Post-bacc or Master's?

[coffeexbunny]

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Hello everyone,

I am in a dilemma right now. I am currently a senior and is a psychology major (BS to be exact). I have taken a few pre-med courses and did fine in them. Here are the stats for them:

• College Algebra: C
• Pre-Cal: D (1st try) -> A (2nd try)
  
• Cal 1: A
• Statistics: A
• Biol (other): C
• Biol 1: B
• Biol 2: A
• Chem 1: B
• Chem 2: B
• Orgo 1: C
• Orgo 2: Withdrawl

My cGPA is around 3.4 whereas my sGPA is around 3.0. I am graduation this upcoming May 2016 and recently have decided that I really want to go to medical school. I don't have space to cram in other require science classes. I know my GPA (especially my sGPA) is pretty crap. I don't have any shadowing or clinical experiences yet, but I have been actively looking and applying. I do have a few volunteer hours (I did a hospice volunteer, so I think that would be consider as non-clinical right?). In terms of extracurricular activities, I work, are in two clubs at my school (Psych related), an own a business.

Since I have decided that I want to go to medical school, which route would be best for me? Do a post-bacc at a CC or 4-year school; or do a master program of some sort? A lot of the master program or grad post-bacc I have seen are cater towards those who have a degree in science.

I messed up real bad my freshman year, took a break from college for a few years, did a trade, then went back to college.

Any advices, tips?

 

[Optimist Prime]

Your best and safest option would be to retake all F/D/C classes to get your gpa up and apply DO. If you really Want MD you'll need a stellar mcat and probably an SMP. However, if you do bad in your SMP your chances of DO or MD are pretty much non existent.

 

[OGLoc23]

Hospice volunteering is clinical.

You'll need to do a post-bacc to finish the orgo and physics sequences. You can do this informally by enrolling at a CC or university as a student-at-large or you can attend a formal post-bacc program.

For DO, you'd need to take some upper-level science courses and ace them to bring up your sGPA to prove to adcoms you can handle more difficult science courses that you'll see in med school. This is probably the best way to go.

If you're intent on MD, I'd recommend completing the last of your prereqs and then killing the MCAT. You may need an SMP (special master's program), but it'll depend on how you do on the post-bacc and MCAT. It's risky though -- not doing well in an SMP can kill your chances of med school.

 

[coffeexbunny]

Hospice volunteering is clinical.

You'll need to do a post-bacc to finish the orgo and physics sequences. You can do this informally by enrolling at a CC or university as a student-at-large or you can attend a formal post-bacc program.

For DO, you'd need to take some upper-level science courses and ace them to bring up your sGPA to prove to adcoms you can handle more difficult science courses that you'll see in med school. This is probably the best way to go.

If you're intent on MD, I'd recommend completing the last of your prereqs and then killing the MCAT. You may need an SMP (special master's program), but it'll depend on how you do on the post-bacc and MCAT. It's risky though -- not doing well in an SMP can kill your chances of med school.

Thank you. I won't be able to fit any more classes in my schedule for my last semester as I'm graduating soon. I will go back to finish the other science courses.
Do you (or anyone) know if med school really look for shadowing experiences? I been looking and asking, but always been denied

 

[OGLoc23]

Thank you. I won't be able to fit any more classes in my schedule for my last semester as I'm graduating soon. I will go back to finish the other science courses.
Do you (or anyone) know if med school really look for shadowing experiences? I been looking and asking, but always been denied

No problem. It's fine if you can't take anymore classes for your last semester, just take them as a post-baccalaureate.

Med schools definitely look for shadowing experience, typically around 50 hours so you have an idea of what physicians do. The specialties you shadow don't matter, but get some shadowing from a family physician.