Thinking about the future

[Palam]

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Little background on myself.

I never really took school seriously from the get go; I was definitely more into sports and just being lazy. I took a year off high school to work full time. I ended up attending a CC and did well but I did have another year off between my two years at CC due to touring with my band at the time

So here I am, 23 years old and attending a respectable university. My major is Psychology and I'm currently Premed. So issues I've been dealing with are

- My age. I'm young but I'm also at the point where failure isn't really an acceptable option for me.

- I have very little science credits. I'm currently in Chem 111 and I've only taken biology at CC. I have a very long science road ahead of me

Now I've been debating switching my major to Neuroscience which is a step up from Psychology. Whether I continue premed or not, I'm still looking at 4 years of school for a doctorate, although I would like to be a Psychiatrist.

I also have this desire to give back in a big way. I feel like I really wasted a lot of my youth and gave very little back all while taking so much. So I was thinking perhaps joining the Peace Corps. after graduating with my bachelors. Now we can get to my question

Will joining the Peace Corps. for 27 months hinder my chances of getting into medical school or a doctorate program? I'm sure it looks great on paper but it will more than likely have adverse affects on all the knowledge I will have gained by that point.

Just looking for any insight. Thanks in advance

 

[IwantPharmD]

I don't think you should do the peace corps. You don't have enough time. While in school I would focus on getting the pre reqs completed with a good grade and during summers use it to study for the MCAT and doing volunteering/shadowing doctors. You need to do all that anyway so do it when your off from school and when your in school focus on doing well and geting to know your professors so you can get a couple of good LORs. Then after you take the MCAT you'll have more time to look into schools, evaluate your gpa and think about applying to DO schools and MD if you think you got a shot. Touring in a band isn't wasting youth. I think peope go to band shows for a release and to relax and enjoy themselves so I think of it as public service 🙂 Some schools have a time limit on pre reqs so you if took classes at a CC years ago and took a year off and then still need a few years to get your Bachelors and then you want to do the peace corps for years... see where I'm going with this... Anyway this is just my opinion.

 

[Luv2Cut]

Skip the Peace Corps for now. Do everything to get into med school right now. You'll have time to give back and do good things when you finish residency. And guess what, you'll have skills to give back in a bigger way then. You may not even end up in psychiatry once you have an up close exposure to most of the specialties.

 

[EdLongshanks]

Skip the Peace Corps for now. Do everything to get into med school right now. You'll have time to give back and do good things when you finish residency. And guess what, you'll have skills to give back in a bigger way then. You may not even end up in psychiatry once you have an up close exposure to most of the specialties.

I don't agree at all. At 23 the poster has time to do all of the things that he wants to do. Many applicants have that single, laser-like focus on medical school, but I'm not sure that they are the best or even the most successful people.

 

[IwantPharmD]

I don't agree at all. At 23 the poster has time to do all of the things that he wants to do. Many applicants have that single, laser-like focus on medical school, but I'm not sure that they are the best or even the most successful people.

Yeah, but he needs to focus on pre reqs first, mcat, LORs and exposure to the medical field. He's already behind on these so Peace Corps shouldn't be a priority.

 

[glamqueen]

I think this is an age thing, Ed. I am an older, nontrad, and I get Ed's perspective. The OP absolutely has a ton of time to do these things where you won't be able to once you are in medical school and on this path. Think about it - at minimum, four years of school, three years of residency, then you have loans to pay off. How can you go work for essentially free for two years then?

Do it now. Get everything done but the MCAT, and then when you get back, you will have this incredible experience and life perspective to offer your medical career, you can take time to study for the MCAT while working somewhere, and then apply and go to school. With no regrets.

I think the youngsters think they have to do everything right away after graduating undergrad. This is not the case. If you want to do something unusual or one-of-a-kind like serve in the Peace Corps - do it before medical school. Then when you finally pay off your loans from med school years later, you can do something like Doctors without Borders. But this way, you won't be waiting to have such an experience for over ten years or so.

 

[drimpossible]

Another vote for the peace corps (or the like) BEFORE medical school. You'll learn a ton about the world, a ton about yourself, and become a pretty interesting applicant in the process. I like Glamqueens idea RE:scheduling. Go for it!

 

[Palam]

I think this is an age thing, Ed. I am an older, nontrad, and I get Ed's perspective. The OP absolutely has a ton of time to do these things where you won't be able to once you are in medical school and on this path. Think about it - at minimum, four years of school, three years of residency, then you have loans to pay off. How can you go work for essentially free for two years then?

Do it now. Get everything done but the MCAT, and then when you get back, you will have this incredible experience and life perspective to offer your medical career, you can take time to study for the MCAT while working somewhere, and then apply and go to school. With no regrets.

I think the youngsters think they have to do everything right away after graduating undergrad. This is not the case. If you want to do something unusual or one-of-a-kind like serve in the Peace Corps - do it before medical school. Then when you finally pay off your loans from med school years later, you can do something like Doctors without Borders. But this way, you won't be waiting to have such an experience for over ten years or so.

I'm definitely sympathetic to pharmD's point of view but I think you summed it up pretty well here. Whether I join the Peace Corps or not, I have a long road ahead of me and I think it's important to appreciate the opportunity I have to still be spontaneous.

Joining the Peace Corps could definitely provide some insight on who I am and who I see myself as and I think that would be nothing but helpful when applying to medical school (if I have that opportunity).

At the very least, when it's all said and done, I will have developed a great sense of pride and accomplishment. Not much can trump that