Need some advice

[sixaxis]

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Hey guys,

So to boil it down, back in '08 I made the bone-headed decision (before I had any idea of what I wanted to do with my life) to go to a top college with difficult sciences and passively take up a pre-med track. This, coupled with poor time-management gave me a pretty tough ride and spit me out with a cGPA of 3.1. I generally had an upward trend but my core sciences were pretty rough: chem1: C bio1: C bio2: C physics1: A physics2:B- and I dropped out of chem 2 which I never retook during undergrad. I also made a dumb decision to follow my (more) math-y freshman roommate into multivariable calc alongside a few lab classes and an otherwise full schedule and rocked a my first ever D. I got mostly Bs and some As in my bio/psych classes toward my major, but there was definitely an overall colorful patchwork across the board.

Fast forward a few years I've been working full time and have been taking night classes to finish off the pre-med curriculum. The place I'm taking it through offers classes in trimesters, so I took their chem 2 and 3 to cover my bases. It's an accredited night school and I know classmates of mine who are some top gunners. So far I've gotten As across three semesters of lab/lecture there (second half of chem and first part of orgo). I plan to finish off orgo and additionally take their 2 semester biochem (I should have this all done by the end of the summer and orgo by the beginning). Provided I keep it up is it worth taking a crack at the MCAT and provided I get a decent score apply to schools?

So what's next? My brother, also in the health field, who just got into a top PhD program in a related Bio field says it's not worth it and my GPA will keep me out. I can't really afford a postbacc program fully and neither can I afford to waste much (more) time on ruminating and mentally masturbating. Would I need to take a masters to further boost my GPA? If I took the MCAT what would I need to get to even be considered?

Thanks for any and all feedback you kind folk are willing to give.

 

[Catalystik]

Hey guys,

So to boil it down, back in '08 I made the bone-headed decision (before I had any idea of what I wanted to do with my life) to go to a top college with difficult sciences and passively take up a pre-med track. This, coupled with poor time-management gave me a pretty tough ride and spit me out with a cGPA of 3.1. I generally had an upward trend but my core sciences were pretty rough: chem1: C bio1: C bio2: C physics1: A physics2:B- and I dropped out of chem 2 which I never retook during undergrad. I also made a dumb decision to follow my (more) math-y freshman roommate into multivariable calc alongside a few lab classes and an otherwise full schedule and rocked a my first ever D. I got mostly Bs and some As in my bio/psych classes toward my major, but there was definitely an overall colorful patchwork across the board.

Fast forward a few years I've been working full time and have been taking night classes to finish off the pre-med curriculum. The place I'm taking it through offers classes in trimesters, so I took their chem 2 and 3 to cover my bases. It's an accredited night school and I know classmates of mine who are some top gunners. So far I've gotten As across three semesters of lab/lecture there (second half of chem and first part of orgo). I plan to finish off orgo and additionally take their 2 semester biochem (I should have this all done by the end of the summer and orgo by the beginning). Provided I keep it up is it worth taking a crack at the MCAT and provided I get a decent score apply to schools?

So what's next? My brother, also in the health field, who just got into a top PhD program in a related Bio field says it's not worth it and my GPA will keep me out. I can't really afford a postbacc program fully and neither can I afford to waste much (more) time on ruminating and mentally masturbating. Would I need to take a masters to further boost my GPA? If I took the MCAT what would I need to get to even be considered?

Thanks for any and all feedback you kind folk are willing to give.

So that we can give you the best advice, maybe you could figure out your cGPA and sGPA for us, as you predict it will be when you finish the above coursework (note that AACOMAS DO med schools don't include math in their sGPA, so that D won't be included there): -AACOMAS GPA Calculation Spreadsheet (see post #23 before starting)
-How do I classify my courses when calculating my science GPA?

 

[sixaxis]

So I just did the sGPA out and without math it's a 3.0 and with it it would be a 2.8 (That would be if I discounted my A in psych stats which I've heard both can be considered a math because it's a math based class, and possibly not because it's in the psych department). My cGPA I listed above at a 3.1... Unfortunately a lot of the biological psych classes I took and did well in (As mostly) aren't under the bio department so they can't factor in I guess.

Additionally, with these current classes in gen chem, orgo, and maybe biochem if I can keep it up how would a trimester factor into the grading system? They're all regular lecture/lab classes but I guess with a different layout (the layout being trimesters instead of 2 semesters)?

Thanks again.

 

[Catalystik]

how would a trimester factor into the grading system? They're all regular lecture/lab classes but I guess with a different layout (the layout being trimesters instead of 2 semesters)?

In my post above I directed you to read post #23 because it explains the adjustment factor for the trimester system.

You are right that Psych Stats can be recategorized as Math despite the Psy prefix on the course designation.