Hi everybody! My name is Lauren and I’m currently a public school teacher in a big midwestern city. I’ve been thinking about switching to a career in medicine for a long time, and am finally at a point in my teaching career where I feel like I can transition into something new. It took me a couple years of teaching to realize my real passion is in women’s health, specifically reproductive health. I’d like to go to med school and become an OB/GYN.
As an undergrad, I received a BA in English and I’ve taken some grad school classes for teaching (I’ll have a graduate certificate in Teaching English as a Second Language by the end of the summer). To my knowledge, the only pre-med coursework I have under my belt is one semester of sociology, one semester of psychology, and one semester of the most introductory Biology lab (at my school it was BIO 103, and I received a B in the course, so I might retake it as a refresher and to get my grade up to an A). So I have a LOT to do. Could I get it done in just one year?
Right now I’m leaning toward the DIY post-bacc pre-med path. I know it’s not as appealing as an actual post-bacc premed program, which makes me nervous. For financial reasons, I’ll probably do all my coursework at my alma mater (George Mason University) and then apply to med school. I joined this community to get as much advice as possible, from people who are having similar experiences. I also like the idea of having a place to ask questions that are unique to “older” pre-med students.
My biggest question right now is if I should take the DIY path. The pros are that I could move back in with my family (which makes the most financial sense), much cheaper tuition, and the ability to take a lighter courseload should I have to work part-time or potentially even full-time. The cons are, of course, this is not as competitive as an actual program and may hurt my chances of getting into med school. Any advice from somebody who has taken the DIY option?
I’ve already been browsing the forums and it has been very helpful, especially in giving me the strength from knowing I’m not the only one doing this. One of my biggest fears initially was that there was no way in hell a med school would take someone who didn’t major in science and go straight to med school. I now know that’s certainly not the case!
Anyway, that’s my long-winded introduction, and thanks again to anybody who offers advice or suggestions, now or in the future! Because I have no pre-med advisor I really have no idea what I’m doing–all I know is that I want to be a doctor, and it’s going to take a lot of careful planning to make it happen.
- Lauren W. Said:
Hi! Your background sounds a lot like mine- former teacher, decided to change careers to pursue being an Ob/Gyn. Congrats on your choice!
- Lauren W. Said:
One year is really tough. The medical school admissions cycle very closely mirrors the application cycle to undergraduate schools with the exception that it starts earlier. Applications can be submitted from Summer to early Autumn. Interviews are given out Autumn through Spring, and acceptances happen late Autumn/early Winter through Spring.
The big thing is that admissions are rolling, so you want to apply as early as possible- June is optimal. However, it's going to be an uphill battle if you haven't gotten any of your prerequisite coursework done, save for one biology class. Assuming that all you need to do is get those prerequisites done, two years is more realistic. Get your prereqs done in year one, apply in June at the end of year one, then spend year two however you can be productive.
- Lauren W. Said:
My biggest question right now is if I should take the DIY path. The pros are that I could move back in with my family (which makes the most financial sense), much cheaper tuition, and the ability to take a lighter courseload should I have to work part-time or potentially even full-time. The cons are, of course, this is not as competitive as an actual program and may hurt my chances of getting into med school. Any advice from somebody who has taken the DIY option?
There are two major questions. What are your options and what are your circumstances? A DIY is good if your application is basically set aside from finishing coursework. If you feel it has other needs- GPA remediation, MCAT prep, etc- then you may not get enough mileage out of such a program. If you post a more complete description of your credentials we can give better feedback.
I usually say that you don't send AMCAS an application. You send a narrative. Figuring out what you want your narrative to be and what you need/can do to get that is the key.
- Lauren W. Said:
A few years ago I was at TJU (Philly) doing an MS and looked over the list of incoming PhD students. There was one girl who was in the MD/PhD MSTP whose undergraduate major was English.
As Fedaykin said, one year is tough, probably very difficult if you’re going DIY. The trouble is in the pre-reqs. You’re going to need Gen Chem I & II (and labs), OChem I & II (and labs), Physics I & II plus 2 semesters of Biology and possibly Genetics and Biochemistry, depending on where you apply. The Gen Chem courses alone are two semesters, and they’re most likely pre-reqs for Organic, which will be another two semesters.
