Advice/Guidance on my next step

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Moogle

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Hi everyone! I've been lurking this forum for a little over a month now and I regret not finding it sooner. I'm looking for any feedback on where I'm at and where I have to go. Any input is appreciated!

I graduated 2013 with a bachelor's in Biology. During my undergrad I was truly ignorant of the commitment and dedication it would take to get into medical school, combine working all through college and a lack of good study habits and you've got the results you see below. Once I looked into what all it would take to get into medical school, reality certainly gave me the proverbial slap in the face.

I finished with a cGPA: 3.16 sGPA: 2.89 (BCPM classes and labs not counting a couple retakes). My trend was upward throughout the four years with B's and C's (mostly C's) in my core science classes and A's and B's in my upper level bio courses (last few semesters were in the 3.4-3.5 range). I took the MCAT in 2012 and scored a 29R (10-8-11 spread if I remember correctly).

Fast forward through a couple years of working dead-end jobs and I'm committed to working towards medical school. I've dropped the bad study habits and learned to manage my time better and to prioritize things appropriately. I quit my dead-end job and have been working full-time as an EMT in a busy system (plenty of calls, from stubbed toes to hemorrhagic strokes) for almost a year now and it's really helped to light a fire in my belly and keep me focused.

So that's where I'm at, right now I'm thinking about retaking the MCAT due to the new format and my first score is several years old now (plus I want a higher score given my situation). After that I was looking to apply to an SMP to help show I can perform at a demanding level akin to med. school (from what I understand the SMP GPA won't boost my undergrad but it will at least show I can handle a heavy courseload). During that time, I'm also looking for ways to round myself out as a whole, I feel like leaning on the EMT work as my only clinical experience is putting all my eggs into one basket, so to speak.

So yea, that's where I'm at. I have a lot of questions but I'll try to keep it simple as I feel I've already vomited a wall of text. Is my path of MCAT -> SMP the most practical use of my time? I've considered going back and taking undergrad classes but given my science degree I'm not sure how many classes I could actually take that would be beneficial. I've poured over this for the past few weeks but I feel like I'm running around in circles at this point. My biggest strength at this time is the amount of free time I have, my job only takes up a few days a week, and I have no family/kids/spouse that demand my energy so I feel like I've positioned myself as best as I can to really put my nose to the grindstone.

Thanks for any advice and for taking the time to read all of this! I will admit it was cathartic to get it all out, like airing my dirty laundry.

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Take my words with a grain of salt, as my only experience is reading SDN...but doing your job as an EMT will not replace shadowing a physician. I have read multiple threads on this forum articulating that part of gaining acceptance into med school.
 
Take my words with a grain of salt, as my only experience is reading SDN...but doing your job as an EMT will not replace shadowing a physician. I have read multiple threads on this forum articulating that part of gaining acceptance into med school.
Yea, I've come across that sentiment as well. Which is a shame but I understand, protocols vary so much between counties, let alone states that it's hard to accurately paint a picture to someone else unless they're familiar with your area. Plus I know it's not the same as actively shadowing a physician so I apologize if my post came across as that. I do have contact with physicians through work though...I'll look to reaching out to them to get some experience. Thanks for your reply!
 
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Instead of an SMP, you could also do a DIY post-bacc. aka sign up for a 2nd Bachelor's at your local 4 year (don't have to complete another degree, just for tuition/registration sake) and retake all C or below coursework, as well as additional upper levels. This will improve your ugGPA (assuming you're scoring As).
Or do a science Master's degree. This will not improve ugGPA for MD schools, is factored in for DO GPA calculations, and for both shows you can handle higher level coursework.

I would suggest the former, because 1) it helps the GPA (you need this), 2) it's cheaper than either a masters or SMP, 3) you can do it at your own pace and work other things around it, like a part time job/shadowing/etc.
Is my path of MCAT -> SMP the most practical use of my time? I've considered going back and taking undergrad classes but given my science degree I'm not sure how many classes I could actually take that would be beneficial.
You can go to a different school, that presumably has different upper-level course offerings, sign up for a different major (if Bio before, then Chem, or vice versa, or Biochem...) and take upper levels that are new for you, while retaking any med school pre-reqs that you need to still redeem (C or lower). For you the point is less about how courses would be beneficial for med school or the MCAT (though that is also good to consider), and far more about how it will be beneficial for your GPA. A couple of strong years in post-bacc (mostly or entirely As), even if your overall gpas don't budge much, will do a lot to help make you more numerically competitive.
SMPs are a last ditch effort, and therefor more risky. If you do poorly for any reason in an SMP, you will have blown any chance of getting into med school. ALso they are typically very expensive.
And better to take the MCAT after more coursework (which ever version you choose to do) rather than before. Because you will be better refreshed on the material, so your studying will be more effective, and you will be testing closer to when you will be applying, so you have less risk of the score expiring again and having to retake a 3rd time.

Also:
I finished with a cGPA: 3.16 sGPA: 2.89 (BCPM classes and labs not counting a couple retakes).
You have to count all grades in all classes for your GPA calculations, both the first round and any retakes. So your gpas as far as med school apps are concerned (if you counted the retakes and not the original grades above) would actually be lower than you're telling us. And these numbers are already not competitive, as you know.
 
You can go to a different school, that presumably has different upper-level course offerings, sign up for a different major (if Bio before, then Chem, or vice versa, or Biochem...) and take upper levels that are new for you, while retaking any med school pre-reqs that you need to still redeem (C or lower). For you the point is less about how courses would be beneficial for med school or the MCAT (though that is also good to consider), and far more about how it will be beneficial for your GPA. A couple of strong years in post-bacc (mostly or entirely As), even if your overall gpas don't budge much, will do a lot to help make you more numerically competitive.

Thanks so much for the feedback. A DIY post-bacc would definitely more practical for me and you've helped answer some questions I had, but not necessarily posted. I appreciate you taking the time to type all of that out.
 
Thanks so much for the feedback. A DIY post-bacc would definitely more practical for me and you've helped answer some questions I had, but not necessarily posted. I appreciate you taking the time to type all of that out.
YW. I went through some of the same deliberations several years ago, so I feel ya :). Good luck with the process.
 
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