Advice?

[happyatethem]

I would really appreciate it if someone could give me some ideas on what to do next. Here is me:

cgpa 3.16, sgpa 3.46 (based on amcas not aacomas) mcat 27 (10-7-10) and 503 (bio and psych were bad). I have military clinical experience, I can boost the cgpa to a 3.3 no problem. I can improve it at most to a 3.4. I work in a hospital on a rotating panama shift so the only "classes" I can take are online classes at a community college. I am desperate but I wonder if showing desperation is a good thing. Should I be taking these classes?

I also have one attempt at least left in me for the mcat. I just get the feeling I could use a little bit of time out of the army, settle home, and buckle down and maybe boost my numbers to a 506-7.

I am really confused about letters of recommendation. I have a lot, and I was hoping to apply this year but the mcat didn't go well so I am holding off. Do I need to get those letters again, does a letter of recommendation from last year expire or is no longer accepted? I was thinking I could upload everything to interfolio so I won't have to bother my professors and doctors again.

I want to be a doctor. I want to go back home to Chicago and preferably settle there.

Here are my questions:
1. Should I take community college classes (40-80 credits) to boost my gpa?
2. Is there an easy way to collect letters so I can resend them as I need over the next two years.
3. Is it worth applying to DO schools so late in the cycle?

Any advice would be appreciated.

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[GreenDuck12]

Ok, lets start with the easy question first.

2. You can collect letters of recommendation but you need an up to date (literally, the date on the letter) for schools. Easy way to do this is have a professor write you a letter, keep in an sealed envelope and then if you need an updated one, call that professor up and say "Hey, remember me? I need another letter of rec. I have a copy of the letter you previously wrote in case you need to take a look." This is what I have done since leaving undergrad and it works fine. Also, be sure to let them know what you have been up to since leaving his or her class.

3. You can still apply to DO schools this late, whether or not that is wise is something others can chime in on.

1. Your cGPA is going to move a lot or a little based on the number of credits you have already earned and the number of credits you continue to earn. If you already have a degree, it is going to take years of classes to make a noticeable difference in your cGPA (i.e. 3.16 to 3.3 or 3.5). With osteopathic schools, you can do grade replacement for F/D/C grades if you retake the class (this will raise your GPA more than simply taking more classes/credits).

Additionally, think about the type of classes you are taking. An ADCOM looking at recent A grades in Online literature/history/something may not be convinced of your ability to handle the med school curriculum. You could impress them by taking multiple upper division science courses and consistently doing well over several semesters to show that you can handle the rigorous coursework (I know you mentioned your work schedule as being challenging to do this).

Best bet: slow down. Take time to evaluate where you ran into difficulty before and get those things squared away. From there, start taking classes (maybe retake low grade courses) and take some upper level science courses to demonstrate your academic acumen. Study for the MCAT and do not retake it until you are consistently scoring in the range you like on practice exams (best to take the exam once or twice total) . Focus on getting your application as competitive as possible before applying. Remember 40% of applicants do not match to any type of medical school each year. Respect your competition.

 

[happyatethem]

Thank you! I've been focusing on the mcat the last few weeks, and I will be enrolling in a few classes over the short term. The way I am seeing things right now is that I only have one more shot at the mcat and that I need to be dead sure it will be the score I need, I'll be considering January but if I have to I'll push back to June. Also, while I can't help that some of my coursework may not seem as competitive, if I can get to a 3.3 or a 3.4, I can close the book on undergrad and see how the next cycle plays out. By that time I will be out of the army, and free to apply to graduate school or an SMP back home. Hopefully, I can demonstrate that I have the maturity to handle the coursework. I have also definitely considered retaking some of my courses, and I should see a small benefit from that as well (you blew my mind with the grade replacement).

I have a lot of shadowing, clinical and non-clinical volunteer work, and my job itself is patient care so I do have a lot of strong intangibles...It's just sometimes it feels like maybe I might be dreaming too big based on my abilities. I know everyone here wants it just as much as I do, and there isn't enough room, so it takes constant effort. It just sucks having to make up for past mistakes. Thank you for responding, and I really appreciate your advice with the letters!

 

[heartsink]

Some schools take online credits, some don't. Before you solidify your plans I would look into your schools of choice and find that out for sure.

 

[centron]

Some schools take online credits, some don't. Before you solidify your plans I would look into your schools of choice and find that out for sure.

Definitely look into it first! You don't want to risk putting in all this effort and then not having the course count. Tread carefully