looking for similar experience..

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

i am a 27 year old returning student. went to a CC when i was 21-24. i have been back in school for the last 1.5 years, full-time. i am not married, no kids, not much family, on my own, no real ties to anything. it seems to me that a majority of the people on this site are:

  1. married or divorced

  2. have kids

  3. living with loved ones (sig. other, family, etc…) to help support them.

  4. have advanced degrees in other subjects (MA, MS, PhD, etc…)


    i am/have not any of the above. anyone else out there like me and going through or completed this journey? i am glad i found this site. however, i still feel a little unique (which is not a good thing). i get the same thing at school now. 90% of everyone is much younger or the people who are non-trads are all married/divorced start-overs…
2

Unique is not a bad thing ;). It may be that many of our more prolific posters don’t meet your criteria, but there’s certainly a fair contingent of we similar enough to you. I’m 27, not married, sans kids, living independently, and I have a BS.


In any case, I’m sure you’ll find this site to be full of empathetic and supportive folks, be they 27 or 54.


…except “crooz”. Look out for that guy!

3

well, I guess I’m with the crowd, somewhat

  1. married but separated for two years

  2. 3 kids (one is an adult)

  3. age 44

  4. BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (so no advanced degree, no biochem wiz)


    Either way, this is a good group, and unless you’re right out of high school into college, you’re a non-trad. Welcome!
4

I know the feeling, I hope we can keep in touch with each other, I am in the same boat like you will be starting community college september. What books are you studying from for your pre-reqs. I am basically checking books out of public library.

5
  • persnickety Said:
i am a 27 year old returning student. went to a CC when i was 21-24. i have been back in school for the last 1.5 years, full-time. i am not married, no kids, not much family, on my own, no real ties to anything. it seems to me that a majority of the people on this site are:

1. married or divorced

2. have kids

3. living with loved ones (sig. other, family, etc...) to help support them.

4. have advanced degrees in other subjects (MA, MS, PhD, etc...)

i am/have not any of the above. anyone else out there like me and going through or completed this journey? i am glad i found this site. however, i still feel a little unique (which is not a good thing). i get the same thing at school now. 90% of everyone is much younger or the people who are non-trads are all married/divorced start-overs...



As a child, I had the habit of picking up interesting-looking rocks which I would stash in a small dresser drawer. By the time I was in junior highschool, I had acumulated an entire drawer of (I thought) fairly unique rocks. These rocks achieved their destiny to become the bottom of an aquarium for some exotic tropical fish. I'm convinced the fish were suitably impressed with the fancy real estate I had provided for them. Unique fish deserve an unique environment.

I just turned 41 yesterday. Is it just me, or does time speed up in proportion to lost brain cells?

I have attended junior college, major universities, community colleges (separately and in combination) while I worked part-time or full-time from 1984 until I received my B.A. in 1999. I have labored as a dog trainer, a lumber yard employee, a dormitory RA, a student computer programmer, a fast-food shmoe, a computer repair tech., a gas station clerk, a county child-care worker, a residential psychiatric tech. (a job I did for 10 yrs where most burn out around 5 yrs.), an IATSE stage employee (lighting, rigging, sound for shows ranging from very small to very large), a house (as in theatre) electrician at my alma mater's 6000+ seat music hall, and currently I am an EMT-B/CNA working in Urgent Care & ED with intent to matriculate into a medical or osteopathic school that will have me.

1. married (3.5 yrs)

2. no kids (yet?), no fish, but 1 cute ferret

3. renting an apartment

4. my wife has a Ph.D, I just have the B.A.

(her's is bigger...)

At the OPM conference this weekend, the presenter from A.T. Still did a little group participation exercise that really solidified this uniqueness issue for me. Each table received the same set of five admission applications (slightly truncated versions of real applications with altered or removed identifiers) for which we were to decide (as a committee per table) to admit, reject, or wait-list each. The applicants were about as different as they could be. However, the concensus of the entire conference room closely matched the decisions of the original admission committees. I believe that the point of the demonstration was to show that most admission committees make quick decisions often based on limitted information. The surprise (for most people, I think) was how often a solid personal statement, or a bad interview, could swing an "average" applicant favorably, or unfavorably in one direction or the other.

For me, this was further supported in a later presentation in which Denise Babin stated something to the effect: "unless you are a complete tool, you can get into medical school."

We are all unique in some important way. Our mission as pre-meds is to recognize that uniqueness and make it work to our advantage on our applications. Someone somewhere will be compelled to pick up your shiny rock, and you too may yet be appreciated by metaphorical fishes.

Tim
6

My turn!

