Constructing a DIY Postbacc

Nontraditional Premed Discussion
1

Hi all,
So I am a biology premed who is a senior I will be graduating in Spring 2022 with a B.S in Biology, but I will also be graduating with a 2.9-3.0 cGPA and nearly a 2.07-2.14 science GPA. I did bad in my classes due to lack of direction, intention/motivation, and a few family issues. So to repair my gpa and show academic capability, I have decided to do a DIY postbacc for a year at a state university near me. Problem is, I’ve retaken several prereqs at my current institution because I had to do so to proceed with my Biology sequence for my major and I don’t know which classes I should retake? I know a general rule of thumb is that “If you make a C- or lower, retake the class” and I have … but not with much progress. For example: I took genetics 3 times (F->D->C), I took cell and molecular bio twice (F->C), and I plan on retaking Biochem during my postbacc since I made a D (we had 4 tests, I had done poorly on the last 2 tests and amazing on the last two and was very shy of making a C - but adcoms wont see that)

So I have two questions:
1.) Should I retake genetics and cell molecular bio even though I gained a C at the end? I was planning on taking them again bc at least at my current institution they helped with my understanding of Biochemistry as our biology sequence goes from Genetics, to Molecular and Cell Bio and finally to Biochem
2.) How many hours should I be taking for my post bac? Aka when should I stop because I would prefer to do classes just for a year so I can apply for the 2023-2024 cycle, but otherwise I will do whatever it takes for me to get into medical school. I calculated (using the GPA calc on medschoolhq.net) my sGPA would be 2.69 if I took 21 hours within the 2022-2023 school year. Should I take more classes to get a sGPA of 3.0? (Which would mean I would have to take 30 more hours and potentially another gap year and hold off on applying until 2024?)

Any advice on how I should proceed?

Thank you all

2

I don’t know if a year post-bacc is enough time to reverse what you’ve done to yourself. Take time to figure out why you’re performing so poorly and fix that before rushing into a post-bacc.

Start with bio chem. Make an A. Following semester take two classes, make two As. You have 2-3 years of post-bacc work to do before you’re ready for the rigors of med school. But you can do it! Focus on developing better study strategies, and remain consistent.

Don’t retake genetics and molecular. DO take other upper level bio courses and crush them.

3

Thank you for the feedback. I also forgot to add 2 classes when calculating my science GPA and I should end up with an undergrad science GPA of 2.3 instead of a 2.0. Does this change a little bit of what I should do or would you still advise 2-3 years of a postbacc.

4

Adcoms want to see that you are able to tackle difficult subjects and do well across several years of study. I think it wise to commit to 2+ years of DIY post-bacc work and do REALLY well. Given your history of multiple retakes, to really separate yourself academically, you’re going to have to show them you can handle the intake of a large amount of information for a sustained amount of time. That’s what medicine is.

You can totally do this! It’s just going to take more work than maybe you envisioned initially.

Start with 1 class. Fix your study habits.