2.8 uGPA, formal postbacc vs. Masters advice

[anonymousj]

Hi SDN community,
I'm looking for some advice as a non-trad pre-med. To provide some info about myself, I graduated in 2017 with a 2.8 uGPA, low-income family, and a first generation college student. I have 5+ years of working at a medical practice (over 10k hours of clinical experience) which is probably my greatest strength right now.
1. Postbacc courses - Would it be better to take pre-reqs at a CC or at a local uni/formal postbacc? I already started taking a few at a local CC with Gen Chem I & II: A's, O Chem: B, Soc: A, there is a WD for one course.
2. Masters - Should I do postbacc at a local CC and then apply to a master’s instead?
3. Are my chances of getting in reduced if I re-apply to the same school after a masters?
4. Any other general advice?
Thanks in advance!

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[chilly_md]

How many science courses did you take in undergrad? Are you switching from a different field?

Masters will not help unless it is an SMP. Do not spend time and money there.

 

[anonymousj]

Thank you for the response!
I graduated with a Behavioral Health degree and wanted to go into healthcare, I just didn’t know exactly what profession back then. All around I struggled a lot in college since I was working all 4 years and failed to prioritize school. I took Gen Bio I C, Gen Chem I C, Gen Chem II B-, Microbio B- (lab B), Anatomy B, Physio B- (lab C), and Genetics A-.

I should clarify, I would be planning on applying to a SMP once I finish all the prereqs.

 

[chilly_md]

You do not need to retake those courses. Since you took a limited number of science classes, you should have many upper division options at a local 4 yr university after you are done with the remaining pre-reqs. Doing 30+ credits there would be likely more manageable than spending more for an SMP.

 

[anonymousj]

Got it, thank you! I'm currently drafting a course plan for this next year and I have a few more q's. I was looking to start with Gen Bio II but, do you recommend taking courses in a specific order?
Additionally, do you recommend Calc? And/or prereq courses to help excel in Physics? (like a separate intro course to make better use of my time in the case that I can't secure a spot w certain classes)

 

[chilly_md]

You do not need calculus, but statistics is often a good course to take for math and some schools require it. Take algebra-based physics. It is up to you to decide how well your math skills are and whether you need pre-calculus or trigonometry to refresh yourself beforehand.