Too late to do Postbac during Glide year?

[FreeSpiritTraveler]

First off, thank you so much for this network. I have found help so many times on these forums so I want to say thanks! And this is my first time posting so please bear with me.

I am hoping to apply next year in Summer 2015 to hopefully start medical school in the fall of 2016. I recently just graduated from college with a B.S. in Biology (sGPA: 3.5, cGPA: 3.65). I am still studying for my MCAT but I am hoping to do well to make up for my GPA. I also have 2 W's on my transcript which is where my major worry comes in. I had spread myself too thin in undergrad.

I feel like I need to a postbac program or postgraduate science classes to show my dedication and motivation to pursue medicine.

Here are my questions:
1. Would it be beneficial to start a postbac program while I send my applications next summer (aka postbac during glide year)?
2. Would it be MORE beneficial to do a DIY postbac by taking graduate science courses at a state university in the spring even though I wouldn't be earning a degree/certificate? But, at least these classes would be in the application.
3. How much does doing well on the MCAT weigh in on a bad GPA?
4. Or would having international medical experience be just as helpful as trying to improve my GPA? I was thinking of spending a couple months abroad helping some doctors that I am acquainted with.

Thank you for any help/advice!!

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[FreeSpiritTraveler]

Thank you for your help! I'm just worried about my sGPA since I have 2 W's.....

 

[darklabel]

Thank you for your help! I'm just worried about my sGPA since I have 2 W's.....

2 Ws aren't nearly as big of a deal as SDN makes it out to be sometimes. You don't have a bad GPA and if you do well on the MCAT then you honestly don't have to take anymore classes unless you want to. Don't do a formal postbacc and if you want to, just take a few classes to boost up your GPA during your glide year. But scoring a 30+, you should be fine for applying.

 

[deleted248403]

2 Ws aren't nearly as big of a deal as SDN makes it out to be sometimes. You don't have a bad GPA and if you do well on the MCAT then you honestly don't have to take anymore classes unless you want to. Don't do a formal postbacc and if you want to, just take a few classes to boost up your GPA during your glide year. But scoring a 30+, you should be fine for applying.

+1

It's not a big deal if all your other ducks are in a row. The nut jobs in pre-allo make it seem a bigger deal then it should be