My Story, My Dilemma, My Need for Advice

[Mimnguyen]

After weeks of scoping your threads and years of peek-a-boos, I am ready. I am 25 y.o. I graduated from UC Davis in 2003 with a horrid GPA--2.768. Yikes! Since then, I have become a surgical tech (ST). I finished school for that last June. I was immediately hired by the site I did my clinicals at. It's been about 3.5 months. I have also started a teaching job at the CC I just graduated from. The program director was desperate for someone, and I happened to be the willing victim because it would be a nice EC, I like to teach, and eventually that's what I would like to do when I get too old to tie suture . I initially did the ST thing because I have always been interested in surgery, and doing so has just reinforced my goal to become a surgeon, plus, great LORs, great pay to reduce my credit and loan debt, great experience. That is my story in a nutshell.

My dilemma is what I should do now. I've been going over the threads and found out that I need to boost my GPA, but I wanted to apply for 2008. Besides aiming for a 40 on the MCAT.....

1. Should I apply for 2008 matriculation? I only want to apply once, but what if? But I also know that I won't be able to break the minimum for the schools I want to apply to or even post-bacc programs. But that what if could be like the odds of winning the lotto. I think I'll save those odds for the lotto. Just tell me what you think.

2. Post-baccs don't look that easy to get into either. I don't think I made the cut either. I will apply to post-bacc programs this spring. But there is a Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program in Biotechnology at my local state college. Do you think this could be equivalent to the formal post-bacc programs that are recognized by med schools? Courses include molecular bio, protein purification, micropropagation, recombinant DNA, hybrid/cell culture. It's about 20-26 units within two semesters. Would this constitute for improving my science gpa and represent my ability and readiness to take science courses, taking into account if I get A's?

Ugh, sigh, I think I know what to do. Get a perfect on the MCAT. Pray this gets me into a post-bacc. Apply to all the post-baccs and SMPs, go wherever they take me. Apply for 2009 matriculation, ugh. What year is this? How much debt am I in or will I be in? There is nothing else I want to do, unless I won the lotto. But if I did win the lotto, I'd make a large donation to a med school and rub some elbows. Muahahaha. I think I'm getting delusional.

One last question, what questions should I answer or general topics should I write about in my personal statement? I want to work on it. Thank you in advance for the advice and for allowing me to vent!

Mimi

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[relentless11]

My dilemma is what I should do now. I've been going over the threads and found out that I need to boost my GPA, but I wanted to apply for 2008. Besides aiming for a 40 on the MCAT.....

Yep, Both GPA and MCAT are key. I emphasize BOTH. All the med schools i've talked to, specifically all the UCs have stated they weigh both GPA and MCAT equally, therefore doing well in one doesn't neccessarily make up for the other. As you may or may not know, UC's also screen GPA. The GPA cut-off is a 3.0-3.2, so you will most likely be screened out, and not receive a secondary application (e.g., med schools won't even see the LORs). Conversely, a 4.0 GPA and 45 on the MCAT does not guarantee admission either. You should definitely aim for the best, but you also have to be realistic at the same time based on your abilities. The only advice anyone can give in these forums is for you to do well in whatever you do, and leave little or no excuses (low grades, low MCAT scores, lack of ECs, etc) for adcoms to weed you out of the pool of applicants.

1. Should I apply for 2008 matriculation? I only want to apply once, but what if? But I also know that I won't be able to break the minimum for the schools I want to apply to or even post-bacc programs. But that what if could be like the odds of winning the lotto. I think I'll save those odds for the lotto. Just tell me what you think.

Its up to you if you want to apply or not. However since you have not taken the MCAT, and your GPA is <3.0, you are very far from being in the condition to apply. Recall the average GPA for matriculants in the US is a 3.4-3.5, while matriculants in CA who apply to a UC have a GPA of 3.5-3.6. UCSF for example states on their FAQ that they rarely, if ever, accept anyone with a GPA <3.2. Based on your time table, you will have to focus on boosting your GPA by taking a full-time courseload of upper division science classes, AND somehow study for the MCAT, and do well on it.

