Hello all!
Well, I guess I’ll start like everyone else 
I’m 32 years old, married, and mom to a little 4 year old monster girl. I currently have a BS in Athletic Training (winter 2002) and a MS in Athletic Administration (winter 2011, took 7 years but I did it!)
I originally was premed in undergrad, but I let my first, and only, meeting with a permed advisor discourage me from pursuing my dream. He told me the truth, but it was the WAY he said it “statistically, most AA, especially females, dont make it into med school” and “Athletic Training is not a good choice as a major”.
I was young, and immature and took everything he said to heart, so I dropped premed but kept athletic training. For those that dont understand athletic training, it is NOT personal training, you must have a bacchelors degree from a nationally accredited university. I had to take classes such as anat, phys, exercise phys, biomech, pathophys, psych (100, developmental, abnormal), nutrition (basic, sport) assessment 1/2, treatment 1/2, med ethics, med term, health care admin, med research…
But I took additional classes: advanced nutrition, nutrition and herbal supplimentation, phys 1, gen bio, precalc, chem 1, health implications of obesity, physical fitness, child develop, pharm, ergonomica. So hence my confusion when I was detered from Premed. I understand I would have had the additional med school prereqs but I would also have many other courses that other premed students wouldnt have, in addition to direct patient contact as a freshman!
I graduate with my BS with 174 credits and a 3.43 GPA, and a B+ (Phy 1), B+ (Chem 1), B (precal), and gen Bio ©. The C in gen bio was because all you need is a C to transfer the grade from CC to the university. I had a c without even taking the final.
Fast forward, I was admitted into grad school 2003. I THOUGHT I wanted to go into athletic administration… man was I wrong but I didnt figure that out until 3/4 of the way through the program. I graduated with a 2.9 (actually a 3.2 because only 30 credits counted toward my degree and I didnt drop a course in time because of a surgery) mostly Bs, couple As, couple Cs, I didnt really try much and it was easy to see which classes I did enjoy simply by looking at my transcript. I also took, gag, statistics and received a B.
I retook chem at a local CC and scored a A- there, had to drop phys 1 (had an A) because i had a surgery (same reason I had to drop the grad course).
I know my reasoning for not doing well or completing grad school in the normal fashion. I can only take one course per semester due to time and finances. Combine that with surgeries in 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007(preemie baby), 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011, in addition to working full time mostly. I also couldnt/wouldnt take courses during fall season because it is primarily football season, two a days lasting 10+ hours, and then games, just between all the fall sports and working a lot and often, it wasnt an option.
Ok, so… today my husband brings up premed. I told him I’d given up that dream and he asked why. UGGG!! So here I am off researching again. I was researching PA and found that the preqs are essentially the same for PA and premed… So that little nagging in the back of my head creeps over and starts whispering in my ear.
So, there I am in a very large nutshell
Wow!
I had a biochem prof tell me in 1983 that “Females do not belong in biochem and I will make sure that you are not the first” - drunk bastage!
Here I am, at 47.
If that niggling little voice inside your head is telling you to try, then try. Go for it.
Let your grades show your ability and let that do the talking.
I have had many naysayers including a recent asst dean of the biology school who doesn’t know me from Susie and for whatever reason was sitting in the tutoring center, and overheard my conversation with another student. I was not even talking with her! Afterwards, “I” was heartsick. And then I realized:
there are always those that pooh-pooh the idea of a non-traditional pre-med and want to quash the hopes and dreams of us
Ask yourself, why is that? Cuz they couldn’t do it themselves? Because they lacked the drive and determination to plow on when bludgeoned by pre-med courses? Perhaps. I don’t know why. I just know when I run into them, I look at my shiny “A” in whatever course, and get the last laugh.
Maybe you need to do the same?!
Welcome, btw!
Welcome, HipChick! This is a wonderful site, full of useful information and great people. I look forward to hearing about your journey!