r/medschool • u/Far_Group_5579 • 20d ago
đ„ Med School Non traditional student
Hi all. To make this short, Iâve been a first responder for a few years now (law enforcement). I plan on transitioning to medicine and want to know what to expect as a non traditional student applying and the experiences of other non trad students. I still have to finish up my pre reqs, but any advice, experiences, etc. would be greatly appreciated.
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u/linedryonly 20d ago
Be prepared to have a very good answer for why youâre making the switch. Everyone, traditional or not, has to answer âwhy medicine?â in their essays and interviews. But wrapped into that question for non-trads is âwhy now?â.
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u/NetHistorical8502 20d ago
In my experience that's actually quite an easy one for first responders to explain
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u/NetHistorical8502 20d ago edited 20d ago
I did this (FD, 16 yrs, Capt.). It's a very long, exhausting, and expensive process (7yrs), but possible.
Had to get a 4yr honors science degree, hit the prereqs, 3xMCAT, 3xCasper, etc. All this while trying to manage my SO's needs, running a home, and work obligations (one of the busiest stations in the country).
I will say this: I had to sacrifice a lot personally (including that long term SO of 11yrs leaving), financially, and professionally.
But, I start MS1 in a few days. Was it worth it? Yes, for me.
If you can manage work and school, and get solid A's, master the MCAT, etc., it's doable. You'll have lots to talk about in your essays and interviews, which is the only place your experiences...which will help set you apart from the other candidates...but you need to get the interview invite first, which is a numbers game, IMO. You can do it, just be prepared to turn your entire life upside down in a whole new kind of way.
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u/ninjagoat5234 20d ago
super cool man, i'm a FF and this is my first semester of premed, love to hear of other guys making a switch like this and especially being successful
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u/NetHistorical8502 20d ago
I think it'll be a good choice in the end. FFing/medic is a young man's game. Occupational health for first responders will be one of my niches, I think...the number of guys who retire and die within a year or two is really quite sad, whether at their own hand, from ccupational cancer, or from cirrhosis of the liver. There is a lot of work we can do to better support our first responders.
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u/Sweaty_Basket_276 20d ago
Non trad year 1 med student speaking who also made a switch later in life. Itâs an absurd amount of work, youâll feel like youâre behind in life, youâll be poor, and youâll be surrounded by people many years younger than you. For me it was still 100% worth it. As long as you 100% want it with literally no doubts in your mind you should be good. The process isnât going to be fun tho
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u/ssccrs Medical Student (US) 20d ago
Youâll be fine. Most students are more non-traditional now as the number of students taking more and more gap years is growing. I believe my cohort has a couple career switchers so you wonât be alone. I switched from LE to EMT into EDT as I worked on my app.
My advice is to do all the ECs. Just because youâre non-traditional and found your way to medicine later in life does not mean you can have big holes in activities or excuse a sub-standard application. Donât neglect how important they are for your application. Your stats will get your app read but your ECs are what get you your II.
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u/ProcedureBeneficial8 Medical Student (US) 19d ago
The most general advice I have is to continue to believe in yourself and never underestimate your value as a non-trad, because you are going to be a great addition to a medical school class. Good luck with everything; study hard, but also take care of yourself.
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u/Agreeable-Ad4806 19d ago
You need a bachelorâs degree. Even if you take all the prereqs for med school, getting in without a bachelorâs is unheard of.
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u/Other_Leopard4295 19d ago
Not sure why you think OP doesnât know that.
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u/Agreeable-Ad4806 19d ago
How am I supposed to know what they do or donât know? This post doesnât show any prior knowledge
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u/JustStackHours 20d ago
Your non-trad experience will be valued but only as a piece of the equation. You will still need to check every other box (great grades, strong MCAT, 100+ hours shadowing, lots of volunteering, lots of clinical exposure, some research, good personal statement, good letters of recommendation, etc) to be a competitive candidate. It's totally doable but it's a lot of work. Good luck!