<p>So i've wondering. Whats life like if you don't make med. school.</p>
<p>Uhm for me I was thinking of majoring in biochem. or english.
(With english if i don't make it I wanna be a teacher and become a pastor)</p>
<p>But what about all those science majors that don't make it to med school?</p>
<p>post bacc? get a Ph.d and pursue research, teach, dental, pharmacy, other medical professions (etc.)</p>
<p>i'll bump this...</p>
<p>Basically what Bruinboy said. I'll add to it. </p>
<p>DO, PA, optometry, vetenarian medicine, biotech, engineering (if they're engineer majors). Or pursue something totally different, like getting an MBA and go into business.</p>
<p>The only annoying thing about choosing another health profession is that you have to take their respective entrance exams which you have to take time to study for(although some overlap in material). Even Doctor you have attemtping an MD in the US, then carribean and even a DO (although it has its cons).</p>
<p>Nursing is also a great profession where there is a great shortage & a lot of flexibility in jobs once you are licensed. The pay can also get quite high (even above $100,000), especially in specialities like anesthesia nursing or others. Palliative care & geriatrics are fields likely to greatly expand & need LOTS more nurses as well.
Heck, you could study for & take ALL the exams & then apply to whichever school most appeals & where you get the most attractive offers. Some folks do--my sister-in-law took the MCATs & applied. If she didn't go into medicine, she was thinking of taking the LSATs and/or GREs to go to law school or other grad school.</p>
<p>HImom what is your sister in law's major?</p>
<p>It was suggested to me by an adviser that I consider oral surgery, so I could try applying for a dental program if I didn't make med school. If that fell through as well, I would definitely not go into research because I really don't enjoy it.</p>
<p>On second thought, though, I would love to be a teacher, and I'd probably most enjoy teaching at the college level. Thus, I'd probably have to get more into research.</p>
<p>I'd also consider being an elementary school teacher, which seems totally different, but I love children, understanding how they develop, and helping to shape their growth.</p>
<p>lol oral surgery is soooo hard to get into. top 4% of graduating dental class. some schools just accept 1 per year! bc they add them to their team of oral surgeons. 2/3 of dental graduates don't specialize. mostly because they aren't able to. (not accepted) but still, an general dentist makes more than a general doctor.. btw, oral surgeon is 6 years after dental school and half of oral surgeon schools give out MDs too as you're pretty much considered a surgeon of not just teeth but neck, jaws, etc.. what you want to specialize in is orthodontics, not that is a different story =)</p>
<p>Dentists DO make more than doctors!! Why is that?!?! </p>
<p>I'm trying not to be an anti dentite.</p>
<p>My sister-in-law majored in nutrition I believe. Dentists have huge start up costs of buying/renting operatories, etc. & the equipment has to be upgraded. Dentistry is also supposed to have one of the highest suicide rates.</p>
<p>lol my mom's a dentist. she's far from committing suicide. anyway, there was a thread on here somwhere talking about how that known saying (dentists have one of the highest suicide rates) is over-rated. doctors actually have higher. yea, google it up you'll se. anyway, dentists do have huge start up costs, i remember my mom starting up her practice and she did have to burn a lot of money for it. im not sure about the equipment being upgraded. and yes, there are also employees to pay (front desk, hygienists, etc dental assistant) but hey, you don't pay as much for malpractice insurance compared to doctors..far less. </p>
<p>but anyway, as for me, im still deciding between dentistry and medicine. i've always wanted to be a doctor since i was a little boy. but i've always wanted to be a dentist too since i was in high school. haha. most likely i will turn to dentistry as my mom already has an office (she's starting another one soon) where i can work at. if ever i specialize after dental school, i already have a major patient base to be referred from (my mom) but yeah, im still considering medicine right now though. </p>
<p>anyway, i advice everyone, especially those who are set into medicine, to at least consider and find out about dentistry, because i know a lot of doctors who wish they chose dentistry. yea, i know. but it's true. doctors = hours, night call. dentists = very flexible hours, eventually can higher other dentists and rarely work. </p>
<p>but yeah, im just scratching the surface.</p>
<p>I wasn't aware that oral surgery was so competitive.</p>
<p>I'd better make it into medical school :) It's my dream and my goal, and I don't want to deal with backup options =p though I realize it's wise to have them.</p>
<p>well, you should have backups since the chance of getting in imed school s pretty much 50%. that's not counting those premeds that didn't apply knowing they wouldn't get accepted.</p>
<p>oh and btw, oral surgeon is more like top 10-12% of graduating dents. usually every graduating dentists, HOPES to specialize, it's just that there aren't enough spots. (2/3 are left to practice general dentistry) the HOT specialty is Orthodontist because of the BIGG potential to make lots of $$ and the ease of the work, and the lives it will change. blablabla.</p>