Hey all,
I stumbled onto this site last summer when I first started thinking seriously about medical school. As the spring semester is coming to a close, I have managed to find my way back here and wanted to share my story with you.
I am 28 years old. Seven years ago I graduated from an ivy league university with a BS in business. My GPA was about a 3.0. Nothing too great, but respectable enough. At the time I had no clue what I wanted to do. I was pretty naive and because of my shelted upbringing had no concept of picking a career or what working full-time was going to be like. After stumbling through a few jobs, I found myself working at a medical school in their computer department. I have been there now for four years, and in that time obtained my MCSE (a Microsoft certification) and was promoted to a network admin.
For me though, something was missing and I new the IT industry was not something I wanted to do forever. I knew some of the basic criteria I wanted out of my new career path: I wanted to be surrounded by intelligent people, do something on a daily basis where I felt like I was making a difference, and to be proud of what I did. About two years ago when I was struggling to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, I was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal disorder that sent me to the ER twice. It is amazing how clear what is important to you in life becomes when you think you are going to die. My two thoughts were “I love my family” and “I haven’t done a whole lot to help others”.
It took me about a year to get myself healthy and adjusted to the diet modifications from my gastrointestinal illness. In that time, I had alot of good and bad experiences with various doctors that I saw about my condition. I also spent alot of time reading about the processes of digestion and metabolism that go on in our body and was pretty fascinated by it. At the end of that year my epiphany was pretty much complete and I knew I wanted to be a doctor.
That brings us to last summer when I stumbled onto this site and read some encouraging posts about older premed students. I proceeded to set up a meeting with the chair of admissions at the school I worked at to see what the requirements where for med school and how my lower GPA would be reflected on my application. He was very encouraging and said that it varies from school to school but several look only at your last three years of work or at least weigh it more heavily. At the end of the summer I was fortunate enough to shadow a primary care physician one day, a director of a small family practice clinic a second day, and a director of the ICU at a major hospital the third day. It was incredible!
While continuing to work full-time as a network admin, I took 7 hours in the fall (Bio I, Bio Lab I, Chem I) at a local university. Because I work for an academic instituion, they were kind enough to allow me to take off 3 hours per week of work during the day for Bio I lecture and I was able to take the Lab and Chem I at night. I felt a little out of place with all the younger students at first, but being back in school after such a long period of stagnancy was truly refreshing and I was fascinated by the material. I ended up with all As and a 4.0 for the first semester.
I took another 7 credits this semester (Bios II, Bio Lab II, Chem II). I complicated my life further though by buying a house and increasing my commute to work from 10 minutes to 50 minutes each way. I also tried to volunteer on Sunday’s at a local hospital, was involved with two athletic extracurricular activites once a week, and tried to manage a girlfriend all at the same time.
The end result was I put too much on my plate and got myself sick for several weeks. I ended up dropping one of the extracurricular activities as well as the volunteering.
Fortunately I never lost site of the importance of school. The semester is two weeks from being over and I am pretty certain to finish with a 4.0 again. I figured you can always volunteer or do extracurricular stuff, but you cannot change your grades.
This last semester was a good lesson in not trying to overdo it. The 2-3 times I did volunteer by visiting cancer patients reaffirmed my love for helping others and the classes also reaffirmed my love of science (I found myself reading about digestion and circulation and was just plain giddy about the material!).
The first time I went to college I wanted good grades but what I got truly did not matter. This time I feel like every grade must be an A and that stress can be a little overwhelming. But I feel so focused, finally knowing after 28 years what I want to do with my life.
This summer I am taking off from classes. I am going to attempt to reestablish the relationship I had with the hospital I volunteered at a few times and spend an evening or two volunteering. I am also dropping a few emails to Biology professors who are doing research in areas that I am interested in - digestion and metabolism.
