General question, advice needed

[drinkmorewine]

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Hi guys, I have read and searched through many posts and still have a few questions about my current situation. Here is a little background: I was a science major but way too immature and determined to do good in school. I picked physics because I was good in high school and just kind of went with it. Towards the end of my last semester as an UG I decided I might as well get an MBA so I could get a job doing who knows what. Met my fiance at this time who completely changed my work ethic. Typical story where went from not caring about school to a 4.0 student literally over night. After I just graduated with my MBA and started searching for jobs, my grandfather got seriously I'll and I had a good friend die. This made me question how selfish I felt business is and how I wanted to do something to help someone, as I wish I could have helped either of them. I have become very depressed and am struggling with a sense of purpose. So I am exploring the feasibility of medical school. Stats:

Undergraduate:
Graduated May 2010 from a state university. BS Physics, minor math
Graduate
Graduated December 2011 from same university with my MBA

Here are my numbers:

AMCAS:
undergrad cGPA: 2.88
undergrad sci GPA: 2.55
grad+undergrad cGPA: 3.19 (got a 4.0 in my MBA)

AACOM
undergrad cGPA: 3.13
undergrad sci GPA: 2.97
grad+undergrad cGPA: 3.39

My graduate school was 55 units in 1.5 semesters, all MBA courses.

-The difference between my MD and DO GPA's are from 4 classes I failed and then retook. Chem II, Bio I, a math class, 1 upper division physics class. I retook all and received C in chem, B in bio, A in the math and physics.

-I have numerous other pre-reqs that I have Cs or Bs in, such as orgo I, chem I, physiology, neurophysiology. I also have 1 D in neuroanatomy, which is no longer offered at this institution. Some of these were taken for fun and not for my degree.

-I have 0 volunteer hours or shadowing hours, although I did do research for 2 semesters but wasn't published.

Questions:

-I am considering enrolling in an informal post-bacc. It seems like I should retake any pre-med course that I didn't get an A in. Would this be enough GPA repair? I really don't want to do an SMP due to my fiance's job being in my hometown and the financial burden that would put on us.

-Would doing a full schedule instead of part time be the best course of action?

-Is my 4.0 MBA going to carry any positive feelings?

-If I did my post-bacc at the same state college as my UG and MBA, would that be looked down on? There is also a CC located near me that I could take these courses at.

-How essential is a high MCAT score? Do you think 1 year of all A's and a 35 MCAT could do it for me? I have taken the GRE and GMAT, both with very good scores including a perfect math score on the GRE, so I am a great test taker although I know the MCAT is a different beast.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am trying to figure out if this is possible to do. The counselors at my state university aren't very good and everyone here seems wonderful.

Thanks!!!!

 

[drinkmorewine]

Also, if there is another thread that this should be posted in please let me know.

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

If you want to go to an allo school, you will definitely need some GPA repair. Get your cGPA over a 3.0 to avoid automatic cutoffs. Retaking prereq classes in which you have Cs or worse would probably be a good idea. I'm not going to speculate on whether or not that will be enough since I'm in a similar situation and I haven't started applying anywhere yet.

Doing a full time schedule will probably be necessary so you can show adcoms that you are capable of handling the stress and intensity of a full load of medical school classes.

Do your postbac at a 4-year college rather than a community college if possible. It shouldn't matter if it was the same one you went to already.

An above average MCAT is going to be essential for you. A 35+ will of course help you, but it will likely take a lot of study time. 35s aren't as common as the comments on SDN would have you believe.

Do you have any clinical experience? If not, you will need to get some so that you can prove that you know what you're getting into. Volunteer at a free clinic or a hospital emergency department to get clinical and volunteer experience in, and to meet doctors to shadow.

 

[MrBigglesworth]

I'm going to be typing quick fragments cause I still have reading to do.

Any pre-req class that you have lower than a B in, you must retake. And if you are serious, you should retake all the classes that you don't have an A in.

You have 0 volunteer/shadowing hours??? And you want to go to medical school? How/why?
==You need to do a lot of volunteering. Start with 4h once a week at hospital.

