Open to suggestions , help?

[hopeinternist]

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Hey everyone,

i ll be a senior in college this fall. I have about a 3.01 cgpa and a 2.92 s gpa. I have a solid list of extra curricular s, along with ones that will differentiate me like being an active volunteer emt for 3 years 9 over 1000 hours of service, playing the classical indian violin, a bunch of leadership positions and graduating from a top 20 university. I also have clinical experience, but i just need to add some shadowing and i should be set. I m scheduled to take my mcat this august, and i m hoping to to do well in it. I know its hard to really say anything without an mcat score, but say i can pull a 30+ what would u guys recommend i do. I d prefer to get an MD but i m open to DO. I realized I d have to apply now to enter med school in fall 2010, is that correct? so obviously i cant since i dont have an mcat score yet, and i feel i should bring up my credentials before applying. i m a nj resident and i realize that kinda blows since theres only like 2 med schools. I guess i might have to do a postbacc, whats the differnece between a post bacc and grad school, is postbacc counted more like an undergrad gpa? and what would u guys recommend i do.. i m just really confused and not sure whats next. thanks a lot

hopeinternist

 

[jvqd]

Take some past-bac courses. Those classes are considered part of your undergrad GPA. If you go to graduate school, that GPA is not heavily weighted, if at all. Your best bet would be taking some classes at your university and acing them since you're taking a year off anyway.

 

[hopeinternist]

the private university i go to is about 50k a year, if i have all the credits necessary to graduate, will it look that bad if i retake the classes at a public institution that is instate for me like Rutgers which is a lot cheaper. Also should i do this instead of a postbacc? or should i just retake classes on my own. So by next may i ll have graduated, that means i apply to med schools summer (2010), so i ll be going through my post bacc/ retaking classes while attending interview etc hopefully. If my gpa goes to up to a 3.1/3.2 would i still have to do a postbacc? to get into a US MD program.

 

[jvqd]

Taking post-bac courses at the public university is no big deal. They will just average it all in and it'll be fine. Rutgers is a decent university. It isn't some community college. I think you will do just fine. 3.1-3.2 is very far on the low end. If you get in, then by all means you can stop. But if not, you might have to keep taking more post-bac classes to raise your GPA. Medical schools can see your faults and you must show that you are committed to fixing all flaws within your application.