Psych to medical, can it be done?

[denimfan]

Hello all,

I am currently a Master's student in a psychology related program. As much as I have an interest in pursuing a phd in psychology related program, I am as equally interested in going the medical route and becoming a psychiatrist. I do have a science background for my undergrad but other than volunteering in hospitals, my credentials show a more psych related stuff than general medical perspectives. Now, I probably won't be able to get science REC letters but I can get very solid REC letters (from clinical psych professors). I also have extensive volunteer experiences in hospitals.

I just wanted an opinion from people if this can be done? I know that people can get in from non-traditional majors in relation to medical schools, but without science REC letters, I wanted to see if I should even bother applying for it.

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[Fivo]

Hello all,

I am currently a Master's student in a psychology related program. As much as I have an interest in pursuing a phd in psychology related program, I am as equally interested in going the medical route and becoming a psychiatrist. I do have a science background for my undergrad but other than volunteering in hospitals, my credentials show a more psych related stuff than general medical perspectives. Now, I probably won't be able to get science REC letters but I can get very solid REC letters (from clinical psych professors). I also have extensive volunteer experiences in hospitals.

I just wanted an opinion from people if this can be done? I know that people can get in from non-traditional majors in relation to medical schools, but without science REC letters, I wanted to see if I should even bother applying for it.

You'd probably get rejected at most schools that require science letters (which is all of them). Why don't you take an informal post-bacc or more science classes while doing your masters?

 

[AlexJK]

Hello all,

I am currently a Master's student in a psychology related program. As much as I have an interest in pursuing a phd in psychology related program, I am as equally interested in going the medical route and becoming a psychiatrist. I do have a science background for my undergrad but other than volunteering in hospitals, my credentials show a more psych related stuff than general medical perspectives. Now, I probably won't be able to get science REC letters but I can get very solid REC letters (from clinical psych professors). I also have extensive volunteer experiences in hospitals.

I just wanted an opinion from people if this can be done? I know that people can get in from non-traditional majors in relation to medical schools, but without science REC letters, I wanted to see if I should even bother applying for it.

I was a psych major, now with a few med school acceptances. You had to have taken some bio-psych or neuro courses. Those are concidered "science". If you want to go to med school, you also needed to take science courses anyway. Why not Just ask those profs. Don't apply without science letters.

 

[Lollygag]

if you have all of the pre-req's done then considered taking a year or semester of extra science classes. Not only will you raise your gpa (if you need to) but you can get to know professors that will write you letters of rec. You can also use that year to concentrate on volunteering, shadowing, clinically experience.. anything that your resume may be lacking. I would suggest a post bac program, but they can be expensive and it may not be necessary for you to take 2 years off if you already have a decent science program and a few extracurricular's and leadership experiences under your belt.