Called Dr. Cannon of the UNCG Post Bac Pre Med Program

I had actually already submitted my application as a 2nd degree seeking student for the May 2011 post bac class. Once I submitted the application, I felt a sense that this is really happening. I am on my way to medical school. I called Dr. Cannon to let him know that I had applied, and to ask a few questions on the admissions process. He was extremely helpful explaining a number of thing about becoming a doctor. He stressed that in addition to a high GPA and MCAT scores, there needs to be evidence that the applicant is interested in helping others. Shadowing, volunteering, hands on medical experience are preferred. He sent a health careers "puzzle" that showed the blocks that admission officers look at when assesing medical school applicants. I read on a medical school student forum that Dr. Cannon's wife is an admission officer at UNC Chapel Hill, so he probably knows extremely well what colleges are looking for. He provided me with a number of books that I should read about information on becoming a doctor.

I was informed the the summer session consisted of General Chemistry parts 1& 2 with labs. The course uses the book Chemistry: the Central Science. From the reviews on Amazon, it sounds as if the solutions to exercises books are good choices as well. The main textbook is quite expensive new, however Amazon has 400+ used copies starting as low as $32.00.

Can you get into medical school without a science degree?

When I made the decision to switch careers and become a doctor, many people asked me if it was even possible getting into medical school without a science degree. A co-worker was telling me yesterday that the only way that I could be successful in medical school was to really want to be a doctor. I do really want to be a doctor, and I would really like to help people in need. In addition to helping people is the fact that doctors make a lot of money. Granted there are high malpractice insurance fees, some as high as $30,000 per year, and high student loans. One thing that actually had me excited to become a doctor was the fact that many states will actually provide student loan incentives for doctors that agree to work in underserved areas. Because that would be my desire regardless of the pay, this is an added bonus.

As for a bit of my background, I have a degree in government from a highly ranked university and a relatively low GPA. For medical school anything below a 3.5 is a low GPA. I have taken statistics which I took pass/fail and received a B. I have taken chemistry and physics in high school however I never took anything but Geology in undergrad. I did have a slightly higher GPA in graduate school where I have an advanced degree. So now 13 years after undergrad, is it possible getting into medical school, even without having taken any science classes?

Recently I discovered that many universities have programs designed to have students complete their entire science med school prerequisites in one year. Or actually the summer, fall and spring. for a total of 12 months. I was interested in the University of Virginia Pre-Med Post-Bac program and also the Post-Bac program at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. Since I am out of state for North Carolina, I would be paying out of state tutition with a cost of $21,000 for tuition and approximately $8,000 for living expenses. When I read the linkage information for UVA's post-bac (GW school of medicine, and Univ. of Pitt school of medicine), I don't think that everyone qualifies for the linkage and it would depend on the applicant's GPA. Since my GPA is not extremely high, I don't think that I would qualify even if I were admitted, so I am leaning on UNCG at the moment.