What path to take? English to MD after an unproductive gap year

[Islandsun]

Hello everyone,

I am 22 and graduated in Puerto Rico with a 3.7 cGPA in English Literature on 2017.

Only a month after graduation, hurricanes Irma and Maria completely derailed my health and life plans. I have recovered since then and gained the courage along the way to follow my passion for healthcare and to become a primary care physician.

What is the quickest but most sensible path? Would I have a chance at a formal post-bacc program, and if so should I apply ASAP? Or do a DIY and get more experience throughout the years?

A few notes on my case:

• I was an Honor’s student and pretty involved with research so I presented at conferences, published a paper, did an undergrad thesis, etc. Can these experiences be leveraged despite my humanities background?

• I couldn’t land a job before the hurricanes and I’ve been unemployed since graduation. How negatively does this impact my outlook? Obviously I know that 2018 was a time of recovery and growth for me, but do recruiters care?

• During my senior year I helped my mother care for my grandfather (he was bedridden and on mechanical ventilation), and though I learned a lot, this is the extent of my formal medical experience.

• I worry that my preference for evidenced-based nutrition and lifestyle changes as viable treatment options for disease might get me in trouble. I want to be a doctor and help people like my doctors have helped me before, but I also want to educate the public about these alternatives and not bombard them with prescriptions (fast food lovers on Lipitor hurt my soul). Would actual MDs and recruiters think I’m speaking out of my ass if this comes up during interviews or essays?

Thanks for taking a look.

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[futuremdforme]

Hello everyone,

I am 22 and graduated in Puerto Rico with a 3.7 cGPA in English Literature on 2017.
• I was an Honor’s student and pretty involved with research so I presented at conferences, published a paper, did an undergrad thesis, etc. Can these experiences be leveraged despite my humanities background?

Yes 100%!

• I couldn’t land a job before the hurricanes and I’ve been unemployed since graduation. How negatively does this impact my outlook? Obviously I know that 2018 was a time of recovery and growth for me, but do recruiters care?

It's not the best but just try to fill the gaps with what you've been doing. If it's one year, it's probably not so terrible especially if you did any volunteering or can talk about being with family or working to rebuild or anything...

[quote[• During my senior year I helped my mother care for my grandfather (he was bedridden and on mechanical ventilation), and though I learned a lot, this is the extent of my formal medical experience.

• I worry that my preference for evidenced-based nutrition and lifestyle changes as viable treatment options for disease might get me in trouble. I want to be a doctor and help people like my doctors have helped me before, but I also want to educate the public about these alternatives and not bombard them with prescriptions (fast food lovers on Lipitor hurt my soul). Would actual MDs and recruiters think I’m speaking out of my ass if this comes up during interviews or essays?[/QUOTE]
I would minimize this. I went into med school with this attitude too -- I've learned that it's so much more complex. Remember that you are there to get the chance to learn 4 years' worth of med education, then to do a residency, so go in with the attitude that you have a LOT to learn. You can talk about an interest in preventive medicine but telling people to eat better is such a small part of the solution, sadly. I would harness this into an interest in primary care, community medicine, or the like.

 

[Goro]

What is the quickest but most sensible path? Would I have a chance at a formal post-bacc program, and if so should I apply ASAP? Or do a DIY and get more experience throughout the years?
Forget about quick. You're in a marathon now, not a sprint.

Suggest a formal post-bac program. IF money is an issue, then do it DIY.

• I was an Honor’s student and pretty involved with research so I presented at conferences, published a paper, did an undergrad thesis, etc. Can these experiences be leveraged despite my humanities background?

What kind of research? Mere library research? Or something that taught you about the scientific principle.

• I couldn’t land a job before the hurricanes and I’ve been unemployed since graduation. How negatively does this impact my outlook? Obviously I know that 2018 was a time of recovery and growth for me, but do recruiters care?

It's understandable. But have you done any volunteer work? You need ot show off your altruism. Medicine is a service profession.

• During my senior year I helped my mother care for my grandfather (he was bedridden and on mechanical ventilation), and though I learned a lot, this is the extent of my formal medical experience.

More importantly, you need of have patient contact experience. You're supposed to take care of your relatives; we want to see that you know what you're getting into and that you really want to spend the next 30-40 years being around sick and injured people that you're NOT related to.
You need to shadow doctors, too.

• I worry that my preference for evidenced-based nutrition and lifestyle changes as viable treatment options for disease might get me in trouble. I want to be a doctor and help people like my doctors have helped me before, but I also want to educate the public about these alternatives and not bombard them with prescriptions (fast food lovers on Lipitor hurt my soul). Would actual MDs and recruiters think I’m speaking out of my ass if this comes up during interviews or essays?
You sound like nine gazzillion other pre-meds.

If needed, get off the island.

 

[Islandsun]

What is the quickest but most sensible path? Would I have a chance at a formal post-bacc program, and if so should I apply ASAP? Or do a DIY and get more experience throughout the years?
Forget about quick. You're in a marathon now, not a sprint.

