This weekend I came to the realization that I will never be satisfied unless I give my best shot at getting a medical degree so I have started looking online and am trying to figure out my first step. I’m a 29 year old civil engineer working as a project engineer on construction projects currently. I’ve been out of school for five years now…received a Bach. degree in civil engineering with a concentration in structural engineering and then followed up with a masters of civil engineering with a concentration in construction management. I guess my first step is heading back to school for premed classes but I really need to keep my full time job(40-45 hrs/week) and take two classes per semester. My first question is will this look okay or do I need to take more than two classes per semester? Or do I need to quit my job altogether and go back to school full time. I figure I can finish the required chems, and sciences in 1.5 to 2 years time taking two classes per semester. My physics are already behind me although I did make a C in physics 1 and may need to take it again to replace that C???. Made a B in physics 2 I think. Is taking the required classes all that I need or do I need to take even more classes? Any advice on pursuing this would be greatly appreciated.
Welcome 
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You don’t necessarily need to quit work to go to school full time, but if it’s something you can swing, it would pay to consider.
If you apply to allopathic (MD) schools, the physics grades will remain regardless. If you do well in your remaining science work, that would probably downplay those old grades. The upward trend from physics 1 to 2 reflects well on you, at least.
If you apply osteopathic (DO), then you can replace the old grades with newer ones.
Go at it, ask any questions you have, and most of all - enjoy the journey :>.
You may or may not need to go back depending on wether you have all the pre-req’s or not. You made no mention or organic chem… probably the toughest one to go back for. Why? because it is not all that common as an evening class. I managed to get most of the stuff done otherwise as evening classes at local schools.
Visit a few of the websites for schools you might be interested in; the prereqs should be listed in the “how to apply” portions.
Another suggestion I have is to spend a bit of time volunteering in a medical setting. It is all well and good to say you need a medical degree for fullfillment… but it is not just about that. It is a career change… and the new career will mean working in a very personnal way with people that need help. (Unless you want to spend the rest of your career hiding in the dark - ie - go into radiology) It would be good to get some experience doing that – and it will look darn good on the medical school application too.
I managed to work full time right up to starting medical school - so I know it can be done. Not easy, but do-able.
As to how many classes you need to take per semester - that depends purely on how fast you want to get through the process. you cna do one at a time but it will take a while longer.
As to classes beyond the pre-reqs… Not necessary - But am VERY glad I took Anatomy and Physiology and Micro Bio at the local Community College Nursing program before tackling them on a much more intense level in Med school - I had been out much longer than you, and besides the subject intro it was good for me to get back into academics a bit more gradually.
good luck!