Medicine as a second career - chances??

[Kasiunut]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm a 27 year old Chartered Accountant and after 5 years working for a Big 4 firm I decided I wanted to apply to medical school and become a doctor.

 

This isn't an out of the blue decision, but something I've wanted for a long time...anyway, here is some info about me - let me know what you think my chances are:

 

1. Undergrad degree - Honors Bachelor of Business Admin from Richard Ivey School of Business, with distinction.

2. GPA - OMSAS - straight average (so not factoring in the various exceptions schools make) is about 3.66 however some of my Ivey courses weren't traditional 0.5 credit or full credit courses (i.e. some would be like 5 weeks, some would last a full two years) - so it maybe be a bit higher/lower.

3. MCAT - haven't taken yet, but am taking the Princeton Review Hyper-learning course starting next week

4. Volunteering - at an nursing home in their palliative care unit

5. Clinical research - working for a family physician doing clinical trials

6. International experience -will be working alongside/shadowing a pediatric surgeon in Poland for about a month -6 weeks

 

Problems - I have NO science in my undergrad - am taking Bio and Anatomy through Athabasca U at the moment to have some life science courses. Also my medical experience in general is on the low side.

 

As I live in Toronto (where I have a house, a husband and a child) UofT would be my first choice, followed by Mac.

 

Am I crazy here to even consider this?? Any other moms out there trying to get into med school??

[Kasiunut]

are you taking those courses online?

 

i heard they don't count em.....some places at least

 

I contacted the admissions office at U of T and they assured me that they do and that many applicants get additional courses this way. This is what they said:

 

Q: First off all, I would require the 2 FCE of life sciences, so my questions are:

1) Could I do them online through Athabasca University? Would taking these courses via self study in any way affect my chances?

 

A: I will answer your questions in order:

1) Yes, you can definitely do your pre-requisite courses through Athabasca University. It would not affect your chances in any way. Many applicants do their pre-reqs through this method.

[SheriffLobo]

From what I've read so far, you may have a chance, but it really depends on your MCAT. As far as I know UofT only uses the MCAT as a cutoff, whereas Mac requires to have a certain VR score to be considered 'competitive'.

 

Have you factored in your gpa using the UofT exclusion policy that they have? If you end up with a 3.8 or something, you should have a decent shot, given your work experience and research experience (UofT loves research).

 

So really, if you can tell us your GPA using the UofT "drop the lowest mark per year of full time study", that should make things easier to evaluate.

[Kasiunut]

Hi,

 

Yes, I did a rough calculation for UofT with their system and my GPA came to about 3.84. Like I said though, this may change a tiny bit depending on how some of my Ivey grades are weighted.

 

Also, quick question for U of T GPA calc - do I drop my lowest mark per year or my 4 overall lowest marks? I did my calc based on my lowest mark per year, but if I did it on my 4 overall lowest marks my GPA would be higher.

[SheriffLobo]

"A student applying with four completed years may drop the four lowest full-year course marks, or eight lowest semester course marks, or any combination thereof."

 

I suppose I should have included that to begin with, would have saved you some time. But yeah, I suppose you can further refine your gpa that way. Looks to me then you have a fairly good shot. Just make sure you get a great MCAT and keep adding to your EC's whenever you can.

[Kasiunut]

Great thanks so much - I'm studying for my Bio mid-term now and need something to motivate me!

[chicklets3]

Kasinut...you're not crazy! There are others out here who are following a very non-traditional path to medicine.

 

I've been a Speech-Language Pathologist for many years and for a long time, I've wanted to pursue medicine. The timing wasn't right for me until now, as I have three children and I felt I couldn't devote the time required to complete a medical program. I'm also living in a rural isolated northern Ontario community (just say thank-you to my husband for that!). I've been studying all of the science courses by myself with borrowed text books, as I have taken some science courses but not all of the typical pre-requisites. It's also been many years since I have taken these courses and I am having to relearn it all. I am determined to be able to write the MCAT next year if need be!! I am still hoping to get into NOSM (my only choice), since my years in the north and vast life experience do count with this program.

 

My GPA is very similar to yours, but if you take just my last two years, it jumps to over 3.8. I'm unable to take courses, given where I live and have been looking into any online programs offered.

 

Good luck to you!

