Advice would be greatly appreciated :)

[GiveMeLiberty]

Hi everyone,

Sorry in advance for the long post, but I would appreciate some advice about my situation.

 

I graduated undergrad with a <3.0 gpa. Terrible, I know. I was very disinterested in academics and always thought of myself as ‘average’…so that’s what I wanted: average job, average hours, average money.

This is where I am now. I work in the pharma/clinical research industry doing an average job, and I feel tremendously unfulfilled.

 

After my undergrad I took 6 months off (did nothing, had no drive, no sense of ambition or self-worth) and started a 1 yr clinical research certification program, and got a job in the industry. I lost myself (cheesy I know) & had no path in university. So finally I decided it was time to deal with my issues (still working on them) & I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and self improvement. I read a lot about how to better oneself (i.e. to believe in myself, believe I am worth it, and believe I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, dealing with 'ego', how to compose/handle yourself in situations..etc).

 

After working at this job, I realize that no matter what industry you are in, if you want to get anywhere, you will have to put in hard-work and dedicate yourself to the job & field (i.e. always be on top of this that are happening in your industry).

 

Medicine has always been at the back of my mind, because I have very pushy parents who think medicine is the only career worth any regard (medicine & engineering), so that they can go around and tell the world that their child is a doctor [and maybe deep down, that their child will be financially secure for the rest of their lives]. I used (and to a certain degree still do) resent them for shoving it down my throat as the only option for my life, that I did whatever I could to pretend I was interested (ie got a BSc in medsci+bio----but ****acularly), meanwhile I just wanted out.

Luckily, I decided that their opinion of me would no longer have a huge bearing anymore…that I would do what makes me happy, since I am the one that has to put in all the hardwork. So here I am, back to square 1 it seems, except it feels alot different. I'm thinking about pursuing medicine inspite of my parents...but because I want to (but I'm sure they are still subconciously my choice).

After 1 year in the working world, realizing that this is absolutely NOT what I want. I do not want to just work 9-5, clock in and clock out and be 'average', and I most definitely do not want to work so hard for someone else to bank the money.

 

SO (ha, finally I know), my only route into medicine is completing a 2nd degree. I’ve lurked on these forums for years, and am finally asking for advice b/c I’ve reached a fork in the road. What I really want to do is learn about finances, because I am so poorly educated when it comes to money & how to make my money work for me. So since I need to do a second undergrad, I would love to get a BBA/BComm. My concerns: a) since it’s a topic that is COMPLETELY new to me, I may jeopardize getting a competitive gpa simply b/c of the learning curve I could go get another BSc & receive transfer credits which cuts the years of study down from 4 to 2/3 & I have a decent background in science so concepts will come easier.

 

It’s hard to summarize my lifes story in 1 post, & it is unnecessary, but I tried to mention a few key points. I understand this post may seem financially driven, but I don't want to become a doctor just for the money--thats 10 years of my life...it's not worth it if I just wanted money. But as an FYI, I have done quite a large amount of volunteer work (charity work, fundraising, international volunteering, tutoring, and much more)

 

Does anyone have any constructive advice they can provide? Any guidance will be much appreciated.

[Legion]

If you are very interested in finance, you should definitely do a BBA. I personally do much better in courses that I am interested in than what some may call "bird" courses. Interest plays a key role in getting high marks IMO. On the other hand, you can cut down the 4 years in half, as you said, by doing another science related degree. I would advise that you talk with the undergrad admissions office to see whether and how many credits you can get transferred into a BBA degree. After all, you are allowed to take electives and it would be nice if they can give you a year worth of credits toward your BBA. This way the advantage of doing another science related degree would be slimmer as you will also be cutting down on the years towards your BBA, if you gain transfer credits.

 

Make sure you study your A$$ off this time, because if you don't, you will be wasting your time and money as you already have a degree.

