Advice for how to spend the next year leading up to 2024/25 cycle

[troyafshari]

I graduated 2021 with a psyc major and bad grades. my cGPA was 2.395 year 1, 2.418 year 2, 2.591 year 3, and then 2.844 at graduation. There's slight upward trend but the higher semester GPAs I got in my last 2 years weren't enough to un-anker myself from my extremely poor performance early on. My sGPA came in at 2.1. I just didn't take school seriously and never addressed my bad study habits until it was too late.

From spring 2021 (a few months before I graduated) through summer 2022 I worked as a Covid vaccinator and eventually bumped to clinic site lead for the biggest vaccine clinics in my state (My EMT license allowed me to do this). I decided I would do a DIY postbac that fall to prove I could undertake a heavy science-based courseload and perform well.

Fall 2022 I started the postbacc and over the next 2 semesters I took 25 units of upper level sciences with a 3.67. I was recovering from injury/surgery this summer 2023 so I spent much of it studying for MCATs and hashing out my plans for the coming year.

My plan is to take three more courses of upper level science this fall or spring to bump my credit total past 30 and bring my postbacc GPA up to a 3.7. If all goes well and I'm fully prepped, I will take the MCAT in January. In addition I plan to start scribing ASAP and carry that on through the completion of my apps next Summer. I think this will give me more well rounded clinical experience as I worry some schools won't take the COVID vaccine clinic as seriously. Some non-clinical volunteering would support my app as well.

Other info:
- involved in research for the last 3 semesters of my initial undergrad. no pubs as COVID derailed a lot of our progress and schedule
- consistent volunteer for red cross blood drives, flue shot clinics, and bethematch events throughout college
- Diverse shadowing experience, I would like to add hours with a DO so I can get a feel for their style and lend credibility for aacomas
- 24 y/o Iranian male

Is this a good plan?

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[Mr.Smile12]

Mods: Also posted in Pre-Med DO.

Non-clinical volunteering: After scanning through your plan, what are you doing for community service that is not clinic-adjacent (such as blood drives, vaccination clinics)? Food distribution, shelter work, transportation services, job/tax preparation, housing rehabilitation? Ideally you need 150 hours completed at the time you submit your application to avoid getting screened out at most medical schools. Some programs may take clinic-adjacent activities into consideration.

Distance traveled/other impactful experiences:
Is there a backstory about your difficulties in college? What factors may have contributed to these challenges?

DO shadowing
I would at least connect with an established DO physician for a chat and chance to shadow. I don't know what you shadowed in previously, but make sure primary care is covered.

Mission fit
You don't need to go through a WAMC right now (too early without an MCAT), but you should have an idea of whether you want to practice in the American communities where you mostly grew up (if that's applicable). Figure out what your mission fit is and how your activities help reveal this about your motivation to be involved in healthcare.