Super clueless nontrad, studying unrelated degree, no science background, at international college! Help?!

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nontradabroad

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Hi everyone!

So I’m currently a junior in college studying International Relations. Literally haven’t taken a science class since my sophomore year of high school and my college doesn’t offer any science classes whatsoever. My college is also in Europe, but I’m American. I don’t know how international applicants are treated but I’m sure it’s different than someone who matriculated in the US. Does anyone have experience as an international student (specifically one who is American but just went to college abroad)? My current GPA is 9.04/10, which I think converts to around a 3.5, but I don't know how accurate that is, because, at my school, a 50 is a passing grade so 9s are valued higher.

So, basically, I’ve recently realized that I want to go into medicine, after a lifetime of thinking I suck at math and science, and I have NO idea how to get started preparing for this process or even if I would actually be capable.

Here’s what I’m planning on doing so far: I’ve applied to volunteer at my local hospital this summer, as well as a family planning place, and I’m getting certified as a doula & hoping to volunteer as one (I’m interested in being a doula bc I’m obsessed with birth and - I know this is naive - but I’m really interested in going into OB/GYN).

I’m also looking into volunteering in hospice and at a local women’s shelter. I live in a place with limited resources and I don’t think it would be possible for me to volunteer here in Europe. I’m going to stay home and do online classes next semester so I can volunteer and hopefully shadow then.

Basically, I’m looking for ANY advice. Should I take prereq classes over the summer at a local 4-year college? Does community college for prereqs look bad? Should I wait to take those classes and apply for a post bacc when I graduate next year? What's it like to take science classes again after not taking them for so long? I’m so lost and worried that I won’t be able to get enough done to apply to med school in the next few years.

Sorry to ramble for so long. What do you guys think? I’m super lost and just in need of literally any and all advice.

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First off: you can breathe, it’s ok. Plenty of international students (as well as American students) find out that they want to enter a career in medicine later in life (you’re at the earlier end of “non-traditional”), and plenty of them are successful at matriculating.

If you would like to join a US allopathic school, the clearest and most cohesive route to finishing your pre-requisites is to join a US post-bacc program. These programs will help you complete your requirements in a condensed time-frame. I would also begin to search for longitudinal research experiences, and medical exposure, including shadowing. Quality is generally better than quantity (I.e., long-term experiences over short-term variety) here; most medical schools want to know that you know what the field is like, both from a science, and humane side, and will look at the depth of your experiences (and your personal narrative) to gauge that.

The process is a marathon, not a sprint. If you apply as a post-bacc student, you will have plenty of time, so take in information in a piece-meal manner over the next few months, and plan your path ahead. I would recommend finding a pre-health advisor, hopefully if your school has one, to work with you. If not, I believe several post-bacc programs will provide you with an advisor to help you through the process.

You will get there if you work hard, stick to it, and keep a cool head when things inevitably get tough. Good luck 👍
 
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First off: you can breathe, it’s ok. Plenty of international students (as well as American students) find out that they want to enter a career in medicine later in life (you’re at the earlier end of “non-traditional”), and plenty of them are successful at matriculating.

If you would like to join a US allopathic school, the clearest and most cohesive route to finishing your pre-requisites is to join a US post-bacc program. These programs will help you complete your requirements in a condensed time-frame. I would also begin to search for longitudinal research experiences, and medical exposure, including shadowing. Quality is generally better than quantity (I.e., long-term experiences over short-term variety) here; most medical schools want to know that you know what the field is like, both from a science, and humane side, and will look at the depth of your experiences (and your personal narrative) to gauge that.

The process is a marathon, not a sprint. If you apply as a post-bacc student, you will have plenty of time, so take in information in a piece-meal manner over the next few months, and plan your path ahead. I would recommend finding a pre-health advisor, hopefully if your school has one, to work with you. If not, I believe several post-bacc programs will provide you with an advisor to help you through the process.

You will get there if you work hard, stick to it, and keep a cool head when things inevitably get tough. Good luck 👍
This was so reassuring, thank you. My school doesn't have any pre-health advisors because it doesn't offer any science classes (weird, I know!), but I luckily just found a great advisor who's helping me get on track. I'm definitely going to look into post-baccs and ways to get exposure. Thank you so much again!
 
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