Unusual background.. what are my chances for a good Post-Bac program?

[Engineer27]

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Hi - I am considering a career change and would like to know what my chances of getting into a good post-bac program are.. if not this year then next year (please tell me what I should do from now till then to improve my chances)


- BSc in Electrical Engineering 3.67 GPA Graduated in 2006
(upward trend.. first 2 years' GPA was 3.2)
- MSc in Electrical Engineering 3.65 GPA Graduated in 2009
- 3 research projects (one of which was on the science channel, the other 2 won 1st place in regional competitions and touted by industries)
- 5 years of work experience as a Project Manager at a big bank
- Excelled at work and have gotten several awards
- Excellent Letter of recommendations
- No GRE
- Low SAT ~ 1100
- Low ACT ~ 21
(I was young and foolish)
- I have volunteer experience as a civil rights educator, I mentor a young college student, I teach at a kids camp etc... as you can see nothing related to medicine.. I will start volunteering at a local hospital next week or so.

Please advise on things I should be doing in order to get admission to a top tier post-bac like Johns Hopkins or Bryn Mawr

 

[futuredocandmom]

I think that your academic background in engineering sounds like a sensible fit for pursuing a career in medicine. I'm not familiar with how admissions committees weigh GPAs and test scores, but I would highly recommend getting some clinical experience so that you can start figuring out what medicine would be like.

It could be really helpful for you to talk with some doctors (i.e., informational interviewing); maybe you can find connections through your college or grad school alumni networks. In terms of admissions, it never hurts to try calling and asking about your scores and whether you might be competitive at programs you're interested in.

Sounds like you're successful and have a lot to offer - best of luck.

 

[johnnyscans]

I think that your academic background in engineering sounds like a sensible fit for pursuing a career in medicine. I'm not familiar with how admissions committees weigh GPAs and test scores, but I would highly recommend getting some clinical experience so that you can start figuring out what medicine would be like.

It could be really helpful for you to talk with some doctors (i.e., informational interviewing); maybe you can find connections through your college or grad school alumni networks. In terms of admissions, it never hurts to try calling and asking about your scores and whether you might be competitive at programs you're interested in.

Sounds like you're successful and have a lot to offer - best of luck.

You have an interesting background and probably have gret LoRs, but you're going to want to start shadowing and clinical volunteering to make sure that you're sold on this path. There are no guarantees, and at times it's extremely tough - it helps to make sure that you are 100% committed.

 

[deleted248403]

Do nothing till u have shadowed and volunteered in a hospital/clinic; "get your hands dirty" as midlife calls it

 

[Engineer27]

Thanks I appreciate it... I will get on that hospital volunteering and shadowing. Is that the only deficiency here? Should I also take the GRE?

Also since some post-bacs have a march deadline.. Should I even bother applying for this year if I can get that volunteering in?

Thanks again for the prompt responses!

 

[deleted248403]

I wouldn't apply this year

And not because of the deadlines, but because I'm not convinced you've seen/done enough to experience medicine and know what you want. Unless you've done somethings that you haven't mentioned, one has to assume you are basing your desire to go into medicine on House/Scrubs/ER.

Spend the next 6months volunteering and shadowing, if you still feel the same about medicine in the fall, then submit an early application for next year.

In regard to the GRE, it might be worth doing if you think you can substantially better than your SAT of 1100 indicates. Most post-bacs ask for your most recent standardized test, and if thats your last one then that'll be the one to which they judge (fairly or not)

 

[Engineer27]

Ok got it.. Yea I am already having a tough time answering "why you want to pursue medicine now" question... My motivation is that the corporate world sucks, but I don't think admissions committee would care for that answer lol (of course I am not writing that in the essay) but its the truth

Thanks!

 

[deleted248403]

Ok got it.. Yea I am already having a tough time answering "why you want to pursue medicine now" question... My motivation is that the corporate world sucks, but I don't think admissions committee would care for that answer lol (of course I am not writing that in the essay) but its the truth

Thanks!

Yeah thats not going to work - neither for admissions nor for you to survive this process.

Its beyond brutal

 

[johnnyscans]

Ok got it.. Yea I am already having a tough time answering "why you want to pursue medicine now" question... My motivation is that the corporate world sucks, but I don't think admissions committee would care for that answer lol (of course I am not writing that in the essay) but its the truth

Thanks!

What part of the corporate world do you hate? That is a dangerous motivation, especially when you've gone over a year without making a decent paycheck and you're in your second month studying for your MCAT and you start questioning your motivations for pursuing this path. You want to make damn sure the deeper and deeper you dig and more and more motivated you become.

If you think the corporate world sucks, wait until you see the corporate side of medicine. You will be paying malpractice insurance out of your ass just to help you in case of the inevitable lawsuit. Healthcare reform could very well mean lower salaries. You will be answering to policies administered by individuals motivated by red and green; your happiness means squat to them. Depending on your specialty you may very well be rotating on-call for the rest of your life. I know a surgeon who is chief of his division and he still has to go in at 2am on Saturday mornings if things go wrong. The doctor lifestyle portrayed by television could not be farther from the truth.

Is it the long hours of banking? The MCAT will eat 3-4 months of your life and will be hands down the most important test of your life. Medical school is a 4 year period where you're trying to sip knowledge out of a fire hose. Residency is a 3-7 year period of 80 hour work weeks where you will be making less than a McDonald's employee. If you are not motivated beyond the "corporate world sucks" mentality, residency will destroy you. I'm assuming you make good money. Kiss that goodbye until you're an attending, which at this rate is AT LEAST 10 years away.

I too am pursuing medical school from a corporate background and while it seems that I'm trying to scare you away, I'm not. It took me about 6 months of shadowing and observing to motivate me enough to enroll in a formal post-bacc program. After 6 months of research, I can now say with absolute certainty that there is no other career for me. My decision is the culmination of lessons learned and knowledge gained through various jobs and experiences that have left me with no other choice but to pursue medicine - I simply will not be happy with myself doing anything else.

Dr Midlife will tell you this - if there is any other profession that you think you want to pursue, do it. Getting into medicine, especially after you've already graduated, is daunting at best.

 

[Engineer27]

I appreciate you giving me that honest advice!