What should I do?

[marwalla]

Hi,

I’m a non-traditional Black student. I went to community college first and completed a good chunk of pre-med courses and later I transferred to a university. During my time in CC, I took on 12-19 credit hour course loads (with the permission of my institution), while also taking care of my grandmother who had health issues. Being that I did so well in CC, I jumped at the opportunity to take on upper level science courses at uni, but ended up failing OChem 1 (but did well in lab). I even retook it, but did poorly. After a while, I decided against majoring in STEM and took a break from bio/chem/phys to repair my cumulative GPA. I ended up double majoring in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences and had a minor in a related field.

During this time (3 years), I participated in clubs, did some non-clinical volunteering (3 years), was an intern for a non-profit organization (2 years) and did research in a Social Psychology lab (2 years). Upon the completion of my degree, I ended up with a 3.24 GPA (with an upward trend) and decided to do a postbacc to complete my requirements for med school, retake a few courses and take some upper level science courses.

In the post bacc, I started out strong, but faced a great deal of financial instability and some instability on the home front with unreliable roommates, which caused my grades to drop. I will be completing the program with a 3.4+ GPA, which will bring my science GPA to a 3.1. Once the program is complete, I will be focused on my MCAT (I’m currently taking a prep course). I am also currently working 20-40+ hours a week (non-medical) and am shadowing in trauma surgery (I’ll have between 20-75 hours if I’m able to continue with the same surgeon).

I realize that this is a long process and my journey has been untraditional, but I am still trying to get into medical school despite my low stats. I’m also planning to wait to apply to medical school until the 2021 cycle, in case my MCAT score isn’t high enough (this will give me time to retake it) and to build my resume. I’m also planning to get certified as a CNA, EMT or a phlebotomist to get patient care hours.

What are your thoughts on my situation (any advice would appreciated)? Should I look into SMPs and/or linkage programs to prove the medical schools that I can handle a graduate level science curriculum? If so, what programs do you recommend? I’ve looked into Drexel’s pathway program, Touro College’s linkage program, and Loyola’s MAMS program, in terms of SMPs/programs with linkages and am considering them. Should I just focus on my MCAT and extracurriculars and go from there?

I’m just trying to figure out the most beneficial path to take to reach my goals of being admitted into medical school (MD or DO) and becoming a physician.

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[precisiongraphic]

Whatever you do, your next step(s) must be done well. You already have two strikes against you - low undergrad GPA and low Post-bacc GPA. Geting a 3.4 in a post bacc is not going to improve your application or show schools that your undergrad is behind you. An SMP program with linkage would be good but only if you can get 3.6 or better at a minimum.

And it's a fallacy to believe that you can take the MCAT first time and do poorly/low and redeem it with a higher MCAT later. Do no take the MCAT until you are scoring above the mean for MD admission (508? - someone correct me) because you need to count on your MCAT balancing or making up in part for your poor undergrad and post-bacc showing. Do not rush the MCAT and be sure to do it right the first time.

The good news is that all is not lost. You don't mention extra curricular activities and will need at least 150 hours of clinical volunteering and about that much in non-clinical so you can start that now. Your URM status will help you with the lower stats if you can show med schools that you are focused and determined and that you know what medical school entails (that is one reason for the clinical volunteering requirements). Good luck and don't rush it - medical school will be there when you are ready.

 

[marwalla]

Whatever you do, your next step(s) must be done well. You already have two strikes against you - low undergrad GPA and low Post-bacc GPA. Geting a 3.4 in a post bacc is not going to improve your application or show schools that your undergrad is behind you. An SMP program with linkage would be good but only if you can get 3.6 or better at a minimum.

And it's a fallacy to believe that you can take the MCAT first time and do poorly/low and redeem it with a higher MCAT later. Do no take the MCAT until you are scoring above the mean for MD admission (508? - someone correct me) because you need to count on your MCAT balancing or making up in part for your poor undergrad and post-bacc showing. Do not rush the MCAT and be sure to do it right the first time.

The good news is that all is not lost. You don't mention extra curricular activities and will need at least 150 hours of clinical volunteering and about that much in non-clinical so you can start that now. Your URM status will help you with the lower stats if you can show med schools that you are focused and determined and that you know what medical school entails (that is one reason for the clinical volunteering requirements). Good luck and don't rush it - medical school will be there when you are ready.

I appreciate the feedback!!

I will definitely be using this time to build my resume! And, I’ll be waiting to take the MCAT until I score between a 508 and 510 minimally for MD and DO schools. I agree that it would hinder my application further if I rushed to take the MCAT and scored poorly.

To answer your question in the post about the 508 average MCAT score for MD schools, from what I’ve seen on various medical school admission sites, it really just depends on the school. I’ve seen MD schools with lower MCAT averages, those at 508 and higher. That’s why I’m aiming for a minimum score of a 508-510 (although my true MCAT goal is much higher, which I am willing to work for), so that I can be a contender for MD and DO schools.

 

[Goro]

Hi,

I’m a non-traditional Black student. I went to community college first and completed a good chunk of pre-med courses and later I transferred to a university. During my time in CC, I took on 12-19 credit hour course loads (with the permission of my institution), while also taking care of my grandmother who had health issues. Being that I did so well in CC, I jumped at the opportunity to take on upper level science courses at uni, but ended up failing OChem 1 (but did well in lab). I even retook it, but did poorly. After a while, I decided against majoring in STEM and took a break from bio/chem/phys to repair my cumulative GPA. I ended up double majoring in the fields of Humanities and Social Sciences and had a minor in a related field.

During this time (3 years), I participated in clubs, did some non-clinical volunteering (3 years), was an intern for a non-profit organization (2 years) and did research in a Social Psychology lab (2 years). Upon the completion of my degree, I ended up with a 3.24 GPA (with an upward trend) and decided to do a postbacc to complete my requirements for med school, retake a few courses and take some upper level science courses.

In the post bacc, I started out strong, but faced a great deal of financial instability and some instability on the home front with unreliable roommates, which caused my grades to drop. I will be completing the program with a 3.4+ GPA, which will bring my science GPA to a 3.1. Once the program is complete, I will be focused on my MCAT (I’m currently taking a prep course). I am also currently working 20-40+ hours a week (non-medical) and am shadowing in trauma surgery (I’ll have between 20-75 hours if I’m able to continue with the same surgeon).

I realize that this is a long process and my journey has been untraditional, but I am still trying to get into medical school despite my low stats. I’m also planning to wait to apply to medical school until the 2021 cycle, in case my MCAT score isn’t high enough (this will give me time to retake it) and to build my resume. I’m also planning to get certified as a CNA, EMT or a phlebotomist to get patient care hours.

What are your thoughts on my situation (any advice would appreciated)? Should I look into SMPs and/or linkage programs to prove the medical schools that I can handle a graduate level science curriculum? If so, what programs do you recommend? I’ve looked into Drexel’s pathway program, Touro College’s linkage program, and Loyola’s MAMS program, in terms of SMPs/programs with linkages and am considering them. Should I just focus on my MCAT and extracurriculars and go from there?

I’m just trying to figure out the most beneficial path to take to reach my goals of being admitted into medical school (MD or DO) and becoming a physician.

Read this:

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

 

[marwalla]

Read this:

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

Thanks for the link! Definitely going to look into this advice!