I'm confused by the advice I was given

[Josephine Baker]

Hello Everyone!

I found out from the AAMC website that I could get assigned a prehealth advisor. And after sending the email I got assigned one which I thought was great!

After a couple of missed emails and missed phone calls, I spoke with my "advisor" for 15mn

A little about me:

I graduated in 2012 from an Ivy League school in NY in Neurosciences (I posted a bit about me couple of months back in another thread) with a 3.2 GPA.

I took all the prerequisites and they are between 7 to 11 years old.

I have a C- in CHEM II and BIOCHEM.

I started a DIY Postbac at a local CC last year(money is very tight now): 16 credits so far with 4.0.: A&P I, A&P II, MICROBIO, BIO2. I was planning to retake CHEM 2 AND BIOCHEM this fall.

I worked as a fashion model for many years to support my family(hence the low GPA: I was traveling a lot and had to miss class); I also struggled with health issues( tumors and multiple surgeries: this is where my motivation to pursue medicine and help those suffering from debilitating diseases and the forgotten ones come from)

I stop modeling to focus on my health and to repair the low GPA to get into med school.

I come from a minority background; very low income family(1st generation to go to college)

I do weekly volunteering in my community for homeless in my neighborhood church: hunger; distributing sandwiches and coats in the streets during winter and in the church clinic and I have one on one conversations with homeless; Once a month I also sleep in a woman's shelter so that the homeless ladies who are trying to get back into society can get a shower, a warm bed and a goodnight sleep.

I also volunteer in a nursing home feeding patients, giving bed bath, making beds, taking vitals, basically just helping the nursing staff wherever needed.

I have a youtube channel where I like to empower people to take care of their health, having struggled with health issues myself.

I have never done research.

I took a nursing assistant course to get hands-on-experience and more direct patient contact, and I just got my CNA certification.

Here is where my confusion come from:

My advisor did not ask me what my GPA was or to send him my transcripts, but
he just told me to work on raising my GPA.

He also never ask to see me (we're both in NY), this probably does not matter.

He told me not to work as a CNA, in fact not to work at all but only to go to school( however, I need to pay my bills)

He told me to do a formal Postbac in one of these CUNY 4 year school: Hunter or CCNY and to stop taking CC classes.

He also told me to stop studying for the MCAT(I was planning on taking it in January or March 2019)
but to wait for next Summer or later.

He told me not to do research at all after I informed him that I did not have research experience.

I guess my question is this:

not knowing my background and my stats, I felt like the advice was not "personalized" and in so doing how much of it should I follow?

I have to say that I was on a good track studying for the MCAT this summer, but after our conversation, I'm a bit lost and I don't know how to proceed.

I certainly do not want to sound ungrateful for the opportunity to have an assigned advisor from the AAMC, I am just a bit confused.

I have been lurking here and only recently did I post something but I have read a lot of great advice from @Goro and others and I feel like some of the advice I got is somewhat contrary to what I have been reading here, contributing to my confusion, that's why I decided to share my dilemma.

If anyone can help me clear some of the confusion, I would really appreciate it. Or should I just follow verbatim what he told me?

I truly apologize for such a long post, I just wanted to give a context to my situation.

Really thank you everyone!

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[Goro]

My advisor did not ask me what my GPA was or to send him my transcripts, but he just told me to work on raising my GPA.
I agree with this advice. And read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention


He told me not to work as a CNA, in fact not to work at all but only to go to school( however, I need to pay my bills)
Marathon, not sprint now. You can do both. Take 6-8 credits/semester and continue to . OR work, save up money, and then go to school full time to reinvent.

He told me to do a formal Postbac in one of these CUNY 4 year school: Hunter or CCNY and to stop taking CC classes.
CC's don't have the stigma that they used to, but in order to get the upper level courses you need to show that you can handle med schoo, I agree with with. Mt Sinai has a SMP..there seem to be quite a few in the NYC area.

