Hello and thank you so much for taking the time out to read and hopefully respond to me.
I am currently finishing my undergrad and will be done in December of this year (2021). I am a nontraditional (28 y/o ). So with my grades from my first college (a junior college), and my grades at my university now, my cumulative GPA currently comes to a 3.21 ( first college gpa=3.08, GPA at PSU now 3.34). My total sGPA with both schools is (2.89). I am currently a phlebotomist/tech in an emergency room at a trauma hospital full time. I’ve been in health care for over 5 years. I have 2 research poster presentations at a local medical school(MD). I am also the senator for my major ( psychology of science ) at my school. I have shadowing hours with a trauma surgeon(MD), and pathologist (DO). And 2 ER doctors (DO & MD)* just to show how my application would look *
I was accepted into a special master’s program at the medical school that I did my research through the last two summers. It starts in January 2022. The program is about 10-11 months long and if you get a certain grade you are guaranteed an interview at the MD school(not an acceptance). They have a course in the last quarter which is focused only on Mcat prep ( Princeton review ) I have not taken the Mcat yet. But the research program I’m a part of gave me a free Mcat course that expires August 2022. It has homework, practice full-length exams, lectures, etc.
I want to apply to medical school this coming cycle so I can matriculate after the special masters but I am so confused. I am a first-generation high school graduate let alone college or medical school, so unfortunately my family can’t really help me.
My questions are…
- Should I start studying for my Mcat and take it in March and depending on my score retake it in June and apply in June? ( really don’t want to retake it ) This would mean not doing the SMP because it starts in January.
- I plan to apply in June (that’s why I’d take the MCAT early to have my application complete early) keep in mind the Mcat prep isn’t until the end of the master’s program (around November or December 2022). Would the medical school be able to consider me without my MCAT and my SMP grades being complete until the end of the year?
- Should I just do the SMP and take their Mcat course and take the MCAT later in the year and take a gap year before applying? I don’t mind this route either but I want to do what’s best financially and as far as the timeline.
Thank you so much!