I'm lost. Please help me.

[plshelpmeyall]

Alright, so, I graduated in 2012 and im 29 right now. I ended up right under a 3.0. I did pretty bad in physics and organic chemistry. I went to college with the intent of pursuing medical school. However, I sorta just...didn't. I ended up opening a business and worked there for a while until it closed several months ago. At this point, I would like to pursue medical school again. I did retake organic chemistry 1 and 2 probably 4 years ago and got As, so thats good, but think my GPA is still slightly below a 3.0, which is not good. I have taken the MCAT a couple times when I was younger and didnt do terrible, but didn't do great; my heart just wasnt in it. I just have no idea what to do now.

I'm so far behind. Do I go talk to the advisors at the medical schools near me? There are a few, and two are MD. I have no chance of getting into one of those, I realize, but figure it might help to talk to someone to put me back on the right track. I'd really like to do something structured if I can. I'm just so lost and confused. Do I take do an SMP? A postbacc? Do linkages exist anymore? Thanks for any advice whatsoever.

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[coal.under.pressure]

I think we've all been where you are. It's like quicksand, just calm down.

Maybe you'll be the next outlier. How about you put some actual stats down? Not like "oh I got an A in this, but not so good in that". Go to the 'what are my chances' thread and structure your response like them. Give people something to work with, we aren't mind readers.

 

[Mike Bagwell]

There's two ways to look at it.

1. Med schools are not going to close any time soon so you have all the time in the world to pursue your dream of becoming a doctor.

2. Maybe med school isn't for you. Maybe you would be happier doing something else.

I like to put potential candidates into two different applicant pools. There are those that just know how to get the grades from the get go and then there is another pool of applicants that are career changers who do not have any academic issues. If you are outside that group, this journey is really an uphill battle that seems to be getting harder and harder each year. If you are in the first two groups, give med school a shot. If you are in that third group, you really have to come up with a plan and stick to it.

 

[MusicDOc124]

Alright, so, I graduated in 2012 and im 29 right now. I ended up right under a 3.0. I did pretty bad in physics and organic chemistry. I went to college with the intent of pursuing medical school. However, I sorta just...didn't. I ended up opening a business and worked there for a while until it closed several months ago. At this point, I would like to pursue medical school again. I did retake organic chemistry 1 and 2 probably 4 years ago and got As, so thats good, but think my GPA is still slightly below a 3.0, which is not good. I have taken the MCAT a couple times when I was younger and didnt do terrible, but didn't do great; my heart just wasnt in it. I just have no idea what to do now.

I'm so far behind. Do I go talk to the advisors at the medical schools near me? There are a few, and two are MD. I have no chance of getting into one of those, I realize, but figure it might help to talk to someone to put me back on the right track. I'd really like to do something structured if I can. I'm just so lost and confused. Do I take do an SMP? A postbacc? Do linkages exist anymore? Thanks for any advice whatsoever.

You have a few things going against you, but with time and effort than can be overcome: The low GPA, dated coursework including intakes (some schools limit how long prior to matriculation courses must have been completed - I've seen 5 and 10 years at some places, and some dont have these limits), multiple low MCATs which may be outdated now as well.

There are linkage programs. With the low GPA, I'd recommend you aim for a post bacc with a linkage. Linkage will give you the best shot without an additional application/gap year. Post bacc are also bacc level courses and thus will potentially improve your overall GPA (masters GPAs aren't usually considered). This will also give you a chance to retake the pre-reqs more recently to get over any hurdles of schools that might have requirements about how old they are. Taking these in a structured format within a post bacc will also help you prepare for the MCAT, hopefully giving you a good enough score with an obviously new MCAT that is not outdated.

^ All that said, I only recommend this option if you absolutely know medicine is for you, and you have identified everything that caused the lower GPA and lower MCAT so that you don't repeat history while spending time and money.

 

[Goro]

Alright, so, I graduated in 2012 and im 29 right now. I ended up right under a 3.0. I did pretty bad in physics and organic chemistry. I went to college with the intent of pursuing medical school. However, I sorta just...didn't. I ended up opening a business and worked there for a while until it closed several months ago. At this point, I would like to pursue medical school again. I did retake organic chemistry 1 and 2 probably 4 years ago and got As, so thats good, but think my GPA is still slightly below a 3.0, which is not good. I have taken the MCAT a couple times when I was younger and didnt do terrible, but didn't do great; my heart just wasnt in it. I just have no idea what to do now.

