post bacc program vs Caribbean

[Bevo]

This might be premature but things tend to catch up to me in a hurry.
While I still have some applications being evaluated for an interview. I have been thinking about backup plans if this application cycle doesn't work out as planned.

After talking with my father, he feels I should, assuming I get into a caribbean medical school, is go to the caribbean medical school and while I am there reapply for admission to US schools as a first year student, not as a transfer. Im not sure how feasible that would be or smart or anything else. The reasoning behind it is that I would not lose another year of my life waiting on my butt while I could at least be working towards something. If I didn't get into a US school then I'll be done with a year of medical school.

After receiving the rejection letter/explanation of rejection from TCOM is about the post-bacc pre-medical certification program. It would be 10 months of classes and if I received a 3.5 or higher gpa while there I could reapply for admissions to TCOM and probably help with my other applications. Admission isn't garunteed but they say a high percetange of the students get into TCOM, I guess around 90%. I guess the others didn't get the gpa they needed. My fear with doing this is the "what if" I dont make it.then I am left with a 10 month certificate that doesn't grant me a degree of any kind. On a side note, this program seems to be aimed at individuals like myself who have a rocky academic past and have been slow in getting back to academic respectability.

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[skypilot]

Hey Imbebo, Skypilot here again. Just wondering how old you are? If you are under 30, I wouldn't worry at all about taking a few years to get your academics in order. It is not just about your GPA. If you are not ready for med school you will get your ass kicked there. So there is nothing wrong with waiting a few years, and using a post bacc to crank up your undergrad cum and also taking a masters in public health or some other graduate biology program. It might even make it easier to define what you are trying to get out of medical school and residency. Maybe you can get a scholarship and it won't cost too much either. A lot of med schools are looking for slightly older applicants now. Some even add points to your score until age 36. The game has changed a little bit since the old days when everyone was 22. You could keep applying until you get into the school you really want to go to. Again this is just my opinion and I'm sure you will do great whatever happens but don't sell yourself short.

 

[Bevo]

Im 25 now and Ive been doing post bacc work for the last 2.5 years doing my prereqs and taking some science courses that have interested me. Ive only brought up my gpa from a 2.4 to a 2.76 cum. I never had much of a science gpa at my undergrad but what I did take was low. My post bacc science gpa is a 3.3 i believe and a cum of 3.22. I am taking genetics to fulfill the genetics requirement for UHSCOM this semester and decided to retake the 2 labs I still have on my transcript from my undergrad which will eliminate my undergrad science gpa altogether. While i can also remove 2 credits hours at the same time since the credits there were 2 hours and here they are only 1 credit hour.

I am studying to retake the mcat this April. I know I have a lot of room to improve in this area. I spoke with the lady who works with this program today to see if it might be something I should do. I still have mixed feelings.

As for being ready, I would have agreed with you relunctantly a few years ago. I wouldn't have been ready then, but I dont feel the same way now. I am not the same person I was 7 years ago or the same person that I was 2.5 years ago.

To point out an example. I was rejected by VCOM a few weeks ago and I asked for my application to be reviewed. I was told that they did not feel I would be handle the science curriculum of medical school because I did not have at least a 3.00 gpa. My post bacc science gpa at the time of application was a 3.15 and a 3.04 overall. Those are both higher now. I believe my post bacc science gpa to a 3.3 and my overall to a 3.2.

Almost every term I take a full course load of science courses and Ive been steadily increasing my grades as Ive matured. But yet they ignore who I am now but focus on who I was.

I know my post bacc gpa isn't anything to rave about but if you removed my undergrad gpa then it doesn't look as bad compared to other applicants who have been accepted. It wasn't that I wasn't applying myself there, I didn't have the tools necessary to succeed had I applied myself. Its taken me sometime to develop those tools and I think my initial post bacc grades show me applying myself but not doing so correctly. Im reaping the rewards now. But every rejection letter I get now the more it feels like it was too little too late.

I know this post is whiney, but Ive put a lot into this. More than be can quantified because of what I have had to go through mentally to get myself to the point where I am. And to be told what Ive been told is breaking my heart. I dont feel like Im an underachieving student anymore, I dont feel like I am incapable of handling the rigors of medical school. Feels like Im being slapped in the face everytime someone tells me they think the economic and history grades I made 3-7 years ago will prevent me from succeeding in osteopathic school.

I'll stop ranting now and get some much needed sleep.

 

[skypilot]

Sounds like you have improved a lot and are you are going to make it eventually! Just stick with it until you get what you want. Maybe take another review course for the MCAT, apply to every one of the D.O. schools and a few of the allo schools. Take some easy courses to improve your GPA a little more. You will make it. You will be practicing as a doctor for the next 40 years, don't worry about 1 year. Good luck.

 

[bonjuju]

Hey Imbebo.
I want to address your first post, asking if you should go to a carribean school and transfer.
I'm a second year applicant, and also thought about the carribean option. My advice is: do some major research before you go ahead with that plan. After reading what info I could find, I came to the conclusion that it was US or bust. I think that this decision will be different for everyone; for me it was based somewhat on economics and residency availibility. There are only one or two Carribean schools that have a great rep, and getting a US residency ( assuming you want that) is more difficult. Also, I seem to remember reading that the transfer option was not strong. IOW, I don't know that you can count on that.
It sounds like you are moving forward, though, which is great. Your age is no problem...schools seem to really like folks near 30 (they've lived a bit, become more well rounded supposedly) so don't worry about that. I will tell you that for my second year of apps I re-took and improved the MCAT and got a health care related job as well as completing pre-reqs. The result is that I've gotten 6 interviews compared to last years 1 with 5 more possibilities pending.
Anyway, I don't mean to be down on your dad's plan, but another year off doesn't have to mean that you are "waiting on your butt"! If you are psyched about Carribean, go for it, but do as much research as you can first.

 

[bonjuju]

Just wanted to add...my repeated mispelling of "Caribbean" ensures I probably wouldn't get in there anyway!
Good luck Imbebo!

 

[Dr JPH]

Go for the post-bacc. Many medical schools offer them and many are geared towards students who may need a little extra work in some of the sciences prior to starting medical school.

I know that PCOM has a program as well.

Recently someone posted a website that listed all of the post-bacc programs at different medical schools in the country...oh hell...let me do the search for you...be right back...

OK...7 minutes later, but I found it.

http://www.aamc.org/students/considering/postbac/start.htm

Hope this helps.