Hello all! I’ve so enjoyed perusing this forum. Thank you guys for all the info!!
My name is Isabella, I’m 24, received a BA in General Liberal Arts (unofficially a double major in philosophy & theology and an almost double minor in math & science) at a great books based college. It was very rigorous, very nerdy, and a lot of fun. As for work, I practically grew up in the restaurant industry and only recently transitioned out of it to work in marketing/content creation. All along the way I just felt like something was missing!
Thanks to 6+ months of sitting at home with not much to do but think, I finally faced my big fear: considering becoming a doctor. I come from a family of doctors and for some reason had instantly written it off as a child. But many of my life experiences made medicine appealing: I’m a triplet, and both of my sisters developed autoimmune diseases in high school, my parents have had their own health issues as they’ve gotten older. As the only member of my family to not have a serious medical condition, I was there for all of it, sickness and healing. I tagged along to so many different appointments with specialists, both in allopathic and holistic environments. I watched my bedridden sister heal and go to college and tried to advocate for my father after he’d had a heart attack. In my spare time I would devour information through classes, books, seminars, etc., anything I could get my hands on. But through all this, I never truly considered pursuing medicine.
I think I felt incapable and scared, also already behind even though I’m in my 20s. But after thinking long and hard (and realizing that I would burn with jealousy whenever any friends entered med school), I just realized that any fear I may have is not a good enough reason not to pursue this. I’ve considered NP, PA, etc., but just feel like I want the autonomy and rigor of MD/DO. I’m open to my path changing, however. Anyway, I’m at the point where I’ll regret it for the rest of my life if I don’t follow this through to wherever it may lead.
Currently I’m looking at formal postbacc programs, specifically Goucher, Bryn Mawr, Bennington, Tufts, USC, and Georgetown. I’m not necessarily set on top top programs, however, my doctor relatives were very insistent on my applying to them to keep my options open. While I took math and science classes throughout my time in college, they were not very lab focused, and more about the philosophy of math and science than the nuts and bolts of it. That’s why I’m looking into programs geared toward career changers.
As for my basic info, I have a 3.74 GPA, 2020 SAT. I have no idea where I stack up in comparison to others, but I’m just hoping to apply to lots of programs and see what happens. Working on getting some clinical experience through volunteering, e-shadowing, and interning, should start pretty soon. I’m hoping to apply ASAP, right now I’m just waiting on LORs, my official SAT score, and finishing up my personal statement. I’m going to start prepping myself by watching Khan Academy videos and reading up on whatever I can to familiarize myself with the courses.
Phew! This was a long-winded intro. Please let me know if you guys have any tips or advice, or experiences with these particular programs. I’m very grateful for your help and can’t wait to meet you! 