Need for some advice: DIY Postbacc or program for a career changer

[medevacpilot]

Hi everyone!

I am currently an air ambulance pilot/flight instructor. I got my BA in History and Public Health. I have been an EMT for 8 years and have volunteered with hospice patients for the last 6 years. In undergrad, I was a Biology major on the Pre-med track. I took some science classes of which some I withdrew and some I withdrew failed. So I changed my major to something health-related and finished with a cumulative gpa of 2.95. My transcript for the last two years shows an upward trend. The reason that I had to withdraw so many times on my transcript: my freshman year my grandmother died, then 2 months later my dad. My junior year, my mom followed. I worked three jobs while taking classes in order to survive. My science GPA(1.39) suffered and I closed the door of becoming a Physician. Recently, that spark ignited especially with covid and experiencing rural medicine. I am now working to find a path to medical school. I was accepted to Penn's LPS prehealth core sciences program and Drexel's PostBac program. After looking at the cost, I am concerned I will have a repeat of my undergrad years. If I choose a postbac program, I will deplete my savings without a guarantee of doing well or even having shot at a medical school.

Question: Should I attend one of those structured Postbac program or do a DIY program at Community College or do a second bachelors? I want the best shot I can get at medical school. I am not concerned with MD or DO; I just want to practice medicine. I am a dual EU/US citizen so I am open to EU schools, Caribbean, UK, and Australian schools. Any advice is deeply appreciated. Thank you in advance.

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[DocJanItor]

If you want to practice in the US then you need to attend an American medical school. Foreign medical graduates have a very difficult time coming over and matching in the US without stellar scores. Caribbean schools are a scam. While the doctors they produce can be great, there's a ton of dropouts and unmatched graduates who end up with tons of undischargable debt and no medical career. It's not worth the risk.

As it stands your current sGPA is absolutely lethal. I don't see a path forward for you without

1) attempting to have some of your grades retroactively changed from F to W and/or
2) Repeating your prereqs at a state school or local accredited CC and probably
3) Attending an SMP

An alternate path is that you can move to Texas and do their academic fresh start, but that's a whole other thing I don't know about very well. There are posts on SDN about it.

This will be a long journey of time, effort, and money. Additionally, there's no more room for mistakes; every step you take has to be nearly perfect.

 

[Goro]

Hi everyone!

I am currently an air ambulance pilot/flight instructor. I got my BA in History and Public Health. I have been an EMT for 8 years and have volunteered with hospice patients for the last 6 years. In undergrad, I was a Biology major on the Pre-med track. I took some science classes of which some I withdrew and some I withdrew failed. So I changed my major to something health-related and finished with a cumulative gpa of 2.95. My transcript for the last two years shows an upward trend. The reason that I had to withdraw so many times on my transcript: my freshman year my grandmother died, then 2 months later my dad. My junior year, my mom followed. I worked three jobs while taking classes in order to survive. My science GPA(1.39) suffered and I closed the door of becoming a Physician. Recently, that spark ignited especially with covid and experiencing rural medicine. I am now working to find a path to medical school. I was accepted to Penn's LPS prehealth core sciences program and Drexel's PostBac program. After looking at the cost, I am concerned I will have a repeat of my undergrad years. If I choose a postbac program, I will deplete my savings without a guarantee of doing well or even having shot at a medical school.

Question: Should I attend one of those structured Postbac program or do a DIY program at Community College or do a second bachelors? I want the best shot I can get at medical school. I am not concerned with MD or DO; I just want to practice medicine. I am a dual EU/US citizen so I am open to EU schools, Caribbean, UK, and Australian schools. Any advice is deeply appreciated. Thank you in advance.

No need for a second UG degree.

If cost is an issue, either work for a few more years and save up the money for school, or simply do a DIY post-bac.

Very sorry to hear about the sad news of your parents. Sometimes Life takes a 2x4 to us.

Don't even think of going Carib. And if you wish to practice Medicine in the US, go to a US med school.