2. Post-baccs don't look that easy to get into either. I don't think I made the cut either. I will apply to post-bacc programs this spring. But there is a Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program in Biotechnology at my local state college. Do you think this could be equivalent to the formal post-bacc programs that are recognized by med schools? Courses include molecular bio, protein purification, micropropagation, recombinant DNA, hybrid/cell culture. It's about 20-26 units within two semesters. Would this constitute for improving my science gpa and represent my ability and readiness to take science courses, taking into account if I get A's?

By definition, ANY undergrad classes taken after earning your bachelors is considered post-bacc. So it doesn't matter where you take it. What matters is you have to do well (GPA of 3.5<) in upper division science courses. It is great that you are seeking ways to improve your GPA, but from a more philosophical perspective, have you addressed why you maintained a <3.0 GPA? If not then you may be doomed to repeat your mistakes.

Formal post-bacc programs, and SMPs tend to have pretty high GPA requirements. UC post-bacc programs have a minimum GPA of 2.7-2.9 depending on which school. While SMPs are very competative to get into, with minimum GPA's in the 3.0's. Again, I encourage you to figure out why you had a low GPA. Try to work on improving it via whatever route you can can gain access to. The road is long, and most likely expensive. Ultimately the most important thing is to know YOURSELF. Its easy to say and feel that you want to get into med school, but you have to quantitatively prove that to the adcoms via GPA and MCAT scores.

One last question, what questions should I answer or general topics should I write about in my personal statement? I want to work on it. Thank you in advance for the advice and for allowing me to vent!
Mimi

I would be more concerned about boosting my GPA, and doing well on the MCAT first. Besides, many things can happen between now and the time you apply, and thus your personal statement may also change. I don't mean to sound discouraging, but students have to be realistic in their goals, and be aware of both their strengths and weaknesses. I wish you the best of luck, but also think about why things are the way they are now, and how will you fix it. The best plans are usually simple, and focused, rather than broad and all encompassing. Good luck!

 

[njbmd]

After weeks of scoping your threads and years of peek-a-boos, I am ready. I am 25 y.o. I graduated from UC Davis in 2003 with a horrid GPA--2.768.

That GPA is way too low for most medical schools (unless you are a legacy and even then you are on thin ice). You need to get this up and it's going to take some time. Academic "damage control" is a long and tedious process in the premed world. You need to figure out why your GPA is low, fix your problems and get some good grades to offset your previous poor ones.

There are people out there that recovered from a lower GPA than you have but it took some long and difficult work with an extreme focus on academics only. By your post, you seem to have a teaching job, an allied health career and other things that have moved you away from your pre-med studies.

My dilemma is what I should do now. I've been going over the threads and found out that I need to boost my GPA, but I wanted to apply for 2008. Besides aiming for a 40 on the MCAT.....

Your changes of getting a 40 on the MCAT are extremely low since you actually have not proven that you can get a cumulative GPA of 3.0. Your plan to try to apply for 2008 matriculation is a very poor one since you are likely not to have enough coursework to offset that very low GPA unless you are attending school full-time with a fairly heavy courseload and getting As.

A postbacc with linkage is a possibility but you face an uphill battle there too with your GPA. Most of these post-baccs want at least a 3.0 so you at least need to get your grades up from there.

One last question, what questions should I answer or general topics should I write about in my personal statement? I want to work on it. Thank you in advance for the advice and for allowing me to vent! Mimi

I would put any plans for working on a personal statement on hold at this point. Once you have corrected that low GPA and taken the MCAT, you will have plenty of material for a personal statement. Right now, you have minimum of two to three years of very demanding academic work ahead of you to get to a point where you can apply and be competitive.

If you want to become a physician (and that should be your goal first), you need to get yourself into a position where you can make a shot at medical school. Good luck!

