What do I need on a post bacc given these grades?

[anewmanx]

I've been working for the better part of 15 years to overcome some abysmal grades from when my first child was critically ill. Does anyone care to look over this excel spreedsheet and give me an idea of how high I would need to score on a post-bacc to overcome my low sgpa? My undergrad was 4.0 the last 3 years.

If at all possible I'd like to stay in my state (WI) and there are only two medical schools here, but Medical College of Wisconsin has multiple campuses and some programs focused on family practice or psychiatry. I'm very interested in psychiatry. I'm non-traditional, 37, father of 6, retired and disabled military veteran, and plan on doing shadowing / volunteering the next 1-2 years while knocking out prerequisites if I do not pursue nursing school. Pmhnp is looking like an attractive option and I've been using straighterline to knock out nursing prerequisites that won't have an effect on amcas gpa since they are regarded like ap/clep in case I choose that path; but, my heart is in medicine. I would prefer to have the education requisite to provide the best care possible.

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[ndcpjf]

The good news? You've only taken 15 BCPM credits, 15 years ago. The bad news? Your sGPA is a 1.0. If you took 30 credits and got straight A's your sGPA would be 3.0, 45 credits it'd be 3.25. I imagine if you took somewhere b/w these two amounts, coupled with a 500+ MCAT you might have a chance. I don't know how the age/military service/other information factors into things but that's my two cents from a numbers perspective.

 

[anewmanx]

The good news? You've only taken 15 BCPM credits, 15 years ago.....

I *think* I could get a 510 on the mcat. I’ve never taken it, but I’m a good tester. I can generally get an 80% in any topic without studying beyond just reading the book. With actual studying I regularly get high marks.

I suppose my best bet is to plow through these courses carefully and aim for 90+ in each. I was hoping I could Keep the pressure down and aim for a mix of grades between 85-95, but this classes from the past sure do kill me. My kid had 15 surgeries during that period of time and I just couldn’t handle school, but I needed the pell grant money to survive because we were destitute poor. I knew the writing was on the wall and I would pay for later, but it’s hard to be objective when you’re 20 and your kid is deathly ill. Hindsight is 20/20.

 

[Goro]

First off, many thanks for your service!

read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[anewmanx]

First off, many thanks for your service!

read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

thank you. It’s nice to know there is hope even for me!

 

[anewmanx]

First off, many thanks for your service!

read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

I’ve noticed you express a strong stigma against science classes being taught online as I’ve read around on the forum. Out of curiosity, why is that? I’ve extensively taken classes in person and online, and I honestly find lectures completely useless. I cannot learn from a lecture, only from reading a book and applying the knowledge. Is it because of the physical laboratory portion being a superior learning tool, handling actual dissected bodies, etc? That makes sense to me.

 

[Goro]

Online is perceived as less rigorous. Many med schools have this view.

The age of COVID may change people's minds!

 

[Goro]

Labs are a very different animal. They're more about doing, and applying what you've learned

 

[anewmanx]

Labs are a very different animal. They're more about doing, and applying what you've learned

Well, there is no arguing that. I wish my nearest university was not 30 minutes away (that becomes a very dangerous hour with Wisconsin snow.) UNE would be an option if there wasn’t a stigma.

Perhaps my best bet is to try to get into Carroll University. Generous scholarships for stem, less than 15k out of pocket for a year, or I could cover it all with what’s left of my GI Bill. I hate how slow traditional education is, but I think at this point I need to maximize my chances of admission.

 

[anewmanx]

Online is perceived as less rigorous. Many med schools have this view.

The age of COVID may change people's minds!

I definitely see how some could skate by with online classes. I couldn’t live with myself, personally, doing that. I really like learning and fully appreciating the knowledge.

 

[anewmanx]

@Goro Out of curiosity, how would it be viewed if *some* prerequisites were completed online, then more advanced courses were taken in person with labs? For fiscal reasons that what I’m looking at right now as a strong possibility. I.E. gen, orgo, biol, physics online, human anatomy, micro, biochemistry, and possibly genetics in person.

 

[Goro]

@Goro Out of curiosity, how would it be viewed if *some* prerequisites were completed online, then more advanced courses were taken in person with labs? For fiscal reasons that what I’m looking at right now as a strong possibility. I.E. gen, orgo, biol, physics online, human anatomy, micro, biochemistry, and possibly genetics in person.

Some med schools specifically do not allow online pre-reqs. Check MSAR for which ones. For DO, you need to check each school's admissions website.