Hello. I am so glad to have found this site!
I’m not quite to the point where I call myself “old” but I feel like I am in the grand scheme of going pre-med!
I am looking for some advice. Here is my story: BA, History in 2004. GPA: 3.0 I took the bare minimum of math and science and the easiest courses, at that. I have no hard science background. I work in fundraising at a well-regarded university and it is BORING. I love to be active, to work with and help people, and to feel like I have accomplished something each and every day- I don’t feel that here.
I recently had a life-altering experience that has made me realize I have been selling myself short for so many years. I really did what came easiest to me when I was in college and thought that if something didn’t come easy to me, it wasn’t worth doing. I have all of the mental tools; I am very curious and my mind soaks up information like a sponge.
That said, I have decided that medicine is the place for me. I have enrolled in community college for the summer to start over again on my math education and plan to do the same with my sciences once I have the math foundation taken care of. I first thought that I may have to get a second BA to make myself a viable candidate because of my mediocre undergrad record. Is this something I should even consider or would I be wasting my time? I want to go to a U.S. med school, preferably in CA since this is my home. I don’t think a post-bac is the place for me at this time as I have too many needs!
Secondly, because of my employment, I have access to a sizeable tuition break to take some of the courses I need at this top-20 public university. It would come out to be more $$ than the community college but if it would help my chances, I would do it. Currently I am thinking of doing it 50/50 by taking some of the intro courses at the CC and then when I get into some of the more difficult science courses, take them at the university. Do you have an opinion on this? Will I be wasting money?
Any help you can offer me on these issues would be VERY appreciated. Thanks.
Just my quick 2c - I would have given anything to be employed at our U and get a tuition break. I would recommend going for it and taking all your classes at your University.
I know this is a hot topic with as many opinions as there are users on this board, but if your U is in the top 20 then you’ll probably, at least, get a feel for the academic grind of taking a science class with starry eyed over achievers who really have no worries other than their grades.
I say go for the U and since you’re usually on campus for work commuting to class shouldn’t be a problem.
Finally, don’t worry about your previous 3.0 or a second BA. Knock your pre-reqs out of the ballpark and learn the material and you should be fine. If you can show that you’ve turned a new leaf for the better, and are academically competent, you’re golden!
Thank you, Dazed. I am definitely going to take all of my required science and math courses at the university. It is a top ten “Public Ivy” and a top 40 university nationwide. I’m going to do the low level math and the intro science courses at the CC. I have never taken Chem, Physics, or Bio so I want to lay a foundation for the university courses; I am determined to do this RIGHT. I am starting at pre-algebra for the math and need to get all the way through Calc II in order to take the Organic Chemistry or Physics sequence!
I’ve been reading a lot on the forum and I have already learned so much about the process as well as resiliency from everyone here.