 

I'm not certain whether some med schools require you to finish (complete) your second degree before you can register (once admitted). Maybe someone else can comment on this. If they don't require you to complete the second degree, then doing 2 years of full course load would be enough for you to be competitive for a number of med schools (Queens, Western, possibly Mac). Three years would make you competitive for Ottawa. Now this is only if you get your act together and study like a madman.

 

Good luck

[ziweiwu]

Hi everyone,

Sorry in advance for the long post, but I would appreciate some advice about my situation.

 

I graduated undergrad with a <3.0 gpa. Terrible, I know. I was very disinterested in academics and always thought of myself as ‘average’…so that’s what I wanted: average job, average hours, average money.

This is where I am now. I work in the pharma/clinical research industry doing an average job, and I feel tremendously unfulfilled.

 

After my undergrad I took 6 months off (did nothing, had no drive, no sense of ambition or self-worth) and started a 1 yr clinical research certification program, and got a job in the industry. I lost myself (cheesy I know) & had no path in university. So finally I decided it was time to deal with my issues (still working on them) & I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and self improvement. I read a lot about how to better oneself (i.e. to believe in myself, believe I am worth it, and believe I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, dealing with 'ego', how to compose/handle yourself in situations..etc).

 

After working at this job, I realize that no matter what industry you are in, if you want to get anywhere, you will have to put in hard-work and dedicate yourself to the job & field (i.e. always be on top of this that are happening in your industry).

 

Medicine has always been at the back of my mind, because I have very pushy parents who think medicine is the only career worth any regard (medicine & engineering), so that they can go around and tell the world that their child is a doctor [and maybe deep down, that their child will be financially secure for the rest of their lives]. I used (and to a certain degree still do) resent them for shoving it down my throat as the only option for my life, that I did whatever I could to pretend I was interested (ie got a BSc in medsci+bio----but ****acularly), meanwhile I just wanted out.

Luckily, I decided that their opinion of me would no longer have a huge bearing anymore…that I would do what makes me happy, since I am the one that has to put in all the hardwork. So here I am, back to square 1 it seems, except it feels alot different. I'm thinking about pursuing medicine inspite of my parents...but because I want to (but I'm sure they are still subconciously my choice).

After 1 year in the working world, realizing that this is absolutely NOT what I want. I do not want to just work 9-5, clock in and clock out and be 'average', and I most definitely do not want to work so hard for someone else to bank the money.

 

SO (ha, finally I know), my only route into medicine is completing a 2nd degree. I’ve lurked on these forums for years, and am finally asking for advice b/c I’ve reached a fork in the road. What I really want to do is learn about finances, because I am so poorly educated when it comes to money & how to make my money work for me. So since I need to do a second undergrad, I would love to get a BBA/BComm. My concerns: a) since it’s a topic that is COMPLETELY new to me, I may jeopardize getting a competitive gpa simply b/c of the learning curve I could go get another BSc & receive transfer credits which cuts the years of study down from 4 to 2/3 & I have a decent background in science so concepts will come easier.

 

It’s hard to summarize my lifes story in 1 post, & it is unnecessary, but I tried to mention a few key points. I understand this post may seem financially driven, but I don't want to become a doctor just for the money--thats 10 years of my life...it's not worth it if I just wanted money. But as an FYI, I have done quite a large amount of volunteer work (charity work, fundraising, international volunteering, tutoring, and much more)

 

Does anyone have any constructive advice they can provide? Any guidance will be much appreciated.

Money would be an extremely poor motivation to pursue medicine. The length of education and sacrifices that you have to make is not justified with your future income. B com is a good backup option in case you don't make it but if medicine something you truly want to do. A second Bachelor of Science is a good start considering you can use transfer credits and finish in 2 years. I personally choosing 2nd BSC degree to put myself at position to apply to medical school. I shared similar thought process as you as undergraduate, and I underwent the change in mentality just this year and asked myself a question "What would I want to do in for rest of my life if there's no limitation?" If you can make that decision for yourself today, I think your future self would thank you for that. Hope that helped.