Research is usually icing on the cake. Publishing makes people take it seriously.

SMPs are usually a last resort/hail mary. Only if you are 110% convinced you can handle the work should you do it. Or if you get wait-listed at a school..

Full schedule = faster. Part time = slower. Do what you think you can handle.

MBA isn't going to make up for a poor undergrad gpa. If you did Masters in Science, yes that would have helped.

Courses at a university is preferred over a CC.

A high MCAT helps greatly. A 35 is VERY VERY hard to do.

GRE, GMAT people don't care about. They may help with getting into an SMP but not necessarily med school.

Your best bet is to retake courses, excel in mcat, and apply DO.

Allopathic is possible but would probably require an SMP and a high mcat.

Good luck

 

[CardiologyJosh]

Any pre-req class that you have lower than a B in, you must retake. And if you are serious, you should retake all the classes that you don't have an A in.

The first time I took physics (calc-based,) I got a D+ (or a D I think.) The subsequent academic year, I earned a B- in non-calculus physics I, and then a B+ in non-calculus physics II. Given the jump, do you think I'd need to retake physics I? Also, do you think it would necessarily need to be retaken at the same school, or could it be done elsewhere (granted it be a 4 year institution or a continuing ed course, like say at Columbia?)

In general, I thought anything that isn't an A may be met with skepticism, but I was under the impression that medical schools won't accept any pre-req with a grade of less than C....someone please correct me if I am wrong here.....

 

[mauberley]

The first time I took physics (calc-based,) I got a D+ (or a D I think.) The subsequent academic year, I earned a B- in non-calculus physics I, and then a B+ in non-calculus physics II. Given the jump, do you think I'd need to retake physics I?

You got a B- in physics I and a B+ in physics II. What is there to retake?

 

[drinkmorewine]

Full schedule = faster. Part time = slower. Do what you think you can handle.

Courses at a university is preferred over a CC.

Your best bet is to retake courses, excel in mcat, and apply DO.

Allopathic is possible but would probably require an SMP and a high mcat.

How big of a difference would the CC vs. state college make? The $$ is significantly higher for the state obviously, and my local state has lots of budget issues (Cali), making it hard to get into classes. I am not sure how this works as a post-bacc vs. under graduate however.

From what I have read, unless I want to do 2+ years of post-bacc full time work, it seems like MD is out of the question? A possible upward trend of 4.0 MBA and 36 units of 4.0 post-bacc (hopefully 😛) won't be enough?

Finally, are there any reasonably priced pre-med advisers that I can send my transcripts, plans, etc. and they provide recommendation?

Thank you everyone.

 

[Chip N Sawbones]

How big of a difference would the CC vs. state college make? The $$ is significantly higher for the state obviously, and my local state has lots of budget issues (Cali), making it hard to get into classes. I am not sure how this works as a post-bacc vs. under graduate however.

From what I have read, unless I want to do 2+ years of post-bacc full time work, it seems like MD is out of the question? A possible upward trend of 4.0 MBA and 36 units of 4.0 post-bacc (hopefully 😛) won't be enough?

Finally, are there any reasonably priced pre-med advisers that I can send my transcripts, plans, etc. and they provide recommendation?

Thank you everyone.

The relative value of CC classes has already been discussed extensively here, so a search should turn up lots of useful information. Some med schools care, some don't. Since you're trying to prove that you can handle tough medical school classes despite your poor undergrad GPA, go to the state college if it is at all feasible. If you go to the state college, apply as an undergrad seeking a second degree in chemistry or biology, even if you have no intention of actually getting a degree from your postbac.

MD probably won't happen unless you do extremely well on the MCAT (again, easier said than done) or you establish residency in a state with medical schools that are relatively easy for instate residents to get into, such as South Dakota or North Carolina. If you want to take this approach, check residency requirements first! Still, applying to your state schools and some of the lower ranked MD schools might be worth a shot. A 4.0 postbac might or might not be enough. If you're going to be accepted, medical schools need to be convinced that your postbac grades are not a one-time event, and that you are capable of sustaining the same level of effort over four long years of medical school. Otherwise, why should adcoms run the risk of accepting you when they have a truckload of 3.6 GPA/30 MCAT applicants with an established record of academic performance? If you haven't done enough to answer that question, you won't get in. I'm in the same situation as you are; poor undergrad GPA paired with perfect grades (so far)in a DIY postbac.

