Past Professions

[Summa637]

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As the majority of non trads transition from one career to a MD/DO, I am curious if there are any professions out there that would reflect poorly on an applicant to the adcoms, and why? I am sure some are better than others and everything can change depending on character, but at face value, what jobs are so 'disrespected' that an applicant would have a stigma when applying?
For example, I feel that a career clown may not be respected as much compared to a physics professor. Ok, maybe a bad example, but let's keep this serious.

 

[Law2Doc]

As the majority of non trads transition from one career to a MD/DO, I am curious if there are any professions out there that would reflect poorly on an applicant to the adcoms, and why? I am sure some are better than others and everything can change depending on character, but at face value, what jobs are so 'disrespected' that an applicant would have a stigma when applying?
For example, I feel that a career clown may not be respected as much compared to a physics professor. Ok, maybe a bad example, but let's keep this serious.

There is still bad blood between physicians and chiropractors after multiple lawsuits a few decades ago. But I suspect most doctors would look at someone seeing the light and leaving chiropracty as a positive. Certainly lawyers don't get discriminated in the admissions process, even though some physicians encounters with the legal system have been less than pleasant. I suspect porn stars and sex industry workers would have a problem.

 

[MT Headed]

My first career was in Computer Science. One school's interview team railed against me for the poor quality of Electronic Medical Records and ultimately rejected me. 🙄

 

[EdLongshanks]

My first career was in Computer Science. One school's interview team railed against me for the poor quality of Electronic Medical Records and ultimately rejected me. 🙄

Wow, I'm glad I didn't meet them, I worked in Medical Insurance before.

 

[jessiemsy]

Possibly working in the pharmaceutical industry (not the research end) but the drug pushing end. I could see med schools not loving that. But like the chiropractor thing, possibly theyll like that the person wants to get out of that field.

 

[DrMidlife]

My first career was in Computer Science. One school's interview team railed against me for the poor quality of Electronic Medical Records and ultimately rejected me. 🙄

Luck of the draw. One school's interview team made vast assumptions about my software career being an excellent (just excellent!) predictor of my success in medicine. They asked me nothing about it, they just assumed, and I got in (but didn't go to that school).

You can be successful as a med school candidate from just about any background, if your attitude is compatible with medical training. If you are a practitioner of homeopathy/craniosacral/etc, but you respect evidence-based medicine, then you're an interesting candidate (given adequate academic credentials).

But if you, for instance, wrote a book or a blog about how those with "alternative lifestyles" should be denied medical treatment, due to your religious viewpoint or whatever, that would be a problem. If you come from nursing, and you have a naive and resentful opinion of doctors, that would be a problem. If you want to go to med school so you can sell more acai berry or HCG supplements, that would be a problem.

Best of luck to you.

 

[GenusTide]

I Spent most of my one-one interview time explaining to the interviewer why did not want to continue being a firefighter. For the life of him, he could not understand why someone would want to leave such a well respected field that is already part of health care. It was certainly not what I expected. The firefighting field in my area is so highly sought after that people usually do not give up as there is usually a several year waiting list. I think it raised a concern for him and he really wanted to understand why I left it.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

There is still bad blood between physicians and chiropractors after multiple lawsuits a few decades ago. But I suspect most doctors would look at someone seeing the light and leaving chiropracty as a positive. Certainly lawyers don't get discriminated in the admissions process, even though some physicians encounters with the legal system have been less than pleasant. I suspect porn stars and sex industry workers would have a problem.

I don't know..... I met a stripper once who told me she was applying to dental school. Unless you think she lied to me.

I would guess if you grew marijuana even if it was for medicinal purposes, it probably wouldn't look good. I am a trucker and didn't have any issues.

 

[hopeful22213]

Frkybgstok- long haul stuff? Out of curiosity did you ever use the audio-osmosis stuff from exam krackers? Or some other recorded mcat-prep stuff? Seems like those long hours would be a good opportunity to log some serious listening.

 

[pkwraith]

Malpractice lawyer
Personal injury lawyer
Blackwater/Xe Services/Academi

 

[Law2Doc]

Malpractice lawyer
Personal injury lawyer
Blackwater/Xe Services/Academi

Nah, lawyers do surprisingly well on this path.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

Frkybgstok- long haul stuff? Out of curiosity did you ever use the audio-osmosis stuff from exam krackers? Or some other recorded mcat-prep stuff? Seems like those long hours would be a good opportunity to log some serious listening.