 

[Law2Doc]

Your plan to try to apply for 2008 matriculation is a very poor one since you are likely not to have enough coursework to offset that very low GPA unless you are attending school full-time with a fairly heavy courseload and getting As.

Agree with this. You are not going to have time to make yourself an applicant who gets serious consideration in that time frame. Getting a 40+ on the MCAT probably still doesn't get someone with a 2.77 into a med school. Your best bet if you cannot get into a formal postbac, is to start taking nongraduate level courses any (4 year institution) college or university that has open enrollment (a so-called informal postbac). As long as the courses are at the undergrad level, they will help your GPA (graduate courses will not -- are looked at differently). I wouldn't worry about post bac "certificate" programs, as they don't really mean much -- you just need the grade rehabilitation. But this is not a race. Many people on here are taking several years (or more) of classes to remediate their damaging college academic experiences. As such, I would not take the MCAT yet, as it only is good for 3 years, and so you may want to take it toward the tail end of your postbac studies (or before you cap them off with an SMP). Bottom line, you CAN get to med school, but you CANNOT get there fast from here. 2008 is not going to happen unless you go offshore.

 

[Orthodoc40]

Agree with this. You are not going to have time to make yourself an applicant who gets serious consideration in that time frame. Getting a 40+ on the MCAT probably still doesn't get someone with a 2.77 into a med school. Your best bet if you cannot get into a formal postbac, is to start taking nongraduate level courses any (4 year institution) college or university that has open enrollment (a so-called informal postbac). As long as the courses are at the undergrad level, they will help your GPA (graduate courses will not -- are looked at differently). I wouldn't worry about post bac "certificate" programs, as they don't really mean much -- you just need the grade rehabilitation. But this is not a race. Many people on here are taking several years (or more) of classes to remediate their damaging college academic experiences. As such, I would not take the MCAT yet, as it only is good for 3 years, and so you may want to take it toward the tail end of your postbac studies (or before you cap them off with an SMP). Bottom line, you CAN get to med school, but you CANNOT get there fast from here. 2008 is not going to happen unless you go offshore.

Agreed. Or maybe some DO schools - there are 2 in CA right now.
Otherwise, dig in for a few years & get the GPA up before worrying about applying.

 

[RxnMan]

...I graduated from UC Davis in 2003 with a horrid GPA--2.768...

Click on the link at the bottom of my post to see what I had to do to overcome a similar GPA.

...I need to boost my GPA, but I wanted to apply for 2008. Besides aiming for a 40 on the MCAT...

Exactly. First focus on the GPA. That is THE thing limiting you now. Worry about the MCAT later.

On the MCAT, I've seen it written hear time and again that people 'plan' to get such and such score. It makes me laugh to read statements like that, because it means the author isn't connected with reality - if everyone could 'choose' their score, or get what they 'expect,' then we'd all have 43+.

...1. Should I apply for 2008 matriculation? I only want to apply once, but what if?...

You're pushing it. I'd start by laying out a good, solid, achievable plan, and then completing it. Take classes. Repair the GPA. Then do the MCAT. Then apply. Figure out how long it takes to do those steps, and do them well, then sum it all up to determine when you apply, not set a date and rush to meet it. Right now you need to fix the GPA, and you need 4.0s to do that. Until that happens, nothing else matters.

...2. I will apply to post-bacc programs this spring...Would this constitute for improving my science gpa and represent my ability and readiness to take science courses, taking into account if I get A's?...

You can do a formal post-bacc or SMP, or you can make up your own. relentless is doing something similar to this (and getting a PhD). Getting consistently good grades will boost your GPA, show maturity, and dedication to your goal better than anything else you can do now.

...Get a perfect on the MCAT. Pray this gets me into a post-bacc. Apply to all the post-baccs and SMPs, go wherever they take me. Apply for 2009...

