Senior in college, no science courses since high school, premed postbac?

[potentiallymd]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

Hello, I just want some comments on my situation and my plans.

I am graduating senior at a university, and I will graduate with a 3.7x GPA (economics major). Right now I'm studying for the LSATS, since my original plan was to go to law school, but for the past few weeks I guess I had a sudden change of heart, and became really started watching biology lectures online, and became extremely interested in science, and becoming a doctor.

The reason I haven't taken any science classes for the past few years was because I knew law school just cares about GPA and LSAT so I just focused on keeping those high and not taking any classes that might reflect poorly on my GPA.

I believe I can do well at a pre-med postbac get some volunteering experience, take the MCAT and apply to med school in about two years, I will probably be applying/going to Hunter College's Premed Postbac program.

For now I plan to keep studying for the LSAT just incase I change my mind, and because I can't really do anything to start the pre-med postbac any earlier than Summer/Fall so I might as well focus on the LSAT, if for no other reason, it will be good practice for the MCAT verbal section.

I would like some advice and thoughts on my plans, I'm not sure if I'm just fooling myself into thinking I can just start science now and do well, or if this sounds like a decent plan.

I would really appreciate all replies,
Thanks!

EDIT: I also looked at several more expensive postbac program that have something like 99% of their graduates attending medical schools, but they all require you to submit SAT scores, and my SAT scores are pretty bad, but I think my GPA shows that they are not a good representation of my academic abilities. Should I consider applying to these programs? would the guarantee of admission to med school outweigh the convenience of living at home but going to a program that doesn't have the "99%" statistic?

 

[johnnyscans]

Hello, I just want some comments on my situation and my plans.

I am graduating senior at a university, and I will graduate with a 3.7x GPA (economics major). Right now I'm studying for the LSATS, since my original plan was to go to law school, but for the past few weeks I guess I had a sudden change of heart, and became really started watching biology lectures online, and became extremely interested in science, and becoming a doctor.

The reason I haven't taken any science classes for the past few years was because I knew law school just cares about GPA and LSAT so I just focused on keeping those high and not taking any classes that might reflect poorly on my GPA.

I believe I can do well at a pre-med postbac get some volunteering experience, take the MCAT and apply to med school in about two years, I will probably be applying/going to Hunter College's Premed Postbac program.

For now I plan to keep studying for the LSAT just incase I change my mind, and because I can't really do anything to start the pre-med postbac any earlier than Summer/Fall so I might as well focus on the LSAT, if for no other reason, it will be good practice for the MCAT verbal section.

I would like some advice and thoughts on my plans, I'm not sure if I'm just fooling myself into thinking I can just start science now and do well, or if this sounds like a decent plan.

I would really appreciate all replies,
Thanks!

EDIT: I also looked at several more expensive postbac program that have something like 99% of their graduates attending medical schools, but they all require you to submit SAT scores, and my SAT scores are pretty bad, but I think my GPA shows that they are not a good representation of my academic abilities. Should I consider applying to these programs? would the guarantee of admission to med school outweigh the convenience of living at home but going to a program that doesn't have the "99%" statistic?

You're going to want to start volunteering/shadowing for at least 4-6 months before you commit to this path. You understand the training that goes into becomig a physician, right? This isn't law school where once its done you're free to go. If you're not fully comitted to medicine your residency (80+ hour work weeks at $40,000/yr for 3-7 years) will kill you.

Before you even think about starting a post-bacc program spend some time volunteering, preferably in an inner-city ER if possible. If you're still interested in medicine after seeing all types of blood, urine, feces, vomit, infection, and drug overdose, then we can start talking post-bacc work.

Any program you apply to is going to want you to have some clinical/medical experience. Get started on that now, before you apply. Without prior healthcare experience you have almost no shot at the top programs.

With all of that said,make sure that there is no other field for you before starting down this path. From the start of your post-bacc program you are 8 years out from being able to practice general medicine on your own. If you decide to specialize, that number becomes 10+.

Good luck.

 

[potentiallymd]

You're going to want to start volunteering/shadowing for at least 4-6 months before you commit to this path. You understand the training that goes into becomig a physician, right? This isn't law school where once its done you're free to go. If you're not fully comitted to medicine your residency (80+ hour work weeks at $40,000/yr for 3-7 years) will kill you.

