WWYD??

[peytonj17]

Hi guys! I just have a couple questions about postbaccs/SMPs and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice or tell me what you would do in my position.

I graduated from my state school in 2022 with a 3.5 cGPA and ~3.1 sGPA. I decided I wanted to be either a PA or a doctor the fall of my sophomore year, which coincidentally was right before Covid started. I really struggled when classes moved completely online, so my grades from then, which were basically all prereqs, are all Bs and Cs. I was definitely struggling with my mental health which I know I shouldn’t talk about in my application, but that’s why I was doing so badly. I got on meds, which helped for a while, but I was still struggling (I just got officially diagnosed with ADHD, which is a relief).
My last semester of college, I lost a close friend and had to withdraw from all my classes, except for the ones I needed to graduate.

After graduating, I started working as a CNA at a hospital in my city. It’s a teaching hospital, which has been really interesting and overall a great experience. Actually, working with the doctors and APPs at my job is what convinced me I’d rather be a doctor than a PA. After a year of working full time, I decided to apply to my local four year college to finish up my prereqs. Well, last semester I took orgo 2 and genetics and got a C in genetics and a D in orgo 2. This semester I’m taking physics 2 and biochemistry which are going better, but I definitely won’t get an A in biochem. This has dropped my cGPA to about a 3.4 and my sGPA to a 2.92. I’m planning to retake orgo 2 this summer. I haven’t taken the MCAT yet (I test 4/12) and have been averaging ~505 on my FLs.

My plan before starting school this year was to take the classes I needed, take the MCAT, keep working, and apply in 2025. Now, I’m thinking I might need another plan. I’m just wondering if anyone thinks it would be worth it for me to do an SMP? I would just retake the classes I did badly in where I am now, but I only get three semesters at my school as a non-degree seeking student, so I’m sort of out of luck after the summer semester.

I know this is a super long post but I’ve been sort of panicking about it since I got my final grades from last semester. If you were in my position, what would your next steps be??

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[AJS59]

From what I understand of SMPs (most of them, at least), you aren't retaking classes, but rather taking advanced biomedical classes, some of which are tantamount to MS1 classes If you do well, especially at one with a linkage program, you'd set yourself up very well for med school. But these are very, very hard, and if you do mediocre-poorly you might not only be shut out of med school, you'll be in much more debt all together.

Imo, a post-bacc would suit you better; it'll give you the opportunity to raise your undergrad GPA in a way that an SMP won't. Plus, if things go badly, cost wise it won't hit as hard as an SMP. That's just my opinion tho, I'd defer to the experts

 

[Mr.Smile12]

Welcome to the forums.

Actually there is more diversity among programs. Go to the Postbac forums and ask around. But OP should reach out to SMP directors. to see if the OP is better served doing a postbac first (this requires your transcript and knowing what you took) I think the 3.1 sGPA warrants taking a shot at SMPs, but some may require the MCAT while others don't.

 

[LunaOri]

I would suggest delaying the MCAT. A 505 wouldn’t help you, and a lower score could be a big hurdle to overcome.

 

[LindaAccepted]

Hi guys! I just have a couple questions about postbaccs/SMPs and was wondering if anyone could give me some advice or tell me what you would do in my position.

I graduated from my state school in 2022 with a 3.5 cGPA and ~3.1 sGPA. I decided I wanted to be either a PA or a doctor the fall of my sophomore year, which coincidentally was right before Covid started. I really struggled when classes moved completely online, so my grades from then, which were basically all prereqs, are all Bs and Cs. I was definitely struggling with my mental health which I know I shouldn’t talk about in my application, but that’s why I was doing so badly. I got on meds, which helped for a while, but I was still struggling (I just got officially diagnosed with ADHD, which is a relief).
My last semester of college, I lost a close friend and had to withdraw from all my classes, except for the ones I needed to graduate.

After graduating, I started working as a CNA at a hospital in my city. It’s a teaching hospital, which has been really interesting and overall a great experience. Actually, working with the doctors and APPs at my job is what convinced me I’d rather be a doctor than a PA. After a year of working full time, I decided to apply to my local four year college to finish up my prereqs. Well, last semester I took orgo 2 and genetics and got a C in genetics and a D in orgo 2. This semester I’m taking physics 2 and biochemistry which are going better, but I definitely won’t get an A in biochem. This has dropped my cGPA to about a 3.4 and my sGPA to a 2.92. I’m planning to retake orgo 2 this summer. I haven’t taken the MCAT yet (I test 4/12) and have been averaging ~505 on my FLs.

