Need ADvice

[msweetney50]

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So I need some advice. I am a junior psychology major and have been doing very poorly in my pre-med classes. So far I have taken bio 1 and 2, chem 1 (twice) and 2, and orgo 1, all with labs. I have gotten pretty much all C's, with the exception of a B in my retake of chem 1, and a B in bio 2.

Without anyone asking me if I am sure that being a doctor is right for me, I need legitimate advice on my next step. I can either: finish up orgo and physics and then apply to post-bacc grade enhancer programs, which might be a reach.

OR

I can abandon the rest of the science classes needed for med school and graduate with my psyc degree, which I have been doing very well in, and apply for a post bacc career changer program, where I would take all the classes needed for med school.

I would love to know what you guys think, and whether the second option could even work out. Would I get get rejected based on my past science grades, even if the rest of my transcript is good? Would the fact that I have already taken so many science classes make me ineligible for those programs? And do you think MD schools would just consider my grades in the post bacc programs, or would DO schools be my only legitimate option?

Thanks, and again, please no suggestions that I should consider a different career path. I am very realistic and I know I have an uphill battle no matter what option I choose.

 

[DrMidlife]

I'd say walk away from premed for now. Go work for a few years. Do stuff. Travel. Peace Corps? After you've paid your own rent for a while, if you still want to do med school, you'll find you're a different student. Which you need to be, to get different results.

Getting one C in a prereq isn't a disaster, but getting almost all C's in the prereqs is a disaster. You should not assume you learned the material, or that you're ready for the MCAT. So you should assume that you need to retake the whole premed list. And you should assume that you need to demonstrate that you can excel in sciences the first time you see the material, as you will have to do in med school when it's coming at you like a firehose. Thus you need to take more than the prereqs, and get mostly A's, before you apply to med school. Your science GPA cannot be fully repaired, so assume that you need an above average MCAT score to offset that red flag. Definitely make friends with DO.

You will not get into a structured formal program (the Bryn Mawrs and Gouchers) because you've already done the prereqs. You will need to look at programs which allow retakes, which also allow you to take more upper div science. UT Dallas is a great example.

Figuring out how to pay for 2+ more years of undergrad can be tricky. If you need federal aid, you might need to look at doing a 2nd bachelors. I suggest doing one in something like microbiology, genetics or biochemistry, which will include the prereqs and lots of upper div science.

Best of luck to you.