Some questions for you if you have 3 minutes :-)

[MaryWrathers]

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Hi, these Q's are for people who have already done it, going to do it, or already doing it. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!! 🙂 [I posted this on the nontraditional's forum too for an abundance of responses]

How many calendar years did it take you to complete the 4 science pre-reqs? I'm thinking it will take two years including science electives and taking the MCAT.

What was your undergrad major?

Where did you clinically volunteer? For how long at each place?

Where are you getting your LORs from? Professor, hospital employee, etc.

What science pre-req class was the hardest for you and why?

About how many classmates did you have in your science pre-req courses?

Did you work while taking pre-reqs? How many hours per week?

Did you get the Pell grant or any other state/fed. grants while taking pre-reqs?

Did you apply as a second-degree B.S. seeking student to satisfy the pre-reqs?

Did you obtain medical assisting, EMT, phlebotomy, or any other experience/certifications in conjunction with taking your pre-reqs?

 

[ockhamsRzr]

Hi, these Q's are for people who have already done it, going to do it, or already doing it. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!! 🙂 [I posted this on the nontraditional's forum too for an abundance of responses]

Doing it now. Started officially this past Spring semester at Umass Boston with Algebra, BioI, and two upper level poliSci's to get my brain jogging again. 3.68 this past semester with a A- in Bio.

How many calendar years did it take you to complete the 4 science pre-reqs? I'm thinking it will take two years including science electives and taking the MCAT.

Expecting about 2.5 years though I have a wife, two baby boys, a job and a mortgage. If had none of these I could probably do it in half that time.

What was your undergrad major?

Political Science and English (dual) in the University Honors program at Umass Boston. 3.5 gpa

Where did you clinically volunteer? For how long at each place?

I am a full-time research assitant at Children's in Boston. I work in a genetics lab with clinical responsibilities in two other departments (affiliated with our research).

Where are you getting your LORs from? Professor, hospital employee, etc.

The PI (MD) of the lab I work in and the Chief of one of the clinical departments I work in (one is an adcom at Harvard Med, both are faculty). Also Bio prof and Director at Harvard Ext.

What science pre-req class was the hardest for you and why?

None yet. I'll guess orgo or Biochem, but I'm not there yet...perhaps calc, we'll see.

About how many classmates did you have in your science pre-req courses?

At Umass there were about 150 in lecture but only about 25 in my lab section.

Did you work while taking pre-reqs? How many hours per week?

This past semester I did not work but I was taking my EMT-B class at Northeastern (3 hours/day - 3 days/week) at the same time as spring semester. I will be working 32 hours per week while taking chem and physics at Harvard Ext this fall.

Did you get the Pell grant or any other state/fed. grants while taking pre-reqs?

Federal loans yes -- Pell no. Private loan yes. My work pays $2000/yr for classes so that is also a bonus.

Did you apply as a second-degree B.S. seeking student to satisfy the pre-reqs?

No but it's a good idea. If I were in different circumstances I would apply as a 2nd BS degree student in a second. A Great strategy for more funds.

Did you obtain medical assisting, EMT, phlebotomy, or any other experience/certifications in conjunction with taking your pre-reqs?

I am challenging the EMT exam in about a month. I highly recommend the EMT course. It's all about the basics: airway, breathing, circulation.

 

[liverotcod]

Hi, these Q's are for people who have already done it, going to do it, or already doing it. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!! 🙂 [I posted this on the nontraditional's forum too for an abundance of responses]

Finished coursework last summer, entering med school in a month 😱

How many calendar years did it take you to complete the 4 science pre-reqs? I'm thinking it will take two years including science electives and taking the MCAT.

5 semesters plus 2 summers, but I took math, biochem, cell bio in addition to the prereqs.

What was your undergrad major?

English

Where did you clinically volunteer? For how long at each place?

2 years hospital ER, every Friday night for 4 hours. Plus about 15 full shifts with an ER doc, and 3 full shifts with a heme/onc.

Where are you getting your LORs from? Professor, hospital employee, etc.

2 from work people, 1 from ER doc I shadowed, 1 from hospital volunteer coordinator, 1 from Organic and Gen Chem instructor (I rocked those classes), 1 from lab instructor.

What science pre-req class was the hardest for you and why?

Physics 2. I took the calc-based physics and struggled conceptually with electomagnetism. It was also, ironically, more interesting than any other class.

About how many classmates did you have in your science pre-req courses?

150-300. These were all big lecture classes.

Did you work while taking pre-reqs? How many hours per week?

Yes, ~50 hours/week as a software design manager and data analyst. I have two young children at home and ran a marathon last year, so I was pretty busy. I think the trick is to keep moving and realize that it won't last forever.

Did you get the Pell grant or any other state/fed. grants while taking pre-reqs?

No.

Did you apply as a second-degree B.S. seeking student to satisfy the pre-reqs?

Yes, to get a better priority in registration. VCU, where I did my informal post-bacc, now offers a certificate program, which is new.

Did you obtain medical assisting, EMT, phlebotomy, or any other experience/certifications in conjunction with taking your pre-reqs?

No.


Good questions. Good luck to you.

 

[sunnyjohn]

Hi, these Q's are for people who have already done it, going to do it, or already doing it. Thank you so much!!!!!!!!! 🙂 [I posted this on the nontraditional's forum too for an abundance of responses]...

How many calendar years did it take you to complete the 4 science pre-reqs? I'm thinking it will take two years including science electives and taking the MCAT.

