Dear all,
I discovered myself a late passion for medicine when I witnessed my fiancee going through post-bac and now med-school (Penn Med). Here’s some background of mine:
Age: just turned 32
Undergrad GPA: 3.75 (dual degree in English and Economics) from University of Pennsylvania
Grad GPA: Top 5% of class at Harvard Business School
SAT/GRE/GMAT: All 99th percentile
Experience: 5 years at a top-tier management consulting firm, focusing on both Health Care and Social Impact (including Global Health). No volunteer experience.
I took zero science courses in college. My job pays 200K a year. And yet, I am willing to give it all away. Do I have a shot at top post-bac (Goucher, Bryn Mawr) to fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor?
Wannabe doctor
Hello there, I’m a tad younger than you and did horrible during undergrad and am still going for it. Life is about the journey you live, and you deserve nothing but the best. Don’t grow old and look back to regret not trying. If this is your calling, do it.
- MsChristina Said:
Hello there, I'm a tad younger than you and did horrible during undergrad and am still going for it. Life is about the journey you live, and you deserve nothing but the best. Don't grow old and look back to regret not trying. If this is your calling, do it.
I could agree more. OP, if passion drives you and you're heart is in it then I say go for it with all you've got.
Find some practicing physicians to shadow, ask some meaningful questions about the profession and healthcare in general to get a "lay of the land"
I don't think you have any thing to worry as far as your academics, lol! At the end of the day, how do you want to be remembered, as far as your profession goes??? How far are you willing to go?? and what are you willing to give up?
btw, I'm right around your age too! ^_^
- necmergitur1981 Said:
Do I have a shot at top post-bac (Goucher, Bryn Mawr) to fulfill my dream of becoming a doctor?
I have a couple of things to say about this question.
First, the best people to ask it to are admissions people at those specific schools. They are the ones who can really tell you what they are looking for.
Second, I would recommend looking at multiple programs (formal and DIY), and thinking less about whether they are "top" programs (which is really quite subjective) and more about whether they meet your specific needs.
When I was looking at post-bac programs in Chicago, the first one I looked into was Northwestern University, the big name post-bac here. But it wasn't the right fit for me personally, for a number of reasons. I found a smaller school and went there instead, and while I don't have that big name on my post-bac transcript, I have a great GPA, research experience, a fantastic committee LOR, and a solid pre-req background for the MCAT. I wouldn't trade my experiences or education there for anything.
One thing I have heard here on OPM about some big name programs is that they are insanely (as in cutthroat) competitive, and people will walk all over you rather than help you out. I'm not saying this about Goucher or Bryn Mawr - I don't know anything about those programs. I'm just saying to think about school environment, in addition to the obvious factors (cost, location, etc.).
Best wishes to you! Keep us posted on your progress.
Everyone has a shot. You have a really good one.
Keep in mind 10% of the students with a 3.8+ GPA and a 39+ MCAT fail to get accepted into medical school. I’m guessing a few of them can’t interview or write an essay but I bet most applied to only a few programs. Just make sure you apply to enough post-bac programs even though you have a really good chance at the top one.
As the former director of both the Goucher and Johns Hopkins post-bac programs I’m happy to weigh in and provide some advice. While it’s great that you’ve been inspired by your fiancee, you need to prove it to both yourself and to post-bac programs (and ultimately to med schools) that you’re fully invested in this career change–the only way to do that is with actual clinical experience. If no med experience, do you have a history of giving back to others through community service? Programs will also be interested in that. While your stats are good, these programs will be looking for more. Let me know if you (or anyone else on this forum!) have any other questions; I am happy to help.
Well, firstly, welcome!! You will quickly find that this is the best pre-med forum on the web.
Secondly, and based strictly on your stats, I would say that if you know that this is a direction you want to pursue, then by all means yes you should bother!
GRE/GMAT are not exams to be laughed off. Your excellent performance should be taken as sign that you posses the capacity to study for difficult exams, which is what taking pre-med classes is all about. And if you are earning enough to save up cash to get you through a post-bacc, then you are in a good place!
Start looking into the aforementioned programs, seek personal connections within the medical world, and give it a go! When I returned from the military and entered into the pre-med program that I am almost finished with, the thing that I heard the most was “you’re a great candidate for med school, because your previous career shows maturity, dedication, etc.” I still hear that to this day, and that is despite some academic marks that would probably exclude a traditional student who has no life experience outside of high school and college.
Medical schools want students like you, don’t kid yourself for a second that you are too old, or don’t have what it takes!
Well, I’m 39 and taking pre-req classes, so I certainly don’t consider you to be too old!
Your academic scores look great, so you should do fine on a post-bacc program. Don’t get hung up on having a prestigious name though.
I would suggest that you shadow some Doctor’s in your chosen specialty to see if it’s really the right path for you. I just spent a year shadowing Doctor’s in my desired specialty to see if reality matched up to my expectations/preconceptio ns. Now I’m more motivated than ever and have no doubts about committing to a 7+ year path.
Good luck!