Dear Forum Members,
I’m so appreciative to have a place to turn with such kind and helpful responses.
I’m a 35-year-old father of 2 with a wife who is mostly stay-at-home (my kids have been high-maintenance medically and otherwise). I hold an MA and am a language instructor at university, have been doing so full-time for 7 years. A few years ago, my life changed in many ways - I started exercising, became interested in math and science and have been studying calculus, chemistry and physics on Khan academy, etc. I have no doubt that I can earn a high GPA in courses due to motivation and my past ability to apply myself in a variety of situations. I want to learn even more challenging science and also would like to have a profession where I am helping others in a more direct way. I also am looking at having a better long-term financial situation (I have no illusions about the financial and temporal rigors of med school and residency!).
My current dilemma is thus: I need to do a post-bacc (no science at all in my undergrad except token ecology/wildlife courses). I’m on the east coast. My sister-in-law has invited us to live with them for a year or so on the west coast, which would enable us to avoid a high cost of living at first. With no guarantee that my wife will be able to work or at least work very much, I am racking my brain and scouring the internet and my personal contacts for any advice relating to financing the post-bacc and eventually an MD. I know you can use FAFSA for a moderate amount for one year of career-change pre-med but I am worried about the second year. The program near my sister-in-law is evening classes only and I don’t think you can accelerate it by already having chem, etc. My wife partly wants to stay where we are for several reasons, but we live in one of the most expensive places you can imagine for rent and other living costs. I am torn because I think that taking my sister-in-law up on her offer could make a difference in our final debt situation, but I don’t necessarily want to uproot the family either (though they are resilient and I would not mind settling out west by any means).
If anyone has any experience with a similar situation and has any sage advice or ideas, I am all ears. Thank you kindly for your time and I wish you all the best.
There’s always the online route if it’s your only option. I took 4 courses online, 3 of them through Univ New England Coll of Medicine. It might limit how many schools will accept the online credits, but many schools take them with no questions asked.
I’m not sure how funding would work. I ended up paying out of pocket because I took them over about a 8 year timeframe… UNE isn’t cheap but it’s really good if you have a life-situation in which you need to work, would have to move, etc.
What an amazing sister-in-law! Where on the west coast would this be?
Here are my thoughts - check out the AAMC postbac page and find out what programs are near where you’ll be. Contact them and ask! Start building a relationship.
You can also do a DIY postbac. Check out Danny’s story at https://medicalschoolhq.net/167. Jessica did a formal postbac at UCLA Extension - you can hear her story at https://medicalschoolhq.net/168.
@MedicalSchoolHQ wrote:
What an amazing sister-in-law!
Agreed!
Where on the west coast would this be?
San Diego area. I'm looking at the post-bacc at UC irvine, UC San Diego (which I'm not sure is for career-changers at all) and one very close to her, CSU San Marcos, which has a relatively 'young' program.
Here are my thoughts - check out the AAMC postbac page and find out what programs are near where you'll be. Contact them and ask! Start building a relationship.
I have done, and am trying my hardest to get them thinking about me. I'm calling an adviser on the phone this afternoon, etc.
Thank you so much for your kind response and the links, which I will certainly check out.]
Welcome! I’m a 35 yo father of two as well, so it’s nice to hear of others in similar situations.
What are you looking to achieve with your post-bach? Do you need to do some GPA repair, or do you just need to complete the prereqs? If it’s the latter, I’d definitely look into doing a DIY post-bach. You could likely do some of the coursework at the community college level and save a good bit of money going that route.
Regarding the potential move, I can understand the appeal of living rent-free for a little while, but I know how challenging moving a family can be (and it can also be quite costly as well). You definitely need to weigh the pros and cons there. One other thing to consider is where you may want to go to med school, as in-state tuition at state schools is often much cheaper. Different states and schools have varying requirements, but some want you to have been established in a location for more than the purposes of education to be able to claim residency.
Best of luck on your journey.
I don’t have sage advice, but I do have opinions and thoughts for you to consider.
The UCSD program will not work. They require you to have taken all the science pre-reqs prior.
http://postbacpremed.ucsd.edu/faqs.cfm
My undergraduate degree is not in math or science, or I lack applicable healthcare experience. Will this disqualify me from entering the program?
