Back Up Plans

Whenever I advise someone considering medical school on how they should be preparing, I almost always tell them to explore alternative careers and to have a back-up plan in mind that they could easily pursue.

I do this for three distinct, but related reasons.

1) Medical school admissions are competitive and unpredictable

Except for a few super-human applicants who have perfect GPAs, amazing MCAT scores, stellar ECs, and an amazing interview approach, no one has a guarantee of acceptance to medical school. Many individuals still have a very good chance of admissions, so the idea of having a back-up isn't a way of saying that the person isn't cut out to be a physician.

Hope for the best, plan for the worst. If you've got an interesting back-up career plan in mind, the worst ends up not being too bad. That brings me to my next point...

2) Medicine isn't the only good career out there

I like medicine as a vocation. That's why I'm pursuing it. But medicine is hardly a uniquely good profession.

Some aspiring future physicians focus in on medicine without bothering to consider the alternatives. These alternatives might actually be more enjoyable, fulfilling careers for some people. They're worth checking out!

Every career has its pros and cons. Medicine is no different. Knowing what else is out there helps provide perspective on why medicine is actually worth pursuing - and maybe, why it might not be.

3) Developing a back-up makes students better medical school applicants - and better physicians

Applicants who are clearly well-positioned to pursue another career often make better applicants. Their ECs are typically unique and show skill development. They have meaningful experiences to discuss in their essays and interviews.

Basically, it's clear they bring something to the table that other applicants won't. When these individuals start in medical school, residency, or practice, that time spent developing a back-up career isn't lost, it's applied to the field of medicine. One way medicine's great is that it's a very diverse field with many opportunities to draw on virtually any area of expertise. Having some additional, unique expertise going into medicine only helps - it's much harder to get that after getting admitted to medical school than it is beforehand!


For the most part, I tell people to explore alternative careers not because they can't or shouldn't become physicians, but because I think it's beneficial no matter what the outcome. It's helpful if a student doesn't get into medical school, if they choose not to go to medical school, or if they get in. To me it's a win-win-win.