What can you do with premed post-bacc besides from applying to medschool?

[ptm33]

I'm ready to make payment for my premed post bacc courses but wondering if circumstances change and I cannot make it all the way to medical school - what can I do with all this science post bacc education? What careers will taking these class enable me to consider besides doctors?

I know Google has endless info on these but I am interested in hearing stories of premed students that navigated from the medical school route to take on other careers instead.

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[The Knife & Gun Club]

Depends on the program. If its degree granting (such as an MS in anatomy or medical studies) then you could apply for various research jobs. If its not you could still apply for things like PA or nursing school.

However If I was being honest I dont think your future/employment prospects will be improved much by a premed post bacc unless you go to med school.

 

[Stagg737]

Go to dental school...

 

[The Knife & Gun Club]

Go to dental school...

Isn't dental school of comparable competitiveness and length and cost?

 

[Goro]

I'm ready to make payment for my premed post bacc courses but wondering if circumstances change and I cannot make it all the way to medical school - what can I do with all this science post bacc education? What careers will taking these class enable me to consider besides doctors?

I know Google has endless info on these but I am interested in hearing stories of premed students that navigated from the medical school route to take on other careers instead.

Sadly, the answer is very little. The post-bac is for GPA resurrection only,...to prove that you can handle med school.

Teaching maybe, or lab tech is you have a lot of lab courses.

 

[Stagg737]

Isn't dental school of comparable competitiveness and length and cost?

Yes, but it's one of the only other careers a post bac can actually help achieve...

 

[chemdoctor]

Pretty much just teaching. Depending on what it is, you may be able to do research or something. But the point of post Baccs are to help you get into medical school. If you want another career, consider grad school maybe with a masters thesis or something.

 

[Mwooster]

Isn't dental school of comparable competitiveness and length and cost?

Each dental school on average has a larger class than one at an American MD school. For example, if memory serves me correctly, NYU Dental has about 300 dental students per class year.

Also, there are more applicants applying MD each year which one can safely assume really attracts the cream of the crop of the premed, science type of students since medicine is a much wider field than dentistry. Higher demand and less supply of an MD seat. Also, it's fair to say that the MCAT is a harder exam than DAT.

Cost wise, dental schools on average actually are more expensive due to "equipment cost" each year.

 

[ODea]

That's why you should be majoring in something you think you can fall back on not just because "it's easier". Honestly, you might be better off going for nursing if you can't get into med school I know a lot of people do that in my area. You can always try and go for your masters but I'm sure you can do research or work in a lab.

 

[Blanky]

Dental, Podiatry, PA, Optometrist?. But a straight up job not so much.

 

[Mad Jack]

 

[PreMedMissteps]

PA school. Much shorter process.

 

[CUatthefinishline]

I'm ready to make payment for my premed post bacc courses but wondering if circumstances change and I cannot make it all the way to medical school - what can I do with all this science post bacc education? What careers will taking these class enable me to consider besides doctors?

I know Google has endless info on these but I am interested in hearing stories of premed students that navigated from the medical school route to take on other careers instead.

I would strongly advise you to do a post-bac that is degree granting (M.S. in a bio/med preferably). That's what I did while I was building my resume for my fallback career/other love (see: research), gaining more relevant med experience. It's allowed me to do research, tutor, and I can teach at the community college level (& some other smaller universities depending on policy). It just depends on what you want to do. The program I chose allowed a lot of flexibility with courses & timeline (I wanted to finish in a year), and was relatively cheap. There are a lot of options out there now if you are willing to travel and live on loans or part-time jobs for a bit. I set myself up to always at least have a well-paying PT job in any city and I have a degree that translates to all my areas of interest (community/health advocacy, basic/biomed research, & education).

I also want to second the suggestion of PA school or nursing. There is so much out there for someone with an RN within clinical research and healthcare (positions I would personally like to have now). & PA school is relatively short, well-paying, & gets you in your field faster with less legwork (e.g. working your way up as a lab rat, or getting more degrees). When I was in grad school, the PA students did everything we did except their courses were much more condensed (e.g. using our completely dissected cadaver bodies as review during their A&P course).

 

[PreMedMissteps]

I would strongly advise you to do a post-bac that is degree granting (M.S. i

Well, certainly having the ability to put down that you've received a masters is preferable than just extra undergrad classes on the transcript. A masters in STEM would be more marketable if you didn't go to professional school.

 

[ptm33]

Thank you for these thoughtful responses all. Being a teacher or getting to teach and mentor to some capacity is one of my aspirations so thanks for bringing up that idea.

So for anyone who stumble upon this thread asking the same question- premed post bacc classes, though not all, overlap with many prereqs necessary for further education in a number of allied healthcare realm:

- Working at McDonald's
- Dentistry..
- Physician Assistant..
- And Nursing (as many of you mentioned plus..)
- Physical Therapy (thanks @CUatthefinishline! You are right about it being an intersection of all those areas of interest you listed)
- Registered Dietitian
- Lab technicians (thanks @Goro!)
- Podiatry

I started volunteering and now with new, albeit limited, experience, I find Nursing, PA, PT, OT are gaining more territory in my radar right now. I am still determined to make it all the way to MD/DO but thank you all for bringing forth those ideas. It helps to stay devoted to this path having the comfort of knowing that the investment going into this may not be all in vain if in the end I cannot get into any medical school (ie. I can still get into other types of school to be of professional service to others and have other fulfilling careers in healthcare).

ETA: Podiatry

 

[AudiLova619]

Thank you for these thoughtful responses all. Being a teacher or getting to teach and mentor to some capacity is one of my aspirations so thanks for bringing up that idea.

So for anyone who stumble upon this thread asking the same question- premed post bacc classes, though not all, overlap with many prereqs necessary for further education in a number of allied healthcare realm:

- Dentistry..
- Physician Assistant..
- And Nursing (as many of you mentioned plus..)
- Physical Therapy (thanks @CUatthefinishline! You are right about it being an intersection of all those areas of interest you listed)
- Registered Dietitian
- Lab technicians (thanks @Goro!)

I started volunteering and Nursing, PA, PT, OT are gaining more territory in my radar right now. I am still determined to make it all the way to MD/DO but thank you all for bringing forth those ideas. It helps to stay devoted to this path having the comfort of knowing that the investment going into this may not be all in vain if in the end I cannot get into any medical school (ie. I can still get into other types of school to be of professional service to others and have other fulfilling careers in healthcare).

and Podiatry.

 

[stickgirl390]

I have a bachelor in arts and did a post-bacc premed like you. I’m a high school teacher at the moment, will be starting med school this fall. If you have any questions about being a teacher, let me know! Also add veterinarian to your list. The prereqs are the same as med school, but you’ll need to do some shadowing.

 

[3toedsloth]

Pretty much just teaching.

No, not teaching. The large majority of states require a license, with classes in education and instruction. Perhaps catholic school teaching or substitute teaching, but not public school classroom.