What's my next step?

[brettevan]

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Hey guys,

It's been a while since my first/last post on here. A little background on myself. Dropped out of college about 8 years ago. I was young and immature and never went to class. Ended up with a significant amount of F's and W's. After a five year hiatus I got my act together and went back to school. I want to become a Dr. And wouldn't let my past stand in the way. Since going back to school my new gpa is a 3.7. Obviously the cumulative is a lot lower since I screwed up so badly back then. I have fall and spring semester left and then I graduate. I have yet to take the mcat because I wanted to focus all my attention on my classes to ensure my grades were stellar, and they have been. But I obviously don't want to take the mcat until I'm finished with classes. I am also interested in doing an smp or at least a masters to beef up my resume. I was curious for some feedback. Do I take the GRE and apply to programs that will take them instead of the mcat. I had really good sat and act scores and am confident that I can do well on the gre. I guess I'm just unsure about the next step and figured you guys could be of some help. ( I posted this in nontraditional instead of post bacc for two reasons, one ill be 27 when I graduate undergrad and two non trad is the only forum not full of really mean people). Has anyone been in a similar situation to me?

Thanks,

Brett

 

[cabinbuilder]

Don't waste your time or money on the GRE, you need to take the MCAT and see how you stand. have your pre-req's done, get some shadowing in, write a great essay and apply.

 

[WellWornLad]

I agree, take the MCAT soon after you take your pre-reqs so the material is fresh in your mind. Grades are just one piece of the puzzle. If you can rock the MCAT then it might be worth an SMP or just applying straight away. If you don't, then it may be time to consider other paths.

If you're cGPA is not <3.2 or so, I wouldn't necessarily mess around with an SMP or masters. They're only good for boosting your GPA, the degree itself doesn't carry much weight. You bombed out in the distant past and have a consistently good GPA since then, so you're in better shape than someone with the same GPA who still fails an occasional class here and there. But the MCAT will definitely be a big factor for you, as it can "validate" your academic turnaround with a good score.