Feeling lost & trying to fix a low uGPA

[arc5005]

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Here is my story and I'd love for some outsider input other than my family, boyfriend, and friends:

I'm 25 years old. I started college with no idea what I wanted to do back when I was 18, I switched my major from Political Science -> Art History -> Environmental Management -> Environmental Science -> Interdisciplinary studies, because I ran out of financial aid and funds and needed to graduate. I transferred 2 times during my undergraduate experience and never really felt like I felt in at any of the universities I attended. I'm a smart student. Graduated in the top 5% of my class from an IB high school, but ever since high school I've felt lost in the college world & adult world.

I graduated over a year and a half ago, and couldn't find a job, so I just lived at home worked part-time, traveled, and got into shape. I'm now living on my own and taking courses at my local community college (it's about all I can afford right now). The last few months I've been interested in going the MD (FM, Psych, IM), DO (FM, Psych, IM), PA, PharmD, AA, or MPH/DrPH route. I've constantly been back and forth between all these options, and I'm still having trouble deciding.

Current stats:
-Undergrad GPA - 3.15, I have some really bad grades I could fix using the grade replacement for DO schools such as a F in Spanish 101 my first semester of college & a couple Cs in random classes such as financial accounting, digital earth (GIS), and parasitology. I withdrew from lots of courses in undergrad because of personal issues, no motivation, and skipping classes. I had no idea what I was doing in college at the time to be honest.
-Biology, Physics, & Chemistry GPA is about a 3.3

-Currently taking Community college classes: Organic Chem I, Human Anatomy, and some psychology courses.

These are the Pros & Cons I see of the above options:

MD -
Pros: Better options for schools, better chance for residences, autonomy, intellectual environment, patient-practitioner relationship
Cons: I don't feel like I'll be strong enough to get in, and since I'd like to be in the DC area my options are more limited.

DO -
Pros: PCP focus, Might be more forgiving than MD for GPA, similar pros as MD route
Cons: Locations. I'd really like to be In DC area and there are none really nearby

PA -
Pros: Decent pay for 2 years of schooling
Cons: I don't like the idea of being a 40 or 50 year old PA and having residents who are 25-30 who are above me. I feel like I'd constantly be inferior, that patients will always value the doctors opinion or want to speak to the doctor instead, etc...

PharmD -
Pros: autonomy, becoming more diverse in career options
Cons: Not sure if I'd like retail pharmacy which tends to be the majority of jobs, over saturation of PharmD programs might lead to too many PharmD grads.

AA -
Pros; Good pay, 2 years of schooling, might be more competitive to get into than PA or PharmD school.
Cons: Always working in anesthesiology. Seems as though I'd be constantly working in stressful environments even into my later years of life.

MPH/DrMPH -
Pros: Interesting field, less competitive, schooling is easier, but still a rewarding field
Cons: pay, career stability, MPH program costs!!!!

I'm intelligent and if I put my mind to something I can really do well (but so are a lot of people). I'm currently taking Organic Chemistry and it is honestly my favorite subject I've ever taken. I feel lost though when it comes to how I'm going to achieve my goals. I'm constantly conflicted by what my parents say, my boyfriend says, and also wanting a good work-life balance. I want to be a parent, I want 3 kids, but I also want to be able to afford 3 kids. Salary is important to me, but so is enjoying my job. I've always been the individual who naturally leads so being at the higher end of the hierarchy has always been important to me in a career. I know I could never be a nurse, work at a cubicle 9-5, work in sales, be an engineer, work outside in cold environments constantly, or work in a laboratory 9-5. So, I guess that is a start.

My parents are constantly pushing me to choose a career path that is intellectually stimulating, but will pay well. Even when I say that I'm interested in psychiatry or family medicine my parents still are trying to push me the Ortho route because the pay is better. My boyfriend doesn't seem to think any job that makes under 6 figures is a good job, since he makes well over 6 figures himself. And, I guess I'm just looking at a few opinions from people. I'd love to read others stories about how they were motivated and were able to fix their low uGrad GPAs.