Well, that is my story. I hope it has been interesting to those going through the same experience or those thinking about it. For those thinking about it, I can only say that this past year has only reinforced in me the reality that a doctor is what I was meant to be. There have been stressful and tough times with such a hectic schedule, but the highs have been so much higher than the lows and I have felt a new appreciation for life and the blessings we have. When I did my shadowing last summer I met a doctor who was previously an engineer. He said it was so worth it. He had lunch a week prior with a friend of his who was working as a regional sales manager for Fritoy Lay making $250,000 a year. The doctor asked the salesman, “What do you do at work?”. The salesman said “I sell Fritos.” The salesman asked, What do you do?" The doctor said, “I make people feel better, ease their comforts, and save lives every day”. That story really hit home with me.
Hope I have not been too long winded. Hope to post more often and meet several of you and maybe attend a conference in 2005.
If anyone has any questions, just give me a holler.
Take care,
Kermit
Med School Target Date: Fall of 2007
Hi Kermit,
Hey that was a great post and I am glad you shared it with us. Here’s to great success on your journey to become a doctor.
You brought up some great points with your story. It is easy to get overextended which doesn’t help your situation and everything starts to suffer. This is especially true with us older, nontrad students who may have families and jobs, etc. I am glad things are working out for you. Great semester. Way to go!!
Amy B
Kermit,
Welcome back to OPM! I hope that you continue to find direction & inspiration from our little Society & I sincerely hope you elect to become more active & share your developing saga with the membership. In your brief post, you clearly demonstrate a passion for what you want & are making steps towards acheiving these goals. Yours is the sort ofstroy that serves to not only inspire others through your successes; but also to define a path by which they may also travel.
Again, welcome back & I wish the best of luck & success. I look forward to your future posts. And, when you are writing your PS, be certain to allude to your inspiration for becoming a phsysician. I think it has the potential to be moving & eye-catching.
Hiya! Your posting inspired me to write about my situation. I haven’t been in a near death experience but your “giddy about the knowledge” and Fritos anecdote really hit it home for me. Whereever I look, there’s a lot of advice for the non-traditional premed student/applicant on applications and admissions rates.
Now the question is _how do you all managed to make ends meet and juggle the classes?__
In fulfilling the BCMP requirements, I find it extremely difficult to attend a CC P/T while working F/T as a manager. I’m late to class 50% of the time. And “one course per semester” is dragging out the studies for too long. SO, I’m contemplating quitting work for one year to dedicate myself to these studies. That’ll cost me $20-25K a year (completely eat up my savings) and I won’t qualify for financial aid. After which I could return to the workforce but the job prospect is uncertain.
Anyone with advice on how to go about this? And what kind of P/T job could I get that’ll pay well and also be relevant job experience?
Thanks all! I’m so glad I found this website.
Keep up the dialog! 
Hi Spunky, Thanks for sharing your story. I think this a catch-22 every non-traditional premed finds them in. If you continue to work and go to school PT, it drags out the studies quite a bit. If you go to school FT and work FT too, you run the risk of spreading yourself too thin and not doing well at school or your job. And if you dedicate yourself entirely to studies and going to class FT,then the money can get quite tight. You really have to ask yourself about priorities. You have to ask yourself if these years of extra income is worth it for you. Me, personally, I was in a great paying job, but it didn’t allow the flexibility of free time to take classes part-time. Even if I found that dream job in law that paid the bills and I clocked in and out, being that miserable takes too much out of me to focus on classes as well. Plus, I really didn’t want to drag out my premed studies. But I don’t have a family or anyone other than myself to worry about. Some people have a family to support and those additional years of FT works keeps the family afloat. Either way, hopefully, at some point when you get into medical school, you will need to live without the extra income and live like a starving student on loans, grants, or scholarships…although grants and scholarships are very hard to come by. I think that’s how most people make ends meet…although others may have a spouse who can support the family during these times.
P.S. You probably do qualify for financial aid…even if your salary and savings are exorbitantly high. You are still elgible for federal subsidized stafford loans, where instead of the government, you pay interest while in school.
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P.S. You probably do qualify for financial aid…even if your salary and savings are exorbitantly high. You are still elgible for federal subsidized stafford loans, where instead of the government, you pay interest while in school.