  1. I am not married, but I do have a wonderful boyfriend, and we’ve been together for two years.

  2. No children.

  3. I’m 30, female. Work as a full time med tech.

  4. No advanced degree. I did graduate with a bachelor’s in biology from the Philippines, but the US schools here say otherwise, and don’t consider it as a four year degree. Basically, I’m starting over, but that’s okay. I’m sure I’m not the only one who had to.
7

opal,


While that sucks it could suck much worse. I know a lab tech who graduated from med school in the Phillipians. She’s unwilling to go thru the fire of medical school again. She’s tried to do all the things required and got as far as to take the USMLE but scored terribly. Not sure which step she was required to take but she’s done with school.


Soooooo while it sucks you have to start over you actually have a great oppurtunity to shine. You can basically get a 4.0 since you’ve seen the material before and you don’t have to disclose your grades from PI.


Now I don’t know about that last sentence for a fact but I’m pretty sure if your degree isn’t acknowledged in the US then it basically doesn’t exist? Those more knowledgeable than I can better answer that.

8

This is fun. Not sure how useful to the OP, but fun.

  1. Not married. Live with my boyfriend of 11 years (that’s right. 11 years. We may finally get married someday.) I’m 31, so about your age. 30 is the new 20, you know.

  2. No kids (yet).

  3. Living with SO, but we really need both incomes to get by.

  4. Just a BA in English Lit.


    I think that this forum is diverse enough that you will find many people who share some or all of your specific non-trad qualities.
9

Okay, I guess it’s my turn.

  1. Not married, not divorced…happily single.

  2. No kids, just three furry felines.

  3. 42 y/o and live on my own…no family support.

  4. Associates degree, working on prereqs, and then two years at a Uni up in NY if I’m lucky for my bachelors.


    so see, you aren’t the only one not having an advanced degree.


    Kris
10

Hi Persnickety,


I unfortunately fall into your group of “others”

  1. Married (1.5 years)

  2. No children

  3. Will soon leave my hubby for an indefinite period of time at least during weekdays to go to med school, which in some ways makes it harder BUT you are right that we have his income supporting me.

  4. I do have advanced degrees (JD and masters)


    I love my husband and part of the reason I considered going to a school I like less than the one I will be attending was so that I could be near him and not disrupt our lives so much in the short-term…ultimately we decided it was worth the sacrifice. But being unattached while it may mean less money in the bank means that you are UNATTACHED…and when people say apply broadly that means that unlike me you won’t be limited to the 5 schools in your state,and realistically only 2 of which could reasonably work out for me given the distance to my current home base. It meant that if you lived in California, but got into the University of Vermont or Rochester, you could go freely without consideration of whether your partner could find employment there or place a huge red flag on his resume. Also, even though you might not have the income, you might actually receive some institutional aid. I couldn’t dream of getting any institutional aid since both of my parents incomes as well as my hubby’s income are somehow deemed to be earmarked for medical education. My husband has been very supportive and my rock in this at times very frustrating process and that has been wonderful for me, BUT you are totally free to be selfish in your choices concerning medical school which has its own benefit.
11
  • Quote:
I know a lab tech who graduated from med school in the Phillipians. She's unwilling to go thru the fire of medical school again...but she's done with school.



Crooz, I can't say that I blame her. I had a friend who was in the same situation, but she did pass the USMLE after taking it twice, I think. She told me that if she didn't pass, she would go to Qatar to do her residency. Luckily, she did pass, and she's in Flint, MI doing her peds residency.

  • Quote:
Soooooo while it sucks you have to start over you actually have a great oppurtunity to shine. You can basically get a 4.0 since you've seen the material before and you don't have to disclose your grades from PI.



Thanks. My first undegrad GPA really isn't that impressive (2.8). I was young and stupid. What more can I say? I did have a 3.8 GPA when I graduated with my associate's degree here in the US, and currently have a 4.0 since I started this pre-med journey.

  • Quote:
Now I don't know about that last sentence for a fact but I'm pretty sure if your degree isn't acknowledged in the US then it basically doesn't exist?



Well, yes and no. World Education Services recognizes my bachelor's from the Philippines as a four year degree when I had my transcript evaluated by them. When I applied to take my certification test for medical technologist from the American Society of Clinical Pathology, my application was approved and they (ASCP) recognized my four year degree from the Philippines. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, if I wanted to advance in my career (i.e. go to grad school, or med school), my undegrad degree would not be recognized simply because I do not meet their requirements. For example, US med schools require 2 organic chemistry. When I was in the PI, I took only 1 organic chemistry because that was all I needed to get into med school over there. And even if I took that organic chemistry 1, it still wouldn't count because our semesters aren't as long as it is here in the US.

Come to think of it, in the Philippines, there is no such a thing as BPCM requirement. I believe as long as one has a bachelor's degree in a science related field, you're okay to apply. That (BS degree) and taking the NMAT (National Medical Admissions Test) which is like the MCAT, are requirements to go into med school.