Before you even think about starting a post-bacc program spend some time volunteering, preferably in an inner-city ER if possible. If you're still interested in medicine after seeing all types of blood, urine, feces, vomit, infection, and drug overdose, then we can start talking post-bacc work.

Any program you apply to is going to want you to have some clinical/medical experience. Get started on that now, before you apply. Without prior healthcare experience you have almost no shot at the top programs.

With all of that said,make sure that there is no other field for you before starting down this path. From the start of your post-bacc program you are 8 years out from being able to practice general medicine on your own. If you decide to specialize, that number becomes 10+.

Good luck.

I realize the road ahead is very long.

I was thinking about that. But I won't be able to do any volunteering until the start of next semester, so I was going to go through Hunter's program which isn't competitive to get into, and take classes and volunteer in the same time. Assuming I get good grades and still want to become a physician after putting in many hours as a volunteer, I will then decide if I want to take a second semester of premed classes or not...

 

[thlaxer]

First off, welcome to the club, lots of post-baccers decide to make their switch during their senior year. My thoughts:

Right now I'm studying for the LSATS, since my original plan was to go to law school, but for the past few weeks I guess I had a sudden change of heart, and became really started watching biology lectures online, and became extremely interested in science, and becoming a doctor. ... I believe I can do well at a pre-med postbac get some volunteering experience, take the MCAT and apply to med school in about two years,

Before you considering switching, get shadowing and volunteering experience before you apply to post-bacc programs. It's nice that the Biology course is interesting and that was one of my initial motivations for switching as well, but "liking science" is not enough. Making sure you're committed to switching prior to applying may save you time and money as some people decide after a year of classes that medicine isn't their calling. So make sure this desire is serious and not a "won't it be cool if I was a doctor" moment. 🙂

I would like some advice and thoughts on my plans, I'm not sure if I'm just fooling myself into thinking I can just start science now and do well, or if this sounds like a decent plan.

Most career-changer post-baccs started with similar situations (no science background) and many successfully go on to med school. Many people also get their med school aspirations crushed in this process though. But your GPA seems good, and having a math background from economics will serve you well in chemistry and physics.

EDIT: I also looked at several more expensive postbac program that have something like 99% of their graduates attending medical schools, but they all require you to submit SAT scores, and my SAT scores are pretty bad, but I think my GPA shows that they are not a good representation of my academic abilities. Should I consider applying to these programs? would the guarantee of admission to med school outweigh the convenience of living at home but going to a program that doesn't have the "99%" statistic?

I'm assuming you're referring to schools like Bryn Mawr, Goucher and Scripps? I'm not familiar with these programs, but imo, a program is not what makes an applicant great. There definitely are advantages to attending a reputable program (teaching, advising, LORs, name recognition, etc.) but I believe that a student's success is for the most part based on their own actions. The students who get accepted to these "99%" schools would most likely have succeeded anywhere. Just my thoughts. Good luck!

 

[johnnyscans]

I realize the road ahead is very long.

I was thinking about that. But I won't be able to do any volunteering until the start of next semester, so I was going to go through Hunter's program which isn't competitive to get into, and take classes and volunteer in the same time. Assuming I get good grades and still want to become a physician after putting in many hours as a volunteer, I will then decide if I want to take a second semester of premed classes or not...

First off, I apologize if my original post came off as a little rough around the edges. I had just finished studying for 6 hours only to realize I read/outlined 40 pages that aren't covered in the class. Oh well. . .

Congratulations on having a lightbulb moment and considering this career path. It's incredibly difficult, but I know it will be beyond rewarding. I can say, with the straightest of faces and utmost confidence, that there is no other career for me in the world. I simply cannot imagine myself doing anything else and being happy. You need to ensure that you have a similar mindset when you set foot down this path. I'm 26 (still a young bird around these parts) and every day I watch my friends make a ton of money and do the things that most middle-aged 20 year olds do e.g. chasing chicks, partying, weekends in Miami and AC. Not me - 20-30 hours a week volunteering in a lab and at the hospital, 12+ hours of class a week, studying throughout the weekends, etc leaves me just enough free time to keep my relationship with my girlfriend alive. Luckily for me she's in physical therapy school, so we're both innundated with school work. I walked away from an extremely comfortable $75,000/yr job to pursue medicine and there isn't a single moment where I doubt my decision. Like I said, you need to make sure you feel the same way. You need to make sure that when all of your pre-law friends are graduating law school with (hopefully, for their sake) multiple offers on the table, you'll be comfortable with the idea that you may just be starting medical school.