I think Liana meant UNsubsidized stafford loans, but yes, you’d almost certainly be eligible for these. I don’t know how they work for undergrad or post-bacc; during medical school the interest is accruing on my unsubsidized stafford but I did not have to make payments as long as I was a full-time student.
Thank you, Mary. I stand corrected…I meant to type UNSUBSIDIZED, where you are responsible for the interest while in school. In any event, I can tell you that making $125k, I did not qualify for any need-based financial aid. My expected family contribution was $40,000. Surprise, surprise, I do not have $40k sitting around. I lived and paid rent in Manhattan, and squandered most of my money on living expenses and paying down student loans (although doesn’t feel like I made a dent). Anyhow, I can tell you that during a post-bacc program, it is considered to be a 5th undergradute or sometime 6th years undergradute…and you are elgible for $10,500 in stafford loans - unlike graduate school where you are elgible for $18,500.
I knew you’d have those facts at your fingertips! 
That’s real helpful information to lots of people, thank you.
Holy cow. You quit a $125K job to start on this path? And I thought I had a dilemma with my measly entry-level mgmt. position.
Reiterating an earlier posting, yes you can get federal loans for post-bacc work. I don’t know how the rules apply to official two year post-bacc programs, but for me, I was eligible for 12 consecutive months of financial aid to complete pre-requisites for a graduate program. Notice that the hitch is CONSECUTIVE months. The 12 months start with whatever quarter or semester you first accept financial aid. So, if you don’t go in the summer, you basically lose a quarter/semester because not going a session does NOT extend the time you are eligible. I was eligible for both subsidized and unsubsidized loans that don’t do much more than pay for my tuition, but hey - its better than nothing.
If you can’t get your pre-reqs done in a year, another option is just to enroll as a degree seeking student. You are then eligible for more financial aid. Nowhere does it say that you actually have to complete the degree. Obviously, its a little more difficult to enroll as a degree seeking student (a real application with transcripts, test scores, higher application fee), but it may be the route to go to get more financial aid.
Amy
Hi guys! It’s only been about 3 weeks since I made the decision to go back to school F/T, and the wait for summer school to start in mid-June already seems like forever. There isn’t a day that goes by where I don’t flip through the MCAT review books. (I haven’t started the prereqs yet.) I even found myself reviewing general chem (periodic table ins and outs) in the middle of a massage at the spa!
Anyway, my point is - this whole ordeal is already pretty exhausting and I haven’t even gotten off the ground yet. So if I’m so worked up, what’s like for you folks who are doing this part-time? or better yet, those who have been dutiful since day 1?? Good lord! You guys are amazing!
Anyway, enough of my ramblings. Any recommendations for good reads to ease the mind? I picked up The Language Instinct and that was absolutely fascinating! Someone else recommended The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat.
ohhhhhh you know what, the secret is that you DON’T maintain that level of intensity 24/7/365. You recognize that you need some down time, and you take it. I remember spring break the semester I was working P/T and taking gen-chem and cell bio: I had every intention of working ahead and just slamming that material down over break, because my work schedule that week was light.
Instead my then 6th-grade daughter got minor injuries in a car accident - but it was upsetting and scary, and my psyche took such an adrenaline hit that I was wasted for the entire week; I sat around watching videos with her and eating potato chips.
Your mind and body - listen to them! - will tell you when you need to let up for a bit. And it won’t necessarily be due to some catastrophe; you may just decide that you need to sleep in and read the paper one day instead of bounding out of bed and immediately hitting the books. THAT IS OKAY. in fact, it’s necessary and healthy!
It’s not easy. What’s especially not easy is when you’re getting 4.0’s and then your family assumes the MCAT should be a breeze for you and you only need to study maybe 3 hours a week. They don’t understand when you tell them you need to study more than you have for any class to do well as this is an all day, never done it before type of test.
Anyway, back to the question…
I wound up working 3 part time jobs while taking 8 credit hours. On MWF, I had a part time gig for 20 hours a week building software loads (my old profession), on T/TH I had class from 8 to 2, the rest of the time during the week, I worked at a Dr.'s office. On weekends, I cleaned an office building. Somewhere in there was time to study, take care of a family, watch my youngest start school and still remember my wife’s name.
