The Second Degree Crew

[Toodlee]

Hi,

 

I was wondering who else was working on their second undergrad degree? Bonding moment! Doing a second degree involves a lot of sucking of my pride personally but there is a some value in going in with a mindset of "knowing what you're here for".

 

Any other insight?

[Cnussey]

Hi,

 

I was wondering who else was working on their second undergrad degree? Bonding moment! Doing a second degree involves a lot of sucking of my pride personally but there is a some value in going in with a mindset of "knowing what you're here for".

 

Any other insight?

 

Does a 4-yr gap and transference of credits to another major count?

[mrhumble]

2nd degree here

 

I want to practice medicine, and I'm not going to give up.

 

During my 2nd degree, I've improved tremendously (near 4.0 cGPA)

 

Never give up hope!

[NWOsw]

I am also currently working on my second (or third... i have masters already) degree. Should be done this april. Fortunately for transfering of credits, the second degree process was not as painful as it could have been. And when your really ready to focus on learning its amazing the improvements that are made in the grades.

[supafield]

I am graduating in fall convocation with my second degree in health sci.

 

First degree -> 3.2

Second degree -> 3.9! lol, at least I made it count.

 

Had one interview last year and really hoping I can get 2 or 3 this year and improve the odds a little.

[Toodlee]

Does a 4-yr gap and transference of credits to another major count?

 

Woop woop glad to see there are more of us out here! Yea I would say. Its amazing really isn't it how a change of focus and mindset can make a world of difference. The only one thing I see as a set back IMO is that doing a second degree may come off an illogical choice to family and friends who do not understand what you are aiming at but I guess short term disappointments are to be expected.

[Cnussey]

Woop woop glad to see there are more of us out here! Yea I would say. Its amazing really isn't it how a change of focus and mindset can make a world of difference. The only one thing I see as a set back IMO is that doing a second degree may come off an illogical choice to family and friends who do not understand what you are aiming at but I guess short term disappointments are to be expected.

 

LOL. My family doesn't have a clue that I'm going into medicine--it's like having a baby, you don't tell them until you're actually pregnant.

[Rayven]

Hey guys, I'm curious for those that did do another degree and it relates back to another thread someone else posted. Did anyone do a degree in a life sci at first and thus rack up a lot of med school pre-reqs before doing their 2nd degree? If you did and your marks before were bad, did you bother redoing the pre-req courses in your new degree?

 

LOL. My family doesn't have a clue that I'm going into medicine--it's like having a baby, you don't tell them until you're actually pregnant.

Omg. I would never tell my family that I'm planning on going into medicine. I understand that some families and friends can be supportive... but others, like my own, would either bear down too much pressure on me or mock me... -.-

 

There's so much pressure when your parents tell family friends that you're going into medicine when it's still so far from a guarantee.

[Cnussey]

Hey guys, I'm curious for those that did do another degree and it relates back to another thread someone else posted. Did anyone do a degree in a life sci at first and thus rack up a lot of med school pre-reqs before doing their 2nd degree? If you did and your marks before were bad, did you bother redoing the pre-req courses in your new degree?

 

 

Omg. I would never tell my family that I'm planning on going into medicine. I understand that some families and friends can be supportive... but others, like my own, would either bear down too much pressure on me or mock me... -.-

 

There's so much pressure when your parents tell family friends that you're going into medicine when it's still so far from a guarantee.

 

I'm glad to hear there's another person with a family like mine...they would just say things like "aren't you too old?" "why don't you just get a job?" "why haven't you gotten in yet?" Holy crap...what a headache. Lol. Many of my close friends know...but they are my friends for a reason (ie. they are not family).

 

I've transferred from a Bachelor's of Astrophysics to a Bachelor's of Business Administration (from science to management...). The BBA is the only degree offered by distance and would permit me to transfer all my credits...the "skills" learned in a BBA are transferable anywhere so I don't really see it as a waste of my time...but it is a bit boring.

[Potter]

omg

I made the mistake of telling my extended family that I want have a career in medicine, now all they ask me every time I see them is "so is it at the end of THIS year that you'll be a doctor?"

 

...and I have to keep saying that I have to get in first!!!

