Switching careers to medicine

[pdavis68]

Hello everyone. I'm new here and this is my first post. I'm basically posting to ask for information and advice. I'm going to give quite a bit of background, but I'll try to be as concise as I can.

To begin with, I'm 37 years old. I'm a software engineer and have had a very successful career in the field. About 4 years ago, I decided I wanted to change careers and since then have been trying to decide what I want to do. Medicine has come up a number of times but I generally discarded it as being too "out there" for someone of my age and my formal schooling past (more on that later). After reading some books and hearing of people (friends of friends) who made the change to medicine later in life, I decided that I may as well give it my best shot.

My grades in the past are not terribly impressive. The truth is, I had no business being in school at the time and went under pressure from family.

My freshman year I was a chemistry major and I managed a paltry 1.7 GPA at a small state school in Pennsylvania. My parents agreed that maybe I needed some time away from school and I moved back to the Washington D.C. area and got a job as a secretarial temp. The job very quickly turned into a computer programming job (through a series of fortunate accidents). I had been programming since the age of 12 and why I didn't major in it, I couldn't tell you. For the following year, I worked at the World Bank as a computer programmer.

Knowing what I wanted to do, I decided to return to school, but on a lark decided to apply to George Washington University (which was a few blocks away from my office at the World Bank). For reasons I don't understand, I was accepted and went there for 2 years full time pulling about a 3.0, maybe a bit better (I'm waiting on my copy of the transcripts. Should have them soon.) Because my parents couldn't afford it any longer, I went part-time for the following 2 years while working full-time as a software engineer and my grades plummeted. I dropped out 15 credit shy of a degree.

Since I didn't have a degree, I decided one of the things I could do to stand out in a group of resumes was to start writing. So I wrote a number of articles in the field and eventually wrote a book which was published (about 9 years ago)...

So, here I am at 37 with no degree but I want to go to medical school. The required classes I'm missing are: 1 year of physics, 1 year of biology, and 1 year of organic chemistry.

I've always been interested in all the sciences. I have a pretty good knowledge of physics and I taught myself a good bit of organic chemistry between my junior and senior years of high school.

Since making the decision to go to med school, I've been reading 5 textbooks (a bit from each one each evening). One to review general chemistry, a book on organic chemistry, a biology textbook, a clinical anatomy textbook, and a book on pharmacology (yeah, the organic chemistry and bio would probably be pre-reqs for the pharmacology, but like I said, I've always been interested in all the sciences and I'm finding it not too difficult to follow).

I'm going back to school part-time this summer to take biology, then physics and organic in the fall and spring. The following year, my current contract will be over and I plan to return full-time and finish a degree (hopefully in biology).

Okay, I think that's pretty much all the background.

I'm meeting with a pre-med advisor on Wednesday to help me plan what I need to do. I'm about to start a part-time volunteer job in the E.R. of a local hospital.

I figured the next year will give me time to decide if this is really what I want to do and then the following year, assuming I'm still bent on doing this, I'll go back full-time and get the degree. I have no doubt that I'm capable of getting As in the three required classes I have (physics, bio and organic chem) and I suspect I'll be able to pull at least a 3.6 average in whatever I take the following year. I'd be very surprised if I don't.

My goal, at the moment (and this may be a tad too aggressive) is to try to get into med school in the 2008/2009 school year.

So, what I'm looking for is basically general advice on what I should be doing that I haven't thought of yet. How unreasonable are my expectations for making it in the 2008/2009 school year?

Nobody in my family has ever been a doctor. In fact, nobody has ever been in science (lots of artists, lawyers, and business people, but no scientists). So much of this is very new to me.

Anyway, thanks for your comments.

Pete

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[Law2Doc]

My goal, at the moment (and this may be a tad too aggressive) is to try to get into med school in the 2008/2009 school year.

While I'm sure you can turn things around and make yourself admissions worthy, I suspect that it might take somewhat longer than you are anticipating. From what you have described, your cumulative GPA is likely far below a 3.0, and you are hoping to get that overlooked by taking and doing well in fewer remaining classes than most folks take in a postbac (most also have Gen Chem on top of what you have left). I suspect this is just the first step you need to take in a somewhat lengthier pre-med road. But see what your advisor person suggests. Good luck.