You won’t be disqualified from entering the program if you don’t have an undergraduate degree in math or science. However, you must have completed (by the beginning of the program) the traditional prerequisites for medical school including:
two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters of general biology, with lab
two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters of general chemistry, with lab
two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters of organic chemistry, with lab
two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters of physics, with lab
two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters of English
Additionally, the following requirements are not held by all medical schools, but many, and so they are strongly recommended.
two (2) semesters or three (3) quarters of math (calculus, statistics, computer science or a combination of the three)
Also, you don’t necessarily have to have applicable healthcare experience to enter the program. However, you should have a sincere interest in medicine which should be expressed through your application essays.
Next, the program at UCI is geared towards “disadvantaged” applicants. If you don’t meet this requirement, it could be hard to get in. And the cohort is small. Besides, Irvine is quite the commute from San Marcos or SD. Even if your family lives with SIL, you’d likely need a rental in Irvine for the week if you attend this program (assuming you’re disadvantaged and manage to get in). That would put a dent in your expenses.
The CSU San Marcos program would meet your needs (except it spans more than a year). It is entirely evening-based and to me, this is fantastic. This program is only 2-yrs old and I wish it were available many years ago (for me). Even if you don’t have financial aid the second year, I would guess you can save enough working during the first year to be able to afford the second year (my opinion).
The other BIG factor is residency. By moving to CA, would you be giving up residency in a more “favorable” state? CA is not a fun place to be when it comes to chances for med school. Would you end up becoming a CA resident? That could be bad. TX is the best because their constitution requires 90% of acceptances to be TX residents (someone correct me if I’m wrong). There are other states where in-state applicants have a very good chance to get in. Do consider this factor before you make a decision to move. On the east coast, there’s Science in the Evening (UMCP), Harvard Extension, etc, depending on where you live - that would allow you to take classes in the evening and you’d pay for those yourself, without fin aid.
Interesting note: similar to your situation, my cousin in Clarksville, MD offered to let me live in her place if I needed. She and my brother-in-law are both physicians and their house is massive - like a 500 bedroom palace. I could have gone there and done Science in the Evening at UMCP, but there were other factors that prevented me moving out of San Diego. So now I’m still here in SD and taking classes at community college. I have 3-4 more pre-reqs to go and I’m going to make it happen.
Kennymac,
I tried to PM but it’s not working, There’s nothing too private so I’m going to post here.
Saw you posted recently about online courses. As of now, I have Org I/II, Bio 3 (DMU and KCUMB require 3 semesters of bio), and Biochem remaining. 4 courses, all of which could be taken at UNECOM. I’m really old and have few chances at MD. My top 3 targets are DMU, KCUMB, and LMU. The others are VCOMs, LECOMs, and a few others. Do you have any experiences to educate me on whether these institutions accept UNECOM courses? I’m going to do my best to take Org I and Bio 3 at the local community college (not much better than online, but anyway). I might have to take Org II and Biochem online. Do you have any tips for me? Thanks for your time.
PM came through. It shows as “outbox” until the person reads it for some reason. I’ll respond to it tonight and will let you decide whether or not to post it here.
@premeddad wrote:
Dear Forum Members,
I’m so appreciative to have a place to turn with such kind and helpful responses.
I’m a 35-year-old father of 2 with a wife who is mostly stay-at-home (my kids have been high-maintenance medically and otherwise). I hold an MA and am a language instructor at university, have been doing so full-time for 7 years. A few years ago, my life changed in many ways - I started exercising, became interested in math and science and have been studying calculus, chemistry and physics on Khan academy, etc. I have no doubt that I can earn a high GPA in courses due to motivation and my past ability to apply myself in a variety of situations. I want to learn even more challenging science and also would like to have a profession where I am helping others in a more direct way. I also am looking at having a better long-term financial situation (I have no illusions about the financial and temporal rigors of med school and residency!).
My current dilemma is thus: I need to do a post-bacc (no science at all in my undergrad except token ecology/wildlife courses). I’m on the east coast. My sister-in-law has invited us to live with them for a year or so on the west coast, which would enable us to avoid a high cost of living at first. With no guarantee that my wife will be able to work or at least work very much, I am racking my brain and scouring the internet and my personal contacts for any advice relating to financing the post-bacc and eventually an MD. I know you can use FAFSA for a moderate amount for one year of career-change pre-med but I am worried about the second year. The program near my sister-in-law is evening classes only and I don’t think you can accelerate it by already having chem, etc. My wife partly wants to stay where we are for several reasons, but we live in one of the most expensive places you can imagine for rent and other living costs. I am torn because I think that taking my sister-in-law up on her offer could make a difference in our final debt situation, but I don’t necessarily want to uproot the family either (though they are resilient and I would not mind settling out west by any means).
