Some background information I am 4 years post undergrad premed major. My cum gpa is 2.9 with a 2.8 math/science. I am currently working in research I have some shadowing experience but it was a few years back. I am taking the MCAT in April and I am hoping to get in the 30's . I don't know what route to take I know that applying directly to a medical school would be suicide, therefore i am considering an SMP program or the caribbean. I don't know what to do i am going to be 27 this year and I feel like I am getting too old. What path should I take ? Some advise I would greatly appreciate...
I need some advise ! pls
- Thread starter vaguirre
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First, you are not getting too old. I'm 31 and will be starting medical school this fall and there are many out there (and on this board) older than me.
I would definitely recommend an SMP. Right now your GPA is too low and adcoms won't know if you can handle the level of coursework required in med school. you may also want to wait to take the MCAT until you've redone some prereqs and understand the material better (unless you are taking practice tests and already getting 31+). Don't apply this year to med school and try not to go Caribbean. Do the SMP and then reevaluate.
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I left a career in marketing at age 26 for a shot at medical school. I had a degree in journalism, a 3.2 cumulative gpa but nearly 0 science classes because I had a BA. I started completely over and took all my prereqs in one year. Ended up getting As in every class except a C+ in Organic II. I was very dissatisfied with my Organic II grade so I took Biochemistry the next semester and got an A. Also while I was taking classes, I got a job scribing at a local hospital and took my MCAT (actually, I took it twice because I got a 6 on the verbal reasoning the first time). I am now 28 years old and will be a M1 at KU in the fall. I would STRONGLY encourage you to not give up. If you are committed, you will be able to get in, although it might possibly take a few years.
Dont know if more undergrad classes are an option for you, but if you can, Id retake some (or maybe all) of those prereqs and do well this time. It worked for me anyways.
Also, if you live in a big city, look into a scribing program. As I understand it, many hospitals are transitioning to electronic medical records, and it is a popular trend for docs in the emergency department to hire scribes to fill out patient charts. It is fantastic experience that will stand out on a med school application and it will help to reinforce your decision to pursue a life in medicine. Dallas / Ft. Worth has an extensive scribe program, go to http://iamscribe.com/ for more info.
If you live in a small city and scribing is not an option, volunteer at the nearest hospital. Even if its only a few hours a week, they probably need help. Volunteering looks great on a resume and you'll probably get the added bonus of feeling great because you are donating your time to helping other people.
As for Caribbean or Mexican medical schools, Id do those as a last resort. As I understand it, those students have a far more difficult time getting into residency programs than US medical students. Osteopathic schools tend to cater to more nontraditional students like yourself, so that is an option as well.
Anyways, dont give up. Youre certainly not too old. You can do this, despite what others might tell you.
Dont know if more undergrad classes are an option for you, but if you can, Id retake some (or maybe all) of those prereqs and do well this time. It worked for me anyways.
Also, if you live in a big city, look into a scribing program. As I understand it, many hospitals are transitioning to electronic medical records, and it is a popular trend for docs in the emergency department to hire scribes to fill out patient charts. It is fantastic experience that will stand out on a med school application and it will help to reinforce your decision to pursue a life in medicine. Dallas / Ft. Worth has an extensive scribe program, go to http://iamscribe.com/ for more info.
If you live in a small city and scribing is not an option, volunteer at the nearest hospital. Even if its only a few hours a week, they probably need help. Volunteering looks great on a resume and you'll probably get the added bonus of feeling great because you are donating your time to helping other people.
As for Caribbean or Mexican medical schools, Id do those as a last resort. As I understand it, those students have a far more difficult time getting into residency programs than US medical students. Osteopathic schools tend to cater to more nontraditional students like yourself, so that is an option as well.
Anyways, dont give up. Youre certainly not too old. You can do this, despite what others might tell you.
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I did this. started with lower stats than you have and got multiple acceptances.
