Hi everyone! First time poster.
About me real quick: I graduated in 2012 at UF with a 2.56 GPA with my BS in Microbiology. In 2018, I regained some confidence and decided to try for med school again. I took some classes at a community college (Straight As in 3 science classes +labs and English), did well on the GRE (313) and got accepted into USF's Master of Medical Science Anatomy concentration program. At the end of this masters program, I am expecting to have a 3.92 GPA and a graduate certificate in Pathology.
My question is, would it benefit me to retake all of the pre-reqs since they are from about a decade ago? I know some schools require them to be more recent, but I already checked and will not be applying to those schools.
I am, however, quite confident that I can excel at the MCAT, which is currently scheduled for September of this year after the end of the program. Since it covers those pre-req topics, I thought maybe it would be a good representation of my abilities in those topics now, despite my shortcomings from a decade ago. This masters program I am in is also heavy on the biological sciences (anatomy, histology, embryology, systems based pathology courses, gross anatomy lab, etc.), but I worry that it is not as well rounded as other SMPs/post baccs.
So my question is: would it be beneficial for me to use the time after the masters program to retake a few courses at a community college, or will a stellar MCAT score and specialized graduate GPA outshine those old undergraduate prereqs?
I plan on applying to med school in 2021, so if I do not need to retake any courses, it will free up some time to really get into research and other extracurricular activities. That's why I am on the fence about additional classes. I would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations.
Thank you so much.
About me real quick: I graduated in 2012 at UF with a 2.56 GPA with my BS in Microbiology. In 2018, I regained some confidence and decided to try for med school again. I took some classes at a community college (Straight As in 3 science classes +labs and English), did well on the GRE (313) and got accepted into USF's Master of Medical Science Anatomy concentration program. At the end of this masters program, I am expecting to have a 3.92 GPA and a graduate certificate in Pathology.
My question is, would it benefit me to retake all of the pre-reqs since they are from about a decade ago? I know some schools require them to be more recent, but I already checked and will not be applying to those schools.
I am, however, quite confident that I can excel at the MCAT, which is currently scheduled for September of this year after the end of the program. Since it covers those pre-req topics, I thought maybe it would be a good representation of my abilities in those topics now, despite my shortcomings from a decade ago. This masters program I am in is also heavy on the biological sciences (anatomy, histology, embryology, systems based pathology courses, gross anatomy lab, etc.), but I worry that it is not as well rounded as other SMPs/post baccs.
So my question is: would it be beneficial for me to use the time after the masters program to retake a few courses at a community college, or will a stellar MCAT score and specialized graduate GPA outshine those old undergraduate prereqs?
I plan on applying to med school in 2021, so if I do not need to retake any courses, it will free up some time to really get into research and other extracurricular activities. That's why I am on the fence about additional classes. I would love to hear your thoughts and recommendations.
Thank you so much.