Again, you can't 'choose' to get a perfect. It's a hard test and you have to work hard to get a good score.

Going offshore might be a quicker method of getting an MD, but it might not get you to your goal - International medical graduates face significant hurdles to practicing in the US (search the site for IMG and residency to get an idea). Patience, dedication, hard work, and good planning are what will get you to where you want to go.

 

[ExtremeUnderdog]

But if I did win the lotto, I'd make a large donation to a med school and rub some elbows. Muahahaha. I think I'm getting delusional.

OMG.... I can't tell you how many times I've thought the same thing - every time a lotto sign or ad or poster catches my eye I think "I'll give the whole thing to a school (just don't charge me tuition after that please... )... all for a single sheet of paper that says "Congratulations! You have been accepted.... blah blah blah School of Medicine Class of 20... blah blah blah..." It's good to know I'm not the only one who's feeling delusional...

Of course I'd have to buy a ticket first... ahh, maybe that's what I am doing wrong - forget the post-bacc stuff, just start buying lottery tickets... think of how many tickets you can get for the price of the Georgetown SMP!!!

 

[relentless11]

On the MCAT, I've seen it written hear time and again that people 'plan' to get such and such score. It makes me laugh to read statements like that, because it means the author isn't connected with reality - if everyone could 'choose' their score, or get what they 'expect,' then we'd all have 43+.

I agree with this. Its understandable that people want to aim high, but to expect to acheive such a score is certainly delusional given a low GPA. A low GPA implies either: (1) hardships preventing sufficient resources to do well, (2) intrinsic ability to do well in classes, or (3) ineffective study skills. Whatever it is, it was a chronic event which lasted over the entire undergraduate career. Any of these 3 factors can effect ones ability to do well on the MCAT. In a nutshell, don't underestimate the MCAT.

In fact, we actually had a student who recently "expected" to do well on the August MCAT. The student currently has a GPA of ~3.8. Well she got 10's on the science sections. This is expected since she was a science major and her GPA. However she also got a 5 on the verbal reasoning section. Didn't even break 30, and a 5 on the VR is essentially useless.

You can do a formal post-bacc or SMP, or you can make up your own. relentless is doing something similar to this (and getting a PhD). Getting consistently good grades will boost your GPA, show maturity, and dedication to your goal better than anything else you can do now.

RxnMan is correct, I am currently doing a PhD and taking additional classes to boost my undergrad GPA. I had a 2.65 GPA after undergrad at UCD. UCD let me into the PhD program because: (1) I did 1.5 years of post-bacc through UCD Extension and maintained a 3.65 GPA in upper division BIM and MCB courses, (2) since my MCAT score was a 36, it was clear that my academic ability was not piss-poor (3) it was also clear based on my recent records that working 2-3 jobs to support myself and my family reduced my ability in class. Regardless, I DID NOT use job as an excuse, I EMPHASIZED my post-bacc grades, and my MCAT score. Despite all that, UCD admitted me on probation. Thus I had to acheive at least a 3.0 in our core courses which included classes from UCD School of Medicine to get out of probation. Well to cut to the chase, I have maintained an overall GPA of 4.0, and will continue to take classes to improve my overall undergrad GPA...which should reach a 3.0 by the end of next year. This sounds great and all, but as I stated before, it doesn't guarantee anything....we'll just have to wait and see.

One thing I know for certain is over the past 3 years since graduating, I have found that hope to often times be associated with denial, and delusion. What matters is doing rather than hoping. Actions speak louder than words, but direct actions doesn't neccessarily equate to success. However EFFECTIVE and EFFICIENT actions certainly do. Over the past 6 years I've seen way to many people inefficiently study day and night only to acheive mediocre grades.

