What would you do?

[UWTacoma3]

Here's to the dream and never giving up

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[Gamechanger]

My previous post (Looking for encouragement) summarized whoI am and what my goals are and the positive encouragement from the members herewas exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you all so much for reassuring me thatthis is possible and it’s never too late.

I know this may sound cliché, but as a man who trusts hisfaith more than anything, I truly believe in my heart this is what the universehad planned for me all along. The selflessness I strive for in my personallife, the sacrifices I’ve always been willing to make for others and toconstantly be putting others before myself; being a doctor epitomizes thisideal and couldn’t be a more perfect fit to my personality, my work ethic, myfaith, and the kind of person I want to be. I can’t believe it took me 32 yearsbefore I was capable of realizing this, but I feel so blessed that I finally have!

As I mentioned in my other post, I’m a 32 year old financialadvisor who’s leaving finance altogether and going back to school full-time inpursuit of this inner calling. I’m willing to do whatever it takes toaccomplish this goal, and that’s where I could use your help. I have a GED, butI’m no dummy. As an advisor I passed the Series 7 Broker’s licensing exam whichis argued to be more difficult than the BAR, yet also nothing in comparison tothe MCAT, of course. I consider myself a good test taker, and look forward to studyingfor the MCAT in several years.

In the mean time, I’ve submitted my application to theUniversity of Washington (It’s local, I live in Seattle) and am hoping andpraying to hear some good news soon. If all goes as planned, I’ll be leaving myemployer and beginning undergrad in September 2012. Here is where I am askingyour input…

Pretend for a second you’re me. What would you do, and wherewould you start? I’m going to provide some information regarding where I’m atfinancially, etc. and a few additional questions I have. Could you pleaseprovide as much input as you can regarding my situation, and anything you canthink of that would be helpful to someone literally starting from scratch? Wasthere anything you wish you had done your first or second year of undergradthat would have helped you later on in your applications to med school? Whatabout all throughout undergrad? Did you take out loans you shouldn’t have? Didyou spend too frivolously with your loans you did take out? Did you work? Didyou use credit cards when you shouldn’t have? The idea here is, if you could goback and do things perfectly, I would be eternally grateful if you couldoutline it all for me.

• I’m currently employed at a base salary with a bank for a little over $54k. I have no rent, and between my car and other bills, my monthly expenses add up to roughly +/- $1,000. I’m saving approximately $1500+ in cash monthly, but if accepted, classes will start in September. I pretty much show up and get paid, so it’s free money, so I’d hate to leave prior to September but at the same time I cannot stand working for an institution that cares more about profit than a client’s best interests. What are your thoughts? I want to hear back from UW before I pull the trigger on anything, but I like knowing I have the leverage and hopefully after I’m accepted, I could walk out of the bank at any time. Or put in my two weeks. But I also hate leaving free money on the table. I have a sick grandmother that I help take care of. I could even qualify for FMLA and take 30+ days off while still getting paid. The options are endless. (I wouldn’t normally do this stuff, but as I mentioned before, I work for an institution who has repeatedly asked me to sell products that make the company more and cost clients more, over similar vehicles that are less expensive to the client, would give them the same benefit, yet make the company less.)
• My degree will be in Environmental Science. I was told by admissions at UW Tacoma that they do not offer the degree in Biology, that it is only offered at the Seattle campus, and I’m not willing to travel. It’s over 50 miles away, and with rough hour traffic, would literally kill me mentally. They said the ES is essentially the same thing, and I believe all the pre-reqs for med school are included. I chose this over any other degree because I want to be great at the material tested on the MCAT. I don’t want to study finance, or engineering, or anything else that’s not relevant to what would make me more knowledgeable about the goal at hand. Opinions?

• 
  Earn a degree that you enjoy earning, do it well, do well in the pre reqs and don't worry about what major you have.
  

• [*]I have a 401k through the bank I’ve funded in the past year, with a balance of around $11,000. If and when I leave the bank I can take a minor penalty and withdraw the entire balance and/or use it for an emergency. I have a CPA that may even nullify the penalties, etc. she’s that good. As an advisor I’m probably more knowledgeable here about the investment account, but my question is, will I need the money or will the loans suffice and I can just keep it there for an emergency? If you had $11k sitting around back when you started, what would you do with it? (Note: if left in the account, it should double or more within 8 to 10 years, based on a rule in finance known as the rule of 72.)
  [*]

I would leave it in as long as I could.

• [*]Additionally, I have thirteen credit cards with approximately $20k in limits available. They’re all paid to zero, without so much as a cent for a balance. Again, save for more emergencies? Also my credit is outstanding, well over 800 and in my CC lineup are 3 AMEX and an AMEX gold (no spending limit, theoretically). Save these for rainy days, or never use them? Does this good credit help with student loans? Or anything else? Look good on an application?
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College loans are not based on credit or need. Your income is going to force you into unsubsidized loans i suspect. I would get rid of some of the cards, but im subject to temptation.

