Hey!
You and I are in a similar situation. I am currently doing classes at a community college to retake and take additional courses like a DIY post-bacc.
The advice I received that community college is ok, but the person did suggest I try to do classes at a 4 year school. Ultimately, I decided to stick with classes at the cc I’m enrolled at currently, mostly because it has a rather well-known and positive reputation for their bio/health sciences program where I’m from.
Realistically, I know that low GPA can lower your chances, but the fact that you’ve improved your GPA shows a compelling reason why you would do well in medical school. You’ve learned to overcome the challenges that affected you in undergrad. Perhaps the robustness of the coursework will come into question, but medical school is still absolutely a possibility. For myself, I’m trying to do the best I can in my cc classes and also focusing my efforts towards improving MCAT scores (I’m not the best standardized test taker).
Also, you have AMAZING experience from your volunteer work to job in a clinical setting and research. You are clearing showing interest and drive and these all factor into your app.
I was also considering what happens if the only schools I can get into are in the Caribbean, but I just decided that I’m going to do my best to get into a school stateside. For myself, focusing on the MCAT and getting clinical experience is what I’m trying to keep as strengths in my app, to balance any issues with GPA and the like. And if I truly cannot get into any program because of all these factors I view as weaknesses in my application, then I’ll cross that bridge when I get there. Maybe I’m being overly confident or positive, but I’m trying to remember that though being a nontrad student makes things difficult, it doesn’t mean med school is an impossible reach.
Not sure if this was at all helpful, but just wanted to share my thoughts, as we seem to be in very similar situations!
Best of luck to you!
edited: see this comment on med schools & cc credit