Please Read: Any Advice or Ideas?

[hopepraylove12]

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Hi Everyone!

Before I venture into my long winded story, I just want to say thanks in advance for first reading my life story and second for any POSITIVE feedback.

Where to start? I got exposed to medicine at a very early age (3) when I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and knew ever since then that I wanted a career in the health professions. I brushed through high school with an eager to learn and took all the science courses I could, and it wasn't until college that I realized how long the path to becoming a physician would actually take. I went to U of Chicago and really struggled with all of my science courses, coming out with a BA in Biological Sciences and a 2.3 cGPA. After college I was really lost for a bit, I still am, but have a better grip on things. I applied to the one post-bacc I thought I would have no problem getting into, and received a rejection letter stating that their program did not offer enough courses to help improve my GPA over two years.

So, I gave up on my dream to be a physician for a bit, but got really into health/nutrition, fitness and preventative medicine. I then decided that I liked the idea of being a RD, so I took the GRE did pretty average (300) and started looking at a masters in nutrition. I hesitated not knowing if I would be satisfied as an RD and decided I would wait another year and try to improve my gpa as much as I could. I took a few science courses at a local community college and got A's in all of my courses. I knew I was intelligent and was willing to work hard, but couldn't decide whether or not I was willing to go back to school and take even more classes in addition to the 7+ years of medical school and residency. So, I was stuck and decided to get a job for the time being. I'm currently working as an admin assistant for a non-profit medical center and looking to get a part-time research assistant position.

Being exposed to the hospital setting once again has only confirmed that I would like a career in the health professions, but I'm just not sure it's realistic due to the long schooling and debt I will accrue after already going to an expensive undergrad. I do know it's possible though, and have been talking with the admissions specialist at the medical school affiliated with the hospital I'm working at. I also contacted the director of a minority post-bacc, also a U of C alumnus, who told me a number of interesting things. The first that no U of C grad should ever go to a post-bacc. The second that medicine is a dying field and that what we know as medicine today will not exist in 10 years due to all this new artificial intelligence coming out (mainly Watson). He went on about how specialties such as dermatology and any type of surgery would be taken over by this technology and that physicians would eventually become obsolete. I did some research and this technology definitely does exist and is currently being introduced into the healthcare setting, but I'm not really sold on physicians becoming obsolete as I feel human interaction will always be needed in medicine. And lastly that if I still wanted a career in medicine to become a dentist, which I've never thought about before and don't really see myself being interested in. However, I'm going to try and shadow a few before I completely rule it out.

I'm also currently leaning toward becoming an RN and then eventually a DNP. I feel that DNPs truly focus on patient care and that is what I see as truly being important in a healthcare profession, and with the shorter schooling it currently seems like a win/win. However, I don't want to become a DNP and feel like I settled or regret not becoming a physician. I also asked the director of that minority post-bacc and he almost screamed what an idiotic move that would be as they're mid-level practitioners and blah blah blah. Now I know there is a lot of stigma about MDs/DOs vs. DNPs, but it just seems like it would be a good fit for me. Plus, there is less amount of schooling = less amount of debt and a pretty good salary. Any advice on this matter?

Lastly, IF I decide that becoming a physician is the path for me, what would be the right path to get there? I'm really just looking for some logical and positive advice, so I can fully weigh my options before deciding on one profession. But, I have been procrastinating on this for way too long and really just need to DO something soon. If you've made it this far through my post then I sincerely THANK YOU!

 

[Quik]

My only advice is be selective on who you take advice from, myself included. Your fellow U of C alumnus sounds like a pessimistic narcissist with a very bleak and jaded perspective of an endlessly broad field (medicine) that will never fully evolve (we will never fully understand the human body and perfect the practice of medicine).

NPs, PAs, and several other professions are all integral parts of the allied health system. I know very good PAs who run clinics autonomously while the managing doc corresponds through email and signs checks. The questions to ask yourself are: are you okay working without 100% autonomy, within a hierarchy of respected professionals and you aren't the top dog (or cat)? Are you okay with 8 + years of additional school and residency after you complete your post-bacc? Does only two sound better? Are you okay with $200k in debt, rather than $100k? I'm doing my post-bacc work with several other non-traditional pre health professionals (PAs, PTs, MDs) and we're all going our different directions for entirely different reasons, most of them rational and valid (without ego).

This brings me back to rip apart one of the comments made by the person who gave you the advice above; "no U of C grad should ever do a post-bacc." Why, because U of C is such an elite school that for a grad to do one it would severely alter their disillusioned sense of academic and intellectual self-rightiousness? How about a U of C grad seeking an MD acceptance with a 2.3 GPA. Would completing a formal Post-Bacc with a conditional acceptance linked to several MD schools be ill-advised according to him? This person is an idiot. However, you can also do a DIY post-bacc, but it too will alter your sense of academic elitism.

 

[Niemi]

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[Darth Doc]

I'm also currently leaning toward becoming an RN and then eventually a DNP. I feel that DNPs truly focus on patient care and that is what I see as truly being important in a healthcare profession, and with the shorter schooling it currently seems like a win/win. However, I don't want to become a DNP and feel like I settled or regret not becoming a physician.

This seems to be to be the core of your concern. What kind of provider you are - one who does or does not focus on patient care - has more to do with you than with what type of school you go to. Nurses do nursey things (as my husband, a nurse, likes to say) and their school is focused on nursing and research, not so much on disease and disease processes. That doesn't mean you can't be good at these topics, but they would require self study.

On the other hand, will you regret not trying med school? Only you can answer that.

I'm a physician assistant going now to med school. I didn't want med school when I was in undergrad, because I didn't know I would like medicine. The time and money weren't worth it. Now, I know I love medicine and it is worth it to me to go back. I've gotten frustrated with not being top dog. (I love the docs I work with, but I know that I can be just as good if not better.)

You can go the NP route and then go back to school later if you get frustrated, but why not just do what you want the first time? In your shoes, I'd do the grade replacement and go DO, but I'm not you.

Listen to advice, but then make your own decision. That way when you look back, you'll feel confident that at the time you made the decision it was the right one. Only you can make the decision that's best for you.

 

[Goro]

This person is a *****! Try doing some patient contact voluneteer work to see if Medicine is for you.



The first that no U of C grad should ever go to a post-bacc. The second that medicine is a dying field and that what we know as medicine today will not exist in 10 years due to all this new artificial intelligence coming out (mainly Watson). He went on about how specialties such as dermatology and any type of surgery would be taken over by this technology and that physicians would eventually become obsolete.