GPA Improvement advise

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LAIsTheBestPlaceEver

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Hi, I am an applicant in the current cycle preparing for my plan B, assuming I have no acceptances. The only red flag/weakness in my application is my 3.5 GPA(Both cum and science) with a slight upward trend. I am currently graduated and working full time. It looks like to address my weakness I should either enroll myself in cc or in a post-bac program. However, the deadline to apply and enroll for a post-bac program for 2018-2019 has already passed. It looks like I will have to enroll in the post-bac program for 2019-2020, and apply to medical school in June 2020. However, I took my MCAT 09/2017, which will be expired for 2020-2021 cycle. Although some post-bac program offers MCAT preparation, most programs don't and are exclusively focusing on academic enrichment. Thus, If I want to be enrolled in the post-bac that exclusively focuses on GPA improvement, I will have to take the MCAT before the program behinds in July 2019.


In your opinion, should I re-start studying for the MCAT and take it before July 2019 and then begin my post-bac, or should I continuing working and enroll in a post-bac that also incorporate MCAT preparation?

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Hi, I am an applicant in the current cycle preparing for my plan B, assuming I have no acceptances. The only red flag/weakness in my application is my 3.5 GPA(Both cum and science) with a slight upward trend. I am currently graduated and working full time. It looks like to address my weakness I should either enroll myself in cc or in a post-bac program. However, the deadline to apply and enroll for a post-bac program for 2018-2019 has already passed. It looks like I will have to enroll in the post-bac program for 2019-2020, and apply to medical school in June 2020. However, I took my MCAT 09/2017, which will be expired for 2020-2021 cycle. Although some post-bac program offers MCAT preparation, most programs don't and are exclusively focusing on academic enrichment. Thus, If I want to be enrolled in the post-bac that exclusively focuses on GPA improvement, I will have to take the MCAT before the program behinds in July 2019.


In your opinion, should I re-start studying for the MCAT and take it before July 2019 and then begin my post-bac, or should I continuing working and enroll in a post-bac that also incorporate MCAT preparation?
You didn't mention your MCAT scores. Were they competetive? I would look into a post bac program associated with a med school. Meet the requirements and you are in. Do the Post Bac, work hard and you are in. Good luck and best wishes!
 
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@Laix You wrote a lot while revealing very little. In terms of MCAT, I don't think that you necessarily need to wait for a post-bac program and I think that some of the people who have gotten the best scores spent a significant amount of time doing their own interdisciplinary approach which involved either SN2ed foundation or the MCATJelly Study Plan. Reading in between the lines, I'm assuming that you didn't score that well on your first attempt which is why you're looking for some type of post-bac program to help you take it. However, my understanding of linkage post-bac programs (SMPs) with MCAT cutoffs and MCAT services is that they usually partner up with Kaplan, Princeton Review, or another private testing company and then have you attend those sessions on top of your regular course load. So you're balancing a double course load in which you may be reviewing topics in physics and chemistry that may not necessarily be cross-applicable to the topics covered in your SMP.

Second, I have personally grouped post-bac programs into three categories: organized, independent, and SMP. The organized post-bac programs are programs that include pre-med courses in a condensed two year block for people who never took the pre-medical requirements in the first place. The independent post-bac is a pick and choose à la carte system where it's up to you to pick the credits and classes as a non-matriculating student. The last involves SMP linkage programs which are often considered to be do and die programs where you will often take an M1 curriculum of anatomy, physiology, microbiology, and biochemistry with an 8-5 lecture schedule and then be tested on the material on a weekly basis with cutoffs being given to let you know what you need to earn in order to automatically matriculate into the first year of the medical school. My suggestion for people who are choosing courses for themselves in their own post-bac is to imitate the rigor of their undergraduate curriculum or the rigor of an SMP. Lots of SMP programs have their curriculum listed in a public manner to give you an idea of what your post-bac should resemble.
 
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Assuming you applied broadly and have a decent application otherwise, a 3.5 will not prevent you from getting into medical school. Unfortunately we don't have that other information so it is hard to advise you on what to do from here.
 
Did you have someone read over your app to check for spelling errors? You’re in need of GPA improvement advice.
 
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Honestly, assuming your MCAT isn't extremely high (like 518+), you should probably just apply to DO programs, where you might get a lot more love (unless like others said you are lacking on EC experiences like non-clinical volunteering and clinical experience). As long as you submit DO apps by November you wouldn't be too late.
 
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