am trying to figure out my next step..help!

[em8r]

i graduated w/ a BS (Biology major) in May. gawd, i feel like i've been doing nothing but applications since then: medical schools, graduate programs, jobs, ugh. this summer, i was accepted to loyola u's mms program. unfortunately i received my acceptance in the middle of august, and by then it was a little too late to get my financial aid ready and find housing. so then i think: well, maybe i could find something else that's a little closer to home and at half the cost. i just want to boost my numbers: gpa and MCAT scores so that next year, i'll have a better chance of getting accepted in case it's not my year (heard too many horror stories from my premed advisor ). so now i've been accepted to a master of biotechnology or biology (haven't decided yet) in a nearby university, and that starts in january.
but now i'm thinking...well, is that even the right thing to do? what if it doesn't help? then what am i gonna do w/ a master's or even a one-year certificate? should i just go for a 1 year medical technologist program or an accelerated bsn so that i'd at least have a decent, clinical job (and money) while applying, even though they might not help my chances as well? by doing that, also, am i just setting myself in the mindframe that i have all the time in the world to get into medical school? like as if pursuing a nursing degree is because of doubts i have in my abilities to get into medical school...because if i was SURE, then i would probably not spend the tuition on a degree i wouldn't use.
ayayay...

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[deacondan16]

I think going to another medical program is not the best idea. First of all, you would have to finish it before starting medical school, and second, if you want to be a doctor you should keep trying to get it if you have to. Worry about having a complete backup plan when its all said and done. I would suggest some sort of program that would be finished by next August if that is when you would be starting. Maybe you can do the program at Loyola next year, kind of a deferment option and in the meantime work in a lab or any job to make money and do volunteer stuff on the side, not to mention studying for the MCAT if you're taking that again.
Haha, are we certifiable for deciding to do all this stuff?

 

[atrovariousg]

If you are lucky ehough to have some type of one year masters progam available to you, I would certainly consider it providing it is science based.
Otherwise I would just take 6-12 hours of upper div chem or bio that is relatable to med, and like you said retake the mcat.
At least you premed advisor was realistic with you, can't say that mine ever was.
It's a crapshoot, and sometime depends on who you know. Getting to know some grads of your state school for lor wouldn't hurt.

 

[ezal36]

should have went this year and get it over with. don't pay much attention to advisor. they're generally wrong. what about do schools?

 

[Vince]

My pre-med advisor said the same thing. Recommended taking upper level science classes in order to improve overall GPA and science GPA. Didn't advise going into a nursing program or PA program. I was already a paramedic so had a clinical job and doing more would have been a waste. So I took Biochem and retook Organic and took an MCAT prep class to improve my score...and got into DO school on my first attempt. (Didn't apply to MD programs).

If you are worrying about having to take a year or so off, look into DO schools and if its something that interests you go for it.