Post-bac or Work?? Help :/

[futureMD4294]

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So I am graduating in 4 weeks from University of Georgia, looking at taking 1 or 2 gap years. I am registered to take my MCAT July 22 but may change it to August 25, bc I'm NOT PREPARED. With this late date, I am also interested in applying to DO along with MD schools. My GPA is around a 3.6 cumulative and 3.3 science, 4 Ws. Lots of EC. My options for post-grad are as follows:

Option 1: Apply to a 1 year Masters Post Bac program at Mercer University that starts in August (in 4 months). The post bac program is part of the Mercer school of Medicine (huge plus). However, in order to apply to this program, I would need one month of GRE study time. That leaves only 3 months of MCAT studying after graduation. (BIG Question: Does my GPA need a post bac program?)

Option 2: Do not apply to the post bac program. Continue looking for an MA or scribe job. Spend one year working in the medical field and studying for MCAT if I do not get in this cycle to help improve my chances second time around. (This option saves my month of GRE studying, thus more time for MCAT studying for 1st round apps)

I would appreciate any help I can get. Thanks in advance.

 

[Cookiess]

I would apply when you are ready and would not rush the process if you can avoid doing so. The MCAT is a difficult test to study for, and it requires a focused block of a couple of months to prepare for.

If you're going to take the MCAT in August, you wouldn't get your scores until September, and by then you would be considered a late MD applicant. Being a late applicant combined with your borderline science GPA would really hurt your chances of getting any MD interviews. I'm less familiar with the DO application specifics. Your 3.3 science GPA is borderline for MD schools, but the 4 W's could raise a red flag. It also depends on your year-to-year GPA trend. Given your current situation, I would work to improve your science GPA by taking science classes on your own or through the Postbac Program and apply the following year.

Option 2 doesn't really solve your issue of having a low science GPA so I would opt for Option 1, with the option of doing the formal Postbac Program or independently taking science classes.

 

[futureMD4294]

I would apply when you are ready and would not rush the process if you can avoid doing so. The MCAT is a difficult test to study for, and it requires a focused block of a couple of months to prepare for.

If you're going to take the MCAT in August, you wouldn't get your scores until September, and by then you would be considered a late MD applicant. Being a late applicant combined with your borderline science GPA would really hurt your chances of getting any MD interviews. I'm less familiar with the DO application specifics. Your 3.3 science GPA is borderline for MD schools, but the 4 W's could raise a red flag. It also depends on your year-to-year GPA trend. Given your current situation, I would work to improve your science GPA by taking science classes on your own or through the Postbac Program and apply the following year.

Option 2 doesn't really solve your issue of having a low science GPA so I would opt for Option 1, with the option of doing the formal Postbac Program or independently taking science classes.

 

[futureMD4294]

I would apply when you are ready and would not rush the process if you can avoid doing so. The MCAT is a difficult test to study for, and it requires a focused block of a couple of months to prepare for.

If you're going to take the MCAT in August, you wouldn't get your scores until September, and by then you would be considered a late MD applicant. Being a late applicant combined with your borderline science GPA would really hurt your chances of getting any MD interviews. I'm less familiar with the DO application specifics. Your 3.3 science GPA is borderline for MD schools, but the 4 W's could raise a red flag. It also depends on your year-to-year GPA trend. Given your current situation, I would work to improve your science GPA by taking science classes on your own or through the Postbac Program and apply the following year.

Option 2 doesn't really solve your issue of having a low science GPA so I would opt for Option 1, with the option of doing the formal Postbac Program or independently taking science classes.

Thank you!
Main reason I was applying this cycle was to get my name out to medical schools. This way when I apply again 2nd round, I can show an improved application and commitment because I applied again. Do you think it will be better on my part to apply both cycles or wait and apply just once after my post bac program, at best case scenario.
Thanks in advance

 

[Nerdeka]

Thank you!
Main reason I was applying this cycle was to get my name out to medical schools. This way when I apply again 2nd round, I can show an improved application and commitment because I applied again. Do you think it will be better on my part to apply both cycles or wait and apply just once after my post bac program, at best case scenario.
Thanks in advance

No. Just no. That is just not a strategy any premeds take. Strong app first time > strong app second time.