 

[allantois]

I'll give it a shot,

You spent more time in undergrad than most of us on SDN. The careers that you are trying to decide between are all very different from one another. Nobody but you is in the position to decide what you want to pursue as your career for the rest of your working life. Few things:

1) I would not count on staying in the DC area; you simply cannot be picky about your location as you go through different stages of medical education.
2)You are dissecting every career from its financial side; but that's only a small part of the whole picture. It does not appear to me as if you truly understand the process of becoming a doctor (and I cannot comment on other paths); I suggest that you read posts on this forum from residents/attending physicians about what their day to day life entails.
3)Building on my previous point, there is absolutely no need to decide between FM/Psychiatry/ or Orthopedics at this point. This decision is years away from now.

And please, stop taking random classes without having a clear idea of why you are taking them.

 

[Doctor Dream]

Here is my story and I'd love for some outsider input other than my family, boyfriend, and friends:

I'm 25 years old. I started college with no idea what I wanted to do back when I was 18, I switched my major from Political Science -> Art History -> Environmental Management -> Environmental Science -> Interdisciplinary studies, because I ran out of financial aid and funds and needed to graduate. I transferred 2 times during my undergraduate experience and never really felt like I felt in at any of the universities I attended. I'm a smart student. Graduated in the top 5% of my class from an IB high school, but ever since high school I've felt lost in the college world & adult world.

I graduated over a year and a half ago, and couldn't find a job, so I just lived at home worked part-time, traveled, and got into shape. I'm now living on my own and taking courses at my local community college (it's about all I can afford right now). The last few months I've been interested in going the MD (FM, Psych, IM), DO (FM, Psych, IM), PA, PharmD, AA, or MPH/DrPH route. I've constantly been back and forth between all these options, and I'm still having trouble deciding.

Current stats:
-Undergrad GPA - 3.15, I have some really bad grades I could fix using the grade replacement for DO schools such as a F in Spanish 101 my first semester of college & a couple Cs in random classes such as financial accounting, digital earth (GIS), and parasitology. I withdrew from lots of courses in undergrad because of personal issues, no motivation, and skipping classes. I had no idea what I was doing in college at the time to be honest.
-Biology, Physics, & Chemistry GPA is about a 3.3

-Currently taking Community college classes: Organic Chem I, Human Anatomy, and some psychology courses.

These are the Pros & Cons I see of the above options:

MD -
Pros: Better options for schools, better chance for residences, autonomy, intellectual environment, patient-practitioner relationship
Cons: I don't feel like I'll be strong enough to get in, and since I'd like to be in the DC area my options are more limited.

DO -
Pros: PCP focus, Might be more forgiving than MD for GPA, similar pros as MD route
Cons: Locations. I'd really like to be In DC area and there are none really nearby

PA -
Pros: Decent pay for 2 years of schooling
Cons: I don't like the idea of being a 40 or 50 year old PA and having residents who are 25-30 who are above me. I feel like I'd constantly be inferior, that patients will always value the doctors opinion or want to speak to the doctor instead, etc...

PharmD -
Pros: autonomy, becoming more diverse in career options
Cons: Not sure if I'd like retail pharmacy which tends to be the majority of jobs, over saturation of PharmD programs might lead to too many PharmD grads.

AA -
Pros; Good pay, 2 years of schooling, might be more competitive to get into than PA or PharmD school.
Cons: Always working in anesthesiology. Seems as though I'd be constantly working in stressful environments even into my later years of life.

MPH/DrMPH -
Pros: Interesting field, less competitive, schooling is easier, but still a rewarding field
Cons: pay, career stability, MPH program costs!!!!

I'm intelligent and if I put my mind to something I can really do well (but so are a lot of people). I'm currently taking Organic Chemistry and it is honestly my favorite subject I've ever taken. I feel lost though when it comes to how I'm going to achieve my goals. I'm constantly conflicted by what my parents say, my boyfriend says, and also wanting a good work-life balance. I want to be a parent, I want 3 kids, but I also want to be able to afford 3 kids. Salary is important to me, but so is enjoying my job. I've always been the individual who naturally leads so being at the higher end of the hierarchy has always been important to me in a career. I know I could never be a nurse, work at a cubicle 9-5, work in sales, be an engineer, work outside in cold environments constantly, or work in a laboratory 9-5. So, I guess that is a start.

My parents are constantly pushing me to choose a career path that is intellectually stimulating, but will pay well. Even when I say that I'm interested in psychiatry or family medicine my parents still are trying to push me the Ortho route because the pay is better. My boyfriend doesn't seem to think any job that makes under 6 figures is a good job, since he makes well over 6 figures himself. And, I guess I'm just looking at a few opinions from people. I'd love to read others stories about how they were motivated and were able to fix their low uGrad GPAs.