Suggest a formal post-bac program. IF money is an issue, then do it DIY.

• I was an Honor’s student and pretty involved with research so I presented at conferences, published a paper, did an undergrad thesis, etc. Can these experiences be leveraged despite my humanities background?

What kind of research? Mere library research? Or something that taught you about the scientific principle.

• I couldn’t land a job before the hurricanes and I’ve been unemployed since graduation. How negatively does this impact my outlook? Obviously I know that 2018 was a time of recovery and growth for me, but do recruiters care?

It's understandable. But have you done any volunteer work? You need ot show off your altruism. Medicine is a service profession.

• During my senior year I helped my mother care for my grandfather (he was bedridden and on mechanical ventilation), and though I learned a lot, this is the extent of my formal medical experience.

More importantly, you need of have patient contact experience. You're supposed to take care of your relatives; we want to see that you know what you're getting into and that you really want to spend the next 30-40 years being around sick and injured people that you're NOT related to.
You need to shadow doctors, too.

• I worry that my preference for evidenced-based nutrition and lifestyle changes as viable treatment options for disease might get me in trouble. I want to be a doctor and help people like my doctors have helped me before, but I also want to educate the public about these alternatives and not bombard them with prescriptions (fast food lovers on Lipitor hurt my soul). Would actual MDs and recruiters think I’m speaking out of my ass if this comes up during interviews or essays?
You sound like nine gazzillion other pre-meds.

If needed, get off the island.

Thank you for the clear and honest reply.
To get back to you:

• I would need to leave the island for a formal post-bacc because there are none here, and it would certainly require a loan (though med school would as well). The DIY worries me because course availability for the natural sciences has always been unstable in my state university because it’s the most popular department. I’ll think hard about this.

• Unfortunately it indeed was mere library research, mainly literary analysis.

• I haven’t done consistent voluntary work so I’ll definitely focus on this above all else and make sure I have what it takes. I’m building a list with contacts from hospitals, family docs, and hospice care centers to visit and see if they give me a chance.

• As for the nutrition/lifestyle focus, I figured there was a level of ignorance there on my side. After all I don’t know how to best help people and that’s what the MD is for. User futuremdforme suggested I minimize this and maybe translate my interests into primary care, preventive medicine, and community medicine. I suspect shadowing will put me up to snuff.

 

[Goro]

• Unfortunately it indeed was mere library research, mainly literary analysis.
That's not research, in the way the Powerhouses want it. But research is overrated as a thing for pre-meds.


• I haven’t done consistent voluntary work so I’ll definitely focus on this above all else and make sure I have what it takes. I’m building a list with contacts from hospitals, family docs, and hospice care centers to visit and see if they give me a chance.
Good


• As for the nutrition/lifestyle focus, I figured there was a level of ignorance there on my side. After all I don’t know how to best help people and that’s what the MD is for. User futuremdforme suggested I minimize this and maybe translate my interests into primary care, preventive medicine, and community medicine, I suspect shadowing will put me up to snuff.
Good

 

[workaholic181]

OP I think you’re a prime candidate for a formal SMP.. you had a good undergrad gpa and not a lot of science credits.

No one will hold your lack of work right now against you.

Do your homework on the “best” post bacca for career changers. Some med schools have programs that offer guaranteed admittance into the md class if you meet their gpa and mcat criteria. Others have a good track record of helping their grads get into other medical school.

Good luck!

 

[atomi]

Yes 100%!


It's not the best but just try to fill the gaps with what you've been doing. If it's one year, it's probably not so terrible especially if you did any volunteering or can talk about being with family or working to rebuild or anything...

[quote[• During my senior year I helped my mother care for my grandfather (he was bedridden and on mechanical ventilation), and though I learned a lot, this is the extent of my formal medical experience.

• I worry that my preference for evidenced-based nutrition and lifestyle changes as viable treatment options for disease might get me in trouble. I want to be a doctor and help people like my doctors have helped me before, but I also want to educate the public about these alternatives and not bombard them with prescriptions (fast food lovers on Lipitor hurt my soul). Would actual MDs and recruiters think I’m speaking out of my ass if this comes up during interviews or essays?

I would minimize this. I went into med school with this attitude too -- I've learned that it's so much more complex. Remember that you are there to get the chance to learn 4 years' worth of med education, then to do a residency, so go in with the attitude that you have a LOT to learn. You can talk about an interest in preventive medicine but telling people to eat better is such a small part of the solution, sadly. I would harness this into an interest in primary care, community medicine, or the like.[/QUOTE]

Trying to treat disease with dietary changes is pure quackery. Diet is well and good for preventative health, but my quack radar goes off when somebody says things like eat these foods and take these vitamins to treat your hepC and breast cancer. Don’t talk about that. There’s enough quackery out there that even if your intentions are good, you run the risk of being thrown in the gluten free, metal cheating, high dose vitamin C, energy healing, chiropractic subluxation crowd.