I’m a non-traditional premed student in that I graduated from undergrad in 2006 (studied biology and bioethics), earned an MPH and am now completing a Ph.D. in history. I’ve been completing my final premed requirements (organic chemistry and physics) and will be totally done with physics this coming summer.
I’m trying to figure out how best to think through timing for the MCAT, applications, etc. Since I’m not part of a post-bac program, I’m doing most of it on my own. It seems to me like the remaining key parts of my application include the following:
Finish physics (which will happen by summer 2012)
Potentially take biochemistry (not sure when)
Take the MCAT (not sure when)
Gain more shadowing/volunteer experience
Apply to schools
I’m doing all of this while also finishing my Ph.D. and working, so it’s a bit to juggle (I imagine others are in similar shows in terms of juggling families, careers, etc.)
Does anyone have any advice in terms of helping me think through my options in terms of dates to take the MCAT, dates for taking biochem (if it’s a good idea in the first place) and dates to apply to med schools? I’m not totally clear regarding how decisions I make in terms of taking the MCAT and finishing biochem will influence when I would able to begin medical school. Ideally, I would be finished with my Ph.D. in the summer of 2013. Is it possible for me to begin med school that fall, or is it more realistic for me to consider beginning in 2014?
As an aside, my previous undergrad coursework (all completed between 2002-2006) includes calculus, inorganic chemistry, microbiology, genetics, immunology, vaccine development, biotechnology, and neuroscience, but no biochem yet!
I would take the MCAT in late April, early May before you apply. So if you submit your application June of 2013 I would start MCAT prep the winter of 2012-2013 and then plan on taking the MCAT April 20ish of 2013. This gives you plenty of time in the spring to prepare and allows you a retake in July/Sept. if the results from your first one are lacking. I would tink og MCAT Prep as a 6 credit hour class as far as budgeting your time for it.
As far as BioChem goes, it will be helpful for medical school and some schools (DMU c/0 2016 woohoo) require it over OChem II (which is why I will be taking it this spring.
As far as tming with your PhD, I would think wrapping it up and MCAT Prep and applications would be a pretty heavy load in the same spring. The application process is about a 20 hour per week endevor.
I presume you can talk circles around an interviewer when asked why you went from a bio degree to MPH and then jumped to a PhD in history, and now you want medicine soon after getting your PhD?
Thank you for your response. I feel comfortable with the path I have taken, but I am absolutely open to feedback regarding the way I frame it. My undergraduate work was in biology and bioethics, and I initially began my studies as a premed student. However, midway through my college career, I felt that I was pursuing medicine for the wrong reasons; I was not primarily interested in the clinical relationship, and instead was interested in social and ethical issues linked to medical care. So, I focused on my bioethics training (while still completing my biology concentration requirements, earning something like a 3.85 in my science courses). I followed this up with MPH work, this time in the history and ethics of medicine and health. I then delved further into the history of medicine and public health, which is the focus of my current Ph.D. work. My time in an academic medical center (where my MPH and, in part, my PhD are housed) has provided a much more direct forum for discussing the clinical relationship. In addition, my outside employment (while not in a clinical setting per se) has afforded me an opportunity to interface with many physicians and understand how clinical work intersects with various other social services. Based on my continued studies in public health and the history of medicine, coupled with my increased understanding of and appreciation for the clinical relationship, I now feel a strong desire to pursue medicine itself.
If you have any feedback regarding my way of framing my path, I’d love to hear it! It’s sometimes quite difficult to identify gaps or idiosyncrasies in one’s own reasoning!
I presume you can talk circles around an interviewer when asked why you went from a bio degree to MPH and then jumped to a PhD in history, and now you want medicine soon after getting your PhD?
Cheers,
Judy
Don't know if you meant to but you came across a little heavy handed there....
