DIY Post-Bac "In-betweener"

[oliviamaaa]

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I graduated in 2020 with a degree in economics but was original a science major and took gen chem, organic chemistry, calculus, and one biology class. I also have a masters in economics and finance but during this program I realized that I was really uninterested in working in finance or business. During the pandemic my grandparents got sick, and I was their primary care taker. I then realized that I wanted to go to medical school. Since I have taken almost half of my prerequisites I am planning on doing a diy post-bacc to finish the requirements but I don't think I remember enough of the material to do well in more advanced classes. What should I be doing to prepare my self to take these classes and do well on the MCAT?

 

[MedicallyEnthused]

I graduated in 2020 with a degree in economics but was original a science major and took gen chem, organic chemistry, calculus, and one biology class. I also have a masters in economics and finance but during this program I realized that I was really uninterested in working in finance or business. During the pandemic my grandparents got sick, and I was their primary care taker. I then realized that I wanted to go to medical school. Since I have taken almost half of my prerequisites I am planning on doing a diy post-bacc to finish the requirements but I don't think I remember enough of the material to do well in more advanced classes. What should I be doing to prepare my self to take these classes and do well on the MCAT?

You should first gaining some actual clinical experience and shadow some docs before you actually decide on anything. Taking care of your grandparents vs. strangers in a hospital can be very very different.
Some good ways to get your foot in the door is looking at your local hospital for possible volunteer positions, or alternatively you can go for a CNA, EMT, MA, or similar licenses and find a job through one of those avenues. I personally went the EMT route and absolutely loved it and now work as an ED-tech in a hospital.

Once you do gain some experience and are 100% committed that medicine is right for you, that is when you should start looking into a diy postbacc/MCAT prep. You also should continue healthcare-related experiences while doing your postbacc.

But it's really not necessary to retake a class just for the MCAT, it isn't too bad to study from courses you've taken several years ago.
I have seen pre-meds study for the MCAT and do well after being out of school for 5+ years as an example. If you are really unsure about it, you can always just take an MCAT course, but I wouldn't start worrying about it until you finish the majority of the pre-reqs.

As for more advanced classes you will pick it up pretty quickly, depending on how long you were absent from science courses. I myself took 2 years off school before returning and went straight into senior biochem my 1st semester back with no issues.

I personally wouldn't retake a class unless it was a poor grade (C- or lower) or taken over 10 years ago (as some schools have age requirements on pre-reqs).

 

[oliviamaaa]

You should first gaining some actual clinical experience and shadow some docs before you actually decide on anything. Taking care of your grandparents vs. strangers in a hospital can be very very different.
Some good ways to get your foot in the door is looking at your local hospital for possible volunteer positions, or alternatively you can go for a CNA, EMT, MA, or similar licenses and find a job through one of those avenues. I personally went the EMT route and absolutely loved it and now work as an ED-tech in a hospital.

Once you do gain some experience and are 100% committed that medicine is right for you, that is when you should start looking into a diy postbacc/MCAT prep. You also should continue healthcare-related experiences while doing your postbacc.

But it's really not necessary to retake a class just for the MCAT, it isn't too bad to study from courses you've taken several years ago.
I have seen pre-meds study for the MCAT and do well after being out of school for 5+ years as an example. If you are really unsure about it, you can always just take an MCAT course, but I wouldn't start worrying about it until you finish the majority of the pre-reqs.

As for more advanced classes you will pick it up pretty quickly, depending on how long you were absent from science courses. I myself took 2 years off school before returning and went straight into senior biochem my 1st semester back with no issues.

I personally wouldn't retake a class unless it was a poor grade (C- or lower) or taken over 10 years ago (as some schools have age requirements on pre-reqs).

I have had clinical experience and shadowed from my freshman year. Plus many of family members are doctors. I am pretty certain about my decision at this point. I am mainly worried because it has been 5 years since I have taken a science course. I have had a lot of math experience. Did you have a mcat course or book that was especially good for review of material?

 

[MedicallyEnthused]

I have had clinical experience and shadowed from my freshman year. Plus many of family members are doctors. I am pretty certain about my decision at this point. I am mainly worried because it has been 5 years since I have taken a science course. I have had a lot of math experience. Did you have a mcat course or book that was especially good for review of material?

