Doing GPA repair by taking community college science courses, how to know when to STOP post bacc classes?

[turtlesaregreat]

Hello everyone,

I plan to apply in 2024. I quit my full time PCE job back in January to spend a year taking classes at CC, focusing in them, and doing well to show proficiency in science courses and raise my GPA. This is after having graduated with a B.S. in Biology in 2021. By the end of this year, I will have had HOPEFULLY 23 units of A credits to my GPA. This is from taking 6 classes in total: Anatomy, Physio, Cell Bio, O-Chem 1, Pharmacology, and Medical Terminology.

These classes had the following effect on my GPA.

cGPA: 3.168 --> 3.284

sGPA: 3.065 --> 3.231

I feel a lot better now that I'm beginning to redeem some of my poor grades from the first 2 years of undergrad. Although the GPA is not near good, my last 60 credits will be around a 3.7, and I have a upward trend throughout my college career (2.7/3.0/3.3/3.6 for my undergrad GPAs each year, with 4.0 in postbacc).

My question now is, When do I know when to stop taking post-bacc classes? Do you think I still need to repair my GPA?

I stopped working full time so that I could pursue these classes as my main focus as well as volunteer, shadow, and prepare for the GRE. But now as next year comes around I think it's good that I reduce my courseload so I can ramp up my volunteering and GRE prep, as well as write quality personal statements. If I do reduce my courseload, the only class I would take beginning of next year is probably Genetics.

What do you think? Should I keep going full steam ahead with classes or should I decrease my courseload and start focusing on other aspects (and possibly acquire new PCE from a new job) during the new year?

I have about 2,500 PCE hours as a specialty office MA.

Thanks so much for your help. This community is a lifesaver, especially for people like me who don't have many other pre-PA people to talk to in real life. THANK YOU!!!

[UGoLong]

By now, you may have had so many courses that additional courses won't change your averages much. It may still be a good thing to take some targeted courses. If, for example, you've not taken pathophysiology, it is a good view of what at least parts of PA school are like. Getting a good grade in it, or pharmacology, etc might be useful. Otherwise, building experience -- and finding more people to write letters of recommendation -- may be a good idea.

[ohiovolffemtp]

UGoLong is dead on.  I'd add getting good grades in A&P, microbiology, and possibly genetics would both be very helpful in terms of actual learning and to show Adcoms your ability to handle PA material.

 

[rundontwalk]

Don't stop taking classes until you get in somewhere. It took me 140 credits of a 4.0 to repair my college GPA. Juggle all those healthcare experiences and learning opportunities in there too. You can either tell them you're ready or show them.