advice for newcomer

[nee]

newcomer to science and to (the idea of practicing) medicine. forgive me, because i'm also new to posting on the forums (i have been lurking however).

 

any advice for a person who's just decided to change career direction and is aiming for a career in medicine?

 

i've started studying for the mcat on my own (i have no science background whatsoever, having never taken any high school science past grade 10) to see if i think i can handle it before deciding to fully commit. however, my question relates to secondary and post-secondary academic requirements.

 

background: i have a B.A. in english and religion. recently graduated actually. not a great cgpa at 3.2ish, best/last two is a little higher at 3.48. can i use these grades after doing just one year science credits in a non-degreed program or is second undergrad degree the way to go?

 

i mean, what would be the best course of action to apply for med school in north america? do i have to take high school science in adult/night school, apply to a second science-based degree and then apply to med school? can i enrol in a B.Sc. program without having high school prerequisites? do the science prereqs for med school have to be in a degree program, or can i just get them in one year at a university non-degreed? i see a lot of people doing second degrees here. is that strictly necessary?

 

any guidance would be highly appreciated. thank you.

[MarathonRunner]

Having a second degree opens up options to more schools, as some won't look at a non-degree year, although some will.

 

As for needing high school pre-reqs to take university courses, it will depend on the particular course and the university in question. A lot of first year science courses have a lot of review of grade 12, going into a few things in more depth, and generally going through the material quicker.

 

So really, your first step would be to decide which university or universities you are looking at for your science prereqs or for a second degree, and see what their requirements are.

 

Good luck!