Okay that's good. Just keep in mind it's a bit more difficult in proving to medical schools that you want to be a doctor when your family members are.
And if your clinical experience is kind of old, I would try to get more current experience if you can.

The only math you really need to know is basic algebra, so your math background won't be a huge help.

But I'm currently in the process of studying for the MCAT at the moment. All I really did was go over the chapter summaries in the Kaplan MCAT books, and from there just did nothing but practice exams and question banks. From there, I just reviewed all the topics behind the questions I got wrong.
I do have a pretty strong science background though, as I have 2 bachelor's degrees in neuroscience/biochemistry.

That being said, I world first get through your remaining pre-reqs than give self studying a shot. If you feel really rusty on old courses like general chemistry, maybe look into a MCAT course. There are tons out there, but just be cautious as some are super expensive and prey on naïve pre-meds. There are some that are fairly priced and good overall courses though. I never took one, so you will just need to do your own research.

At least in my experience, what you learn in your courses is much more detailed than anything you need to know for the MCAT. You just need to know a little bit about a ton of different topics for the MCAT, as its main focus is critical analysis, rather than pure memorization of facts. So sometimes you can answer a question correctly with 0 background knowledge, as you can figure it out from the passage. Other times you need a combination of background knowledge and critical analysis skills.

 

[oliviamaaa]

Okay that's good. Just keep in mind it's a bit more difficult in proving to medical schools that you want to be a doctor when your parents are.
And if your clinical experience is kind of old, I would try to get more current experience if you can.

But I'm currently in the process of studying for the MCAT at the moment. All I really did was go over the chapter summaries in the Kaplan MCAT books, and from there just did nothing but practice exams and question banks. From there, I just reviewed all the topics behind the questions I got wrong.
I do have a pretty strong science background though, as I have 2 bachelor's degrees in neuroscience/biochemistry.

That being said, I world first get through your remaining pre-reqs than give self studying a shot. If you feel really rusty on old courses like general chemistry, maybe look into a MCAT course. There are tons out there, but just be cautious as some are super expensive and prey on naïve pre-meds. There are some that are fairly priced and good overall courses though. I never took one, so you will just need to do your own research.

At least in my experience, what you learn in your courses is much more detailed than anything you need to know for the MCAT. You just need to know a little bit about a ton of different topics for the MCAT, as its main focus is critical analysis, rather than pure memorization of facts. So sometimes you can answer a question correctly with 0 background knowledge, as you can figure it out from the passage. Other times you need a combination of background knowledge and critical analysis skills.

Totally get that. I am working on getting back into clinical work and some shadowing. I am thinking about getting a tutor for my classes at the beginning of the semester just because it has been so long since I have taken a science course. I am in the process of planning diy post bacc. I am unsure how many upper div science courses to take to besides the required courses. I am definitely going to take biochem, but unsure about what else to take.

 

[MedicallyEnthused]

Totally get that. I am working on getting back into clinical work and some shadowing. I am thinking about getting a tutor for my classes at the beginning of the semester just because it has been so long since I have taken a science course. I am in the process of planning diy post bacc. I am unsure how many upper div science courses to take to besides the required courses. I am definitely going to take biochem, but unsure about what else to take.

That's a good idea! I'm sure after your first semester you will get the hang of it and the material won't seem too challenging.

But besides the usually pre-reqs, some recommended courses a lot of school like to see (but are not required) are courses that are included in the medical school curriculum. So you should take classes like immunology, microbiology, genetics, cell/molecular biology, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, neuroanatomy, pharmacology, endocrinology, etc. I would probably start off with cell and molecular biology, as that could be useful for the MCAT.

 

[deleted367183]

I like Exam Krackers. I think your classes are recent enough that the material will come back to you. There’s not a lot of arcane stuff on the MCAT (mine was very low on orgo, for example). I recommend “taking the professor,” picking someone who’s personable and can write a good letter, when you pick your upper division classes. Most of my 400-level classes had little to do with medicine per se.