Going back to
professional school?
For alumni interested in returning to school to pursue a
career in Medicine or in Dentistry
Do I have the required course
work?
• You will need to have completed (with a C or better) ideally in
the last 5 to 7 years:
o 2 semesters of Organic Chemistry with lab
o 2 semesters of Inorganic (or General) Chemistry with lab
o 2 semesters of Physics with lab
o 2 semesters of Biology with lab
o 2 semesters of college math (calculus and statistics is common)
o 2 semesters of “writing intensive” coursework or English courses
Required courses, continued…
o Any classes that the schools that you are interested in may also
require. Some require Biochemistry, a Behavioral Science
(Psychology or Sociology) or additional Biology courses.
o Most dental schools require Biochemistry.
o If you are taking the MCAT in 2015 or after, you will need a
working knowledge of Biochemistry and of the Behavioral
Sciences.
If I need courses, where should I
take them?
•
•
•
•
Ideally, not a community college.
A state university is fine…just do well!
If you intend to continue working, look for evening classes.
Many larger universities cater to “non-traditional” students by
offering courses that allow for a full-time job.
• You generally don’t have to enroll full time, but can take
individual classes as they suit your schedule.
What about a Post-Baccalaureate
program?
• These are nice in that they offer the courses you need in a
defined sequence.
• They also give you a built-in peer group for support and often
administrative support as well.
• Some allow for a part-time program to allow students to
continue to work.
• One major downside: they aren’t cheap.
What about the MCAT/DAT?
• You will need to have the science coursework completed
before sitting for the exam (the exception is that Physics isn’t
on the DAT).
• Kaplan and ExamKrackers offer on-site courses; Kaplan offers
online on demand ones as well (there are other companies,
too, these are just the more commonly used ones here).
Finances?
• MCAT prep: $0-$2000+
• MCAT: $270
• Primary Application: $160 (includes first school); additional
schools are $34 each.
• Secondary Applications: $50-$150 each
• Travel to interviews: ???
• Cost of applying fact sheet
• AAMC "Can I Afford Medical School?" Podcast
AAMC FIRST
• Financial Information, Resources, Services, and Tools (FIRST)
• https://www.aamc.org/services/first/
Experience
• The most “efficient” way to get experience may be to look for
a paid position in health care…this isn’t always easy (or
glamorous!)
• If this isn’t an option, look for volunteering/observational
experiences with a clinical direction.
• If you’re working, the ER is open 24-hours. Maybe start there.
Non-clinical service
• Be involved in your community just like you were probably
involved in the campus community when you were here.
• Service to others (not just in a medical capacity) and
leadership are important.
What schools do I apply to?
• Schools in your state of residency.
• Texas and California have lots of schools but tend to be very
preferential to residents.
• Private schools out-of-state.
General Timeline:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Complete any necessary coursework
Prepare for MCAT or DAT (minimally 3 months)
Take exam and write application.
Submit primary (Ideally in early summer – June/July) and complete
supplementals.
Interviews begin late summer and go through early spring
(Mar/Apr)
Matriculate (Aug/Sept)
4 years of school; minimum of 3 years residency…more depending
on chosen field.
Still interested?
• Next step is to contact me to start the preparation process.
Alison Patterson
apatters@bucknell.edu