 

[sendwich]

hey there OP, i'm exactly in the same situatino as you (graduated with sucky ~2.77 ug gpa...then decided to go for medschool). after a year of graduating, i took some upper div science courses at another uc....did well...and have completed my coursework at bu's smp. i did the postbac while applying to bu too. i think you should get enrolled into some science courses as soon as you can (the sooner the better), and then apply for an smp. it IS possible to get into these smp programs THIS YEAR if your desire to go into medicine is shown strongly in your essays. BU took me with just a year of good grades and then i kicked some butt in the program (and it's not easy either!). i also took the august mcat and got a 31 (had a 26 before the smp)..i think the difficult program helped me to "gear" myself to do some mad studying.

i dont know if i've done "enough" to prove to medshcools that i'm seiours and all...i'm going to give it a shot this year and see what happens.

if you've been on this forum long enough, you'll see that folks like us actually DO have shot at medschool, altho the uphill battle might take some time. GLUCK!!!!

 

[Mimnguyen]

Thanks for all of your advice. I have a plan, and I am determined. I am going to give it my all and actually make an effort this time around. I know what I did wrong as an UG. My priorities were in the wrong places. Now, I'm ready. I won't be applying for 2008. That would just be stupid. I wouldn't be able to apply to the UCs. Today, I've applied to my state school for Spring 2007 to take some upperclass science courses so I can get into their Biotech post-bacc and get A's. And when I say I'm going to do something, it's going to happen even if it kills me. I am so OCD, it drives me crazy. I have so much focus now that I can't do anything else until I have accomplished what is on my mind.

The 40 is just a goal, a dream, but I'm going to do everything in my power to blow it out of the water, make it mine, and lasso it in. Offshore and DO are not options I want to take. It is all or nothing. Besides the OCD, I'm traditional and stubborn too.

As for the certificate, I don't care about it. I just wanted an opinion of that post-bacc program, if it was equivalent to the post-baccs officially listed on aamc.

Click on the link at the bottom of my post to see what I had to do to overcome a similar GPA.

Yeah, I read it yesterday. You gave me hope.

just start buying lottery tickets... think of how many tickets you can get for the price of the Georgetown SMP!!!

Thanks for humoring me. It just seems like the odds of winning or getting accepted are the same. And yeah, that would be lot$$a tickets. Damn that billboard I drive next to everyday!

This sounds great and all, but as I stated before, it doesn't guarantee anything....we'll just have to wait and see.

One thing I know for certain is over the past 3 years since graduating, I have found that hope to often times be associated with denial, and delusion. What matters is doing rather than hoping. Actions speak louder than words, but direct actions doesn't neccessarily equate to success. However EFFECTIVE and EFFICIENT actions certainly do. Over the past 6 years I've seen way to many people inefficiently study day and night only to acheive mediocre grades.

You are the sound of reason. I will be doing, performing, and overachieving, but I will also be hoping and praying. All I have going for me is my optimism to keep my dream alive. I doubt myself every other day. If I didn't think I could do it, I wouldn't be here. I know my effort isn't a guarantee, but I will regret it if I don't at least try. But I know if I make an effort, I will make it. If I want something bad enough, I won't let anything get in my way. I will find a path. This time around, I want to do it right.

I'm sure I'll be on probation if any program accepts me, but I'm going to show them how I take care of business. I know these are all just words, but I will perform. Only time will tell. I'll be sure to keep you all posted.

hey there OP, i'm exactly in the same situatino as you (graduated with sucky ~2.77 ug gpa...then decided to go for medschool).

i think you should get enrolled into some science courses as soon as you can (the sooner the better), and then apply for an smp. i also took the august mcat and got a 31 (had a 26 before the smp)..

...i'm going to give it a shot this year and see what happens.

if you've been on this forum long enough, you'll see that folks like us actually DO have shot at medschool, altho the uphill battle might take some time. GLUCK!!!!

It's nice to hear about other members in the same boat. I think I'll be following in your footsteps. I'll do the post-bacc and then an SMP. Great job on the 31! You will be in my prayers.


Thank you to ALL once again.

