Post bacc/SMP necessary?

[JBenn]

I have recently been considering medical school and am not too far into the process, but I was wondering if this forum could help me clear a few things up:

uGPA-3.03 (no special story just very immature/unmotivated)
gradGPA~3.8
(neither school anything special but bms dept at grad school pretty solid for a state school)

To help repair my GPA I got my master's in biomolecular science. It was about 45 credits and included courses such as embryology, comparative anatomy and phys, epigenetics and biomolecular science. I did well on my GREs, 320+ combined, so if I study for about a year I hope to do at least half-way decent on the MCAT. My master's wasn't technically an SMP (so one might be needed) but I also don't want to take time and money retaking the same courses in an SMP or post bacc. I'm so frustrated, I feel like my undergrad GPA is constantly holding me back.
I know gpa is not the only factor med schools look at and I have had a steady upward trend. I have a few hundred hrs volunteer experience (non-clinical), have done clerical work (paid) at a urologists office for 3yrs, over 1300hrs research at internship at ivy league school, 1 publication soon and masters thesis.

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[Faha]

If your MCAT score is at least 505 you should be able to receive interviews at some of the newer DO schools. Over 510 and you could receive MD interviews.

 

[JBenn]

I figured it would come down to MCAT. I have a good amount of time to study so I'm hoping to get at least over 510 and I'm not looking to get into Harvard or Yale

 

[Faha]

I figured it would come down to MCAT. I have a good amount of time to study so I'm hoping to get at least over 510 and I'm not looking to get into Harvard or Yale

Post your score here when available and we can suggest schools.

 

[shopsteward]

Get some clinical experience where you can smell the patients: it will tell you whether contact with the reality of medicine is for you and give you a convincing answer to interviewers asking you why you want to be a doctor. If you get some clinical experience before doing the MCAT it will 1) demonstrate longevity of your commitment to medicine and 2) save you from the MCAT if the volunteering experience tells you that medicine is not for you.

 

[JBenn]

Good idea! I am definitely wavering between clinician and researcher right now and it would suck to spend $300 and a year preparing for the MCAT just to change my mind.