Going back to professional school?

For alumni interested in returning to school to pursue a career in Medicine or in Dentistry

Do I have the required course work?

• You will need to have completed (with a C or better) ideally in the last 5 to 7 years: o o o o o o 2 semesters of 2 semesters of 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry Physics Biology with lab with lab with lab 2 semesters of Inorganic (or General) Chemistry with lab 2 semesters of college math (calculus and statistics is common) 2 semesters of “writing intensive” coursework or English courses

Required courses, continued…

o

Any classes that the schools that you are interested in may also require

. Some require Biochemistry, a Behavioral Science (Psychology or Sociology) or additional Biology courses.

o o Most dental schools require Biochemistry.

If you are taking the MCAT in 2015 or after, you will need a working knowledge of Biochemistry and of the Behavioral Sciences.

If I need courses, where should I take them?

• • • • • Ideally, not a community college.

A state university is fine…just do well!

If you intend to continue working, look for evening classes. Many larger universities cater to “non-traditional” students by offering courses that allow for a full-time job.

You generally don’t have to enroll full time, but can take individual classes as they suit your schedule.

What about a Post-Baccalaureate program?

• • • • These are nice in that they offer the courses you need in a defined sequence.

They also give you a built-in peer group for support and often administrative support as well.

Some allow for a part-time program to allow students to continue to work.

One major downside: they aren’t cheap.

What about the MCAT/DAT?

• • You will need to have the science coursework completed before sitting for the exam (the exception is that Physics isn’t on the DAT).

Kaplan and ExamKrackers offer on-site courses; Kaplan offers online on demand ones as well (there are other companies, too, these are just the more commonly used ones here).

Finances?

• • • • • MCAT prep: $0-$2000+ MCAT: $270 Primary Application: $160 (includes first school); additional schools are $34 each.

Secondary Applications: $50-$150 each Travel to interviews: ???

• • Cost of applying fact sheet AAMC "Can I Afford Medical School?" Podcast

AAMC FIRST

•

Financial Information, Resources, Services, and Tools (FIRST)

• https://www.aamc.org/services/first/

Experience

• • The most “efficient” way to get experience may be to look for a paid position in health care…this isn’t always easy (or glamorous!) If this isn’t an option, look for volunteering/observational experiences with a clinical direction.

• If you’re working, the ER is open 24-hours. Maybe start there.

Non-clinical service

• • Be involved in your community just like you were probably involved in the campus community when you were here.

Service to others (not just in a medical capacity) and leadership are important.

What schools do I apply to?

• • Schools in your state of residency.

• Texas and California have lots of schools but tend to be very preferential to residents.

Private schools out-of-state.

General Timeline:

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Complete any necessary coursework Prepare for MCAT or DAT (minimally 3 months) Take exam and write application.

Submit primary (Ideally in early summer – June/July) and complete supplementals. Interviews begin late summer and go through early spring (Mar/Apr) Matriculate (Aug/Sept) 4 years of school; minimum of 3 years residency…more depending on chosen field.

Still interested?

• Next step is to contact me to start the preparation process.

Alison Patterson [email protected]