Feedback on my attack plan and competitiveness?

[deleted932967]

Hello! I'm a non-trad career-changer who is trying to assess competitiveness and create an attack plan, and these forums have been INCREDIBLY helpful so far. I've read several advice threads for low GPA applicants, but I'm at a point where I think I need some more personalized feedback. And I'm posting here because it seems too early or not quite right for other threads (like the WAMC thread). I'm also at LEAST 2-3 years out.

Could I get some feedback on my current situation and plan? (And if I have a chance.)

My Stats:

• 29 yr old, female, white, married but no kids, located on the east coast
• Have B.S and M.S in Mass Communications degrees
  • cGPA: 3.14
    • I have a story to tell about health issues and how I'm not the same person now.
  • sGPA: 2.4
    • This is based on 8 credits I took back in 2007 when I had those health issues. Do I retake the 10-year-old C's or move on to the next level (gen bio 2, gen chem 2) to show improvement?
      • Gen Bio 1: C+
      • Gen Bio Lab: A
      • Gen Chem 1: C
      • Gen Chem Lab: C
  • grad GPA: 3.5
    • This school was the top school in the nation for this kind of work, and the work was notoriously rigorous, but I'm assuming this doesn't count for anything b/c it was not a health science degree.
• Volunteer
  • EMT w/ 250+ hours
    • (Could get over 1000 hours by the time I were to apply)
  • Currently enrolled in Paramedic class
  • Other various volunteering experience with a food bank and poverty housing at about 50 hours
• Shadowing
  • Just started shadowing an ED MD and have 4 hours - will continue to do this
• No clinical research
• LORs
  • None yet - but hoping to build a good relationship with post-bacc professors and shadowing MDs
    • Would a LOR from my rescue squad captain be at all valuable? They could speak to dedication, work ethic, and patient care.
• Can show leadership and awards earned in current career
• Have interesting hobbies that show drive and determination
  • For example, Avid cyclist with many charity rides

My Current Plan:

1. Complete pre-reqs through post-bacc work while working 32 hours a week at my current job:
   1. Do a DIY post-bacc by taking classes at my local 4-year university (the same one I graduated from before) with the goal of getting A's.
      1. Gen Bio 2 w/ Lab
      2. Gen Chem 2 w/ Lab
      3. Physics 1 & 2 w/ Labs
      4. Org Chem 1 & 2 w/ Labs
   2. Continue to shadow
   3. Try to find clinical research to participate in
2. Take MCAT after completing pre-reqs
3. Apply for 2021 admission cycle
   1. Continue to take higher-level science courses during that cycle

Questions (from above):

• Do I retake the old science courses with C's or move straight into second semesters of those courses and work at getting A's?
• Does it look bad if I don't go "whole hog" and quit my job to complete post-bacc in a year? (AKA do I need to be more aggressive?) It would be very difficult for me to quit and support myself.
• I should not take community college classes, right? (In order to be more competitive.)
• How crucial is clinical research?
• Would a LOR from my rescue squad captain be at all valuable?

Apologies if this post is in the wrong place.

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[DokterMom]

- I would want to see solid university-level scientific academic work for 2 years before applying -- so nothing lower than a straight B, and far more A's than B's. I would suggest re-taking the classes you took ten years ago just to provide a solid foundation for future success. Since your GPA is low and your science credits are old, demonstrating your academic strength is paramount. So no CC --

- Your ECs are off to a good start. Remember the purpose of shadowing is for you to get a good understanding of what physicians' work lives are like. You don't need a whole bunch of hours to do that, so 40-50 is absolutely fine. Do this early so you can bail early if you do change your mind, and also because since the purpose is to make sure you want to become a physician, doing this late make you look like a poor planner.

- Research is not critical. A little bit is nice, so pick it up if you can. But it's definitely last in line.

 

[Goro]

What the wise DokterMom said, and also read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[deleted932967]

Thank you both for the fast replies! That's exactly the kind of feedback I was looking for. That prioritization is incredibly valuable to me.

- I would want to see solid university-level scientific academic work for 2 years before applying -- so nothing lower than a straight B, and far more A's than B's. I would suggest re-taking the classes you took ten years ago just to provide a solid foundation for future success. Since your GPA is low and your science credits are old, demonstrating your academic strength is paramount. So no CC --

Thanks for confirming this - CC was my original plan in order to save money but after speaking with the MD I'm shadowing I realized that it wasn't the best course. And your rationale explains why it wasn't.

Right now I'm weighing the pro's and con's of combining DoktorMom's advice on the C classes and Goro's writeup on reinvention: that is, "retaking" those classes for knowledge's sake by auditing the first level Bio and Chem courses. But I have a month or two before classes start to adjust if that course isn't the best one. Another part of me is considering retaking those online just for that knowledge (knowing that med schools don't accept online classes).


Thanks again!