Hi all!
So, this is my brief(ish) story so far in regards to my path to my med school plus the questions that it leads me to.
I'm currently doing a career-changers postbacc at NYU. It's a fantastic program and very rigorous. I had a great undergrad GPA (3.81) and some solid med-related ECs: medical office assistant, recent certification as a clinical medical assistant, a few shadowing experiences. I took Bio I in my last semester and got an A-.
However, since arriving at NYU, I'm getting my ass kicked (currently in Gen Chem I and Statistics). I started a part time job as a clinical medical assistant and was so embarrassed when I walked into my bosses office to quit after three weeks. The sheer load of my courses plus my undergrad time management AND the job meant I was sleeping 3 hours a night and failed my first chemistry midterm. Luckily, I was able to pull the second midterm grade up by 30 points and replace the first grade (professor's policy).
There are two issues on my mind in regards to how to proceed in my preparations for med school:
1. I'm running out of money. I don't have a credit history so taking out a private loan at this point is pretty much impossible.
2. I don't want to continue getting poor grades. I'm really struggling but do want to improve my time management habits. SUPER CHALLENGING but I know I have to keep trying and be persistent about it.
My questions:
All of that being said, I'm wondering a) how it looks to med schools if you transfer from one formal postbacc program to another. I'm considering going to an in-state school with a good reputation as well for their postbacc but that would mean transferring of sorts (if I even get in) and b) how it looks to med schools if I just continue with a DIY postbacc to get the rest of my prereqs done. All of these would be to make financing my postbacc more affordable as I would get in state tuition for either option a) or b).
I'm also wondering if it makes more sense to transfer somewhere maybe a little lower caliber so that I can do better. I know that may not sound so great but I'm trying to be realistic. I studied Global Affairs and foreign languages in undergrad and am having a hell of a time wrapping my head around these science courses, particularly at this caliber.
Finally, I just want to say that I have nothing but positive things to say about NYU's postbacc program. I would love to continue here but ultimately my goal is to be a physician and I'm trying to set myself for success as best as I can, even if that means taking a step to the side.
I would really appreciate feedback from any current adcom members or others really involved in the admissions process!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
So, this is my brief(ish) story so far in regards to my path to my med school plus the questions that it leads me to.
I'm currently doing a career-changers postbacc at NYU. It's a fantastic program and very rigorous. I had a great undergrad GPA (3.81) and some solid med-related ECs: medical office assistant, recent certification as a clinical medical assistant, a few shadowing experiences. I took Bio I in my last semester and got an A-.
However, since arriving at NYU, I'm getting my ass kicked (currently in Gen Chem I and Statistics). I started a part time job as a clinical medical assistant and was so embarrassed when I walked into my bosses office to quit after three weeks. The sheer load of my courses plus my undergrad time management AND the job meant I was sleeping 3 hours a night and failed my first chemistry midterm. Luckily, I was able to pull the second midterm grade up by 30 points and replace the first grade (professor's policy).
There are two issues on my mind in regards to how to proceed in my preparations for med school:
1. I'm running out of money. I don't have a credit history so taking out a private loan at this point is pretty much impossible.
2. I don't want to continue getting poor grades. I'm really struggling but do want to improve my time management habits. SUPER CHALLENGING but I know I have to keep trying and be persistent about it.
My questions:
All of that being said, I'm wondering a) how it looks to med schools if you transfer from one formal postbacc program to another. I'm considering going to an in-state school with a good reputation as well for their postbacc but that would mean transferring of sorts (if I even get in) and b) how it looks to med schools if I just continue with a DIY postbacc to get the rest of my prereqs done. All of these would be to make financing my postbacc more affordable as I would get in state tuition for either option a) or b).
I'm also wondering if it makes more sense to transfer somewhere maybe a little lower caliber so that I can do better. I know that may not sound so great but I'm trying to be realistic. I studied Global Affairs and foreign languages in undergrad and am having a hell of a time wrapping my head around these science courses, particularly at this caliber.
Finally, I just want to say that I have nothing but positive things to say about NYU's postbacc program. I would love to continue here but ultimately my goal is to be a physician and I'm trying to set myself for success as best as I can, even if that means taking a step to the side.
I would really appreciate feedback from any current adcom members or others really involved in the admissions process!
Thank you, thank you, thank you!