 

[silkworm]

that biotech post-bach you mentioned in the first post doesn't sound like something geared toward improving academic record for med school. The courses seems very lab heavy and for training technicians. So I don't know how helpful it would be for your ultimate goal of getting into a MD program.

 

[relentless11]

Today, I’ve applied to my state school for Spring 2007 to take some upperclass science courses so I can get into their Biotech post-bacc and get A’s.

If you mean the Biotech program at Cal State East Bay, I think the classes you take there are actually graduate level in molecular biology. My friend took that class as a stepping stone to get into the biotech field (not a premed) since the classes are closely tied to industry. I briefly checked their site, and ther classes mainly consist of 6000-series, which appear to be graduate level to me. If that is the case, all graduate level courses DO NOT improve your undergrad GPA.

I think there are similar programs at other CSUs where you can apply your coursework credit to finishing a masters degree, therefore that would imply that they may be graduate level. In terms of AMCAS, these are not post-baccs, but more like non-degree earning masters programs. If you spoke to Ed Dagang, our director of admissions at UCDSoM, he would've told you to take undergrad UPPER DIVISION SCIENCE CLASSES to boost your GPA, and DO NOT take graduate classes (generally speaking). The caveat is he said its OK to do a grad program, where you can take these undergrad classes as electives (which I am doing). Some grad programs do not allow this, or you are so busy with their requirements that you don't have the time to do it.
Hence, doing a formal, or informal post-bacc (e.g., UC Extension), or SMP is far superior than graduate school. These are just many times more expensive (e.g., PhDs for the most part go to school for free).

 

[UMP]

After weeks of scoping your threads and years of peek-a-boos, I am ready. I am 25 y.o. I graduated from UC Davis in 2003 with a horrid GPA--2.768. Yikes! Since then, I have become a surgical tech (ST). I finished school for that last June. I was immediately hired by the site I did my clinicals at. It's been about 3.5 months. I have also started a teaching job at the CC I just graduated from. The program director was desperate for someone, and I happened to be the willing victim because it would be a nice EC, I like to teach, and eventually that's what I would like to do when I get too old to tie suture . I initially did the ST thing because I have always been interested in surgery, and doing so has just reinforced my goal to become a surgeon, plus, great LORs, great pay to reduce my credit and loan debt, great experience. That is my story in a nutshell.

My dilemma is what I should do now. I've been going over the threads and found out that I need to boost my GPA, but I wanted to apply for 2008. Besides aiming for a 40 on the MCAT.....

1. Should I apply for 2008 matriculation? I only want to apply once, but what if? But I also know that I won't be able to break the minimum for the schools I want to apply to or even post-bacc programs. But that what if could be like the odds of winning the lotto. I think I'll save those odds for the lotto. Just tell me what you think.

2. Post-baccs don't look that easy to get into either. I don't think I made the cut either. I will apply to post-bacc programs this spring. But there is a Postbaccalaureate Certificate Program in Biotechnology at my local state college. Do you think this could be equivalent to the formal post-bacc programs that are recognized by med schools? Courses include molecular bio, protein purification, micropropagation, recombinant DNA, hybrid/cell culture. It's about 20-26 units within two semesters. Would this constitute for improving my science gpa and represent my ability and readiness to take science courses, taking into account if I get A's?

Ugh, sigh, I think I know what to do. Get a perfect on the MCAT. Pray this gets me into a post-bacc. Apply to all the post-baccs and SMPs, go wherever they take me. Apply for 2009 matriculation, ugh. What year is this? How much debt am I in or will I be in? There is nothing else I want to do, unless I won the lotto. But if I did win the lotto, I'd make a large donation to a med school and rub some elbows. Muahahaha. I think I'm getting delusional.

One last question, what questions should I answer or general topics should I write about in my personal statement? I want to work on it. Thank you in advance for the advice and for allowing me to vent!