There are a multiple reasons why you should volunteer and shadow before starting down this path. I feel like many of your typical premed students would benefit from this, as oftentimes they are pushed into the career for the wrong reasons only to burn out at precisely the wrong time. Being around sick and injured people is tough. You need to make sure you're comfortable with it. You need to make sure that you understand the immensity and difficulty the coursework that lies ahead in medical school. You need to understand the sacrifices that are made both during and after training.

Most volunteer shifts at hospitals are 3 hours a week. If the hospital is close by, it's incredibly easy to assimilate that into your schedule. The last thing you want is to do well on your LSAT and blow off law school only to find out that medicine isn't your true calling.

At least get a few shadow shifts and 40 hours (oftentimes the minimum required commitment from hospitals) of volunteering in. If you end up falling in love with the field, as I did, you'll be well on your way to accruing solid clinical experience and maybe even a letter of recommendation. If you end up hating it, at least you can put the nagging thought in your mind to rest.

 

[potentiallymd]

Thank you for your reply. I think you are absolutely right, I will look for a hospital to volunteer in now while studying for the LSAT, and hopefully by summertime I will still wish to start this journey and enroll in my first batch of premed classes. I really appreciate your reply, thank you!

On a side note, I will be working in the summer and will start my first batch of pre-med prereqs in the fall, do you have any recommendations on how I can best prepare for taking these classes so that I can do extremely well in all of them?

I was thinking about going through the biology, chemistry, physics videos on Khan Academy, as well as the free introductions to these subjects on MIT OpenCourseware + maybe getting a book or two on the subjects to read on the train. I want to do everything I can do get a 4.0 in all of these prereqs, any advice?

Thanks! 🙂

First off, I apologize if my original post came off as a little rough around the edges. I had just finished studying for 6 hours only to realize I read/outlined 40 pages that aren't covered in the class. Oh well. . .

Congratulations on having a lightbulb moment and considering this career path. It's incredibly difficult, but I know it will be beyond rewarding. I can say, with the straightest of faces and utmost confidence, that there is no other career for me in the world. I simply cannot imagine myself doing anything else and being happy. You need to ensure that you have a similar mindset when you set foot down this path. I'm 26 (still a young bird around these parts) and every day I watch my friends make a ton of money and do the things that most middle-aged 20 year olds do e.g. chasing chicks, partying, weekends in Miami and AC. Not me - 20-30 hours a week volunteering in a lab and at the hospital, 12+ hours of class a week, studying throughout the weekends, etc leaves me just enough free time to keep my relationship with my girlfriend alive. Luckily for me she's in physical therapy school, so we're both innundated with school work. I walked away from an extremely comfortable $75,000/yr job to pursue medicine and there isn't a single moment where I doubt my decision. Like I said, you need to make sure you feel the same way. You need to make sure that when all of your pre-law friends are graduating law school with (hopefully, for their sake) multiple offers on the table, you'll be comfortable with the idea that you may just be starting medical school.

There are a multiple reasons why you should volunteer and shadow before starting down this path. I feel like many of your typical premed students would benefit from this, as oftentimes they are pushed into the career for the wrong reasons only to burn out at precisely the wrong time. Being around sick and injured people is tough. You need to make sure you're comfortable with it. You need to make sure that you understand the immensity and difficulty the coursework that lies ahead in medical school. You need to understand the sacrifices that are made both during and after training.

Most volunteer shifts at hospitals are 3 hours a week. If the hospital is close by, it's incredibly easy to assimilate that into your schedule. The last thing you want is to do well on your LSAT and blow off law school only to find out that medicine isn't your true calling.

At least get a few shadow shifts and 40 hours (oftentimes the minimum required commitment from hospitals) of volunteering in. If you end up falling in love with the field, as I did, you'll be well on your way to accruing solid clinical experience and maybe even a letter of recommendation. If you end up hating it, at least you can put the nagging thought in your mind to rest.

 

[DrMidlife]

On a side note, I will be working in the summer and will start my first batch of pre-med prereqs in the fall, do you have any recommendations on how I can best prepare for taking these classes so that I can do extremely well in all of them?

