Law or medicine? Forum

[honestabe84]

For those of you that think law school is just as hard to get into as medical school, you're living on the moon. For the top law schools, even if you have a lower GPA (i.e., 3.3 or so), a high LSAT can compensate. For a top medical school you better damn well graduate summa (not to mention a stellar MCAT score). Also, (needless to say) it's infinitely harder to get a high GPA in bio than in psych, political science, communications, etc.

Additionally, though I'm not completely certain on this, you can't bring your score up 20 points on the MCAT the way you can for the LSAT.

[tesoro]

For those of you that think law school is just as hard to get into as medical school, you're living on the moon. For the top law schools, even if you have a lower GPA (i.e., 3.3 or so), a high LSAT can compensate. For a top medical school you better damn well graduate summa (not to mention a stellar MCAT score). Also, (needless to say) it's infinitely harder to get a high GPA in bio than in psych, political science, communications, etc.

Additionally, though I'm not completely certain on this, you can't bring your score up 20 points on the MCAT the way you can for the LSAT.

I agree with most of what you said, but you don't need to major in biology to go to med school. You can major in guitar and take the required courses, average B+ on all of them and compensate with A's in guitar classes for a nice, med-school-qualifying GPA. You can even take half of your pre-med reqs at the local CC over summers and dominate the curve without too much effort and get A's instead (supposedly frowned upon, but a high enough MCAT score removes any doubt cast by doing this).

I know someone who did this.

That being said, getting into law school is far, far easier than getting into med school for about a thousand different reasons.

The main difference in dealing with admissions? You have to plan to go to med school at the end of high school or else you're stuck accruing loans with post-bacc nonsense for years. You can have an epiphany while on a plethora of drugs that law is your calling and sign up for the LSAT the next day. One requires quite a bit more planned commitment than the other.

[MD/JD2B]

Do what you want to!!! I've been doing medicine and doing it well (and well at it) for 17 + years. Just got offered a position as medical director in a one horse town for 300k+ benefits. But it 's not what I want to do. I'd be tempted by the money years ago, but other things factor into my life decisions now.

I'm sure you wlll do well in either law or medicine if you are dedicated. And, although it is difficult, try to see a life beyond lsats, mcats, residencies, and junior partnerships--there is one. ...and it comprises most of your living years.

[prezidentv8]

Do what you want to!!! I've been doing medicine and doing it well (and well at it) for 17 + years. Just got offered a position as medical director in a one horse town for 300k+ benefits. But it 's not what I want to do. I'd be tempted by the money years ago, but other things factor into my life decisions now.

I'm sure you wlll do well in either law or medicine if you are dedicated. And, although it is difficult, try to see a life beyond lsats, mcats, residencies, and junior partnerships--there is one. ...and it comprises most of your living years.

Your name reminds me of a droid in Star Wars.

[MD/JD2B]

I guess it does; it was either that or olga.