Mimi

I was in your exact same situation about a year ago.
Graduated with a 2.77 GPA. First I contacted my state schools: they told me hold at least a 3.5 in science classes over 20+ credits, get 30+ on MCAT (this is Michigan). Being used to SDN advice I went above and beyond:
36 credits from Jan-Aug at near 4.0, overall GPA is up above 3.0 (barely), took August MCAT, got a 38.
Applying right now, and I'm liking my chances at the state schools, but I'm still taking classes and padding my application for next year if I need to... and an early application next year will more or less guarantee me a spot somewhere. Get to it, but if you want to be in med school by 2008 you need to do it full time

 

[Mimnguyen]

If you mean the Biotech program at Cal State East Bay, I think the classes you take there are actually graduate level in molecular biology.

It’s at CSU Fresno. They are graduate courses and lab heavy. Argh, grr grr! I guess that idea goes out the window. How about just taking upper division science courses at CSU for one year, full-time? But which ones, any? Then try for the post-bacc.

I was in your exact same situation about a year ago.
Graduated with a 2.77 GPA. First I contacted my state schools: they told me hold at least a 3.5 in science classes over 20+ credits, get 30+ on MCAT (this is Michigan). Being used to SDN advice I went above and beyond:
36 credits from Jan-Aug at near 4.0, overall GPA is up above 3.0 (barely), took August MCAT, got a 38.
Applying right now, and I'm liking my chances at the state schools, but I'm still taking classes and padding my application for next year if I need to... and an early application next year will more or less guarantee me a spot somewhere. Get to it, but if you want to be in med school by 2008 you need to do it full time

Yay! Another twin. It feels so great knowing that it can be done. Congratulations on the GPA and the 38. That is what I’m aiming for.

Definitely doing it full-time. I’m getting my priorities straight. I won’t be applying next year. I’m going to save it for 2009 matriculation. I want to get all my birds lined up in a row.

 

[UMP]

Yay! Another twin. It feels so great knowing that it can be done. Congratulations on the GPA and the 38. That is what I’m aiming for.

Definitely doing it full-time. I’m getting my priorities straight. I won’t be applying next year. I’m going to save it for 2009 matriculation. I want to get all my birds lined up in a row.

great idea... good luck It's a lot easier than you think once you put your mind to it

 

[relentless11]

It’s at CSU Fresno. They are graduate courses and lab heavy. Argh, grr grr! I guess that idea goes out the window. How about just taking upper division science courses at CSU for one year, full-time? But which ones, any? Then try for the post-bacc.

You can go anywhere. Open campus at a CSU is fine, or even UC Extensions. The latter is usually quite expensive...which is why I went the PhD route. Aslong as they let you take any undergrad science class, it should be sufficient.

You can also use open campus programs to boost your GPA high enough to get into a post-bacc program too (or SMP).

 

[UMP]

I feel bad for you Californians doing post-baccs... your state schools seem to try to throw barriers in your way at every opportunity, at the undergrad and med school level

 

[relentless11]

I feel bad for you Californians doing post-baccs... your state schools seem to try to throw barriers in your way at every opportunity, at the undergrad and med school level

Hahahah, its not really the school's fault, its more of the application pool. In reality UC's are pretty receptive to many things such as non-trads, and community college coursework (for college transfer students).

With such a large and competative pool of applicants, its reasonable for the UC's to put up screening tools, and require more "uniqueness" among their matriculants to make the process more efficient for them. The only real barrier would be the fact that many of the CA applicants have great transcripts. But then that may frustrate students outside of CA since they have a minimal chance of getting into the UC schools (due to state of residence), and also have to deal with CA students applying to private school's outside of CA.

I must admit though, I would prefer that things were easier but at the same time, if one is considered competative at a UC, then you're pretty much good to go at other schools outside of CA too.

 

[Orthodoc40]

I feel bad for you Californians doing post-baccs... your state schools seem to try to throw barriers in your way at every opportunity, at the undergrad and med school level

I think it is just that every single kid in CA wants to go to medical school.