He also told me to stop studying for the MCAT(I was planning on taking it in January or March 2019) but to wait for next Summer or later.
I agree. Focus on your GPA right now.

He told me not to do research at all after I informed him that I did not have research experience.
I agree with him. Adcoms understand that non-trad students have a life to live.

I guess my question is this:

not knowing my background and my stats, I felt like the advice was not "personalized" and in so doing how much of it should I follow?
knowing your background and your stats now, I think that you got decent advice.

I have to say that I was on a good track studying for the MCAT this summer, but after our conversation, I'm a bit lost and I don't know how to proceed.
See my comments above. I don't think that you're ready to take the mCAT

 

[Josephine Baker]

My advisor did not ask me what my GPA was or to send him my transcripts, but he just told me to work on raising my GPA.
I agree with this advice. And read this:
Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention


He told me not to work as a CNA, in fact not to work at all but only to go to school( however, I need to pay my bills)
Marathon, not sprint now. You can do both. Take 6-8 credits/semester and continue to . OR work, save up money, and then go to school full time to reinvent.

He told me to do a formal Postbac in one of these CUNY 4 year school: Hunter or CCNY and to stop taking CC classes.
CC's don't have the stigma that they used to, but in order to get the upper level courses you need to show that you can handle med schoo, I agree with with. Mt Sinai has a SMP..there seem to be quite a few in the NYC area.

He also told me to stop studying for the MCAT(I was planning on taking it in January or March 2019) but to wait for next Summer or later.
I agree. Focus on your GPA right now.

He told me not to do research at all after I informed him that I did not have research experience.
I agree with him. Adcoms understand that non-trad students have a life to live.

I guess my question is this:

not knowing my background and my stats, I felt like the advice was not "personalized" and in so doing how much of it should I follow?
knowing your background and your stats now, I think that you got decent advice.

I have to say that I was on a good track studying for the MCAT this summer, but after our conversation, I'm a bit lost and I don't know how to proceed.
See my comments above. I don't think that you're ready to take the mCAT

@Goro, T
thank you so much for your advice! And thank you for clarifying my confusion.

so to summarize, you advise me to do a formal Postbac at a CUNY? I will have to apply for next spring since fall semester admission is closed.
Find a job as a CNA and take part time courses 6 to 8 credits. I am register at a local CC for chem 2 (I got C- 8 years ago) and also for genetics. Should I take that this semester and start the the formal Postbac next semester or just work as a CNA this semester and start Postbac next semester?

Also you mention an SMP at Mt Sinai. That's a master isn't it? Should I apply for that also or after the Postbac?

I really thank you for the feedback. I feel like I can breathe now.

 

[Goro]

@Goro, T
thank you so much for your advice! And thank you for clarifying my confusion.

so to summarize, you advise me to do a formal Postbac at a CUNY? I will have to apply for next spring since fall semester admission is closed.
Find a job as a CNA and take part time courses 6 to 8 credits. I am register at a local CC for chem 2 (I got C- 8 years ago) and also for genetics.

Also you mention an SMP at Mt Sinai. That's a master isn't it? Should I apply for that also or after the Postbac?

I really thank you for the feedback. I feel like I can breathe now.

Ace all your pre-reqs and maybe a few upper level bio courses and there won't be a need for the SMP. Your cGPA is a good starting point. The CUNY post-bac is fine. Retake the C- courses for sure.

Should I take that this semester and start the the formal Postbac next semester or just work as a CNA this semester and start Postbac next semester?
Whatever works for you.

 

[Josephine Baker]

Ace all your pre-reqs and maybe a few upper level bio courses and there won't be a need for the SMP. Your cGPA is a good starting point. The CUNY post-bac is fine. Retake the C- courses for sure.

Should I take that this semester and start the the formal Postbac next semester or just work as a CNA this semester and start Postbac next semester?
Whatever works for you.

Thank you a million times!!!!