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Simply Seeking Mentorship
- Thread starter Infantry Officer
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T
trev5150
You may not believe it but it's true anyway.
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First off, many thanks for your service to our country.
Veterans are highly prized as med school candidates.
It really doesn't matter where you do the work. It can be DIY. It's unlikely you'll be able to do it in a single year though. Gen Chem is a full year, followed by Orgo.
I recommend something like
Bio + Gen Chem (Year I)
Orgo + Physics (Year II)
Doing well in these matters more than were you take it.
This forum is an excellent source of guidance.
But with an sGPA of 3.9, what exactly do you need, or are looking for???
Veterans are highly prized as med school candidates.
It really doesn't matter where you do the work. It can be DIY. It's unlikely you'll be able to do it in a single year though. Gen Chem is a full year, followed by Orgo.
I recommend something like
Bio + Gen Chem (Year I)
Orgo + Physics (Year II)
Doing well in these matters more than were you take it.
This forum is an excellent source of guidance.
But with an sGPA of 3.9, what exactly do you need, or are looking for???
T
trev5150
BLUF: Organic chemistry is organic chemistry whether you pay $95/credit or $395/credit. No one's nerfing these courses based on the price tag.
Fully concur with HP. Don't burn any of your 36 months of benefit on undergrad level stuff you can pretty much do anywhere - even the local CuCo. Consider going to the closest satellite of your state 4 year institution because of the brand conscious mentality. Don't fry your budget on high-end post-baccs. IOW UMBC is probably fine (references to Goucher and JH lead me to believe you're down there in the 410). Then do an MCAT prep at TPR on St. Paul St. Heck I might even see you there. I'm getting through Orgo 1 & 2 then Biochem 1 & 2 prior to taking the MCAT.
Fully concur with HP. Don't burn any of your 36 months of benefit on undergrad level stuff you can pretty much do anywhere - even the local CuCo. Consider going to the closest satellite of your state 4 year institution because of the brand conscious mentality. Don't fry your budget on high-end post-baccs. IOW UMBC is probably fine (references to Goucher and JH lead me to believe you're down there in the 410). Then do an MCAT prep at TPR on St. Paul St. Heck I might even see you there. I'm getting through Orgo 1 & 2 then Biochem 1 & 2 prior to taking the MCAT.
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If you've already taken many of the prereqs a lot of these places won't take you, so that is the initial question.
Agree with the others that military experience will be extremely helpful at both the med school and residency and probably job search levels.
Agree with the others that military experience will be extremely helpful at both the med school and residency and probably job search levels.
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You're well positioned to be an excellent candidate for admission to your top post-bacc schools. Make sure you apply early in their application cycle (which is coming up soon I believe). If you haven't yet try to squeeze in some physician shadowing ASAP and maybe get them to write you a recommendation letter. The only thing really missing in your application is the proof that you've carefully considered a medical career (in the form of medical volunteering/employment/shadowing). Also your SAT could scare off the top guys like Bryn Mawr or Johns Hopkins, but I doubt it given your impressive degree, major, and career. That being said, none of this is a given...you could also be rejected from all your top and mid-tier schools. And I don't want to discourage you, it's just important not to have too many expectations about what can be a very volatile process.
As for safety schools, two places in the south that are good are Meredith College (Raleigh, NC) and Agnes Scott College (outside Atlanta, GA). I don't know if they have linkages.
But as posters above have said, a formal post-bacc may not be the way to go. Give it a lot of thought. You have the GI Bill which can pay for the costs of a very expensive out-of-state med school when you attend. I was considering the formal route for 6+ months but veered away due to cost. I'm doing an informal track at my local public university and it's costing me pennies. Not only that, you can take the classes you want! You don't need to retake the Physics and Chem you've already taken.
The main benefit of going to a post-bacc is linkage. But you're paying $40k in tuition just to save a single year of application! The medical profession isn't going anywhere. Take your time. The application year is not a big deal. You could pay $4-5k in tuition for the next year finishing your pre-reqs, $2-3k in MCAT prep course, self-study, shadowing, volunteering.
In the end you've still gotta take the MCAT no matter where you did your pre-reqs. And your score on that is the single biggest determinant in if and where you'll end up going to med school.
As for safety schools, two places in the south that are good are Meredith College (Raleigh, NC) and Agnes Scott College (outside Atlanta, GA). I don't know if they have linkages.
But as posters above have said, a formal post-bacc may not be the way to go. Give it a lot of thought. You have the GI Bill which can pay for the costs of a very expensive out-of-state med school when you attend. I was considering the formal route for 6+ months but veered away due to cost. I'm doing an informal track at my local public university and it's costing me pennies. Not only that, you can take the classes you want! You don't need to retake the Physics and Chem you've already taken.
The main benefit of going to a post-bacc is linkage. But you're paying $40k in tuition just to save a single year of application! The medical profession isn't going anywhere. Take your time. The application year is not a big deal. You could pay $4-5k in tuition for the next year finishing your pre-reqs, $2-3k in MCAT prep course, self-study, shadowing, volunteering.
In the end you've still gotta take the MCAT no matter where you did your pre-reqs. And your score on that is the single biggest determinant in if and where you'll end up going to med school.
6
68PGunner
Two things you need to do:
1) Research Chapter 31 Voc Rehab: it's not a mythical rumor. The ridiculous benefits professed by many on sdn are real.
2) Take orgo and biochem and then start prepping for that MCAT.
Come back here and update us on your status once you have your MCAT score. The sky could be the limit for your application depending on your MCAT score.