First, make a deal with yourself. Since you'll need a 3.6'ish GPA in your postbac to be even considered, promise yourself that you will not continue this path if you get a GPA below 3.4, 3.5, 3.6 etc. Getting this GPA is not to prove the commitment and intellect to the adcom but to prove it to yourself. You should not be in medicine if you can't show 2 years of 3.6ish GPA. You also need to do this while taking a full unit load, but don't be an idiot and take more than a full unit load. The adcoms won't care.
Second, if you have low grades in pre-req courses, retake those prior to starting. I would actually make my classes a mix of pre-req courses that I did badly on and new science/bio classes. The mix will be your call.
Third, give youself more time to take the MCAT. If you've been out of the game this long, you're not ready to take the MCAT yet. Besides, your MCAT will go stale as you take your postbac.
Volunteer in clinically challenging environments for LOTS OF HOURS. Try to experience burnout. If you burnout now, you'll be doing your future self a favor.
finally, learn the correct word usage! (advice, not advise) Just so you don't think I'm an arrogant prick, I'm saying this from personal experience. I have a huge typo in the second sentence of my personal statement so this is unfortunately from personal experience.
good luck.
First, make a deal with yourself. Since you'll need a 3.6'ish GPA in your postbac to be even considered, promise yourself that you will not continue this path if you get a GPA below 3.4, 3.5, 3.6 etc. Getting this GPA is not to prove the commitment and intellect to the adcom but to prove it to yourself. You should not be in medicine if you can't show 2 years of 3.6ish GPA. You also need to do this while taking a full unit load, but don't be an idiot and take more than a full unit load. The adcoms won't care.
Second, if you have low grades in pre-req courses, retake those prior to starting. I would actually make my classes a mix of pre-req courses that I did badly on and new science/bio classes. The mix will be your call.
Third, give youself more time to take the MCAT. If you've been out of the game this long, you're not ready to take the MCAT yet. Besides, your MCAT will go stale as you take your postbac.
Volunteer in clinically challenging environments for LOTS OF HOURS. Try to experience burnout. If you burnout now, you'll be doing your future self a favor.
finally, learn the correct word usage! (advice, not advise) Just so you don't think I'm an arrogant prick, I'm saying this from personal experience. I have a huge typo in the second sentence of my personal statement so this is unfortunately from personal experience.
good luck.
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Yes - dont take the MCAT now, cause if you do well and then it expires (2 years later for most schools), you'll feel dumb. Also, I dont know that I would TRY to get burnt out on volunteering. I would suggest getting as much in as you can so that you know what its like to work in a hospital, but you dont have to spend 50 hours a week volunteering - you'll have plenty of opportunity to work for free for millions of hours in clerkship & residency.
Most of all, good luck, stick with it, find a good postbac with linkage to a school you are interested in.
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Just to add a pinch of advise:
Really think long and hard about where you will be taking your classes. There are many factors beyond $/credit, the linkage and the prestige. Think about opportunities, networking, quality of life (commute, family, living situation).
Also, for DO schools they accept the most recent grade which overwrites the previous grade, MD does not. This is important. So depending on how your grades skewed you may or may not have to do an SMP program. If you have a few low grades you may want to retake them, and then finish up your pre-reqs via DIY postbach or a formal program.
Good luck, its a long road gird up thy loins manfully!
-Lazarus
P.S. this route is expensive in money, time, sanity and personal life make sure you cannot live without becoming a doctor.
Really think long and hard about where you will be taking your classes. There are many factors beyond $/credit, the linkage and the prestige. Think about opportunities, networking, quality of life (commute, family, living situation).
Also, for DO schools they accept the most recent grade which overwrites the previous grade, MD does not. This is important. So depending on how your grades skewed you may or may not have to do an SMP program. If you have a few low grades you may want to retake them, and then finish up your pre-reqs via DIY postbach or a formal program.
Good luck, its a long road gird up thy loins manfully!
-Lazarus
P.S. this route is expensive in money, time, sanity and personal life make sure you cannot live without becoming a doctor.