It may be possible to do both Gen Chems or both OChems over a summer semester, which could cut the time down a lot, but those are difficult courses during a regular semester, and even harder when you squish it down to 5 weeks.
Hi,
I am currently a teacher too. I teach at a Science and Technology School in the New Orleans area.
I would agree that two years would be more practical but the good news is that, at least for me, the medical school seemed to really love the fact that I have been a teacher for 14 years.
Hello Lauren,
Welcome to the OPM community! In your post you didn’t describe any kind of actual medical experience which has confirmed your decision to pursue a career in medicine. Perhaps you have it but didn’t include it in your background summary. If you don’t have any clinical experience I highly suggest you volunteer in a hospital or clinic prior to delving into the required premed courses. You should do this on a regular basis (a minimum of 4 hours/week) over a period of several months at least (and longer is preferable). Medical schools will want to see it as proof that you’ve tested your decision and that you know what you’re getting into, and it’ll keep your drive alive when you’re in the midst of the challenging premed courses.
As for the DIY post-bac option, you can certainly do that but it will likely take longer than enrolling in a formal, structured program in which you’d be guaranteed to get the courses you need in a specified time frame. But the structured post-bac program would cost you a lot more money, as well. You should also find out if George Mason, where you might do your work, provides premed advising and a committee letter for those who do DIY post-bac classes. Good luck!
- LucyTraci Said:
Small world, I probably live within 20 minutes of you. Also used to teach HS (biology).
Wow, thanks everyone for the great responses! I really appreciate all the advice. I’m a little bit rusty when it comes to this kind of online forum and I can’t figure out how to reply to everybody individually, so I’ll have to do it this way for now:
Fedaykin and bennard–Thank you for your perspective. I spoke with the pre-med advisor at George Mason and she also seemed to think getting my prereqs done in one year will be unrealistic. I hadn’t considered the idea of getting my prereqs done, and then spending a year applying to med school and doing something productive (ideally working in the healthcare field). This seems to be what I’ll have to do, especially since it will be difficult for me to survive without an income for very long!
As far as my other credentials go, my undergraduate GPA was a 3.8, but again, this was with an English major and education minor, so I don’t know if that looks very impressive or not. My GPA for my graduate coursework right now is a 3.8 as well, also in education classes. I know that I’ll need to keep a 4.0 while I’m doing my pre-reqs. I graduated from the honors college at GMU and got into Teach for America, which is known for having a small acceptance rate (and also known for looking good on resumes–sadly, many undergrads go into TFA specifically for this reason). I think the major things I’m lacking right now are my pre-reqs and medical related experiences.
As far as my “narrative” goes, I’d like to emphasize my experience teaching in urban public schools and working with underserved communities. My decision to switch to a career in medicine comes from my experience working with women, children and families who do not really have access to quality healthcare. Many rely on free health clinics or (sadly) our overworked school nurse for their healthcare services. I think these clinics and other free health services do a great service for my students and our community–without them, my kids would not be ready to come to school and learn. Of course, my students’ health trajectory begins before they are born, with the health of their mothers. The women in my community do not receive the same level of care as women with more privilege, so naturally this affects the health of their children, families, and then their children’s performance in school. Anyway, I’m planning on discussing all of this more specifically in my med school applications and interviews, but hopefully it gives some more context.
I’m not too keen on paying more specifically for MCAT prep, since in the past I prepped for the SAT and the GRE by myself and in study groups and performed very well. I know the MCAT is a different beast, so let me know if you think I should be a little more prepared. In general, though, I’m good at studying and a good test taker.
lizat–Sadly I don’t have any actual medical experience. I am planning on volunteering at a women’s clinic or women’s health center while doing my pre-med. I’m also hoping to get involved with a program that works with providing healthcare services and parenting/childbirth classes to pregnant teenagers.
I hope this gives a little more context and thanks again for all the advice! I’ll probably end up stretching my pre-reqs over the course of two or three years while working with women in a health-related setting. Hopefully the MCAT will go smoothly, the med schools will like my story, and everything will work out. Please let me know if anybody has any other suggestions!
