Hello! I’m doing informal post bacc work at the U of M, gathering my prerequisites to apply to med school. I was actually initially interested in Chinese Medicine. It took four semesters of Chinese at the U to discover that although I was interested in Chinese philosophy, I was not interested in espousing that philosophy as medicine. Being a doctor still appealed to me, however, and as my attraction to allopathic medicine grew I overcame my intimidation of the sciences and applied myself to science classes. I still have a year of physics left before I can take the MCAT and apply to med schools.
I’ve been following another thread concerning the validity of all the extra hoops pre-meds jump through outside of academics. From my own experience, I think they’ve helped me understand that the healthcare world is a complex entity. When I was interested in Chinese medicine I did background homework and determined that that was not the direction I wanted to go. I’ve shadowed an ob/gyn as well as done some volunteering at a nursing home and a hospital and have come out of those experiences with a strong desire to become a doctor.
orb
Hi orb-- glad to meet you.
I’m really interested in the research end of things for my hypothetical, many-years-in-the-future medical career. Someone (maybe you!) needs to do truly falsifiable science-based investigations of the various Chinese remedies, to see which have value outside the placebo effect. I have had so many people rave to me about acupuncture-- I am really really curious if it has any true value as a (relatively) noninvasive pain therapy.
Matt C
A non-Chinese guy in Chinatown, Lower Manhattan, New York, New York
Hi,
I just wanted to say hi and welcome you to OPM!!!
Orb,
Welcome to OPM! You came via a rather fascinating route to the pre-med status. I believe that traditional medicine from other cultures has much to offer, and though all may not be scientifically based, some of it is very useful.
Good luck in your pursuits.
Kathy
Welcome! Are you from Minneapolis? I have family there (my favorite store in America is there – Opitz, on Excelsior Blvd in St. Louis Park).
There are also some OPM there… Glad you found us!
Hi Orb. Just wanted to welcome you as well. I’m another Minnesotan (Rochester here) traveling down the “old person” route. 
Good luck with everything!
Larry
Orb,
Welcome to OPM. What an interesting journey you have had thus far! I am in MN too (Rochester). Hopefully by the end of this month I will be able to register for classes and know if I will be finishing courses at St. Kate’s in St. Paul or Luther College (Decorah, Iowa). I’m aiming for MCAT April 2005, two years behind my original plan.
I agree, any addtional opportunities are just that, opprtunities for experience and understanding.
Good Luck!
Shirl
I also took Chinese in college and grad school and am also interested in the non-Western perspective. Actually, one of my favorite physicians is also an acupuncturist. Anyway, best of luck to you!
Thank you so much for the warm welcome! Somewhere down the line I hope I’ll be able to do medical research. I’m taking a microbiology class right now and I have to plan and execute a mini research project. I’ve learned it’s really difficult to narrow down a topic into a question that can be answered. I started with a hazy question about the protective function of the Bacillis endospore in UV light. I thought my proposed project was sound, but my TA pointed out right away the flaws in both my question and procedure. I’m coming to the understanding that the ability to do research takes a lot of work to cultivate!
Hello Orb and Welcome to OPM! Just wanted to say hi from Alexandria, VA (suburb of Washington, D.C.).
Love,
Stacy