If I were you I'd take time to figure out what you want to do for certain before you go any further. I know it's obvious, but you should do what YOU want to do, not what people are pushing you to do. You will not be happy pursuing a degree your heart isn't entirely into that requires thousands of hours of work and hundreds of thousands of $$. Also don't worry about specialties if you do go MD/DO, that's WAY down the road. Side note about PA, a lot of patients don't care what degree you have when they see you. I don't think it's common for patients to ask the doctor's opinion over the PA's, but I could be wrong.

Best way to figure out what you want to do in my opinion is to see first hand what people in these professions do on a daily basis (aka shadowing). To me right now, it sounds mainly like you're interested in these professions for money, stability, prestige etc. which isn't necessarily bad, and probably to be expected since you haven't had first experience with these jobs. There's obviously more to each than those aspects though, and shadowing will help you figure out with more certainty what you like and dislike about each profession.

 

[Osteoth]

Ok, so the options at MD, DO, PA, PharmD, AA, MPH

Firstly, your GPA is noncompetitive for MD unless you do a post-bach and absolutely destroy it, but considering you've stated you have almost no money and are struggling to afford CC classes, this might be a difficult option for you.

DO, you would need to do grade replacements for every grade below a B- that you received during your undergraduate years. Do the math and see what this would come out to to see if you are competitive for this field.

Now the next four, the question is, do you want to see patients as a (semi) autonomous caregiver?

If the answer is yes, then PA is the obvious answer.

If the answer is no, or maybe, then the other three options are still in play.

From this point on I would, as @Doctor Dream stated, shadow a PharmD and AA to see which field you are most interested in.

In terms of MPH, what is your specific interest in terms of the MPH? Would you want to go into research? Policy? Academia? This is another thing that can help you either determine or remove this option.

 

[Bottle]

I noticed that you are classifying these career options based on whether you can get in or not. First, determine what you really want, then do the reality check with your GPA and other things, and whether you can fix it.
Also, it may help to imagin yourself working in the field rather than going to school for that field. I wanted to be PharmD because I loved the material, but once I realized how it is going to be in the work field (retail) I decided against it. Also, it might be helpful to google the "turn offs" of each career that you imagined. See if those "turn offs" actually turn you off or can you tolerate them? Ex: MD --> Paper work, PharmD --> Retail and dealing with junkies .. etc.

 

[Doctor Dream]

I noticed that you are classifying these career options based on whether you can get in or not. First, determine what you really want, then do the reality check with your GPA and other things, and whether you can fix it.
Also, it may help to imagin yourself working in the field rather than going to school for that field. I wanted to be PharmD because I loved the material, but once I realized how it is going to be in the work field (retail) I decided against it. Also, it might be helpful to google the "turn offs" of each career that you imagined. See if those "turn offs" actually turn you off or can you tolerate them? Ex: MD --> Paper work, PharmD --> Retail and dealing with junkies .. etc.

I wanted to be PharmD for a few years too, until I got a job as a pharm tech and saw what pharmacists do on a daily basis. Cool job, but A LOT of sitting and staring at a computer screen, and limited interaction with patients, (at least in the hospital setting) and I did NOT want to do retail. I like physician because it's not just sitting in a chair by yourself all day. You're up and around talking to patients and staff, performing procedures, etc. I feel there's more of a human connection between patients and doctors than pharmacists and patients too. Working in a hospital pharmacy, we only see patients as a name with a list of medication schedules, dosing, allergies, and so on. Obviously not the case in medicine.

My point is I figured out what I wanted to do because I got some first hand experience around pharmacists and physicians. Working in a pharmacy helped me figure out what I like in a profession, and shadowing physicians showed me that medicine had a lot of those things.

 

[arc5005]

My step-dad is a ID physician and owns a research laboratory as well. He is also opening up an acute care center soon (to manage, not to actually work there). My mother was a RN, then a NP, but is now just a stay at home mom. I"ve heard lots of stories about nursing, PA, MD, etc.. and was pushed that way before i entered college, but rebelled against the idea. Now that I'm 25 I'm feeling it is more of an interest than mine than previous jobs I'd thought I'd like.

