Some random questions

[allocate]

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Hey all.

So I just finished law school and came to the realization that I have no interest in practicing law. I always wanted to go to med school, and now that I'm $130k in debt from grad school and 27 years old, clearly this is the time I choose to do it!

My undergrad is in physics, so I missed some pre-reqs along the way (ochem and bio). My undergrad GPA is lackluster (3.25) but I graduated from a good law school at the top of my class with all the prestigious resume line-items that firms expect from competitive law grads. I'm positive that the discrepancy in GPA is due to a serious change in my work ethic rather than an affinity for the law. Still, I probably have to do something to redeem my science GPA (and my F in Honors Chem II -- yikes). So here are my random questions:

1. Given my F in Chem II and the subsequent re-take C my junior year, do I retake the chem series to show that I actually can do chemistry? (Turns out I'm actually fairly good at it -- I just thought that chemistry was below me at the time as a snobby elitist physics major).

2. Do I take the prereqs as a non-matriculating student at the university where I just finished law school (and I sort of have a life and a girlfriend, etc.) or do I suck it up and do an official post-bac program?

3. Will my law GPA factor into my GPA at all when I'm applying for med school or is my undergrad 3.2 going to severely hurt my prospects? Is there anything I can do about that besides the SMPs I've been hearing about?

4. I have a TON of volunteer experience in the legal field, but absolutely none relating to the medical field. How much volunteering should I be shooting for getting into this so late in the game?

Thanks all.

 

[jslo85]

Hey all.

Hi

now that I'm $130k in debt from grad school and 27 years old, clearly this is the time I choose to do it!

Is money a serious issue for you currently then? How much more are you willing to be in debt?

1. Given my F in Chem II and the subsequent re-take C my junior year, do I retake the chem series to show that I actually can do chemistry? (Turns out I'm actually fairly good at it -- I just thought that chemistry was below me at the time as a snobby elitist physics major).

It really depends on which way you're going to go witih this (osteopathic or allopathic). Strictly speaking your F to a C isn't going to wow anyone by any means. If you decide to go DO and apply through AACOMAS, both grades will show on the coursework/transcripts but during the GPA calculation, the most recent grade (the C) will be used instead of the F. But again, an F to a C looks terrible and what were your scores for Chem I and Chem III or was it only Chem I (semester)? If it was an A I would pass it off and take other upper division classes to prove you aren't really "that bad" at the sciences. If it was also a C, I'd perhaps go in a different direction.

2. Do I take the prereqs as a non-matriculating student at the university where I just finished law school (and I sort of have a life and a girlfriend, etc.) or do I suck it up and do an official post-bac program?

Again this is up to you. My personal advice is you should go with the plan that will make you the happiest and save you the most money. Yes attending certain reputable programs will give you an edge that you wouldn't have before. But the main thing is that you need solid good grades and if you feel that you'd do far better being close to your family etc. then that's where I would go. If you've done some pre-reqs, your number of formal programs that accept students in your situation are limited (SFSU, UT Dallas, UVA, WashU and a few others). I'd do my own research and find out how much each will cost as well as figure out on your own what your predicted timeline should be. Formal programs will probably allow you to finish in a more concise fashion but are generally more expensive and competitive.

3. Will my law GPA factor into my GPA at all when I'm applying for med school or is my undergrad 3.2 going to severely hurt my prospects? Is there anything I can do about that besides the SMPs I've been hearing about?

Your law GPA will be on display but I find it hard to believe it will influence the decision making substantially one way or another. You do not qualify for an SMP if you haven't finished all the pre-requisites and most will also require the MCAT as well.

4. I have a TON of volunteer experience in the legal field, but absolutely none relating to the medical field. How much volunteering should I be shooting for getting into this so late in the game?

There is no number I can give you. As much as it will take to get into medical school? Everyone else who is applying has pretty much a laundry list of achievements and some will even impress Adcoms who have pretty much seen everything from the thousands of applications they review every year. Try to imagine from that standpoint about how much you will need. Do you need to help starving children in Ethiopia or join Mercy Corp as well? Of course not, but at least demonstrate commitment to medicine and the healthcare field as well as have experiences to show that you understand and accept what becoming a physician means in today's society. Some things I'll throw out as rough ideas would be publications in peer reviewed journals, EMT certification, clinical assistant work, volunteering at a hospital or inpatient pharmacy, volunteering at homeless youth clinics or inner city clinics, physician shadowing/preceptorships, pre-SOMA stuff, etc)

Good luck

 

[allocate]

Thanks for your thoughts, jslo -- they were very useful.

(Also, sorry if this thread should have gone into the nontraditional students forum -- I didn't notice it originally.)

I only have 2 semesters of intro-level chem, and I seem to recall a B in Honors Chem I. I guess in reality I'm more concerned with making sure I understand the material before jumping into upper level courses.

Cheers.

 

[jslo85]

Well as for chemistry goes for medical school application the focus will be primarily on the biological sciences as well as upper division bio related courses as opposed to anything chemistry related. As long as you fulfill the pre-requisites for general chemistry and organic chemistry, technically and for a substantial amount of applicants, that suffices. The fact that you recieve a C in the pre-requisites is not a good sign because these are generally regarded as the basic core classes.

I have no idea what honors chemistry entails except that offered in high school thus I can't offer any insight there. The only upper level chemistry related courses I can think of that would be relevant in Adcoms eyes would be Biochemistry and Toxicology. I would generally be looking towards upper division bio courses such as Anatomy, Physiology, Microbiology, MCB, Immunology, etc. after you finish your pre-reqs to demonstrate current competency in your academic studies.

 

[NYCPreMedical]

One factor you should keep in mind is that med schools may question why you are switching your career path at this moment. As someone also switching from law to medicine, my advisor has told me that I need to build a compelling case for the switch. For instance, med schools may wonder why you are not spending even a year or two practicing law before leaving the field. After all, you invested all that time and money into a legal career, so unless you have a compelling reason for switching at this time, med schools may discount your desire for a career in medicine. Especially given the large debt you mentioned and the large salaries you can get at law firms, I'd spend a year or two practicing law. You can explore medical fields while practicing law (volunteering in clinical or research settings), which will give you more informed reasons for going into medicine later.

Your chem grades are definitely a cause for concern. The best way to deal with them would be to retake those courses in a formal postbac program. Most will not let you retake science courses, but they will often make an exception if you took those courses many years ago. If you take a couple of years to practice law then return to a postbac program, that may be enough of a gap to allow you to retake chem.

Best of luck to you.

 

[allocate]

Thanks NYC, that was really useful. Incidentally, I get the same thing during law interviews with respect to my physics background.

What about retaking chem at the university this year while working? Does that seem reasonable?

 

[NYCPreMedical]

I would try to take all of my premed science classes at one university, particularly one that will provide you a premed committee support letter for your med school applications. If your university will give you a support letter even without you enrolling in a formal postbac program, that may be a viable option. But taking science classes while working full time as a lawyer will be very challenging. You want to make that you ace the classes this time around. So, if it was me, I'd hold off on the classes for a year or two, practice law full time instead, and try to get some practical exposure to the medical field on the side (or orient your legal practice to deal with medical issues). Then I would apply to a formal postbac program, one that will let you retake chem (hopefully your physics grades are good so that you don't have to retake them). Feel free to PM me if you want to discuss in greater detail.