Is a Post-BACC (or Master's) necessary for me?

[Ihave Nonamè]

I have a horrible academic past. I enrolled at a college 10 years ago and didn't put forth any effort. I didn't open a book. I earned all failing grades that year, though with a random A in Biology, and dropped out. I went to community college on and off for several years part time while I worked part time...Still not motivated ( simply passing the time), I earned a mix of grades that included Fs and Ws (no Ds). I took a lot of classes for fun - music, sports, poetry. I knew I was great with biology but was not at all keen on Grad school/Medical school. A bachelor's alone would have done little for me. I thus had no academic goals.

I was 26 when I realized I wanted to pursue Medical School (I'm 29 now). I finally had my motivation, finished CC (two different CCs: 3.14 and 3.4 GPA - Fs were retaken) and transferred to a decent UC school. I'm in my final year and have a 3.63 UC GPA. The lack of resources and lack of interaction with entirely online classes has been a challenge. I know I will end up with another B this quarter -an online "lab" course- and this GPA will take another dip.

My pre-req grades (Quarter System):
Biology: A, A, A-
Physics: A, A, B
Organic Chemistry: A, A, A (Lab: A-, A, A-)
Structural Biochemistry: A
Metabolic Biochemistry: B
General Chemistry: B, B, C (Before reinvention)
Psychology: C+(Long! before reinvention)
Anatomy&P (Lower div): A, A-, A

I've earned As in upper div biology courses (Molecular Bio -A+, Cell Bio, Human Brain Evolution- A+, Cancer Biology, Physiology)...

My past GPA and my many years of screwing around just haunt me. I'm incredibly put off by the cost of a Post-Bacc. However, if my case necessitates it, I will absolutely look into it. My plan was to work full time both as a scribe/technician and in research for one year following my graduation this winter or spring. I'm just sick with fear though about what my past grades will do to my Medical school chances.

I'd truly appreciate advice here. Thanks.

 

[DocJanItor]

What is your overall GPA for everything you've taken?

 

[Goro]

I have a horrible academic past. I enrolled at a college 10 years ago and didn't put forth any effort. I didn't open a book. I earned all failing grades that year, though with a random A in Biology, and dropped out. I went to community college on and off for several years part time while I worked part time...Still not motivated ( simply passing the time), I earned a mix of grades that included Fs and Ws (no Ds). I took a lot of classes for fun - music, sports, poetry. I knew I was great with biology but was not at all keen on Grad school/Medical school. A bachelor's alone would have done little for me. I thus had no academic goals.

I was 26 when I realized I wanted to pursue Medical School (I'm 29 now). I finally had my motivation, finished CC (two different CCs: 3.14 and 3.4 GPA - Fs were retaken) and transferred to a decent UC school. I'm in my final year and have a 3.63 UC GPA. The lack of resources and lack of interaction with entirely online classes has been a challenge. I know I will end up with another B this quarter -an online "lab" course- and this GPA will take another dip.

My pre-req grades (Quarter System):
Biology: A, A, A-
Physics: A, A, B
Organic Chemistry: A, A, A (Lab: A-, A, A-)
Structural Biochemistry: A
Metabolic Biochemistry: B
General Chemistry: B, B, C (Before reinvention)
Psychology: C+(Long! before reinvention)
Anatomy&P (Lower div): A, A-, A

I've earned As in upper div biology courses (Molecular Bio -A+, Cell Bio, Human Brain Evolution- A+, Cancer Biology, Physiology)...

My past GPA and my many years of screwing around just haunt me. I'm incredibly put off by the cost of a Post-Bacc. However, if my case necessitates it, I will absolutely look into it. My plan was to work full time both as a scribe/technician and in research for one year following my graduation this winter or spring. I'm just sick with fear though about what my past grades will do to my Medical school chances.

I'd truly appreciate advice here. Thanks.

Could you show us your year by year GPAs? Each academic year

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

Could you show us your year by year GPAs? Each academic year

To be honest, it's quite a mess and it wouldn't reflect Ws or retaken courses. I had a couple quarters where I earned all As and Ps (Ps for sports classes) and others where I earned all Ws or all Fs (even for "fun" classes). Some quarters were a mix of good and bad grades. I had taken a gap year before deciding on medicine and coming back relatively strong.

I'm sure I'll be asked about this and I'm not sure what explanation, if any, would suffice. I didn't have an academic goal. I didn't know what I could possibly do career-wise, though I stressed about it often, and I felt stuck. I prioritized other things at the time (personal training certifications and training). If the course or the professor was interesting, I stuck with it. I will add that I am an URM (mixed black/white) and generally have a preference for the same sex - so though I'm hesitant to admit to having been depressed, I could say I was somewhat lonely while in hiding about this. I don't intend to center my personal statement around this.


