Post Bacc or DIY it? Non Trad Applicant

Hey everyone! I'm currently a nursing student (RN-BSN) planning to transition to medical school after graduation. I’m curious to hear from other non-traditional applicants—especially RN-to-MD folks—about your experience choosing between a formal post-bacc program versus a DIY route (taking classes at a community college or as a non-degree-seeking student).

I know formal post-baccs offer benefits like linkage programs, but not everyone gets a linkage, and I'd likely have to wait another year to apply if I go that route. I have zero pre-med coursework besides psych, stats, and calc (thanks to nursing requirements), so I’ll need to start from the beginning.

That said, I’ll have plenty of clinical hours, I’m an RA, involved in a few e-boards for leadership, and I’ve completed about 100 hours of non-clinical volunteering. My research experience is limited, but I plan to work at a large academic medical center and (hopefully!) get the confidence to ask residents or attendings to help me get involved in research.

I'd love to hear from successful non-trads, especially those coming from nursing backgrounds. What helped you most in the process? What would you do differently? I’m also trying to plan ahead and use my summers wisely to get started on coursework.

Long-term, I’d love to go into heme/onc or critical care. From what I’ve heard from program directors, those specialties tend to prefer MD applicants for fellowship, so I’m hoping to get into a solid MD program.

Thanks in advance for any advice!