in the MSAR for most schools. The non-trad forum has a few threads where people complain about this extensively on how some schools wont even budge on the requirement.

Could be more the exception than the rule. It seems weird to me to ask students to go back to people who haven't seen them in years for a recommendation though.

 

[787593]

Hey guys,

Undergrad GPA: 3.45 (biomedical sciences)
Optometry school GPA: 3.75
Research done in college, none in optometry school.

I am an optometrist who is looking to apply to medical school for fall 2018. I have not taken the MCATs yet.

A little about me:
I only thought about medical school during my rotations in optometry school. There are so many restrictions with OD licenses that I want to be able to do more to help my patients.

I am thinking about taking the MCATs in August 2017. So that gives me few months to prepare. I have forgotten most of chemistry, organic chemistry, and calculus from undergrad.

Do you guys have any recommendations for study material for someone like me? Is 8-9 months enough to prepare for the exam?

What are your thoughts about the minimum MCAT score I need? How many hours of shadowing should I do?

Thanks!

Shoot for 514+ on MCAT.

No calculus required.

8-9 months is a ton of time, try to get 600+ hours of quality studying and try to take 15-20 practice tests.

Don't take the MCAT until you're ready. 🙂
Best of luck!

 

[BunnyMan17]

I disagree. People rarely write extensively about shadowing experiences, and no one really wants to read about a check-box activity like that. You basically just need adequate shadowing hours to check off that box and then you're good to go. I'd much rather have an application with 100 shadowing hours that I didn't particularly enjoy than 20 hours that I loved and learned a lot from. Most activities are quality>quantity, but this isn't one of them.

I'd have to disagree a bit on this one, I wrote a ton about my shadowing experiences (along with some international shenanigans) in my application. Almost everywhere I interviewed commented me on how well thought out and enjoyable the essays were. If I had just been looking to check boxes instead of going for quality I wouldn't be able to write such essays. Also, when you go for quality and it shows, interviewers tend to ask questions about it. I.e. questions you know are going to come so you can be ready for them.

 

[libertyyne]

I'd have to disagree a bit on this one, I wrote a ton about my shadowing experiences (along with some international shenanigans) in my application. Almost everywhere I interviewed commented me on how well thought out and enjoyable the essays were. If I had just been looking to check boxes instead of going for quality I wouldn't be able to write such essays. Also, when you go for quality and it shows, interviewers tend to ask questions about it. I.e. questions you know are going to come so you can be ready for them.

In context for this applicant, shadowing doesn't really add a whole lot other then checking a box to know what they are getting into. This person has years of patient care experience which is a magnitude higher in importance compared to shadowing ,IMHO.

 

[BunnyMan17]

In context for this applicant, shadowing doesn't really add a whole lot other then checking a box to know what they are getting into. This person has years of patient care experience which is a magnitude higher in importance compared to shadowing ,IMHO.

Years of patient experience is another reason to go for quality over quantity. They know what its like to be a professional and work with patients but they're still going to have answer the question "why medicine? why switch?". Doing more for the patient with less limitations is a great reason, add in just one or two quality shadowing gigs to back yourself up and now you have a very convincing story. So yeah I suppose shadowing isn't as critical persay as his prior career but even here quality>quantity

Shoot, depending on how much OP has worked with MD/DOs in practice they might be able to bill some of that as shadowing.

Also, I approve of your sloth. It reminded me this -->