Trying to get a better understanding of the road to med school

[nickwest]

---

Members don't see this ad.

Hello, All!
My name is Nick and I recently decided to switch my focus from nursing to medical school. I feel as though I don't know anything I need to do and would GREATLY appreciate any direction.

For some background, I currently have my AA in psychology (community college) and am applying to a university to get my BA in psych. Totally transparent, overall GPA is 3.0 (It dropped dramatically during the last 2 years due to high stress/burnout during Covid). I have taken intro chem and anatomy/physiology classes as only science courses and currently hold a license as a Psychiatric Technician (similar training as a Licensed Vocational Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse, w/ more education on mental health).

Just a few questions:
1) I am know I need my bachelors, but don't know much past that. A quick google search shows that I need a year of chem, o-chem, bio, and physics as the "core" classes. Are there others courses I should take to help increase my chances of getting that magical 510 or higher? I tried going to counselors for some direction, but all that I got was "it's a lot of work you know" and told me to focus on getting my BA in psych (and then proceeded to tell me to take classes that I didn't need to take).

2) Does my experience as a nurse (administer oral meds, administer long acting antipsychotic injections, working with several psychiatrists and social workers doing treatment planning) count towards experience when I eventually apply? ...Or do I need to eventually start looking into some research opportunities.

3) I believe you need recommendations later down the road. I currently working with several psychiatrists (all are MD). Am I able to use them as recommendations, or is it best to get them from the teachers I take?


In advance, sorry if I am wet behind the ears in terms of the pre-med journey. I decided to change direction within the last 3 months and am trying to get myself on the right track so that I can take the MCAT as soon as possible, but also gain all the knowledge I need to be successful.

 

[Goro]

For starters, include biochemistry in the courses you need to take. You'll definitely need it for the MCAT

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Hello, All!
My name is Nick and I recently decided to switch my focus from nursing to medical school. I feel as though I don't know anything I need to do and would GREATLY appreciate any direction.

For some background, I currently have my AA in psychology (community college) and am applying to a university to get my BA in psych. Totally transparent, overall GPA is 3.0 (It dropped dramatically during the last 2 years due to high stress/burnout during Covid). I have taken intro chem and anatomy/physiology classes as only science courses and currently hold a license as a Psychiatric Technician (similar training as a Licensed Vocational Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse, w/ more education on mental health).

Just a few questions:
1) I am know I need my bachelors, but don't know much past that. A quick google search shows that I need a year of chem, o-chem, bio, and physics as the "core" classes. Are there others courses I should take to help increase my chances of getting that magical 510 or higher? I tried going to counselors for some direction, but all that I got was "it's a lot of work you know" and told me to focus on getting my BA in psych (and then proceeded to tell me to take classes that I didn't need to take).

2) Does my experience as a nurse (administer oral meds, administer long acting antipsychotic injections, working with several psychiatrists and social workers doing treatment planning) count towards experience when I eventually apply? ...Or do I need to eventually start looking into some research opportunities.

3) I believe you need recommendations later down the road. I currently working with several psychiatrists (all are MD). Am I able to use them as recommendations, or is it best to get them from the teachers I take?


In advance, sorry if I am wet behind the ears in terms of the pre-med journey. I decided to change direction within the last 3 months and am trying to get myself on the right track so that I can take the MCAT as soon as possible, but also gain all the knowledge I need to be successful.

Welcome!

Yes, you will need 1 year + labs of general chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics to be competitive for most schools. As @Goro advised, you'll need biochemistry as well, as it is tested on the MCAT and many medical schools require it.

In addition to these requirements, many schools also require 1 year of English and 1 year of social sciences (which you should obtain during the course of your psych degree no problem). Some medical schools require 1 or 2 semesters in math, and I recommend taking at least a semester of statistics (plus, having a good grasp on statistics is really helpful for medical school)

Yes, your nursing/psych tech experience will count towards the clinical experience you are expected to have before applying. You will also be expected to have physician shadowing - I recommend shadowing a primary care physician for at least 40 hours before applying. From there, you can add on shadowing hours in other specialties if you like.

