2.9 GPA and 38 MCAT score. Retake classes, MCAT, special masters, or post-BAC?

[SunDevil14]

I just finished my junior year of college (majoring in Chemistry + Biology) with a 2.9 GPA and a 3.1 S. GPA, I have been on the Dean's list for that past year and a half. However, my grades from 2nd sem. freshmen yr and 1st sem. of sophomore yr is what's taking a toll on my GPA. My low GPA and a few W's are due to a combination of a medical illness and family issues. I couldn't do a complete withdrawal because financial aid would require me to be obtain a certain amount of credits per year (even if I was failing the classes). So, it was a choice between bad grades or being in debts.

I'm a first-generation applicant; neither one of my parents went to college, so I was greatly disadvantage in that sense. My family came to the US as refugees 6 years ago, I started my first year in High school here, and was able to graduate with a 3.9 GPA in under 3 years even though I had to overcome the language barrier. Both of my parents are janitors here, although they both had respectable jobs in my home country.
I've been volunteering since high school. I teach English to non-English speakers, and I also teach two other languages.

I have being doing research for two years now, and about to get my first paper published (2nd. author).

I only have a few months of clinical experience, and no leadership positions! :/

What should I do? Retake the MCAT and score in the 40+ and retake some courses? DO a special master? or Post-BAC? I'm also considering Teach for America for a year.

Any advice is appreciated!

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[Goro]

Retaking the MCAT would be foolish. Even if you get a 45, no one's going to give you an interview with a GPA like yours.


Ideally, you should have >100 hrs of patient contact volunteer experience to show us you know what you're getting into.


I only have a few months of clinical experience, and no leadership positions! :/

Retaking coursework will do wonders for your GPA and make it very easy to get into DO programs, including mine. But for MD programs, do either a DIY post-bac, or better yet, take the SMP. The latter are a dime-a -dozen, and they show AdComs you can handle medical school classes.

What should I do? and retake some courses? DO a special master? or Post-BAC? I'm also considering Teach for America for a year.

 

[rodmichael82]

Do not retake the MCAT that would just be a dumb move. You need to increase your cGPA > 3.0 so take more classes. Enroll into a post-bacc or SMP and do very well and then apply. You can get into SMP or post-bacc programs with strong links to medical schools such as:-

EVMS (> 85 % of the folks that complete the program get accepted to EVMS and other medical schools)
Cincinatti
VCU CERT
RFU

 

[SunDevil14]

Retaking the MCAT would be foolish. Even if you get a 45, no one's going to give you an interview with a GPA like yours.


Ideally, you should have >100 hrs of patient contact volunteer experience to show us you know what you're getting into.


I only have a few months of clinical experience, and no leadership positions! :/

Retaking coursework will do wonders for your GPA and make it very easy to get into DO programs, including mine. But for MD programs, do either a DIY post-bac, or better yet, take the SMP. The latter are a dime-a -dozen, and they show AdComs you can handle medical school classes.

What should I do? and retake some courses? DO a special master? or Post-BAC? I'm also considering Teach for America for a year.

Thank you so much for your quick response. I have been looking into special masters program, I'm just not sure if it's better to pay that much money for it while acceptance is still not guaranteed. But it looks like my options are gonna come down to it or post-bac.

 

[Goro]

While acceptance is not guaranteed, if you do well, you're pretty much guaranteed an interview, and that should be it. One has to actually work at bombing an interview.

Thank you so much for your quick response. I have been looking into special masters program, I'm just not sure if it's better to pay that much money for it while acceptance is still not guaranteed. But it looks like my options are gonna come down to it or post-bac.

 

[SunDevil14]

Do not retake the MCAT that would just be a dumb move. You need to increase your cGPA > 3.0 so take more classes. Enroll into a post-bacc or SMP and do very well and then apply. You can get into SMP or post-bacc programs with strong links to medical schools such as:-

EVMS (> 85 % of the folks that complete the program get accepted to EVMS and other medical schools)
Cincinatti
VCU CERT
RFU

Thank you. I'm looking into them. The first requires a 3.0 GPA!

 

[rodmichael82]

Thank you. I'm looking into them. The first requires a 3.0 GPA!