Fedaykin,
Yes we probably live within 20 minutes of each other. Very small world indeed. High school biology is very cool. Are you going to apply to Tulane med school? I completed the primary app but then got into LSU NOLA before I sent the secondary app into Tulane. My sister in law went to Tulane and has nothing but positive things to say about Tulane.
Lauren,
I think that your statement so far is very strong and the schools that I applied to did look favorably upon my teaching experience especially the urban and special ed (behavior disturbed) background that I taught at before being picked up at a magnet school.
And yes, volunteering would be a great thing to do as it would show the natural progression of your interests.
I’d just like to respond to your question about whether the MCAT takes more work. YES!!!
I got 2 700’s on my SAT’s. I did ALL the prereqs in one year prior to taking the MCAT, took the Kaplan course, and studied very hard till I was getting 36’s on my practice tests and got a 33. I’m a great test-taker AND taught “critical thinking” (which is a lot of what it tests) to nursing students for many years prior to taking the MCAT.
I’d say, all the prep and practice you can do is what you should do. If you don’t do a course, I still think you should do disciplined specific prep (say with Examcrackers, and practice tests), for about 3 months.
Kate
I agree with Kate. You can prepare on your own but you should prepare. I didn’t prepare enough as I made the decision to take the mcat in late June and took it in early September, I didn’t relearn my organic in that time but I did prepare for the verbal and other parts as much as I could in that small amount of time ( I work two jobs-middle/high school teacher and college teacher).I got a 12 on the verbal and a 30 overall. I wish I had relearned the organic though for a higher score but I did do well enough to get in.
- Lauren W. Said:
Ultimately, the best plan isn't the one with the highest success rate but the one that has the best compromise between a success rate and practical concerns- ie, paying rent. My advice would be if you have a paying job now, figure out as much as possible before you pull the trigger on the new plan and leave it. Have your ducks in a row in as much as possible.
- Lauren W. Said:
Perhaps not as impressive as a BS in Biology, but I feel you're looking at it backwards. Whenever you apply for something- school, job, credit card- the approval process has two goals: (1) determining upside and (2) risk abatement. The first of those is usually pretty straightforward. The second one is often the trickier matter.
Every student a medical school accepts is a risk. Maybe this student doesn't graduate. Maybe this student graduates but doesn't pass the USMLEs. Maybe this student gets caught buying body parts from questionable sources to study from. Etc etc. Now, perhaps the degree in English with the 3.8 and the 3.8 in your graduate classes (MAE?) isn't as compelling a story as a 3.8 with a BS in Neuroscience. But the good news is that you don't have credentials that are introducing risk. That means that for your undergraduate and graduate program, you don't need to worry about risk abatement and can focus more on expressing how they demonstrate your potential.
- Lauren W. Said:
Perfect. I'd save that paragraph to a word file for when it comes time to start fleshing out your personal statement.
- Lauren W. Said:
Cart before the horse. The MCAT is very content heavy, and you've had none or close to none of the relevant content that it's going to test. Maybe you learn that you're an organic chemistry prodigy and it comes naturally. Maybe the class goes fine but it doesn't come together on the MCAT. Who's to say at this point? It's good to have these things rattling around in your mind, but there are a lot of things playing into this matter which haven't taken form yet that it's premature to worry.
- LucyTraci Said:
It's definitely on my list. My main challenge is that at a point in time when I was convinced I'd probably never get into an MD program and started looking at DO schools, I really got into the case-based programs some schools offer. And with my science background I'd be perfect for one.
On the other hand though, the program I'm going through now for my PhD has a lot of features that I realize give me an inside track in applying to our medical school. There's also a program to give special consideration to applicants who already hold doctorates and I have the impression they're excited to take students who got their doctorates here.
Also, frankly, I love this city and the prospect of continuing to live here is a major consideration.
When did your SiL go to Tulane? I understand that their operations and rankings have been somewhat messy since Katrina and the closure of Charity Hospital. But I also figure that'll be straightened out when University Hospital opens.
Sent you a PM with my contact info. Drop me a line if I can ever help you with anything.