University grad in gap year. Options?

[Mkara1]

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Hey everyone!

I'm new member an don't exactly know what thread to put this under but I could use some help. I'm stuck with what I should do in my gap year here in terms of what to do an what the best option is given my situation. I have heard of getting a job, doing a post bacc program, internships etc.- not sure which one is right for my situation. Hopefully I can get some insight from you guys.

I just graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS in Community Health with a concentration in Rehabilitation Studies in December 2012.
GPA: 3.5
Science GPA: 3.26
MCAT: 21R PS:9 VS:6 BS:6
I have done 100 hours so far of volunteering at two different hospitals. I completed an internship at the American Cancer Society for 1 semester. I was a member of two different university clubs at U of I.
I was also a student-athlete at Indiana University- Bloomington for a year then transferred.
I have been shadowing a physician since the summer of 2012 a well.

I was going to take the MCAT again this upcoming March but I feel a though my score won't change much from my original score. I really want a 30 and I don't know if that's possible in this next month after taking a few practice tests averaging a 20. I was also thinking about applying to a post bacc program for the fall of 2013 while applying for med school for the fall of 2014; only problem with the post bacc program idea is the insane amount of money the actual program is. I'm kind of rethinking that and may go for the job route. I'm just not sure what to do right now.

Any advice???

Thank you so much!

 

[dextor2003]

Definitely retake the mcat. Postpone the date until you average 30s on your practice tests. Try to not score below a 9 in any section. Also get more leadership and meaningful non-medical community service experience.

I can't offer much advice about the postbacc since I don't really have much experience. I'd say if you're shooting for DO, then forego the postbacc. But if you're shooting for MD, then maybe reconsider it. It's expensive, but it will (hopefully) significantly improve your chances.

Hopefully others can chime in and offer more help on this subject..

 

[IniestaDeMiVida]

If you are able to avoid financial problems, I would take this time to really buckle down on that MCAT. You need to raise it significantly to make up for your GPA. You could try to do some additional volunteering and shadowing, but the MCAT should be your main focus. Most SMPs will have cutoff for their program that you should become familiar with.