I know that I still need to shadow and that is on my list of things to do, once my schedule frees up. Right now I'm super busy with working part-time and college credits. After the spring semester, I should be pretty available to shadow and hopefully get a job working in the hospital, patient-care, and/or in research.

Osteoth -

Do you want to see patients as a (semi) autonomous caregiver?

I really like the idea of working with people and helping people. I'm a CrossFit fitness trainer and I've become extremely into nutrition, fitness, and preventive care over the past few years that I've been a part-time trainer. This is further sparked my interest even more into medicine and health. I actually feel accomplished and satisfied when helping people and seeing people get healthier. I think I'd enjoy patient-physician care. I've had discussions with my current doctor about being a DO, and I am interested in his lifestyle and work as a family medicine DO.

MPH question: I guess what first interested me in MPH was when I was in undergrad I took an epidemiology course and really enjoyed it. This is when I first realized I was much more interested in human health than the environment (current major was environmental science at the time). At that point in my undegraduate education I thought, hey maybe I'd like to work in epidemiology or environmental health. I've been a bit hesitant to get a MPH, because of the high cost of the degree, the lower job stability, and the lower salaries. In addition, I don't want to spend hours upon hours writing grants in academia/research.

Bottle -

I guess I'm fearful of rejection. I've always been. I actually applied to all safe universities for undergrad originally, and didn't apply to any Ivies, because I didn't want to be rejected. I got into every school I applied to.

That is a good idea. The reason I was thinking of PharmD is because my best friend does pharmD and is doing his rotations at a hospital and is planning to continue working at a hospital after he graduates. It seems a lot more interesting than retail. However, I know the majority of careers in pharmacy are retail and I already know that is a career I would not enjoy.

Dr. Dream -

I'm definitely interested in being a physician, and not just for the prestige and salary, but because of the leadership it entails and requires, the idea of marketing health and preventing disease, being with patients, not sitting at a desk/in a cubicle, etc... but I guess a lot of PAs do a very similar thing w/ a smaller salary and less responsibility.

I think shadowing will help me understand further what I do want to do.

 

[mehc012]

Here is my story and I'd love for some outsider input other than my family, boyfriend, and friends:

I'm 25 years old. I started college with no idea what I wanted to do back when I was 18, I switched my major from Political Science -> Art History -> Environmental Management -> Environmental Science -> Interdisciplinary studies, because I ran out of financial aid and funds and needed to graduate. I transferred 2 times during my undergraduate experience and never really felt like I felt in at any of the universities I attended. I'm a smart student. Graduated in the top 5% of my class from an IB high school, but ever since high school I've felt lost in the college world & adult world.

I graduated over a year and a half ago, and couldn't find a job, so I just lived at home worked part-time, traveled, and got into shape. I'm now living on my own and taking courses at my local community college (it's about all I can afford right now). The last few months I've been interested in going the MD (FM, Psych, IM), DO (FM, Psych, IM), PA, PharmD, AA, or MPH/DrPH route. I've constantly been back and forth between all these options, and I'm still having trouble deciding.

Current stats:
-Undergrad GPA - 3.15, I have some really bad grades I could fix using the grade replacement for DO schools such as a F in Spanish 101 my first semester of college & a couple Cs in random classes such as financial accounting, digital earth (GIS), and parasitology. I withdrew from lots of courses in undergrad because of personal issues, no motivation, and skipping classes. I had no idea what I was doing in college at the time to be honest.
-Biology, Physics, & Chemistry GPA is about a 3.3

-Currently taking Community college classes: Organic Chem I, Human Anatomy, and some psychology courses.

These are the Pros & Cons I see of the above options:

MD -
Pros: Better options for schools, better chance for residences, autonomy, intellectual environment, patient-practitioner relationship
Cons: I don't feel like I'll be strong enough to get in, and since I'd like to be in the DC area my options are more limited.

DO -
Pros: PCP focus, Might be more forgiving than MD for GPA, similar pros as MD route
Cons: Locations. I'd really like to be In DC area and there are none really nearby

PA -
Pros: Decent pay for 2 years of schooling
Cons: I don't like the idea of being a 40 or 50 year old PA and having residents who are 25-30 who are above me. I feel like I'd constantly be inferior, that patients will always value the doctors opinion or want to speak to the doctor instead, etc...

