Looking for some advice from the group…here we go. I’m ready to return to my passion which is “medicine”. I attended the Medical College of PA (formerly Womans College of PA…now Drexel SOM). I had to withdraw from med school due to some family concerns that adversely effected me. I was offered a 5-yr cirriculum, but the damage was already done. I passed all 1st yr classes except Biochem & Physio. Due to a supportive med school dean (Dr. Andrew Beasley - God rest his soul), I was allowed to withdraw in good standing. I’ve been working in healthcare IT(EMR/Clinical order entry, results, etc.) for 10 yrs. I’m looking for suggestions from the group on discussion topics/questions for these initial meetings when I meet with the med school deans (I’m interested in both Baylor & UT-Med in Houston). I’ve noticed from these posts that these meetings are important for a host of reasons. Thank you all in advance for your assistance.
ron
Are you the same Ronald Greene that was a member of the old list-serve many years ago?
Yes Sir…it has been awhile. Along a the way, I found a beautiful wife and 3 sons! Hope all is well with you & your family Dr. Dave.
Ron,
What an interesting and timely post for me to find. I am in a very similar position and have maybe taken one step more than you already. Start by emailing or calling your old school’s Dean of Admissions if you haven’t already. I did this and it was a fantastic conversation.
If you do it via email, include “former student” or something like it in the subject, or very near the top. Ask for their advice and see what they say.
I have been out 9 years, after finishing three solid years and this is what my prior dean said to me:
(1) contact the school Deans and speak to them to get a feel or whether or not they’d be open to your application of if they’ll more or less pass it on as if you’ve already missed your one chance. Nobody will say “no” outright, but you’ll know based on tone.
(2) You will need letters and support from your previous school to really show that you left on good terms, in good standing, etc… Otherwise, the “already matriculated” status might be seen as a red flag – most people leave un-voluntarily even if they say it was. You will need your old school to verify your story.
(3) you’re starting over – Take the MCAT and do well. Do whatever it takes to make this happen.
(4) Your personal statement needs to be very clear – why you left, why you are returning and what exactly do you want to do with your education and training. They want concreteness from us because of the expected level of maturity and context.
(5) Ask about LOR requirements and if, in your case, they would wave basic science professor recs in favor of those for whom you have worked. Personally I have found that not all Deans are willing to wave this. One told me that I would have to take a local community college basic science class simply to satisfy that (basically telling me to go apply somewhere else I think…)
Personally, sit down and map out finances. Break it into three phases. Pre-school (now to matriculation), School, and then residency. Do you have a family? Will your spouse work if so, kids and daycare? How much do you need to live? As you recall, financial aid and loans are all based on standard “Cost of Education” formulas that do not cover many things based on your possible scenario. For me, I have three small children. I calculated that it would cost between $90 - $100K per year (in expenses) to live and pay for private school tuition as a worst-case scenario. After, most residencies pay about $45K a year. One would be unable to borrow that much money over 4 years so, in my case, my wife will have to work for the entirety of my education and training and the yearly gap she needs to fill even at full loan load is significant (remember, calculate expenses, not income). Get a solid idea now about it, particularly if you have kids.
Anyway, I hope this helps.
Thank you jeffm for a thorough, well-thought reply to my post. I just sent my email to Drexel SOM yesterday and hoping for a positive outcome. Hope all goes well for you also.