To get a Bachelors or to Not Get a Bachelors....that is the question!

[aynmar]

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Okay so I need some advice. I have a AS from about 10 years ago in Graphic Design (my current pre-medicine career), so I have gone back to school to complete all my pre-reqs. The only Bachelors I would get would be the interdisciplinary studies - because I have sooo many credits from years ago and I really do not want to pay for more classes that I do not *need* for medical school. I am calling all my schools on my list to see if they require the BA, and some say yes, some say no......So I am really trying to decide what to do.

I am probably *average* regarding GPA, have some good letters, lots of shadowing and voluteering, taking the MCAT in June, and will be doing research with the oChem professor Summer B and Fall, I just really do not want to sign up for all these random BA classes if I do not need them (I need history, a writing class, and some other random stuff to get the Bachelors - I would have to take Summer session and full-time Fall).

So my question is, should I finish my Bachelors? It's not like its specialized and will help me anywhere if I never get into medical school. All I want to do is study for the MCAT and not really have to take all these extra classes, but I am not sure if I should risk applying to fewer schools.....any thoughts? Advice appreciated.

 

[FiremedicMike]

Okay so I need some advice. I have a AS from about 10 years ago in Graphic Design (my current pre-medicine career), so I have gone back to school to complete all my pre-reqs. The only Bachelors I would get would be the interdisciplinary studies - because I have sooo many credits from years ago and I really do not want to pay for more classes that I do not *need* for medical school. I am calling all my schools on my list to see if they require the BA, and some say yes, some say no......So I am really trying to decide what to do.

I am probably *average* regarding GPA, have some good letters, lots of shadowing and voluteering, taking the MCAT in June, and will be doing research with the oChem professor Summer B and Fall, I just really do not want to sign up for all these random BA classes if I do not need them (I need history, a writing class, and some other random stuff to get the Bachelors - I would have to take Summer session and full-time Fall).

So my question is, should I finish my Bachelors? It's not like its specialized and will help me anywhere if I never get into medical school. All I want to do is study for the MCAT and not really have to take all these extra classes, but I am not sure if I should risk applying to fewer schools.....any thoughts? Advice appreciated.

Out of my top 3 schools, 2 of them require a bachelors. I'm making the effort to complete the extra 80ish credit hours to have an unrelated bachelors just so I can have it. It's better to leave all doors open in my opinion.

 

[mafunk]

To be competitive I think you need to get your Bachelors, particularly if you don't have a strong GPA

 

[theseeker4]

Okay so I need some advice. I have a AS from about 10 years ago in Graphic Design (my current pre-medicine career), so I have gone back to school to complete all my pre-reqs. The only Bachelors I would get would be the interdisciplinary studies - because I have sooo many credits from years ago and I really do not want to pay for more classes that I do not *need* for medical school. I am calling all my schools on my list to see if they require the BA, and some say yes, some say no......So I am really trying to decide what to do.

I am probably *average* regarding GPA, have some good letters, lots of shadowing and voluteering, taking the MCAT in June, and will be doing research with the oChem professor Summer B and Fall, I just really do not want to sign up for all these random BA classes if I do not need them (I need history, a writing class, and some other random stuff to get the Bachelors - I would have to take Summer session and full-time Fall).

So my question is, should I finish my Bachelors? It's not like its specialized and will help me anywhere if I never get into medical school. All I want to do is study for the MCAT and not really have to take all these extra classes, but I am not sure if I should risk applying to fewer schools.....any thoughts? Advice appreciated.

Even among the schools that accept students without bachelors degrees, I would imagine you would need some very impressive GPA's, MCAT's and EC's to be seriously considered. You would be not only limiting yourself to schools that accept applicants without bachelors, you would also be pushing yourself lower on the list at the schools that do accept applicants without bachelors. Look at it this way, get solid A's in all of these classes necessary for a BA and you will be boosting your GPA while also filling the "has a bachelor's degree" box.

 

[FrkyBgStok]

you need to get it. schools say they don't require it, but 99% of matriculants have it. I would guess the other 1% are in 3+4 programs where they give you the degree after the first year of med school.

