Going to go postbac, non smp. Good idea?

[Travisgee]

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I posted a little about me in the non traditional forum, but thought id post here, to ask about postbac specifically. I have an undergrad degree with a gpa of 2.97. Its a fine arts degree so i have zero math and science. None of it was required, i did however, take a biology course at a community college before moving to the university, and recieved a B.
Im right next to the University of Texas, and also employed by them, which allows me education benefits if i attend. My plan is to take 2 years worth of all science and math necessary to prepare me and then take the Mcat. In terms of bringing my gpa up further, ive never taken any anatomy or phisiology courses either, and they werent required from what the advisor told me. My thinking is that these additional courses (along with an upper div such as biochem) will aid me in med school, help to raise my gpa, and reinforce my decision to become a doctor during any interview.
Should i still seek out an smp? Or do you think that this is a good plan of attack?

 

[DrMidlife]

If you haven't taken the prereqs yet, then you're not eligible for an SMP.

 

[Travisgee]

ah, thank you. I didnt realize that. I guess that answers my question then. 🙂

 

[genswim24]

I posted a little about me in the non traditional forum, but thought id post here, to ask about postbac specifically. I have an undergrad degree with a gpa of 2.97. Its a fine arts degree so i have zero math and science. None of it was required, i did however, take a biology course at a community college before moving to the university, and recieved a B.
Im right next to the University of Texas, and also employed by them, which allows me education benefits if i attend. My plan is to take 2 years worth of all science and math necessary to prepare me and then take the Mcat. In terms of bringing my gpa up further, ive never taken any anatomy or phisiology courses either, and they werent required from what the advisor told me. My thinking is that these additional courses (along with an upper div such as biochem) will aid me in med school, help to raise my gpa, and reinforce my decision to become a doctor during any interview.
Should i still seek out an smp? Or do you think that this is a good plan of attack?

As DrMidLife said, I don't think you are eligible for any SMP. As for your plan to take the pre-req science courses, this is a must and you have to come. You finished an etire degree with a 2.97, so even if you ace all of your requirements and a couple upper level bio classes, your overall GPA will still be well below the average for medical schools. At this point, you will either need to really rock the MCAT or do an SMP to have a legitimate shot. All of this can be done if it is something you are willing to work hard for. The road is very long, as I have been down most of it myself, but it is definately do-able. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[Travisgee]

i want it, and im going to do what ever it takes, so thats not an issue for me. I just need to know in which direction to head. I need to calculate my gpa after all A's in postbac work. Im guessing about a 3.3?

 

[genswim24]

i want it, and im going to do what ever it takes, so thats not an issue for me. I just need to know in which direction to head. I need to calculate my gpa after all A's in postbac work. Im guessing about a 3.3?

That's around what I was guessing, with a nice MCAT score you could definitely get in somewhere. Just don't overload too many classes if you are trying to work as well, you don't want your grades to suffer at all in this process.

I did an SMP this year, and it was a lot of work, but worth it at the end. I continued to increase my shadowing during this time, and was told by my schools admissions committee that this was a nice addition to my resume, so consider spending any extra time doing that as well.

 

[Travisgee]

Im in the process of filling out two volunteer applications as I write this now. I'll be donating my time on Sundays, as i do currently work full time. I whole heartedly agree that slow and steady wins the race. I certainly don't want to botch my numbers having put in so much time. (tips glass) Here's to a ton of hard work comming up, and being poor for 10 years, Salud!