Really need some advice / guidance.

[wheatthecat]

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I'm a bit lost on what to do.
For background, I'm currently a second bachelor student finishing my computer science degree. My first degree was in Finance but with a natural sciences minor, so I have completed a fair share of my pre-med requisites, but not all. I've done really well on some of the courses, and others I hadn't done well at all. There was a lot going on, and a lot of external factors as to why I've switched out of pre-medicine and now am going back, but ultimately it boils down to the fact that I've found there is nothing else I want to pursue more than medicine.
As it stands, my undergrad gpa is quite low at a 3.0 and it's been hard to get it to budge just from the sheer amount of undergraduate credits I have. I've been considering SMP, I know it's very high risk and high reward. But I'm just a little lost on what I'd have to do to be ready to apply. Should I complete my prerequisites while I'm still completing my cs degree (I have 2 courses left)? Should I retake the courses I did poorly in? Or should I do a formal/diy post bacc? How heavily will my MCAT score weigh in on my admissions to SMP? In terms of clinical hours and volunteering, I do have an abundance of hours. However I am lacking on research. Just a bit of advice or guidance on how to proceed from where I am now would greatly be appreciated. I've been overthinking myself into a hole.

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

This may sound odd but have you talked to a SMP director? It's hard to know without a transcript and other program requirements (like minimum GPA, which varies). Ask a couple of program directors for feedback.

 

[doc_J61]

I'm a bit lost on what to do.
For background, I'm currently a second bachelor student finishing my computer science degree. My first degree was in Finance but with a natural sciences minor, so I have completed a fair share of my pre-med requisites, but not all. I've done really well on some of the courses, and others I hadn't done well at all. There was a lot going on, and a lot of external factors as to why I've switched out of pre-medicine and now am going back, but ultimately it boils down to the fact that I've found there is nothing else I want to pursue more than medicine.
As it stands, my undergrad gpa is quite low at a 3.0 and it's been hard to get it to budge just from the sheer amount of undergraduate credits I have. I've been considering SMP, I know it's very high risk and high reward. But I'm just a little lost on what I'd have to do to be ready to apply. Should I complete my prerequisites while I'm still completing my cs degree (I have 2 courses left)? Should I retake the courses I did poorly in? Or should I do a formal/diy post bacc? How heavily will my MCAT score weigh in on my admissions to SMP? In terms of clinical hours and volunteering, I do have an abundance of hours. However I am lacking on research. Just a bit of advice or guidance on how to proceed from where I am now would greatly be appreciated. I've been overthinking myself into a hole.

SMP may be a good option in your case.

If there's only 2 courses left, then of course finish your CS degree.
I wouldn't retake courses. Just ace the MCAT to show schools that you understand what you learned in those classes.

MCAT is just as important as GPA, if not more important--for most schools in general.
You don't need that much research, but the others that you'll be competing against will have some research, so be sure to at least have a few poster presentations. If you are at all passionate about what you got your degree in, I bet that you can turn that into 1-2 research opportunities.

Georgetown, Boston, and Drexel are examples of good SMPs with high linkage (good chance that you'll be accepted from the SMP if you do well there). The catch is that most of the time, you are competing directly against MD students--and graded on the same curve.

You have to beat MD students, and the ones at the bottom of the curve already cinched a spot ahead of you. So just keep that in mind.

Good luck with everything and I hope that it all works out for you.