Hello Everyone!!
I stumbbled on this forum while desperatly trying to figure out how it’s possible for me to go to medical school or if I even have a chance at being accepted.
Now for some background info,
I graduated with a B.S. in biology in 2008 with a science gpa of 2.5 and an overall gpa of 2.6 my plan was to retake my science classes and try to bring up my gpa. However because I come from a very traditional family I ended up getting married and moved to dallas with my husband. While I was here I applied to the UTD post bac program however I was rejected because I had too many science units and I wasn’t a good candidate for their program.
Well after that life happened and I got pregnant, and decided to put the idea of med school on hold. Now that my daughter is about to turn 2, I really want give med school a chance. However I don’t even know where to begin, especially since I was rejected from the post bac program I feel really discouraged.
So if anyone can give me advice on where to begin, and a simple timeline of what I should be doing and when to take the MCATs. I would really appreciate it.
Also for any pre med moms out there, any advice on how to handle baby and family would be very helpful. My husband and I would like to have another baby, not sure as to when it would be the best time. So any tips on the timing for a new baby would be awesome.
Hi Dina,
Welcome to the OPM forum.
Let’s start from the beginning. Please learn this rule because it will be the only rule you will ever need: BREATH AND RELAX.
Your case is as typical as it can be, so if you are willing to put perseverance, test your resilience,study hard and apply the wisdom you will receive from this forum, your chances to go to medical school are high.
Having said that, the road will not be easy, but you already know that.
Let’s enumerate your pros:
- You are young.
- You want it.
- You have a social network and stability to support your endeavors.
- You already have undergraduate training related to your goal.
- Add here another you might come up with…
From your description, it seems that the best way for you will be the so called DIY post-bacc. You have to find in Dallas, a four-year institution where to retake some or all of the pre-reqs. There are some people from that area that might want to chime in on that.
The goal is to bring your GPA up–meaning you need to strive to get all As this time. To make acquaintances with professors that will later write LORs on your behalf and in general to make you stronger both to pass the MCAT with flying colors and to stand a chance in dealing with the medical school academic load.
You will also need time to start volunteering if you already have not, and later get some shadowing or other experiences that will show adcoms (yet another slang here) you are the candidate they have been expecting for so long ;).
I will pass on the pre-med / mom issue, because some of our successful mom-docs and mom-docs-to-be will surely fill you in.
This has been an incomplete, general, fly of bird kindda of description, but hope is enough to get you started.
Welcome again! and I want to leave you with one of my favorites aphorisms (also from this forum):
Remember, it’s a marathon not a speed race.
Thank you for the advice, I realize my main goal for right now is to bring up my gpa. You mentioned that I should retake classes at a 4 year institution, does that mean it has to be state universities and not community colleges? Or are community college classes not acceptable?
Dina,
There are quite a few variables at work here, and, while it is not optimum to attend CC for your upper level sciences, some adcoms may not factor it as heavily as others.
As a general rule, however, admission committees do not like to see only community colleges listed on transcripts because, right or wrong, they are perceived as having softer grading, easier curricula, and are not given the same amount of respect as a 4 year.
Good luck to you!
Dina,
I agree with Artman on the CC vs 4-yr school issue.
There are long threads somewhere in this forum dealing only with that issue.
It seems that in the end is not recommended for the reasons exposed by Artman, so as a rule of thumb one must stay away from CC if possible, there are exceptions, but read on and decide for yourself.
Keep us posted as you go forward,