I need advice

Started by flourpour
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flourpour

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I am going to be graduating from my Psychology program, soon, and think that doing a post-bac to do my premed requirements may be a good option. I believe I have a good shot at getting into a PhD program in Psychological Neuroscience, but I want more hard-science background and would like to make myself eligible for MD/PhD training. I don't know which step forward would be my best choice to get into an MSTP at this point.

One big concern for me is cost. My partner and I have been supporting ourselves with loans/grants/scholarship money all through undergrad and we are already in enough debt.

One option I am seriously considering is just going back to CC and spending a couple of years completing Bio/Chem/OChem/Physics/Calculus while continuing to work as an RA at my University or elsewhere. But honestly, if I got into a PhD program next year, I don't know if I could stomach spending 4 more semesters at a community college. (I would have finished my premed before graduating, but I needed to double major in music to really learn to hate it as a profession.)

I feel I would really be happier in a more competitive post-bac if it is possible to accomplish at low cost. I know that many of the scholarships my school offers are not awarded to 2nd bachelor students, so that is what makes me worry I may not be able to afford this without too many more loans.

I have a 3.76 gpa and 4.0 in my major. I have a good amount of non-health community service experience, have been to professional conferences, and have about 2 years of research experience in psych & neuroscience labs.

Thanks for reading. Sorry for being a bit disorganized. Any help is appreciated.
 
I would consider applying for a post-baccalaureate research program (such as the NIH's IRTA program), in which you take classes at the institution (for example, NIH has a FAES graduate school) and earn money gaining more research experience on an independent project. Of course, the DC/Bethesda area is pretty expensive, so look for similar programs in an area that makes sense for you and your partner. That would make you a much stronger candidate for MD/PhD programs than RA work.