Health Science Second Degree/Post Bacc? Multiple Ws and Failed courses. How to become a better applicant?

[LOVETA]

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Hi all. I'm not really sure if i even have a shot and what it would take to become a better applicant. Here's a bit about how I got here.
So I didnt realize I wanted to be a doctor until about 2 and a half years ago after my mom passed away from terminal cancer. I was her primary care giver (single mom, no siblings or other immediate family) for about a year, half of which was spend in and out of the hospital. She ended up passing away while I was in my third year and my grades have been struggling since right about the time i started caring for her.
My cGPA is about a 3.55 and my sGPA is a 3.85. I graduated with my degree in Biological Sciences and have taken majority of the prereqs (except for physics) with an A in all of them (B+ in a 600 level graduate Microbial Diversity course and also in Integrative Physiology).

My cGPA is low because I got an F, D, and 2 C's in greek, economics and psychology courses. Some of those course where essay based, heavy on participation or required external work, and I was pretty distracted with my mom to attend classes, complete course work or do the additional interviews, court observations (forensic psychology) or other activities required to get better grades. science courses were usually assignments and exam based and just came more naturally to me I guess.
I also have 5 Ws and one I. I was a total lack of preparation on my part and the others were because I had to work to provide for myself and my mom and the course times clashed with my shifts so i had to drop them. The 2 Ws and I I got a year after she passed away as at that point I was homeless and really struggling to just get by.

I only took 2 courses in the fall semester and then 1 in the summer because I couldnt afford to pay (internatinal student tuition) so had to spread out my courses to pay for them while I worked.

I dont want to be pitied, but I feel like a lot of what I went through has had a significant impact on my education and why I had to take an extra year (to complete the last three credits).

In the last year, things have really turned around for the better. I have been able to get a job, I now have a roof over my head (living as a supportive roommate) and will be getting my permanent residency soon. I would like to take atleast a year of courses to show an upward trend and consistency but not sure where to start.

Any advice is welcome. Thank you.

 

[Damson]

Do you have an MCAT score?

 

[GreenDuck12]

No, you don’t need a second degree. The mean gpa for all accepted students is a 3.73. A few semesters of taking two classes at a time should help. If you can get your cGPA to a 3.6, you’ll be in decent shape. A lot of it will come down to your MCAT score. You will need to start volunteering in a medical setting to gain exposure and to round out your application. You mention getting permanent residency soon, if so, do you speak any other languages? This can be valuable. If English is a second, third, or fourth language for you, historically speaking, the CARS section can be quite challenging as you need to analyze dense passages text. Make sure you practice this section heavily. Aim for a 511+ on the MCAT, which is the mean MCAT score for accepted students.

 

[LOVETA]

No, you don’t need a second degree. The mean gpa for all accepted students is a 3.73. A few semesters of taking two classes at a time should help. If you can get your cGPA to a 3.6, you’ll be in decent shape. A lot of it will come down to your MCAT score. You will need to start volunteering in a medical setting to gain exposure and to round out your application. You mention getting permanent residency soon, if so, do you speak any other languages? This can be valuable. If English is a second, third, or fourth language for you, historically speaking, the CARS section can be quite challenging as you need to analyze dense passages text. Make sure you practice this section heavily. Aim for a 511+ on the MCAT, which is the mean MCAT score for accepted students.

English is my second language. I'm a URM as well. I was going to take 4 courses per semester for the next year (so 8 courses) and hoping to raise my cGPA to a 3.63 through that. If I get a second degree (approximately 16 courses) it'll go up to 3.68 and science GPA will go up to 3.91. I had some hospice volunteering lined up thats been cancelled due to covid but i'll be doing that once the lockdown is over for at least the next year. I also have some EC's from before I knew I wanted to go into medicine:

Tutored Diploma Prep Chemistry and University Math - 350 hours
Caregiver for child with Autism - 240 hours
Caregiver for child with neurological disorders (administered seizure medication + therapy) 400 hours
Overnight care for premature newborn twins - 400 hours
First year experience mentor - 1 year, 200 hours
Undergraduate Science Mentor, 1 year, 150 hours
Cancer Society Committee Executive 1 year 80 hours (this will continue over the next two years)
Womens Center Outreach and Support Volunteer - 50 hours
Food bank - Ongoing
Covid 19 Virtual Support - Ongoing
Founder and President of a non-profit that connects orphans to mentors - ongoing
Nicu Parents Support Volunteer - Ongoing
Supportive Roommate for Adult with Disabilities - Ongoing.