Oh yeah. Is used audio osmosis a ton because of the time I spent in the truck. I basically taught myself to be an audible learner and listened to lectures, notes, study materials, everything. When you are driving 10+ hours per day you have a ton of study time.

 

[dmf2682]

Oh yeah. Is used audio osmosis a ton because of the time I spent in the truck. I basically taught myself to be an audible learner and listened to lectures, notes, study materials, everything. When you are driving 10+ hours per day you have a ton of study time.

If it were me I'd have learned how to sing.

 

[MT Headed]

I had to do 6 hours of driving every other weekend. I think I memorized every Jon/Jordan joke and recited it with them.

Pimsleur has the best reputation for learning a language by audio. You could use those (or download free language series from either the US state dept or Defense Language Institute) and pick up a new language too.

 

[ChemMed]

I had to explain my desire to change my career path at great length and had one interviewer tell me I needed to apply elsewhere since I was to research oriented (as evidence by my CV and not by asking me). I also had two interviewers do the opposite and tell me that I would be a great match because I could potentially bring a different perspective to the class.

So in the end it depends on who you get as an interviewer and what their preferences are. However, I don't think I would advertise precarious professions generally determined to be of poor conduct.

 

[Medicinewoman85]

I was a sheriff's deputy for 6 years😀

 

[Summa637]

I was a sheriff's deputy for 6 years😀

Hey, just out of curiousity, where are you now? Your deal says pre med- are you a full time student doing your prereqs or are you accepted in a med school somewhere?

 

[MT Headed]

I had to explain my desire to change my career path at great length and had one interviewer tell me I needed to apply elsewhere since I was to research oriented (as evidence by my CV and not by asking me). I also had two interviewers do the opposite and tell me that I would be a great match because I could potentially bring a different perspective to the class.

So in the end it depends on who you get as an interviewer and what their preferences are. However, I don't think I would advertise precarious professions generally determined to be of poor conduct.

I had one interviewer who reamed me out for changing my major (from pre-paramedic to pre-med). That was truly bizarre. She said it showed I was flaky and generally unreliable. I think this whole process depends a lot on what side of the bed your interviewer got up on that morning.

Result: rejected

 

[dmf2682]

So it sounds like it really is like sports in that training will only help you but luck can push it one way or the other no matter what.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

If it were me I'd have learned how to sing.

already know how to sing. do it all night now that I have nothing to study.

I had to do 6 hours of driving every other weekend. I think I memorized every Jon/Jordan joke and recited it with them.

Pimsleur has the best reputation for learning a language by audio. You could use those (or download free language series from either the US state dept or Defense Language Institute) and pick up a new language too.

+1. I have been listening to Pimsleur Czech. No idea why, but they are really good for audio learning.

 

[Medicinewoman85]

Hey, just out of curiousity, where are you now? Your deal says pre med- are you a full time student doing your prereqs or are you accepted in a med school somewhere?

I'm actually finishing up prereqs and I go to school full time. I have another year left before I jump into the application cycle. I recently started working as an ER scribe so I'm staying busy🙂. Its a nice change from law enforcement.

 

[Veritas86]

In an ideal world, they wouldn't discriminate based on what you've had to do to earn a paycheck.

But the med school admissions people? I don't really believe they live on the same plane of existence as the rest of us.

And if they do discriminate, let's hope they don't have bad blood against customer service sales reps. I was a telemarketer...very briefly.

 

[Back 5]

There is still bad blood between physicians and chiropractors after multiple lawsuits a few decades ago. But I suspect most doctors would look at someone seeing the light and leaving chiropracty as a positive. Certainly lawyers don't get discriminated in the admissions process, even though some physicians encounters with the legal system have been less than pleasant. I suspect porn stars and sex industry workers would have a problem.

I went to a pre-med seminar deal at my university a few years ago when I was first kicking around the idea of going back to med school. Nearly every MD rep gave me a negative feedback as a chiropractor wanting to go back to school. One rep flat out told me I had no shot at their school. The DO reps were very positive and as a result, I will more than likely apply to DO vs MD schools.

Just rubbed me the wrong way that I am being clumped into the history of MDvsDC when I wasn't even born during the lawsuit era.