[Kasiunut]

You should try Athabasc University - you can take many prerequisite courses online and the timing is very flexible.

 

Good luck to you!

[tooty]

Your chances are great. Focus on VR to max your chances. If by chance you and your family can move out west, your chances at Calgary are good too if your VR is high.

[mimz]

Hi There

 

I'm in almost the exact situation. I'm a CA/MBA here in Alberta and going to apply to med school next summer. It was a decision that I did not take lightly. I, too, have a house, husband, kid. However, my current job made me miserable. So, decided to resign, take a year off to take some sciences courses and take the MCAT this summer.

 

If anything, having a diverse background sets you apart from the rest. Medicine is always in need of good management folks.

 

Best of luck.

 

Mimz

[aaronjw]

Hi There

 

I'm in almost the exact situation. I'm a CA/MBA here in Alberta and going to apply to med school next summer. It was a decision that I did not take lightly. I, too, have a house, husband, kid. However, my current job made me miserable. So, decided to resign, take a year off to take some sciences courses and take the MCAT this summer.

 

If anything, having a diverse background sets you apart from the rest. Medicine is always in need of good management folks.

 

Best of luck.

 

Mimz

 

Holla for the nontrad business types 12 yr biz exec here. Relate to a lot of what im reading.

 

Good luck to y'all!

[Kasiunut]

No, am not considering dentistry - its not really about the hours/money/being my own boss that I want to be a doctor.

 

To be honest I think I'd be really bored with dentistry and I don't think it would give the satisfaction that medicine would. I'm not sure yet what I'd like to do (as a specialty) and think that dentistry is just too focused of a specialization - just like respiratory therapy of physio. I want to explore the different areas to see what inspires and interests me most.

 

But thanks for the suggestion!

[Kasiunut]

Hi There

 

I'm in almost the exact situation. I'm a CA/MBA here in Alberta and going to apply to med school next summer. It was a decision that I did not take lightly. I, too, have a house, husband, kid. However, my current job made me miserable. So, decided to resign, take a year off to take some sciences courses and take the MCAT this summer.

 

If anything, having a diverse background sets you apart from the rest. Medicine is always in need of good management folks.

 

Best of luck.

 

Mimz

 

Wow good luck to you too! I too resigned from my job in mid-Oct and My plan is also to take my science courses, study for the MCAT this year as well as do some volunteer/research work and apply next summer. Its shaping up to be a busy year but I'm excited about it!

[Real Beef]

Wow good luck to you too! I too resigned from my job in mid-Oct and My plan is also to take my science courses, study for the MCAT this year as well as do some volunteer/research work and apply next summer. Its shaping up to be a busy year but I'm excited about it!

 

Sounds like a definite turning point in your lives ... quit jobs, focus on med and eventually GET IN ... in 15-20 years it will be an interesting story for you to recount. People will say how crazy, brave you two were ... perhaps they say that already?

 

Beef

[TracyK]

For the moms out there: take a look at http://www.mommd.com if you haven't already. Mostly US but good support and sharing of experiences.

[bloh]

Have you thought about getting another job in a slightly different field? As a CA you have many open doors and can work in a variety of settings. Medicine is a huge undertaking so I'd certainly consider that first before going down the road.

[6730b]

Kasiunut,

 

Can I ask you what you dislike about being a Chartered Accountant?

I am in a very similar situation but I have even had Doctors tell me that I should stick with it because the first couple years are very tough (I don't know how they can relate to a CA in public practice.. but ok).

 

For me it's quite simple... I like the work - most of the work I do is very complicated and I love the challenge. I really dislike having to "get clients" and that type of thing. Also, I would really love to help someone other then rich business people - this may be possible with your CA. BTW this proposed merger really has me turned off the accounting profession.

 

I am in the process of trying to volunteer at a hospital.

[Kasiunut]

Kasiunut,

 

Can I ask you what you dislike about being a Chartered Accountant?

I am in a very similar situation but I have even had Doctors tell me that I should stick with it because the first couple years are very tough (I don't know how they can relate to a CA in public practice.. but ok).

 

For me it's quite simple... I like the work - most of the work I do is very complicated and I love the challenge. I really dislike having to "get clients" and that type of thing. Also, I would really love to help someone other then rich business people - this may be possible with your CA. BTW this proposed merger really has me turned off the accounting profession.

