Seeking some guidance

[drewtav]

Hello, I'm Drew and I am a recent graduate (May, 2017) with a GPA 2.92 with a bachelor's in science (biology major). Due to my incompetent GPA, I have been struggling to plan what to do next or to do things that could help my dream in entering DO/MD school. And I was wondering if you guys could help me on how I can overcome my awful GPA. I don't have a reasonable explanation on why I did so poorly, I was depressed due to my failures in my first year and after that year everything went downhill, I guess.
I didn't manage to have any friends, girlfriend, relationship with the faculty. I was basically an outcast during my 4 years of undergrad. Also, feeling guilty, lonely, anger, fear, anxious and a big mix of negative feelings, but HEY I put that on myself, I was mentally weak back then.
After some therapy and the support of my family. I decided to continue the path of medicine and I won't back down again even with this messy start.

The things that I'm doing right now is working as an ER scribe only 3 days per week, each day I work 12 hours. Some volunteer at a Children Hospital and that's about it. I only had 1 year of volunteer research assistant at some med campus, I think I should be doing more research, however, i have no luck getting into a full-time position as a research assistant or anything related at a local med campus or anywhere where I'm from.

I will be taking the MCAT on April 06, 2018. I'll do my best to obtain a score of (514-520).
I heard that my best bet is to take an SMP and do well and later apply to a DO school.
Or go to some Carribean school. ( I was born and raise in a Carribean island so that's one of my parents' ideas to come back to my hometown and try to go to some Carribean schools)

Do you guys have any recommendation or suggestion of what I should be doing now in order to increase chances? How can I get more clinical research experience, should I contact professors via email that prob doesn't know who I am?

Any tips or suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

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[anyusernamenottaken]

I'd only do more extracurricular( scribe/research) if you can maintain grades, for they wont outweigh a poor GPA. You should look into a post bac program and Ace those classes to prove you can handle the academic rigor of Med school. I'd try to shy away from Carb MD schools, if at all possible

 

[drewtav]

I'd only do more extracurricular( scribe/research) if you can maintain grades, for they wont outweigh a poor GPA. You should look into a post bac program and Ace those classes to prove you can handle the academic rigor of Med school. I'd try to shy away from Carb MD schools, if at all possible

thanks i will look for more information about post bacc programs

 

[Jdp00921]

Hello, I'm Drew and I am a recent graduate (May, 2017) with a GPA 2.92 with a bachelor's in science (biology major). Due to my incompetent GPA, I have been struggling to plan what to do next or to do things that could help my dream in entering DO/MD school. And I was wondering if you guys could help me on how I can overcome my awful GPA. I don't have a reasonable explanation on why I did so poorly, I was depressed due to my failures in my first year and after that year everything went downhill, I guess.
I didn't manage to have any friends, girlfriend, relationship with the faculty. I was basically an outcast during my 4 years of undergrad. Also, feeling guilty, lonely, anger, fear, anxious and a big mix of negative feelings, but HEY I put that on myself, I was mentally weak back then.
After some therapy and the support of my family. I decided to continue the path of medicine and I won't back down again even with this messy start.

The things that I'm doing right now is working as an ER scribe only 3 days per week, each day I work 12 hours. Some volunteer at a Children Hospital and that's about it. I only had 1 year of volunteer research assistant at some med campus, I think I should be doing more research, however, i have no luck getting into a full-time position as a research assistant or anything related at a local med campus or anywhere where I'm from.

I will be taking the MCAT on April 06, 2018. I'll do my best to obtain a score of (514-520).
I heard that my best bet is to take an SMP and do well and later apply to a DO school.
Or go to some Carribean school. ( I was born and raise in a Carribean island so that's one of my parents' ideas to come back to my hometown and try to go to some Carribean schools)

Do you guys have any recommendation or suggestion of what I should be doing now in order to increase chances? How can I get more clinical research experience, should I contact professors via email that prob doesn't know who I am?

Any tips or suggestion will be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Once upon a time, I was in a similar situation as you. Very long story short, I completed a very challenging SMP which helped me to gain 3 acceptances this cycle. It's worth mentioning my MCAT was most certainly not 515-520. Anyway, my point is that a SMP can definitely help prove you can handle a medical school curriculum and if you do indeed score well on the MCAT, I think you'd have a shot somewhere, likely all DO and a few MD schools.

As for the Caribbean, if you want to practice there after school, go for it. As far as going Caribbean with intentions of coming back to the US to practice, I don't have much of an opinion. I'm sure you will get numerous warnings about doing so in the near future, however.

Whatever you choose, Good Luck!