Looking for Advice

[Rjaymk]

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I apologize in advance for the walk of text. With the new DO policy change I am trying to re evaluate where I'm at.

Due to family circumstances I won't be able to apply to med school for 2 years and I was looking for advice on how to best use my time until then.

First a summary of where I'm at:

Went to a university for 4.5 years and graduated with a degree in Biology with a cGPA of around 2.4 and an sGPA less than that. My decision to pursue medicine was late in my undergraduate career and after the damage had already been done.

I knew at the time I had to re-evaluate my commitment to pursue medicine and needed to start some serious GPA repair. I went to a local community college and I was accepted to the Respiratory Care Program.

I am in my final semester of the Respiratory Care program. I have spent 3 years here at the community college and have taken around 90 credits worth of classes. I have received only 1 B in a 1 credit lab all the rest have been straight A's. My GPA at the community college is 3.98. I have over 1000+ hours of time spent on clinical rotations through a variety of different hospital settings as a Respiratory therapy Student. I will be graduating with an associates in Respiratory Care and plan to work full time as a Respiratory Therapist for the next 2 years.

I have not yet taken the MCAT. I was originally planning to retake some of my pre-requisites at the community college, but with the removal of DO grade replacement I feel a lot of the incentive to retake has been removed and I am not sure that is the best way to use my time.

My current repaired GPA and pre-req grades are as follows:

DO (NO GRADE REPLACEMENT)

cGPA 3.101

sGPA 2.967

MD

cGPA 3.058

sGPA 2.544

I have not yet taken the MCAT

BIO 1 (Lecture/Lab) (B/B)

BIO 2 (Lecture/Lab) (B/B)

CHEM 1 (Lecture/Lab) (A/C+)

CHEM 2 (Lecture/Lab) (A/B-)

ORG 1 (Lecture/Lab) (C+/B+)

ORG 2 (Lecture/Lab) (B-/A-)

PHYS 1 (Lecture/Lab) (C/C+)

PHYS 2 (Lecture/Lab) (B/C-)

These are the options I'm considering.

1. Stick to my original plan and retake organic chemistry 1 and 2 lecture and physic 1 and 2 lecture and lab at the community college while working full time during the 1st year. On the second year focus on studying for MCAT and apply to medical schools afterwards.

2. The Respiratory Care program I am attending has an articulation agreement with a 4 year state university. They offer a bachelors in applied science with a concentration in Respiratory Care. The remaining coursework to finish the bachelors would only take me 1 year to 1.5 years and at the same time I could retake organic chemistry and physics at the 4 year institution. Most of the classes are upper division classes in public health administration and in Respiratory Care/science. I would study for and take the MCAT during the second year.

3. Do more DIY post-bac work for the next 2 years and take MCAT. The problem with this option is a lack of selection of upper division science courses that would fit well into a full time work schedule in my area. The only classes I really have access to would just be retakes of the pre-requisites. This would be the most difficult option to go with due to lack of options.

4. Take no classes, work full time, take MCAT, continue volunteering and shadowing.

In 2 years I will be applying broadly to DO schools. The only MD school I plan to apply for sure would be my state MD school. I may apply to other MD schools, but I am only realistically targeting DO. I will also apply to my states SMP and a few others as a back up.

I don't want to spend these next 2 years looking like I'm doing nothing to improve myself. No matter what option I go with I will be for sure working full time as a Respiratory Therapist, taking the MCAT in the second year, and be volunteering and shadowing. Currently I volunteer weekly at a Geriatric Rehabilitative Extended Care facility for military Veterans. I am also regularly shadowing an MD (Pediatrician) for a few hours a month.

Thanks in advance for any advice/criticism! I really do appreciate all input whether it be positive or negative!

 

[brew]

Is the Respiratory Therapy classes considered a science for DO but not MD? I see there is a big difference in the sGPA.

Do you know how many more science classes you would need to get your DO sGPA above a 3.0?
I think that is when you should stop taking classes. (You can either repeat some pre-reqs [not sure if C- in physics 2 lab is acceptable for medical schools] and/or take some biology classes that will prepare you for medical school or a SMP)

Afterwards, just work and keep volunteering and shadowing, etc to get your application as strong as you can.

You plan of applying to DO/MD and SMPs seems like a good plan. Good luck!

 

[Rjaymk]

Thanks for the input!

Yes out of the 90 or so Credits I've taken about 60 credits are RESP classes. According to the AACOMAS website these classes are classified as "Other Science" and are factored into the sGPA. Hence the difference between my MD sGPA and DO sGPA.

It would take me about 14 science credits to raise my DO sGPA over the 3.0 mark.

Is it worth it to take 14 credits to raise my sGPA by 0.033?

I will more than likely retake physics 1 and 2 lecture and lab but I would still need to find 2 extra science classes to take along side them. My school options are limited to the local community college system and the state university system. If I retake at the community college I would not have access to upper division science courses and would more than likely just retake 1 year of organic chemistry alongside the physics classes. The state university does not have very many upper division science courses that I have not already taken at my previous university. The classes that are available and I have not taken are limited to graduate degree students. The state university is also more expensive and difficult to schedule due to timing and distance (40-50 minute drive from home).

Regardless of option I take I will be working full time as a respiratory therapist and will continue to shadow and volunteer. I also am currently looking at an opportunity to do research with the Medical Director of my Respiratory Care Program who is an MD.

Would it be a bad idea to just retake the physics 2 lab to fix the C- and just focus on trying to do research/work/volunteer/shadow/MCAT over the next 2 years?

 

[brew]

I think psychologically having a GPA in the 3's is a way better GPA than having one in the 2's.
I don't know of any DO schools that have a secondary screen at 3.0, but I think having a GPA in the 3's would also be a big help on the SMP applications.

Since it's 14 units and you have 2 years to get it done, could you not take one class in some combination of multiple spring, summer, fall to reach it easily?
I'm not sure how ADCOMs will perceive your respiratory therapy classes. And I think your repeat grades or upper division science classes will carry more weight than your respiratory therapy classes so make sure you do well on those!

Also make sure you devote enough study time to ACE the MCAT and don't take it until you are getting the score you want on the AAMC practice materials. (Don't take a class the semester you are taking the MCAT!!!)