<p>Hi everyone! I need advice, and I'm actually getting very upset thinking about what I am going to do.</p>
<p>I'm going to be a senior at UCLA next year, graduating with a BA in Anthropology. Originally, I wanted to be an archaeologist, but I decided that it wasn't what I wanted to do and that I want to go to medical school. One of my problems is that I haven't taken any math/science classes needed for medical school. And I really don't want to take them at UCLA and risk getting bad grades (I've also an F and 3 W's on my academic record before I transferred to UCLA). Would it be worth it to just graduate and get a second bachelor's in Biology at my local CSU (to make up for the med requirements) and try to do super super well? I'd certainly like a degree in Bio, but a lot of people I know are telling me not to go for a second bachelors.</p>
<p>Also, I haven't really any extracurriculars to my name. I have some volunteering hours, and I'm in a sorority (a group of girls and I started the chapter here). But other than that, there's really nothing. What kind of volunteering would look nice on an application for med school? Should it all be hospital-related, or can I, say, volunteer at the zoo? :)</p>
<p>Thank you very much.</p>
<p>There really isn´t any reason for spending that kind of cash on another degree. Do a post bach program that is designed for pre med students who need the pre reqs. While I understand your fear of getting bad grades at UCLA, remember that adcoms do consider the difficulty of where you did your classes. If you do a community college, they wont like that. CSU would be fine, but frankly I think finding a post bach program is in your best interest. It will also give you time to really hit the ground running for ECs, rather than being bogged down by another bachelors degree. You need mixture of ECs to be a strong applicant. Medical related work is basically necessary if you want to be able to justify why you want to go into medicine. Don´t be afraid to include ECs that relate to your anthropolgy major, they like interesting candidates that aren´t just cookie cutter premeds. Community service outside of medicine is nice, as well as research if you are interested in a top research medical school like UCLA. Above all, do things that you are passionate about. If you have no passion for your ECs, they will know why you did them when they ask you about them.</p>
<p>Hi! Thanks for replying.</p>
<p>I considered doing a post-bacc program. Do those programs offer financial aid? I thought about getting a second bachelor’s in Biology, so I’d have something to fall back on. As for ECs, thanks for advice. I’d do as much as I can. My roommate was always calling me stupid for not joining any science-related clubs on campus and calling my sorority a “waste of time”.</p>
<p>Would the F and 3 W’s look really bad on my application?</p>
<p>I don’t know if they’ll be “really bad” since you’ll have some post-bacc education, but they’re certainly not going to be really good, either. The F will definitely be noticed, so your academic performance from here on out needs to be excellent.</p>