Getting it right the first time...

[ObLaDi]

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Ok, so I've recently decided that I want to take the plunge into pre-med. I'm about 16 credits away from finishing my bachelors degree in English literature. My GPA is not that amazing, but not that horrible either. When I graduate, it should be about 3.4. I have taken a smattering of undergraduate science classes, and have received both good and mediocre grades. Also, I have a number of withdraws and "X" grades on my transcript, entirely due to pure flakiness. I haven't taken any pre-med science classes, and I haven't taken the MCAT either. I do have about 3 years of experience providing direct patient care, and I have also done a bit of volunteering (mainly tutoring) in my community.

My question is, what is the smartest way to tackle my medical school pursuit?
What should I do to make myself a competitive applicant? I would like to get it right the first time! I Know that many, many of you have been in my exact position, and I welcome your advice, criticism, etc... So please, fire away?

 

[JoshUNCW]

Do a special masters program to get your prereqs out of the way. Make sure you get at least a 3.5 in all of them. Preferably all As. Get some volunteering experience under your belt and also try to get some shadowing experience. I might also suggest getting involved in some clubs on campus. Then apply broadly to both MD and DO schools. Go where ever you go in. 4 years later, you a doctor!

 

[PetitAllegro]

Check out the post-baccalaureate board further down on the list of forums. There are a number of programs that will allow you to finish your pre-reqs; many are non-degree certificate programs. The top programs are very competitive, but it's definitely in your favor to have had so much clinical experience already. Another thing to take into consideration is how long you want to take to finish the pre-reqs - some programs allow you to complete them in roughly a year while others stretch the classes out over two years.

If the cost of the formal programs (they definitely aren't cheap) is a deterrent, it is possible to do it on your own at a local university. Downsides to this are that you might face more problems with class scheduling, timing of courses etc.

So yeah, definitely check out the post-bacc forum, and feel free to PM me if you have any questions. I'm in basically the same boat as you, and have learned a lot from this forum.

 

[Electronegative]

Do a special masters program to get your prereqs out of the way. Make sure you get at least a 3.5 in all of them. Preferably all As. Get some volunteering experience under your belt and also try to get some shadowing experience. I might also suggest getting involved in some clubs on campus. Then apply broadly to both MD and DO schools. Go where ever you go in. 4 years later, you a doctor!

I think you're referring to regular post bac, SMP is for students who already have taken pre reqs. and the mcat, according to op he hasn't taken neither.