Anyway, I hope I didn't seem too confusing.

We now return to our regularly scheduled program.


12

That’s cool. I’m certain you’ll do fantastic.


The woman I know ended up getting pregnant and decided to forego becoming a physician. Her husband is due to retire from the military here shortly and she says they’ll go back to the PI and she’ll go for it there.

13

Oh boy – a chance to write about myself! Always welcome. We are similar on three of your four criteria.

  1. married or divorced


    Never did either but I did live with a guy for 2 years at the beginning of premed postbacc.

  2. have kids


    Lord no! A humorous aside-- when you ask the macho brazilian guys this question they like to say “You mean… that I know of?”

  3. living with loved ones (sig. other, family, etc…) to help support them.


    Nope just with a roommate. And from the looks of the rental costs here in Buffalo I will be able to afford my own place just with stafford loans. yay!

  4. have advanced degrees in other subjects (MA, MS, PhD, etc…)


    Guilty!!! MA Latin American studies, U Texas - Austin.


    So you and I don’t have the support system of those who live with family. We also don’t have a web of obligation encumbering our choices, which is such a gift. And don’t discount the possibility of meeting someone/getting engaged/marrying/engaging in sexual reproduction while in med school. It’s super-common-- when I interviewed at stony brook the tourguide counted several couples who made those big steps… in her class of 100.


    And another thing: Being unique is GREAT!!!
14

Here goes…

  1. Married

  2. Have 4 kids (only 3 live with me)

  3. Living with loved ones to help support them? How about living with those I have to support

  4. Did not finish an advanced degree, but took a fair amount of masters-level courses in engineering and management.
15

I’m way past 27 and I am in the same situation as you with more.


Divorced, two children (both college age - on in college, one who starts in September). I also have no one to help support me (or them).


Nonetheless, we’ll both be fine!!!

16

Hello, here is my rundown…

  1. 28 years old

  2. Working fulltime

  3. No kids

  4. Go to community college part time

  5. Have(and hope to keep) a 4.0 gpa in mainly basic math and science


    I am blessed that my job is helping to cover the short term costs upfront, I am worried about what I am gonna do when I need to change my status to fulltime student. I am planning on transferring to a university hopefully fall of 2008. I work at a hospital so I get alot of exposure to the field.
17

Well, here goes:

  1. Age 38, married 9 years today

  2. Three kids, ages 3, 5, 6

  3. I do live with my DH, who can support me.

  4. I do have an advanced degree (MSN)


    However!! As an earlier poster said, you may not have the financial support of an SO, but you are really UNATTACHED. I will only be able to apply to ONE med school next year. That’s it. My DH cannot move, and I have one child with some special needs who needs to stay here in this city where they are treated, and that’s the way it is. You could go anywhere! Also, having kids is veerrrry guilt-inducing when one considers med school. I’m not sure if it’s the same for the dads on this forum (it may well be), but I know for some of the moms who have chosen this route, the guilt and worry is incredible when you think of all the missed time with children, adnhow that might affect them.


    So there’s pluses and minuses either way. I wish I had done this earlier in life, before kids at the least, but I didn’t, and that’s that. Enjoy the process!


    (Brave words, huh??)
18

Well said. There is definitely a “grass is always greener” mentality that goes along with this process. It is very easy to look at what you’re doing and how you’re doing it, and think "If only I could… " or "If only I had… "


I often felt envious of my classmates who could dive into the library and not emerge until late in the evening, while I had to get home to take my daughter to the orthodontist (for example). I still remember the exam studying sessions that were disrupted by family crises of various sorts and thinking enviously of those who didn’t have that kind of thing to deal with.


Like you, CanuckMom, I wouldn’t/couldn’t move, and that was definitely a HUGE stressor.


This is a tough road for anyone and just by setting out on this journey we have a lot more in common than we think.


Mary

19

This looks like fun…

  1. Age 47, married for 19 years.

  2. 3 kids aged 17, 14 and 11

  3. Live with husband, our kids and apparently other people’s kids as it is summer and they never seem to go home.

  4. I have a Masters, but it was many years ago and I have not worked in that field since 1990, so other than proving I can handle college, it does not do much for me.


    My thoughts:


    Since when is unique bad?


    Sometimes it is better to not have so much “support” as people have vastly different ideas of what is helpful (the MILaw post was classic).





    I want to be a PA and most on OPM seem to be going for MD or DO, but I feel welcomed, enlightened and entertained when I come here.


    Hang in there. Take comfort in the fact that what you consider problems, others would give an arm and a leg for.
20

I really identify with the bio line in your profile, Lisa! Being the oldest of three kids, I was almost always the horrible warning rather than the good example.