Medical Am I on the right track as a nontraditional pre-med?

[GoSpursGo]

Hello! Many thanks to SDN for being such a great resource for pre-meds, especially nontraditional pre-meds.

To provide some background information, I obtained my BA in 2014 with a cGPA of 2.652. I only took 1 science class during that time and I had failed it so my sGPA was essentially a 0. I graduated with my MSW in 2017 and worked as a social worker full-time for 3 years, with 1 year as the lead clinician on the geropsych unit (this is where I fell in love with geriatric psychiatry!). I've been working per diem at that same hospital since May 2020 and started another per diem job this past January in the local ED completing psych consults. I have been completing a DIY postbacc and my cGPA is currently 3.0 and sGPA is 3.42. I still have a number of prereqs and higher level science classes to take so I am confident I can get those numbers higher. Unfortunately, I have no research experience or any volunteer hours. The plan is to start volunteer work this summer, when a local hospice starts accepting outside volunteers again.

I'm aiming to take the MCAT early 2022 and then apply during the 2022-2023 application cycle to both DO and MD programs.

My questions are: am I on the right track as a nontraditional pre-med? Other than the MCAT, is there anything essential missing that could make me a stronger applicant? Any critique is appreciated. Thank you

That seems like quite a dramatic rise in your cGPA--are you including your MSW credits? Because unfortunately, you should only count your undergrad credits toward that. What is your cGPA/sGPA in your DIY post-bacc alone?

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[GoSpursGo]

I wish I could count my MSW but I was made aware that non-SMP graduate degrees aren't looked at. My DIY postbacc cGPA is 3.94 (includes a writing class and calculus) and sGPA is 3.92. Orgo I was a struggle for me lol

That's remarkable--well done!

I think you're doing this the right way--step 1 is repairing your academic record. There is always time ahead to volunteer. It will be tempting to cram as many hours as possible in while continuing to juggle your academic load--by all means do your best, but don't stumble academically. You've got to keep acing your classes, and crush the MCAT, to have any shot. So while applying in 2022-23 is a worthy goal don't rush things and wind up having a misstep in your classes or walk into your MCAT underprepared.

 

[GoSpursGo]

Understood! Thank you so much for your feedback.

Do you think a lack of research experience and physician shadowing hours will be acceptable? I don't want to "tick all of the boxes" just for the sake of being pre-med but I do want to be as strong of an applicant as I can be too.

You probably should shadow. Research is nice if you have it but not a requirement.

It doesn't feel good, but you do kind of have to "tick all of the boxes." Schools need to be sure you know what you're getting yourself into.

 

[TheBoneDoctah]

Research isn’t required for medical school. There are other areas in your app you can focus on with your precious time that will get you further.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

So why medicine? What does a medical education provide that Social Work does not? You may be in a class full of students who can't understand food deserts as a part of a problem on combating metabolic disorders. Or can't understand why someone cannot be compliant to medication because they cannot afford it. Which curricula are out there that will value your years of experience? Network to find out which schools exist that will.

 

[Goro]

What's even worse is that you might have classmates who think learning about these issues is tantamount to "indoctrination". This is based upon a real SDN thread in the MD student forum!