It can be done, but it’s not easy. You learn to cut corners and be grateful. Instead of going out to the movies with them, you learn to shoot hoops with the kiddos. Instead of going to a water park, you play in the sprinklers. Washing and waxing the car become recreational activities. Running becomes entertainment.
BTW - I maintained a 4.0 while all that was going on…
You CAN do it. Have you thought about approaching your job to see if you could go part time?
daveindallas: You’re my hero! It’s absolutely amazing that you took on so many odd lot jobs to pay the bills during the transition period. Most likely I won’t keep anything more than a clock in-clock out job.
And thanks for the encouraging words. I think I’m just generally tired (from work, volunteering, running around town to set up shadowing opps and above all excessive worrying) to the point where even my favorite foods aren’t all that appetizing. Fortunately, I have a lot of interests/activities that I can rotate around to lift my spirits and help me rebound quickly. A vacation sounds really good right now but I’ll have to settle for a few hours at the beach!
Hey Kermit,
I just read your post and want to say welcome and way to go. I can relate to putting pressure on yourself for the grades. I still haven’t figured out a way to not let it get to me at all. The end of the semesters are always very stressfull to me until I get those final grades. Then it’s a huge sense of relief and elation. Right now I’m enjoying not having any classes this summer and trying to gear up to start studying for the MCAT in August. Good luck and keep posting when ou get a chance.
Your post totally inspired me. I am the type of person who always wants to be ahead. I thought about where I wanted to go to college when I was in 5th grade and even what I should put on my activity sheet when I applied! I was a little high strung. Though I was always an excellent student, I never found my passion. I LOVE helping people, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to become a doctor. I graduate from an excellent small liberal arts school in the spring with some reservations about what I want to do. I’ve been thinking lately about becoming a doctor, yet I only took like one science class (Organic Chemistry) passed it, but just barely (C+). I know I could have done better, but it was my first semester at this school (I transferred). Even if I don’t become a doctor, your attitude is very refreshing! Thank your for your insipiration and good luck! 
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Your post totally inspired me. I am the type of person who always wants to be ahead. I thought about where I wanted to go to college when I was in 5th grade and even what I should put on my activity sheet when I applied! I was a little high strung. Though I was always an excellent student, I never found my passion. I LOVE helping people, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to become a doctor. I graduate from an excellent small liberal arts school in the spring with some reservations about what I want to do. I’ve been thinking lately about becoming a doctor, yet I only took like one science class (Organic Chemistry) passed it, but just barely (C+). I know I could have done better, but it was my first semester at this school (I transferred). Even if I don’t become a doctor, your attitude is very refreshing! Thank your for your insipiration and good luck!
Hi there,
When you get a chance, do some physician shadowing and find out if medicine is where you passion lies. It will help you get through those endless hours of pre-med classes and help you find your focus.
Enjoy!
Natalie
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Holy cow. You quit a $125K job to start on this path? And I thought I had a dilemma with my measly entry-level mgmt. position.
I’m doing the same thing… I can’t quit the job yet, since I am the primary/sole supporter of my family, but we’re basically gearing up to going from an income well into 6 figures, to semi-destitute student life, in about a year. We have some property we’re selling, and some savings, but my son is heading off to college the same year as myself, and will need some help too. Not sure how the money is going to work, but I know it will. My wife can work, but hasn’t had to for many years, other than as an artist, while being able to hang out with the kids. Anyway, I know it’s going to be a rude awakening, which is why we’ve been preparing for almost 2 years so far…
As to the thread topic, I’ve been able to manage full-time school and full-time work, but that is partially due to the fact that I work for a very understanding company. They even have paid all my tuition (I was going to quit for a better job offer, shortly after starting back to school, so one of the things they offered to keep me was 100% tuition reimbursement, even though I’m taking classes to help me leave them eventually!).
Sam
Hi,
Giving up the money was hard at first, as I had worked in the professional sector for a decade, and know that I will make much less as a resident (plus having no money now)!! I think if its really something you want to do though, that its worth it in the end. Best of luck.
Lauren