Okay. I am SO sick of making freakin' revisions to this damn plan! It never stops! My last post I was SURE that I was going to go into Nursing first and then pursue a 4-year degree in biology. Well, THAT changed in a bloody heartbeat. After talking to a few people who's opinion I respect, and talking with my wife, we decided that Nursing was an unwise field to go into if I wanted to go into medical school. The primary reasoning behind this decision is the amount of pressure I'll be applying to myself as a nurse and a part time student. Got to be on point on both, or I might as well just give up. I don't want to take that chance.
So, instead we've decided to pursue another plan. It's a slight revision of my original plan. I will pursue a B.S. in biology. My wife will concurrently pursue a B.A. in accounting. Hopefully, she will be finished before me so that by the time I'm ready to apply and matriculate into medical school she'll have some sort of an established career.
It seems like a solid-enough plan, but there are definitly some concerns regarding time constraints and just timing in general. I've yet to tell anyone in my immediate family other than my wife that I'm doing this. My wife had a bit of a loose tongue, however, and she told her mother. Her mother subsequently told her husband. So, two more people than I would have preferred know about this. As long as my father doesn't know about it, I'm happy. He can be a pain about this stuff. He means well, but his sarcasm and general negativity can really drag you down. And, I'm so deep into the infancy of this process that even I doubt its legitimacy...
On a brighter note, I took my first exam in several years today. It was for my Sociology class. I believe that I did very well. It wasn't difficult, though. I finished about 15-20 minutes before anybody else in the class, and I felt kind of embarrassed. I just sat at my desk for awhile. Then, I decided to go over my answers to the test again. The professor wasn't in the room, and I wasn't sure where she wanted us to leave the completed tests. So, she finally came in and I gave her the test and left. We'll see how well I really did next Saturday.
-Merlin
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Friday, February 22, 2008
Revisions, revisions, revisions
I took a bit of a hiatus from this blog, not that I've got too many people who read it. Anyway, as the title suggests I've made some revisions to my initial plan. Before I get into the changes, let me explain what has happened. I believe my last entry was some time in October. That was AGES ago! I'm such a bad recorder-of-thoughts. However, I digress. For a time I had strayed from the concept of medical school. My wife and I had discussed it, and I was afraid that this would end up stretching us too thin. We're at a point right now, financially, where we can't afford to make any missteps. So with that in mind I was very cautious of the concept of medical school. I had thought about going into IT for awhile. But my heart just wasn't in it. I did some researching to find out where I'd like to be, and it was so DRY. All technology and business. Yuck!
I began contemplating medicine again. I researched more about my overall options, trying to determine what my best course of action would be if I decided to do it. Well, I realized that it might not be a bad idea to go into nursing first. Nursing would serve several very important purposes:
I began contemplating medicine again. I researched more about my overall options, trying to determine what my best course of action would be if I decided to do it. Well, I realized that it might not be a bad idea to go into nursing first. Nursing would serve several very important purposes:
- Give me exposure to the medical field, and professional relations with physicians.
- Professional experience in the medical field.
- $$$$$ (punctuation omitted)
- The possibility of tuition reimbursement for my futher endeavors into undergrad work.
That's the first modification to my plan. My second modification is really just taking my original plan of pursuing a B.S. in Biology after I have gained a position in the nursing field. It's definitly a tough road I've selected for myself, but I don't see much of a choice if I want to pursue medicine as an eventual career. It will probably take me a few years to secure an A.S. in Nursing. Hopefully no more than three. Then, I have to work at the hospital for a bit. Get adjusted to the job, do my rotations and try to select a position that will be advantageous to school work. Within a year of attaining a nursing position, I'd like to be back in school for my B.S. in Biology. It will take me a long time to complete this. Probably six years to get it completed. But, that includes my prerequisites. Then, I've got the application process (including the MCAT). All in all, I believe that's another year of work. So far, I'm up to ten years from now. I think I might be entombed in a freakin' mausoleum by the time I've got this process finished!
I look forward to the challenges, though. I look at this as a competition with myself, and a challenge. I want to see what I'm really made of when the dust settles; test my mettle and find out if I can push myself mentally and physically to do something that I once thought was an impossibility. The more I think about becoming a physician, the more I begin to realize that I was built for this. I've got a gregarious personality, I'm very empathetic, I love science, and I love to learn; I want to help people and improve their quality of life, and contribute something to society that not everybody has the opportunity to contribute.
Anyway, OPM has been an inspirational community for me. I'm so happy I was able to stumble across that support group early on in my little journey. They've taught me a lot in a short period of time, and I don't think I could express how much I appreciate the wealth of knowledge and the support structure they've provided so selflessly.
