CC to Formal Postbac or MS?

[persistenceofmemory]

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I am a nontrad student finishing a DIY post bacc at my local cc and I am unsure of my future steps. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

I transferred to a top public university from cc (transferring GPA: 3.8), where I majored in Psychology while working (paid research experience and baby sitting). My GPA took a hit when my mom got a brain infection, which halted my studies and has left her dependent on me and my family's care. I graduated in 2016 with a 3.3 Uni GPA.

I am taking my last semester of premed courses at cc , and have a 4.0 GPA so far with only O-Chem left. During my DIY post bacc I have been working full-time as an EEG technician/ MA for a neurologist's private practice for about 2 years. I have been helping control my mom's epilepsy and manage her care, and I am also conducting brain imaging research for ASD populations (no impressive publications).

I did a lot of volunteering before transferring (Make-A-Wish, Tutoring low-income URM, Museum's Native American representative) , so I plan to do more volunteering during the summer and Fall 2018.

Because of my many cc credits, and only 2 years of Uni, I am unsure if I should do a formal enhancement Post Bacc program (ex. UCSD) or if I should do a masters (ex. John Hopkins Biotech MS ) to prove my competence in more rigorous courses. I have not taken the MCAT, but I'm planning on studying for it while taking O-Chem.

I am URM Mexican-American and I am fluent in Spanish.

 

[curbsideconsult]

If you have a good enough sGPA (totaled from all institutions), then there's no point in doing another program. If you're concerned your app won't look competitive enough because you took your prereqs at a CC, then try to enroll as a non-matriculated student at your local 4-year so you can take upper level courses. If you really want to enroll in a program to help you, then you should look into SMPs. A master's in anything else won't help you.

 

[24GaugeEJ]

If you have a good enough sGPA (totaled from all institutions), then there's no point in doing another program. If you're concerned your app won't look competitive enough because you took your prereqs at a CC, then try to enroll as a non-matriculated student at your local 4-year so you can take upper level courses. If you really want to enroll in a program to help you, then you should look into SMPs. A master's in anything else won't help you.

Agree somewhat with the above. While a master’s degree and research might be a cherry atop an otherwise great application, it really will not help you all that much. They don’t care about graduate grades, they care about undergraduate grades. Whether or not this is the right thing is largely irrelevant; the uGPAs and MCAT scores are what matter. Do as well as you can and apply broadly. You sound like a great applicant. Good luck!

 

[persistenceofmemory]

Agree somewhat with the above. While a master’s degree and research might be a cherry atop an otherwise great application, it really will not help you all that much. They don’t care about graduate grades, they care about undergraduate grades. Whether or not this is the right thing is largely irrelevant; the uGPAs and MCAT scores are what matter. Do as well as you can and apply broadly. You sound like a great applicant. Good luck!

I was looking at upper div science courses at UCSD... but money is definitely of concern to me. They're $1500 a class, and I'm not sure if it's worth it in the end...especially since I'll have last pick as an open uni student. I'll wind up spending almost the same in one year if I enroll in their formal post-bacc. Decisions.

Thank you for your encouraging reply!

 

[24GaugeEJ]

I was looking at upper div science courses at UCSD... but money is definitely of concern to me. They're $1500 a class, and I'm not sure if it's worth it in the end...especially since I'll have last pick as an open uni student. I'll wind up spending almost the same in one year if I enroll in their formal post-bacc. Decisions.

Thank you for your encouraging reply!

Not a problem! The post-bacc may be a good choice for you, but only if you can swing it financially, and if you’re confident in your ability to earn a 4.0. You’ve got a better handle on your personal life, finances, if you can wait an additional year to apply, etc.... best advice I can give is to get an A in organic chemistry and study all that you can for the MCAT. And I mean a lot! Many people will tell you that it’s a matter of learning how to take the test. While that is true to a small extent, it is far more important to know the material cold.

I studied from the Kaplan multi-book test set, took their 3 practice exams and took 3 additional practice exams from AAMC. I made sure to study for 40 hours per week on top of my normal work schedule for about 3 months and scored exceptionally highly. This made it much easier for me to get in (cGPA 3.56, sGPA 3.67 following DIY post-bacc). If you’ve done well in your previous classes, this should be a true review. Know how to solve the various math/physics/chemistry problems, and prioritize your studying. The Kaplan books essentially gave free answers for the psych/soc section, and I got a perfect in that part of the test. The hardest section for me was biochemistry, and I wish I had emphasized that a little more, though I still did extremely well there. Knowing the physics formulas and how to use them was very helpful. For CARS - just read carefully and understand basic approaches in logic.

 

[24GaugeEJ]

I would also recommend getting an electronic dossier service like Interfolio so that you can begin collecting letters of recommendation while you are taking classes and well before you actually apply. I initially wanted to apply ED to my first choice but was unable due to a professor dragging his feet despite somewhat frequent, yet polite, reminders. Fortunately I still got in, but it was stressful. Also, make sure that they print the letter on University letterhead and sign it prior to scanning/uploading. Some professors are used to this and have a scanned version of their signature to copy into electronically submitted letters. There is also an pdf pamphlet on AMCAS for faculty that outlines what should be in the letter. Send that along with your CV and personal statement to your writers so that they can really give you a nice letter. Note that most schools want 2 science faculty letters and 1 non science faculty letter. Apart from DO programs, most schools don’t care much about physician letters - it’s a nice addition, but they mainly want faculty letters.

Get your application done as early as possible (read up on AMCAS about the process itself), and submit your primary on day one.

 

[persistenceofmemory]

I would also recommend getting an electronic dossier service like Interfolio so that you can begin collecting letters of recommendation while you are taking classes and well before you actually apply. I initially wanted to apply ED to my first choice but was unable due to a professor dragging his feet despite somewhat frequent, yet polite, reminders. Fortunately I still got in, but it was stressful. Also, make sure that they print the letter on University letterhead and sign it prior to scanning/uploading. Some professors are used to this and have a scanned version of their signature to copy into electronically submitted letters. There is also an pdf pamphlet on AMCAS for faculty that outlines what should be in the letter. Send that along with your CV and personal statement to your writers so that they can really give you a nice letter. Note that most schools want 2 science faculty letters and 1 non science faculty letter. Apart from DO programs, most schools don’t care much about physician letters - it’s a nice addition, but they mainly want faculty letters.

Get your application done as early as possible (read up on AMCAS about the process itself), and submit your primary on day one.

Thank you so much for your advice! I greatly appreciate it. 🙂 I think I will apply to enhancing post-baccs if my MCAT doesn't cut it.. but I will study hard for that exam. I'm planning on getting the berkeley review... heard it over prepares students, which is exactly what I need!