[GiveMeLiberty]

asked myself a question "What would I want to do in for rest of my life if there's no limitation?"

 

Thats a very good question to ask.

 

I think I'm in a difficult situation because I didn't know that I wanted to follow this route, till very recently. I kept telling myself all the negative problems associated with it : 10+ years of study, having to retain the information you study (O_O), working extremely long hours, having to make decisions for other people (ie medical advice, being placed in difficult situations (seeing humans suffer--children with cancer, victims of assaults...), getting sued even though you do your best...just to name a few.

 

Those doubts are still screaming in my head, but after years of lurking and following peoples journeys on this forum, I think that if they can overcome these fears...why can't I?

 

Does anyone else have fears about pursuing a career in medicine that they wouldn't mind sharing? Any tips on how to face/overcome these fears?

[Zhivago]

Hi everyone,

Sorry in advance for the long post, but I would appreciate some advice about my situation.

 

I graduated undergrad with a <3.0 gpa. Terrible, I know. I was very disinterested in academics and always thought of myself as ‘average’…so that’s what I wanted: average job, average hours, average money.

This is where I am now. I work in the pharma/clinical research industry doing an average job, and I feel tremendously unfulfilled.

 

After my undergrad I took 6 months off (did nothing, had no drive, no sense of ambition or self-worth) and started a 1 yr clinical research certification program, and got a job in the industry. I lost myself (cheesy I know) & had no path in university. So finally I decided it was time to deal with my issues (still working on them) & I’ve been doing a lot of soul searching and self improvement. I read a lot about how to better oneself (i.e. to believe in myself, believe I am worth it, and believe I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, dealing with 'ego', how to compose/handle yourself in situations..etc).

 

After working at this job, I realize that no matter what industry you are in, if you want to get anywhere, you will have to put in hard-work and dedicate yourself to the job & field (i.e. always be on top of this that are happening in your industry).

 

Medicine has always been at the back of my mind, because I have very pushy parents who think medicine is the only career worth any regard (medicine & engineering), so that they can go around and tell the world that their child is a doctor [and maybe deep down, that their child will be financially secure for the rest of their lives]. I used (and to a certain degree still do) resent them for shoving it down my throat as the only option for my life, that I did whatever I could to pretend I was interested (ie got a BSc in medsci+bio----but ****acularly), meanwhile I just wanted out.

Luckily, I decided that their opinion of me would no longer have a huge bearing anymore…that I would do what makes me happy, since I am the one that has to put in all the hardwork. So here I am, back to square 1 it seems, except it feels alot different. I'm thinking about pursuing medicine inspite of my parents...but because I want to (but I'm sure they are still subconciously my choice).

After 1 year in the working world, realizing that this is absolutely NOT what I want. I do not want to just work 9-5, clock in and clock out and be 'average', and I most definitely do not want to work so hard for someone else to bank the money.

 

SO (ha, finally I know), my only route into medicine is completing a 2nd degree. I’ve lurked on these forums for years, and am finally asking for advice b/c I’ve reached a fork in the road. What I really want to do is learn about finances, because I am so poorly educated when it comes to money & how to make my money work for me. So since I need to do a second undergrad, I would love to get a BBA/BComm. My concerns: a) since it’s a topic that is COMPLETELY new to me, I may jeopardize getting a competitive gpa simply b/c of the learning curve I could go get another BSc & receive transfer credits which cuts the years of study down from 4 to 2/3 & I have a decent background in science so concepts will come easier.

 

It’s hard to summarize my lifes story in 1 post, & it is unnecessary, but I tried to mention a few key points. I understand this post may seem financially driven, but I don't want to become a doctor just for the money--thats 10 years of my life...it's not worth it if I just wanted money. But as an FYI, I have done quite a large amount of volunteer work (charity work, fundraising, international volunteering, tutoring, and much more)

 

Does anyone have any constructive advice they can provide? Any guidance will be much appreciated.

