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[CapybaraBerry]

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[Faha]

You could do a post-bacc for a year and take undergraduate level science courses you have not taken previously in order to increase your sGPA. Do not take so many courses that it would interfere with your studying for the MCAT. Take the MCAT when your practice scores are consistently 505+
As long as your MCAT is 505+ you should receive interviews at DO schools as long as you apply broadly. Post your MCAT score here in the future.

 

[Approach]

During my pre-med years I have mostly finished those courses. The flexibility in my engineer program also filled in the remaining courses I needed, so basically I'm done with all the pre-reqs. My low sGPA is due to engineer courses in my junior+senior years, they were notorious for tanking students' GPA.

Since I have already finished my pre-reqs years ago, going for post-bacc is basically retaking those courses again (and those courses I have really good grades with mostly As and very few Bs). The only missing course is an advanced bio class for some other schools in my state, but if Biochem counted as advanced bio class then I've truly finished my pre-reqs.

It sounds like Faha was suggesting upper level STEMM courses that wouldn't be ones you have already taken as pre reqs. These would be 400 level courses that wouldn't be covered by the standard premedical students checklist. I wasn't chemical engineering so idk how many of the below you have taken, but just off the top of my head:

Immunology? Neuroscience classes? Biochem 2? Physical biochemistry?Bioinformatics?

 

[Stuaccount]

Give yourself 2 years. In the first year, do the weekend MA job+a few upper level Bio courses. Doesn’t matter much which ones you take. Look into which classes are offered at the schools which are most convenient for you (close by, cheap, flexible) and take those. In the second year, continue your weekend MA job+study for MCAT. Distribute your volunteering and shadowing over the 2 years.

Or if you take a couple of classes over the coming summer and fall, you can study for the mcat over spring 2025 and apply by June 2025. But I think that would be too rushed especially if you plan to keep your job for the duration of your preparation, which I’d recommend.

Don’t rush to take the mcat. Take it after you are wholly clear on your plan, for eg about whether you will take more classes or not.