in limbo - help!?

[mainelyme]

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I graduated with a degree in health promotion in 2013 before accepting a year-long dream job and after deciding to study abroad in undergrad and put my premed plans aside (that's the short version). I graduated with a cGPA of 3.5 and a science GPA of 2.97 including A+P (C in one semester of gen chem and one semester of gen bio due to a major family situation during the semester, which also contributed to my overall GPA drop). Currently I have taken general bio I/II, general chem I/II, calc (1 semester) and stats (1 semester) plus a ton of health-based classes for my major. I'm taking orgo I/II and general physics (2 sems) this year. My plan is to apply for admission in Aug. 2016.

My dilemma is the MCAT and what other courses I should take. I'm wary of the 2015 MCAT, so I was thinking of taking the current version in November and/or January. Is that possible with my current experience if I prepare well enough? Should I take the 2015 MCAT as well?

Should I retake the semester of gen chem and gen bio that I got C's in? Since that semester I have maintained A's and B's in all my health and science classes and have shown a steady uphill climb with my cGPA. I have taken medical ethics, psych, stats, anatomy and physiology, patient evaluation, and specialty classes in oncology treatment and labor and delivery. I know the hard sciences are what count - I have a year to take my prereqs again and am already taking physics and orgo all year- is it worth adding these two on in the spring?

I'm also on the fence about biochemistry. I can take it if I need to - but is it necessary/worth it? My science grades are fine and I have experience, but I'm nervous about limiting where I can apply. I'm afraid of not getting in anywhere and not starting until August 2017. I have taken too many sciences to do a post bacc program but feel like I'm hanging in the limbo - not quite there but not needing serious intervention. Any advice on the road I should take this year?! Thank you!!!

 

[2Pints]

I would say first see how you finish up in physics and organic. How have you been doing? When do you finish those classes? It might go against what other say but I'd take a realistic look at how you are doing in those two classes and find a practice test for the MCAT that is phasing out before deciding anything.

Have you started on anything for your application this cycle? Drafting your PS, getting LORs, writing up your work experience is time consuming. If you are trying to cram all of that in, plus school, plus MCAT, plus whatever else...you are going to be one ball of stress.

I'd really look at what's wrong with starting in Aug 2017. What could you do this year to really add to your application. Save money. Get involved in the medical field and figure out what you want.

I'm pro taking Biochem just because it was an awesome course to me. Tied a lot together and will hopefully make Biochem in med school a little easier. I don't see any benefit to not taking it.

 

[alpinism]

I graduated with a degree in health promotion in 2013 before accepting a year-long dream job and after deciding to study abroad in undergrad and put my premed plans aside (that's the short version). I graduated with a cGPA of 3.5 and a science GPA of 2.97 including A+P (C in one semester of gen chem and one semester of gen bio due to a major family situation during the semester, which also contributed to my overall GPA drop). Currently I have taken general bio I/II, general chem I/II, calc (1 semester) and stats (1 semester) plus a ton of health-based classes for my major. I'm taking orgo I/II and general physics (2 sems) this year. My plan is to apply for admission in Aug. 2016.

My dilemma is the MCAT and what other courses I should take. I'm wary of the 2015 MCAT, so I was thinking of taking the current version in November and/or January. Is that possible with my current experience if I prepare well enough? Should I take the 2015 MCAT as well?

Should I retake the semester of gen chem and gen bio that I got C's in? Since that semester I have maintained A's and B's in all my health and science classes and have shown a steady uphill climb with my cGPA. I have taken medical ethics, psych, stats, anatomy and physiology, patient evaluation, and specialty classes in oncology treatment and labor and delivery. I know the hard sciences are what count - I have a year to take my prereqs again and am already taking physics and orgo all year- is it worth adding these two on in the spring?

