- Joined
- May 18, 2012
- Messages
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I've been lurking around here and learning lots for a few weeks now! Just joined because I couldn't resist asking for some advice for myself. I hope in the future I'll prove to be a wealth of knowledge for others, but right now, I'm going to be greedy and soak up all the good information you guys have! 
Anyway, some background info - I graduated about three years ago with a BA in Political Science. I was originally premed, but all the chem and bio scared me off, and I convinced myself I wasn't smart enough. Lo and behold, 6 years later, I'm realizing I AM smart enough, and that I really want to pursue medicine.
Easy enough, right? Just join a post-bac program and get started!
Not quite, though. When I graduated with my BA, I was suffering from severe panic attacks and anxiety, and had to go to therapy to deal with them. Once I got that taken care of, there have been constant family medical issues to tackle. I'm currently living at home helping out with a sick parent. It's pretty much like having a full time job, which makes the prospect of joining a post-bac program impossible. Taking classes at a local 4-year university is quite difficult because the closest 4-year to me is about 45 minutes away. Factoring in traffic and general commute time, that's an extra two hours, on top of lecture time and labs. With the way my sick parent is right now, I'm lucky if I can get a couple evenings to myself.
I've been reading up on the community college vs. 4-year debate for pre-reqs. I understand that in an ideal situation, one should take their pre-reqs at a 4-year university. However, if I were to do that, I'd have to put off any plans of taking my med school pre-reqs at least until next fall. And even then I won't have a guarantee of my sick parent being any better.
My options are waiting until next year to start a post-bac, wait a year to start taking classes at the closest 4-year, or to start taking classes immediately, one or two at a time, at my local community college.
Given the fact that I have a responsibility towards my family and that I really can't join a formal post-bac program or take all my pre-reqs at a 4-year, will this put me at disadvantage? I keep reading that adcoms are people too and not just robots looking at school names and numbers. I'm looking for some solid advice (good or bad) to get a broader perspective on this whole pre-med journey. I don't want to begin the journey feeling disheartened or defeated just because I'll have community college pre-reqs.
One more question, given all the circumstances, I have a severe gap in my extracurriculars and employment between when I graduated and now. With the exception of some odds and end volunteering and things I've done, all my activities and achievements are at least three years old. Is that going to make me appear like a slacker or total bum?!
If you took the time to read all that, thank you! And if you have some advice, an even bigger thank you!
Anyway, some background info - I graduated about three years ago with a BA in Political Science. I was originally premed, but all the chem and bio scared me off, and I convinced myself I wasn't smart enough. Lo and behold, 6 years later, I'm realizing I AM smart enough, and that I really want to pursue medicine.
Easy enough, right? Just join a post-bac program and get started!
Not quite, though. When I graduated with my BA, I was suffering from severe panic attacks and anxiety, and had to go to therapy to deal with them. Once I got that taken care of, there have been constant family medical issues to tackle. I'm currently living at home helping out with a sick parent. It's pretty much like having a full time job, which makes the prospect of joining a post-bac program impossible. Taking classes at a local 4-year university is quite difficult because the closest 4-year to me is about 45 minutes away. Factoring in traffic and general commute time, that's an extra two hours, on top of lecture time and labs. With the way my sick parent is right now, I'm lucky if I can get a couple evenings to myself.
I've been reading up on the community college vs. 4-year debate for pre-reqs. I understand that in an ideal situation, one should take their pre-reqs at a 4-year university. However, if I were to do that, I'd have to put off any plans of taking my med school pre-reqs at least until next fall. And even then I won't have a guarantee of my sick parent being any better.
My options are waiting until next year to start a post-bac, wait a year to start taking classes at the closest 4-year, or to start taking classes immediately, one or two at a time, at my local community college.
Given the fact that I have a responsibility towards my family and that I really can't join a formal post-bac program or take all my pre-reqs at a 4-year, will this put me at disadvantage? I keep reading that adcoms are people too and not just robots looking at school names and numbers. I'm looking for some solid advice (good or bad) to get a broader perspective on this whole pre-med journey. I don't want to begin the journey feeling disheartened or defeated just because I'll have community college pre-reqs.
One more question, given all the circumstances, I have a severe gap in my extracurriculars and employment between when I graduated and now. With the exception of some odds and end volunteering and things I've done, all my activities and achievements are at least three years old. Is that going to make me appear like a slacker or total bum?!
If you took the time to read all that, thank you! And if you have some advice, an even bigger thank you!
welcome! No worries - this is why the forum exists.
They volunteer to do this and have an interest in choosing great candidates for our program and generally are outgoing folks at my school. I am sure it is the same elsewhere. However, you still cannot count on their humanity to get you an interview. You really need to put your best foot forward.
