Suggestions for a plan of action

[CeeJay]

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I am hoping that somebody could give me advice. I am about to graduate from PT school this December (with a doctor of physical therapy degree). While in PT school I have increasingly become interested in medicine, and realize my limitations as a PT. I feel I will not truly be happy without all diagnostic tests interventions (drugs) etc. at my disposal.
I will be 26 years old when I graduate. My graduate GPA is a 4.0. The only classes I received grades for were an 8 credit anatomy class 5 credit physiology class and 6 credit neuroscience class. All the other classes were pass or fail.
My undergraduate GPA was a 2.8. Needless to say I was extremely lucky to have gotten into PT school.
I now owe ~65 grand in student loans and want to begin retaking my MD school pre-reqs. Do you think it is wise to begin school full time and finish my pre-reqs and take out more student loans? Do you think it is wise to work and let work pay the tab and take up to 3 years to finish? Do you think it is wise to work part time and take ~2 years to finish? I went to Penn State for undergrad and a branch campus is close by, do you think I should take the classes there to boost my GPA? The only problem with the branch campus is that all of the classes I need are offered during the day which will most likely conflict with work. I am finding it extremely difficult to find Chemistry classes etc. offered in the evenings at any college near by.
I will likely be moving in with my girlfriend during this time and she is very supportive.
What are your thoughts? What route would you take? Any suggestions for other plans?

Thank You,
C.J.

 

[MaryWrathers]

Congrats on your upcoming graduation!

Do you think it is wise to begin school full time and finish my pre-reqs and take out more student loans?
-Yes. It's what I have to do. I would suggest having a Part-time job too.

Do you think it is wise to work and let work pay the tab and take up to 3 years to finish?
-If you don't mind it being 4 years <- this includes the glide year.

Do you think it is wise to work part time and take ~2 years to finish?
Definitely!

I went to Penn State for undergrad and a branch campus is close by, do you think I should take the classes there to boost my GPA?
I don't think it matters where you take the pre-reqs (besides Comm. Colleges). Yes, you should try to boost your GPA. You could take one or two classes at a comm college; just not every single one of them. This might work for you since you might be employed during the day. Or, you could work three days a week and attend school two days a week.

I think you have it figured out. You should make a pro/con list. It helped me. Also, make a spreadsheet mapping out the next 5 or so years. Good luck! You'll do fine!

I am hoping that somebody could give me advice. I am about to graduate from PT school this December (with a doctor of physical therapy degree). While in PT school I have increasingly become interested in medicine, and realize my limitations as a PT. I feel I will not truly be happy without all diagnostic tests interventions (drugs) etc. at my disposal.
I will be 26 years old when I graduate. My graduate GPA is a 4.0. The only classes I received grades for were an 8 credit anatomy class 5 credit physiology class and 6 credit neuroscience class. All the other classes were pass or fail.
My undergraduate GPA was a 2.8. Needless to say I was extremely lucky to have gotten into PT school.
I now owe ~65 grand in student loans and want to begin retaking my MD school pre-reqs. Do you think it is wise to begin school full time and finish my pre-reqs and take out more student loans? Do you think it is wise to work and let work pay the tab and take up to 3 years to finish? Do you think it is wise to work part time and take ~2 years to finish? I went to Penn State for undergrad and a branch campus is close by, do you think I should take the classes there to boost my GPA? The only problem with the branch campus is that all of the classes I need are offered during the day which will most likely conflict with work. I am finding it extremely difficult to find Chemistry classes etc. offered in the evenings at any college near by.
I will likely be moving in with my girlfriend during this time and she is very supportive.
What are your thoughts? What route would you take? Any suggestions for other plans?

Thank You,
C.J.

 

[peabos]

i have spent one year in a medical intensive care unit as a new graduate staff nurse and have witnessed various medical students and interns being socialized into the role of a physician. i see a fulfilliment among them not present in nursing or any other discipline. i turn 25 this year and decided if i want this for myself, now is the time i should make the sacrifice.

i was in contact with one medical school and they told me that the adcom will take into consideration what i have accomplished within my profession. one year is not very much. therefore i have been looking for part time work. however an experience in a previous icu which i ended prematurely (because the person training me wasn't very willing to provide support/guidance and i was uncomfortable in this setting where pts conditions were so tenuous and me lacking the experience to safely care for them) i was unaware of all the biases against already established health professionals (particularly nurses) wanting to enter medicine. this is very discouraging. because i am going to incur $20,000 in loans to complete my premed requirements in addition to $35,000 already incurred from my nursing degree. this much loans without even having been accepted to a school. am i in way over my head?

