33yo Non-trad Post Bacc after 14 years

[PlaceMeToBe]

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Currently 33yo with a degree in Economics from a flagship state school in 2015. I'm planning to enroll in a post-bacc program in the Bay Area for Fall 2026 and will take a class in Spring 2026 to get my feet wet again. I have not taken a pre req course since 2011-2012 and those were Gen Chem 1/2 and Gen Bio 1/2 with labs.

cGPA: 3.34
BCPM: 3.66 (BCPM GPA is thrown off by an econometrics course I took for my degree...I'm pretty sure AMCAS will consider it part of BCPM based on what everyone tells me... if you have any info on if a class labeled ECON400: ELEMENTARY STATISTICS would be considered science/math please let me know)
BCP: 4.00

I've made a nice chunk of money working in tech and now I have the ability to go back to school and study what I actually wanted to in the first place. I have a few questions, if anyone can help out that'd be amazing.

1. Any thoughts on post-bacc programs in the Bay Area? I am obviously on a career changer track, so things like UCSF are not available to me at this time. If anyone has info on Berkeley Extension, San Francisco State University, Cal State East Bay, or University of California Santa Cruz I would greatly appreciate it. If anyone has any stats regarding these programs that'd also be amazing.
2. Should I retake Gen Chem? I actually spoke to an advisor and they recommended I retake gen chem mostly so I'm prepared for organic chem. Gen chem was by far my strongest pre req back in the day so I'm confident I could do a review session and be fine content-wise. I am not sure how admissions will look at me having taken it in 2011-2012 though. Do the majority of schools care if pre reqs were taken 15 years ago by the time I apply, even if I were to do well on the MCAT?
   • If I don't retake gen chem do you think i'll be ok to jump into organic after a thorough review session? I've read mixed things online.
3. I should be ok to substitute Bio 1 and Bio 2 with upper level courses, right? I wasn't as strong in bio as chem but from what I've gathered taking microbiology and genetics should be more than enough to cover the requirement.
4. Any recommendations on how to approach shadowing opportunities in the bay area? In college it was much easier to find opportunities for research/volunteering/shadowing but now as a professional I find it a bit more daunting. I guess I just need to cold email folks.
5. Is there anyone out there with a similar profile to mine? Also, how much is GPA weighted as a mid 30s post bacc applicant? I've heard mixed things here - but consider if I've done well are my stats even good enough to entertain this idea?

Thank you in advance and I wish it wasn't a wall of text, but I have lots of questions.

 

[Meridian32]

Any recommendations on how to approach shadowing opportunities in the bay area?

I'd recommend cold e-mailing doctors at Stanford and UCSF. Academic physicians like myself are used to having people shadow and I've had students set up shadowing with me via cold e-mail. The other resource is your college alumni network - see if you can find alumni in the Bay Area who are doctors. Good luck!

 

[PlaceMeToBe]

I'd recommend cold e-mailing doctors at Stanford and UCSF. Academic physicians like myself are used to having people shadow and I've had students set up shadowing with me via cold e-mail. The other resource is your college alumni network - see if you can find alumni in the Bay Area who are doctors. Good luck!

Appreciate this advice! I’ll start doing some investigating today.