Hi everyone...I've been browsing the forums for a while and finally decided to post. I am graduating from college this semester with an overall GPA of 2.71, science GPA of 2.66. Thought I was going to take the MCAT in April 2005, but I just didn't prepare how I should've and backed out. I'm starting Kaplan (again) in a few weeks and devoting the summer solely to the MCAT. A year ago I knew I wasn't going to be applying to medical schools for Fall 2006, but was hoping I could have improved enough to apply for Fall 2007, but obviously that would be a waste too. I applied to a few postbacc programs (Harvard HCP, Drexel MSP, UMDNJ MS in Biomedical Sciences...few others on that tier) so we'll see what happens.

I suppose my question is, since I applied to both undergraduate postbacc and graduate postbacc programs - if I have the luxury of a choice, which should I choose? And secondly, because I won't be applying for the Fall 2007 entering class, I am concerned about how to explain it to my parents. I don't know if anyone else has had the same issues, but my parents are pretty adamant about me going to medical school ASAP. They were already very perturbed with the fact that I didn't apply for Fall 2006. I know it sounds like a classic case of strict parents forcing their kid to become a doctor, but trust me, it's not. I want to be a doctor more than anything, so I obviously don't want to delay the already long and difficult process any more than I have to. I just hate having the extra stress knowing what my parents' reaction will be. Has anyone else been in the same boat?

I'd take the undergraduate post-bacc. Some schools will cut you out of the loop straight out if your undergraduate GPA is too low. You want to build that up first. Try and take as many upper-level courses as you can, because upper level undergaduate work is still tougher than the entry level courses.


As far as your parents go: You're the one in the driver's seat, man. Tell your parents to suck it up; they're not the ones going through the process, you are. My mom wishes she had control; she wanted me to apply for 2005 (puh-LEASE!!!). I just told her, "Look, I'm only doing this once, and since I'm only doing it once, I'm going to do it right. There are things I have to work on to make myself the best applicant I possibly can, but if you'd like me to waste money applying to schools with a crappy application, then just sign me up. Otherwise, let me do what I need to do and you might just see a doctor in the family. But don't make me resent you or this process because it's not going at the pace you like." Yeah, I give myself that kind of freedom with the 'rents. :o

Now, if they don't know about your stats and stuff, just explain it to them. Tell them the truth; undergrad didn't go so well. Tell them why. Tell them what you learned. Tell them that you really want to be a doctor, but the pressure that they keep putting on you is not productive; you need them in your corner, not pushing you into one.