Need some advice, reinvention (worst reinventor ever?)

[Post_Base]

Hey folks I need some advice from people who know better regarding my reinvention plans.

Some initial data points: graduated with a BS in mechanical engineering 2 years ago; original cGPA was 2.8 and sGPA was around a 2.3 (only like 5 "science" classes in there).Transcript is a mess, like 10+ Ws, Ds, Fs etc. I didn't understand the "system" and just sort of did whatever I wanted (bigly mistake!); probably a mix of being immature as well as a first-gen immigrant coupled with serious instability at home so I didn't know anyone who could help me navigate/explain how it works (in my home country there is no GPA concept, u just have to pass many rigorous standardized tests to get somewhere).

After doing internship + working for a bit I realized I hate ME and enrolled back in school for electrical engineering, thinking it would be better. Nope, still boring so realized I like idea of engineering but not the reality of it. After some long introspection realized I want to be a doctor (had some ideas about this when i first started college, but got lost somewhere along the way).

I started a medical-themed post-bacc (only a semester in); last semester I took 18 science/math credits and ended up with a ~3.7 for the semester (could have been 4.0 easily, COVID stuff messed a couple things up). I did get a B+ in the first semester bio course (ants and plants and ****), but an A in molecular bio, hope that won't hurt too much.

Here is where I need some advice/insight: my current cGPA is 2.88 (2.68 sGPA) and I am really conflicted about how long to do a post-bacc. On paper i can do a whole 3.5 more years to make it a full 4 year postbacc and my cGPA would end somewhere between 3.2-3.4 with sGPA around 3.4-3.6, but I can also do like 1-2 more years and get up past a 3.0.

I live across the street from a DO school, which I think is honestly my best bet at this point; I will be doing my clinical experience/volunteering/shadowing at their affiliated practices/hospital. In addition I managed to get into a very decent bio research lab, so I'm counting on that to help me out. My SATs were in the top 8% when I took them, so I'm counting on MCAT being somewhere in the same area, although I haven't taken it yet.

Would it be a better idea to do the postbacc long enough to just get a bit over the 3.0 and then do an SMP at the DO school (they have an SMP with linkage)? Is the combo of short postbacc+SMP+being a known commodity enough? Would it be better to do it as long as I can and get as high on the GPA ladder as I can, and then do SMP on top or apply regularly?

I've even thought of joining ROTC and doing that during the postbacc, then playing that angle/reinvention narrative to try and get an admission down the line. Seems a bit risky though as I have little interest in being a non-medical officer down the line.

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated. I'm having a very hard time deciding on a course of action, and every new bit of insight helps move the needle. Thanks!

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[Goro]

How long will it take you to get the 3.0 GPA mark?

What's the cutoff for the DO 'school's SMP?

If the latter is lower than 3.0, go for the SMP. But make sure to take MCAT first.

Staying in school to get the GPA up to 3.4 isn't necessary.

Do NOT join the ROTC just because it "looks good". If you're doing it for that reason, you'll hate it, and your lack of interest will come across if you're ever asked about it in interviews. Do it because you're inter in a military career only. Instead, do what you love and love what you do.

 

[MDMechEngr]

Fellow BSME and I can imagine how you feel. The Universities teach engineering as though you will go into R&D or design, but the vast majority end up doing project management and other boring stuff. I enjoyed the classes (metalergy, fluid mechanics., thermo and gas dynamics, heat transfer, stress analysis, tensor analysis, machine design, etc..), but hated controls and systems engineering. ME is a tough major and even a 2.88 gpa is nothing to be ahamed of. However that gpa will not get you into med school. SMP sounds like a good option. Once you get into med school, you will kick ass because you been conditioned to put in the required work like you did in under grad. Good luck to you, fellow ME.

 

[Post_Base]

How long will it take you to get the 3.0 GPA mark?

What's the cutoff for the DO 'school's SMP?

If the latter is lower than 3.0, go for the SMP. But make sure to take MCAT first.

Staying in school to get the GPA up to 3.4 isn't necessary.

Do NOT join the ROTC just because it "looks good". If you're doing it for that reason, you'll hate it, and your lack of interest will come across if you're ever asked about it in interviews. Do it because you're inter in a military career only. Instead, do what you love and love what you do.

Thanks for responding and for the information you share on here Goro, I've learned a lot from your posts and they've helped inform a fair amount of my thinking/planning out of this journey.

I need about 20 credits of A's to get to the 3.0 GPA mark, both cumulative and science. I'm expecting 20-30 just in case there are a few A-'s or B+'s sprinkled in there.

The DO school's SMP cutoff is officially 2.7, but their stated average for students entering the SMP is around a 3.2. I'm not entirely certain I will be able to get in with even a 3.0, but like I said I do plan on doing my clinical experience/shadowing/volunteering stuff at their affiliated locations, so perhaps that would help?

