Need help Choosing a Path

[Vibrio123]

I graduated from college in 2013 with a BA in Psychology, didn't like the job I got with it, and decided to go back to undergrad to collect the courses I needed to take the MCAT. I got B's in all my sciences except two C's in Orgo (about a 2.75 science GPA) and I got in the 55th Percentile on the MCAT (501, new format) last summer. From 2013 to now I have volunteered in hospitals, the morgue, and the police department trying to pad my experiences (no shadowing yet) while also working an office job, going to school, and studying MCAT books. I have fantastic recommendations, I did outstanding in Psychology, and my overall GPA is a 3.33.

I have applied to a few DO schools but will more than likely not be granted an interview this time around. Now I am trying to weigh my options and here is where I need advice. Do I...

1) Apply to intense bridge programs / 1-year post-bacc programs like what is found here: http://www.aacom.org/docs/default-source/cib/2016_post-bacc-programs.pdf

2) Apply to a hard-science Masters program such as a Masters in Microbiology

3) Apply for an MPH (I was sent an email from TJU about how I qualify for their MPH Program)

4) Continue to take undergraduate science courses at a community college, focus on volunteering and re-taking the MCAT in hopes of getting my score up. Basically repeating the last few years.


Option 1 has been described as "Harsh and degrading" by a doctor-friend of mine who saw others go through bridge programs.
Option 2 sounds good to help my low science GPA, but would probably cost upwards of $40,000.
Option 3 sounds good, but it doesn't seem like it would help my science GPA, would cost upwards of $40,000, and if I don't get into medical school after it I feel like I would be screwed financially and with a degree I can't use.
Option 4 sounds like the "safe" bet, but after three years of already doing option 4, I kind of wanted to feel as if I was making progress / advancing myself and not perpetually taking undergraduate courses while working a desk job I don't enjoy.

The community college I currently attend doesn't have pre-med advisers, so I have been working out these last few years on my own and finally feel like there is too much information to go through by myself. Any advice is appreciated, but I am hoping to find a "best" route to D.O. school with my current situation. I would like to avoid advice such as "try a different career".

Thanks.

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[AlteredScale]

It was a mistake to apply with that combination of sGPA and MCAT.

I would do the bridge program. Option 2 seems more research based and won't repair your GPA which is what you need right now, not a masters thesis.

Don't know if the MPH means much and idk if I favor the last option. Yes the MCAT is low. But even with a 30 MCAT your sub 3.0 GPA will tank your app. You need to focus on taking more classes to boost your GPA.

I forgot if AACOMAS allows retakes of classes you got a C in. So will defer to the wise @Goro at this point.

Good luck!

 

[Vibrio123]

It was a mistake to apply with that combination of sGPA and MCAT.

I would do the bridge program. Option 2 seems more research based and won't repair your GPA which is what you need right now, not a masters thesis.

Don't know if the MPH means much and idk if I favor the last option. Yes the MCAT is low. But even with a 30 MCAT your sub 3.0 GPA will tank your app. You need to focus on taking more classes to boost your GPA.

I forgot if AACOMAS allows retakes of classes you got a C in. So will defer to the wise @Goro at this point.

Good luck!

Thank you. I have made my fair share of mistakes trying to do this on my own. I had no idea what was right or wrong - I just took classes, took the MCAT, and then applied. The bridge programs seemed tempting, but harsh. I don't favor the last option much either. Oh, and I love the Star Wars picture, by the way.

 

[AlteredScale]

Thank you. I have made my fair share of mistakes trying to do this on my own. I had no idea what was right or wrong - I just took classes, took the MCAT, and then applied. The bridge programs seemed tempting, but harsh. I don't favor the last option much either. Oh, and I love the Star Wars picture, by the way.

Yes, everyone makes mistakes so don't take it too hard on yourself because you learn through those mistakes

What makes the bridge program so harsh btw?

 

[Vibrio123]

Yes, everyone makes mistakes so don't take it too hard on yourself because you learn through those mistakes

What makes the bridge program so harsh btw?

They are all different, but most of them don't guarantee a spot in the D.O. upon completion - just an interview if you kept you GPA above a 3.0 or 3.5. The programs are typically one year long, and are described on the schools' websites as "rigorous" or "intense". Without the guaranteed entrance to their D.O. program, it seems like gambling with burn-out before the real schooling even begins. If that makes sense.

Edit: They are also not cheap. Which again, is not appealing if there is a chance it's all for nothing.

 

[DrMikeP]

You must fix the science gpa. How you do it is up to you. Some bridge programs have catches, such as tons of misc requirements that you might not need if applying broadly with no guarantees. Depending on where you took sci classes and got B's/C's would potentially make going to a 4yr university/college better for science retakes if you have to retake all of them and originals were at a 4yr. Again, whatever you choose matters less than getting the sci gpa above 3.25 at the least. So make all A's on retakes and perhaps retake MCAT if you study and think you can score better.

 

[Goro]

Retake the two Cs, and the MCAT as well. No need for MPH.

I graduated from college in 2013 with a BA in Psychology, didn't like the job I got with it, and decided to go back to undergrad to collect the courses I needed to take the MCAT. I got B's in all my sciences except two C's in Orgo (about a 2.75 science GPA) and I got in the 55th Percentile on the MCAT (501, new format) last summer. From 2013 to now I have volunteered in hospitals, the morgue, and the police department trying to pad my experiences (no shadowing yet) while also working an office job, going to school, and studying MCAT books. I have fantastic recommendations, I did outstanding in Psychology, and my overall GPA is a 3.33.

I have applied to a few DO schools but will more than likely not be granted an interview this time around. Now I am trying to weigh my options and here is where I need advice. Do I...

1) Apply to intense bridge programs / 1-year post-bacc programs like what is found here: http://www.aacom.org/docs/default-source/cib/2016_post-bacc-programs.pdf

2) Apply to a hard-science Masters program such as a Masters in Microbiology

3) Apply for an MPH (I was sent an email from TJU about how I qualify for their MPH Program)

4) Continue to take undergraduate science courses at a community college, focus on volunteering and re-taking the MCAT in hopes of getting my score up. Basically repeating the last few years.


Option 1 has been described as "Harsh and degrading" by a doctor-friend of mine who saw others go through bridge programs.
Option 2 sounds good to help my low science GPA, but would probably cost upwards of $40,000.
Option 3 sounds good, but it doesn't seem like it would help my science GPA, would cost upwards of $40,000, and if I don't get into medical school after it I feel like I would be screwed financially and with a degree I can't use.
Option 4 sounds like the "safe" bet, but after three years of already doing option 4, I kind of wanted to feel as if I was making progress / advancing myself and not perpetually taking undergraduate courses while working a desk job I don't enjoy.

The community college I currently attend doesn't have pre-med advisers, so I have been working out these last few years on my own and finally feel like there is too much information to go through by myself. Any advice is appreciated, but I am hoping to find a "best" route to D.O. school with my current situation. I would like to avoid advice such as "try a different career".

Thanks.