Is a postbacc right for me?

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samiam87

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As the result of a bad freshman year my overall GPA if I apply via AMCAS will be 3.05. Because of retakes, my overall GPA on AACOMAS is 3.52. My science GPA is 3.48 because I've never had to retake any science classes. I managed a 32P on the MCAT and I have pretty average extracurriculars (e.g. 40 hours shadowing, 200 hours volunteering at a hospital, etc.). So, here's my question: How much would a GPA boosting program help me when applying to MD schools? Should I just forget MD and go DO? I'd be willing to move pretty much anywhere and take out loans if a postbacc program is really going to help me that much.

Thanks for your advice!

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See this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=125347. Soon to have 300,000 views. The only thing different about your case is that you've already got a strong MCAT instead of high hopes.

A regular structured traditional formal postbac, like Bryn Mawr or Goucher, won't take you because you've presumably finished the prereqs.

So for you, "postbac" just means "more undergrad". Which is the only way to improve your undergrad GPA. What would one more year of upper div science at a 3.7+ do for your numbers? (You'll probably max out at a 3.2 or 3.3 overall.) If you live in a state that gives strong in-state preference without crushing hordes of competition (forget CA, NY), one more year of undergrad might be all you need to get in. Also, that year will raise your science GPA nicely.

Alternatively, or in addition, you can look at SMPs, where you do the first year of med school to prove you can do med school. There are approximately a million posts about SMPs in this forum. See this thread, which is stickied at the top: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=640302.

Best of luck to you.
 
See this thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=125347. Soon to have 300,000 views. The only thing different about your case is that you've already got a strong MCAT instead of high hopes.

A regular structured traditional formal postbac, like Bryn Mawr or Goucher, won't take you because you've presumably finished the prereqs.

So for you, "postbac" just means "more undergrad". Which is the only way to improve your undergrad GPA. What would one more year of upper div science at a 3.7+ do for your numbers? (You'll probably max out at a 3.2 or 3.3 overall.) If you live in a state that gives strong in-state preference without crushing hordes of competition (forget CA, NY), one more year of undergrad might be all you need to get in. Also, that year will raise your science GPA nicely.

Alternatively, or in addition, you can look at SMPs, where you do the first year of med school to prove you can do med school. There are approximately a million posts about SMPs in this forum. See this thread, which is stickied at the top: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=640302.

Best of luck to you.

Unfortunately I do live in California :( so I can't rely on a state school accepting me. Taking another year of upper level science courses would only bring my uGPA to a 3.19 if I got 3.7 and up to 3.25 if I managed a 4.0. But that would put my science GPA up over 3.6, even with just a year of 3.7.

Thanks for your help!
 
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