Hi Everyone,
Thanks for having me on the boards. I’ve decided OPM is the best place to be as I begin to make some major decisions in the next few months.
Being a nontrad premed embarking on a second career to pursue my dream, I find that my 23 year old counterparts simply don’t understand where nontrads come from. I’m glad to be here, and congrats to all of the recent acceptances and interviews!
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I’m currently 32 years old and have a BS in Engineering from UCI. I graduated in 2005 with a 2.83. By the time I apply for med school, my undergrad record will be nearly 9 years in the past.
I have not completed any premed prereqs with the exception of physics which I took way back in 2002, so I’ll be retaking those classes simply as a refresher.
I’m currently at a crossroads, and can’t figure out what to do, and I am hoping that with some additional input, things will sort themselves out.
Scenario 1: I have the option to attend a local Cal State University in a formal postbacc program consisting of 50 units of upper div bio, chem, physics and electives. The minimum GPA allowed is 3.0 in the last 60 units completed. I will need to take about 40 units at a CC to bring myself to this GPA due to the terrible downward trend I had in my last year of undergrad.
If I choose this path, and assume the best case scenario of A’s in all coursework from here out (90 units), the best possible GPA I can get is 3.27 all years considered.
However, this would put me at 3 CURRENT years of a 4.0 in cGPA and sGPA in a rigorous setting.
Also, I am not allowed to have taken ANY science classes in the last 5 years in order to keep the curve fair for the rest of the people in the program. This is no problem as long as I gain acceptance. If I don’t, this sets me back 1.5 years because I’ll need to take the prereqs!
Scenario 2: Ignore a formal postbacc entirely, and gain acceptance into an SMP after some GPA repair at the local CC. This GPA repair will consist mainly of premed prerequisites.
Shortly after, I will take the August 2012 MCAT and apply for an SMP that allows you to take classes with med students to prove you can hack med school.
This is a $35,000 proposition that carries a lot of risk. If I do poorly, MD is out like trout and I walk out with twice the debt I’m carrying now from undergrad!
If I do well, I will likely gain acceptance into an allopathic program.
I really appreciate any input. Thank you.
I just reread this post and I clearly had way too much coffee in my system.
I figured things out.
- KWCMD Said:
I just reread this post and I clearly had way too much coffee in my system.
I figured things out.
I figured things out.
well tell us, what are your plans, share, share share.....
Hi Richard,
Well, I essentially just called the schools directly.
Luckily they were all very helpful in terms of telling me exactly what they were looking for.
I will basically do a DIY postbacc at my community college and follow it up with 1-2 full time semesters of upper division science to prove I can handle a rigorous science curriculum.
Assuming I continue to do well and get a respectable MCAT, it looks like all systems go!
A few phone calls saved me 30K dollars.
Ken