Please Help: An Alternative to Medical School??

[DaBong214]

I recently graduated undergrad after finally finishing up my studies.

I entered in 2010 but it took me 6 years to graduate. This was due to the fact that I had to take a leave of absence to care for my autistic brother. He has severe behavioral issues and no one was there to care for him aside from me. As a result, there are breaks and a number of withdrawals on my transcript.

My GPA was 3.8 and sGPA was 3.7.

I'm 25 and have signed up for the MCAT in March of 2018. However, I am realizing that the vast majority of med schools require biochemistry, a class which I had to drop out of to care for my brother.

I want to know if its even worth pursuing med school? My parents need support financially and taking 4 years off to study full time will kill them.

I was thinking about a master's in health administration. Anyone have experience with this? In terms of career potential and possible pay?

Here is my "student" profile (so to speak): Age: 25 Ethnicity: Asian/black Mcat: Signed up but not sure to take GPA: 3.8; sGPA: 3.7 100+hours clinical volunteering; 30 hours shadowing 500+ hours non-clinical volunteering 200+ hours research with a poster publication.

My issues are: 1) Age- I'm already 25 and a complete loser. By the time I enter med school (if I enter), I will be 27.

2) My family needs me to work for financial assistance

3) I don't meet the course requirements (biochem and some psych or sociology courses that are now required).

4) There's no guarantee I'll get in the next cycle.

That is why I was considering a Masters in Health Administration. IF anyone has any input on my situation or this masters program, I would really appreciate it.

thank you!!

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[Lannister]

You have a pretty decent application so far, I think you'd have a good shot at med school assuming you do well on the MCAT. You can get away with not taking sociology as long as you've taken psych, but you'll need to take biochem. Wouldn't be too hard, there's always community college and online courses.

I'm kind of sad for you that you feel like medical school isn't an option. Can your parents really not support themselves for a few years? If they can't, it sounds like you're right and med school is not an option, because you definitely can't work during med school, at least not enough to support an entire family if at all.

Good luck man, I hope you figure it out.

 

[infectiousdisease101]

I recently graduated undergrad after finally finishing up my studies.

I entered in 2010 but it took me 6 years to graduate. This was due to the fact that I had to take a leave of absence to care for my autistic brother. He has severe behavioral issues and no one was there to care for him aside from me. As a result, there are breaks and a number of withdrawals on my transcript.

My GPA was 3.8 and sGPA was 3.7.

I'm 25 and have signed up for the MCAT in March of 2018. However, I am realizing that the vast majority of med schools require biochemistry, a class which I had to drop out of to care for my brother.

I want to know if its even worth pursuing med school? My parents need support financially and taking 4 years off to study full time will kill them.

I was thinking about a master's in health administration. Anyone have experience with this? In terms of career potential and possible pay?

Here is my "student" profile (so to speak): Age: 25 Ethnicity: Asian/black Mcat: Signed up but not sure to take GPA: 3.8; sGPA: 3.7 100+hours clinical volunteering; 30 hours shadowing 500+ hours non-clinical volunteering 200+ hours research with a poster publication.

My issues are: 1) Age- I'm already 25 and a complete loser. By the time I enter med school (if I enter), I will be 27.

2) My family needs me to work for financial assistance

3) I don't meet the course requirements (biochem and some psych or sociology courses that are now required).

4) There's no guarantee I'll get in the next cycle.

That is why I was considering a Masters in Health Administration. IF anyone has any input on my situation or this masters program, I would really appreciate it.

thank you!!

Come here. Closer. Closer. CLOSER! There you go. *Slaps OP*.

It's not a race. Ever heard of post-baccs? They already have a bachelor's degree and had a career in other fields before choosing to pursue healthcare. You are about as young as a post-bacc can be. Maybe even younger.

I know someone who delayed his application by 2 years before applying because he developed an interest in research late in his UG and wanted to explore research by working in a research lab before deciding whether to pursue MD or MD-PhD. He got into an MD-PhD program at 26. He'll be 34-35 by the time he finishes.

 

[de Ribas]

I want to know if its even worth pursuing med school?

Nobody will be able to help you decide if it is worth it or not. You have to decide yourself and weigh your situation.

