Need guidance or any tips

[cocacola162004]

Hi I am looking to get some guidance or help regarding my current situation. Any help will be greatly appreciated
I graduated from McMaster university (Ontario, Canada) with a 3.59 cGPA BScN degree. I feel like my GPA is not competitive so I am intending to do another undergrad for 3-4 years. I am already 26 years old and feel this may be a "one shot" type of deal. I am currently working in the ICU as a nurse, but I can't continue this career knowing my true passions to be a physician.

Is age a factor when applying to med school (without sugar coating the answer)?
I cant have shadowing experience since I am in Canada (which is close to impossible), will this affect my application in the US?
Is a second degree good in improving GPA (we don't have post-bacc in Canada)?

Thank you for you help!

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[Ms Procrastinator]

Hi I am looking to get some guidance or help regarding my current situation. Any help will be greatly appreciated
I graduated from McMaster university (Ontario, Canada) with a 3.59 cGPA BScN degree. I feel like my GPA is not competitive so I am intending to do another undergrad for 3-4 years. I am already 26 years old and feel this may be a "one shot" type of deal. I am currently working in the ICU as a nurse, but I can't continue this career knowing my true passions to be a physician.

Is age a factor when applying to med school (without sugar coating the answer)?
I cant have shadowing experience since I am in Canada (which is close to impossible), will this affect my application in the US?
Is a second degree good in improving GPA (we don't have post-bacc in Canada)?

Thank you for you help!

The average age of US med school matriculants is 24 years old. You are not too old. It seems like the shadowing problem you have is shared by a majority of premeds in Canada and a lot of premeds in Canada seem to matriculate so you might be able to do without it. An adcom would know about this than I do. Can you do a DIY postbac instead of a formal one? If you want to improve byour gpa you don't have to do a whole nother undergraduate degree. Does any school near you offer non degree studies or something? You can just enroll in classes instead of a degree program.

 

[cocacola162004]

The average age of US med school matriculants is 24 years old. You are not too old. It seems like the shadowing problem you have is shared by a majority of premeds in Canada and a lot of premeds in Canada seem to matriculate so you might be able to do without it. An adcom would know about this than I do. Can you do a DIY postbac instead of a formal one? If you want to improve byour gpa you don't have to do a whole nother undergraduate degree. Does any school near you offer non degree studies or something? You can just enroll in classes instead of a degree program.

Hi thanks for you help.
Sadly, most Canadian med schools only count either cGPA or courses taken towards a degree (as full time). in this case DIY postbac is not possible.

 

[Ms Procrastinator]

Hi thanks for you help.
Sadly, most Canadian med schools only count either cGPA or courses taken towards a degree (as full time). in this case DIY postbac is not possible.

My answer was geared towards US med schools. Would it be better to do an associate degree instead of a bachelor's?