Hey everyone.
I guess I’ll get started with some biographical information. I’m a 29 year old computer engineer who is strongly considering going to medical school. I’m married with one 4 year old son. The timeline I am considering for doing this is rather long as I would hopefully start med school in 2015. I have to take some prerequisites, but I am not sure what all I would have to take and where I would take them. Plus, my wife wants to return to school and get a nursing degree (it would take her 2.5 years and she wouldn’t be able to start until Fall 2012).
As far as previous education, I have nothing to cover up or prove I have overcome to a medical school. I graduated with a 3.93 gpa in 2003 from a large public university with a degree in computer engineering. I earned a M.S. in the same field from a different school last year. Computer engineering is pretty far from medicine as far as science courses taken as an undergrad, but the level of technical competency one must have is high for both fields.
As far as prerequisites go, I got AP credit for Chemistry and Physics way back when. I only took the first semester of Chem lab. Do any of these classes matter, or does the fact that I graduated with these classes on my record sort of “lock them in?” I am very comfortable with physics and use it on a regular basis, but I wouldn’t mind going back and retaking chemistry. Would retaking it at a community college affect my standing too much, or should I take it at a public university (4 hours at CC is about $400 whereas at university it is $1200)? I know I will probably take organic and bio at the university. Do I just need to take the freshman and sophomore levels of these classes to get in? Could a high MCAT score compensate for the lack of taking biochemistry and the like, even if those courses are not required? Do I have to retake physics, math, and English?
I am also wondering about scholarships. How many med school students actually get them? Does the lack of a bio degree hurt me? Will my age hurt me, or does it provide some diversity that institutions may be looking for?
Sorry for turning on the fire hose of questions. I’m trying to get a lot taken care of up-front before I begin down this path. It’s going to be quite a sacrifice for me and my family (as I’m sure it has been for all of you too) if I do this. My family is #1 to me and I have a good job now, so my wife and I do not take these decisions lightly. Thank you.
Hello and welcome.
First of all, AP credit probably won’t count. You need a letter grade that can be averaged into a science GPA. Taking/retaking general chemistry and physics, with labs, at a CC is probably OK as long as you get some of the advanced classes at a 4-yr school. There is a lot of debate in these forums about CC vs. 4-yr, so please look around and get input from other members.
A non-life science major is not a problem. If you look around some of the forums, we all have widely varied backgrounds and degrees. You have an excellent GPA in your major. If you do as well on your post-bacc work and MCAT, and keep your options open, you will get in to med school.
As for the MCAT, at a minimum you will need to either complete or be on the home stretch with 2 semesters gen chem, 2 semesters org chem, 2 semesters science-major level biology and 2 semesters physics. Other members have found that a semester of biochem and a semester of genetics and/or physiology will help boost your score. Personally I did OK with the minimum and a prep course, but that’s been 10 years ago and I understand the MCAT is a little more rigorous now, so it might be wise to get at least one or two advanced classes under your belt before the test date.
With regards to scholarships, there are a host of programs that can assist you with costs, ranging from institutional scholarships to state assistance to national scholarships. The institutional scholarships are usually academic or special interest, whereas the state and national scholarships are typically in exchange for some kind of service committment after residency. If you are interested in something like that but not ready to commit when it’s time to matriculate, you can still take out loans and then find a position that offers loan forgiveness after residency. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I’m going to put in another plug for primary care. There is a huge need for family medicine, general internal medicine, general peds and OB, and there are many, many programs and dollars out there to fund your education.
Again, welcome and keep up posted on your progress.
Thanks jmdmd.
I’ve read a lot of the CC vs college/uni discussions, but most of them were in a context of people who may have had non-science backgrounds. I sort of got the impression that a lot of what medical schools like to see is that you can handle the rigor of medical school and that community college on its own cannot supply that kind of rigor. I will probably email the school to which I would apply if my currently 12-year old AP credit is worth anything. They do state on their website that they will accept AP or CLEP if further coursework has been done. It is a pretty good school and tough to get into, so I will see what they say and take that to heart. I might also go to the local public university (same one I got my MS at) and if I can matriculate as an undergrad and go ahead and take the second semester of general chem lab, organic chem 1 and 2, biology, and then some more advanced bio classes (e.g. biochem and genetics). I would rather do that from an education perspective than retake physics and general chem. Plus it might show that even though it has been years since I was in a classroom for general chemistry, I still have a good enough grasp of the material that I was able to pick up where I left off.
I use what I learned in physics class on a very regular basis (computer engineering sounds like being a geek holed up in some computer lab, but most of what I do is with hardware that relates to real-world physical processes). I really loved physics class in high school, but it would be mind-numbingly dull to learn all the stuff in that class again. If I had the choice, I would skip physics and inorganic chem and load up on the more advanced biology. It would probably help me with the MCAT more too.