-Merlin
Friday, October 12, 2007
The March Continues
It's been awhile since my last post. I've been a busy little bee. I've come to find that a portion of this process is just plain old networking with people. But then again, isn't that the way the whole world seems to work?
So, I've had some concerns regarding shadowing. Doctors don't seem to be too keen on the concept of having non-medical personnel watching them work. My primary physician wasn't interested at all. He told me if I were a medical student it would be a different story. But, technically I'm not even a premedical student yet, as my wife so graciously pointed out.
I guess I'm jumping the gun a little bit. Over-eager to get started, as I've been my whole life. My wife is afraid I'm going to fizzle out on this like everything else I've attempted. I don't have anything to say to that right now. What can I say? She's got every reason to be suspicious that I'm going to drop dead on this like everything else (well, except for the Marines. They dropped me).
Anyway, I've begun the process of networking. I'm doing my best to be tactful about it. I don't want people to feel like I'm just using them to further my own personal gains, even if that IS all I'm doing. I finally spoke with a high-level admissions member at the medical school I've set my sights on attending. So far they've been nothing but helpful and willing to work with me. I had some questions regarding the Early Identification Program and not only were my questions answered, but the answer was quite prompt, considering how busy that office can be. The part that blew me away though, was the fact the woman who I had spoken with initially a week prior had remembered exactly who I was when I called back again. She even apologized for not getting back to me sooner. I nearly hit the floor. That's not something you get from people these days, let alone somebody from the admissions department of a high tier medical school!
So, the Early Identification Program will probably be a bust, unfortunately. It requires the student to maintain full-time status and to apply for consideration to the program no later then your sophomore year. Now, considering that I can only attend on a part time basis right now, I'm already out of the running. The other issue, though, is that even if the full-time stipulation wasn't there, the lines between freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior get a little blurry when you are attending on a part-time basis.
Good news, however, is that I've found a medical practice that IS willing to allow me to shadow. I'm so excited! They're my son's pediatrician. I went with my wife to my son's last checkup and simply asked if they allowed premedical students to shadow there. She was confused by the question initially because she had no idea I was interested in medicine. So, I clarified the situation and she said that for the most part she has medical students who shadow, and occasionally she has premedical students. She said that there wouldn't be a problem with me shadowing and to let them know if/when I was interested.
She seemed genuinely interested in what I was doing, as she was asking questions regarding how far along into my schooling I was and what school I was going to. I always feel a little embarrassed at this point. People ask me what I'm studying and how far into my studies I am, and I feel like if I tell them I've barely begun they don't take me seriously. I don't know why I care. I guess I've fucked up enough times that I embarrass myself.
I'll be starting my volunteering soon too, hopefully. I've decided to volunteer the majority of the time I've set aside for volunteering to the Rhode Island Hospital. There, I'll be trained as a patient advocate and I'll also be helping the medical staff to keep the patients comfortable. There's a ton of stuff you can do and I want to try it all. You get to work with cancer patients while they're going through their chemotherapy, or you can even work with children! You can work with the surgical staff to give patient's families updates on how the patient is doing. I'm looking forward to getting my hands dirty in this. Albeit time that I'm spending away from my family, I think it will pay dividends in the end.
Anyway, I think this is a good stopping point. Boy, I sure typed quite a bit today. It's been a little while since I've logged anything, so I guess I had a lot to say. Have a good night.
-Merlin
So, I've had some concerns regarding shadowing. Doctors don't seem to be too keen on the concept of having non-medical personnel watching them work. My primary physician wasn't interested at all. He told me if I were a medical student it would be a different story. But, technically I'm not even a premedical student yet, as my wife so graciously pointed out.
I guess I'm jumping the gun a little bit. Over-eager to get started, as I've been my whole life. My wife is afraid I'm going to fizzle out on this like everything else I've attempted. I don't have anything to say to that right now. What can I say? She's got every reason to be suspicious that I'm going to drop dead on this like everything else (well, except for the Marines. They dropped me).
Anyway, I've begun the process of networking. I'm doing my best to be tactful about it. I don't want people to feel like I'm just using them to further my own personal gains, even if that IS all I'm doing. I finally spoke with a high-level admissions member at the medical school I've set my sights on attending. So far they've been nothing but helpful and willing to work with me. I had some questions regarding the Early Identification Program and not only were my questions answered, but the answer was quite prompt, considering how busy that office can be. The part that blew me away though, was the fact the woman who I had spoken with initially a week prior had remembered exactly who I was when I called back again. She even apologized for not getting back to me sooner. I nearly hit the floor. That's not something you get from people these days, let alone somebody from the admissions department of a high tier medical school!
