Confused! Need Help!! What should I do!!

Pre-Med & Medical School Pre-Med Topics
1

<p>I need opinions and advice on what to do. I am currently in the military and pursuing my Bachelor of Arts degree in either Criminal Justice or Finance. The school is a regionally accredited University. However, I would like to apply to MED school after. But, my current degree program does not offer chemistry, biology, or any of the other pre-req for MED school. I looked around at the other post and was wondering exactly what entailed PRE-MED. Is that for people like me that have an undergraduate degree in something other than biology or chemistry and have to take the pre-req to apply for MED school? So, should i finish my Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice or Finance and than take 2 additional years to complete the pre-req for med school than apply for med school? I want to do as much as I can before I get out of the military. I have about 3 years left and I have about a year in a half left for my Bachelor degree. I am looking to become a radiologist. There is a community college here, therefore, do you think there chemistry and biology classes will count towards the pre-req for med school? I am in need for many opinions or advice on what to do. Thanks!! What is the best process to achieve my goal of becomign a radiologist?</p>

<p>simply confused</p>

2

<p>Med school does not have a major requirement - you can have absolutely any major under the sun, as long as you complete the prerequisites. Some schools like John Hopkins actually frown on having a Biology degree - they want you to have a major that you’re passionate about. If you’re passionate about criminal justice/finance, there’s nothing negative about having them as a major, although they will make your path a little more difficult. “Pre-Med” is more of a title. You could be a Music major and “pre-med”, it just means you’re completing the courses required for your “Music” major and the courses required for med school. You could also be a science major and “pre-med”. Many schools will have a “pre-med” route/map of courses. Make sense?</p>

<p>The classes you would need to take include:

  • 1 year of general chemistry + labs (inorganic)
  • 1 year of organic chemistry + labs (some school combine the 2 labs into 1)
  • 1 year of physics + labs
  • 1 year of bio + labs
  • 1 year of math
  • 1 year of english (this is just your freshman requirement)</p>

<p>On top of these, some schools recommend or require:

  • a biochemistry course + lab
  • a genetics course
  • a psychology and/or sociology course
  • a foreign language (i.e. FL recommends taking a course in Spanish)
  • cell structure and function and/or microbiology and/or molecular biology course
  • anatomy and physiology I & II + labs (most don’t require this, but it will probably be helpful once you get there)
  • medical terminology course
  • Calc I & Biostats for the math requirement
  • a computer competency course</p>

<p>Not all schools will require or flat-out recommend the above. My best advice would be to think about schools you’d be interested in and check out their requirements. Typically (but certainly not always) med schools have a greater acceptance of in-state applicants. It is also cheaper to stay instate most of the time.</p>

<p>I would NOT recommend taking any of the pre-med prereqs at community college, simply because they are easier, in theory, as opposed to a 4-year school. It is definitely frowned upon.</p>

<p>Cramming all these courses into 2 years would be difficult, but not impossible. Keep in mind that Med school looks at your science GPA - they’ll take the required science prereq courses and calculate them by themselves. Basically, you’re going to want to get good grades, not try to finish them as fast as you can. On top of that, you’re going to want to spend at least 6 months (more realistically a year) preparing for the MCAT. I would recommend trying to add some of the courses into your undergrad - potentially getting a chemistry or biology major before you finish, leaving less courses to take after you finish your bachelor’s. Seeing as you said you have a year and a half left, you could take physics I & II (trig-based is all that is required for med school and is what’s on the MCAT. Your school, however, may only have calc-based physics, which would mean taking Calc I & Calc II first and/or as co-reqs). You could also get a bio minor - take bio I + lab one semester, bio II + lab the second semester, and then genetics or biochem the last half (whichever is recommended by the med school or required to get a bio minor). The minor isn’t required or necessary (I don’t think it makes a difference to med school - you still have the courses either way), but it makes the courses you take a part of your degree, on paper.</p>