[Toodlee]

MY family is supportive for the most part but there is this INTENSE pressure of how long is this going to take you? Can you just get on with your life? Do you know that Mrs. B's daughter is already finished her MA in Circus Training? What are we supposed to tell people when they ask what our daughter is doing?

 

Lol, I'm starting to think I should have just told them that I'm working full time but its harder to hide what you are doing when you live under the same roof.

 

My first degree was in a life science and my second degree is in a social science that is less practical than business admin but I really enjoy the classes offered by the degree. If I could do it all again I would have gone straight into my second degree and just done the pre-reqs but I guess u live and you learn.

[Cnussey]

MY family is supportive for the most part but there is this INTENSE pressure of how long is this going to take you? Can you just get on with your life? Do you know that Mrs. B's daughter is already finished her MA in Circus Training? What are we supposed to tell people when they ask what our daughter is doing?

 

Lol, I'm starting to think I should have just told them that I'm working full time but its harder to hide what you are doing when you live under the same roof.

 

My first degree was in a life science and my second degree is in a social science that is less practical than business admin but I really enjoy the classes offered by the degree. If I could do it all again I would have gone straight into my second degree and just done the pre-reqs but I guess u live and you learn.

 

As long as you're enjoying it and learning something it doesn't matter if it's directly practical or indirectly practical

 

Yeah, my parents think I'm doing something like photography or some self-help courses. They don't understand education anyway, so I don't bother with details. I won't even announce "I've been accepted into medical school" --they'll be like "so?"...I'll have to say "I'm going to be a doctor". They'll still prob. say stuff like "what? with 2 kids? aren't you kinda old? just get a job." Sigh.

[123coco]

Hey guys, I'm curious for those that did do another degree and it relates back to another thread someone else posted. Did anyone do a degree in a life sci at first and thus rack up a lot of med school pre-reqs before doing their 2nd degree? If you did and your marks before were bad, did you bother redoing the pre-req courses in your new degree?

 

Hi, I did a Bsc. in 05 and just finished a HBA. My science grades were pretty pathetic during my Bsc. Upon commencement of my HBA I decided not to repeat any courses but to do higher level courses in the same stream. Furthermore, I think if you get a strong MCAT score, you show that you have a secure grasp over the introductory sciences and do not need to repeat them. Lastly, if you start repeating courses I would recommend to do them in the summer or in addition to your full coarse load in fall/winter as it may complicate things for you when you're applying to med schools. Some schools may discount your second attempt and then you are left with a course load of less than 5.0 which may hinder your chances.

 

Just some things to consider before repeating courses!

________

DRUG TESTS

[Katsvo]

As long as you're enjoying it and learning something it doesn't matter if it's directly practical or indirectly practical

 

Yeah, my parents think I'm doing something like photography or some self-help courses. They don't understand education anyway, so I don't bother with details. I won't even announce "I've been accepted into medical school" --they'll be like "so?"...I'll have to say "I'm going to be a doctor". They'll still prob. say stuff like "what? with 2 kids? aren't you kinda old? just get a job." Sigh.

 

haha i hear you! my mom doesn't understand nor care about this, or if she does, she's not exactly showing it. my grandparents think i'm a failure because i'm 26 and still studying.. which must mean i'm really bad at it, cos my cousins are working since they're 18, and were married with kids in my age! haha.. my family really doesn't understand education or the purpose of it. I think this is very common for 'first generation students' .. but I'm absolutely sure that one day when we finally make it to our destination they will realize how much work and dedication it took and they will be proud and happy for us.

[AndreaM]

I'm 3 courses away from my second degree. My first was a BSc in Biol and Chem. I ended up with 143 credits for it and a crappy gpa, because I took challenging courses like topics in organic chemistry as my electives. My second degree is in psychology and has been really fun and reaaaaaaallllly easy.

[Slashsev01]

For all the 2nd degree-ers..

Iam just curious, why havent alote of you looked at international schools? ireland, uk, car, hungry, etc?

 

was it a money issue?pride? you wanted a specialty?

for the 4 yrs invested for a 2nd undergrad degree, you can practically (probably less) invest the same time after getting a IM degree and try and land a residency spot here.....

