teaching old dogs new...medicine?

[maggie griffiths]

Hello-
While this is not an excitingly unique story, it's my story, and I need some advice from you all...
I went to college with the intention of going to med school (I did the Biology/pre-med thing), and then decided, three years into it, that I'd rather study literature. I went to grad school for English, and now have realized that medicine is really where my heart is. My day job is working with underprivileged kids in the south side of Chicago, teaching them about technology. For the past year, I have also been volunteering at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and this experience has really enforced my belief that I should've been in medicine all along. So, my questions are: 1)at the ripe ol' age of 25, am I too old???? (I have to retake basic science courses in order to do well on the mcat, so I won't be applying to med school for a couple more years); 2) does anyone have any suggestions as to how to pick the right post-bac program? I do not want my post-bac program to *hurt* me as an applicant; 3)has anyone out there been through a post-bac program and is now in med school? do you have any advice for me?
If anyone has any advice, I'd really appreciate it!

Thanks,

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[Col_4:14]

If you are too old then so am I (28). As far as taking over your premed courses, don't do it unless you have to for a med school. Otherwise take a prep course (certain to be a debate). That should refresh you for the MCAT. You get what you put into them (prep courses). Although, it doesn't work for everybody.

 

[Meli]

I'm in your boat as far as age goes...almost 25 and will start my science classes this fall (already have a B.A. in business). Would have gone post-bacc but there are no good programs near me so I'm just taking the courses at my state university. Anyway, you should know you certainly aren't alone being a slightly older pre-med. Be glad that you have found what you want to do for some never do. Good Luck!!

Meli

 

[ana]

Go for it. There are premed courses just for people like you. Go to the AAMC's web site at www.aamc.org/students/considering/postbac.htm

I recommend staying away from postbaccs where they want you to get master's degrees (graduate student grades have a reputation for inflation) or take classes with medical students (they are extremely cut-throat, expensive, have high drop out rates, and have virtually no counselling/assistance for applicants). If you want, you can even enroll in a do-it-yourself postbacc at your local state college. Many people have done that and gotten in.

Good luck and let me know if you need more info, but do check out the AAMC site.

 

[mtg]

I'd say go for it... I'm 28 and I just finished my 1st undergrad year. It's never too late.... I don't have any advice about post-bacc programs because this is my first trek into the college arena...

Best of luck to you!!

Mike

 

[Jalopycat]

I enrolled in science courses at a local university that has a good science department reputation. I didn't even meet with an advisor until I was 2 years into it. I'm in classes with regular undergrads, so I wouldn't call my program "postbac", but I guess that's what it was for me. I agree with the earlier post about taking a prep course instead of retaking classes.

 

[Mango]

First off, you're not even close to too old! We have a 53 year old in my class! And on the topic of classes, I don't think you necessarily need to take them again. If you have all the required courses, then look into taking a Kaplan review course. They will give you "text" books for each topic which include all the info you need for the MCAT. If you put the time into it, the Kaplan course could be all you need. Just a thought! But then again, if you feel like you remember nothing, than maybe retaking the courses would be a good idea.

Incidentally, I took it (Kaplan) a year after college, which was over 5 years after I had taken Gen Chem. So I had to relearn it all during the course. And I was able to by using the books they gave me.

Good Luck, Mango MS-1