If anyone has any experience with a similar situation and has any sage advice or ideas, I am all ears. Thank you kindly for your time and I wish you all the best.
In order of emphasis:
- I don’t mean to be brash or snarky, but studying khan academy for calc and sitting in for a calc exam, wherein the entire class grade consists of 3 exams and only 5% of the grade comes from homework, is another story entirely. There is a reason that the majority of pre meds drop out of the program and switch majors by year 2 or 3…because the pre-med grinder is hellish, especially when you’re taking cell/molec, organic and micro on top of calc. Doing it any other way (ie lower course count for the sake of higher grades) does not look good on your application.
- There are many health and non-health professions wherein your sole purpose is to help people. Everything from paramedics to the accepting nurses and everyone in between plays a key role in hospital treatment. In the clinic setting the allied health professionals, audiology, optometry, podiatry, etc shoulder their fair share of the medical burden. Ie, MD/DO is not the only route; it would behoove you to spend time shadowing in a hospital setting before making the leap to a post-bac for this.
- The FAFSA is good for 10 semesters, period. The thing is, you won’t get it unless you are in an official program, so if you’re trying to do a DIY post-bac then you’ll have to fund it yourself.
- There is no avoiding uprooting your family. Unless you know someone on your local medical school’s board of trustees, then the best strategy for applying is early and broad, then get in wherever you get accepted, which might mean many states away.
The question I would ask of you is why you are picking medicine over anything else?
@Jfowler85 wrote:
In order of emphasis:
- I don’t mean to be brash or snarky, but studying khan academy for calc and sitting in for a calc exam, wherein the entire class grade consists of 3 exams and only 5% of the grade comes from homework, is another story entirely.
No, not snarky at all. I wasn’t suggesting that I am qualified to pass a test in a real class. It was meant to demonstrate my genuine interest.
The FAFSA is good for 10 semesters, period. The thing is, you won't get it unless you are in an official program, so if you're trying to do a DIY post-bac then you'll have to fund it yourself.
I've been accepted to a postbac at CSU San Marcos.
The question I would ask of you is why you are picking medicine over anything else?
1) I have a deep desire to continue learning science and math and a very strong interest and ability to do so
2) Medicine provides a form of interaction that I am suited for and a way to apply my ability to learn to genuine acute needs
3) An MD will provide a salary that can offset the financial issues that have arisen from a shaky start to life. I know that the loans are significant, etc., but the math simply works out. No other profession could provide the personal satisfaction, educational rigor and job security that I am looking for.
If you’re working in a university, do you have any options for tuition remission (if you stick around a bit longer)?
@premeddad wrote:
- I have a deep desire to continue learning science and math and a very strong interest and ability to do so
- Medicine provides a form of interaction that I am suited for and a way to apply my ability to learn to genuine acute needs
- An MD will provide a salary that can offset the financial issues that have arisen from a shaky start to life. I know that the loans are significant, etc., but the math simply works out. No other profession could provide the personal satisfaction, educational rigor and job security that I am looking for.[/b]
OP, I don’t know if you are following this thread any longer, or if you have followed through with your plans. I hope so.
Were I you, I would be very cautious about pursuing medical school for the reasons you have given, especially reasons 2 and 3. There are several allied health professions which pay well, cost much less than med school, are shorter, and have less stringent pre-reqs. Additionally, having been down this path myself I would recommend against medical school unless you have actual paid experience working amongst MDs in a clinical setting - I admit many would not agree with this, nonetheless I think it prudent to get your feet wet before committing to such a arduous and expensive path.
Otherwise, apologies for digging up an old thread…
@Jfowler85 wrote:
OP, I don’t know if you are following this thread any longer, or if you have followed through with your plans. I hope so.
Were I you, I would be very cautious about pursuing medical school for the reasons you have given, especially reasons 2 and 3. There are several allied health professions which pay well, cost much less than med school, are shorter, and have less stringent pre-reqs. Additionally, having been down this path myself I would recommend against medical school unless you have actual paid experience working amongst MDs in a clinical setting - I admit many would not agree with this, nonetheless I think it prudent to get your feet wet before committing to such a arduous and expensive path.
Otherwise, apologies for digging up an old thread…
Thanks, friend, for this honest response. Sorry that I have been so busy I couldn’t make time to go on forums and the like. In the event that you should find your way back here, I wanted you to know that I have just completed my first semester of pre-reqs with a 4.0 and am working part-time as an ER scribe - I absolutely adore it. I am still wide open in terms of the next few years and my ultimate path, but so far, so good.