Medical schools require community service or "nonclinical" volunteering. Premeds often gain this experience through organizations in their community such as food banks, shelters, after-school programs for disadvantaged kids, Habitat for Humanity, Best Buddies, and so on. I usually recommend at least 150 hours by the time you apply, and you fit this in by doing a few hours a week over the course of a year or two. More is always better - typical matriculants at my school have around 500 hours.

You will definitely need letters of recommendation, and most medical schools require academic letters, especially from professors who teach your BCPM (bio/chem/physics/math) courses. Physician letters are not as important, unless you end up applying to DO schools (in which case it's a good idea to have a DO recommendation letter).

I think it's a very good idea for all premeds starting on their journeys to purchase a subscription to the Medical School Admissions Requirements database. A successful medical school application requires a great deal (often many years) of planning, and it's helpful to have all the requirements for medical schools in your state/region on hand as you make decisions about your academics and ECs.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

And to clarify the English requirement… any humanities course (and some social science) with a strong focus on writing will satisfy that.

That is often but not always the case.

Some schools do not allow for "writing intensive" substitutes and expect their applicants to have a year of English coursework from the English department (mine was one of those until recently). The MSAR will have information on which schools allow for writing intensive humanities substitutes and which don't.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Why would a school not accept a course in history, creative writing, or literary arts instead? That just sounds nonsensical.

You'll have to ask them. I don't know why some schools require a semester of calculus either, but you see that from time to time.

 

[xffan624]

Hello, All!
My name is Nick and I recently decided to switch my focus from nursing to medical school. I feel as though I don't know anything I need to do and would GREATLY appreciate any direction.

For some background, I currently have my AA in psychology (community college) and am applying to a university to get my BA in psych. Totally transparent, overall GPA is 3.0 (It dropped dramatically during the last 2 years due to high stress/burnout during Covid). I have taken intro chem and anatomy/physiology classes as only science courses and currently hold a license as a Psychiatric Technician (similar training as a Licensed Vocational Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse, w/ more education on mental health).

Just a few questions:
1) I am know I need my bachelors, but don't know much past that. A quick google search shows that I need a year of chem, o-chem, bio, and physics as the "core" classes. Are there others courses I should take to help increase my chances of getting that magical 510 or higher? I tried going to counselors for some direction, but all that I got was "it's a lot of work you know" and told me to focus on getting my BA in psych (and then proceeded to tell me to take classes that I didn't need to take).

2) Does my experience as a nurse (administer oral meds, administer long acting antipsychotic injections, working with several psychiatrists and social workers doing treatment planning) count towards experience when I eventually apply? ...Or do I need to eventually start looking into some research opportunities.

3) I believe you need recommendations later down the road. I currently working with several psychiatrists (all are MD). Am I able to use them as recommendations, or is it best to get them from the teachers I take?


In advance, sorry if I am wet behind the ears in terms of the pre-med journey. I decided to change direction within the last 3 months and am trying to get myself on the right track so that I can take the MCAT as soon as possible, but also gain all the knowledge I need to be successful.

The advice on course selection and clinical experience above is solid, but no one has commented on your GPA yet. It needs to increase significantly with your additional coursework. 3.0 is going to limit you to DO schools and even that is chancy. If you can't perform at a better level than that because of the above mentioned reasons, then it's better you wait to start pre-med coursework until you can perform as they will likely be harder than most of the coursework you've done before. A good MCAT can redeem a lower than average GPA, but only so much and banking on getting that is like playing the lottery.

 

[Goro]

Hello, All!
My name is Nick and I recently decided to switch my focus from nursing to medical school. I feel as though I don't know anything I need to do and would GREATLY appreciate any direction.