I'm also on the fence about biochemistry. I can take it if I need to - but is it necessary/worth it? My science grades are fine and I have experience, but I'm nervous about limiting where I can apply. I'm afraid of not getting in anywhere and not starting until August 2017. I have taken too many sciences to do a post bacc program but feel like I'm hanging in the limbo - not quite there but not needing serious intervention. Any advice on the road I should take this year?! Thank you!!!

Yes to both.

Ideally you'll want to have a B or higher in all the pre-reqs, plus retaking will help raise your sGPA. For biochem, its becoming required by more and more med schools and you don't want to limit your options come application time.

 

[mainelyme]

I would say first see how you finish up in physics and organic. How have you been doing? When do you finish those classes? It might go against what other say but I'd take a realistic look at how you are doing in those two classes and find a practice test for the MCAT that is phasing out before deciding anything.

Have you started on anything for your application this cycle? Drafting your PS, getting LORs, writing up your work experience is time consuming. If you are trying to cram all of that in, plus school, plus MCAT, plus whatever else...you are going to be one ball of stress.

I'd really look at what's wrong with starting in Aug 2017. What could you do this year to really add to your application. Save money. Get involved in the medical field and figure out what you want.

I'm pro taking Biochem just because it was an awesome course to me. Tied a lot together and will hopefully make Biochem in med school a little easier. I don't see any benefit to not taking it.

Here's my current situation: I decided to study abroad (I did the medical practice and policy program in Denmark at DIS) my junior year and pushed taking orgo and physics off until my senior year. After some family and personal issues I decided to not pursue medical school my senior year. I then took a job as a leadership consultant for a year and just finished in May. During the spring to now I have solidified my decision to apply to medical school, as I have explored other options and never felt as connected or interested as I ever did with medicine (before my senior year I was 100% medical school from 4th or 5th grade on). I'm now in a position where I need to play catch up with my grades and prep work, as I didn't have perfect prereq grades, which definitely pushed me towards not taking orgo and physics in college.

Waiting until 2017 makes me feel defeated. I could have applied to medical school and be there already, but life happened. I know I can't blame myself for what happened in the past, but knowing I could be graduating medical school by the time I even enter now is very frustrating. So 2017 isn't out of the picture, but it seems like such a long time.

I also looked at my sGPA and cGPA more and decided to just list out what I have:

Gen Bio: B+/C
Gen Chem: B+/C
Calc: B+
Stats: A
A+P: B+ (both sems)

I also took bio electives (two abroad, one here) and don't know if they'll count:
Structure and Function of the Human Body: B+
Complexity of Cancer: B+
Medical Exploration of HIV/Aids: B-

My major was health promotion and I have taken extensive public health and psych/sociology classes all with A's or B+ grades besides one C (from my freshman spring semester slip up which caused the low GPA and bad bio grade). My cGPA currently is a 3.50.

My plan is to aim for an A in physics and hopefully an A or A- in orgo this year. I agree that biochem is a good idea, and I want to repeat the semesters I didn't do well in too, but that really pushes me academically (just time-wise that's a LOT of lab!) and I'm afraid the MCAT will have to be postponed, meaning 2017… do you think there's any way I can do it this year and apply for 2016?? I'm also really worried about the MCAT changing and having a hard time getting a good score… Thank you for your advice, I don't know if you have any more based on this, but you've been great so far!

 

[2Pints]

I think you are pushing it to try and apply for 2016 just because you'll feel defeated. Why not shoot for boosting your GPA and taking the MCAT later this year with the goal of 2017? That's what I would do in your shoes. Volunteer. Find or continue doing something you really care about.

I'd search for some blogs/posts that talk timelines. You aren't impossibly late to the game for this application cycle but you aren't going to be able to put your best application forth. Maybe read through some of the posts on the reapplicant forum just to get an idea what people wish they had done.

I know a year seems like forever when it means starting a path to your future career. A lot can change in a year though. Those can be important changes too. Growing up a little. Having more focus and perspective.

You have to decide though. Risk having a subpar application this cycle for the sake of not feeling defeated or start prepping for the 2017 cycle and have less stress, more confidence, and hopefully a much better application?