Hello to everyone. I’m a new member, and it’s great to be here.
I’m a 44 year old RN, who’s been in the nursing field for 23 years, and instead of going on for a NP, wants to do med school instead. However, I’m meeting a lot of resistance from nursing co-workers and supervisors regarding letters of recommendation, so that I can attend formal post-bac pre-med programs out of well-established universities. Trouble is, everyone thinks I’m a terrific nurse, but totally out of my mind for wanting to go to med school! I’ve found a local college, which isn’t nearly as “stellar” as the Ivy League program that I wanted, but they will admit me as an adult student, no letters required. There, I can take all the science courses that I need, but I am concerned that the school lacks the “dazzle” factor. I feel that my age may make it more difficult to be taken seriously, and going to a second-tier school may just comlicate it further. What do you think? Have you had any experiences? Where are you guys going for your pre-med sciences, and are you in an official program? Thanks so much, and I look forward to being an active member.
Hi,
It won’t matter where you take your required courses, unless you want to get into an Ivy leg medical school. Just do the best you can at the school you attend and you will be fine. Good luck. It is hard to change career paths especially when you meet resitance from your peers. Don’t worry about what they think, just do what your heart tells you to do. All my best
Amy
And welcome to OPM!!!
Quote:
Hello to everyone. I’m a new member, and it’s great to be here.
I’m a 44 year old RN, who’s been in the nursing field for 23 years, and instead of going on for a NP, wants to do med school instead. However, I’m meeting a lot of resistance from nursing co-workers and supervisors regarding letters of recommendation, so that I can attend formal post-bac pre-med programs out of well-established universities. Trouble is, everyone thinks I’m a terrific nurse, but totally out of my mind for wanting to go to med school! I’ve found a local college, which isn’t nearly as “stellar” as the Ivy League program that I wanted, but they will admit me as an adult student, no letters required. There, I can take all the science courses that I need, but I am concerned that the school lacks the “dazzle” factor. I feel that my age may make it more difficult to be taken seriously, and going to a second-tier school may just comlicate it further. What do you think? Have you had any experiences? Where are you guys going for your pre-med sciences, and are you in an official program? Thanks so much, and I look forward to being an active member.
Hi there,
It really does not matter where you do your pre-medical science work as long as you do well and score competitively on the MCAT. You just need to be sure that the General Chemistry with lab, Organic Chemistry with lab, General Biology with lab and General Physics with lab cover enough material so that you can take the MCAT.
Any accredited university or college can provide you with the tools to prepare for MCAT and medical school. Even if you wanted to attend an Ivy League medical school, good grades and a good MCAT score could get you to your goal provided the rest of your application is competitive.
Ivy League is great but expensive. If you have the money and the time, by all means go for what you think is best but whatever you do, do well and take your time. The best way to be taken seriously by a medical school admissions committee is to post a 4.0 GPA and a 30+ MCAT score. You would be surprised at the number of doors that might open for you.
You should also look into the other pre reqs for the medical schools that interest you. Some require calculus or genetics. Be sure that you cover all of your bases and get what you need. Also, be sure to investigate the timeline in terms of pre-medical advising for your college or university. Find out their deadlines and meet them so that you have your LORs ready.
Good luck and welcome to the group!
Natalie
Hey there,
I’m not sure schools’ preferences about where you take pre-reqs really shake down along the lines of Ivy vs. non-Ivy League. Harvard encourages students on their website to attend whatever school will give them the best education. Wake Forest makes a huge deal on their page about how community college classes aren’t adequate. Other places will rank your school’s prestige according to some highly mathematical formula developed by the ancient greeks. So who knows what’s really in the minds of these people. But for sure, you can do it on your own outside an official post-bacc program. Just make sure you’re taking pre-med versions of classes and the education is good.
I would take another shot at asking for LORs if you’re really looking at a program. Can’t you convince your boss to do this for you even if he/she thinks it’s a bad idea? Is there a doctor you work with who would write one?
I don’t think it makes enough difference to be worth the hassle you’re encountering. The other thing is, if these folks are giving you such a hard time, what can you expect from their letters? It’s sad to say, but I would not trust them to write you the kind of glowing letter that you probably deserve.
(Lesson for your future here: when you request a LOR, phrase it like this: “Can you write me a strongly positive letter of recommendation?” and if the person hesitates even for a second, go elsewhere to get your letters. This is a lesson that will serve you well during med school and residency applications.)
No doubt there are positives to formal post-bacc programs, but lots of us (myself included) have done informal work and done just fine. As Natalie says, the key is to do VERY well with your grades and MCAT scores.
Good luck and welcome to OPM!
Mary
To all who wrote offering advice to the above question, I thank you all! It has really helped me to get a perspective on a difficult situation (re: not getting the letters that I was counting on), but I can see now that it is not the end of the world, and I will certainly do the best that I can at the College that has gladly admitted me. Thanks so much to all of you! Sincerely, Siobhan
Wow! When I read your question I thought I wrote it! I am also 44 and an RN for 16+ years. I’m so not surprised that no one would give you a letter-they’re probably jealous (haha). I wish you all the best-at college or uni. Have you thought of starting out at the college and transferring after 1st year? I am also wrestling with this decision, I will be starting next year (Sept 05). I don’t know if it’s like this in Canada with the schools frowning on a cc premed.
Gina.
WOW! I’m a 40 yr RN and thought about NP but instead I’m going to St. Christopher’s College of Medicine in Jan 05. I want to be a FP in a rural area of the south so I don’t think the FMG thing will be too much of a problem. My wife is excited about England and our future. Good luck to you. From what I understand it does’nt matter much what undergrad school you go to as long as your grades are good and MCATS are good. 
I agree with whats been said about course locations. On another note however, it would be great if you could find one supervisor or co-worker who appreciates your skill as a nurse but is, at the same time, encouraging of your effort to make a change. While they may not be necessary for your undergraduate courses, a recommendation from them may be helpful when it comes to applying to med school.
Steve Y. UNECOM MS 4
All of what has been said above is pretty accurate. The key point being taking your time & doing the best that you can achieve. Strategizing about financially struggling through school-x because it has a better name vs affordable school-y is less well known is of highly questionable benefit. Yes, for some med schools, it makes a difference, but for the most part, you will be more than adequately covered by choosing what is best for you…let me say that again…choosing what works best for you & not what you heard some pre-med advisor or 22 y/o competitor espousing to the rooftops.
Secondly, a less subtle point was the evident disconnect that can exist b/t pre-med advisors’ well-intentioned advice & the reality of applying to medical school. For most of those advisors, their clientele are 95%+ traditional applicants. So, they can provide wrote advice w/o endangering their poetential acceptances. However, as nontrads represent highly varied & additional needs, those same points of advice just may not truly fit.
The solution? Read & interact with people who have succeeded in what you dream. Identify a few of them who seem to know what they are talking about, ask them all the questions you need addressed & cross compare their answers. This way, you can filter through the background noise to select out the valuable parts that pertain to you & your unique situation. Educating yourself extensively is the best way to navigate this expensive, arduous & sometimes capricious process of pre-med & applying to medical school.
Furthermore, take ownership & be an active applicant. Do not sell yourself short by adopting the passive role…but do not go too far as to appear arrogant either. This process can be very depersonalizing & the best way to avoid that is by being an active shopper - choose what is best for you. Empower yourself with knowledge & the support of family & friends.
Best of luck & success to you.
In my experience with various adcoms from Harvard to East Carolina University, where you take classes seems to matter when you receive grades lower than “A”. For people like me that barely squeeked by most of my undergrad premed classes, having taken them at a “competitive” school appears to have “balanced” things out a bit.