Updated on my Postbac Journey

[Medgoal2020]

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Hi guys,

First of all, I would like to say thank you for taking your times look over my post. Here are my information from the last time I post a thread on SDN:

Undergraduate: Graduated in Dec 2015 at University of Nebraska-Lincoln (with state residency)

Majors: Biological System Engineering with emphasis on Biomedical and dual matriculation with Biochemistry

MCAT: Took practice tests and average around 510. Schedule to take it in May 2020.

GPA (before postbacc): 3.39x cGPA and low 3.5x BCPM (with science engineering courses that I can count for BCPM)

My last 4 semesters of UG (not overall GPA): 3.8+ ----> 3.7+ ---> 3.8+ ---> 3.57 (maybe upward trend?)

Return back to my undergraduate college in Fall 2017 and been taking courses ever since with mostly A+

Fall 2017: 11 credits

Spring 2018: 20 credits

Fall 2018: 18 credits

Spring 2019: 16 credits

Fall 2019 (current): 13 credits

DYI PostBacc GPA up to now: 4.0 GPA

Overall GPA for cGPA and BCPM: 3.59x cGPA and medium 3.62x BCPM after last semester

Took courses like: Gerontology, Evolution, Ecology, Immunology, Endocrinology, Functional Histology, Behavioral Neuroscience, Molecular Genetic, Molecular Biology, Biology of Viruses, System Biology, Anatomy with cadaver lab, Sociology, etc. Most of these courses are A+

Volunteering/Leadership:

Clinical: ~120 hours

TAed for Immunology (not paid), Microbiology Lab (paid), BIOS I, a 4xx level engineering course, and will be TAing for microbiology this upcoming semester(2 lab sections).

Shadowing: 32 hours

Research: ~3 months of summer volunteered research at University of Houston-Downtown before postbacc (spent about 5+ hours every day in lab except for weekend)

That is all for now. Currently, I am registering for 12 credit hours for next semester; I only need one course to shoot for overall 3.60 cGPA and I would love to take Cancer Biology for it. Is it fine to take only one course and focus my time on studying for the MCAT or may be a problem for adcom to notice that I am not doing full time? Please let me know what you guys think. Again, thank you for the feedbacks!

 

[paradoxic_toxic]

So you did 78 credits of reinvention and achieved a 4.0 GPA in your DIY post bac? Nice job..

It's safe to ease up on your course load and begin focusing on the MCAT. I don't think it will be a red flag.

 

[GreenDuck12]

It is completely fine to take one class and focus on studying for the mcat. Nice work raising your GPA, that took a lot of effort. You have definitely demonstrated you can handle a rigorous medical school course load with the years of straight A classes. Now focus on your mcat score which will be very heavily weighted in your application. Good luck!

 

[Medgoal2020]

Thanks guys! The feedbacks very reassurance. I just need to make sure that I will be busy this upcoming semester to prevent any red flag pops up.