Should I stay or should I go?

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TrapperPawn

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2+ Year Member
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Ultimately, I know that's up to me, but I also know there are other non-trads out there who might benefit from seeing this question (and the responses). The basics:

-2.75 undergrad GPA (a decade ago); this includes a B in Chem 1 and two woefully subpar, though non-failing, grades in Bio 1 and 2
-3.95 MSW program GPA (within the past year)
-4.0 Forensic Science master's GPA (thus far)

I'm about to take the plunge and couple my master's program with pre-med coursework, retaking the aforementioned undergrad courses where my performance was, shall we say, sickly. I also plan on taking cell bio, immunology, pharmacology, and anat/physio.

Given AACOM's decision not to allow grade replacement, is it worth it to even bother? Again, ultimately that one is up to me, but the perspective helps a great deal...
 
Ultimately, I know that's up to me, but I also know there are other non-trads out there who might benefit from seeing this question (and the responses). The basics:

-2.75 undergrad GPA (a decade ago); this includes a B in Chem 1 and two woefully subpar, though non-failing, grades in Bio 1 and 2
-3.95 MSW program GPA (within the past year)
-4.0 Forensic Science master's GPA (thus far)

I'm about to take the plunge and couple my master's program with pre-med coursework, retaking the aforementioned undergrad courses where my performance was, shall we say, sickly. I also plan on taking cell bio, immunology, pharmacology, and anat/physio.

Given AACOM's decision not to allow grade replacement, is it worth it to even bother? Again, ultimately that one is up to me, but the perspective helps a great deal...
What does your heart tell you? It's the coursework AFTER UG that counts. Well, your MSW won't count either.

Read this:
 
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Hey
Ultimately, I know that's up to me, but I also know there are other non-trads out there who might benefit from seeing this question (and the responses). The basics:

-2.75 undergrad GPA (a decade ago); this includes a B in Chem 1 and two woefully subpar, though non-failing, grades in Bio 1 and 2
-3.95 MSW program GPA (within the past year)
-4.0 Forensic Science master's GPA (thus far)

I'm about to take the plunge and couple my master's program with pre-med coursework, retaking the aforementioned undergrad courses where my performance was, shall we say, sickly. I also plan on taking cell bio, immunology, pharmacology, and anat/physio.

Given AACOM's decision not to allow grade replacement, is it worth it to even bother? Again, ultimately that one is up to me, but the perspective helps a great deal...

I was in similar shoes as you except I had almost no science prereqs done. Got my MSW and went back to do them all in community college ironically and was accepted to my state MD program with a CGPA of less than 3.0.

That being said, I also had several years of working with underserved as a social worker and also worked all throughout Covid in the hospitals as a social worker so my patient contact experience was very high.

It’s a long road and you’ll make a lot of sacrifices if you go down it, I had to quit working and live off of savings and some help from friends for a year and a half and you’ll have to get a really good MCAT. It might be worth considering a SMP if you are dedicated to taking this route but as you know it’s a high cost high reward route and I wouldn’t suggest it if you haven’t taken hard science courses in a while considering the pace of those things.
 
I started with stats way worse than yours, and I just continued to take courses until my cPGa and science GPAs were above 3.0, so I wouldn't be screened out at DO schools. I also did a Masters, but it was for me, not for medical school.
 
It sounds like you want to be a doctor, so start doing the things you need to become a doctor. If along the way you stop wanting to become a doctor or you can't get the grades to get into at least the worst DO school in the country, then stop trying to be a doctor. Refocus. That might mean a job, podiatry school or a PhD or something else. You don't need all the answers now and you also can stop doing it if you find out later on you feel differently