Post Bach program or apply

[smccccc]

---

Members do not see this ad.

Hi, I have a 3.35 cgpa and 3.6 sgpa. I have not taken the MCATS. I had no ambition freshman and sophomore year which led to my lower cgpa, but allowed me to acquire an upward trend gpa 3.1->3.1->3.5->3.8. I have tons of health care experience working in the MICU/SICU and a nursing home, some volunteer experience, and some research.

I am wondering if I should start studying for the MCATS and apply next year or if my stats are too low and I should attend a post Bach program. However, does anyone know whether a post Bach program will actually be able to help me get in? I'm unsure of the success rates of most post bach programs and wanted to know how many people had success with them.


Another issue is my general chemistry was taken at a community college, which med schools look down upon. Should I retake it at a 4 year? Or will schools look down upon retaking prereqs?

I also received a c+ in bio 2 (received an A in bio 1) but an A in the lab, which doesn't make much sense but the professor was extremely confusing. I know that's not an excuse but should I retake it?

Thanks!

 

[desdes]

I think alot of people take classes at cc and if you did well why retake if you wanted retake the c in bio and you seem to have good stats maybe put this in wamc forum

 

[yanks26dmb]

Hi, I have a 3.35 cgpa and 3.6 sgpa. I have not taken the MCATS. I had no ambition freshman and sophomore year which led to my lower cgpa, but allowed me to acquire an upward trend gpa 3.1->3.1->3.5->3.8. I have tons of health care experience working in the MICU/SICU and a nursing home, some volunteer experience, and some research.

I am wondering if I should start studying for the MCATS and apply next year or if my stats are too low and I should attend a post Bach program. However, does anyone know whether a post Bach program will actually be able to help me get in? I'm unsure of the success rates of most post bach programs and wanted to know how many people had success with them.


Another issue is my general chemistry was taken at a community college, which med schools look down upon. Should I retake it at a 4 year? Or will schools look down upon retaking prereqs?

I also received a c+ in bio 2 (received an A in bio 1) but an A in the lab, which doesn't make much sense but the professor was extremely confusing. I know that's not an excuse but should I retake it?

Thanks!

To be honest the only schools (certain md) that would look down on your CC classes are ones who would already be rejecting you based on your cgpa...I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[hallowmann]

Hi, I have a 3.35 cgpa and 3.6 sgpa. I have not taken the MCATS. I had no ambition freshman and sophomore year which led to my lower cgpa, but allowed me to acquire an upward trend gpa 3.1->3.1->3.5->3.8. I have tons of health care experience working in the MICU/SICU and a nursing home, some volunteer experience, and some research.

I am wondering if I should start studying for the MCATS and apply next year or if my stats are too low and I should attend a post Bach program. However, does anyone know whether a post Bach program will actually be able to help me get in? I'm unsure of the success rates of most post bach programs and wanted to know how many people had success with them.

If you are going DO, get a 25+ on the MCAT, apply broadly and early, and you'll probably get in somewhere. If you want to go MD, then get a 30+, apply broadly (I really mean this, it would need to be broad) and early, and you could probably get in somewhere.

Now if you want to maximize your chances for MD, and you know you could get a 30+ on the MCAT, then maybe consider doing either a structured (and preferably linked - i.e. do well and you're guaranteed a spot or at least do well and you're guaranteed an interview - but that's not all that meaningful, etc.) post-bac/SMP. The thing is, if you go this route, you better be sure you can get 30+ and at least a 3.5 in the post-bac/SMP, otherwise, it wouldn't be worth it.

...Another issue is my general chemistry was taken at a community college, which med schools look down upon. Should I retake it at a 4 year? Or will schools look down upon retaking prereqs?...

Most schools won't care. If you did well in it, there's no point retaking it. It especially doesn't matter if you ended up taking a more advanced chemistry course (like o. chem) in a 4yr university after that and did well in it.

...I also received a c+ in bio 2 (received an A in bio 1) but an A in the lab, which doesn't make much sense but the professor was extremely confusing. I know that's not an excuse but should I retake it?

Thanks!

You could retake if you wanted to, but if you did well in any advanced bio classes, I doubt this would matter that much. As a rule, if its DO, then retaking any science course <B- is advisible. If its MD, then do better (i.e. B+/A) on an advanced science course of the same subject. Either way, your GPA is fine for DO, and OK for MD.