Where do I begin?

[PhDhopeful]

Hello. I was hoping that I could get some help from the board. I am a senior psychology major at an average university. I'll be graduating this spring with a B.A. in psychology. I applied to multiple PhD programs this year, and have begun to doubt that perhaps I am selling myself short when what I really want to do is go to Med School. My question is where do I even begin? What are the statistics for exceptance into medical school? I realize that I will have to go back to school and take anatomy classes etc, has anyone else on this board been in a similar situation? what did you do? and most importantly at the very least how long will it take me to get on this path? I appreciate any and all advice. I consider myself a smart girl, but I am completely lost.
Thanks in Advance.

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[Scottish Chap]

Hello. I was hoping that I could get some help from the board. I am a senior psychology major at an average university. I'll be graduating this spring with a B.A. in psychology. I applied to multiple PhD programs this year, and have begun to doubt that perhaps I am selling myself short when what I really want to do is go to Med School. My question is where do I even begin? What are the statistics for exceptance into medical school? I realize that I will have to go back to school and take anatomy classes etc, has anyone else on this board been in a similar situation? what did you do? and most importantly at the very least how long will it take me to get on this path? I appreciate any and all advice. I consider myself a smart girl, but I am completely lost.
Thanks in Advance.

Allopthic medical schools: GPA 3.6+ and MCAT 30+ to be competitive and 3.3/27 to have the slimmest of chances. A very high MCAT will occasionally off-set a lower GPA and vice versa, but only to a degree.

Every U.S. allopthic medical school asks for at least 8 credits (all with lab) in: general biology, general chemistry, physics, organic chemistry. Some schools have a calculus or statistics requirement, several have an English requirement, and one or two ask for biochemistry. Anatomy is not necessary before medical school.

Shadow some physicians to see if this is what you really want to do.

 

[relentless11]

I agree with Scottish Chap, first thing to do is shadow a physician. From the outside, medicine may appear like a utopia. Its far from the truth, but each of us here have something that keeps us motivated, and thats something you have to find out by shadowing and volunteering.

The acceptance rate for most med schools are probably between 5-10% depending on where you apply to. My school has an acceptance rate of about 6%, while our sister schools vary from 4-6%. However I am in CA and we have limited space so schools outside CA may have a higher acceptance rate, but it should be no higher than 10-15%. Check USNews or the AAMC MSAR for better numbers.

I don't know about taking anatomy classes. More importantly you should focus on taking the pre-reqs as Scottish Chap stated. Some schools even discourage taking classes such as anatomy (UCLA). I'm not familiar with psych degree programs, so not sure how much physics, chemistry, genetics, biochemistry, physiology, and biological sciences you have to take. I would use what you get in these classes to gauge your capacity to do well on the MCAT, and get into med school in addition to what you learn from shadowing physicians. Good luck!

 

[Lucky Buck]

Your chances....It really depends on your situation (grades,etc). The one thing I have learned after reading so many posts is...if you want it bad enough, you'll make it happen. Qui-Gon said it best...."Your focus determines your reality."

I just posted my first thread (check it out) and I had to make a similar decision.....I decided to pass on the PhD because I didn't feel like it was my first-best-destiny....being a doctor is. Only you can decide what you really want out of life. You only live once, so you might as well make the most of it. If you don't at least try, you'll always wonder if you could have made it. Time shouldn't really be an issue if you really want to be a doctor. My advice....get busy living your life on your terms!

 

[relentless11]

I just posted my first thread (check it out) and I had to make a similar decision.....I decided to pass on the PhD because I didn't feel like it was my first-best-destiny....being a doctor is.

...and here I thought PhDs were doctors too

 

[Lucky Buck]

MEDICAL DOCTOR

 

[PhDhopeful]

Do you think that you can have it all? Do you think its possible to go to med school, have a family and be happy? one of the factors that detered my interest was feeling like I would have to put my life on hold for a long time in order to accomplish this goal. I am getting married soon would school even allow me to take a honeymoon if it was over the summer? I feel overwhelmed.

 

[Lucky Buck]

You have to have faith that everything will unfold as it's supposed to. As with pursuing medicine, if you want a family bad enough, you will make it happen....some how, some day!
I want a family and a lot of other things.......patience.....one day at a time. It's very easy to convince yourself not to do something. Likewise, it's easy to go in circles contemplating all the consequences of your actions and as a result, we usually end up wasting a lot of time and that accomplishes nothing.
Focus on one goal at a time. If you want it bad enough, you'll make it work.