<p>First - I think it’s an admirable career to become an MD. But know that there are a lot of jobs out there that involve “science and helping people.” You could be a nurse, a physician assistant, an optometrist, a dentist, an occupational therapist, physical therapist, or a variety of other allied health professions. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners, in particular, do a lot of primary care and actually can work as semi-independent primary care providers, in partnership or under the supervision of physicians. Nurses with master’s degrees also can rise through the ranks of hospital administration, and can eventually have a great deal of power (and good salaries!) within a hospital’s administration.</p>
<p>You could also be an epidemiologist or environmental health scientist, a science writer, a lab technician, a pharmacist or pharmacy tech…so don’t be afraid to explore a little outside of the traditional pre-med mold. Becoming an MD isn’t really “thinking out the box,” so to speak.</p>
<p>Is cost an issue? Both Miami and DePaul are great universities, but if you have no funding that may be a problem for you. Are you in-state to Ohio? where are you in-state? You may want to begin at a community college or a regional public university, both to save money and because that may be where you are more competitive.</p>