Hi Everyone,
I had always been on the path towards med school (research in HS, research in college, pre-med in college, etc…). I ended up pivoting to tech and entrepreneurship. Right after college I got an MBA at a great school, and I’ve now been working almost 2 years in the digital health/medicine industry. At 25, I’m considering my options. Even in the business of medicine, I’ve seen how an MD can help. Whether I actually practice or just use the degree to expand my reach within the business or technology of healthcare and healthcare delivery, I am seeking some advice on my options.
I did not take the MCAT, and my pre-med grades were ok. I have research experience (2 labs). A few minor research awards and one major national research award. 2 medical publications. And from the business/tech of medicine I also have an award or two and some great projects/experiences. I’ve also made a lot of connections with popular physicians for references. But my pre-med grades were just ok (organic chem sub-par), and it has been almost 4 years since my last science course, which sets me back majorly in terms of the MCAT. Would this be a huge uphill battle with year(s) of post-bacc work required?
Many thanks for your insights.
Uphill battle yes, but that’s true for everybody considering medical school.
I think the biggest question to answer is do you want to provide patient care? While there are lots of stories of med students doing the pivot that you’ve already completed, going the other direction back to school from industry is rife with obstacles. Unless you really want to actually take care of patients, I tend to think that your access, reputation or whatever sort of benefits on the business side of medicine won’t improve to the degree necessary to justify the time, energy, and money of what is at minimum 8 years of school and training (1 year post bacc, 4 years med school, 3 years residency). Keep in mind that during that time you might miss out on other business opportunities further altering the calculus in a negative way.
If business/industry is really where your heart is, then maybe you could do just one year of residency so you could be a licensed physician in most states. Not doing residency of any length would essentially mean $120k-200k worth of expenses just to put MD behind your name. You certainly have a better sense of what that title could add to your business prospects and what seems a reasonable cost for the perceived benefits. Depending on your interests maybe something like an MPH or Masters in Biomedical Informatics (http://med.stanford.edu/education/masters-programs.html) could provide a more cost effective option.
If you want to take of care of patients in only the manner that physicians can, then going to medical school is the only way.
Whatever you decide, I wouldn’t worry about your age. Many, many medical students are not directly out of college and have done a variety of experiences before starting medical school.