[Halcyon]

I'm glad to hear there's another person with a family like mine...they would just say things like "aren't you too old?" "why don't you just get a job?" "why haven't you gotten in yet?" Holy crap...what a headache. Lol. Many of my close friends know...but they are my friends for a reason (ie. they are not family).

 

Haha! Non-trads unite

 

Yeah, I'm planning to do a second undergrad degree. Funny thing is I want to do it, regardless of med school applications.

 

Family and school stuff is always interesting, especially as an older pre-med. Without even knowing that I applied to med school (and just by looking at my collection of diplomas and now almost undergrad degree), they seem to think I am just strange by constantly balancing work and going to school.

 

My friends that do know about my ambitions think it’s a good thing. They know me too well and figure I’ll be in school anyway 'till I'm forty; so, I might as well be in school for something that's an interesting, rewarding, and stable career choice.

 

[Toodlee]

Slashsev01--- it usually doesn't take the full 4 years to complete. At my school you need at least 30 credits which translates to 10 courses----very doable especially if you have accumulated tons of electives--they all transfer over.

 

I just finished degree number one and I'm starting the second one this year so running into old classmates who ask "hey so what r u doing now?" I get the weird looks when I tell them I'm back at school doing ANOTHER undergrad. Unless they were/are premeds themselves they r a lot of "why would you do another degree in THAT?"

 

I really don't feel like I'm missing out on much. As someone who has worked throughout undergrad I feel like in terms of work experience I've been there done that and frankly I like being in school a lot better. I have established that I cannot for the life of me be in a career that does not offer ample learning opportunities!!! 9-5pm desk job requires a lot of discipline but after having done this grind for 1.5 yrs I feel like a lot of my mind was demolishing in front of me. The only exception would have to be doing something in marketing or communications---love creativity meetings.

[supafield]

I just finished degree number one and I'm starting the second one this year so running into old classmates who ask "hey so what r u doing now?" I get the weird looks when I tell them I'm back at school doing ANOTHER undergrad. Unless they were/are premeds themselves they r a lot of "why would you do another degree in THAT?"

 

 

Lol +1

 

Me: I'm actually doing a second undergrad degree....

Them: Oh..... why?

[bsm]

yeah I SHOULD have just done another undergrad degree when i graduated.....instead of masters

 

 

at the risk of hijacking:

whats the benefit in doing a degree program instead of 1-3 non-degree years?

If you do non-degree, then you can keep applying to med-school and then leave at any time if you get accepted

[Rayven]

yeah I SHOULD have just done another undergrad degree when i graduated.....instead of masters

 

 

at the risk of hijacking:

whats the benefit in doing a degree program instead of 1-3 non-degree years?

If you do non-degree, then you can keep applying to med-school and then leave at any time if you get accepted

I think most med schools only let you do 1 "special" year. They expect you to finish your degree in the normal 4 years. And if you do up to 3 non-degree years.. you might as well have tried to transfer credits from your first degree and in most cases that means completing a 2nd degree in 2 years!

 

Hi, I did a Bsc. in 05 and just finished a HBA. My science grades were pretty pathetic during my Bsc. Upon commencement of my HBA I decided not to repeat any courses but to do higher level courses in the same stream. Furthermore, I think if you get a strong MCAT score, you show that you have a secure grasp over the introductory sciences and do not need to repeat them. Lastly, if you start repeating courses I would recommend to do them in the summer or in addition to your full coarse load in fall/winter as it may complicate things for you when you're applying to med schools. Some schools may discount your second attempt and then you are left with a course load of less than 5.0 which may hinder your chances.

 

Just some things to consider before repeating courses!

Hmm thanks for the reply, coco! I changed programs and schools but I did complete some of the science pre-reqs originally in my first year. Some of which weren't exactly the best marks for family reasons but I'd really rather not make excuses for myself back then. Anyways, I had email some med schools regarding what is considered a "repeat" course. Here was one of my findings:

 

Hello again,

 

I understand that you did not complete your first degree, nonetheless, we require a 4-year honours degree or equivalent.In your case, we would only be looking at the transcript from your second university. If this transcript does not indicate 'Cell Bio as' a repeat course, we would not consider it a repeat course. If, on the other hand, the transcript from the second university shows 'Cell Bio' as a repeat course, then we would also consider it a repeat course, in which case that year could not be used for the GPA requirement unless you still had a full course load without the repeat course(s).

