Q from pre-med student: back-up plan?

[hoops90]

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I will apply for medical school in Summer 2013. Until then, I will do everything possible to make myself a good candidate for medical school. However, my financial situation is not that good. My father passed away a while back, and my mother works part-time as a cashier in a grocery store. I have two older brothers (oldest is 24 and a 2nd year med student, middle brother is 22, married, and in grad school in Washington). I am 21. My mother is 58, but I don't know how much longer she will be able to work due to her physical status. I spoke with an orthopedic surgery resident, and he told me that it's good to have a back-up career plan. However, I know I want to be a doctor. Hopefully my GPA and MCAT will reflect that desire. If I don't get in, I know I should at least communicate with medical schools and ask them how I can improve my chances of being accepted. However, I do not wish to keep on applying year after year. I will have to start repaying my undergrad student debt 3 years after graduation, and - as I mentioned before - I'm not sure how much longer my mom will be able to financially support me. I believe she will be able to work until she is 65.

Questions for FM physicians:

1. Did you have a back-up career plan if you did not get accepted to medical school?

2. If you had to go with your back-up career plan, would you have remained content even though becoming a doctor was your first career choice?

Please share whatever you feel comfortable sharing.

 

[RLMitchell1]

I think your questions are difficult to answer in hindsight. How can we know if we would have felt satisfied in a "back up" career path? I think you should always try to do what feels most interesting and meaningful to you.

If you are set on being a Family Practice doc, but can't get into a US allopathic program but would consider everything else second best, there is no reason not to consider DO or international med school routes. The shortage in primary care providers is highly unlikely to go away by the time you are applying for residency and even what I consider some of the best FM programs consistently take quality applicants from those training backgrounds.

One thing I am only recently learning about the DO route is how great it can also be for getting to practice in otherwise ridiculously competitive specialties. I have a few close friends who went to a DO school, fell in love with derm and did a DO derm residency, and are now practicing in the exact same clinics in the same role as clinicians who went the allopathic route, one has her own practice.

Re the financial concerns, are you suggesting that you will soon need to become the primary breadwinner for the family? The cost and time suck of medical training is very real, and what makes it even more difficult is that you can work on the side but after a certain point it just means less loan money/higher estimated financial contribution, not money for you to share with your family. I do know of people who find work arounds in jobs where you can hide income, though obviously I will not endorse that... (publicly).

 

[smq123]

Moving to Pre-Allo.

 

[jdok]

No backup plan here. I know 100% I will get into med school. If for some random reason (car accident turns me into a vegetable) I am unable to go to medical school, then, at that time, I will figure something out. Until then there is no need for me to have a backup plan.

Come at me.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

Why do you doubt you'll get accepted and think you'll be needing a back up? Also in regards to your mother, well tell your brothers that they should chip in and help your mother. And in regard to your mother as a financial support, you don't need to worry as you'll be taking out loans to pay off medical school tuition.

 

[hoops90]

I have a 3.583 GPA and haven't taken the MCAT yet. I recently changed to Bio/Pre-med. I would have a much higher GPA (probably around a 3.7) if something did not happen during my sophomore year (I'd prefer not to discuss it). So, I feel like I can graduate with around a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.3 science GPA. I don't know how well I will do on the MCAT. Are these statistics competitive for DO schools? I know they are not competitive for MD schools.

 

[hoops90]

Why do you doubt you'll get accepted and think you'll be needing a back up? Also in regards to your mother, well tell your brothers that they should chip in and help your mother. And in regard to your mother as a financial support, you don't need to worry as you'll be taking out loans to pay off medical school tuition.

I have a 3.583 GPA and haven't taken the MCAT yet. I recently changed to Bio/Pre-med. I would have a much higher GPA (probably around a 3.7) if something did not happen during my sophomore year (I'd prefer not to discuss it). So, I feel like I can graduate with around a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.3 science GPA. I don't know how well I will do on the MCAT. Are these statistics competitive for DO schools? I know they are not competitive for MD schools.

 

[Drrrrrr. Celty]

I have a 3.583 GPA and haven't taken the MCAT yet. I recently changed to Bio/Pre-med. I would have a much higher GPA (probably around a 3.7) if something did not happen during my sophomore year (I'd prefer not to discuss it). So, I feel like I can graduate with around a 3.5 overall GPA and a 3.3 science GPA. I don't know how well I will do on the MCAT. Are these statistics competitive for DO schools? I know they are not competitive for MD schools.

Your gpa's match up more with DO schools, however without an Mcat score I can't really say anything. I would say that you'll probably need a mcat above 30 for MD and over 27 for DO to be competitive. How are your extra curricular activities? Have you any leadership experience? Any shadowing?

 

[JESSFALLING]

I have a 3.583 GPA and haven't taken the MCAT yet. I recently changed to Bio/Pre-med. I would have a much higher GPA (probably around a 3.7) if something did not happen during my sophomore year (I'd prefer not to discuss it).

It sounds like you have an upward-trending GPA, which is great! I can't comment on how much that will help you in the admissions process, but it should hopefully help you once your app gets past initial screening into the more subjective hands of an adcom.

Also, keep in mind that DO schools allow for grade replacement. That could be a useful feature for you if you have any <C grades that are pulling you down.

 

[hoops90]

Your gpa's match up more with DO schools, however without an Mcat score I can't really say anything. I would say that you'll probably need a mcat above 30 for MD and over 27 for DO to be competitive. How are your extra curricular activities? Have you any leadership experience? Any shadowing?

In terms of leadership, ECs, and shadowing, I consider myself to be fairly competitive.

I read a post which administrators suggested new members to read. The author of the post was a 4th year medical student who said that advise should only be taken to heart if it is from a medical student, a resident, or a practicing physician (as opposed to pre-medical students) because we haven't gotten into medical school yet. Please do not take offense regarding this. I am just confused as to whether I should take your advice with a grain of salt.

