working full time while applying to med school

[sc987]

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Hi everyone,

I'm currently working full time, studying for the mcat and preparing to apply to med school. It's been busy and stressful and I'm debating whether or not to ask my boss if I can switch over to a part-time position. Did any of you worked full time while studying for the mcat + working on med school applications? If so, what was your experience like and do you have any advices for me?

Thank you in advance!

 

[deleted480308]

It sucks hard but it can be done, keep a calendar and be prepared for less sleep on occasion

 

[Campana]

+1!

Same thing sb247 said. It really helps to make a schedule and stick to it. Find the hours of the day that are not already spoken for by work, sleep, other firm commitments, then commit those times to MCAT study, MCAT practice tests, application work. Bring your prep materials with you so you can take advantage of every free minute. Then stick to the plan!

One bit of advice that you'll see all over the MCAT forum: don't take the MCAT till you are consistently scoring on practice tests what you want on the real thing. If you don't like your score, it's very unlikely you'll magically do better on the real one; give yourself more time to study.

But of course, if you can afford to go part time, sure - it makes it easier to find time.

 

[OneJob]

Balancing a job and prepping for the MCAT is tough, for sure, but it also gives you a taste of what the next 7-10 years of your life will be in med school and residency. I worked 40 hours a week in a lab during our summer break following the first year of med school and it felt like a vacation. On the other hand, it's hard to force yourself to work like that in isolation. Once you're in school you'll be in an environment where everyone understands how much you have to work, but you won't get that in everyday life. If your coworkers always want to go out or you have a lot of other family or social obligations/distractions, it's going to be hard to stay focused on studying. Your MCAT score is not all of your application, but it is a make-or-break part.

 

[Moose A Moose]

Yes, I was there.

It’s difficult, but very doable. It’ll teach you good time management skills.

 

[dpmd]

I worked (not quite full time) plus was in school while studying for MCAT and applications so I would guess a full time job without much of carryover into home time would be fine if you budget your time. Probably better than going part time then being stressed about money.

 

[676188]

Just break it down:

168 hours in a week
40 for work (add in commute time)
56 for sleep

This leaves you ~72 hours a week to:

Prep for the mcat
Take care of your personal needs (cooking, errands, exercise, etc)
Family or other personal obligations

Divide that up however you need to fit your life. You didn’t say when you were planning to take the mcat, but just know that this is temporary...give up some stuff now to study properly, and you’ll only have to go through all this once.

 

[futuremdforme]

I worked full time and did well (achieved my target score + 1). It took me 5 months for the MCAT. I think interviewers respected that I managed both.

If you don't think you can score your target, and you can afford to work part-time (financially and in terms of insurance) that's a good option. But don't get so bogged down with content that you aren't thinking about strategic test-taking which is really most of the MCAT anyway.

 

[PapaGuava]

@sc987
Part-time if its possible because if it can make it a little easier on your schedule, why not? If you have to work full-time then you know you'll have to have a tighter schedule. Keep pushing forward!