where to begin (with post-bac + gen. advice)

[febreezeknees]

hi - i have posted this on reddit before, but some people directed me to post on sdn for better advice!

i am a rising senior with a poor gpa that has been on the rise. i was the victim of a crime my freshman year and wasnt able to receive accommodations from my school and instead of taking a medical leave, i did extremely poorly which resulted in an academic suspension (that i am currently petitioning to be a medical leave instead). i have a total of 7 w's and one f, some of which may leave my transcript due to my advisor trying to help me.

however, since this suspension, i have had significantly better grades. by the end of summer, my grades will be back to a 3.0, and if i continue this trend, I'll graduate undergrad with a 3.2.

i ended up only doing a few premed courses because once the incident happened, i had some sort of thought to stop taking them to focus on my health so i am planning on taking post bac classes at a local college after senior year. right now, i am at a much better place, and my grades have been a's, so i am confident i can do well in the post bac, especially because my parents have agreed to let me stay at home and commute.

i was wondering if it is realistic to take my post bac classes (starting summer 2022) and ending them that spring, as well as studying and prepping for the mcat during this time. i am a strong test taker, but i don't want to bite off more than i can chew just because i feel better of a student than i was freshman year. also, the mcat is terrifying and i don't want to underestimate it. i'd rather pace things out, but if it is doable with hard work, i want to know.

additionally, and i asked this on reddit, i wanted to know if the suspension/possible leave will disqualify me entirely. i have worked hard to prove myself beyond my grades, and there is nothing i want to do more than be a physician, so i am willing to put in the time and effort to do so.

should i just do a diy post bac? should i try for a formal one? i want to save money, and there are programs like suny purchase, fordham, and some of the cunys around me that seem cost efficient in nyc. just wanted some advice on how to move forward and make the most out of this journey.

tldr; rising senior wanting advice on how to do a post bac and kill it post grad

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[Goro]

Academic IAs are understandable and won't hurt your chances.

Formal post-bacs are more for career changers

Read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

 

[gramnegative]

You may not be able to do a formal PB if you have taken some pre-reqs already.

As someone who also had a <3.5 cGPA, I'd advise against taking the MCAT at the same time as pre-reqs. If you are still in your early 20s you have so much time and med schools are not going anywhere - give yourself the time to present the best application. Also, the act of applying takes a lot of time, so factor that in as well.

 

[febreezeknees]

Academic IAs are understandable and won't hurt your chances.

Formal post-bacs are more for career changers

Read this:

• Goro's advice for pre-meds who need reinvention

thank you so much for the guide! im going to look into it now

 

[febreezeknees]

You may not be able to do a formal PB if you have taken some pre-reqs already.

As someone who also had a <3.5 cGPA, I'd advise against taking the MCAT at the same time as pre-reqs. If you are still in your early 20s you have so much time and med schools are not going anywhere - give yourself the time to present the best application. Also, the act of applying takes a lot of time, so factor that in as well.

i will look more into formal vs informal post bacs, then, but you’re right. im going to just do it diy at the lowest cost to me.

thank you for the advice with taking the mcat at the same time! i am only 21 so i definitely have a lot of time - im going to wait it out and make sure i kill my pre-reqs before anything.

 

[febreezeknees]

i have another question - does it look bad to take pre reqs over the summer during an informal post bac / diy? i have gone through some threads that advocate heavily against them if you do it while in undergrad, but i haven’t seen anything specifically for post bacs. i also admittedly don’t know how to use this forum so hopefully someone sees this and can answer!!