Can I apply to medical school without finishing my post-bac?

[saren99]

I am currently finishing my spring semester in my post-bac program at Penn. Traditionally students take 4 classes in the fall and another 4 in the spring to complete the program with 8 courses and 32 credit hours. I had a hard time during my first semester in the program (due to my anxiety) and ended up having to drop two courses. I was told this semester that I can take 3 courses this summer to finish the program, but if I applied this cycle (which I had planned to do) then med schools would never see the updated grades since my primaries would have already been submitted. As of right now, I have completed 20 credits in my post-bac program obtaining a 3.7 GPA. I fear that my scrambling to take the courses over the summer would hurt my post-bac GPA since they are condensed courses and I was already having a hard time. Which do you think would hurt me more? Not finishing the program or finishing with a chance of a lower GPA?

Also, we have 2 years to finish the program technically so if I figured that if I wasn't getting any bites at schools (MD or DO) by the winter then I would just enroll in the last three courses for the spring semester and apply the following cycle.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

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[Goro]

I can't recommend this. You should apply when you have the best possible app.

Which do you think would hurt me more? Not finishing the program or finishing with a chance of a lower GPA?
Both will not look good. You need to prove that you can handle med school.
Have you gotten the anxiety issues under control?

 

[Dave1980]

I am currently finishing my spring semester in my post-bac program at Penn. Traditionally students take 4 classes in the fall and another 4 in the spring to complete the program with 8 courses and 32 credit hours. I had a hard time during my first semester in the program (due to my anxiety) and ended up having to drop two courses. I was told this semester that I can take 3 courses this summer to finish the program, but if I applied this cycle (which I had planned to do) then med schools would never see the updated grades since my primaries would have already been submitted. As of right now, I have completed 20 credits in my post-bac program obtaining a 3.7 GPA. I fear that my scrambling to take the courses over the summer would hurt my post-bac GPA since they are condensed courses and I was already having a hard time. Which do you think would hurt me more? Not finishing the program or finishing with a chance of a lower GPA?

Also, we have 2 years to finish the program technically so if I figured that if I wasn't getting any bites at schools (MD or DO) by the winter then I would just enroll in the last three courses for the spring semester and apply the following cycle.

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

I wouldn't apply before finishing the program. Finish strong and apply next year.

Sorry to say this but dropping 2 courses of a post-bacc might be a deal breaker for schools. For your sake I hope the rest of your app is strong and that you are an URM.