Hello!

 

I am in a similar spot as you.

 

My stats: Quebec Resident, 25 years old, BFA; I think my cGPA is a tad above 3, but have 2 failed courses and a really strange pattern, lots of As/A- and 1 D, 1C,. a few Bs. Anyway. I loved my undergrad subject and started out extremely well. However, I was the victim of a rape, and everything went down hill after (I was even on Academic Probation one semester).

 

To get over that, I did lots and lots of Yoga, read many self-help books, saw a professional, took up running, and by being kind to myself, I wanted to be kind to others, so I started volunteering.

 

So, like you, I need to do a 2nd undergrad, hopefully B.Sc. And hopefully, someone lets me in somewhere to at least start that.

 

I am in a similar position as you, but I am motivated to embark on this journey. I believe I have the grit to do it. Make a plan and break it step by step.

 

What about you?

[future_doc]

Go for science, check out Exercise Science/Kin.

[simpy]

Hi everyone,

Sorry in advance for the long post, but I would appreciate some advice about my situation.

 

The way you've sort of set out your story is a little odd. Distilling your post down, it sounds like you've come to the realization that you need to work hard in a career to get somewhere. But you don't want to work hard in your career, you'd rather explore a career where you have to work harder in. But not because of your parents.

 

Sorry I don't mean to sound rude or asinine here, but I'm not sure your stated motivation for medicine will be enough. If you posted that you've come to the realization that it takes hard work to succeed, and you've achieved success recently through this understanding, then I'd believe you. But it sounds more like you're in the "same-old" position you were in during undergrad, and you're not happy with it.

 

If you really want to get into medicine, you can. It's just that you're setting off on a path where you must work harder than you have in your entire life, for several years, for a CHANCE of getting in. You should know you have this ability within you before setting off on this path.

 

Why not take another year and try giving your job your all? You don't HAVE to stick to working 9-5, why not take on additional responsibilities? Why not pick up a second job? Or start volunteering extensively in a medical field, to see if you actually find it fulfilling?

 

Even if you love medicine, you're going to have to spend years in undergrad which you apparently didn't love the first time around. It's going to be a hard journey, figure out if you have the motivation within you by taking your job to the next level this year first.

[GiveMeLiberty]

but I'm not sure your stated motivation for medicine will be enough.

 

Thanks for your response Simpy. You didn't sound rude at all, I didn't post on here just so i could hear 'do it, you'll be fine'. I was hoping to hear your input.

 

To be completely honest, I often don't know whether my motivation for choosing medicine will be enough either. I think about where I was a few years ago, where I didn't want to work very hard, and pretty much wanted to coast through life...but I'm at a different spot in my growth right now. I am still trying to figure my career plan out which is why I'm seeking advice from people who were/are in a similar position to myself.

 

I believe, at this point, I don't want to do anything else? I don't know if that makes sense? I've worked several jobs, and I've gained alot of experience and perspective from each of them....but why is medicine still tugging my internal strings? I wish I just knew, it would make my life much easier, but I know I'm going through this struggle for a reason. Sometimes I feel like I need to just make a decision and stick to it? Does anyone else feel this way?

 

Someone very smart said "Life is a marathon, not a sprint - take some time to sort everything out, it will be worth it in the end" (aka Simpy), and I agree...while I am only growing older (I just turned 24), I am also getting wiser in how I percieve things. I do plan to continue in my industry...but I also don't want to delay anymore time to begin my 2nd undergrad. But I don't want to begin it unless I'm 100% sure I want to become a physician...

 

Simpy, I read your sticky in the non-trad thread and, like others, found your journey quite inspiring. I hope you indulge me in this tidbit of information: you had a low gpa in your first undergrad...what was your trigger/turning point tha made you decide to pursue the career you are currently in?