Based on your stats, you look good go med school. You have enough time to take biochemistry before you matriculate. There are course available online and at most CC's.

If to answer your heading question, there are alternatives. PA, Nursing, CRNA, NP, DPT, etc.

 

[bahdahboom]

I recently graduated undergrad after finally finishing up my studies.

I entered in 2010 but it took me 6 years to graduate. This was due to the fact that I had to take a leave of absence to care for my autistic brother. He has severe behavioral issues and no one was there to care for him aside from me. As a result, there are breaks and a number of withdrawals on my transcript.

My GPA was 3.8 and sGPA was 3.7.

I'm 25 and have signed up for the MCAT in March of 2018. However, I am realizing that the vast majority of med schools require biochemistry, a class which I had to drop out of to care for my brother.

I want to know if its even worth pursuing med school? My parents need support financially and taking 4 years off to study full time will kill them.

I was thinking about a master's in health administration. Anyone have experience with this? In terms of career potential and possible pay?

Here is my "student" profile (so to speak): Age: 25 Ethnicity: Asian/black Mcat: Signed up but not sure to take GPA: 3.8; sGPA: 3.7 100+hours clinical volunteering; 30 hours shadowing 500+ hours non-clinical volunteering 200+ hours research with a poster publication.

My issues are: 1) Age- I'm already 25 and a complete loser. By the time I enter med school (if I enter), I will be 27.

2) My family needs me to work for financial assistance

3) I don't meet the course requirements (biochem and some psych or sociology courses that are now required).

4) There's no guarantee I'll get in the next cycle.

That is why I was considering a Masters in Health Administration. IF anyone has any input on my situation or this masters program, I would really appreciate it.

thank you!!

For the whole age thing, I HATE when people bring that up. Guess what, in 2 years you’ll be 2 years older anyway. The difference is will you be doing what you want or no? so don’t let that be a factor.

 

[DoctorElmo]

I recently graduated undergrad after finally finishing up my studies.

I entered in 2010 but it took me 6 years to graduate. This was due to the fact that I had to take a leave of absence to care for my autistic brother. He has severe behavioral issues and no one was there to care for him aside from me. As a result, there are breaks and a number of withdrawals on my transcript.

My GPA was 3.8 and sGPA was 3.7.

I'm 25 and have signed up for the MCAT in March of 2018. However, I am realizing that the vast majority of med schools require biochemistry, a class which I had to drop out of to care for my brother.

I want to know if its even worth pursuing med school? My parents need support financially and taking 4 years off to study full time will kill them.

I was thinking about a master's in health administration. Anyone have experience with this? In terms of career potential and possible pay?

Here is my "student" profile (so to speak): Age: 25 Ethnicity: Asian/black Mcat: Signed up but not sure to take GPA: 3.8; sGPA: 3.7 100+hours clinical volunteering; 30 hours shadowing 500+ hours non-clinical volunteering 200+ hours research with a poster publication.

My issues are: 1) Age- I'm already 25 and a complete loser. By the time I enter med school (if I enter), I will be 27.

2) My family needs me to work for financial assistance

3) I don't meet the course requirements (biochem and some psych or sociology courses that are now required).

4) There's no guarantee I'll get in the next cycle.

That is why I was considering a Masters in Health Administration. IF anyone has any input on my situation or this masters program, I would really appreciate it.

thank you!!

It sounds like you and I were in a very similar boat. In my final years of undergrad I had to receive emergency surgery on a perforated bowel, complications due to Crohn's Disease, and repeat a year. During this time I had to drop many classes and received a few Ws on my transcript but when I did graduate I was able to maintain a very high and competitive GPA. At this time I too was 25 with tons of great ECs and made a tough choice to move out of my home state and work with students/kids from the inner cities of Michigan and forgo medical school. This was the greatest decision I ever made, waiting to apply to medical school at the age of 27! Taking this opportunity allowed me to find an extreme passion in mental health, especially in medically underserved areas, and really helped me find my calling to medicine. I returned to my home state and took the MCAT after working with these kids for a few years and I am happy to say that I will be starting medical school at the "young" age of 28. Without these experiences I do not think I would have ever found this passion and drive to medicine. So if I can give you any advice that I have learned from my crazy journey is that this is not a race; you never know what experiences or opportunities will transform your life, make you a greater person and potentially a physician in the future, and give you the resources to give your future patients the best care that you possibly could.

