Post-grad GPA booster classes?

[738020]

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Hi there! Not sure if this topic has been covered, but Im new to this site, so please forgive me if i'm reposting!

I graduated from a prestigious University in May of 2015 with a "meh" GPA of 3.14.
Having come from a very small highschool, attending my state university first year was a culture shock, and I struggled to adjust. I became withdrawn, barely attended classes, and finished my freshman year with a 2.2 GPA. I took advantage of the summer months to get some rest, change my outlook, and hit the grownd running my sophomore year to boost my grades. Unfortunately, I had taken some of the pre-med reqs my first year (gen-chem DESPITE having a 5 in AP credit, orgo and calc 1):

Calc 1: D, Calc 2: B-
Gen Chem 1: C, Gen Chem 2: D, but retook it to get a B.
Orgo 1: C-, retook it to get a B, Orgo 2: C+.

I got As or Bs in the labs, as well as in Bio and Physics pre-reqs, and As in graduate level biology classes.

Given my mixed bag of grades, Im not sure that a post-bacc makes sense, and I can't apply to many of them anyways since im not a career-change student. I also work full-time in a neurology clinic as a research assistant and clinical support staff, and need to continue to do so until med-school if I plan on financing my education - I know I won't come close to covering everything, but cutting out a year's worth of loans would help my situation a lot.

I know I need to ace the MCAT, and boost my GPA, so I want to take higher lever courses to show that I can handle a med-school course load (biochem, immunology, genetics, etc). However, its hard to find universities that offer night-classes in my area, and I've heard that med-schools don't look davorably on taking courses at community college or online.

Is this true? Is there a way to take courses online and not have it look bad? The community college in my area is the only one to offer night and online classes, so im having trouble deciding what to do. Should I bite the bullet and repeat the pre-med classes with sub-par grades again?

Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you!

 

[WedgeDawg]

Moving to pre-allo proper

 

[lalex]

Take any science CC classes you can, retake any you did bad in which will help a lot if you apply DO. CC classes are not looked down upon if it's your only option financially. If you can mix in some state school classes, that's great too. That is my plan during my gap year.

But I think the general consensus is CC > online. Just no CC online. 😉

 

[bwc]

You can and should repeat courses only when you received a C- or below. You should do it in person at a 4 year university.

There are also special master's programs that are designed to get you to take medical school courses to allow you a chance to demonstrate competency to succeed.

 

[heybubbaa]

With a 3.1 gpa, I'm not sure how much doing a few "gpa booster" courses is going to help (regardless of where you take them). There is a point where it really isn't possible to "boost" your gpa much. What you may find, as I and so many others have found, is that after a while the gpa just plateaus. Seeing that you are a long way from that 3.5 minimum that MD schools seem to like, a formalized post bac, a M.S. in the natural sciences (with pubs preferably), or a SMP may be in order if the you want an MD acceptance. Maybe with a stellar MCAT a 3.3 might cut it, but below that it will be difficult without at least a few years of solid course work (or a one year formalized program, like a SMP). But I agree that retaking courses for DO is definitely worth it. But for MD (and DO), the gpa is a red flag, and you may need to prioritize remediating your gpa above your current job.