Its not realy the prereq's that will have me streatching this out. Work and family have me on a go-slow. I also want to get my undergrad GPA and BCPM as high as possible before I turn to an SMP.

What was your undergrad major?

The first was a BSc. in History and Sociology/Social Science back in the late '90's. I've gotten another degree since then.

Where did you clinically volunteer? For how long at each place?

My clinical work is has all been paid. In the past I was a phlebotomist. I work as a Surgical Technologist. We scrub during surgery (www.ast.org). I've been doing this for a few (3??) years.

Where are you getting your LORs from? Professor, hospital employee, etc.

Since I work as a CST traveller, I have LOR's from Surgeons all over the country. A few of them are famous names. I have been VERY lucky and blessed in this regard.

What science pre-req class was the hardest for you and why?

Physics. It brings back bad high school memories.

About how many classmates did you have in your science pre-req courses?

My accelerated Chem had near 70 in lecture. Most are around 30 or so.

Did you work while taking pre-reqs? How many hours per week?

Yes I work. I don't count the hours per week, but the hours per month. I try to average 125-160 hours a month. My job is flexible and I take the offshifts to make up the difference.

Did you get the Pell grant or any other state/fed. grants while taking pre-reqs?

I stumbled across a one year scholarship that paid for a lot of classes. Now I am completely out-of-pocket.

Did you apply as a second-degree B.S. seeking student to satisfy the pre-reqs?

Yes at a few of the schools, No at others.

Did you obtain medical assisting, EMT, phlebotomy, or any other experience/certifications in conjunction with taking your pre-reqs?

I'm a certified phlebotomist and a Certified surgical Technologist, but those things inspired me to revisit medicine. I will be an RN by next summer if all goes well.

 

[BooMed]

How many calendar years did it take you to complete the 4 science pre-reqs? I'm thinking it will take two years including science electives and taking the MCAT.

One Year.

What was your undergrad major?

Sociology/Spanish.

Where did you clinically volunteer? For how long at each place?

An internal medicine clinic, 3 months. I also assisted a research team and our work was published.

Where are you getting your LORs from? Professor, hospital employee, etc.

Professors from science and non-science, research advisor, mentor from high school.

What science pre-req class was the hardest for you and why?

Biology-bad professors, but really Organic as a subject (I just couldn't picture it).

About how many classmates did you have in your science pre-req courses?

11 (physics) to 45 (bio).

Did you work while taking pre-reqs? How many hours per week?

Yeah right, I could barely walk home after school I was so tired.

Did you get the Pell grant or any other state/fed. grants while taking pre-reqs?

Nope, private loan.

Did you apply as a second-degree B.S. seeking student to satisfy the pre-reqs?

No. None-degree seeking.

Did you obtain medical assisting, EMT, phlebotomy, or any other experience/certifications in conjunction with taking your pre-reqs?[/QUOTE]

Next year (I'm an applicant for fall 06) I'll be working as a Respiratory Care Technician.

 

[Febrifuge]

How many calendar years did it take you to complete the 4 science pre-reqs? I'm thinking it will take two years including science electives and taking the MCAT. I just started early in June, and I'll be done in less than 12 months.

What was your undergrad major? Liberal Arts. Okay, Theater.

Where did you clinically volunteer? For how long at each place? I was a volunteer in a busy urban ED for about 8 months. While that was going on I earned EMT cert, and then got hired in that same ED. I was an employee for an additional 18 months (and technically am still a part-timer there -- US News list of Best Hospitals eight years running now! Whoo-hoo!).

Where are you getting your LORs from? Professor, hospital employee, etc. I have some cool residents I'm keeping in touch with. Also I hope to do some shadowing out here in postbac-ville to make new contacts.

What science pre-req class was the hardest for you and why? I'll be able to answer this later. For now, I'll just say that although it's been 20 years (!) since I had to do algebra, Chem is a little tricky, but even so all these classes are cool and I'm glad to be rediscovering my enthusiasm for science.

About how many classmates did you have in your science pre-req courses? There are nine of us here in the summer. In fall, we get two to four more (they are doing the 2-year option and we're in the 1-year).

Did you work while taking pre-reqs? How many hours per week? Aww, hell to the no! There's no time. I might do 8 hours a week of shadowing, but that's it.

Did you get the Pell grant or any other state/fed. grants while taking pre-reqs? Pell Grants are not available beyond a person's first undergrad degree, so by definition, there are no Pell grants for post-bacs.

Did you apply as a second-degree B.S. seeking student to satisfy the pre-reqs? No; this is a specific post-bac certificate program. The college considers it a grad program, but for federal FA purposes it's a "fifth-year undergrad" situation. As I looked at other schools it was suggested that I enroll as a "degree-seeking" student who just happened to not complete that second degree, and discontinue after getting my pre-reqs. That's one way to do it, I guess.

Did you obtain medical assisting, EMT, phlebotomy, or any other experience/certifications in conjunction with taking your pre-reqs? I am an EMT, and it would be cool if I could get certified in my new state. But then, I would have to have a job or affiliation with a service for that. Looks like I'll have to figure something else out. I also plan to do some research back at home base over the holiday break, so that will be something helpful (as well as very cool).

Actually, that's my advice: do stuff that you think is interesting and fun. These are awesome questions and it's very smart to think it through, just don't forget to let yourself have fun with it all. It's a lot easier to work your butt off if you're doing something you can get geeked about.