 

I hope this clarifies things for you.

 

M Kennard

 

Admissions Medicine

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry

The University of Western Ontario

[TT101]

Hello good friends,

 

so my story is basically that I've completed my first degree (in biochem w/ specialized courses in medicinal or organic chemistry) and I'm currently doing my masters. My GPA was fairly sub-par for medicine in my undergraduate degree (I think it's about 3.43) so now I'm considering doing a 2nd degree.

 

Currently, I am looking at distance education for a 2nd degree but the only one I can really find is Athabasca University (I live in Ontario). Is there any other school I should look for. Also, I would like to finish a 2nd degree as quickly as possible (hopefully within 1 and a half year), so I was wondering what program would be best to accomplish this. I'm currently looking at Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Science (Human Science).

 

Also, regarding transfer of credits, how would this work? Can I choose to transfer any courses I wanted from my first degree to meet the elective requirements for the second degree (basically, I want to transfer all my science pre-reqs for medicine and the courses I have atleast an A in). Would something like this be possible?

 

Thanks a lot, any guidance would really be helpful in achieving my dream (which I am sure is no longer dentistry after volunteering at a clinic

[Rayven]

Hello good friends,

 

so my story is basically that I've completed my first degree (in biochem w/ specialized courses in medicinal or organic chemistry) and I'm currently doing my masters. My GPA was fairly sub-par for medicine in my undergraduate degree (I think it's about 3.43) so now I'm considering doing a 2nd degree.

 

Currently, I am looking at distance education for a 2nd degree but the only one I can really find is Athabasca University (I live in Ontario). Is there any other school I should look for. Also, I would like to finish a 2nd degree as quickly as possible (hopefully within 1 and a half year), so I was wondering what program would be best to accomplish this. I'm currently looking at Bachelor of Commerce or Bachelor of Science (Human Science).

 

Also, regarding transfer of credits, how would this work? Can I choose to transfer any courses I wanted from my first degree to meet the elective requirements for the second degree (basically, I want to transfer all my science pre-reqs for medicine and the courses I have atleast an A in). Would something like this be possible?

 

Thanks a lot, any guidance would really be helpful in achieving my dream (which I am sure is no longer dentistry after volunteering at a clinic

For accredited online courses in Canada you can definitely check out Canadian Virtual University. Athabasca is probably the most expensive option because they're the most popular/advertised. Waterloo offers distance ed and Ryerson's Chang school offers courses for non-degree students which (you need to check) can be transferred to a degree depending on the course.

 

Regarding transfer credits, you need to usually fill out a form or speak to admissions as they'll usually have someone run an equivalency check on the courses you completed vs the courses at the school you're applying. I think if you're lucky, a completed degree cuts down the time to finish your new degree considerably by up to 2 years.

 

Hop that helps.

 

Oh and out of curiosity, what exactly happened in a clinic that changed you from a predent to a premed? I hope it wasn't that pied piper lady...

[anna8]

Second degree student here too!

 

It's nice to know people who have similar experiences with me going through this whole process. I agree how people (especially family) don't really understand why I have to do this. It's an awkward situation to be in, but I really hope it pays off in the end.

 

AndreaM, where'd you go to school? My second degree is in Psych too (first was in Health Sci). I'm hoping I'd find it easy and fun as well.

[AndreaM]

Second degree student here too!

 

It's nice to know people who have similar experiences with me going through this whole process. I agree how people (especially family) don't really understand why I have to do this. It's an awkward situation to be in, but I really hope it pays off in the end.

 

AndreaM, where'd you go to school? My second degree is in Psych too (first was in Health Sci). I'm hoping I'd find it easy and fun as well.

 

I did my biol/chem at UNBC and I've done the psyc by correspondence through TRU (Thompson Rivers University) which was formerly BCOU. What province are you in?