I need advice on what to do over the next 20 months

[animaldoc1]

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I missed this round of applications and the next one is in a long time so I want to know what to do in the meantime since I am unwilling to wait the 20 months to go to school unless I can start something before I start med school in 2013. Is there a masters program that is a year long that I can get into for September or sooner that can help me get into medical school? My GPA in the sciences is not that strong but my GPA in business is. Is there an MBA that can lead right into med school? I need advice on how I can spend my time now. Please help.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

To my knowledge there are no MBA-->Med school linkages (I could be wrong). There are 1yr SMPs and you can find any and all SMP/PB information on AAMC's website. I know Regis university in Denver, CO has a 9mo SMP specifically for gap years. They will be opening the application cycle shortly for most of them, so you need to jump on this ASAP if you want to do it (all the SMPs are taking apps or will be very soon)

 

[Buzz Me]

An SMP would have been a good bet earlier, but it's probably too late now.

You're looking for something that starts in the fall?

 

[animaldoc1]

I want to know if it is too late for some programs or if there is still something i can get into for the fall that can help me get to med school or a masters before it.

 

[Prncssbuttercup]

Ok, so really... Most of the SMPs are taking applications now, or starting in Jan, for Fall 2012 start, and finishing possibly in the Spring of 2013. Like I said, Regis university in Denver has one that is 9 months long, I was going to apply if I didn't get into school but I did...

 

[animaldoc1]

Do you know of any in new york or massachusets or the surrounding states?
Or do you have a link to a page that can give me more info on that sort of thing?

 

[GoZags]

http://services.aamc.org/postbac/

Fun resource for Post-Bac Programs

 

[Total180]

I think a lot of SMPs are still taking applications, but most of them require an MCAT and from your previous posts it doesn't seem like you have taken or prepared for it yet. Your best bet would be to take some science classes over the next year to increase your sgpa. You would have to take the MCAT before Julyish though if you want to apply to during the next cycle. It seems like you haven't really done your research on what it takes to get into medical school though. Have you done clinical volunteering? non-medical volunteering? Any other ECs that don't pertain to veterinary school? You want to do this right the first time...it is very emotionally and financially taxing and it sucks having to do it more than once.

According to Catalystik...who is the person to go to for "what are my chances" type advice, applicants usually have around 1.5 years worth of clinical volunteering, on top of great grades, a good MCAT, 50-100 hours of physician shadowing, and other non-medically related ECs. Have you done any of that? If you haven't I wouldn't bet on getting in during the next application cycle. It would be better if you took an additional year off, strengthened your sgpa by taking science classes, did volunteering and the other necessary ECs, and took the MCAT. Then apply the following summer with all your ducks in a row. good luck.👍

 

[azntxn]

Go make some money and teach for a year, be a lab tech, get a quick EMT cert and log in some clinical hours (wish I'd done this). I personally feel the post bacs, mbas...and the like do very little in strengthening apps. Do some real world stuff and be interesting

 

[MedPR]

Go make some money and teach for a year, be a lab tech, get a quick EMT cert and log in some clinical hours (wish I'd done this). I personally feel the post bacs, mbas...and the like do very little in strengthening apps. Do some real world stuff and be interesting

If your GPA is so low that you get automatically screened out, a postbacc is your only choice.

 

[Inkoate]

...

 

[laxian]

I missed this round of applications and the next one is in a long time so I want to know what to do in the meantime since I am unwilling to wait the 20 months to go to school unless I can start something before I start med school in 2013. Is there a masters program that is a year long that I can get into for September or sooner that can help me get into medical school? My GPA in the sciences is not that strong but my GPA in business is. Is there an MBA that can lead right into med school? I need advice on how I can spend my time now. Please help.

1. If your gpa is really bad your only option is a post bacc, regardless of time or whatever. This is where you retake your premed prerequisites in hopes that adcoms will like at those instead of your undergrad pre req performance

2. If your mcat is bad, the answer is to take a solid 2-3 months and get the highest possible score.

3 if you feel like both of those are fine, the answer is shadowing/clinical volunteering while doing research. Make sure your research position can lead to publications, since a lot of paid lab tech ones cannot.

If your gpa mcat clinical experience and research are all above average, you'll probably get in somewhere. if any of the first 3 things are missing it is very challenging to get in. Research is really helpful but some primary care focused programs don't really care about it.

20 months is a long time to improve your app, hah. Also just btw I got in with 3.36 science gpa but that was with a 36 mcat and pretty solid everything else. And I still didn't get into schools my friends with more balanced gpa and mcat scores got, even if their LizzyQ scores were quite a bit lower.

Don't try to make up for one area, say low mcat, by overcompensating in another, say volunteering another 300 hours.

 

[MedPR]

1. If your gpa is really bad your only option is a post bacc, regardless of time or whatever. This is where you retake your premed prerequisites in hopes that adcoms will like at those instead of your undergrad pre req performance

2. If your mcat is bad, the answer is to take a solid 2-3 months and get the highest possible score.

3 if you feel like both of those are fine, the answer is shadowing/clinical volunteering while doing research. Make sure your research position can lead to publications, since a lot of paid lab tech ones cannot.

If your gpa mcat clinical experience and research are all above average, you'll probably get in somewhere. if any of the first 3 things are missing it is very challenging to get in. Research is really helpful but some primary care focused programs don't really care about it.

20 months is a long time to improve your app, hah. Also just btw I got in with 3.36 science gpa but that was with a 36 mcat and pretty solid everything else. And I still didn't get into schools my friends with more balanced gpa and mcat scores got, even if their LizzyQ scores were quite a bit lower.

Don't try to make up for one area, say low mcat, by overcompensating in another, say volunteering another 300 hours.

He doesn't have 20 months to improve his app, he has about 6 assuming he is going to app in June. I believe the 20 months he's referring to is the time between now and Fall 2013.