Can someone answer this question?

[thirdunity]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Which looks better:

1. 3.4ish GPA undergrad in any nonscience major, followed by stellar performance in post-bac. In fact, I can transfer to university next year if I do this, because I already have my liberal arts stuff out of the way.

2. 3.4ish GPA undergrad in science major, but with *superstar* performance in science subjects. Will take same amount of time as Option 1 because I have to take a lot of prereq classes to get into my required science classes.

3. 3.4ish GPA undergrad in science major, with *superstar* performance in science subjects, and Special Master's Program.

Here's the deal. I'm a biology major. Which means I will have to take all the prereq classes *anyway* as part of my major requirements. I'd prefer to stay a bio major, because I *LIKE* biology and I plan to do something with it if I don't get into med school. I've been a successful student since being a bio major.

However, my entire 20s in school were pretty much a total waste.

I am wondering which is the best path for me.

 

[Beau Geste]

Well, something to think about is the SMP vs. post-bacc option.

Regardless of what classes you take, the post-baccs will ultimately be considered in your overall undergrad GPA (thus raising it) and if they are science and you do stellar, will raise your BCMP GPA too.

A SMP is great too, but will reflect a grad GPA. If you *know* you want to go to med school, I would opt for the post-bacc (formal or not) option. However, if other health careers interest you, then go the grad route.

That's my opinion, and actually, I am in a similar spot, going for door #1. My UG GPA (CUM) is 3.3, and my recent coursework is 3.9 (BCMP). I do have older grades that aren't as good, but they are over 10 years old now. I also have a M.S., but did that a while ago, too and came back to medicine.

 

[thirdunity]

What about a second Bachelor's, or additional undergrad coursework?

The deal is, my major would kind of render the post-bacc ridiculous... Biology requires that I complete the BCMP as part of my major requirement.

I've also considered that I could simply make up my old fails. I'm just not certain that it would affect my GPA enough to bother with it.

I'm the same person that started the "premed after so-so career" thread, by the way; I don't exactly have a stellar history. I dropped out of high school (not sure if they will consider that) and in my 20s, was serially unemployed. I and various counselors and professionals have strongly suspected I have ADHD, but no formal diagnosis. I am wondering if a formal dx would help me better explain my track record.

 

[Beau Geste]

What about a second Bachelor's, or additional undergrad coursework?

The deal is, my major would kind of render the post-bacc ridiculous... Biology requires that I complete the BCMP as part of my major requirement.

I've also considered that I could simply make up my old fails. I'm just not certain that it would affect my GPA enough to bother with it.

I'm the same person that started the "premed after so-so career" thread, by the way; I don't exactly have a stellar history. I dropped out of high school (not sure if they will consider that) and in my 20s, was serially unemployed. I and various counselors and professionals have strongly suspected I have ADHD, but no formal diagnosis. I am wondering if a formal dx would help me better explain my track record.

Sounds like you already know the path you want to take. A formal diagnosis could help, but there's no way to say for certain thay was your problem years ago. The ADHD issue could hurt you as much as help. Explaining to adcoms might be difficult if you tell them that many counselor and professionals suspected ADHD but nothing was done about it. The important thing is that you identify what your areas of deficit are NOW and deal with them.

 

[thirdunity]

Hi Megboo,

The issue of the biology major is that I actually *want to study biology*. It's really the only subject I want to spend that much time with. I'm a bio nut.
Changing my major to bio, changed the type of student that I was. Bio is what motivates me. Otherwise I'd have no issue with switching my major to something else and this would not have been a question.

Because I am a major-changer though, I will probably end up with the same number of units in the end as I would if I had stayed an anthro major, and then gone the postbac route. I'm just wondering what looks better. Does high MCAT + high BCMP mean anything (at the very least, to DO schools) if the first year really sucked, and if I don't have the "type A, successful track record"?

I really should talk to school counselors. I have some sort of counselor-phobia that I need to work on. I found counselors to be extremely unsupportive and dismissive when I was younger, but I was also a very different kind of student back then.

 

[thirdunity]

Sorry to be a pest guys... bump

 

[Beau Geste]

Hi Megboo,

Because I am a major-changer though, I will probably end up with the same number of units in the end as I would if I had stayed an anthro major, and then gone the postbac route. I'm just wondering what looks better. Does high MCAT + high BCMP mean anything (at the very least, to DO schools) if the first year really sucked, and if I don't have the "type A, successful track record"?

If you really enjoy bio, then go for it! 🙂

A high MCAT and BCMP will look good to everyone, and a 3.4 GPA is still competitive to apply to MD and DO schools.

Doing well from here on out is key. Do that and you will look great in your apps.

 

[Krazykritter]

Thirdunity,

I interview students at my DO school and in doing this, have seen lots and lots of apps. To tell you the honest truth..."Type A, successful track record" is not all that important to me. If you had the applicant has that type of track record...good for them, they got it right from the start. Some of us (me too) had some diversity and a lot of fun at some point in our college careers that may have caused a few non-A grades and a lower than possible GPA.

If you are the type of person who had some diversity in your academic and had to battle through it, I find that makes for a strong applicant. A positive upward trend is much more important to most of the interviewers and myself, than someone who has never struggled at all.

If you have any more questions, PM me. Keep your head up and work hard. Hard work goes a long way.