Teacher in need of help - Post bacc or Community college

[LALAlandDOC]

I am new here, and I have become increasingly more discouraged to pursue medical school. Regardless, I still want to try to get in somewhere. I am currently a high school biology teacher and seeking advice on my next steps. I will probably teach for another year then either apply to a post bacc or med school.

For undergrad, I went to UCSD sGPA 2.82 cGPA 3.08 but I am a texas resident (I teach in NY - haven't changed any paper work/parents still live in texas). I am also pursuing a masters in urban adolescent education - chemistry (1 year left). I haven't taken some science classes (biochem, anatomy and physio, genetics, or cell biology). I was wondering if I should try to take these classes at a community college or wait to do a post bacc after I finish my masters?

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[LizzyM]

The good news is that there are a number of science classes that you can take that will contribute to your science GPA. Any undergraduate coursework taken after college graduation is, technically, "post-bac". It is just a matter of whether you go into a formal post-bac program with a pre-med advisor and connections to the usual extra-curricular activities or if you DIY with classes at a community college. Either is fine and you may find that with this forum (and check out the non-traditional forum, too) you won't really need a formal program with an advisor.

That said, take a few preliminary steps before launching into classes:

Have you shadowed at least two physicians and seen what it is that they do both with patients and when not with patients but doing other parts of the job? (just like not everything you do as part of your job takes place in the classroom with the students present, not everything doctors do is in the presence of patients). Get an unvarnished picture of what medicine is about before you to further. Try to shadow at least one DO (osteopathic physician) as that is an option you should consider and having a letter of recommendation (LOR) from one is an important component of an application to osteopathic med schools.

Also get some hands on experience as a volunteer with patients. Employment with patients is another option but given that you already have a job, you don't need another one, unless you want a summer job when school is not in session.

The point is, before you do more classes, be sure that medicine is the right choice for you.

 

[LALAlandDOC]

Thanks for the reply! I have quite a bit of experience shadowing/working in the hospital setting. I worked in mother infant care/Birth center, NICU, and pediatrics throughout college and a year after as an infant hearing screener (5 Years).
I have been my own worst enemy and tried to convince myself I don't want to do medicine (why i am now teaching), but I always go back to it.

I am super open to DO school (particularly TCOM - in my hometown), puerto rican schools, and even going to Caribbean schools (probably dominican republic - where my family is from). I just want to maximize my chances of getting in anywhere. Post bacc seems like a good idea but I don't know if i'll even get into one so I was thinking of taking community college or going to a four year in state school as a non degree seeking student to take the upper divisions.