For some background, I currently have my AA in psychology (community college) and am applying to a university to get my BA in psych. Totally transparent, overall GPA is 3.0 (It dropped dramatically during the last 2 years due to high stress/burnout during Covid). I have taken intro chem and anatomy/physiology classes as only science courses and currently hold a license as a Psychiatric Technician (similar training as a Licensed Vocational Nurse or Licensed Practical Nurse, w/ more education on mental health).

Just a few questions:
1) I am know I need my bachelors, but don't know much past that. A quick google search shows that I need a year of chem, o-chem, bio, and physics as the "core" classes. Are there others courses I should take to help increase my chances of getting that magical 510 or higher? I tried going to counselors for some direction, but all that I got was "it's a lot of work you know" and told me to focus on getting my BA in psych (and then proceeded to tell me to take classes that I didn't need to take).

2) Does my experience as a nurse (administer oral meds, administer long acting antipsychotic injections, working with several psychiatrists and social workers doing treatment planning) count towards experience when I eventually apply? ...Or do I need to eventually start looking into some research opportunities.

3) I believe you need recommendations later down the road. I currently working with several psychiatrists (all are MD). Am I able to use them as recommendations, or is it best to get them from the teachers I take?


In advance, sorry if I am wet behind the ears in terms of the pre-med journey. I decided to change direction within the last 3 months and am trying to get myself on the right track so that I can take the MCAT as soon as possible, but also gain all the knowledge I need to be successful.

If that's your real name in your avatar, suggest changing it for anonymity's sake.

Read this:
Med School Rx: Getting In, Getting Through, and Getting On with Doctoring Original Edition by Walter Hartwig
ISBN-13: 978-1607140627
ISBN-10: 1607140624

 

[Mr.Smile12]

This is a little old but still hits points: https://edge.studentdoctor.net/downloads/medshort.pdf .

 

[proudofmykids]

The advice on course selection and clinical experience above is solid, but no one has commented on your GPA yet. It needs to increase significantly with your additional coursework. 3.0 is going to limit you to DO schools and even that is chancy. If you can't perform at a better level than that because of the above mentioned reasons, then it's better you wait to start pre-med coursework until you can perform as they will likely be harder than most of the coursework you've done before. A good MCAT can redeem a lower than average GPA, but only so much and banking on getting that is like playing the lottery.

I was going to raise the same issue about GPA. Most say a 3.6 is a minimum for the two reported GPA. Being that you have your Associate's two yr degree at a 3.0 gpa, it is likely going to take you extra coursework (self guided post bach courses) to get your gpa there. Focus on gpa, service volunteering to those in need, and maybe a small bit of research experience and you’ll have a chance with a 510+ mcat.

 

[proudofmykids]

It depends on the rigor OP can handle at once. It's definitely possible to get a 3.5+ with the remaining two years if OP throws in some extra courses each semester. Either way, they'll need to take a gap year or two to focus on MCAT and volunteering, though.

@nickwest, take a look at this: https://www.aamc.org/system/files/2021-11/2021_FACTS_Table_A-23.pdf to see acceptance rates based on GPA and MCAT. Even if you get a 517+ on your MCAT, your acceptance rate to medical schools with a 3.0 is between 46.7% and 52.6%. If you were to raise your GPA to a 3.6 with a 517+ on your MCAT, it would be between 64.3% and 74.3%, which is substantially better.

Getting a few hundred volunteering hours in two years including a summer should be very easy. Thinking he will only get 4.0 over next two years with all courses is not as realistic to get gpa to a 3.5. This is why additional year of courses at high science gpa will help. Unless he does a SMP which would then focus grades to performance in that program.

 

[Proudfather94]

Op all of this is great advice I want to add more. Take a few upper level science courses and try to ace them to show your aptitude for science. Try to take something like micro and maybe a histo or genetics course. Doing that will raise that gpa and show adcoms you can handle medical school better