 

I am in the process of trying to volunteer at a hospital.

 

Hi,

I think the reason I dislike it, from a high level basis, is that I just don't find it that interesting. I didn't really like the work (though at times it could be ok, especially if I had a good team). I sort of fell into it because I wasn't sure of what I wanted to do once I was graduating from business school and though, why not? Plus, my dad is a CA and though he didn't like public accounting either, he loved accounting and the doors that having a CA opened up for him.

 

Anyway, I did do it for 5 years and I liked it less and less with every passing year. When I saw what my options were, namely a) keep in public practice to make it to Sr. Manager or Partner or move into industry like a lot of my friends, I realized I didn't want either of those. Yes, I could do something completely different where my CA background would be valued, but I couldn't think of anything that really inspired me.

 

I guess the reason I'm pursing this "dream" of medicine now is because I've always wanted to do this and always had that dream. Initially I thought I'd made my bed with accounting and thought I should make the best of it. And I tried, I really did. But I just couldn't summon up that kind of interest and motivation to do really well the way some of my coworkers did and when I realized I still had a good 40 years of working life ahead of me, I realized NOW is the time to try for medicine, because in 5-10 years it would be too late.

 

Look, I know I may very well NOT get in. I'm very aware of how incredibly competitive it is. I may fail. But I won't know until I try. And if I DO fail, and DON'T make it, well maybe I'll be able to have some closure and focus on how I can make use of my business and CA background that will have some more meaning for me.

 

But until I get those rejection letters knowing I did everything I could do to get in, I'm going to focus on getting in, because this IS something I'm passionate about. I think I would make a good doctor and I think this is something I could really enjoy doing for the next 40 years.

 

Anyway, sorry for the LONG answer, but that is basically it.

 

(As for the CA/CMA/CGA merger, I honestly don't think its such a bad idea, but I won't get into that here, most people here won't care )

 

All the best and good luck to you!

[Mugenn]

May I just say first off good luck to you with meds, because it's people like you who really should be getting in So may undergrad pre-meds are just in for the vision of being important/comfortable lifestyle/etc. that its actually kind of sad.

 

I actaully am finishing up my undergrad at UofT lifesci, and even though i have a good gpa, I often find myself regretting I didnt go do business -- it seems like all my peers who are going down that path will graduate and have actual jobs/make actual money, and all us lifesci undergrads are just gonna be screwed if we dont make it to meds (yes theres always research/entry level positions, but come on lets face it thats not what you work your bum off for for years)..

 

Anyways.. just wondering, could you please elaborate on what exactly is making you this unhappy with your job -- it can't be just boredom like you said, lots of people have boring jobs but not everyone is unhappy if they also have a fam on the side and nice income/w.e...?

[aaronjw]

12 years as a business exec i woke up to the realization that yes i was bored (i changed jobs every couple years because i got bored and thought that changing jobs and finding the one would eventually make me happy), also got tired of making rich people richer with no concern for the real problems in life (a company like RBC who still makes billions in profit bjt didnt quite meet projections will lay people off), and generally the whole industry as a whole.

 

I've work for some pretty big companies and even as a consultant a few times when i got tired of the rat race of the corporate world (consulting ismt any better, you're a high priced baby sitter at that point).

 

I would bet its not any one thing that led the OP to the conclusions that she came to. Its usually a combination of things.

 

I decided at 35 to go back to boost gpa and the goal IS meds im not an idiot to realize that just might not happen so i choose a program of health policy and management that i can combine with my business background to make me an attractive candidate for employment plus the system is in dire need of smart people willing to make bold choices to ensure we don't end up with a crippled health care system that's beyond our ability to afford it without massive tax hikes, user fees or privatization.

 

Those were a few of my reasons.

 

 

May I just say first off good luck to you with meds, because it's people like you who really should be getting in So may undergrad pre-meds are just in for the vision of being important/comfortable lifestyle/etc. that its actually kind of sad.

 

I actaully am finishing up my undergrad at UofT lifesci, and even though i have a good gpa, I often find myself regretting I didnt go do business -- it seems like all my peers who are going down that path will graduate and have actual jobs/make actual money, and all us lifesci undergrads are just gonna be screwed if we dont make it to meds (yes theres always research/entry level positions, but come on lets face it thats not what you work your bum off for for years)..