I'm so far behind. Do I go talk to the advisors at the medical schools near me? There are a few, and two are MD. I have no chance of getting into one of those, I realize, but figure it might help to talk to someone to put me back on the right track. I'd really like to do something structured if I can. I'm just so lost and confused. Do I take do an SMP? A postbacc? Do linkages exist anymore? Thanks for any advice whatsoever.

Read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[plshelpmeyall]

You have a few things going against you, but with time and effort than can be overcome: The low GPA, dated coursework including intakes (some schools limit how long prior to matriculation courses must have been completed - I've seen 5 and 10 years at some places, and some dont have these limits), multiple low MCATs which may be outdated now as well.

There are linkage programs. With the low GPA, I'd recommend you aim for a post bacc with a linkage. Linkage will give you the best shot without an additional application/gap year. Post bacc are also bacc level courses and thus will potentially improve your overall GPA (masters GPAs aren't usually considered). This will also give you a chance to retake the pre-reqs more recently to get over any hurdles of schools that might have requirements about how old they are. Taking these in a structured format within a post bacc will also help you prepare for the MCAT, hopefully giving you a good enough score with an obviously new MCAT that is not outdated.

^ All that said, I only recommend this option if you absolutely know medicine is for you, and you have identified everything that caused the lower GPA and lower MCAT so that you don't repeat history while spending time and money.

Thank you, and thanks to everyone else who responded. I want to say that I like this option best. My only problem with this is that it seems like a lot of these linkages (all?) are for career changers who have never taken any of the courses before. I also am having trouble finding a list of them, to be honest, so it's possible I've missed some (or a lot). Additionally, I could swear when I checked these out a few years ago they were more prevalent--i.e., if you did well you would gain entrance into the associated medical school. Now it seems to be that if you do well you will just be given an interview, but there's no guarantee of actual admittance. Still others seem to be just a way for schools to make money. Man, the post graduate pre med school game is so weird and confusing and I sincerely wish I had just tried harder when I was younger.

 

[MusicDOc124]

Thank you, and thanks to everyone else who responded. I want to say that I like this option best. My only problem with this is that it seems like a lot of these linkages (all?) are for career changers who have never taken any of the courses before. I also am having trouble finding a list of them, to be honest, so it's possible I've missed some (or a lot). Additionally, I could swear when I checked these out a few years ago they were more prevalent--i.e., if you did well you would gain entrance into the associated medical school. Now it seems to be that if you do well you will just be given an interview, but there's no guarantee of actual admittance. Still others seem to be just a way for schools to make money. Man, the post graduate pre med school game is so weird and confusing and I sincerely wish I had just tried harder when I was younger.

MD-associated post baccs from AAMC site: Postbaccalaureate - AAMC

DO-associated post baccs from AACOM site: Post Baccalaureate Premedical Programs

Temple BCMS (unless there was a name change) is meant for career changers who have not taken more than 8 credits of pre-reqs before. There are also others, but I forget which. The links above will have some info, as well individual linked sites. You can also call various programs to ask.

I'm sure others will chime in too.

Good luck.

 

[Dr. Let 'er Buck]

I'm so far behind. Do I go talk to the advisors at the medical schools near me? There are a few, and two are MD. I have no chance of getting into one of those, I realize, but figure it might help to talk to someone to put me back on the right track. I'd really like to do something structured if I can. I'm just so lost and confused. Do I take do an SMP? A postbacc? Do linkages exist anymore? Thanks for any advice whatsoever.

I've shared my story a couple times, but here it is for your benefit. I'm 35 and decided I would like to be a physician when I was 30. Wife, two kids, mortgage, and a broken spine which required a five level hardware fusion. Graduated high school nearly 20 years ago where I had the magnificent GPA of 1.8 at that time.

Went to the local community college where I walked out during my first semester after being offered a job out of state. Didn't withdraw or anything, just left. So, my ripping cool transcript has a number of Fs which cannot be removed. Worked as a firefighter and paramedic in the interim before my back snapped like a twig.

Suffice it to say, I was the longest long-shot candidate EVER. We sold our home and vehicles and moved across the state to our university. My first semesters weren't great as I tried to integrate into modern school life. I could barely use a computer LOL. I kept my nose to the grindstone and just threw my self into my studies for the past five years (I was so deficient in math and most sciences that my first two semesters were remedial and didn't count toward my undergraduate).

Now, I graduate with my bachelor's degree in a couple months, then start at "our" MD school next fall.

I cannot fathom someone being in a worse position that I was when this crazy trip started. So let that be motivation. It takes a crap load of work, but turning 30 and having done horribly in school years ago does not have to mean the end of your dream. Just find that deep down motivation and check your sanity at the door; you can do it!

