Marine Corps officer transition

[runandlmh]

I am currently a 28-yr old officer in the Marine Corps and am looking towards the next phase of life. Prior to joining, I earned a BS in Biological Sciences and Statistics from UC Davis while prioritizing extra-curriculars to become competitive for the officer program. No excuses: my cumulative GPA is 2.59.

After some research, I believe my options are a DIY post-bacc or SMP. I am aware of being at severe disadvantage of grades and being out of the academic game for over 6 years – Being asian definitely does not help my package. There is another military WAMC thread here with significantly better stats and relevant clinical experience. Is gathering clinical experience during post-bacc/SMP recommended?

But after the hardships of the military and it's relentless schedule, I wish to return to the classroom and eventually work with patients and hospital staff. I somewhat recently returned from being stationed overseas, became conscious it's time for change, and started looking at the MCAT, volunteer opportunities and more research. I would greatly appreciate outside insight into my chances and/or recommending the path to take. I currently live in California, will have the GI Bill and a significant amount of money saved to pay for school... If only running fast and wearing a sharp uniform would help!

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[Mr.Smile12]

SMP. Check how schools will view your military experience (assure you it will be favorable).

 

[deleted314957]

If you handled the last 6 years in the marines and were an O-2,3 troop leader you can do this too. It just takes more of the same for a long time. From one squid to one jarhead!

 

[runandlmh]

SMP. Check how schools will view your military experience (assure you it will be favorable).

Thank you for your time! How come a SMP is recommended over a DIY post-bacc? Just wanted some more information before applying for these programs; I live near UC Berkeley/SF state which appear to have good post-bacc programs... I apologize for missing the subtleties of the non-traditional application process.

If you handled the last 6 years in the marines and were an O-2,3 troop leader you can do this too. It just takes more of the same for a long time. From one squid to one jarhead!

Semper!

 

[LeaveNoTrace]

Hmm. I'd recommend a DIY postbacc, if only for a short time, unless you're confident you can ace the SMP. Some might not let you in with such a low GPA, although they might give you some wiggle room if you have an upward trend. Especially since you're a Marine officer.