 

Anyways.. just wondering, could you please elaborate on what exactly is making you this unhappy with your job -- it can't be just boredom like you said, lots of people have boring jobs but not everyone is unhappy if they also have a fam on the side and nice income/w.e...?

[Kasiunut]

[quote name=Mugenn;644756

Anyways.. just wondering' date=' could you please elaborate on what exactly is making you this unhappy with your job -- it can't be just boredom like you said, lots of people have boring jobs but not everyone is unhappy if they also have a fam on the side and nice income/w.e...?[/quote]

 

Like the poster after you, it wasn't one thing...but just a general dislike for what I was doing. I really disliked this expectation to work crazy hours - not because of any other reason that we promised the client a short deadline and the partner/manager didn't want to allocate enough staff (because they get the profit and extra staff is expensive). I had a manager who was married to a doctor who said to her one day "I don't get it...its not like its life or death." I thought, WOW how true.

 

Don't get me wrong - I have no problem with working late hours - but I hated it when the ONLY reason was because we were understaffed. Constantly.

 

But it really boiled down to it just not satisfying me on a personal level. I've always been ambitious, I always wanted to work - having a meaningful career is very important to me. Even if I won the lottery, I would still want to work.

 

Also I have friends who ARE very happy with their career choices. They see the point in what they do, they are challenged by it and stimulated by it. There are some who don't love what they are doing, but the like their six-figure salaries and that motivates them to do succeed.

 

However, I really don't care that much about money, so it wasn't a motivator. To be honest, I could probably make more money if I stayed down this road than I would as a doctor - a good example is my dad. He's a CA and now owns his own businesses. He probably makes about $800K a year in salary and has a net worth of about $10M. There aren't many doctors that make that kind of money (at least, not in Canada). Not to mention he can work when he wants - he isn't on call, he can travel on a whim (as long as he has internet access!).

 

As for YOU and business...if you do well in Life Sciences, you can always get an MBA, which would step you up nicely for working for a pharma company or even a consultant in the health industry. Or you can even totally change focus and go into advertising, marketing, banking...and an MBA, while expensive will still cost less then medical school, you'd be done in 2 years and will likely make at starting salary of approx $70K right out of school (depending on your career path). Its not a bad alternative, however most MBA programs do require about 2-5 years of work experience prior to applying.

 

Anyway, all the best to you!

[psychoswim]

Like others said, you're definitely not alone! In my class, there are at least 3, maybe more, 30+ students with kids. And a friend of mine did her premed year (we have one at UdeM and promote automatically to 1st year at the end) last year, then is taking this year off after having her 2nd baby and will be going to 1st year next fall with me. And even though I'm still single, I'm 30 and just started med school after quitting my PhD in computer science. Not very traditional either.

 

GL!

[Kasiunut]

Like others said, you're definitely not alone! In my class, there are at least 3, maybe more, 30+ students with kids. And a friend of mine did her premed year (we have one at UdeM and promote automatically to 1st year at the end) last year, then is taking this year off after having her 2nd baby and will be going to 1st year next fall with me. And even though I'm still single, I'm 30 and just started med school after quitting my PhD in computer science. Not very traditional either.

 

GL!

 

Wow, Michelle, good for you! If I get in, I'll be 29 - hopefully there will be some other oldies like me too

 

Good luck with the rest of your schooling!

[Dongzhuo]

Good for you and I wish you all success in your road to medicine. While I understand that money is not your primary concern, you have to keep in mind that you'll probably spend a few years getting prepared to get in, and med school is 4 years, and family med (the shortest residency) is 2 years. That would be around 10 years, and if you were making 150K as an accountant, could mean 1.5 million lost income not including gains made through investing/ interest. But if it really is your passion then by all means go for it!

[rmorelan]

Wow, Michelle, good for you! If I get in, I'll be 29 - hopefully there will be some other oldies like me too

 

Good luck with the rest of your schooling!

 

Definitely are - I am also an ex professional computer programmer and started at 30.

 

There is the lost income as someone mentioned but I still don't think that is a major concern if it is something you really want to do. For us professionals we can still earn more than most while getting in. Actually did pretty well in my first year of med school as well.