Would a decent "rolling" plan be to get the GPA up to a 3.0 and then stay in the postbacc while applying to the SMP until I get in?

I am interested in military medicine, the patient population appeals to me more and I like moving around a lot. I am not very interested in just being a regular officer, so if I do ROTC and then it ends up not being enough and I get stuck with a random assignment, it would not be ideal. Do you think ROTC would provide a considerable benefit for an application to a DO school, or is it minor?

Additionally, I am currently planning on taking 15-18 credits of pure science courses a semester for the rest of the postbacc, however I'm running out of lower/mid-level courses, and that many credits of upper level sciences is...painful; do DO schools look particularly favorably on such heavy course loads or am I just causing myself needless pain?

Any insight you can share is appreciated.

 

[Post_Base]

Fellow BSME and I can imagine how you feel. The Universities teach engineering as though you will go into R&D or design, but the vast majority end up doing project management and other boring stuff. I enjoyed the classes (metalergy, fluid mechanics., thermo and gas dynamics, heat transfer, stress analysis, tensor analysis, machine design, etc..), but hated controls and systems engineering. ME is a tough major and even a 2.88 gpa is nothing to be ahamed of. However that gpa will not get you into med school. SMP sounds like a good option. Once you get into med school, you will kick ass because you been conditioned to put in the required work like you did in under grad. Good luck to you, fellow ME.

Yes, exactly. I did more Excel and emailing than I did engineering, and it was the same for the senior engineers. There are engineering jobs where you can get to do what you like, but I reasoned the effort and time it takes to get them is probably about the same as getting into medical school anyway.

Thank you for your words of confidence, fellow ME!

 

[Goro]

Thanks for responding and for the information you share on here Goro, I've learned a lot from your posts and they've helped inform a fair amount of my thinking/planning out of this journey.

I need about 20 credits of A's to get to the 3.0 GPA mark, both cumulative and science. I'm expecting 20-30 just in case there are a few A-'s or B+'s sprinkled in there.

The DO school's SMP cutoff is officially 2.7, but their stated average for students entering the SMP is around a 3.2. I'm not entirely certain I will be able to get in with even a 3.0, but like I said I do plan on doing my clinical experience/shadowing/volunteering stuff at their affiliated locations, so perhaps that would help?

Would a decent "rolling" plan be to get the GPA up to a 3.0 and then stay in the postbacc while applying to the SMP until I get in?

I am interested in military medicine, the patient population appeals to me more and I like moving around a lot. I am not very interested in just being a regular officer, so if I do ROTC and then it ends up not being enough and I get stuck with a random assignment, it would not be ideal. Do you think ROTC would provide a considerable benefit for an application to a DO school, or is it minor?

Additionally, I am currently planning on taking 15-18 credits of pure science courses a semester for the rest of the postbacc, however I'm running out of lower/mid-level courses, and that many credits of upper level sciences is...painful; do DO schools look particularly favorably on such heavy course loads or am I just causing myself needless pain?

Any insight you can share is appreciated.

ROTC would impress me far, far less than actual service. So, try Nat Guard or the Reserves? Just a thought.

If you haven't done so already, Contact the program director of the SMP and ask if you're a viable candidate for them as of now.

In the mean time, keep taking classes and get the GPA as close to 3.0 as possible.

 

[bigoliver101]

When i applied to DO schools 6 years ago they had grade replacement, meaning they would take the better grade on my retake class instead of the old grade. i was able to get into DO school with my undergrad gpa around 2.3, 1 year post bac 3.9, 30 mcat, etc...

 

[Post_Base]

If you really want to do something military (not just to get into medical school, but because you want to be in the military and do medicine) I'd recommend you join the guard and get a 68W (medic) contract. That way you can get some medical experience and military experience while in school. The guard is also good because we do stateside missions, so you'll have the chance to get more things to talk about in your app than a reservist who might not deploy for 5 years.

That being said, being a member of the Guard is a lot harder than it sounds, its not the beer and barbecues you sometimes hear about. It weighs on your civilian life heavily as you try to balance everything. It will hinder your performance in school if you let it. Make sure you are really ready to make personal sacrifices for it.

I've actually thought about this for quite a bit about 6 months ago when I was first deciding to do the postbacc. The biggest downsides, in my reasoning, were that it could potentially interfere with my schoolwork, which I simply cannot afford at this point. I can manage some level of interference, I just don't have a reliable way of knowing exactly how much it would be, and didn't want to risk it. This is why I was eyeing ROTC, because it is sort of "alongside" the postbacc rather than "alongside and sometimes across" it, if that makes sense.

I assume you are in the Guard? How often do you deploy? Are you a 68W? How many hours a month would you say, on average, is the time commitment? If you are also pre-medical, have you found that it has, out of your control, had a significant negative effect on your schoolwork/other medical commitments?

Thanks.