DIY Post-Bacc Strategy?

[BurgersnAcquisitions]

Hi all! I've been out of college for about 5 years and am looking for advice about the biggest red flag on my application- my undergraduate science GPA of 2.97. My current plan is to take some science courses at a nearby university. The hope is that a solid performance in those classes, along with my MCAT score (521 - more info below), would show med schools that I am a different student than I was 5 years ago.

Would taking a few credits at a time while continuing to work full-time even help my application? I know MD programs like to see that you can take on a full course load and I'm worried that a handful of As would not really do much.

Doing a full-time post-bacc or SMP would be tough financially, so I'm trying to figure out how to do this while keeping my current job.

Thanks in advance!


Here's some more background information about me:

• Hoping to apply next summer (2018)
• Demographics: Not URM, female, 27, DC area
• Degrees: BS double-majored in social sciences (cGPA 3.55, sGPA 2.97), MPH -Both from well-known schools
• MCAT: 521 (129/132/130/130) - March 2017
• ECs: Volunteered at university hospital for 4 years, global health student group with leadership position
• Work experience: 2+ years working in health policy research, several public health internships, biopsych lab for ~6 months
• Shadowing: Ahh yes this I will need to work on as well, but aiming for 50-60 hours of shadowing this year

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[MeesterE]

I was in a similar situation to yours not too long ago. My undergrad GPA was 2.8. My degree was in the social sciences and I had very little science courses - medicine was not my original intended career. After undergrad, while working full time, I took the science coursework I needed to take the MCAT (scored a 31R) - sort of a DIY post-bacc, like you mentioned. I did well in my courses, but only enough to raise my GPA to a 3.1. One of the things that was always brought up during my interviews was how well I did on the hard science courses while working full time - my low GPA never came up.

In terms of your overall application, it has been a while for me and I am not all that familiar with what is currently considered competitive or not, but your MCAT score along with the rest of your extracurriculars are great and may just be enough to overshadow the sGPA and help to get your foot into the door? I defer to others more knowledgeable.

You mention it has been 5 years since college does this also include your MPH?

 

[BurgersnAcquisitions]

I was in a similar situation to yours not too long ago. My undergrad GPA was 2.8. My degree was in the social sciences and I had very little science courses - medicine was not my original intended career. After undergrad, while working full time, I took the science coursework I needed to take the MCAT (scored a 31R) - sort of a DIY post-bacc, like you mentioned. I did well in my courses, but only enough to raise my GPA to a 3.1. One of the things that was always brought up during my interviews was how well I did on the hard science courses while working full time - my low GPA never came up.

In terms of your overall application, it has been a while for me and I am not all that familiar with what is currently considered competitive or not, but your MCAT score along with the rest of your extracurriculars are great and may just be enough to overshadow the sGPA and help to get your foot into the door? I defer to others more knowledgeable.

You mention it has been 5 years since college does this also include your MPH?

Thanks for your response, that's definitely encouraging! Yes, the 5 years includes my 2-year MPH.

Would you mind sharing how many credits of classes you took at a time while you were working?

 

[MeesterE]

Thanks for your response, that's definitely encouraging! Yes, the 5 years includes my 2-year MPH.

Would you mind sharing how many credits of classes you took at a time while you were working?

It varied. To give you some context, I was working in the ED as a tech 1730-0200 and then going to school during the day - sometimes starting as early at 0800. On the quarter system (10-weeks) my lightest course load was 7-credits and heaviest was 17. I averaged about 12-credits overall. I was averaging about 3-4hrs of sleep a night. I did a pretty good job of talking about the whole situation in my personal statement because it was one of the hardest things I did leading up to the application process. I was super burned out by the end of it, but I was able to show that not only had my academic performance improved but I was also able to handle rigorous coursework with a hectic schedule.

Just to clarify, I HAD to take these classes (Bio, Physics, GenChem, Ochem, Calculus), because my undergrad degree did not require them.

I feel like your 521 MCAT speaks volumes and should show that you are a "different" person now. Just explain in your personal statement why your science grades were low and how you feel your MCAT score is a reflection of your improvement. In my opinion, your MCAT coupled with your volunteer and work experience comes across as someone who is well-rounded with real life experience. Work on those shadowing hours and you should be set.