- Joined
- Jul 7, 2014
- Messages
- 52
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Hello everyone,
My background:
In early 2014, I was a junior when I took the MCAT and got an average 27 with a 6 on verbal, which bombed my score. I didn't apply to any school till 2016 application, last year. Although my resume is filled with research, clinical work, leadership and EMT stuff, I got rejected or didn't hear back from none of the schools I applied to. My overall GPA is 3.77 with a downward trend averaging 4.00 in the first two years and 3.5 in the second two years. The first two years I studied in a community college and the second two years at a university taking mostly core classes.
I'm going to retake the MCAT on June 2016 to give it another shot for 2017 application round. If everything goes well and, hypothetically, I get accepted to a MD or DO school, next year (2016-2017) will be my gap year. I know there are tons of things to do during the gap year. But, I'm thinking about going to a post-bac program. So what do you think?
Is it effective to go to a post-bac program after submitting your primary application? OR I have to complete the post-bacc and then apply to the medical schools?
There are some PORS and CONS to going to a post-bacc program:
Pros:
My background:
In early 2014, I was a junior when I took the MCAT and got an average 27 with a 6 on verbal, which bombed my score. I didn't apply to any school till 2016 application, last year. Although my resume is filled with research, clinical work, leadership and EMT stuff, I got rejected or didn't hear back from none of the schools I applied to. My overall GPA is 3.77 with a downward trend averaging 4.00 in the first two years and 3.5 in the second two years. The first two years I studied in a community college and the second two years at a university taking mostly core classes.
I'm going to retake the MCAT on June 2016 to give it another shot for 2017 application round. If everything goes well and, hypothetically, I get accepted to a MD or DO school, next year (2016-2017) will be my gap year. I know there are tons of things to do during the gap year. But, I'm thinking about going to a post-bac program. So what do you think?
Is it effective to go to a post-bac program after submitting your primary application? OR I have to complete the post-bacc and then apply to the medical schools?
There are some PORS and CONS to going to a post-bacc program:
Pros:
- You can experience studying the first-year-medical-school-material
- It will be counted as the first year of medical school (for some programs)
- You get to know many MD school faculties and admission officers of the medical school participating in the post-bacc program
- You gain more experience with extracurricular activities.
- You can improve your GPA
- With a few extra credits, you can receive your master's degree
- It's actually expensive $$$$
- It's very time-consuming
- In my case, I should mention it in my primary application but it's GPA has to be sent to the medical schools as a transcript update.
- I'm not sure if it'll be as effective as it would be for someone who'd submit the application after completion of a post-bacc program.