Well take some more courses and get the GPA > 3.0, you're so close. Take Fall 2013 classes 15-20 credits get a 4.0, then apply to EVMS Jan, 2014 and start post-bacc Fall of 2014. The greatest thing about EVMS is that once you finish the post-bacc (Medical masters program) for 1 year and get into EVMS you automatically go into 2nd year of medical school in EVMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They recently passed that school policy.

 

[SunDevil14]

Well take some more courses and get the GPA > 3.0, you're so close.

That's true. I still got a year left. 30 + credits. If I maintain straight A's, I should be able to get to a 3.0.

 

[rodmichael82]

That's true. I still got a year left. 30 + credits. If I maintain straight A's, I should be able to get to a 3.0.

Take Fall 2013 classes 15-20 credits get a 4.0, then apply to EVMS Jan, 2014 and start post-bacc Fall of 2014. The greatest thing about EVMS is that once you finish the post-bacc (Medical masters program) for 1 year and get into EVMS you automatically go into 2nd year of medical school in EVMS!!! Where as at other medical schools you would be starting 1st year all over again. EVMS recently passed that school policy.

 

[SunDevil14]

The greatest thing about EVMS is that once you finish the post-bacc (Medical masters program) for 1 year and get into EVMS you automatically go into 2nd year of medical school in EVMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They recently passed that school policy.

OMG, this is the best news I heard all week. Def gonna work hard to get into it!

 

[kmp0410]

If that does not work, I would spend a year taking classes to get that overall GPA up while volunteering and what not. Simply taking an extra 30 hours and getting straight A's should raise your GPA to a respectable level to where that 38 would take care of the rest. Look into places that have more lenient GPA but avg MCAT's are higher (IE: Tulane).

 

[SunDevil14]

If that does not work, I would spend a year taking classes to get that overall GPA up while volunteering and what not. Simply taking an extra 30 hours and getting straight A's should raise your GPA to a respectable level to where that 38 would take care of the rest. Look into places that have more lenient GPA but avg MCAT's are higher (IE: Tulane).

Thank you for your advice. My school doesn't allow retake for C's, and it's the only 4 yr university in my city. I'm assuming retaking them at a community college wouldn't really help my case much though.

 

[kmp0410]

Thank you for your advice. My school doesn't allow retake for C's, and it's the only 4 yr university in my city. I'm assuming retaking them at a community college wouldn't really help my case much though.

It doesn't have to be retakes.

You generally have some choice in what science classes you decide to take, so there still should be a decently sized pool of science classes that you could take. It might be smaller for you with the double Bio/Chem major, but I would think there is still some wiggle room.

You still have your senior year left, and then depending on what is available, you could take some time to just take extra classes to try to raise that GPA. That could be anywhere from 30-60 hours of extra grades that could really boost your GPA. Have you done the math on what your GPA would be if your make straight A's your senior year? With that MCAT score/Significant upward trend if you get away from the auto screen level then you should get accepted somewhere.

 

[TriagePreMed]

Thank you for your advice. My school doesn't allow retake for C's, and it's the only 4 yr university in my city. I'm assuming retaking them at a community college wouldn't really help my case much though.

In the Osteopathic community, it wouldn't matter if you do it at a CC. The 38 shows you're capable. The retake is more of a formality to meet the 3.0 cutoff. For the MD world, you should do an SMP. Make a cost/benefit analysis before making any decision.

 

[SunDevil14]

Ok, just some updates. The research lab that I've been volunteering at during the summer will offer me a lab technician position after I graduate in May 2015. Would it be better if I do a year of research or do a special master to have a better shot? If I take the research route, I will take some science classes to try to raise that low GPA. Any thoughts? (Please no DO route suggestions lol)

 

[TriagePreMed]

Ok, just some updates. The research lab that I've been volunteering at during the summer will offer me a lab technician position after I graduate in May 2015. Would it be better if I do a year of research or do a special master to have a better shot? If I take the research route, I will take some science classes to try to raise that low GPA. Any thoughts? (Please no DO route suggestions lol)

SMP. Lab tech doesn't show your academic ability.