Tough Decision

[SoonerGeek]

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It may be a little late to be seeking advice on this, but here I go anyway. A little history so you know where I stand.

I graduated in 2000 with a GPA of 3.85. I took the MCAT and made a 29. I was on the path to medschool academically, but I hadn't done any volunteering or shadowing. Frankly, I wasn't sure at the time that it was the right choice to make.

Before I graduated, I was hired to do IT work for the postal service. I have been at this job for almost 7 years. I retook the MCAT and got a 33 last spring, and I have recently been verified through AMCAS (after a bunch of irritating delays). So, schools have my applications, and I will have most/all of my secondaries completed by next week.

I have been volunteering in a hospital and at a free clinic, been to a medical mission in Nicaragua, and I have shadowed a couple of doctors. However, my work schedule seems to be a bit inhibiting to getting a lot of clinical experience.

My questions are:
1. Would it be a good idea to quit my job ($60k/yr salary) and devote my time to getting shadowing experiences, a research job, and maybe even an actual hospital job? It would certainly give me something to discuss in interviews, but would it make me look irresponsible or determined?

2. How do you convey sincerity when they pop the question "Why are you just now deciding to go to medschool after all these years?" I am determined and feel that I have matured a lot in the real world, but I have serious concerns that the interviewers will be unconvinced. I know the answer to this question is different for everyone, but in a situation where I was on a path toward medical and diverted my attention for 4 or 5 years, how can I "prove" my dedication to becoming a physician?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer and good luck with your own interviews!

 

[HemaOncoDoc]

It may be a little late to be seeking advice on this, but here I go anyway. A little history so you know where I stand.

I graduated in 2000 with a GPA of 3.85. I took the MCAT and made a 29. I was on the path to medschool academically, but I hadn't done any volunteering or shadowing. Frankly, I wasn't sure at the time that it was the right choice to make.

Before I graduated, I was hired to do IT work for the postal service. I have been at this job for almost 7 years. I retook the MCAT and got a 33 last spring, and I have recently been verified through AMCAS (after a bunch of irritating delays). So, schools have my applications, and I will have most/all of my secondaries completed by next week.

I have been volunteering in a hospital and at a free clinic, been to a medical mission in Nicaragua, and I have shadowed a couple of doctors. However, my work schedule seems to be a bit inhibiting to getting a lot of clinical experience.

My questions are:
1. Would it be a good idea to quit my job ($60k/yr salary) and devote my time to getting shadowing experiences, a research job, and maybe even an actual hospital job? It would certainly give me something to discuss in interviews, but would it make me look irresponsible or determined?

2. How do you convey sincerity when they pop the question "Why are you just now deciding to go to medschool after all these years?" I am determined and feel that I have matured a lot in the real world, but I have serious concerns that the interviewers will be unconvinced. I know the answer to this question is different for everyone, but in a situation where I was on a path toward medical and diverted my attention for 4 or 5 years, how can I "prove" my dedication to becoming a physician?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer and good luck with your own interviews!

Could you volunteer or shadow after work or on weekends? That's what I did when I was working. One way to demonstrate your devotion to medicine and your knowledge of what is entailed is by physician shadowing.

To convey compassion, you may try using specific incidents (from your volunteer and physician shadowing) seem. I understand how it can be difficult to articulate passion, but it is a must during an interview. Best of luck.

 

[Law2Doc]

It may be a little late to be seeking advice on this, but here I go anyway. A little history so you know where I stand.

I graduated in 2000 with a GPA of 3.85. I took the MCAT and made a 29. I was on the path to medschool academically, but I hadn't done any volunteering or shadowing. Frankly, I wasn't sure at the time that it was the right choice to make.

Before I graduated, I was hired to do IT work for the postal service. I have been at this job for almost 7 years. I retook the MCAT and got a 33 last spring, and I have recently been verified through AMCAS (after a bunch of irritating delays). So, schools have my applications, and I will have most/all of my secondaries completed by next week.

I have been volunteering in a hospital and at a free clinic, been to a medical mission in Nicaragua, and I have shadowed a couple of doctors. However, my work schedule seems to be a bit inhibiting to getting a lot of clinical experience.

My questions are:
1. Would it be a good idea to quit my job ($60k/yr salary) and devote my time to getting shadowing experiences, a research job, and maybe even an actual hospital job? It would certainly give me something to discuss in interviews, but would it make me look irresponsible or determined?

2. How do you convey sincerity when they pop the question "Why are you just now deciding to go to medschool after all these years?" I am determined and feel that I have matured a lot in the real world, but I have serious concerns that the interviewers will be unconvinced. I know the answer to this question is different for everyone, but in a situation where I was on a path toward medical and diverted my attention for 4 or 5 years, how can I "prove" my dedication to becoming a physician?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer and good luck with your own interviews!

Sounds like you've done the volunteering and shadowing, and don't need a postbac so I probably would only quit a job if you can line up something else cool and interesting. If you can get onto an exciting research project (maybe something that might lead to a publication before you start school), or a paying gig that gets you some hands on healthcare type experience that you find exciting, then perhaps. But otherwise it might pay to sock away as much tuition money as you can.