<p>If the advisors at your school are helpful, maybe talk to them and see if they can give you any advice on what path would be the most prudent. </p>

<p>A random thought, but I spoke to the UM med-school associate dean about a week ago. They are just started or are starting a new program where you can get your M.D. and some sort of masters in law related to health (I don’t remember exactly what it was) - all in 4 years. If you’re passionate about being a radiologist, but also about criminal justice/law, this might be something you’d be interested in. Admissions would be really competitive, but it’s an option that might combine your interests/goals.</p>

<p>Hope this was helpful!</p>

3

<p>Wow!! Thank you very much for your detailed path I should take. I am really interested in the end where you said UM Med-School is starting or started a program that will help people that major in something other than biology and you can take the pre-med req’s after. I am really going to look into that and see what other schools have to offer. I am really thinking about trying to take some of the pre-med classes in my current major. However, I am taking classes online and work full time in the military so it is very hard for me to take actual classroom classes. Therefore, I am looking around for online University’s that will offer some pre-med classes. Thank you for also clarifying that I should not take the pre-med classes at a community college; that helped out a lot. Do you recommend that I try to knock out some of the pre-med classes online? You just have to understand I do not have the luxury of just picking actual classroom classes and attending them during the day because I have work. That is why I am currently going to a University online. I really do appreciate your detailed response and you have showed me some very good points. If you run into some more knowledge on attending a course just for pre-med students like you were saying UM Med-School offers please let me know.</p>

<p>Very Helpful</p>

4

<p>I’m glad I could help :)</p>

<p>I think you may have misunderstood what I said about UM… You will still need all the prerequisites for med school completed and will still need to get accepted to the medical school. While completing your 4 years of med school, however, you can also complete a masters in some sort of law degree pertaining to health at the same time (i.e. masters AND M.D. all in 4 years). I wish I could give you more information, but I’m not too informed about it :/</p>

<p>As for online classes, I’m pretty sure most schools do not accept these and insist on face-to-face lecture style. If it were between online classes and taking them at the community college, I think they would prefer the community college. This might vary by schools, however; I can’t imagine that they all universal accept or decline online courses for the prerequisites. I would try and get in touch with the med schools you’re interested in. While it may detract from your application a little, community college is your only other option - as long as you get the grades, maybe they won’t put as much stress on that, or maybe certain schools don’t care at all - especially for the lower level classes. You could also ask, if they tell you it does take away from your application, what are specific things you could do to build it up? I.e. research (if possible), volunteering, etc.</p>

<p>Another alternative to med school would be PA (physicians assistant) school. It has most of the same prerequisites (although I think it includes anatomy I&II), although you only go to school for 2 years (as opposed to 4). I’m not sure about becoming a radiologist or their programs, but they might accept online courses. This might be an alternative you might consider if they do accept the online courses (which would mean less inconvenience to you, less time, less money). If anything, maybe it could be a plausible backup plan.</p>

<p>Sorry I’m giving you conflicting ideas. I think the best step for you is to contact specific medical schools you’re interested in applying to/attending. Find out if they accept online courses and how they feel about community college for the prereqs. I know the schools I’ve talked to said that they prefer/want to see courses from a 4-year university, but maybe the schools your looking at will feel differently. Sorry I can’t give you more information!</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>I’d have shot myself if this were the case.</p>

6

<p>Thank you again for the advice. I have been looking into two different options. one of them was attending a post-bachelor pre-med program such as Scripps in southern California. Second option was to take the lower level pre req’s at a community college nearby. What do you think about Scripps? It just sucks that I have about a year in a half left of school to complete my B.A. and I realize that I want to become a radiologist and I have to finish this degree in something that is not going to pertain to my future in becoming a radiologist. O well, I guess! So, my plan was to finish my B.A. and take as many lower level pre-req classes at the community college and then try to apply to Scripps College and enter their post-bachelor pre-med program which all the pre-med pre-req are crammed into 1 year. What do you think of this?</p>