I was thinking about going through the biology, chemistry, physics videos on Khan Academy, as well as the free introductions to these subjects on MIT OpenCourseware + maybe getting a book or two on the subjects to read on the train. I want to do everything I can do get a 4.0 in all of these prereqs, any advice?

I suggest focusing on math and problem solving, maybe reading comprehension, maybe statistics. Don't try to pre-learn the science content. You'll never get ahead of the science content: optimize your ability to learn, comprehend and retain new stuff forever amen.

Math and problem solving (suffering to solve a problem, fighting through the frustration, doing it again and again) are incredibly important as a basis for science coursework. Make sure you can reason when you're looking at a graph or an equation. What is indicated, or not indicated, in a graph? What are the inputs, what are the outputs? What would a change in variable P do to variable T, in PV=nRT? What does it mean for a variable to have a "resultant change" and for that change to be proportional, inverse proportional, etc.? How do you estimate or predict an answer to a problem so that you know whether your solution resulted in something that can't be right? When looking at a graph that's supposed to support a claim, how do you evaluate the truth of that claim? Why is sample size important?

The above? That's a big chunk of the daily work in the prereqs and in med school, it's all over the MCAT, and it's the difference between understanding material and just parroting it.

Recommended cartoon series (serieses?) that will soften the blow of learning to think in math: http://www.xkcd.com and http://thisisindexed.com. (When you start the prereqs, if your sensitivities are not entirely delicate, you might enjoy http://zomgscience.net/)

Best of luck to you.

 

[potentiallymd]

Thanks, DrMidlife.

If anyone else can advice me on how to best prepare for taking premed prereqs the summer before starting I would really appreciate it.

Thank you!

 

[johnnyscans]

I wouldnt worry too much about preparing. Review your trig and algebra, read some good books and be ready to kick butt once class starts. If anything, develop a note taking strategy and keep it consistent from class to class.

That said, Your intro bio is super imprtant - many future classes will build on topics briefly covered in this class. Physics and chem will ease you into the topics, but future concepts build on earlier ones. The key to physics is understanding forces and free body diagrams. Everything else is simple once you really grasp this.

 

[potentiallymd]

I wouldnt worry too much about preparing. Review your trig and algebra, read some good books and be ready to kick butt once class starts. If anything, develop a note taking strategy and keep it consistent from class to class.

That said, Your intro bio is super imprtant - many future classes will build on topics briefly covered in this class. Physics and chem will ease you into the topics, but future concepts build on earlier ones. The key to physics is understanding forces and free body diagrams. Everything else is simple once you really grasp this.

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.

 

[potentiallymd]

I have one more question, I was looking through many postbac pre-med programs, and it seems like most make you take about 2 science classes per semester (bio 1, chem 1, first semester) and nothing else, would just that be enough to demonstrate to medical schools thats you can handle heavy science coursework while maintaining good grades? Or does the idea you need to take heavy course load diminish as a postbac?

Thanks!

 

[johnnyscans]

I have one more question, I was looking through many postbac pre-med programs, and it seems like most make you take about 2 science classes per semester (bio 1, chem 1, first semester) and nothing else, would just that be enough to demonstrate to medical schools thats you can handle heavy science coursework while maintaining good grades? Or does the idea you need to take heavy course load diminish as a postbac?

Thanks!

They state that under the assumption that the remainder of your day will be filled with other activities. I'm way busier now than I was during undergraduate.

I'm currently enrolled in 12 credits which means 12 hours of class a week. That + 20-30 hours of research + 3 hours clinical volunteering means my days are literally nonstop from wake up until I lay down.

I'd also recommend easing into post-bacc work, starting with either 1 or 2 courses. If you're a recent graduate you know how to study, but the last thing you want is to overcrowd your schedule at the expense of your grades.

 

[Jennet]

I have one more question, I was looking through many postbac pre-med programs, and it seems like most make you take about 2 science classes per semester (bio 1, chem 1, first semester) and nothing else, would just that be enough to demonstrate to medical schools thats you can handle heavy science coursework while maintaining good grades? Or does the idea you need to take heavy course load diminish as a postbac?

Thanks!

What johnnyscans said is about right. I am post-bacc, work-full time, and volunteer. While a little precarious, this combination can prove to medical schools that I am capable of the work required. Even if you only work half-time or volunteer, your free time should be spent studying or improving your EC's and exploring the medical field. Make sure that your time is spent proving you can handle the rigors of medical school.