 

[RxnMan]

Sounds like you've done the volunteering and shadowing, and don't need a postbac so I probably would only quit a job if you can line up something else cool and interesting. If you can get onto an exciting research project (maybe something that might lead to a publication before you start school), or a paying gig that gets you some hands on healthcare type experience that you find exciting, then perhaps. But otherwise it might pay to sock away as much tuition money as you can.

Ditto. You've got the volunteering, the grades, the MCAT, even some pretty cool humanitarian stuff - Nicaragua. The research stuff might be good, but I think you'll do get interviews as-is. When they ask you why you went pre-med, tell them the truth. You matured. The postal service job wasn't enough. You grew up. Whatever your reason is, it's enough.

If you want to explore academia, maybe quit the job and do research. But even then, making money ain't that bad either.

 

[Doctor Bagel]

Yep, you're good. Keep up the volunteering with the day job. You don't need to have super extraordinary clinical experiences to be accepted.

 

[Twitch]

$60/hr is the average rate with someone with your # of years of experience in IT. $60k/yr is unusually low. Let it go, it's not worth your time. You can do better - much better.

 

[Law2Doc]

$60/hr is the average rate with someone with your # of years of experience in IT. $60k/yr is unusually low. Let it go, it's not worth your time. You can do better - much better.

That would depend a bit on his/her hours, and the kind of government benefits s/he is entitled to. Some government jobs are actually pretty cushy. But I think that wasn't the OP's question.🙂

 

[Beau Geste]

Don't quit your job. Save money for tuition/living expenses or to pay down your bills if you have them. If you need more healthcare experience, just volunteer or shadow in your free time, however your medical mission to Nicaragua covers both volunteering and healthcare experience. I doubt you'd get rejected because you only had X number of healthcare experience vs. Y. You've got great stats and great work/life experience. Besides, there's no magic formula for admission. But, I think you come pretty darn close!

Good luck, you have a great shot. Apply broadly and you'll be golden.

Edit: Don't quit your job unless you find a better-paying job. It's not worth it to quit for a measly research assistant position when you could be protecting your future.

 

[Gooble]

That would depend a bit on his/her hours, and the kind of government benefits s/he is entitled to. Some government jobs are actually pretty cushy. But I think that wasn't the OP's question.🙂

I have one of these "cushy" government jobs. Law2Doc is right, they can be tough to let go.

40 hour weeks, every other friday off, a million holidays, 3wks personal leave, 3 wks sick leave, the list goes on and on.

The end question is: Are you happy in your job and could you see yourself doing it in 20 years? Will you look back on your life and say "I should have went to medical school?"

 

[Orthodoc40]

It may be a little late to be seeking advice on this, but here I go anyway. A little history so you know where I stand.

I graduated in 2000 with a GPA of 3.85. I took the MCAT and made a 29. I was on the path to medschool academically, but I hadn't done any volunteering or shadowing. Frankly, I wasn't sure at the time that it was the right choice to make.

Before I graduated, I was hired to do IT work for the postal service. I have been at this job for almost 7 years. I retook the MCAT and got a 33 last spring, and I have recently been verified through AMCAS (after a bunch of irritating delays). So, schools have my applications, and I will have most/all of my secondaries completed by next week.

I have been volunteering in a hospital and at a free clinic, been to a medical mission in Nicaragua, and I have shadowed a couple of doctors. However, my work schedule seems to be a bit inhibiting to getting a lot of clinical experience.

My questions are:
1. Would it be a good idea to quit my job ($60k/yr salary) and devote my time to getting shadowing experiences, a research job, and maybe even an actual hospital job? It would certainly give me something to discuss in interviews, but would it make me look irresponsible or determined?

2. How do you convey sincerity when they pop the question "Why are you just now deciding to go to medschool after all these years?" I am determined and feel that I have matured a lot in the real world, but I have serious concerns that the interviewers will be unconvinced. I know the answer to this question is different for everyone, but in a situation where I was on a path toward medical and diverted my attention for 4 or 5 years, how can I "prove" my dedication to becoming a physician?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer and good luck with your own interviews!

The answer to #2 is somewhat tied in to the answer for #1. While you have the experiences to be able to list on your application, people often forget that isn't the only reason we get those experiences. We get them in order to answer your second question. First, to answer it for yourself. Then, you can answer it to any admissions committee that asks you.

If you can answer #2, then you probably don't need to change your job for more experiences. If you're questioning it yourself, maybe you can go to part time hours (say 30 or something) or get into a health care position in order to get more exposure - for your own sake.

As a non-trad, we are responsible, more so than the traditional applicant, to prove to ourselves and to the admissions committee that we have thoroughly exposed ourselves to medicine and aren't just bored with our career, or want to do what they do on "ER" or some other silly show. By taking a job in health care, be it clinical, lab, clinical research or such, you are showing a stronger commitment to continue down this path. If you can do it, it could help you, and your application. But it will probably be a financial hit.
It was for me. Good luck!