PharmD -
Pros: autonomy, becoming more diverse in career options
Cons: Not sure if I'd like retail pharmacy which tends to be the majority of jobs, over saturation of PharmD programs might lead to too many PharmD grads.

AA -
Pros; Good pay, 2 years of schooling, might be more competitive to get into than PA or PharmD school.
Cons: Always working in anesthesiology. Seems as though I'd be constantly working in stressful environments even into my later years of life.

MPH/DrMPH -
Pros: Interesting field, less competitive, schooling is easier, but still a rewarding field
Cons: pay, career stability, MPH program costs!!!!

I'm intelligent and if I put my mind to something I can really do well (but so are a lot of people). I'm currently taking Organic Chemistry and it is honestly my favorite subject I've ever taken. I feel lost though when it comes to how I'm going to achieve my goals. I'm constantly conflicted by what my parents say, my boyfriend says, and also wanting a good work-life balance. I want to be a parent, I want 3 kids, but I also want to be able to afford 3 kids. Salary is important to me, but so is enjoying my job. I've always been the individual who naturally leads so being at the higher end of the hierarchy has always been important to me in a career. I know I could never be a nurse, work at a cubicle 9-5, work in sales, be an engineer, work outside in cold environments constantly, or work in a laboratory 9-5. So, I guess that is a start.

My parents are constantly pushing me to choose a career path that is intellectually stimulating, but will pay well. Even when I say that I'm interested in psychiatry or family medicine my parents still are trying to push me the Ortho route because the pay is better. My boyfriend doesn't seem to think any job that makes under 6 figures is a good job, since he makes well over 6 figures himself. And, I guess I'm just looking at a few opinions from people. I'd love to read others stories about how they were motivated and were able to fix their low uGrad GPAs.

I started at a very similar place, uGrad GPA wise, when I decided to go into med.
Step 1 was to get my feet wet with some clinical volunteering and start seeing what these jobs really were like.
I then snagged a scribe job for experience (about the best exposure you can get as a premed) and a real job to pay the bills and allow me to take evening classes.

Figure out what you want to go for, and do just that. Go for it. Fwiw, I don't think that anything is wholly off the table yet, just that some options will take you more work than others at this stage.

 

[arc5005]

I started at a very similar place, uGrad GPA wise, when I decided to go into med.
Step 1 was to get my feet wet with some clinical volunteering and start seeing what these jobs really were like.
I then snagged a scribe job for experience (about the best exposure you can get as a premed) and a real job to pay the bills and allow me to take evening classes.

Figure out what you want to go for, and do just that. Go for it. Fwiw, I don't think that anything is wholly off the table yet, just that some options will take you more work than others at this stage.

1) How long did it take you from deciding you wanted to do medical school to getting into medical school.

2) Are you in medical school now?

 

[mehc012]

1) How long did it take you from deciding you wanted to do medical school to getting into medical school.

2) Are you in medical school now?

I'm applying June 2015. However, in the past 1.5yrs, I've pulled a 4.0 postbacc of 8 courses - mostly upper level Bios - bringing my uGPA up a point or two. I've also worked 1yr as a scribe, 1yr in a biotech company, volunteered 1yr in a children's hospital, hit my goal on the MCAT, participated in a competitive surgical shadowing 'internship', and hit my savings goal for the year. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with family - otherwise that savings would have been 'rent money' instead (I put away about the equivalent of a 1br apt's rent each month) - but mostly I just kept finding opportunities and chasing them.
So, no, I'm not in medical school yet, but I feel that I have a solid app together for next year and I am glad I took the time to pull things together. I've also gotten a great view of what I'm heading into and am now 100% certain that I want to be a physician, 90% certain I'd prefer a surgical specialty, and have managed to see almost all of the surgical specialties during their day-to-day work. I've also seen academic med environments, private practice, and smaller community hospitals.

 

[arc5005]

I'm applying June 2015. However, in the past 1.5yrs, I've pulled a 4.0 postbacc of 8 courses - mostly upper level Bios - bringing my uGPA up a point or two. I've also worked 1yr as a scribe, 1yr in a biotech company, volunteered 1yr in a children's hospital, hit my goal on the MCAT, participated in a competitive surgical shadowing 'internship', and hit my savings goal for the year. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with family - otherwise that savings would have been 'rent money' instead (I put away about the equivalent of a 1br apt's rent each month) - but mostly I just kept finding opportunities and chasing them.
So, no, I'm not in medical school yet, but I feel that I have a solid app together for next year and I am glad I took the time to pull things together. I've also gotten a great view of what I'm heading into and am now 100% certain that I want to be a physician, 90% certain I'd prefer a surgical specialty, and have managed to see almost all of the surgical specialties during their day-to-day work. I've also seen academic med environments, private practice, and smaller community hospitals.

