Hi!
I could probably be considered even a non-traditional non-traditional premed! I’ve earned a BBA degree and an MS degree in the US, and have now been working in the business world on a work visa (restricted to my employer) over the last three years. I’m currently 29 and originally a European citizen. Over the last year or so, I’ve acquired a bigger and bigger interest in medicine and biotechnology. I feel myself drawn to the healthcare industry and working towards making a positive impact on people’s lives. I don’t hate my job or what I do, but it’s becoming clear that I need a bigger sense of purpose and I need to do something that matters to other people. Caring for people has always come natural to me, and I aspire to do this for a living.
As of right now, I have been doing tons of research on the prereqs I need, where to take them and in what order, acquired books to start studying, paid for library access, reached out to hospitals for volunteering etc. My main concern is that I’m unable to make any changes to my employment relationship (e.g. work part-time) because my visa approval is very tied to the specific work circumstances that were portrayed in the visa petition. Is it unreasonable for me to think that I can complete all my prereqs part-time and through summer school, study for the MCAT and apply to medical school, all while being a full-time employee? Should I bring these goals up to my manager or is that too risky considering I’m here on a work visa? If I don’t, it might be tricky to balance it all unless they’re aware of my long-term goals. Are there any resources for foreign students in this type of situation?
ANY guidance will be highly appreciated!In advance, thank you very much.
Hey aspiring-med-student,
I was in a similar situation as yours, though I did not have the visa issues you do. I was able to complete all my prereqs part time (mostly at night) and ~120 hours of patient volunteering experience while working full time in consulting for a multinational corporation, so it is absolutely possible for you to do the same. This work got me to the point of being in a full-time graduate program in Biomedicine that I can take to professional schools for medicine, dentistry, PhD, etc.
Consider registering for one class that fits your current schedule, while also exploring volunteering in hospitals. Your days will get long, though gently starting to take a class and to volunteer are the simplest ways to determine if you should continue before you jump “all in” to this, have conversations with your manager, etc.
I spoke a bit about this on a post called “Exploring Medicine Without Giving Up Your Day Job”, including the steps I took to gain patient volunteering experience. The link for this is listed at the bottom of this response. Please let me know if you have any more questions!
https://medicalschoolhq.net/forums/topic/exploring-medicine-without-giving-up-your-day-job/
Hi post-bacc,
Thank you so very much for your thoughtful and thorough response! This is incredibly helpful and inspiring. It makes me feel motivated to read your story and to know that it is, in fact, possible to successfully transition into medicine, coming from such a different background. I admire what you have accomplished and I will take your advice on easing into volunteering and taking classes on the side. I think that with the right mindset and drive, this will be feasible. I think it’s also important to keep the long-term goal in mind and focus on how extremely rewarding it will all be in the end. Knowing that you made a “crazy” decision and worked your butt off and followed your dream as a result.
I also want to mention that I’m very pleasantly surprised by how supportive this community is! It makes me feel like I’m in great company and that I’m not alone in this 
Hi aspiring-med-student,
I’m happy to help. It is very feasible, and once you get started, you will definitely be busy, though you will start to understand “where” you want to spend your time (your day job vs. pre-med activites) instead of where you currently “have” to spend your time (your day job).
There will absolutely be times when you, and people around you, say that it is a “crazy” decision (like when you’re back in the pre-req classes with people who just graduated high school, and/or when you’re stuck in a chem lab until midnight waiting for chemicals to mix), though it is really impressive to gain this experience.
Please let me know how else I can help. I’m working on more posts to help and spread the word that this changing of careers is possible!
Thank you again so very much! Right now, the thought of being stuck in chem lab until midnight waiting for chemicals to mix sounds extremely intriguing! I think that’s a good sign I will very likely have many more questions throughout my journey and will be sure to post them here. This is a great community and I really appreciate that you and others that sit on such amazing experiences take your time to contribute with your knowledge, advice and guidance
You are very welcome, and yes, that is definitely a good sign that you are willing to put in the time to succeed.
I am happy to help! Thank you for your kind words. I look forward to answering more of your questions as well!