Bare minimum

[MeghanMD]

I'm trying to so my post bacc to apply to med school. My parents will only let me take the bare minimum as they are paying for school. Am I screwed?

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[deleted480308]

calm down...get good grades...get a good mcat...get in

in that order

 

[theseeker4]

I'm trying to so my post bacc to apply to med school. My parents will only let me take the bare minimum as they are paying for school. Am I screwed?

What is the "bare minimum?" What else are you doing during your time taking courses? How is your prior overall GPA and your prior science GPA? What science courses do you have already?

 

[kraskadva]

Is there some reason you can't take out a student loan?
While it's nice that your parents are willing to help and all, I don't see why tuition can't go on a loan and they help with books or living expenses or something...

 

[Apollo1]

Is there some reason you can't take out a student loan?
While it's nice that your parents are willing to help and all, I don't see why tuition can't go on a loan and they help with books or living expenses or something...

IMO, its better to finish a post-bacc without taking out a loan/loans. The majority of us non-trads are non-trads for a negative reason (ex. bad grades). Because of this, we have to hedge our bet(s) in that our probability of admission is lower. If for some reason OP doesn't get in (after x times applying), there won't be a debt over his/her head for the applicable coursework.

OP, I agree w/ @theseeker4, you'll have to give more info on how you define "the minimum."

 

[MeghanMD]

Oops double post

 

[MeghanMD]

My cGPA is 3.45, my sGPA is either 3.0 or 2.95 but I only have 19 credits so I believe I can bring it up.

I took gen chem at private undergrad quarter system school this summer, a 3 week intensive, I believe I got a C+ or B- but it isn't up yet. My private school didn't have gen chem I and II just, 1 quarter so that didn't transfer.

My schedule I really think I can get As:

Fall Sem:
Gen Phys I w/ lab
Chem I w/ lab
Final marketing class (last one for my degree from the private uni)

Spring Sem 2015:
Gen Phys II w/ lab
Chem II w/ Lab
Biol 1 w/ lab (took 3 quarters of gen bio my freshman year fall of 2010 and got 2Cs and a B-. I planned on retaking since it has been so long)

Fall Sem 2015:
O Chem I w/ lab
Biol 2 w/ lab

Spring Sem 2016:

O CHem II w/ lab
bio chem maybe??

April MCAT, apply June 2016


I currently have over 2,000 volunteer hours at the childrens hospital from 2007-2012
Worked as a sales associate from 2013-2014
I hope to start volunteering in at ED this month and scribe next year.


The public Uni isn't very supportive of my plan, thoughts, opinions, advice?

Oh I also have tons of stats which I did well in thanks to my undergrad

 

[IslandStyle808]

IMO, its better to finish a post-bacc without taking out a loan/loans. The majority of us non-trads are non-trads for a negative reason (ex. bad grades). Because of this, we have to hedge our bet(s) in that our probability of admission is lower. If for some reason OP doesn't get in (after x times applying), there won't be a debt over his/her head for the applicable coursework.

OP, I agree w/ @theseeker4, you'll have to give more info on how you define "the minimum."

I agree with this. I would rather be able to pay upfront for post-bacc than take a loan. To me, unless I am taking pre-reqs or am going to an SMP, I would not take a loan. This is because if I don't get in, then I have all this money I need to pay back with interest, for course that were only taken to raise my GPA. I would rather work a part-time job and use that money to go to school at the same time. If this were medical school or graduate school, I would be far more willing to take a loan, because my loans are going into something that is concrete, a degree.

 

[kraskadva]

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Sure. Everybody would rather pay up front or have somebody else pay altogether. I'd rather enter med school debt free as well. Doesn't mean it's going to happen.
And I haven't seen any reason that most here are non trads. There's a wide range of reasons people don't go straight to med school or need to do post-baccs.
That wasn't my question though.
My question was if there was a reason the OP couldn't take a student loan. Because while one solution to her/his issue may be careful scheduling, another solution may be taking a loan and going full time. And if there's some reason the OP actually can't take loans out, then there may be larger issues to deal with that would cause problems down the road.

 

[wholeheartedly]

OP, I think this is an assess as you go question. You will need biochem for the new MCAT and maybe a psych or sociology class if you don't have one of those already.

Use the money from you parents to take the classes as you've planned first semester. See where you overall GPA is. Then do the same for the second semester. Is your sGPA getting to where you need it to be? If it's looking good, then maybe the bare minimum will be enough. If not you might need to take out a shall loan near the end for an extra class or two, but knock out what you need with the non loan funding first.