Did you work as a scribe, 1 year in a biotech company, and volunteered all at the same time or were they at different times? If so, how many hours were spent as a scribe a week? Full-time at the biotech company? How many hours/how often a week/month volunteering at the children's hospital?

What is your current GPA? MCAT?

I'm unfortunately unable to pay for higher upper elective bio courses yet, but I was hoping that I may be able to get a career with tuition benefits so that I could take Biochemistry, Genetics, Cell Biology, etc... as evening courses while working full-time.

 

[mehc012]

Did you work as a scribe, 1 year in a biotech company, and volunteered all at the same time or were they at different times? If so, how many hours were spent as a scribe a week? Full-time at the biotech company? How many hours/how often a week/month volunteering at the children's hospital?

What is your current GPA? MCAT?

I'm unfortunately unable to pay for higher upper elective bio courses yet, but I was hoping that I may be able to get a career with tuition benefits so that I could take Biochemistry, Genetics, Cell Biology, etc... as evening courses while working full-time.

For the first 6mo, I volunteered 2-3x/wk at the children's hospital (2 different positions, 3-4hrs each time) and took classes - one for a 3mo semester, and 3 during an 8wk summer session.

For the next 6mo, I volunteered 1x/wk at the children's hospital (1 position), worked 3-4 12hr shifts scribing, 2 workdays at the biotech, and 2 classes in the evenings for 2 consecutive semesters.

For the next 4mo, I worked 2 12hr shifts as a scribe/wk, preferably on weekends, worked 3-5 half-days at the biotech company, and studied for the MCAT in the evening. No classes and no more volunteering.

Pulled a 40 MCAT after 4mo of self-study. By now my classes have pulled me up to between a 3.3-3.4, which I count as a win having started with a 3.15ish.

For the next 2mo, I worked 2 12hr shifts as a scribe, 3 days at the biotech company, and participated in the surgical program. No volunteering or classes, though the surgical program has a fair amount of homework, actually.

Now, the internship is winding down, I've quit the scribe position, and I'm just chilling at 3-5d/wk at the biotech company. I contemplated getting an MCAT tutoring position, since I love teaching and the pay is comparable to the biotech company, but at this point I am a bit worn down and would like to take it easy and just have the one job with flexible hours, since I have to start classes back up again. So I withdrew from my final evaluation with that company, but have the option to reach out and pursue that if I want at any time in the future. I have, however, contacted RAINN, as I have wanted to work with their hotline for some time but was always too swamped. I've also gotten back into climbing and frisbee now that I have free time again. I thought it would be nice to have the free time in the upcoming months to write my essays and to travel (I have to work out my committee letter on the other coast, then hopefully interview travel, and then I hope to have an acceptance and take a long trip before diving in!)

Having 2 jobs at any given time definitely helped me pay for the classes. It was a double whammy - they gave me experience and paid for the credits I needed and the MCAT prep books! As I said, I have free rent, but put the $1000+ away into savings each month for the past year which otherwise would have gone to rent/utilities. Other than that, food, gas, and classes were all covered by my work. It would admittedly have gotten tight at the beginning if I were fully independent, since I totalled my car and had to buy a new one for the commuting, which did put a dip in my savings. However, I could have bought a crappier one than I went with.

As a fun side fact, all of these things were in different cities. At one point, I was commuting ~12hrs/wk, lol! If you found a more consolidated set of activities, you could save on gas for sure.
Biotech: 20min from my house to the northeast.
Children's hospital: 45min from my house to the northwest
Scribe: 1hr drive south
Classes: either 45min northwest or 1hr northeast, depending on location
Surgical: 2hr drive north.

 

[arc5005]

For the first 6mo, I volunteered 2-3x/wk at the children's hospital (2 different positions, 3-4hrs each time) and took classes - one for a 3mo semester, and 3 during an 8wk summer session.

