Working before Medical School: Choosing the Path Less Traveled

Authors: Megan Paul

There is no single or correct path to admission into medical school. Some premed students will choose to apply to medical school directly after graduating from their undergraduate institutions while others will choose to take a gap year to participate in opportunities such as research, teaching, or volunteerism. If one were to google “best pre-med jobs,” answers along the lines of home health aide, research assistant, medical scribe, certified nursing assistant (CNA), and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) would appear. Participating in a job provides an individual with real-world experience, leadership skills, and accountability to managers and/or supervisors.

For those who are unsure about medicine as a career or want experience working in another industry, this article can help guide you through the process of exploring a different career path prior to medical school. For example, as a college senior, I was unsure if medicine was the perfect fit for me and found myself wanting to explore something outside of the healthcare realm. Having never taken an economics or business class before, I prepared the entire fall semester of my senior year to apply for an entirely different career path: private equity consulting.

Preparing:

While my school had an organized process for students to apply to such positions, it is important to know that these applications are released early and the calendar dates change each year. For example, the preferred application deadline for Bain & Company in 2023 was June 25th. Of note, that date occurred during the summer prior to senior year for most applicants. Additionally, as part of the application process many firms will require applicants to partake in the infamous “case interview,” which takes practice. The format of these case interviews includes a question that requires strategic thinking about a business problem, doing math on the spot in front of an interviewer, and coming up with a strong conclusion to the question. An example of a commonly used question in these interviews is, “How much revenue does a typical gas station generate in a week?” I used the textbook “Case in Point” to prepare for this interview.1 There are several other books and resources available as well.2-4 Furthermore, having a polished resume, practicing “typical” behavioral interview questions, and researching each firm will also be very beneficial to successfully obtaining a job 

Logistics of the Job:

While I quickly realized that medicine was truly the right path for me, my job before medical school taught me a multitude of valuable skills. First, in college or even in medical school, nearly all projects are self-driven. However, in my job, I was paid to execute, meaning that if I did not perform a task, I was at risk of losing my position. This has translated into accountability in medical school as I’ve found it easier to finish research projects and follow-up more regularly over email. Further, many of the projects we completed in consulting were almost like mini research projects, except over a much shorter and defined time period. I had to locate data sources, analyze the numbers myself, and articulate findings. Such work has helped me with my own analytical skills during medical school and in finding new ways to present or research data. 

Above all, having a job before medical school gave me a new perspective on finances and my career. Having only been a student up until the point that I began my job, I did not know about the hours I was expected to work, finance management, or work-life balance. At times, I could be working an 80-90+ hour work week and often would be up all night prior to a client presentation. These have helped set my expectations for medical school and made me try to take advantage of the time where I’m not working or studying. Ultimately, though private equity consulting may not be for everyone, it was an incredible learning experience for me and made for an amazing alternative career path before medical school.

Conclusion:

Although this article specifically focuses on my experience in private equity consulting, it’s important to keep an open mind when exploring potential career options prior to medical school. Though many pre-med students have the preconceived notion that they must spend a gap year doing research or working as a healthcare assistant, there are other opportunities outside of the “traditional” pre-med trajectory. In fact, these unique opportunities can help differentiate students when applying to medical school and even during interviews. Additionally, breaking away from the status quo among pre-meds can make for a memorable and lasting impression.

References

1. Cosentino MP. Case in Point. Boston, MA: Burgee Press; 2019.

2. Cheng V. Case Interview Secrets. Boston, MA: John Wiley & Sons; 2012.

3. Chernev A, Cosentino MP. Mastering the Case Interview. Brightstar Media; 2017.

4. Cheng V. How to Get Into the Top Consulting Firms: A Surefire Case Interview Method - 2nd Edition. Los Angeles, CA: Lulu Publishing Services; 2016.