I need insight regarding a decision I need to make. I will be a junior in the fall of 2018, and I have had a terrible start to my pre-med academic career, although it has improved a lot! I need advice regarding the decision to go the CO-OP route (extends program by a year, alternates 4 month paid work terms in research with studies starting junior year) or not. Here is my portfolio so far:
b.Sc in Life Sciences and Biostats
Freshman year: Catrastrophic (GPA was a 2.6-2.8 with Ds in the second anatomy and calculus courses), no relevant ECs
Sophomore year: Better (GPA was a 3.6-3.7 with pretty much all upper-level science courses), hospital volunteering which turned into a clinical job, started research with a medical professor, joined executive team of a healthcare club which I really like.
I am Canadian, and basically two schools (Queens and Western) weigh years differently. They look only at, respectively, your two most recent and academically better years. Therefore, if I forgo CO-OP, I have a shot at genuinely wiping off my terrible transcript and presenting a much higher average. However, if I do CO-OP, I will have to present a year with a 3.6-3.7 GPA, alongside a hopefully better year. However, CO-OP would give me extensive full-time research opportunities, alongside with paid work.
I would ideally want to go to study osteopathic medicine in the States, which just so happens to have lower GPA requirements, and I have an appointment interview via phone with Michigan State about their view of CO-OP programs. I am guessing that they want Canadians to have better stats than Americans.
Opinions on what I should do/my chances of getting in depending on my options/evaluation of my profile so far?