So I'm looking for well-rounded advice from my RR brethren.
Some of you know I have a Master's in History pursuing a PhD. However, my studies and life outside of school and work have led me down a different path from what I originally envisioned for myself, and I've found that I really would like to venture into medicine, mainly sports medicine. I'm 26, and everyone around me is telling me I'm not too old to pursue a medical degree if it's what I really want to do.
I understand some people find what they want to do in life when they're 10, 18, 25, etc. The main thing is that debt bill scares the living shit out of me. At the same time, this is a career that I not only am very much intrigued in, it's something I'm willing to put the time in and I understand what I'm getting myself into if I decide to go to medical school. I'd be 31 most likely by the time I got out with 2 years of residency meaning I wouldn't be making real money until I was about 33 years of age. The only thing holding me back is the debt, it has nothing to do with being uncommitted to studying or lacking a passion for the subject.
Am I insane for considering this?
TL;DR - 26 year old contemplating going to medical school to study sports medicine. Am I a fucking lunatic?
The minimum requirements for med-school, curriculum wise do not constitute a shit ton of science. It is gen bio, which is bio for retards. gen chem, again chem for retards. Orgo can be difficult, but really it isn't bad, higher level inorganic chems are much more difficult. Physics, see basic bio and chem comments. Calc, not the business school retard calc, but if you did AP calc in high school it should count. As for the labs, really the only one you should have to take independent of the actual classes is orgo lab. All other classes have labs built in. they aren't hard.You are a fucking lunatic, but there's some things to think about.
Do you have the prereqs for medical school and to sit for the MCAT? You have to take a shit ton of science classes before you set foot in med school, and if you didn't while getting your History degrees, you'll have to go back to undergrad to take them. These are nontrivial: Minimum course requirements include one year each of biology, general (inorganic) chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, and related lab work for each. In addition, about two-thirds require English and about one quarter require calculus.
The minimum requirements for med-school, curriculum wise do not constitute a shit ton of science. It is gen bio, which is bio for retards. gen chem, again chem for retards. Orgo can be difficult, but really it isn't bad, higher level inorganic chems are much more difficult. Physics, see basic bio and chem comments. Calc, not the business school retard calc, but if you did AP calc in high school it should count. As for the labs, really the only one you should have to take independent of the actual classes is orgo lab. All other classes have labs built in. they aren't hard.
Edit - MCAT is not hard. It is a standardized test. You can teach yourself to the test in a few months. I got a 31 without really preparing at all.
It's a fuckton of science if you were a history major and never took any science and now you have to go back to school before you can even apply to medical school.
And MCAT is at least partially a knowledge test, knowledge which he won't have without a science education.
Swamp donkey, Protein physics is hard. Physics 140whatthefuckever is easy shit for brains.IAlso do not listen to people when they say oh, so and so class is easy. First, they're lying. Second even if physics isn't "that hard" for you and you go around telling everyone that, you're probably not mentioning that you could not get the anatomy (or whatever class you are struggling) processes in your head. You can hear people say ochem is shit, get yourself all worked up, but you might just get it. Or you might not get it and realize what all the hype is about.
Protein physics is hard. Physics 140whatthefuckever is easy shit for brains.
Also, you are wrong about AP. Fucking Johns Hopkins Med School accepts AP credits for Bio, Chem, Clac and Physics. You require no bio except basic bio, 2 semesters. Though you do need biochem.I can get on board that statement. This was 211-213. That reminds me though, he's definitely going to have to take cell bio and molecular bio. I felt like I was missing something.
Also, you are wrong about AP. Fucking Johns Hopkins Med School accepts AP credits for Bio, Chem, Clac and Physics. You require no bio except basic bio, 2 semesters. Though you do need biochem.
Swampdonkey, no. You seem to not grasp that different schools have different class numbers. Again, the bio required for med school is the basic ones, not the hurr durr elective level on. Again Johns Hopkins on their fucking Medical School admission page says AP credits count. Literally one of the best medical schools in the world.I do not agree with that statement. Maybe if you took AP Calc, Physics (that wasn't even offered at my highschool) Bio & Chem and so you started college at the 300level classes and continued with upper level courses in those same fields. AP calc translates to Calc 1. I took Calc 1-4 as was recommended. AP bio didn't have any ecology, mammalian physiology or zoology in it as the 3rd term of principles. In fact all of the courses I mentioned are 200level or higher. We would have needed the class prof to let us into the class for anything higher than the 201s/211s. AP courses only automatically gave us credit for the 100lvl classes (with a 4 or 5 on AP test). Translation: you do not have to take intro to bio 1,2, and 3, which is for idiots and social science majors who need a "science class" anyway.
Swamp donkey, no. Most places, or at least half-way decent places will offer several 100 level classes. Bio 101 is essentially one of the science elective options for non-science majors, while bio 141 is the basic bio for majors in biology or related to bio, and so on. They are still freshman classes. All the med school requirements are these classes with the exception of biochem and organics chem, those are typically 200 for the intro courses that count. AP classes are these classes too.You may be right. I do believe that schools have the same 100/200/300/400 level classes. 100= freshman 200= sophomore, etc. Anything below 100 is a high school class. So, if someone tell you they are in math 91, 95, 96 ninetywhatever class they are in a high school senior level class.
Again, you might be right, but I am under the impression that med schools do not accept 100lvl physics, bio, math (even Calc is considered a 200lvl/aka sophomore class), Chem classes and nothing else because if you entered med school with a rando degree and your high school AP classes you would fucking drown. I also don't believe that you could pass the MCAT with only that knowledge. I don't even think you could pass OCHEM as a freshman with just AP Chem unless you're a hella genius. Also, do they even have the associated labs in the AP classes?
Go for it. Worst that happens is that you pull a Trex and find yourself working at an IHOP.
Might still be young enough to go the military route, they'd probably want you till your late 30s but you'll be out debt free and with savings in the bank.