So, the Early Identification Program will probably be a bust, unfortunately. It requires the student to maintain full-time status and to apply for consideration to the program no later then your sophomore year. Now, considering that I can only attend on a part time basis right now, I'm already out of the running. The other issue, though, is that even if the full-time stipulation wasn't there, the lines between freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior get a little blurry when you are attending on a part-time basis.
Good news, however, is that I've found a medical practice that IS willing to allow me to shadow. I'm so excited! They're my son's pediatrician. I went with my wife to my son's last checkup and simply asked if they allowed premedical students to shadow there. She was confused by the question initially because she had no idea I was interested in medicine. So, I clarified the situation and she said that for the most part she has medical students who shadow, and occasionally she has premedical students. She said that there wouldn't be a problem with me shadowing and to let them know if/when I was interested.
She seemed genuinely interested in what I was doing, as she was asking questions regarding how far along into my schooling I was and what school I was going to. I always feel a little embarrassed at this point. People ask me what I'm studying and how far into my studies I am, and I feel like if I tell them I've barely begun they don't take me seriously. I don't know why I care. I guess I've fucked up enough times that I embarrass myself.
I'll be starting my volunteering soon too, hopefully. I've decided to volunteer the majority of the time I've set aside for volunteering to the Rhode Island Hospital. There, I'll be trained as a patient advocate and I'll also be helping the medical staff to keep the patients comfortable. There's a ton of stuff you can do and I want to try it all. You get to work with cancer patients while they're going through their chemotherapy, or you can even work with children! You can work with the surgical staff to give patient's families updates on how the patient is doing. I'm looking forward to getting my hands dirty in this. Albeit time that I'm spending away from my family, I think it will pay dividends in the end.
Anyway, I think this is a good stopping point. Boy, I sure typed quite a bit today. It's been a little while since I've logged anything, so I guess I had a lot to say. Have a good night.
-Merlin
Monday, October 1, 2007
Doubt, Anticipation, and Fear
I've been researching myself to death these last few days and weeks. It seems that the deeper I dig, the deeper the rabbit hole appears to be. Is there no end to this?? I am really enjoying myself discovering all these new concepts, but I am utterly terrified by them at the same time. I question whether I have what it takes to do this. Not in terms of steele, but just intelligence. I just don't know if I'm smart enough to hang with this crowd.
I haven't even really begun, and I already feel as if I'm over my head. I'm totally overwhelmed by the wealth of information I've uncovered. But, it's not just the information that's weighing down on me, it is the mountain of work that I can't help but look up at evry so often and shiver. I'm anticipating it, but I'm dreading it all at once. How can one person possibly expect to retain the amount of information that is expected of premedical students? The MCATS really scares me. The concept of your fate as a physician hinging on two major points, your GPA and your MCATS score is utterly gut-wrenching. One false step, one single second that you let your guard down, could be the undoing of you.
But the thing that makes me grin. The concept that really makes me smile, is that I faced down odds much greater then this, and I've won. Making it into medical school requires nothing more then personal sacrifice and a lot of very, very hard work. There are some things that I've done that I wasn't even supposed to do. Things that by right, I wasn't even physically qualified to do. I beat those odds, though. I made it when everyone else said I wouldn't. I did it then, and I sure as hell can do it now. Because now I don't have to rely on subterfuge or cunning to get what I need. I just need to work really hard and put my best foot forward, even when my shoe is untied.
-Merlin
I haven't even really begun, and I already feel as if I'm over my head. I'm totally overwhelmed by the wealth of information I've uncovered. But, it's not just the information that's weighing down on me, it is the mountain of work that I can't help but look up at evry so often and shiver. I'm anticipating it, but I'm dreading it all at once. How can one person possibly expect to retain the amount of information that is expected of premedical students? The MCATS really scares me. The concept of your fate as a physician hinging on two major points, your GPA and your MCATS score is utterly gut-wrenching. One false step, one single second that you let your guard down, could be the undoing of you.
But the thing that makes me grin. The concept that really makes me smile, is that I faced down odds much greater then this, and I've won. Making it into medical school requires nothing more then personal sacrifice and a lot of very, very hard work. There are some things that I've done that I wasn't even supposed to do. Things that by right, I wasn't even physically qualified to do. I beat those odds, though. I made it when everyone else said I wouldn't. I did it then, and I sure as hell can do it now. Because now I don't have to rely on subterfuge or cunning to get what I need. I just need to work really hard and put my best foot forward, even when my shoe is untied.
-Merlin
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The Crowd
I've been doing a lot of surfing on medical school forums in the last week. These things are great. It's nice and somewhat comforting to know that other people out there share your concerns. However, it is also disconcerting to know how vast my competition is. But, such is life.
I've put a couple of posts up myself and they've been very helpful. So far, however, I'm getting the same impression from everyone. Concentrate on those grades, worry about mastering your medical school pre-requisites (BCMP). I can't wait to get this started. Going to school can be a bitch. But, when you go to school with an ultimate goal in mind it really makes things a little easier.