What sort of items will I need when I start? Is a, or are laptops necessary? What about an Ipad? Both? Would they make things easier? Using a little power of positive thinking here and say I won’t be in med school for four years, so I can always get a laptop now and get the better one later? Windows or Mac? Or none?

You don't have to have a laptop for UG, I would buy one anyway though. You can use it at home and if you need to bring it you can. You might get a first gen Ipad as well for classes or occasions where you dont need a real laptop.

I would buy windows; it's cheaper and personal preference.

Buy a good enough laptop that it will be usable 5 years from now. You should spend between 800-1500 on a good one. If you can find one with the operating system on a solid state drive (SSD) and the data on a standard hard drive that would be the one I buy. Get at least a quad core. Size is a preference (thats what she said) I have a 17" laptop and the major plus with it besides better screen is that my keyboard has the 10key on it.

What should I do in regards to scholarships and grants? Talk to the school and apply for every stinking one I can? Anything I can do to shave off debt would be a bonus, obviously. Did you all do the same? Alternative options?

Financial Aid office, apply for everything. I applied for a lot and I got nothing but can't hurt to try.

What about health insurance? Will I have any as a student? It’s logical and necessary, but how does that work if I’m not employed? Should I do anything with my insurance now while I still actually have it? Exams? Physicals?

Most schools offer health insurance to students. You should google blue cross blue shield, I'm 29 and for me it was pretty reasonable (i dont have it, but i priced it for the future).

I just got out of a relationship with someone I loved very much. Ironically, she just graduated med school and is so concentrated on her career she was willing to push anyone and everyone away to concentrate on her residency. I believe she loves me and will come back, and I’ve made a promise to wait for her. She’s too afraid to ask me to wait. I simply cannot see myself with anyone else. That being said, did you all avoid relationships? I want to make friends; especially with hardworking and motivated people (preferably pre meds) so we can study together and keep one another motivated and encouraged, but I also don’t want to be distracted from my goals.

I avoid relationships at all cost...... I'm married. It all depends on the relationship. If you are going to be with a girl who is constant drama and always pulling you away from work/school then I would avoid it. If you have a healthy relationship with someone they can be a great source of encouragment and support. It is what you make it.

I’m assuming I should start volunteering in clinics and hospitals my first year of undergrad? I heard clinical exposure is pivotal and looks wonderful on a med school application? What else should I be considering? Sports? I golf, should I consider that? Sports? Or just networking? I feel like I only want to be spending my time with things that will progress me towards this goal, not stagnate me or trend me backwards.

Yeah you should volunteer up to the point it doesnt impact a healthy social and academic life. Take up something that other people don't, be different and it will be a lot easier for adcoms to remember you. I would'nt bother with sports, maybe golf as you mentioned. Find something you like to do and do it really well and get some good stories out of it, have some fun.

• [*]Can you think of anything else I might be missing? Financially, personally, professionally? Any input is greatly appreciated. Thanks again everyone. I can already tell this forum is going to be my saving grace, and look forward to making many friends here. I’ve made one post (Two including this actually) and you all seem like pretty incredible people.
  [*]

  If you are out of shape then you should start working out and get in shape, it might not make a difference during med school interviews but i bet it does.

Here’s to the dream and never giving up
[/QUOTE]

Cheers mate, I'm on the same path. About to leave my career to finish UG.

 

[400292]

Wow. Not sure why you felt it necessary to spill your guts out to sdn on the internet. Regardless, I've skimmed you rant, and I would summarize your plight as most others; "I wanna go to med school cause it seems to be my lifelong passion (that only I know of), and I'm gonna try to do it with so many roadblocks in front of me".

There are over 40,000 applicants each year to this nation's ~130 med schools. All of them are smart, probably have drama in their lives, and believe being a physician was their life long calling.

You were in finances? The first think I would ask is, at 32, where did your sudden change of heart come from? Really? The physical and biological sciences are a very unique field and scientists are a different type of people with unique characteristics. Business people are themselves opposites (I know, I live with a lot of them). You must first ask yourself the base question that is more important than the typical "Feel a calling, always wanted to be a physician" chorus: can I become a scientist, adopt their way of life, and learn the equations of life well, but also learn to apply them?

It's never too late to change careers...but it is more reasonable for some older PhD in a science field to want to change to a clinical MD route, than some older financial adviser to get up and change to a science clinical career.

As the post above says, you must LOVE what you do, and not do it for simply the $$. Otherwise it is a fraud and you will be equally as skrewed. To love what you do, you must study it, be good at it, and learn to communicate with it on an intimate level....can you and science become intimate friends? Or will you and science be only acquaintances who talk only when convenient?

It better be the former.