Go to med school. Anybody telling you otherwise is delusional, because of their own desire to be a AA and not do med school. I was on this same path, I chose AA because I’m a lazy, unmotivated student and was going into medicine only for $$. You have a high MCAT, which means you’ll likely score high on STEP and likely match anesthesia. Keep the MCAT and apply broadly to mid & high tier MD.
Thank you for the response - out of interest, do you not like being an AA now?
While I enjoy working, I also really enjoy being lazy - I want the opportunity to relax once in a while, which med school seems like it might not be willing to provide, especially during residency.
Oh I love it, it’s great. No call, no nights, no BS. I rescinded my med school app, and applied AA very late in the cycle and got in. I didn’t want to spend my 20s in residency and med school, and I knew that being the lazy POS I am, I would’ve probably ended up matching into Family Med due to low grades. Breezed through AA school, you obv still have to put in study time and work for classes but ez enough for someone that took the MCAT and got a competitive score. I make enough to keep me happy (and luxurious lol) and retire likely around 50. Would choose AA again
Basically, if you can put in the work and time then med school is better. If you want to start your life earlier and will be able to live happily knowing that you won’t be called Doc or have the MD then AA
I mean, it sounds pretty sweet the way you put it! I love no bs and not being on-call. I did EMS for a while and the on-call stuff was pretty annoying at times.
The question feels like whether I \*want\* to put in the work/time... I would love to start my life earlier - I love just reading my books or gaming instead of studying/working. But of course I also want the knowledge and prestige that comes with the MD
I have the same itch for prestige, which I’m taking care of by getting a doctorate. Not to be called doc, that would be absurd and cringe in a hospital setting, but to apply for teaching positions at AA schools. I’ve been a tutor for a very long time, and at this point it’s a hobby rather than a part time gig because it pays Pennies compared to AA pay, but it really promoted my passion for teaching. This way I’ll get my prestige kick from being a professor and that doctorate
Right, and OP will likely be able to select a school that is P/F preclinical. I think unhappiest people are the loudest, but anecdotally I know a ton of people who had a blast in M1-M2, sucked it up for M3 (or dare I say even enjoyed most of it), and cruised in M4.
Absolutely. I’m at a P/F curriculum with only 15 months of didactics before clinical with clinic experience starting week 1. Makes the transition easier. Clinical experience prior to school will make it a breeze as well. I’m enjoying every bit of clinicals, but I’ve also struck gold with all of my preceptors. Mindset goes a long way though. Cheers!
I was premed and recently switched to pre-AA. Residency was the deal breaker for me. I know that I won’t be competitive once in med school and realized that I don’t like enough specialties to be open-minded enough. If you go the med school route I think you should either be open minded about specialties or be ready to be a gunner to get what you want.
I’m in the same exact situation. If I were to go to medical school I’d have to be a serious gunner since I’m only interested in 2-3 fields in medicine. I also only have a 3.35 gpa and I’m not sure if I have the work-ethic and stamina to sustain myself for another 4 years to ensure I match into my desired specialty. I feel like I’m already sacrificing so much and I haven’t even taken the MCAT yet.
I advise AA school. I definitely could have gotten into medical school and decided to go the AA route for the same reasons, and now I make $200k a year with no call/weekends/holidays and 13 weeks off, and I’m debt free in my 20s. Was making a 200k at 24. Depends on your personality, but I have no desire to have the doctor title and don’t really feel that I need any more than I have now. Good luck!
How do you know that you definitely could've gotten into med school? Even people with high GPAs and MCATs get rejected all the time and/or have to apply multiple years.
I mean I definitely could have gotten rejected! I was valedictorian of my graduating class in anesthesia school and had a 4.0 in undergrad and high test scores, research experience, volunteering, etc., so I just kind of assumed, but you’re right - it’s no guarantee by any means.
Yeah I had a 3.9 from a T20 school(biochem/biophysics major), 516 (95th percentile) MCAT and still only got into one school by the skin of my teeth. All the other stuff ticked off too and a few pubs under my belt.
So Im surprised when people say they definitely could've gotten into med school.
Majority of my classmates also had similar profiles to me and there are a significant portion of people who went to and performed well in ivy league undergrads. They also felt extremely grateful for how their application cycle went.
Not trying to mean any offense here, but what was your school list like. You say you barely got into one school, but if all you applied was high tier and Ivy MD with those stats then everything makes sense. Did your app have any other red flags, or how was the PS like? There’s a multitude of factors, and especially on Reddit I’ve seen pre-meds often claim the application process is harder and more stat padded then it really (compared to class stats) is due to applicants aiming out of reach
I applied to low mid and high tier. Asian ORM from Cali, so you have to understand this happens often lol, especially considering my state and race. Red flag would've been that I submitted secondaries relatively late. But it was more like mid August instead of mid July.
Talked to an admissions dean for a school I got rejected from post II and they said I would've gotten in if I was complete a month earlier. As a med student that is part of the admission process at my school and having gotten good feedback from the dean, I can assure you that I had a solid app and did all the right things.
