What are my chances?

[papadmac]

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Hey all,

New the the forum here, thanks in advance for taking the time to read/respond!

I know that my future lies in medicine, and I'm not going to go into a huge essay about how I know it's right for me, it's where I belong, etc. I know it's what I want to do for the rest of my life, so I'll leave it at that!

I am 25, male, currently working in the insurance industry. I am married, no kids, and my wife and I are not tied down anywhere currently. I have a BA in Business Management and an MA in Teaching, but, like I said, medicine is where my heart lies...I just wish I would have discovered that sooner 🙂

I played football in college (small school) and did some volunteer work, so I stayed busy and active. My gpa wasn't that good (in undergrad, was much better in MA program), but I only had a few science classes (I started out as an Exercise Science major) and my gpa was better in those classes.

So, I know I need to go back and fulfill my prereqs first and foremost. I have seen folks on here talking about how both a formal post-bac program works, as well as going back as a 2nd degree-seeking student (even though you don't have to finish the degree). I like these two options, because I am not able to pay for it out-of-pocket, and will need some financial aid. I know the debt I will incur from doing prereqs and med school will be pretty substantial, but to me, it's nothing if I'm able to help people for the rest of my life.

I guess I'm just inquiring to see if the path to medicine is do-able for me, and if it will be rediculously hard (obviously school won't be easy, but I mean if it will take me a super-long time or anything)? Maybe looking for some advice from those that were in a similar situation as I am.

Thanks again! Looking forward to hearing your input!

 

[Goro]

Yes, it's both doable and hard. How badly do you want it?


I guess I'm just inquiring to see if the path to medicine is do-able for me, and if it will be rediculously hard (obviously school won't be easy, but I mean if it will take me a super-long time or anything)? Maybe looking for some advice from those that were in a similar situation as I am.

Thanks again! Looking forward to hearing your input![/QUOTE]

 

[papadmac]

More than anything. Only my wife is a higher priority than my desire to practice medicine.

 

[Pose]

What was your GPA exactly? Both cumulative and science.

Of course you can do it, as long as you don't have a crazy criminal history or any other major red flags. Also look into the option of DO grade replacement if you have a history of really bad grades. It can make a huge difference in your GPA calculation.

You'll need to start considering some clinical exposure: shadowing or volunteering. Earlier the better, as commitment is the key.

If you have none of the prereqs, you could probably apply within two years or so?

 

[papadmac]

I graduated in 2010, so I can't remember my exact GPA, and like I said, I didn't take many science courses (no oChem, Physics, very basic Bio), but if I were to make an educated guess, they would be something like:

cGPA: 2.7
sGPA: 3.0

and my MA in Teaching GPA was a 3.6 I believe.

Definitely going to get on the volunteering/clinical exposure train soon. Currently live in NE, but we are looking to move at the end of the year to a different state, so I don't want to get too involved with a clinic, only to leave town after 2 months. However, once we have moved, I plan on starting to volunteer/shadow immediately.

 

[papadmac]

Oh, and by the way, no criminal history 😀 haha

 

[TriagePreMed]

Way too low right now. You'll need to work hard to fix that, but it is possible.

 

[Pose]

I personally did the second degree option, and just withdrew after my prereqs. Worked like a charm, because I got priority registration for the intro science courses I needed. And financial aid.

With a ~2.7, I highly recommend you consider DO grade replacement. The end goal is medicine, and so I think this is your most viable option. Moving an average, especially if you have a lot of credits, is hard work. But if you have specific courses you did horribly in, you could always retake them for a higher grade to see immediate GPA improvement. Not that allopathic schools are out of the question, but it'd take a lot more work for little/no gain.

 

[papadmac]

Pose, how long did the prereqs take you? Were you in a similar boat as me, with not many science credits?

I'm definitely thinking DO is the route for me, but like I said, I don't really have too many of the prereqs taken yet, so my GPA in those should be pretty high (assuming I do well in my post bacc studies). My "science" courses that I have taken were strictly for a Exercise Sci degree, so they were things like:

A&P (which will obviously help towards medicine)
Sports Nutrition
Cardiovascular Endurance
Muscular Endurance
Basic Chem (which I took my first semester in school, so I would like to retake)
Stats (I've seen some med schools list stats as a prereq)

The rest of my cGPA is made up of business courses, and then courses that my liberal arts school required (religion, history, etc.)

I do, however, have quite a few Psych courses with a decent GPA, as I was attempting to get a Psych minor, but ran out of time after changing majors before my junior year.

 

[Pose]

An upward trend will be good for you, but with a 2.7 cumulative, you'd probably just reach a 3.0 after taking the standard 32 credit hours of prerequisites. And unfortunately your cumulative GPA is one of the most important numbers for the admissions game. So I suggest getting a transcript, finding your trouble courses (i.e. the ones that tanked your GPA as an undergrad), and think about retaking some of them while you're doing your prereqs. That should help get your GPA well above a 3.0 in terms of osteopathic admissions. Anything below that will likely get you auto-screened out of most programs.

I graduated having taken a year of biology, but nothing else. It took me a year and a summer to finish the courses (though I haven't taken organic II yet, but I would've finished it in the second summer term anyway if I didn't move).

Good luck!

 

[papadmac]

Thanks for the advice!

Looking forward to redeeming myself a bit. Ever since graduation, I just felt like I skated through school, and it kind of pisses me off. I know I can do extremely well, I just needed to find the motivation apparently. Now I'm ready to take this challenge on full-steam.

Can't wait to get back into classes and rock it.