Med school....pipe dream?

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04_edge

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So now that I’m done with paramedic school, I’m really becoming intrigued by the thought of going to med school. The problems I’m facing right now though are lack of funds; I’m already in debt due to some stupid purchases I decided to make. I didn’t do to well in high school, but not because I wasn’t smart, I just didn't fully realize how important it really was so I basically just did enough to get by. I did however graduate from paramedic school as valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA.

I know getting into med school is very competitive, and honestly the only thing id have going for me is how well I did in paramedic school. So I really don’t think id even be able to make it in, even if I were somehow able to obtain the funds to go.

I realize this isn’t the best place to ask, but considering I don’t know any doctors, and im sure many of you do...do any of you know what is the application process like? What would the school expect to see on my application/ what do normal applicants do to set theirs apart from the others? I'm also wondering what i would expect of school, is it as fast paced as p-med school is?

I know though, for me, it’s pretty far fetched. I have contemplated nursing school, but I don’t thing I would be happy with it. The things I really like about paramedicine are being in a leadership role and the ability to make decisions on my own (among other things). I really don’t think id get that satisfaction as a nurse.

So, any suggestions?
 
04_edge said:
So now that I’m done with paramedic school, I’m really becoming intrigued by the thought of going to med school. The problems I’m facing right now though are lack of funds; I’m already in debt due to some stupid purchases I decided to make. I didn’t do to well in high school, but not because I wasn’t smart, I just didn't fully realize how important it really was so I basically just did enough to get by. I did however graduate from paramedic school as valedictorian with a 4.0 GPA.
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Your paramedic course work will mean very little in the medical school application game. How well you do in your science courses (year of bio, year of chemistry, year of organic chemistry is essentially required by all schools, and most schools will require a year of physics and/or a year of math (1 year of calculus or a semester of calc and a semester of statistics). Also, a bachelors degree (in anything) is a de facto requirement even though most schools list their minimum requirement as 3 years of undergrad. Basically everyone applying either has an undergrad degree or is on track to get an undergrad degree by the time they start medical school.


I know getting into med school is very competitive, and honestly the only thing id have going for me is how well I did in paramedic school. So I really don’t think id even be able to make it in, even if I were somehow able to obtain the funds to go.
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Funding to attend medical school is easy, student loans. Funding to apply, on the other hand, is more difficult. Expect to drop a few thousand between primary application (IIRC, something around $30/school after you hit a certain number of schools. This is set by the application service), secondary applications (about $70-100 per school on average), and traveling for interviews.

I realize this isn’t the best place to ask, but considering I don’t know any doctors, and im sure many of you do...do any of you know what is the application process like? What would the school expect to see on my application/ what do normal applicants do to set theirs apart from the others? I'm also wondering what i would expect of school, is it as fast paced as p-med school is?
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Application process:

Primary application (3 different US systems, AMCAS for MD schools, AACOMAS for DO schools, and TMDAS for Texas schools, both MD and DO) is your biographical information, GPA, course work, MCAT score, extracurricular, and a personal statement).

Secondary applications: The most common requirment is a picture and a check. Otherwise expect some short answer essay questions or maybe another personal statement style essay. Also aggreements, probably the most famous of which is Loma Linda's lifestyle agreement since they are a Seventh Day Adventist school.

Interview.

At any point during the process they can either put you on hold (we've reviewed your application and aren't ready to make a decision yet), or move you on to the next phase. Most schools will send everyone who applies a secondary, however schools are much more picky about interview spots. It's not unusual for a school to have several thousand applicants, interview about 800-900 applicants, accept 400-500, and end up with a class of 100-200 students. If you are lucky enough to get an interview (Anyone who gets an interview is lucky), you can either be accepted, wait listed, or rejected. More and more schools are running two different wait lists with one being a delayed offer (we'll guarantee you admission for next year if we don't accept you this year) and a regular wait list (if we don't call you up, better luck next year).
 
I figured it was way more then what I realized. Thanks for the info!
 
JPINV covered most everything pretty well, though I'd like to make a few modifications and additions.