 

[NonTradMed]

I concur with Law2Doc...getting into med school isn't a matter of just getting your pre-reqs in and taking the MCAT, you need to have done well in them. From the looks of things, your GPA is probably hovering around a 3.0, and even if you got straight As on your remaining courses, it probably won't be enough to pull it up to a 3.5. Another problem is that you mention a damning semester as a chem major with a 1.7. Now, the fact that it was so long ago makes it easier for med school to 'forgive' you, but you will need to take more undergrad science classes to show you can hack undergrad sciences. I suggest post-bacc as well, and maybe some take more courses to see about upping your science GPA. Check out SDN's post-bacc forum, they are very useful.

You need to have > 3.0 on your overall and science GPA to get through their initial screening to get at their secondaries (yeah, I'm sure someone will dive in with their sob story of getting into Harvard with a 2.0 but exceptions are called that for a reason).

I also suggest shadowing a few people to make sure medicine is what you want to do. You are 37, if you get into med school in the next few years, you'll be in your mid-40's when you start residency...that means you will be doing residency for at least 15 years so make sure it's what you want to do.

Also, have you thought about DO? They tend to take older students more readily than MD schools and their GPA/MCAT is lower so you may have an easier time getting in. Make sure you share their philosophy though!

I guess it goes without saying that you need to do well on the MCAT, although if you can program well, you can probably do relatively well on the MCAT as the exam is very much a test of logicical reasoning. Good luck!

 

[OctoDoc]

...you'll be in your mid-40's when you start residency...that means you will be doing residency for at least 15 years...

huh?

 

[cfdavid]

Well, first you can do this. You may check out the non-trad forum for some good advice and to view previous posts.

Keep in mind that the "statute of limitations" will be up for you in terms of your past grades. But, you will have to develop a very strong, recent, academic record to get into med school.

You should probably retake all the basic prereq's, and then perhaps a couple of upper level science courses. However, to save time, you may consider not bothering with another degreee (you mentioned biology). This is probably not necessary assuming you can do well enough on the pre-req's.

I'd suggest a hard look within as far as your tolerance for a lengthy academic career that med school poses. But, it's doable, and you won't be the first.

DO schools will be more receptive to a non-trad. That's been the experience of many. Because by the time you're through with the pre-req's, MCAT etc. you'll be close to 40, if not 40.

If you have state schools that you can drive to, I'd set an appointment (when things slow down a bit) with someone in the admissions office. Lay it on the line. Ask them what you'd need to do to become a competitive applicant. It's very doable if you keep an open mind and are flexible as to where you are willing to go to med school.

Good luck, but if you're sick of your career, screw it, and make a change. It takes balls, but it'll be worth it.

 

[OctoDoc]

Take the "statute of limitations" thing with a grain of salt. I graduated from my undergraduate school in 1992. Not one school to which I applied made an issue of it. I applied to 8 schools, and received 7 secondaries (6 from top-10 schools).

 

[pdavis68]

Keep in mind that the "statute of limitations" will be up for you in terms of your past grades. But, you will have to develop a very strong, recent, academic record to get into med school.

...

Good luck, but if you're sick of your career, screw it, and make a change. It takes balls, but it'll be worth it.

Thanks for the info. I don't think there will be a "statute of limitations" on my past grades, at least not completely, but I'm hoping that 8 or 9 classes getting a 3.7+ average, combined with very good MCAT scores will be good enough.

I may not be able to get the degree in my preferred time frame and if I don't get into a school my first try, I'll simply continue to take classes and try again. 2008/2009 is my preferred timeline, but I'm very employable and I don't hate my work yet. I just know it's coming and want to get out before it goes that way.

I'm not entirely opposed to osteopathic, but it's not my first choice. There is a state school here and I will take your advice and go speak to the admissions office. I think it might be best to wait a year. I'll get the organic chem, bio and physics grades by then. That will give me something to work with. Then I'll have a summer + a year full-time after that to continue taking classes. I've got everything I need in terms of electives to complete a degree. It's simply a matter of core classes. I took a number of classes in English, French, politics, business, and other non-science classes. Because I was in Computer Science, I got in way more math than I'll ever need for anything.

It may very well take a little longer than I want. I don't have a problem with the amount of work, the years of being a poor student and resident. I've worked several jobs where 80+ hour weeks were the norm, so I don't have a problem with that. And if it takes an extra year or two, what the hell, I can do that as well.

Really, whatever it takes, I'll find a way to do it, I think. Hell, I managed to transfer into GWU with a 1.7. No doubt I can walk on water if I really want to.

Pete