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| You're right! This may actually be the most important decision for a non-traditional student. You may be an expert in your present career, or have mastered the balancing act between family obligations and your work life up to now, but this is a whole new ball game-- juggling family, college, work and medical experience. A trusted Advisor (someone who has experience working with non-traditional students) can help advise you in scheduling, prioritizing, finding appropriate opportunities, etc. Strategy is just as important as earning A's. Don't underestimate the importance of this. One student said, "As a graduate student, I needed an Advisor who understood how to assess my undergraduate and graduate record and to help me devise a good strategy. Seeking an Advisor who understood my needs and could answer my questions was very important, but hard to find. I didn't quite fit in with the traditional students. I needed a sounding board to verify that I was doing the appropriate activities and taking the correct courses. I have many experiences under my belt in clinical medicine, but I needed the feedback from a knowledgeable Advisor to verify that I am approaching the application process to my best advantage. I need help in making decisions." Am I at a disadvantage because I took no science coursework as an undergraduate? No, just begin where you left off (or review first, if it has been a LONG time ago, or you did not really learn the material at this earlier time) in algebra or higher math and in chemistry. Then, add in the other science courses in prerequisite order. Most people take two years to compete the required sciences; some take three years; a few can complete everything in one or one and a half years. How will my undergraduate versus postbaccalaureate (or graduate) GPA be weighed? Which is emphasized more? Unfortunately, this is one of those, "it depends on the school"
answers. Some schools consider recent strong academic records (from
postbaccalaureate and graduate work) coupled with strong MCAT scores
to be a sufficient indication of being a solid candidate; others look
at the undergraduate coursework, usually in the sciences, the trend
from year to year, and the MCAT scores, and, although they consider
the postbac or graduate GPA, the latter may not outweigh poor undergraduate
grades. Call the schools you are most interested in to hear how they
answer this question. |
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