 

[TriagePreMed]

I wouldn't bother to apply without a bachelors degree. There's a reason why the major doesn't matter but is strongly encouraged to have a degree.

 

[LegendaryPunk]

I wouldn't bother to apply without a bachelors degree. There's a reason why the major doesn't matter but is strongly encouraged to have a degree.

+1

Even though technically all schools do not require a 4 year degree, the students who are accepted without one are probably exceptional, e.g. some special program, major research achievement, outstanding in all other areas. Saying "I just don't want to put in the time" probably won't go over well with adcoms.

 

[EdLongshanks]

+1

Even though technically all schools do not require a 4 year degree, the students who are accepted without one are probably exceptional, e.g. some special program, major research achievement, outstanding in all other areas. Saying "I just don't want to put in the time" probably won't go over well with adcoms.

There are many (if not most) students accepted who have not YET graduated. I was one of them. My school did not formally require me to finish my bachelors, the acceptance document only said that I had to finish OChem II with a C.

So you could never mention that you weren't completing your bachelors degree. They probably won't ask if you are currently taking classes and have seeming enough credits to graduate.

Edit: BTW, the bachelors degree that I got was a BGS Bachelor of General Studies - in effect an interdisciplinary degree. No one mentioned having a problem with this, but I did get some denials.

 

[aynmar]

Thank you for all the replies, I will definitely take all your advice in consideration. LMU-COM in Tennessee was my favorite 🙂 She said that they did not require nontrads to complete their bachelors if it would create financial hardship. I thought that was considerate and fresh compared to most of these schools that are so concerned with every hoop. But I think you may be right, I should just take some of these classes and move through them if I can, I won't have it before I apply, since I am applying now, but I can say with honesty that I plan to get it.

Thanks!

 

[PharMed2016]

Okay so I need some advice. I have a AS from about 10 years ago in Graphic Design (my current pre-medicine career), so I have gone back to school to complete all my pre-reqs. The only Bachelors I would get would be the interdisciplinary studies - because I have sooo many credits from years ago and I really do not want to pay for more classes that I do not *need* for medical school. I am calling all my schools on my list to see if they require the BA, and some say yes, some say no......So I am really trying to decide what to do.

I am probably *average* regarding GPA, have some good letters, lots of shadowing and voluteering, taking the MCAT in June, and will be doing research with the oChem professor Summer B and Fall, I just really do not want to sign up for all these random BA classes if I do not need them (I need history, a writing class, and some other random stuff to get the Bachelors - I would have to take Summer session and full-time Fall).

So my question is, should I finish my Bachelors? It's not like its specialized and will help me anywhere if I never get into medical school. All I want to do is study for the MCAT and not really have to take all these extra classes, but I am not sure if I should risk applying to fewer schools.....any thoughts? Advice appreciated.

Not sure if this case applies to me but I won't have a bachelors at the time of matriculation. I know some schools are picky about this so I too have also been calling around since I don't want to waste any money.

 

[Amalgamate]

I dont want ti hijack, and This might seem like a dumb question, but how does that work with people that apply their junior year, is the 99% because those people technically finish their bachelors before matriculation. If they're accepted what would happen if they just didn't finish, or is ut a conditional acceptance for that stuff.

I feel like I should know this, it just never crossed my mind till I read this.

 

[PharMed2016]

I dont want ti hijack, and This might seem like a dumb question, but how does that work with people that apply their junior year, is the 99% because those people technically finish their bachelors before matriculation. If they're accepted what would happen if they just didn't finish, or is ut a conditional acceptance for that stuff.

I feel like I should know this, it just never crossed my mind till I read this.

I think that they assume that you are on track to finishing your BS since you already have X amount of credits by then. (usually around 90+ when you apply) Hence why the technical requirement is only about 90 or so credit hours.

 

[MCAT guy]

I had a similar dilemma. I decided to get the bachelors. In the process I took a few more classes and was a much more competitive applicant.