Help me decide which path to med school

[OlavMifrndzrgay]

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I'm at a crossroads right now.

I am a non traditional student and I will complete my finance degree in 2013. I am 28 years old right now.

I will have a horrible AMCAS gpa due to grade averaging. I failed four classes about six years ago. I have since retaken them and I did well in them. My AACOMAS gpa will be competitive for osteopathic schools.

My original plan was to take my prerequisite courses during the next two years so that I will graduate with my finance degree and also with my pre-med courses. Then I want to apply to DO schools and as a long shot, I will apply to my state allopathic school and a few of the lowest ranked allopathic schools.

I have extensive clinical exposure through hospital employment and an internship. I have a lot of community service and I have a lot of shadowing. The EC part is not my problem. The gpa is going to cause a lot of problems for me.

I want to know if it would be a smart decision in my situation to strongly consider this program http://www.sgu.edu/news-events/news-archives10-sgu-post-baccalaureatepremedical-program.html

Right now, I can start my pre-req's here in the states but I will not be guaranteed anything once they are completed. Also, with my gpa problem, I don't even know if medicine will happen here in the US unless someone wants to evaluate the other parts of my application.

With this program from SGU, it almost sounds too good to be true. I can graduate here with my undergrad degree w/o the stress of the pre-req's and MCAT and then I can enter that program and bang everything out in one year and if I meet their requirements, I can matriculate into SGU for the MD program.

I know everybody says that the US should be your first choice but I don't think I will be competitive in the US and I refuse to give this dream up.

I really need some help here because I have this gut feeling that I am only going to become a doctor if I do it at SGU.

 

[DrMidlife]

I want to know if it would be a smart decision in my situation to strongly consider this program http://www.sgu.edu/news-events/news-archives10-sgu-post-baccalaureatepremedical-program.html

No, that would not be smart.

Right now, I can start my pre-req's here in the states but I will not be guaranteed anything once they are completed.

You get no guarantee on any path, certainly not on a GPA comeback. The SGU program is selling you a product; don't be a marketing victim.

Also, with my gpa problem, I don't even know if medicine will happen here in the US unless someone wants to evaluate the other parts of my application.

There are maybe 1000 or 2000 stories on SDN where people get into good mainland schools from a low GPA. I recommend doing lots and lots of reading here and in the postbac forum.

With this program from SGU, it almost sounds too good to be true.

It is. Don't buy it. One thing they're not talking about is what happens when you start med school at SGU. Too many people fail out. Too many people don't get a US residency.

the stress of the pre-req's and MCAT.

That stress? You'll be nostalgic for that in a few years. I suggest that you'll want to find out more about the sheer unrelenting volume of studying and test-taking in med school.

I know everybody says that the US should be your first choice but I don't think I will be competitive in the US and I refuse to give this dream up.

Please do more research. Find people on SDN who have posted their stats and their process, and consider other possibilities. GPA is more permanent than a tattoo, so it takes a ton of work and effort and fortitude to overcome transcript deficits. It takes years of work that good GPA kids don't have to do. Nobody will care whether you think that's fair - it's just how it is.

I really need some help here because I have this gut feeling that I am only going to become a doctor if I do it at SGU.

That demonstrates the quality of SGU's marketing - that's what they want you to think. They're playing on your fears to get to your wallet. Getting into med school is supposed to be difficult, and getting in from a low GPA is supposed to be epic wicked hard.

Best of luck to you.

 

[trakkie]

Try looking into Temple's program - it's very similar to the St. George program but offers matriculation into their med-school if you're able to maintain a 3.5 GPA during the post-bacc year.