I mean they're literally going to see how improved the first time you apply.

 

[futureMD4294]

No. Just no. That is just not a strategy any premeds take. Strong app first time > strong app second time.

I mean they're literally going to see how improved the first time you apply.

Ok gotcha.

 

[futureMD4294]

W

No. Just no. That is just not a strategy any premeds take. Strong app first time > strong app second time.

I mean they're literally going to see how improved the first time you apply.

What do u think my science gpa should be at before applying

 

[popopopop]

Personally, I'd improve that sGPA. You'll risk hurting your nice cumulative overall, but that 3.3 is a sore and very repairable. I browsed Mercer's page and it says for consideration to a secondary app, you need

"
1. Has taken the MCAT at least once on or after April 1, 2015.

2. Average MCAT Percentile Rank of at least 27

3. Average MCAT Percentile Rank × Cumulative Undergraduate BCPM-GPA is > 93"

https://medicine.mercer.edu/admissions/md/information/committee/

 

[futureMD4294]

Personally, I'd improve that sGPA. You'll risk hurting your nice cumulative overall, but that 3.3 is a sore and very repairable. I browsed Mercer's page and it says for consideration to a secondary app, you need

"
1. Has taken the MCAT at least once on or after April 1, 2015.

2. Average MCAT Percentile Rank of at least 27

3. Average MCAT Percentile Rank × Cumulative Undergraduate BCPM-GPA is > 93"

https://medicine.mercer.edu/admissions/md/information/committee/

Thank you for doing some research on it.
I am defenetely going to apply to the post bac program. And if I don't get in, I will just simply take additional science and math classes. Would u recommend I apply this cycle after taking my MCAT so late? Or wait a whole year. I felt like applying this year, even though with a low shot, will give me the confidence and experience I need to apply efficiently next cycle. I think DO schools app cycle ends a lot later than MD.

thanks in advance.

 

[popopopop]

Thank you for doing some research on it.
I am defenetely going to apply to the post bac program. And if I don't get in, I will just simply take additional science and math classes. Would u recommend I apply this cycle after taking my MCAT so late? Or wait a whole year. I felt like applying this year, even though with a low shot, will give me the confidence and experience I need to apply efficiently next cycle. I think DO schools app cycle ends a lot later than MD.

thanks in advance.

The MCAT is a huge barrier for a lot of people (including me), so without an MCAT, it's really hard to know how you'll even stand for DO school. With your numbers and a decent MCAT, you should be fine for DO applications. However, if you're ok with delaying, I would wait until next year, because you only want to apply once with the strongest application possible! You might even consider doing the grade replacement route for DO school, retake a few Cs, and study slowly for the MCAT.

I know a master's gpa will be graded differently from any BCPM gpa and your undergrad gpa. Will it offset your sci. gpa enough for their MD program? I would call them and try to find out before you devote a whole year to this. Master's programs are usually a last ditch effort when one's GPA won't budge or exhausted their MCAT retakes. Your cumulative GPA is great and you haven't even taken the MCAT yet. I wouldn't go the master's route.

 

[Cookiess]

Thank you!
Main reason I was applying this cycle was to get my name out to medical schools. This way when I apply again 2nd round, I can show an improved application and commitment because I applied again. Do you think it will be better on my part to apply both cycles or wait and apply just once after my post bac program, at best case scenario.
Thanks in advance

I would plan on applying only once and only when you feel ready. No need to rush it. Also you'll face tougher scrutiny at some schools as a reapplicant, so I would just apply after your postbac program if I were in your shoes. Another option is to take science classes over the next year on your own without going through the formal postbac program.