Confused

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StephJP

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My current situation stands as such: Undergrad GPA 3.35, Science: 3.70.
I have not taken the MCAT(plan to in april) I have no research experience, nor have I worked in a clinical atomosphere. I have volunteered 100 hours in a hospital.
I am confused as to which step I should next take on this exhausting journey. Should I discontinue my college education ( For I have the credits to graduate) and soley prepare for the impending MCAT, or should I continue taking some classes over spring to boost my gpa to perhaps a 3.4 cum, while preparing for the MCATS in april. I am scared that I will be unable to do well on the MCAT while taking courses in the same period of time.
I guess what I'm wondering is, would a med school, and/or a premed post bac program see either of the two routes more favorably for my acceptance? Are my credentials good enough to get into either a med program or a premed post bac program? Would some experience working in a clinical field benefit me more then boosting my gpa through some additional, yet technically unnessary courses.
Sorry I a rambled on like this, but I'm horribly confused, and like everyone else, am in desperate need of some knowledgeable guidance.

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StephJP said:
My current situation stands as such: Undergrad GPA 3.35, Science: 3.70.
I have not taken the MCAT(plan to in april) I have no research experience, nor have I worked in a clinical atomosphere. I have volunteered 100 hours in a hospital.
I am confused as to which step I should next take on this exhausting journey. Should I discontinue my college education ( For I have the credits to graduate) and soley prepare for the impending MCAT, or should I continue taking some classes over spring to boost my gpa to perhaps a 3.4 cum, while preparing for the MCATS in april. I am scared that I will be unable to do well on the MCAT while taking courses in the same period of time.
I guess what I'm wondering is, would a med school, and/or a premed post bac program see either of the two routes more favorably for my acceptance? Are my credentials good enough to get into either a med program or a premed post bac program? Would some experience working in a clinical field benefit me more then boosting my gpa through some additional, yet technically unnessary courses.
Sorry I a rambled on like this, but I'm horribly confused, and like everyone else, am in desperate need of some knowledgeable guidance.

I guess I don't understand -- you want to withdraw from classes currently in progress to study for the MCAT, or have those classes not started yet. A slew of W's at this juncture would be a bad idea. The smart move would be to finish any courses already in progress. If none are, I personally would take a much much lighter than usual load, study hard for the MCAT (only taking it if you are scoring competitively on multiple full length practice tests prior to the actual test), and then immediately after the MCAT find something with good clinical exposure to delve into in your spare time. Leaving school early only makes sense if you have something else lined up -- Leaving school in January to study for the MCAT in April probably won't wow med schools in terms of your abilities to multitask.
 
Know this... For the MCAT, you should be spending 2 hours a day studying. That means as of today, when you read this, you need to study 2 hours a day. Spend at least an hour a day on MCAT questions from somewhere, I know it isn't cheap, most study preps are equal and I would recommend one if you can find the cash.

Most people talk about studying for the MCAT and then talk about what got in the way. Some people are true to their word for a while, but then lose focus. A rare few will find comfort in hitting the MCAT questions for a couple hours, like a runner feels better when they run every single day.

What you do needs to be with complete commitment as your GPA needs real help. If you hit questions for an hour a day, write a response to a writing sample stem for 15, and hit study questions out of physicis, bio, orgo, and gen chem for another 45, then you'll be doing yourself a huge favor.

Not many people actually study 2 hours a day while taking a full load, fewer when midterms and finals approach, and even fewer again give up so much personal time on a daily basis for 10 weeks straight. That is why 100 people apply for each spot and everyone worries about "getting in", everyone except those who bust the MCAT wide open and stun the admissions people with a 35 when their cum was a 3.5 :D
 
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