For the next 6mo, I volunteered 1x/wk at the children's hospital (1 position), worked 3-4 12hr shifts scribing, 2 workdays at the biotech, and 2 classes in the evenings for 2 consecutive semesters.

For the next 4mo, I worked 2 12hr shifts as a scribe/wk, preferably on weekends, worked 3-5 half-days at the biotech company, and studied for the MCAT in the evening. No classes and no more volunteering.

Pulled a 40 MCAT after 4mo of self-study. By now my classes have pulled me up to between a 3.3-3.4, which I count as a win having started with a 3.15ish.

For the next 2mo, I worked 2 12hr shifts as a scribe, 3 days at the biotech company, and participated in the surgical program. No volunteering or classes, though the surgical program has a fair amount of homework, actually.

Now, the internship is winding down, I've quit the scribe position, and I'm just chilling at 3-5d/wk at the biotech company. I contemplated getting an MCAT tutoring position, since I love teaching and the pay is comparable to the biotech company, but at this point I am a bit worn down and would like to take it easy and just have the one job with flexible hours, since I have to start classes back up again. So I withdrew from my final evaluation with that company, but have the option to reach out and pursue that if I want at any time in the future. I have, however, contacted RAINN, as I have wanted to work with their hotline for some time but was always too swamped. I've also gotten back into climbing and frisbee now that I have free time again. I thought it would be nice to have the free time in the upcoming months to write my essays and to travel (I have to work out my committee letter on the other coast, then hopefully interview travel, and then I hope to have an acceptance and take a long trip before diving in!)

Having 2 jobs at any given time definitely helped me pay for the classes. It was a double whammy - they gave me experience and paid for the credits I needed and the MCAT prep books! As I said, I have free rent, but put the $1000+ away into savings each month for the past year which otherwise would have gone to rent/utilities. Other than that, food, gas, and classes were all covered by my work. It would admittedly have gotten tight at the beginning if I were fully independent, since I totalled my car and had to buy a new one for the commuting, which did put a dip in my savings. However, I could have bought a crappier one than I went with.

As a fun side fact, all of these things were in different cities. At one point, I was commuting ~12hrs/wk, lol! If you found a more consolidated set of activities, you could save on gas for sure.
Biotech: 20min from my house to the northeast.
Children's hospital: 45min from my house to the northwest
Scribe: 1hr drive south
Classes: either 45min northwest or 1hr northeast, depending on location
Surgical: 2hr drive north.

Thanks for all the really useful and helpful information! I really appreciate it!

 

[mehc012]

Thanks for all the really useful and helpful information! I really appreciate it!

lol, I'm not sure how useful an outline of my activities is to you, but you asked the questions and you were welcome to the answers. 🙂

At the end of the day, just put one foot in front of the next: pick one aspect of your app to work on, find a way to address it (preferably which maximizes flexibility), get comfortable with that, and then look for the next bit. Since you're not sure what you'd like to do yet, I'd suggest starting either with clinical experience (to help you make the decision) or some classes (since you need to up your GPA regardless). A clinical job may be a good way to get that experience while earning the $$ for classes.

 

[jouno_53]

lol, I'm not sure how useful an outline of my activities is to you, but you asked the questions and you were welcome to the answers. 🙂

At the end of the day, just put one foot in front of the next: pick one aspect of your app to work on, find a way to address it (preferably which maximizes flexibility), get comfortable with that, and then look for the next bit. Since you're not sure what you'd like to do yet, I'd suggest starting either with clinical experience (to help you make the decision) or some classes (since you need to up your GPA regardless). A clinical job may be a good way to get that experience while earning the $$ for classes.

Hey,

I know I'm jumping on this thread out of nowhere but I'm in a similar situation as the OP and found this to be great advice. I was wondering, are the post bacc classes you took part of an actual post bacc program or just random classes you chose?

 

[mehc012]

Hey,

I know I'm jumping on this thread out of nowhere but I'm in a similar situation as the OP and found this to be great advice. I was wondering, are the post bacc classes you took part of an actual post bacc program or just random classes you chose?

Random classes I chose (though I didn't actually choose them randomly )
I saw no benefit to spending the time applying for an official postbacc program, as those tend to be primarily structured around taking the prereqs, which I didn't need. Also, the one in my area is pretty much equivalent whether you are 'official' or not, other than advising and a committee letter, which I already have from my undergrad.