I plan to start at the Hospice this fall, get some shadowing experience and do some research (200 hours) at a lab.
I dont know what else I could do for EC's, I've worked a lot of odd jobs that took up a lot of time over the last couple years

 

[GreenDuck12]

English is my second language. I'm a URM as well. I was going to take 4 courses per semester for the next year (so 8 courses) and hoping to raise my cGPA to a 3.63 through that. If I get a second degree (approximately 16 courses) it'll go up to 3.68 and science GPA will go up to 3.91. I had some hospice volunteering lined up thats been cancelled due to covid but i'll be doing that once the lockdown is over for at least the next year. I also have some EC's from before I knew I wanted to go into medicine:

Tutored Diploma Prep Chemistry and University Math - 350 hours
Caregiver for child with Autism - 240 hours
Caregiver for child with neurological disorders (administered seizure medication + therapy) 400 hours
Overnight care for premature newborn twins - 400 hours
First year experience mentor - 1 year, 200 hours
Undergraduate Science Mentor, 1 year, 150 hours
Cancer Society Committee Executive 1 year 80 hours (this will continue over the next two years)
Womens Center Outreach and Support Volunteer - 50 hours
Food bank - Ongoing
Covid 19 Virtual Support - Ongoing
Founder and President of a non-profit that connects orphans to mentors - ongoing
Nicu Parents Support Volunteer - Ongoing
Supportive Roommate for Adult with Disabilities - Ongoing.

I plan to start at the Hospice this fall, get some shadowing experience and do some research (200 hours) at a lab.
I dont know what else I could do for EC's, I've worked a lot of odd jobs that took up a lot of time over the last couple years

It sounds like a solid plan. Personally, I wouldn't go for the second degree because 1. the increases to your GPA will be pretty marginal (a 3.63 is essentially the same as a 3.68) and 2. it would use funds that could better be used to pay for medical school. However, if it is what you want to do and assuming you do well, it wont harm your application. Your have quite a bit of ECs. Make sure you throw in some shadowing (when you are able). Try to aim for 50 hours (some schools have a minimum/recommended amount at this level) and include some primary care. Honestly, the biggest X factor in your application is your MCAT score.

 

[Goro]

Hi all. I'm not really sure if i even have a shot and what it would take to become a better applicant. Here's a bit about how I got here.
So I didnt realize I wanted to be a doctor until about 2 and a half years ago after my mom passed away from terminal cancer. I was her primary care giver (single mom, no siblings or other immediate family) for about a year, half of which was spend in and out of the hospital. She ended up passing away while I was in my third year and my grades have been struggling since right about the time i started caring for her.
My cGPA is about a 3.55 and my sGPA is a 3.85. I graduated with my degree in Biological Sciences and have taken majority of the prereqs (except for physics) with an A in all of them (B+ in a 600 level graduate Microbial Diversity course and also in Integrative Physiology).

My cGPA is low because I got an F, D, and 2 C's in greek, economics and psychology courses. Some of those course where essay based, heavy on participation or required external work, and I was pretty distracted with my mom to attend classes, complete course work or do the additional interviews, court observations (forensic psychology) or other activities required to get better grades. science courses were usually assignments and exam based and just came more naturally to me I guess.
I also have 5 Ws and one I. I was a total lack of preparation on my part and the others were because I had to work to provide for myself and my mom and the course times clashed with my shifts so i had to drop them. The 2 Ws and I I got a year after she passed away as at that point I was homeless and really struggling to just get by.

I only took 2 courses in the fall semester and then 1 in the summer because I couldnt afford to pay (internatinal student tuition) so had to spread out my courses to pay for them while I worked.

I dont want to be pitied, but I feel like a lot of what I went through has had a significant impact on my education and why I had to take an extra year (to complete the last three credits).

In the last year, things have really turned around for the better. I have been able to get a job, I now have a roof over my head (living as a supportive roommate) and will be getting my permanent residency soon. I would like to take atleast a year of courses to show an upward trend and consistency but not sure where to start.

Any advice is welcome. Thank you.

Read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[LOVETA]

It sounds like a solid plan. Personally, I wouldn't go for the second degree because 1. the increases to your GPA will be pretty marginal (a 3.63 is essentially the same as a 3.68) and 2. it would use funds that could better be used to pay for medical school. However, if it is what you want to do and assuming you do well, it wont harm your application. Your have quite a bit of ECs. Make sure you throw in some shadowing (when you are able). Try to aim for 50 hours (some schools have a minimum/recommended amount at this level) and include some primary care. Honestly, the biggest X factor in your application is your MCAT score.

Thank you so much! What would you say is a good score to aim for at the least? Thanks.

 

[LOVETA]

Read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

Thank you. I read that and not sure on the post bacc/ retaking courses. All my bad grades are in non science (econ/greek) courses. Should I retake those? Lowest i have gotten in a science course was a B+ in integrative physiology and a graduate level Microbial diversity course/ Are these worth a retake as well? Thanks.

 

[Goro]

Thank you. I read that and not sure on the post bacc/ retaking courses. All my bad grades are in non science (econ/greek) courses. Should I retake those? Lowest i have gotten in a science course was a B+ in integrative physiology and a graduate level Microbial diversity course/ Are these worth a retake as well? Thanks.

My apologies, I should have read your post better.

You're good to go.