 

Thanks

[Zhivago]

Thanks for your response Simpy. You didn't sound rude at all, I didn't post on here just so i could hear 'do it, you'll be fine'. I was hoping to hear your input.

 

To be completely honest, I often don't know whether my motivation for choosing medicine will be enough either. I think about where I was a few years ago, where I didn't want to work very hard, and pretty much wanted to coast through life...but I'm at a different spot in my growth right now. I am still trying to figure my career plan out which is why I'm seeking advice from people who were/are in a similar position to myself.

 

I believe, at this point, I don't want to do anything else? I don't know if that makes sense? I've worked several jobs, and I've gained alot of experience and perspective from each of them....but why is medicine still tugging my internal strings? I wish I just knew, it would make my life much easier, but I know I'm going through this struggle for a reason. Sometimes I feel like I need to just make a decision and stick to it? Does anyone else feel this way?

 

Someone very smart said "Life is a marathon, not a sprint - take some time to sort everything out, it will be worth it in the end" (aka Simpy), and I agree...while I am only growing older (I just turned 24), I am also getting wiser in how I percieve things. I do plan to continue in my industry...but I also don't want to delay anymore time to begin my 2nd undergrad. But I don't want to begin it unless I'm 100% sure I want to become a physician...

 

Simpy, I read your sticky in the non-trad thread and, like others, found your journey quite inspiring. I hope you indulge me in this tidbit of information: you had a low gpa in your first undergrad...what was your trigger/turning point tha made you decide to pursue the career you are currently in?

 

Thanks

24 is not too old. You are still young.

[GiveMeLiberty]

To get over that, I did lots and lots of Yoga, read many self-help books, saw a professional, took up running, and by being kind to myself, I wanted to be kind to others, so I started volunteering.

 

I am in a similar position as you, but I am motivated to embark on this journey. I believe I have the grit to do it. Make a plan and break it step by step.

 

What about you?

 

Hi Zhivago,

I'm sorry to hear that something so awful happened to you & I commend you for pushing through it.

 

I will definitely take your advice and make a plan & break it step by step. It is so important to not only have a high-level plan ( 2nd undergrad + apply 2 med schools that you qualify for) but also a low level plan is necessary (where to go for undergrad+what to take (careful course selection)+where to volunteer+MCATs...etc)

 

I know pm101 is a great community, with lots of helpful information & people.

 

I definitely look forward to this journey, and for now, regardless of my ending.

[simpy]

I was 26 when I returned to start my second undergrad, so 24's not too late at all.

 

I totally get where you're coming from by saying that you want to just settle on something and do it for the rest of your life. Also that there's that intrinsic connection in your life to medicine.

 

The thing is, that once you start on this path you'll realize that intrinsic connection may be related to things they've been steered towards their whole lives (parents), by their outside perception of the field (television and other media), and by external influences (i.e. societal regard for medicine, money, etc). For a few people, these influences are enough to sustain their career. For most of us, it's not.

 

Failure is a great thing because of what we learn from it. It sounds like you feel as if you have failed in some way. It even sounds like you've learned from this perceived failure - by recognizing that no matter what you do, you're going to have to work hard to succeed. But learning from failure is more than just about realizing facts, it's about taking those facts and applying them. I think you're currently in between these stages. Take what you've learned and apply them to your life now. If you can successfully, then establish where you are and where you want to go.

 

Quite a lot changed for me, will share in a PM if you're interested. But the short story is that I had a bit of a "moment of clarity" in the midst of wasting my life and realized that what I had been living for was meaningless. So I took a year and started trying everything to see what it was I connected the most with. I started excelling at work, volunteered in several different fields, traveled extensively, and took up a bunch of hobbies (ran my first half marathon a few months into it).

 

You can do all of that too - all I mean to say through these posts is that returning to school now seems a little premature. Give it a year and see how much you can accomplish and grow.