 

[jdok]

In terms of leadership, ECs, and shadowing, I consider myself to be fairly competitive.

I read a post which administrators suggested new members to read. The author of the post was a 4th year medical student who said that advise should only be taken to heart if it is from a medical student, a resident, or a practicing physician (as opposed to pre-medical students) because we haven't gotten into medical school yet. Please do not take offense regarding this.
I am just confused as to whether I should take your advice with a grain of salt.

 

[Morsetlis]

I don't have back-up career plans.

🙁

 

[theseeker4]

In terms of leadership, ECs, and shadowing, I consider myself to be fairly competitive.

I read a post which administrators suggested new members to read. The author of the post was a 4th year medical student who said that advise should only be taken to heart if it is from a medical student, a resident, or a practicing physician (as opposed to pre-medical students) because we haven't gotten into medical school yet. Please do not take offense regarding this. I am just confused as to whether I should take your advice with a grain of salt.

Take everyone's advice with a grain of salt, even if it comes from someone you have independently confirmed is the dean of admissions at a medical school.

That said, regarding the incident in sophomore year that you prefer not to discuss, you have no need to give any more information on here about it, but be advised that if you have an institutional action, you will have to disclose it when applying, and if it involved academic dishonesty of any type, you will have a major, huge black mark on your record, which will effectively rule you out of admission at many schools depending on how bad it is. I have no clue if this has anything to do with your situation, but you should be aware of this. And no, there is no need at all for your to either confirm or deny that your situation has anything to do with academic dishonesty or an IA, just throwing it out there.

 

[flatearth22]

backup plan - live off my trust fund

 

[redhaireddeamon]

No matter how awesome your stats, you should always ALWAYS have a backup plan. Apply to both DO and MD, as it gives you a broader field of schools. You could always work as a EMT or medical scribe, as you would be making money and adding something valuable to your application if you did not get accepted that cycle and took a year off. I knew 100% that I wanted to be a doctor and I would be happy with nothing else, but I still had a backup plan of going to graduate school, which I did. Now I applied 2 years later again, and got accepted. (oh, and it sounds like you would be eligible for the fee waiver program, but you have to apply early for that-so money may not be as much of an issue)

Was having a backup plan necessary? Yes
Did having a backup plan remove some stress from the cycle? Yes
Did my backup plan make me a more well rounded candidate? Yes
Did my backup plan help me get into medical school this cycle? Hell yes

Class of 2016

 

[hoops90]

Take everyone's advice with a grain of salt, even if it comes from someone you have independently confirmed is the dean of admissions at a medical school.

theseeker4,

That is definitely true. I guess my best strategy is to take advice from multiple people, weigh these pieces of advise, and come to my own conclusion.

 

[ghost dog]

theseeker4,

That is definitely true. I guess my best strategy is to take advice from multiple people, weigh these pieces of advise, and come to my own conclusion.

In regards to extra curriculars and volunteer activity: I wonder how many medical students have actually been involved in a family doctor's office prior to med school (and understood what goes on behind the scenes - I certainly didn't) ?

You should definitely know what you are getting into, before you apply. I'm not trying to discourage you, as I certainly like my career and the money is good.

 

[MD Odyssey]

I think your questions are difficult to answer in hindsight. How can we know if we would have felt satisfied in a "back up" career path? I think you should always try to do what feels most interesting and meaningful to you.

If you are set on being a Family Practice doc, but can't get into a US allopathic program but would consider everything else second best, there is no reason not to consider DO or international med school routes. The shortage in primary care providers is highly unlikely to go away by the time you are applying for residency and even what I consider some of the best FM programs consistently take quality applicants from those training backgrounds.

One thing I am only recently learning about the DO route is how great it can also be for getting to practice in otherwise ridiculously competitive specialties. I have a few close friends who went to a DO school, fell in love with derm and did a DO derm residency, and are now practicing in the exact same clinics in the same role as clinicians who went the allopathic route, one has her own practice.

I have a couple of thoughts to add in here.

First, don't look at DO programs as "backup" plans. There are plenty of students that apply to osteopathic programs because it's what they want to do.

Second, osteopathic medical school can be and is just as rewarding as an allopathic school. My girlfriend graduated from an osteopathic program a year and a half ago and absolutely loves the derm program she matched into.

If you want to practice medicine, then decide which route fits best with your personality and career plans. Looking at MD programs as somehow superior to DO programs is really immature and shows you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

 

[jdok]

I have a couple of thoughts to add in here.

First, don't look at DO programs as "backup" plans. There are plenty of students that apply to osteopathic programs because it's what they want to do.

Second, osteopathic medical school can be and is just as rewarding as an allopathic school. My girlfriend graduated from an osteopathic program a year and a half ago and absolutely loves the derm program she matched into.

If you want to practice medicine, then decide which route fits best with your personality and career plans. Looking at MD programs as somehow superior to DO programs is really immature and shows you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

Please stop. Somehow superior? If everyone is telling you to go MD rather than DO if you get the chance, save personal reasons, don't you think there's something to it? Stop drinking the kool-aid broski and get back to reality.

 

[NatrixCaelicola]

I don't think anyone addressed the financial security part... do you really plan on having your cashier mother support you for the better part of the next decade? Welcome to the world of student loans and getting a job 🙂

 

[hoops90]

This post was not needed in retrospect.

 

[nabe29]

This post was not needed in retrospect.

Why? Did you get in?

 

[spikes]

Why? Did you get in?

Hey Nabe, looks like OP hasn't posted in almost five years not sure you will get a response.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

 

[WedgeDawg]

Please check the date on threads before responding unless you have something contributory to add. Closing.