My plan before starting school this year was to take the classes I needed, take the MCAT, keep working, and apply in 2025. Now, I’m thinking I might need another plan. I’m just wondering if anyone thinks it would be worth it for me to do an SMP? I would just retake the classes I did badly in where I am now, but I only get three semesters at my school as a non-degree seeking student, so I’m sort of out of luck after the summer semester.

I know this is a super long post but I’ve been sort of panicking about it since I got my final grades from last semester. If you were in my position, what would your next steps be??

I'd encourage you to do a post-bac or an SMP. Some SMPs have linkages to med schools if you maintain your GPA, but not all so understand who has and doesn't have. Also SMPs are usually more expensive than DIY post-bac , but probably fairly comparably in price to formal post-bac of the same length.

I also agree that you should wait to take the MCAT until you are getting better scores, especially if you are going to take classes that should improve your knowledge of subjects tested on the MCAT.

Alternatively, consider applying to DO programs.

 

[peytonj17]

I would suggest delaying the MCAT. A 505 wouldn’t help you, and a lower score could be a big hurdle to overcome.

I can’t afford to push it back right now. Should I take it and just void, then re-sign up later?

 

[candbgirl]

I can’t afford to push it back right now. Should I take it and just void, then re-sign up later?

What would be the point of taking it and then voiding it?

 

[LunaOri]

You can’t afford NOT to delay taking the MCAT. A score of 505 or less significantly limits your chances.

 

[Med Ed]

If you were in my position, what would your next steps be??

1. Recognize you're in a hole.
2. Stop digging.

Getting a C in genetics and a D in orgo 2 strongly suggests you would not survive the first pre-clinical portion of MD/DO or PA school. Why did you do poorly in these classes?

 

[RangerBob]

1. Recognize you're in a hole.
2. Stop digging.

Getting a C in genetics and a D in orgo 2 strongly suggests you would not survive the first pre-clinical portion of MD/DO or PA school. Why did you do poorly in these classes?

I’m going to echo this.

M1 was much more work than my post-bac year where I took bio/ochem/physics at the same time (and where I studied enough to get all A’s/A-‘s)

OP needs to figure out what happened and correct it.

It can be done. I had a B- and a C in gen chem in undergrad. I figured out what was going on, did a course correction, finished my pre-reqs with a solid 3.9 in the post-bac program (bio/phys/ochem and two upper-div science courses I took the following year), and then proved that wasn’t a fluke with a very strong MCAT.

Fix the grade issue first, then take the MCAT. The best way to study and prep for the MCAT is to get a 4.0 sGPA. Studying for class = studying for MCAT. If you didn’t learn something the first time around in class, it’s much harder to learn when self-studying for MCAT.

 

[peytonj17]

1. Recognize you're in a hole.
2. Stop digging.

Getting a C in genetics and a D in orgo 2 strongly suggests you would not survive the first pre-clinical portion of MD/DO or PA school. Why did you do poorly in these classes?

I had just started a new job and was working full time (rotating), so obviously I didn’t have the best timing. I was also struggling significantly with having uncontrolled ADHD, but I’ve been diagnosed now and have been doing a lot better since then.

 

[Med Ed]

I had just started a new job and was working full time (rotating), so obviously I didn’t have the best timing. I was also struggling significantly with having uncontrolled ADHD, but I’ve been diagnosed now and have been doing a lot better since then.

The advice from @AJS59 was appropriate. At reputable SMP would be a very risky maneuver for you right now. You're better off continuing the postbac route.

The catch is that you have to show you can manage your time and ADHD, and start posting A's in your classes. Forget the MCAT and a target application cycle for now. If you can't get the ship fully turned around then it will be time to start thinking about other careers.

Another option is to put medical school aspirations on the shelf for 3-5 years, get a job, and revisit this again after you've had more time to mature. Sometimes that's the best approach, but people often don't want to hear it because they are impatient (and don't appreciate the definition of insanity).