kapers Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 Ok- say you had two applicants from health care backgrounds. One went into pharmacy,nursing, whatever as a "premed degree" and the other decided to pursue medicine after entering another health care profession. Do you think the favour would really be all that great towards the person who decided on meds after discovering that the other profession wasn't right?? How much- if any- negative bias do you think there would be towards the person who choose another health profession as a premed degree? As for myself, medicine had certainly crossed my mind before nursing, but I think I became sure that I want to pursue medicine after entering undergrad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satsuma Posted March 20, 2008 Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 I'm not sure your question is all that clear....both your hypothetical applicants are health professionals...so both decided on meds after realizing their initial profession wasn`t for them right? If you meant to compare and applicant who pursued a health profession degree vs someone who pursued a non-professional degree....I am not really sure if one has an advantage over the other. I am not sure anyone would be able to answer the question for you really. Each individual is different and comes to med school with different experiences. Working as a health professional allows you to bring certain experiences with you, but other non-health professionals may have some pretty relevant experiences as well. I don`t think there is a negative bias or positive bias toward those who pursued other professional degrees. There are people in my class from all kinds of backgrounds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapers Posted March 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2008 I'm trying to compare, say the person who went in to nursing not ever meaning to be a nurse but meaning to apply to medicine ASAP, and the person who went into nursing b/c they wanted to be a nurse but then found it wasn't for them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapers Posted March 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 What about this "bias" I hear about against those who took spots in professional school without intending to enter that profession? Just a rumor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapers Posted March 21, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 21, 2008 Yes, I certainly can see where someone is coming from with that perspective. I know it's a completely different thing, but I mean- no one ever would grill a chem student for taking away a spot from someone who really wanted to be a chemist lol. But people change, don't they? They might enter a profession and realize that it's not for them. What's so wrong about not knowing that you wanted medicine since 1st grade? So how do you see it now aranndil? Is the person 'taking a professional school spot away from someone else," or "being open minded enough to stick to a back up plan?" Just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapers Posted March 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 22, 2008 Yeah- sorry I didn't mean to attack you or anything. I think my joking/sarcasm came across as bitter. I'm not bitter- just slightly frustrated at times trying to work through these things. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr.Cave Posted March 29, 2008 Report Share Posted March 29, 2008 I would pick the better candidate based on other criteria (marks, interview, looks etc.) The candidates' previous intentions have no influence on the decision and would only come into play if it was Clone A vs Clone B. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kapers Posted March 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 People often tell me (as I'm currently a nursing student) that admissions people look down on those coming from another health profession, esp one that is short as nursing is. I'm not quite sure what I think . . . I have talked to at least one nurse-turned-doctor, her opinion was that there was no such bias in an interview. But I suppose, you talk to 10 different people and get 10 different opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Satsuma Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 There is a nurse in our class. I have a friend who was a nurse and now he is a doctor. There are PTs in my class and I was an SLP, there was a dietician a couple of years ahead of me and an OT in the year after me. I don`t think there is a bias against those in health professions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelly31 Posted May 30, 2008 Report Share Posted May 30, 2008 I don't think it really matters, as long as you appear earnest in the moment. I talked to some people who didn't decide they wanted to become physicians until recently but got in fairly quickly after they made up their minds, whereas I decided at age 10 that I wanted to go into medicine and it took me 2 degrees (one professional) to get there. True, I did get a bit of flack in one of my interviews about my not-exactly-health-related Master's degree (Educational psych), but I must have convinced them that I was suitable regardless of my educational/professional background. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whale.of.a.time Posted June 1, 2008 Report Share Posted June 1, 2008 I used to work as a ward clerk in a hospital and we always had a lot of fun teasing the nurses who made career changes and then ended up coming back to the unit as med students. The staff doctors would tease them too! But in all honesty, they were the best med students, because they didn't annoy everyone by messing up charts, etc. They already knew the ropes. It actually happened fairly often...maybe even one nurse per year. I think admissions is aware of that too. There is a lot to be said for anything in your past that smoothes the transition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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