You're more nontrad than nontrads

So I just got off the phone with the Director of Recruitment at my state school and was informed that I’m more nontrad than most nontrads. Turns out that since my undergrad was done via satellite and evening courses that I’m at the far extreme of a nontrad. I’m as nontrad as you can get.
The suggestion was made that I go to school fulltime because I have no proof that I could handle a full course load because I’ve never had one…ever. My heart sank after hearing this. However I prefer to hear it up front than after having suffered thru the prereqs.
Right now I’m not sure what I’m going to do…quit work or not. My initial thought is to let my wife finish her degree and I start fulltime after she graduates. She should graduate in 2 years so I would go fulltime Fall of 2007. I would continue to take classes so a formal postbac would be out of the question but then all I would need would be a chem req and that’s it. I figure that at that time I would look into graduate programs??? or perhaps G-town’s special masters program.
I don’t know right now and am posting to alert other nontrad nontrads and to see if as I’m typing and reading that an answer springs forth…
It’s frustrating because I’ve heard about “proving your commitment to the profession” on more than one account. The stab thru the heart is its coming from the recruitment director. It’s a risk chucking it all in hopes of medicine but I’ve heard that if medicine is what I want then that’s what’s going to have to happen.

Before you give up your current plans, would relocation be possible for you? If so, there may be other schools that aren’t so concerned about where or how you got your education as long as you did well and do well on your MCAT.
If you have to stay with your state school, then remember that the road to and through medical school is a marathon and not a sprint. A couple of years more won’t make that much difference. Just keep your eye on the light at the end of the tunnel.

What you could look at (besides taking Linda’s excellent advice about looking at other schools that might be more openminded) is just continuing your informal postbac, adding things like biochemistry, cell bio, histology, genetics, whatever fits in the schedule and would help you to be successful in med school. You still don’t necessarily have to enroll in a formal, degree-granting program. Just take some hard sciences all in one go.
Still very doable, and they tell me you’ll be happier in med school with biochem and some other things under your belt.

The initial shock to my system is passing as I talk to more people and get different perspectives. The ongoing theme is “every school isn’t like that”. I’m, AGAIN, starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Right now, I’m sticking with my original plan, which is to put my wife thru school come hell or high water and then see what gives. I’ll only have 1 class left come Fall 2007 and will take it with an advanced bio class and come Spring 2008 start the exam krackers for the MCAT. We’ll see what happens at that point.
I can’t turn my life completely upside down right now. It’s just not fair to my wife. We’re also going to adopt and I can’t adopt a child and not have a means to support him/her. In the end I’m going to hold fast and realize that there are going to be well intended people at med schools that will tell you what is ideal but not necessarily realistic.
I’m just glad I have a place to post my frustrations and fears. You would never know by looking at me that I have all this “to quit or not” going on but I’m like a duck…cool & calm on the surface but underneath my brain is going a hundred miles an hour.
Thanks for the reply and we’re now off to round three of who else from a med school adcom office is going to give me “helpful” advice.

Crooz are you now taking classes at an undergrad? meaning, although this may not be what you want to hear there is some truth to that eventually you might want to see how it feels to have a full load because medical school is a HUGE load. Not sure if you are currently taking any live courses…again call ALL schools that you will be applying to and see what the overall consensus is and then go from there.

Crooz,
You may want to call Maryland’s (med school) admission office and speak with Dr. Foxwell (Dean of Admissions)- he is very nice and approachable. He can give you his take on your non-traditional past. I am assuming you will be applying there since it is your state school. You may also want to call some other med school admissions offices (both allopathic and osteopathic if you are interested in both types of schools) and get their take on your past academics. Their views could give you an idea of what the adcoms will be thinking when your file goes before them.
Good luck,
Tara

efex, I’m not sure I understand your question. I took my classes on campus but I’ve never been fulltime.
I will definitely be calling the other schools. Don’t take me wrong I completely plan on going to a school fulltime I just can’t do it now. It’s just that I only recently decided not to do a formal postbac and now this.

Sorry Crooz, because I did read on your post that you did your whole undergrad “satellite” I assumed that all your classes were online. Now, I see that you have or are taking real live courses albeit not full time…sorry.