Plan B?

[Marcy C.]

Are there any med students that had a "plan B" if they did not get into medical school (the first time or after a few attempt). Maybe I should not have a plan B, right?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[none]

A lot of people get Masters of Public Health or MSs.

 

[Doctora Foxy]

My plan B was to retake the mcats and apply to DO schools the second time around (and to apply early). :wink:

 

[WakeMedHeel]

You should definitely have a plan B. Make sure you know what you are going to do with your life for a few years if you don't get into medical school.

I worked as a recruiter for tech companies for a year. I wanted to do something completely unrelated to medicine. That year off was the best thing that could have happened to me. It showed me how much I really hated the typical business world and how much I really wanted to become a doctor.

 

[LaCirujana]

My plan B was Peace Corp--didn't have to use it, but sometimes wish I'd done it anyway.

 

[Resident Alien]

My plan B was simply to reapply, and maybe take some time off to reflect on my weaknesses. Phew, that didnt happen

 

[DrBlueDevil]

My plan B was to look for research tech jobs in cool pharm labs. (yeah I'm a dork) I would've reapplied in the next cycle (almost happened...I didn't get in to med school until the summer)

 

[md03]

Lots of people's plan B is to reappy. That was my plan B, which I did have to implement. Remember that there are plenty of qualified applicants each year who don't get in, for whatever reason. My class is full of people who applied multiple times (record is 4). I guess how many times you are willing to reapply depends on 1) How much you want this 2)How much effort you are willing to spend (you'll need to do something, like take extra classes or retake MCAT between each cycle) and 3) how much money you are willing to spend.

 

[PPdoc]

I think the obvious answer is to reapply while working to improve your competitiveness. The more gutsy/assertive among us would set up a meeting with the Dean of Admissions and explicitly discuss, "what can I do to make myself more competitive to your program?" that way if he/she tells you "do XYZ," you know what to do. This has been done at my institution and was my plan, but I am glad that I didn't have to do it (that would have been a scary meeting!)

... the more interesting real question is what would you do if you could not go into medicine? As strange as it may sound, I would have gone to law school (no flames, please) and worked on health care policy -- try to help people through a different means.

 

[analu]

Two people who interviewed me asked me this same question...assuming I could not get into medical school, I said that I'd go back to school and get a teaching degree. Probably science or math at the high school level, with coaching basketball, volleyball, or golf as a bonus. I absolutely enjoyed my coaching and mentoring experiences.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

My plan B was to reapply. Plan C was to apply for a PhD program in parasit or micro. Plan D was to get a job mowing grass. There are times when Plan D seems pretty attractive.

 

[missbonnie]

The person writing my committee letter asked me this recently and I told him there was no plan B because there will be no need for it. He then said asked me again, adding on stuff and I replied "There is no Plan B until there is no Plan A"

 

[alice]

i was going to take cooking classes and become a chef. or write a novel.

 

[Reavill]

I think it is stupid not to have a plan B. Unless you have a 3.9 gpa, a 40 on your MCAT, your Dad is Chief of Medicine and you have been working in the health field since you were 6 then you aren't a shoe in to get accepted.

A plan B where you are doing something you really enjoy is probably best, also something you will want to leave should you get accepted the next time around. I wouldn't pick something based on the pay scale.

I didn't have a plan B when I didn't get accepted the first time around, I was so sure that I would get accepted..but didn't. Things ended up working out great though since I developed a plan B and worked for a year. It made me realize that I really, really wanted to go to med school. Now I am a MS2 in a program that I really like and I can appreciate being in school and learning instead of being out in the business world attending stupid meetings where nothing ever happens.

As far as the interview or application goes there is no shame in talking about a plan B. Med schools want well rounded people who will make good physicians. Having a plan B doesn't mean that you don't have desire, it means that you are a reasonable person. Desire is something that most people applying to med school have, it will not set you apart from other applicants.

 

[missbonnie]

Not sure if the above post is directed at me, but I have nothing against people who have Plan Bs.

I'd have to say though, if everyone stuck to being "realistic" and "reasonable" things like going to the moon in the 60's or alot of the other amazing accomplishments wouldn't have happened as they all took at least one person being completely unreasonable! Just my take.

-bonnie

 

[oldman]

The U of MN actually asks what your plan B is. I was planning on getting a Masters in Biomed Engineering.

 

[LoneSEAL]

•••quote:•••Originally posted by missbonnie:
• He then said asked me again, adding on stuff and I replied "There is no Plan B until there is no Plan A"•••••I can say I honestly never had a plan B. I was accepted into medical school as a high school student. As soon I met the minimum GPA requirements, I knew my seat at the medical school was saved.

 

[lola]

i don't really have a plan b, as i feel like i've been doing my plan b since i graduated from college 5 years ago... i never knew if i had the motivation or confidence to go to med school, and now i have decided that i do. hopefully i'll get in! if i don't, who knows. maybe reapply, maybe look into nurse practitioner programs, maybe move to england or ireland. we'll see what happens!

 

[Smoke This]

My plan B was to join the military and forget about medicine, at least for several years. I realized I had no desire to reapply immediately when I was about halfway through the application process.

 

[Dr. MAXY]

I don't mean to sound corky, but I made up my mind I was diffinately going to get into med school somewhere, even if I had to go outside the States. I had overcome a lot of tribulations, hence I knew I was going to be able to do it.

However, as a rational human being, my plan B was going back to Pharmacy school.

 

[vietcongs]

My plan B was to do research for a yr and reapply (which didnt have to happen). Plan C was to forget med school and go to grad school for something I never decided on. Plan D was to be a dentist. Plan E was to be a vet. Plan F was to start a Chinese restaurant and my own line of nail shops. Plan G was to be unemployed and homeless.