If you earned college credit for your paramedic training, it will effect your application as all college courses MUST be submitted when applying to medical school. However, I assume that none of the paramedic course work will count towards the calculation of your science GPA (sGPA) by AMCAS and AACOMAS (and I assume TMDAS), but it could help or hurt your cumulative GPA (cGPA). Considering you said you earned a 4.0, then your medic course work could only help your cGPA.

I'd modify what JPINV said about the pre-reqs only to say that 1 year of physics is generally considered a must. Calculus or statistics depends on the school. The majority of medical schools do not require either, but, at best, recommend that they be taken. I never took calc and the stats courses I took were geared toward pre-PA & pre-PT, BSN, and MSN students.

Once accepted to a 4 year school, meet with your pre-medical (or pre-health) adviser. They should be able to help guide you as to what you need to do to be competitive for medical school. When choosing a major, choose whatever you want to study. Do NOT feel like you must major in bio, chem, or engineering. Major in fashion design if you want. As long as you take the pre-reqs, you'll be eligible to apply.

Also, as far as high-school is concerned... Med schools do not care unless you are applying to a BS/MD(or DO) type program, which you can usually only do when coming right out of high school. I actually quit high school and got a GED. I never took SATs and I started my college education at a community college a year after becoming a medic. I was only ever asked about high-school because I mentioned it in my "personal statement".

Oh, and if you can, avoid working full-time while attending college. You want to get the best GPA possible. Full-time work can easily have a negative effect on your GPA. I know a few EMTs and medics who had a hard time getting interviews due to low a low GPA (usually low 3s) despite good MCAT scores. I worked weekends and during the summer. Luckily I made enough off of PT work to sustain myself. But, I had to rely on loans and help from family to pay for college. (I live almost completely off of loans, now).

Oh, and make sure you get any debt under control ASAP as you want to have as high of a credit score as possible when applying for student loans.
 
Your medic experience and educational experience is useful but you need to have an undergraduate degree and take all the med school pre-reqs. They are:
1 year of General Chemistry with Lab
1 year of Organic Chemistry with Lab
1 year of Physics with Lab
1 year of Biology with Lab

Some schools also require statistics and/or calculus. All of this is in additional to a BA/BS degree. When you finish then you take the MCAT.

Good luck.
 
bstone said:
Your medic experience and educational experience is useful but you need to have an undergraduate degree and take all the med school pre-reqs. They are:
1 year of General Chemistry with Lab
1 year of Organic Chemistry with Lab
1 year of Physics with Lab
1 year of Biology with Lab

Some schools also require statistics and/or calculus. All of this is in additional to a BA/BS degree. When you finish then you take the MCAT.
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To clarify, when you complete the pre-reqs, you should take the MCAT. Out of a 4 year program, you should take it in April/May (the first time I took it it was only offered in April and August, now they do the fancy computer thing) of your 3rd year, and apply the summer between 3rd and 4th year.
 
What does the MCAT consist of? I think once i find a job and can afford to go back to school im going to start working towards a B.S. in Emergency Health Sciences. Do you think that would be a plus on my app, or do they not care at all what your degree is in?
 
The MCAT consists of the knowledge taught to you in the pre-med required classes. A lot of med schools are looking for "well rounded" applicants and like to see majors of English, Philosophy, etc in addition to the pre-med classes.
 
04_edge said:
What does the MCAT consist of? I think once i find a job and can afford to go back to school im going to start working towards a B.S. in Emergency Health Sciences. Do you think that would be a plus on my app, or do they not care at all what your degree is in?
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The MCAT consists of 3 sections for a number grade (scores are standardized to a range of 1-15 per section, which gives a composite score range of 3-45) and a 2 section essay section with a letter grade. The sections are biological sciences (bio sci and organic chemistry), physical sciences (general chemistry and physics), and a verbal section (lots of reading sections and verbal reasoning). The average per section is a 7, the average composite score for applicants is around 27-28, and the average composite score of 30-31.

As for major, no one cares what the actual major is as much as how you do in your courses, especially science courses. In general, health care courses are considered non-science courses (explicitly so for DO schools on the AACOMAS). If I recall correctly, humanities majors have the highest admissions rate out of all majors, but I suspect that there's a selection bias there.
 
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