Yet another story, best path?

[wrumfoord]

I'm a 32 year old software engineer thinking of pursuing medical school. For reasons typical as well as some atypical my undergrad GPA is lackluster, around a 3.2. Despite the outside factors, if I found a class interesting or if it had a good professor I got an A, so unfortunately the bad grades were quite random with a lot of Ws. My degree GPA is around a 3.5, but I know that does not count for much. I had close to a full scholarship and I've always felt I squandered it.

I've changed drastically as a student and person over the years though, and I should graduate shortly with a masters in computer science with a 4.0.

Some of my undergrad grades:
Calculus 1, 2, and 3, Intro to differential equations - A
Chem1 - AB (this was an adv chem1, paired with analytical chem, and satified chem2 prereqs)
Analytical Chem - B
Physics 1 - C (retake?)
Bio Lab - A (Had AP Bio)

I think I'd have a somewhat compelling life story as far as socio-economic background (not a minority, however), and I also served in the military and am considered a disabled veteran. I've been with my company for 5 years in a position with some authority and should have excellent LORs.

Would doing a post-bacc with a decent MCAT be enough school wise? I understand I need to start shadowing and volunteering as soon as possible. Reading this board makes me feel like I need to quit promptly and do 2 years of undergrad, but other advice has sounded slightly more hopeful.

Thanks for any info.

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[ChairmanMao]

It really depends on how good at time management you are. While I won't suggest that you quit your day job just yet, I think that you're in a better position than a lot of non-trads who have very, very mediocre GPA (2.0). It's good that you've already taken some science classes, but if you took them more than 10 years ago, I suggest that you sign up for some higher level courses in the subjects. Also, don't use AP credit as a substitute for your pre-requisite. You will need to take college biology, orgo, and a year of physics (that C might hold you back).

I would suggest that you look at your local 4 year college to see if they have any night courses. Unless you have financial support and know for certain that you want to enroll in a formal post-bac program, I'd suggest you take 1 or 2 science courses per semester while working full-time and see how it works out (don't settle for anything lower than a B now). Also, do try to find some time to volunteer and shadow physicians at a hospital. It doesn't have to be much, maybe a few hours a week. But I would say that it's absolute vital that a non-trad obtain some clinical experience just to make sure that they're OK with going into medicine.

I'm a 32 year old software engineer thinking of pursuing medical school. For reasons typical as well as some atypical my undergrad GPA is lackluster, around a 3.2. Despite the outside factors, if I found a class interesting or if it had a good professor I got an A, so unfortunately the bad grades were quite random with a lot of Ws. My degree GPA is around a 3.5, but I know that does not count for much. I had close to a full scholarship and I've always felt I squandered it.

I've changed drastically as a student and person over the years though, and I should graduate shortly with a masters in computer science with a 4.0.

Some of my undergrad grades:
Calculus 1, 2, and 3, Intro to differential equations - A
Chem1 - AB (this was an adv chem1, paired with analytical chem, and satified chem2 prereqs)
Analytical Chem - B
Physics 1 - C (retake?)
Bio Lab - A (Had AP Bio)

I think I'd have a somewhat compelling life story as far as socio-economic background (not a minority, however), and I also served in the military and am considered 50% disabled by VA standards. I've been with my company for 5 years in a position with some authority and should have excellent LORs.

Would doing a post-bacc with a decent MCAT be enough school wise? I understand I need to start shadowing and volunteering as soon as possible. Reading this board makes me feel like I need to quit promptly and do 2 years of undergrad, but other advice has sounded slightly more hopeful.

Thanks for any info.

 

[wrumfoord]

Thanks, good info!

All those classes were 12-13 years ago at this point, so my tentative plan is to basically retake everything except the math classes part time at the state college here. I'm hoping the calculus comes rushing back to me when I take Physics again. I'm starting my MCAT prep now, and will start volunteering/shadowing asap. I don't have the timeline down completely yet, but it looks like I'd be applying to school in about 3 years.

I keep hearing conflicting things about the SMP options though. Some have said that for people with a GPA between 3.0 and 3.4 it might be the best option, but it seems others have had success with just post bacc with somewhat worse grades than I have. Is the SMP option best for those who already have all the prereqs done and still need to prove their science proficiency? I'm basically wondering if I'll have a decent shot at a US school without an SMP after I complete my post bacc work. From what I've gathered it seems I should.

As a side note, I wish I had discovered this board years ago. Due to the circumstances in undergrad I honestly thought the med school door was slammed shut for me, and I had started looking at bioinformatics as a way to get into medicine in some aspect. I guess in my heart it still doesn't feel like a real possibilty, so this research into it has been quite a rollercoaster.

 

[Nasrudin]

Thanks, good info!

All those classes were 12-13 years ago at this point, so my tentative plan is to basically retake everything except the math classes part time at the state college here. I'm hoping the calculus comes rushing back to me when I take Physics again. I'm starting my MCAT prep now, and will start volunteering/shadowing asap. I don't have the timeline down completely yet, but it looks like I'd be applying to school in about 3 years.

I keep hearing conflicting things about the SMP options though. Some have said that for people with a GPA between 3.0 and 3.4 it might be the best option, but it seems others have had success with just post bacc with somewhat worse grades than I have. Is the SMP option best for those who already have all the prereqs done and still need to prove their science proficiency? I'm basically wondering if I'll have a decent shot at a US school without an SMP after I complete my post bacc work. From what I've gathered it seems I should.

As a side note, I wish I had discovered this board years ago. Due to the circumstances in undergrad I honestly thought the med school door was slammed shut for me, and I had started looking at bioinformatics as a way to get into medicine in some aspect. I guess in my heart it still doesn't feel like a real possibilty, so this research into it has been quite a rollercoaster.

That's a good question. If SMP tuition doesn't shell shock you, you should consider it. Nobody can give you a good answer about which is a better choice. You're gpa could get to a the lower end of the thick part of the curve--before it really starts to thin out statistically. But even then it's precarious to speculate.

For example, I've got 15+ lines out looking for rainbow trout in a jersey industrial park run off. Just sitting back now to pop a cold one and to take in the vibes. Thinking about about all those $100 lewers out there. Hmmm. Smells like success. Or something strong at least.

 

[NTF]

I think you'll do fine with an informal post-bacc assuming you do well on the MCAT.

Get as much volunteering, patient exposure, and shadowing as you can muster while giving yourself time to make A's (repeat - all A's).

Your stats are actually quite similar to mine, though I had a larger head start on my ECs than you did. Check my mdapps.

Also, a note about your LORs. I wouldn't get more than one from your present job. Try to get one or two from science professors from your new coursework. Also, try to get one from a physician you shadow and one from a volunteer gig. Also call your undergrad and see if their pre-med committee can still help you out. While it's not really necessary for non-trads, I found my committee helpful and it also allowed me to include more LORs in my packet. It also helps to give LOR writers a sense of what med schools are looking for (specifics, specifics, specifics) and what traps to avoid (damning faint praise, effusive but vague praise, etc.).