Through much of CC my overall GPA rocked around a 3.0. It rose in my last two years (after deciding on medicine) as I took Biology, O. Chem, Physics, Calculus(A-, B+), and Elem. Statistics(A). I have a couple CC professors (O. Chem and Bio) in this time that both spoke very highly of me whose old letters I could submit if it helps (one straight out offered to write a letter for me - stating that I was more interested and thought far more critically about their material than most students they deal with). I could reach out and ask if they could touch it up/update the date? I am passionate about my subject. Few things have excited me more than when I first saw my own chest xray, my EKG in a class lab, or my own blood cells on a slide.

 

[Goro]

To be honest, it's quite a mess and it wouldn't reflect Ws or retaken courses. I had a couple quarters where I earned all As and Ps (Ps for sports classes) and others where I earned all Ws or all Fs (even for "fun" classes). Some quarters were a mix of good and bad grades. I had taken a gap year before deciding on medicine and coming back relatively strong.

I'm sure I'll be asked about this and I'm not sure what explanation, if any, would suffice. I didn't have an academic goal. I didn't know what I could possibly do career-wise, though I stressed about it often, and I felt stuck. I prioritized other things at the time (personal training certifications and training). If the course or the professor was interesting, I stuck with it. I will add that I am an URM (mixed black/white) and generally have a preference for the same sex - so though I'm hesitant to admit to having been depressed, I could say I was somewhat lonely while in hiding about this. I don't intend to center my personal statement around this.


Through much of CC my overall GPA rocked around a 3.0. It rose in my last two years (after deciding on medicine) as I took Biology, O. Chem, Physics, Calculus(A-, B+), and Elem. Statistics(A). I have a couple CC professors (O. Chem and Bio) in this time that both spoke very highly of me whose old letters I could submit if it helps (one straight out offered to write a letter for me - stating that I was more interested and thought far more critically about their material than most students they deal with). I could reach out and ask if they could touch it up/update the date? I am passionate about my subject. Few things have excited me more than when I first saw my own chest xray, my EKG in a class lab, or my own blood cells on a slide.

Not helping.

How about the last two academic years? cGPA and sGPA for each year?

How you did an individual courses doesn't help us either to advise you.

Do you have evidence of service to communities of color? To LGBT communities?

Have you resolved your mental health issues?

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

How about the last two academic years? cGPA and sGPA for each year?

How you did an individual courses doesn't help us either to advise you.

Do you have evidence of service to communities of color? To LGBT communities?

Have you resolved your mental health issues?

I believe my cGPA and sGPA over the last two years (Fall 2018 through Spring 2020) was 3.73. I took all science/math courses in that time. I did P a writing class in spring (that would have been a B).

No, I haven't contributed any services to the LGBT/black communities. I had wanted to tutor within the black community but this was discontinued with covid. I plan to stick with food banks and the crisis text line.

Despite greatly disliking online courses, I think my mental health is fine. As soon as I had decided on Medical School 3 years ago, I changed entirely. I don't know that I was depressed back then; I even chatted with a therapist at the time who thought I was fine. My motivation just was not with school. I know I will need to consider how to address this in my application.

Do I need to consider that Post-Bacc? Or should I stick with working full time as a scribe and as a research assistant (which I would much prefer)?

 

[Goro]

I believe my cGPA and sGPA over the last two years (Fall 2018 through Spring 2020) was 3.73. I took all science/math courses in that time. I did P a writing class in spring (that would have been a B).

No, I haven't contributed any services to the LGBT/black communities. I had wanted to tutor within the black community but this was discontinued with covid. I plan to stick with food banks and the crisis text line.

Despite greatly disliking online courses, I think my mental health is fine. As soon as I had decided on Medical School 3 years ago, I changed entirely. I don't know that I was depressed back then; I even chatted with a therapist at the time who thought I was fine. My motivation just was not with school. I know I will need to consider how to address this in my application.

Do I need to consider that Post-Bacc? Or should I stick with working full time as a scribe and as a research assistant (which I would much prefer)?

I don't thank that you need a post bac

 

[Ihave Nonamè]

I don't thank that you need a post bac

Thanks for your opinion. I know I need to address this all in my application and I can tell "lack of motivation" didn't have you too convinced. I'll need to find someone to sit with and discuss further what this may have been/why I did not believe in higher goals earlier.