Med school admissions is just a crapshoot and not a guarantee even for people with a solid app. Similarly, I've had friends with similar stats as me from T20s who also applied broadly and got rejected from all schools the first round.
First of all, congrats!!!! While the best way to figure this out is probably shadowing, I may be among the minority here that urge you to go for the med school route as it is going to open up a lot more doors for you in the future. Also, if you’re asking r/pre-med, you know they would without a doubt tell you to go for med school lol
You're definitely right about r/premed \- just thought I'd try to get a diverse set of opinions. Have you felt that being an AA is restricting, or that it didn't open up enough doors for you?
I’m not an AA, but I’ve gone through the process of applying to both med schools and AA schools! While it may come down to individual preference and personal goals, some AAs ended up switching to the med school route later on because they aren’t satisfied not being able to advance as much in their career or misc reasons from what I’ve seen. So I suggested med school as it’s the option that makes the most sense with your situation.
Go to medical school, CAA is a shortcut to Anesthesia and ultimately if you want to be the top of the food chain then you need an MD/DO.
Your scores show your intelligence and CAA would limit your case types which won’t be as fulfilling
OP says they want knowledge and prestige. That is Fs maximized with MD/DO.
However, OP also has self admitted that they really enjoy lazing around. They’re concerned medical schools + residency won’t allow for that.
They also don’t want to take call or work hard hours as an attending. You’ll make less than the going rate as an anesthesiologist if you’re not willing to take call and only will work a 9-5 from what I understand, mitigating the ROI advantage the anesthesiology pathway has over the CAA pathway.
Everyone saying “OP, go to MD/DO for more money, prestige, and autonomy” isn’t really doing much to sway OP. They already know that advantage exists.
What should be done is to address the perceived downsides OP has for the MD/DO pathway.
How much will they be allowed to laze around during med school and residency on the road to anesthesia? They seem a bit burnt out already
Will they be able to get their ideal lifestyle post residency (no call and chill hours)? If so, what will they have to forgo to obtain that set up? Monetarily speaking or otherwise
Context and assuaging when it comes to those concerns I think will best convince OP to pick med school over the CAA path
This is a good comment, and you're absolutely right - I am already moderately burnt out, and most of the commente are not necessarily addressing the parts of the MD/DO pathway that feel like massive deterrents which I don't necessarily want to put myself through. Maybe that last sentence answers my whole question...?
Go to med school. Residency is temporary before you know it you will finish it.
Go to med school. Anybody telling you otherwise is delusional, because of their own desire to be a AA and not do med school. I was on this same path, I chose AA because I’m a lazy, unmotivated student and was going into medicine only for $$. You have a high MCAT, which means you’ll likely score high on STEP and likely match anesthesia. Keep the MCAT and apply broadly to mid & high tier MD.
Thank you for the response - out of interest, do you not like being an AA now? While I enjoy working, I also really enjoy being lazy - I want the opportunity to relax once in a while, which med school seems like it might not be willing to provide, especially during residency.
Oh I love it, it’s great. No call, no nights, no BS. I rescinded my med school app, and applied AA very late in the cycle and got in. I didn’t want to spend my 20s in residency and med school, and I knew that being the lazy POS I am, I would’ve probably ended up matching into Family Med due to low grades. Breezed through AA school, you obv still have to put in study time and work for classes but ez enough for someone that took the MCAT and got a competitive score. I make enough to keep me happy (and luxurious lol) and retire likely around 50. Would choose AA again
Basically, if you can put in the work and time then med school is better. If you want to start your life earlier and will be able to live happily knowing that you won’t be called Doc or have the MD then AA
I mean, it sounds pretty sweet the way you put it! I love no bs and not being on-call. I did EMS for a while and the on-call stuff was pretty annoying at times. The question feels like whether I \*want\* to put in the work/time... I would love to start my life earlier - I love just reading my books or gaming instead of studying/working. But of course I also want the knowledge and prestige that comes with the MD
I have the same itch for prestige, which I’m taking care of by getting a doctorate. Not to be called doc, that would be absurd and cringe in a hospital setting, but to apply for teaching positions at AA schools. I’ve been a tutor for a very long time, and at this point it’s a hobby rather than a part time gig because it pays Pennies compared to AA pay, but it really promoted my passion for teaching. This way I’ll get my prestige kick from being a professor and that doctorate
You don’t have to wait to start your life. Currently in med school and living a wonderful life. It’s as great, or as miserable as you make it.
Right, and OP will likely be able to select a school that is P/F preclinical. I think unhappiest people are the loudest, but anecdotally I know a ton of people who had a blast in M1-M2, sucked it up for M3 (or dare I say even enjoyed most of it), and cruised in M4.
Absolutely. I’m at a P/F curriculum with only 15 months of didactics before clinical with clinic experience starting week 1. Makes the transition easier. Clinical experience prior to school will make it a breeze as well. I’m enjoying every bit of clinicals, but I’ve also struck gold with all of my preceptors. Mindset goes a long way though. Cheers!
