Time to Stop My Post-Bacc? (Advice appreciated!)

[Jack48]

Hi everyone, I would immensely appreciate some advice and wisdom right now!

Quick background:

-Graduated a couple years ago with a business degree, poor GPA (2.8ish) and no science courses taken.
-Immediately embarked on an 80+ credit 4.0 post-bacc over the last 2.5 years (1.5 of which were at a CC).
-35 MCAT.
-Around 800 hours volunteering (500 of which clinical hours) and 80ish hours of shadowing.
-No research experience

Currently, I'm sitting at a 3.3 cGPA and a 4.0 sGPA with my post-bacc factored in.

It is time to sign up for Spring classes at the 4-year university I attend, but because I'm a second-degree student and get a lower priority in date to register, a lot of the classes are already full.

My dilemma is this: do I sign up for 4 courses that aren't typically taken during a pre-med post-bacc (e.g. Vertebrate Anatomy, Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy, Differential Equations...) or do I instead just get a job and keep up with volunteering until this summer's application cycle opens up? I've already taken all the pre-reqs, plus biochem, cell bio, genetics, and a few other science courses.

I have been hoping to get into an allopathic school, though I know I am a marginal applicant. The weakness in my application as I see it is a low cGPA, no research, and having taken much of my post-bacc at a CC. I'm slightly hesitant to stop taking classes, although another semester of A's would only bring my gpa up 0.05 or so. I'm also worried that it may look like I'm not fully committed to medicine it I stop. If I was to not take classes and just work full-time, I'm not sure I would be able to get a medically related job, and I'm also afraid taking a business job might again signal a lack of commitment to medicine.

I am extremely fortunate to have supportive parents who have been able to pay for my post-bacc and let me live at home during it, but some days I wish I was no longer a broke 7th year undergrad living in my parents' basement. Is it time to stop my gpa repair and just let my application ride this summer?

Thank you for reading and for any advice or input you may have!

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[AWH79]

If I were in your shoes, I would cut back on classes and try to get a job in research, or an actual paying position at a hospital, maybe a tech position? medical assistant?...even if its just part time. The classes you mentioned dont sound like they would be practical for what you are trying to accomplish. If your parents are still cool with it, keep living with them and save all the money you can. I dont think you needing to actually work to support yourself would count against you. It sounds like you are gonna be a good applicant for MD programs, as well as DO programs.

 

[DrMidlife]

Hmm.

If you're in California, or New York, then yes, take all those hard irrelevant classes and 4.0 them. You need everything you can get.

Otherwise, consider an 18 month view of what you could get done before med school. What job could you get? Are there any PIs at your school that would set you up to get some pubs? Are you dying to backpack through Myanmar or study piano? Sell hotdogs on the beach on Kauai?

As soon as med school starts, this whole app-packing enterprise gets even more intense. You have to keep getting great grades and doing interesting EC's and getting letters. So consider what you could do in the next 18 months that sets you up for long term happy awesomeness.

Also if anybody gives you grief about living with your parents, forget about it. Be actively grateful to have that option.

Best of luck to you.

 

[ridethecliche]

Paging @Goro, @Catalystik, and a very busy @LizzyM
(Use the bat signal only when it is necessary!)

 

[Goro]

I think you've shown that you can handle a medical school curriculum, so it's time to work, and save some money.

Apply 6/1. Some schools that value reinvention will be your state schools, Vanderbilt, U Miami, Wayne State, BU, Tufts, Drexel, NYMC, Case, Duke (IF you have research), Tulane, SUNY-NY (if you're NYer), Albany, all new MD schools, and any DO school.

Hi everyone, I would immensely appreciate some advice and wisdom right now!

Quick background:

-Graduated a couple years ago with a business degree, poor GPA (2.8ish) and no science courses taken.
-Immediately embarked on an 80+ credit 4.0 post-bacc over the last 2.5 years (1.5 of which were at a CC).
-35 MCAT.
-Around 800 hours volunteering (500 of which clinical hours) and 80ish hours of shadowing.
-No research experience

Currently, I'm sitting at a 3.3 cGPA and a 4.0 sGPA with my post-bacc factored in.

It is time to sign up for Spring classes at the 4-year university I attend, but because I'm a second-degree student and get a lower priority in date to register, a lot of the classes are already full.

My dilemma is this: do I sign up for 4 courses that aren't typically taken during a pre-med post-bacc (e.g. Vertebrate Anatomy, Quantum Chemistry and Spectroscopy, Differential Equations...) or do I instead just get a job and keep up with volunteering until this summer's application cycle opens up? I've already taken all the pre-reqs, plus biochem, cell bio, genetics, and a few other science courses.

I have been hoping to get into an allopathic school, though I know I am a marginal applicant. The weakness in my application as I see it is a low cGPA, no research, and having taken much of my post-bacc at a CC. I'm slightly hesitant to stop taking classes, although another semester of A's would only bring my gpa up 0.05 or so. I'm also worried that it may look like I'm not fully committed to medicine it I stop. If I was to not take classes and just work full-time, I'm not sure I would be able to get a medically related job, and I'm also afraid taking a business job might again signal a lack of commitment to medicine.

I am extremely fortunate to have supportive parents who have been able to pay for my post-bacc and let me live at home during it, but some days I wish I was no longer a broke 7th year undergrad living in my parents' basement. Is it time to stop my gpa repair and just let my application ride this summer?

Thank you for reading and for any advice or input you may have!

 

[LizzyM]

I concur with Goro. You don't need more classes, you need a job starting in January 2015 with the intention of staying on that job for at least 18 months and applying June 1, 2015 and working through the application year.
With no research you are in a bit of a disadvantage but you might find a research lab job in a medical school or even a research university that doesn't have a med school but has basic science labs. You could also look at the academic medical centers for jobs as research assistants in clinical settings (where patients are enrolled as research subjects while also getting their usual medical care).

 

[Jack48]

AWH79, DrMidlife, ridethecliche, Goro, and LizzyM, thank you all so much for your help and all the advice you give on these forums. It is much appreciated!

 

[malick1]

See you in class , great stats !

 

[ridethecliche]

Thank you all for posting!

I'd say that finding a job at a research lab etc would be really helpful. If you can take a class a semester and/or volunteer/shadow while working, then that would be great. Where in the US are you?