 

[CUatthefinishline]

I recently graduated undergrad after finally finishing up my studies.

I entered in 2010 but it took me 6 years to graduate. This was due to the fact that I had to take a leave of absence to care for my autistic brother. He has severe behavioral issues and no one was there to care for him aside from me. As a result, there are breaks and a number of withdrawals on my transcript.

My GPA was 3.8 and sGPA was 3.7.

I'm 25 and have signed up for the MCAT in March of 2018. However, I am realizing that the vast majority of med schools require biochemistry, a class which I had to drop out of to care for my brother.

I want to know if its even worth pursuing med school? My parents need support financially and taking 4 years off to study full time will kill them.

I was thinking about a master's in health administration. Anyone have experience with this? In terms of career potential and possible pay?

Here is my "student" profile (so to speak): Age: 25 Ethnicity: Asian/black Mcat: Signed up but not sure to take GPA: 3.8; sGPA: 3.7 100+hours clinical volunteering; 30 hours shadowing 500+ hours non-clinical volunteering 200+ hours research with a poster publication.

My issues are: 1) Age- I'm already 25 and a complete loser. By the time I enter med school (if I enter), I will be 27.

2) My family needs me to work for financial assistance

3) I don't meet the course requirements (biochem and some psych or sociology courses that are now required).

4) There's no guarantee I'll get in the next cycle.

That is why I was considering a Masters in Health Administration. IF anyone has any input on my situation or this masters program, I would really appreciate it.

thank you!!

Life is not a race, but we are given a finite amount of time, energy, and finances. I relate to you a lot because I have supported my family through undergrad, grad school, & while applying this cycle. Life is hard and we have to find a way to juggle our personal, financial, and professional goals. It won't be easy and you might not end up as some stellar rockstar premed but you will get there. Work at your own pace. If you need to work while you finish your classes/degrees then do so (e.g. take a few classes & hold down a job or 2). The same goes for studying for the MCAT. You're taking it in March, so you have months to prepare. It might be a few late nights but remember why you are doing it.

Also, if you have the opportunity for reasonably price or free education, take it. A masters may not matter much in the grand scheme of becoming a physician, but it can do wonders for your job opportunities while you are working your way there. Having one has made it substantially easier to find and juggle multiple bills, jobs, and volunteer positions.

Additionally, do not let your family milk you. This is a mistake that many people make in order to take care of their loved ones. I've done it and paid for it. Closely monitor all bills that you pay, especially any that are in your name. Put $$ aside for you (e.g. your test, travel fees, classes, etc.) and do not just let it slip through your fingers. You can make a little go a long way, and you can also utilize that little bit to find more jobs, bettering housing, etc. If you are strapped for cash and/or just have more dependents than you think you can handle, pinch pennies and motivate yourself by looking towards your goals. And don't be too proud to ask for help, whether from your family or via public assistance if you need it. That's what it's there for.

Finally, remember that this is an investment in yourself. If you've been carrying a financial and personal load with your family this far, then imagine what you can do when you apply that determination/grit to yourself. It has made a world of difference to be able to look back on all the struggles I handled in this short part of my life. When I do, I realize all over again how capable I am. You are capable, too. Don't think about your age or when you'll get into med school but believe that you will get there. Now you just need to figure out how. I'm sure you've juggled funds & time before; this is no different. You're just doing it for yourself now.

Sorry this was so long 🙂 Best wishes to you!

EDIT: Also, getting your MD/DO is definitely worth it for the job security alone, but especially if you want to actually be an integral part of healthcare in general. Also, having your MHA could give you insight into another POV of medicine. I have even seen some schools offer it with the MD/DO as a joint degree. You can leverage that degree too.

 

[deleted804295]

If you really want to do med school I say do it. It's tough being the oldest son because your parents depend on you but you know what's even worse? Living your whole life wondering about if you had done things differently.