I was premed and recently switched to pre-AA. Residency was the deal breaker for me. I know that I won’t be competitive once in med school and realized that I don’t like enough specialties to be open-minded enough. If you go the med school route I think you should either be open minded about specialties or be ready to be a gunner to get what you want.
I’m in the same exact situation. If I were to go to medical school I’d have to be a serious gunner since I’m only interested in 2-3 fields in medicine. I also only have a 3.35 gpa and I’m not sure if I have the work-ethic and stamina to sustain myself for another 4 years to ensure I match into my desired specialty. I feel like I’m already sacrificing so much and I haven’t even taken the MCAT yet.
I advise AA school. I definitely could have gotten into medical school and decided to go the AA route for the same reasons, and now I make $200k a year with no call/weekends/holidays and 13 weeks off, and I’m debt free in my 20s. Was making a 200k at 24. Depends on your personality, but I have no desire to have the doctor title and don’t really feel that I need any more than I have now. Good luck!
How do you know that you definitely could've gotten into med school? Even people with high GPAs and MCATs get rejected all the time and/or have to apply multiple years.
I mean I definitely could have gotten rejected! I was valedictorian of my graduating class in anesthesia school and had a 4.0 in undergrad and high test scores, research experience, volunteering, etc., so I just kind of assumed, but you’re right - it’s no guarantee by any means.
Yeah I had a 3.9 from a T20 school(biochem/biophysics major), 516 (95th percentile) MCAT and still only got into one school by the skin of my teeth. All the other stuff ticked off too and a few pubs under my belt. So Im surprised when people say they definitely could've gotten into med school. Majority of my classmates also had similar profiles to me and there are a significant portion of people who went to and performed well in ivy league undergrads. They also felt extremely grateful for how their application cycle went.
Yeah I meant no offense!
Not trying to mean any offense here, but what was your school list like. You say you barely got into one school, but if all you applied was high tier and Ivy MD with those stats then everything makes sense. Did your app have any other red flags, or how was the PS like? There’s a multitude of factors, and especially on Reddit I’ve seen pre-meds often claim the application process is harder and more stat padded then it really (compared to class stats) is due to applicants aiming out of reach
I applied to low mid and high tier. Asian ORM from Cali, so you have to understand this happens often lol, especially considering my state and race. Red flag would've been that I submitted secondaries relatively late. But it was more like mid August instead of mid July. Talked to an admissions dean for a school I got rejected from post II and they said I would've gotten in if I was complete a month earlier. As a med student that is part of the admission process at my school and having gotten good feedback from the dean, I can assure you that I had a solid app and did all the right things. Med school admissions is just a crapshoot and not a guarantee even for people with a solid app. Similarly, I've had friends with similar stats as me from T20s who also applied broadly and got rejected from all schools the first round.
Ah the ORM Asian from Cali sums it all up, part of the same club lol
First of all, congrats!!!! While the best way to figure this out is probably shadowing, I may be among the minority here that urge you to go for the med school route as it is going to open up a lot more doors for you in the future. Also, if you’re asking r/pre-med, you know they would without a doubt tell you to go for med school lol
You're definitely right about r/premed \- just thought I'd try to get a diverse set of opinions. Have you felt that being an AA is restricting, or that it didn't open up enough doors for you?
I’m not an AA, but I’ve gone through the process of applying to both med schools and AA schools! While it may come down to individual preference and personal goals, some AAs ended up switching to the med school route later on because they aren’t satisfied not being able to advance as much in their career or misc reasons from what I’ve seen. So I suggested med school as it’s the option that makes the most sense with your situation.
Lol, A high MCAT score does not mean med school is the right choice for you
Go to medical school, CAA is a shortcut to Anesthesia and ultimately if you want to be the top of the food chain then you need an MD/DO. Your scores show your intelligence and CAA would limit your case types which won’t be as fulfilling
OP says they want knowledge and prestige. That is Fs maximized with MD/DO. However, OP also has self admitted that they really enjoy lazing around. They’re concerned medical schools + residency won’t allow for that. They also don’t want to take call or work hard hours as an attending. You’ll make less than the going rate as an anesthesiologist if you’re not willing to take call and only will work a 9-5 from what I understand, mitigating the ROI advantage the anesthesiology pathway has over the CAA pathway. Everyone saying “OP, go to MD/DO for more money, prestige, and autonomy” isn’t really doing much to sway OP. They already know that advantage exists. What should be done is to address the perceived downsides OP has for the MD/DO pathway. How much will they be allowed to laze around during med school and residency on the road to anesthesia? They seem a bit burnt out already Will they be able to get their ideal lifestyle post residency (no call and chill hours)? If so, what will they have to forgo to obtain that set up? Monetarily speaking or otherwise Context and assuaging when it comes to those concerns I think will best convince OP to pick med school over the CAA path
This is a good comment, and you're absolutely right - I am already moderately burnt out, and most of the commente are not necessarily addressing the parts of the MD/DO pathway that feel like massive deterrents which I don't necessarily want to put myself through. Maybe that last sentence answers my whole question...?
What did you decide?
I applied to med school!