Prosecutor to psychiatrist

[pyramyst]

I’m changing careers from being a lawyer to wanting to be a psychiatrist. I graduated from UCSD in 2004 with a BS in Clinical Psych, 2012 USD Law School with my JD, barred in California and Hawaii. I was a prosecutor in Hawaii and realized there is a lot of unaddressed mental illness in the legal system and is why I want to be a psychiatrist. I also am a Navy veteran with honorable service. Could I take my prerequisite courses at a community college? Or do I need to apply to a post bacc program? Will med schools accept my undergrad courses from 20 years ago? I’m trying to make this affordable bc I’m a single mom of two kids and looking to get into med schools in California bc that’s where my family is and who can help me with my kids, but I know California med schools are tough to get into. Preferably UCSD bc my family lives in San Diego. Or I know it’s easier to win the lotto, but Kaiser med school would be a dream bc of the free tuition. Thanks so much in advance for your time!

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[Moko]

I’m changing careers from being a lawyer to wanting to be a psychiatrist.
USD Law School with my JD
I was a prosecutor in Hawaii and realized there is a lot of unaddressed mental illness in the legal system and is why I want to be a psychiatrist.
I also am a Navy veteran with honorable service.

Could I take my prerequisite courses at a community college? Will med schools accept my undergrad courses from 20 years ago?

You have a great narrative and will likely be a very compelling applicant if the rest of your application is competitive.

Some schools explicitly state their 'preference' for recent pre-requisites. For example, UC Davis and Columbia both want the prerequisites completed within the past 5 years. Most schools will want to see recent coursework (within the past few years) that demonstrates academic excellence. Come up with a list of schools that you are interested in applying to and look through their admission requirements to see if you need to retake your prerequisites (vs completing upper division classes). Contact schools directly if this information is not on their website.

Medical schools prefer to see coursework (especially pre-requisite coursework) completed at 4 year institutions. Community college classes are seen as less rigorous and can be looked down upon. Some medical schools outright do not accept community college credits. Being a non-trad, you may be given a bit of leeway, but your safest bet is to complete your pre-reqs at a 4 year institution. The negative impact of community college credits may be blunted by demonstrating academic excellence in upper division classes at a 4 year institution. Prior to pursuing classes at a community college, contact schools directly to make sure any work you put in will be recognized and considered.

Just my thoughts and best of luck.

 

[GoSpursGo]

You CAN do pre-reqs at a CC, but as noted above you may get more bang for your buck both in terms of schools accepting them and also prepping you for the MCAT if you go via a formal post-bacc route.

 

[suresure]

You have a great narrative and will likely be a very compelling applicant if the rest of your application is competitive.

Second this!

I also recommend reaching out to admissions reps at schools that interest you. Do this in March or April when their application cycle is in a lull. Not only will it help you get clear on expectations, but talking to the right people will boost your confidence.

I applied early admission to Tulane (and was accepted), because they didn't require pre-reqs and I had great conversations with their admissions reps.

 

[LimpSpatula]

Stumbled across this but I figured it’s worth the bump for anyone in a similar position. You will have an interesting story for your application, but there are a lot of things to consider. The most pressing is your family.

If you’re a single mother, your children are going to feel your absence with your studying for the MCAT, med school, and the workload of residency. Since you were in the Navy I’d compare it to the sacrifice you’d be making if you were to go on active duty again. Are you prepared for that?

It is going to be costly. Tuition rises every year, and you will likely find it difficult to have supplemental income. Do you have a disability rating? Is voc rehab an option for you? Student loans are a mfer.

I assume you are in your late 30s. Are you going to be able to dedicate your mind to learning for the next decade? You’ll be near 50 when you are an attending, and no one is going to give you a pass for your age. In fact, you will likely face some discrimination. Think about those implications on your dating life.

I’m not trying to discourage, but some food for thought.

 

[Proudfather94]

I’m changing careers from being a lawyer to wanting to be a psychiatrist. I graduated from UCSD in 2004 with a BS in Clinical Psych, 2012 USD Law School with my JD, barred in California and Hawaii. I was a prosecutor in Hawaii and realized there is a lot of unaddressed mental illness in the legal system and is why I want to be a psychiatrist. I also am a Navy veteran with honorable service. Could I take my prerequisite courses at a community college? Or do I need to apply to a post bacc program? Will med schools accept my undergrad courses from 20 years ago? I’m trying to make this affordable bc I’m a single mom of two kids and looking to get into med schools in California bc that’s where my family is and who can help me with my kids, but I know California med schools are tough to get into. Preferably UCSD bc my family lives in San Diego. Or I know it’s easier to win the lotto, but Kaiser med school would be a dream bc of the free tuition. Thanks so much in advance for your time!

Go to a university for them as it will be seen as "more rigorous." Medical schools frown less at cc credits if there is a legitimate reason to need to go to a cc over a university (low high school grades, short on money, etc). The fact that you're a lawyer can make them shake their heads because they can think "if she got the grades to be a lawyer and IS a lawyer, she should be able to handle and pay for a few semesters of university classes"

Pick the university that lines up with you. As a parent myself, I understand that you will probably not have a lot of time study compared to other students. Don't go to a university that prides itself on being hard or rigorous. That means they shoot for very low averages and these pre reqs you are taking will more than likely be weed outs there. While medical schools look at a schools prestige, it doesn't matter as much as your GPA.

An unfortunate part of the medical school system is that there is a good chance that you will have to move. I've seen recommendations that people apply to 15-30 schools. No state has that many alone.