My school history sucks so far. But I've been hearing promising things about being able to come back from that sort of stuff.
-Merlin
I've put a couple of posts up myself and they've been very helpful. So far, however, I'm getting the same impression from everyone. Concentrate on those grades, worry about mastering your medical school pre-requisites (BCMP). I can't wait to get this started. Going to school can be a bitch. But, when you go to school with an ultimate goal in mind it really makes things a little easier.
My school history sucks so far. But I've been hearing promising things about being able to come back from that sort of stuff.
-Merlin
Friday, September 21, 2007
The Professional
I spoke with my primary physician yesterday. He and I had a 20 minute long discussion regarding medical school. It was an entertaining discussion.
Essentially, he told me that this was going to be the most difficult task I've ever undertaken, and that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I'm going to have to work my ass off is basically what he said. He also told me that I shouldn't be worrying about volunteering or any of the other extra-curricular activities expected of most med students.
I think I may still do some volunteering. It's early enough that I can do a little bit at a time and get lots done. My primary also said that doctors are dogs. He said that they never stop working and the word quit isn't even in their vocabulary. That certainly sounds like my personality.
-Merlin
Essentially, he told me that this was going to be the most difficult task I've ever undertaken, and that there is no light at the end of the tunnel. I'm going to have to work my ass off is basically what he said. He also told me that I shouldn't be worrying about volunteering or any of the other extra-curricular activities expected of most med students.
I think I may still do some volunteering. It's early enough that I can do a little bit at a time and get lots done. My primary also said that doctors are dogs. He said that they never stop working and the word quit isn't even in their vocabulary. That certainly sounds like my personality.
-Merlin
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
REQUIREMENTS!
I'm sure most of the people in the world don't have a clue as to what medical school's requirements are. I'm so sure of this because I was one of those people before a day or two ago. Admissions really does expect quite a bit out of you. If you want the education, you have to show them. Aside from the tall order of maintaining a minimum 3.6 GPA and an above-average MCATS score (which is like 33 or so), there are some other requirements that act to further filter the "heroes from the zeros" (please forgive the terrible metaphor).
Without the GPA and the MCATS, you won't even be looked at. This is what I've learned. GPA and MCATS are of prime importance. However, maintaining a volunteer career is also vitally important, as it demonstrates that you are willing to sacrifice your time for others. Apparently, clinical experience and shadowing a doctor are also very important. Medical schools want to insure that you understand what you're getting yourself into and that you're not going to beg off halfway through medical school because you realized this isn't what you wanted.
The next, and what I consider to be a little more superficial and obscure is being researched and published. You should be researched, there's no doubt about that. In medical school you will spend a good portion of your time in laboratory settings and you've got to know your way around. Being published, however, is akin to just plain showing off. If you can get published then kudos to you. My question is how the hell do you get published? I'm not a professional scientist. I don't have any experience developing advanced or even basic scientific theories and testing them. How am I supposed to publish a research paper if I can't even research?
It's very important to me that I am able to perform to the best of my abilities in all requirements, but the real quest is going to be setting myself up to perform. I'm a very competitive person by nature and I don't like to lose. So, it is my goal to be better then any pre-medical student out there by the time it's time for me to apply. Yeah, I might have a better chance of being struck by lightning then getting into Harvard, especially considering some of these requirements. But, I am going to try like hell.
-Merlin
Without the GPA and the MCATS, you won't even be looked at. This is what I've learned. GPA and MCATS are of prime importance. However, maintaining a volunteer career is also vitally important, as it demonstrates that you are willing to sacrifice your time for others. Apparently, clinical experience and shadowing a doctor are also very important. Medical schools want to insure that you understand what you're getting yourself into and that you're not going to beg off halfway through medical school because you realized this isn't what you wanted.
The next, and what I consider to be a little more superficial and obscure is being researched and published. You should be researched, there's no doubt about that. In medical school you will spend a good portion of your time in laboratory settings and you've got to know your way around. Being published, however, is akin to just plain showing off. If you can get published then kudos to you. My question is how the hell do you get published? I'm not a professional scientist. I don't have any experience developing advanced or even basic scientific theories and testing them. How am I supposed to publish a research paper if I can't even research?
It's very important to me that I am able to perform to the best of my abilities in all requirements, but the real quest is going to be setting myself up to perform. I'm a very competitive person by nature and I don't like to lose. So, it is my goal to be better then any pre-medical student out there by the time it's time for me to apply. Yeah, I might have a better chance of being struck by lightning then getting into Harvard, especially considering some of these requirements. But, I am going to try like hell.
-Merlin
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