Advice?

[sjx324]

So I graduated university with a B.A. in Biology and a 3.3 GPA. My first two years were going fine and then my mom unexpectedly died between sophomore and junior year. The summer in between I volunteered at a hospital. Due to stress from my mom's death and the onset of a chronic medical condition, my grades suffered a downward trend. Since I wasn't doing so well my last two years, I didn't have that great relationships with my teachers. I did research for two years but when I graduated the professor and I weren't on the best terms. I now feel like I have no one to write me a letter. I didn't know how it would be viewed if I had letters from teachers who I had years ago. I assume if I apply to a program now, even if I do well on exams I might not have the best chances. I've been thinking about doing some kind of post bacc coursework/program. Thoughts?

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[3rdgenerationMD]

First of all, my condolences I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been for you. That being said, what I did was ask all my science professors via a very sincere email. Even if you do not know them that well, writing recommendations is part of their jobs, and they know that if you did fairly well in their class then you are someone they can feel comfortable recommending. You'd be surprised. Don't let LORs hold you back they are just a formality. As far as Postbacs go I would definitely recommend you do an SMP or something along those lines. Your undergraduate GPA is low but it’s not too bad. If you crush a post back program and the MCAT you'll have a good chance.

 

[sjx324]

So you think that even if I didn't get an A in the class it might still be worth asking for a recommendation? If I do an SMP or some other kind of program, should I just get letters from those teachers? also an undergraduate program is probably better than a masters tho rite? i know that the undergrad GPA and grad GPA are viewed separarely. And thank you for your kind words. I was afraid that I would get some not-so-nice comments back. My mom's death really threw me off with my life plans so I feel not so certain about things anymore. Your encouragement really helps.

 

[3rdgenerationMD]

Yea of course I got one from my Chem 2 professor who gave me a B. He was the hardest professor at my university and as a non-trad he knew how hard that must have been for me. Granted I should have gotten an A ahaha but whatever. Can't hurt to ask right? If you do an SMP you can ask those professors in place of your undergrad professors which is great if you weren’t close with professors in undergrad. As far as which one is better I am not entirely an expert on the matter. I majored in Finance in undergrad so I don't know too much about SMPs but they seem to be extremely popular. I know a girl with a lower GPA than yours who did her SMP at BU and matriculated into medical school this fall. The only thing is from here on out you need As and nothing but As, also you need an MCAT score that proves your undergrad GPA isn’t an accurate representation of your abilities as a student.

 

[ayylmao]

I think there has to be a story with any application and you definitely have one. As you said a post bac will let admissions know you're able to handle the work. How many years are you willing to put between your undergrad and matriculation? How's your financial situation? Do you want something high risk high reward? Low risk low reward?

Also

I don't necessarily think it's wise to get recommendations from profs you weren't close with or you didn't succeed in their classes. Are there any other supervisors in your college or perhaps even pre college that you're close with and could provide a rec that speaks to something outside of academic ability? The reason I say this is because you're really going to want your writers to praise you and lower grades might inhibit that. Try to think outside the box a bit.