 

[TheAverageDoctor]

There's no harm in talking to a pre-med advisor at one of the schools near you. Keep in mind though that some advisors are good and some are bad. A really good one will help you even if you're not a student at their school. A bad one will discourage you from going into medicine because they're used to 1000s of first year undergrads wanting to be doctors and giving up.

I wouldn't worry about your grades from years ago, or your MCAT score for that matter. Those are part of your story. Maybe it took a while for you to realize you want to be a doctor, and that's ok. The important thing is you realize that you want to be a doctor. Medical schools will be able to recognize that.

That leads to the question...do you want to be a doctor? The honest truth is you will probably have to take the MCAT again. If you get in you'll have at least 3 other major standardized tests. There's also 4 years of medical school and 3 years of residency. Then there's the doom and gloom that us attending docs talk about all the time that may or may not come to pass 7 years from now. I'm not saying this to discourage you, but instead because I think it's important that you recognize the challenge ahead of you.

If this is absolutely what you want, take a deep breath and make a plan. Find the advisor. If there's not one locally, see if there's one online. Study for the MCAT and do better than before. Gain clinical experience to prove to medical schools that this is what you want to do. Heck, by seeking help at your local med school you might meet someone who's willing to write you a letter of recommendation, then all of a sudden you have a chance at that school you think you'll never get in to.

If it's not what you want, thats ok too. If you want to stay in medicine, you could consider PA school. Or you can try and do anything else.

Either way, take it one step at a time.

 

[plshelpmeyall]

There's no harm in talking to a pre-med advisor at one of the schools near you. Keep in mind though that some advisors are good and some are bad. A really good one will help you even if you're not a student at their school. A bad one will discourage you from going into medicine because they're used to 1000s of first year undergrads wanting to be doctors and giving up.

I wouldn't worry about your grades from years ago, or your MCAT score for that matter. Those are part of your story. Maybe it took a while for you to realize you want to be a doctor, and that's ok. The important thing is you realize that you want to be a doctor. Medical schools will be able to recognize that.

That leads to the question...do you want to be a doctor? The honest truth is you will probably have to take the MCAT again. If you get in you'll have at least 3 other major standardized tests. There's also 4 years of medical school and 3 years of residency. Then there's the doom and gloom that us attending docs talk about all the time that may or may not come to pass 7 years from now. I'm not saying this to discourage you, but instead because I think it's important that you recognize the challenge ahead of you.

If this is absolutely what you want, take a deep breath and make a plan. Find the advisor. If there's not one locally, see if there's one online. Study for the MCAT and do better than before. Gain clinical experience to prove to medical schools that this is what you want to do. Heck, by seeking help at your local med school you might meet someone who's willing to write you a letter of recommendation, then all of a sudden you have a chance at that school you think you'll never get in to.

If it's not what you want, thats ok too. If you want to stay in medicine, you could consider PA school. Or you can try and do anything else.

Either way, take it one step at a time.

Thank you very much! I'll definitely continue to think about whether this is what I want to do or not but I appreciate the help. It does suck to be in the position I'm in, but at the end of the day, I suppose I did it to myself. So, might as well not think about the past too much, haha.

 

[Ad2b]

It does suck to be in the position I'm in, but at the end of the day, I suppose I did it to myself. So, might as well not think about the past too much

I'm just seeing this now. Am not accepted. Taking the MCAT soonish.

Ugrad GPA from 1986 = 2.196 (some 40ish F's, D's, C's with some smattering of retakes on the F's turning into D's and smattering of the D's retakes turning into F's ... ) There IS a story but the baseline is 18 years old led to heavy drinking / partying far away from home led to poor decisions which led to poorer outcomes and eventually, a deceased infant son (SIDS) all by the age of 21

Post grad GPA from 2010 forward = nearish 4.0 at same university + one other all pre-reqs + upper division sciences

1. Talk to the med schools near you and see how they'd view a bad ugrad vs a post bacc gpa - many schools will elect to use the post bacc only as determination of fit BUT they will ALWAYS see both GPAs

2. You can't change the past. Can learn from it, can and should grow from it but can't, fortunately or unfortunately, change it. So, the question is really: do you, or do you not, want to be a physician? Because if you do, it WILL take a lot of work to get you to an acceptance. It WILL cause you fits of frustration, panic, fear at different times. Promise you that. It WILL make you wonder if you're doing the right thing and only you can answer that.

Oh, yes, I'm 50ish or something...