The nontrad forum on SDN is the best adviser you can find, and the price is right. If you feel the need for paid advice, I take cash or paypal. 😉

 

[CardiologyJosh]

On the topic of CC courses: Mayo Medical School takes no issue, neither does Penn, neither does WCMC, neither does NYMC.

UCLA and SUNY upstate have said: if your pre-reqs are taken at CC and you do adequately in them, a high MCAT gives reason to hold the CC coursework in good faith.

 

[Law2Doc]

First thing you need to do is stop with all the coursework and figure out what you want to do with your life. Your discussion seems not well thought out. You met your gf and learned how to study overnight. Your good friend died and suddenly you want to help people. Seems like you are blowing in the wind. This is a horrible back story if you want to go to med school. What you need to do is drop everything and spend some time in a medical setting, through shadowing and volunteering BEFORE you take another step toward medicine. Make sure this is what you really want to do and that you know exactly what medicine is all about. Wanting to "help people" isn't enough of a reason. Knowing exactly what is involved before you take another step is essential here.

 

[CardiologyJosh]

You got a B- in physics I and a B+ in physics II. What is there to retake?

Well, the B- is less than a B....should I try and retake for an A? Or is the point moot since: (A) I have seen career success in a biophysics lab and (B) I am going to be doing an MS in medically relevant disciplines (histo, pharm, physio, cell bio, biochem, etc).....

 

[mauberley]

Well, the B- is less than a B....should I try and retake for an A? Or is the point moot since: (A) I have seen career success in a biophysics lab and (B) I am going to be doing an MS in medically relevant disciplines (histo, pharm, physio, cell bio, biochem, etc).....

My opinion is (C) a B- doesn't need a retake. A C or below, sure.

 

[blue0rchid]

I just want to point out that OP is CA resident, thus he will be applying mostly if not entirely as OOS applicant, which will make it even harder to get accepted. Therefore, take prereqs at a university and don't give med schools any reason to overlook OP's apps. GPA and MCAT will need to be much higher to be accepted as OOS.

All retake courses need to have A, or at least B (should be VERY FEW of these, like 1 only). 35 MCAT is easier said than done.

I think OP should go to school full time, retake anything C and below and get A's. (I'm not sure if OP should retake the ChemII class that he retook once already and got C for it). Then apply to DO schools. If not accepted, OP should do a SMP or another undergrad.

 

[drinkmorewine]

I just want to point out that OP is CA resident, thus he will be applying mostly if not entirely as OOS applicant, which will make it even harder to get accepted. Therefore, take prereqs at a university and don't give med schools any reason to overlook OP's apps. GPA and MCAT will need to be much higher to be accepted as OOS.

Would I be applying mostly OOS because of the difficulty of getting into CA schools? Even DO in CA? I apologize for my ignorance.

Thank you all for your advice. I am beginning volunteering hours at a hospital very soon and will start to plan out future courses as I gather more information.

 

[blue0rchid]

Would I be applying mostly OOS because of the difficulty of getting into CA schools? Even DO in CA? I apologize for my ignorance.

Thank you all for your advice. I am beginning volunteering hours at a hospital very soon and will start to plan out future courses as I gather more information.

Yes, CA med schools are hard to get in because of the large number of applicants and small number of schools. Sorry I don't know how hard it is to get into DO schools in CA. I just assumed that it's difficult all around. I could be wrong though 🙂 You should look at the MSAR to find out stats for DO schools in CA.

If you can't get in the first try, I suggest you move to a different state where your top (and realistic) choices are and live there a year (work or take upper division classes as continuing education to get your science GPA to 3.0+). That way you can gain in-state residency which will give you an edge to get in the following cycle.

Good luck!