 

[atrovariousg]

Debt sucks but I can tell you that I owe 47K for undergrad and one year of chiro and I would be willing to take on the additional 100-200k that med school requires and work for free my first 3-4 years of residency or practice for that matter because I feel it is worth the sacrifice. Keep in mind also, the lost income during school. I have made 6 figures per year for the last 6 years and find myself willing to give that up for the persuit of medicine.

I guess it just depends on your priorities and responsibilities. Myself, I'm blessed with a wife in pharm sales who is very supportive, a nice nest egg, and no debt other than my loans. We made this decision together though and she is in it, or shall I say has been in it for the long haul as this is my 3rd year applying. 😱

 

[CeeJay]

Mary
Thank you for the advice. I will be mapping out my (official) 5 year plan the day I am licensed. I am leaning toward working part time and going to school full time. How many credits are you taking? How many hours do you work if working? Is what you are doing a good fit (enough study time)?


Take Care,
C.J.

 

[rgem2005]

I am hoping that somebody could give me advice. I am about to graduate from PT school this December (with a doctor of physical therapy degree). While in PT school I have increasingly become interested in medicine, and realize my limitations as a PT. I feel I will not truly be happy without all diagnostic tests interventions (drugs) etc. at my disposal.
I will be 26 years old when I graduate. My graduate GPA is a 4.0. The only classes I received grades for were an 8 credit anatomy class 5 credit physiology class and 6 credit neuroscience class. All the other classes were pass or fail.
My undergraduate GPA was a 2.8. Needless to say I was extremely lucky to have gotten into PT school.
I now owe ~65 grand in student loans and want to begin retaking my MD school pre-reqs. Do you think it is wise to begin school full time and finish my pre-reqs and take out more student loans? Do you think it is wise to work and let work pay the tab and take up to 3 years to finish? Do you think it is wise to work part time and take ~2 years to finish? I went to Penn State for undergrad and a branch campus is close by, do you think I should take the classes there to boost my GPA? The only problem with the branch campus is that all of the classes I need are offered during the day which will most likely conflict with work. I am finding it extremely difficult to find Chemistry classes etc. offered in the evenings at any college near by.
I will likely be moving in with my girlfriend during this time and she is very supportive.
What are your thoughts? What route would you take? Any suggestions for other plans?

Thank You,
C.J.

Hi, MIT is offering free online courses in the bio, chem and physics amongst many others. Most of those courses have online video lectures, which might be a better alternative to having to go to class.

http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html

 

[medworm]

As a woman with child-bearing concerns, I opted to dip into savings and do my prereqs F/T. However, if I were in your shoes (a dude with a supportive girlfriend), I would work at least P/T while doing the prereqs. That's just my opinion. GOOD LUCK!

 

[MaryWrathers]

Hi CJ,

I'm taking 13 credits this fall. In addition, I am conducting an honors thesis, interning, and volunteering. I am working 15-20 hours per week, but I am looking for a new part-time job that will allow me to work only 10-15 hours per week. It is a good fit for me studywise. Studying for me is priority one. I don't watch TV shows. I don't talk on the phone a lot. I don't party or drink often. I hope this helps.

I mapped out my week in Excel for each hour 'til bedtime. It helps me locate gaps of time when I can study etc. I also have a weekly planner. It's like an appointment notebook.

Mary
Thank you for the advice. I will be mapping out my (official) 5 year plan the day I am licensed. I am leaning toward working part time and going to school full time. How many credits are you taking? How many hours do you work if working? Is what you are doing a good fit (enough study time)?


Take Care,
C.J.

 

[Lacheln]

Hi, MIT is offering free online courses in the bio, chem and physics amongst many others. Most of those courses have online video lectures, which might be a better alternative to having to go to class.

http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html

rgem2005 -

Although OCW is a really neat offering of MIT's, the courses aren't for credit.