Third-Year Premed: Peace Corps, Major, On The Right Track?

artloversplus
Fri, 06 Jan 2017 01:25:08 +0000

I hope you are not totally discouraged by WOWM. While her post is all good advise, a lot of medical school students went to Peace Corp and ended up in a highly respectable medical specialty. In my mind, what is most important is that you maintain a high GPA that is medical school worthy, the MCAT, the ECs can be prepared and studied afterwards.

You have 28 months of Peace Corp, that is fine, in your case there is no rush to take the Mcat while you are in UG. You should self study the Mcat during your Peace Corp. duties, especially during the final months. After your return, you either can brush up the Mcat with a institution like Kaplan or if you feel you are ready, you can take the Mcat. In the mean time, you will find clinical volunteering, doctor shadowing etc. to make up the ECs you have been lacking. One year after your returning from Peace Corp, you will be ready to apply the med school. Take your time, there is no rush to become a physician, it normally takes 10+ years to become a doctor from day one in med school. A few years delay will not kill your ability to become a doctor.

My 88 year old neighbor who is a graduate from St. Louis med school, he did not graduate from there until he was 35 years old. He worked in different professions before he decided to apply for med school and I think he is still a successful physician and he was instrumental of the formation of Touro University Osteopathic Medical School.