Below 3.0 gpa Support Group/Thread

[Odpb55]

This thread gives me hope. Sometimes I wonder if its foolish to have hope with my kinds stats. I was a freakin idiot in college 10 years ago, I had problems at home, faced abuse, and instead of working hard, I acted out and failed out of college. I had enough time to think while going to CC and working, I realized that I really want to be a doctor. This fall I'm continuing take classes to rebuild my gpa. Thank god for aacomas grade replacement.

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[Mellipooh]

This is my first time posting on SDN- I've kind of been going it alone. I'm a clinical social worker, have been working in the medical setting (hospitals mostly) for about 5 years. I got my MSW at an Ivy with a 3.9 GPA.

I started my undergrad studies straight out of high school. I was a music/biomed sciences double major initially, dropped the music classes, struggled through Orgo I twice, switched my major to Psych and graduated the next semester (IB in high school started me with over 30 credits in college). My science GPA is 2.8, cGPA is 3.05 but with the master's classes added into my overall GPA it will be higher depending on how different schools count that. My post bacc GPA is 3.85, all science.

I have not taken the MCAT yet. I had planned to take it in May, postponed it to the July 24th date, and my practice tests are still in the 28-31 range so I'm planning to push it back again. With my weak GPA I feel like I need a much better MCAT score. My VR scores are consistently 11-12 but I'm only in the 8-10 range in PS and BS, PS typically lower than BS but they seem to flip flop here and there. I took gen chem 2 at a community college in undergrad and I feel like I learned NOTHING and retained non of what I was exposed to in the course.

Soooooo, I am thinking about retaking gen chem 2 this fall because that and physics are my weakest areas. I've been studying with Kaplan (took an on-site course January-March ish this year, re-completed all the reading and workshops this summer), but my scores haven't really changed. My biggest concern is that, even with studying 6-8 hours a day 4-5 days per week the past 8 weeks, I haven't had a significant bump in my MCAT FL scores. I'm worried I'll push my date back and still be scoring 28-30 when my next date rolls around.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice or has maybe been in my situation or a similar one to mine. I feel like with my low GPA, I really need a stellar MCAT and post-bacc GPA to even get looked at, despite the significant medical experience I have and affiliation with my local med school. Super bummed to have realized yesterday that I'm not going to be ready for the real MCAT in under 2 weeks like I had hoped.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

 

[amberlynnp13]

This thread gives me hope. Sometimes I wonder if its foolish to have hope with my kinds stats. I was a freakin idiot in college 10 years ago, I had problems at home, faced abuse, and instead of working hard, I acted out and failed out of college. I had enough time to think while going to CC and working, I realized that I really want to be a doctor. This fall I'm continuing take classes to rebuild my gpa. Thank god for aacomas grade replacement.

Sometimes I want to give up as well! It's easier!! But don't!! Keep on fighting!! It's not going to be easy for us who messd our gpas up but we still have a chance! Good luck ;-)

 

[chocposit]

Ugh. So guys, I need some advice here. Currently taking Orgo and Physics (in the summer, what was I thinking?!??) and probably - hopefully not - but I'm being realistic here - will probably end up with a D in one class, and maaaaaybe a C in the other. Oh heck, let's say I get both Ds. I'm busting my balls here, practically stalking my professors during their office hours for help, but the summer session is moving too quickly (obviously - but then again, what was I thinking???!). I love Orgo, what a rad subject, but due to the prof screwing us over with his exams (I walked out thinking I ace'd his exam because I pretty much memorized the book, did ALL practice problems, and watched online videos, but I failed his last 2 exams because I didn't "answer it the way he wanted me to" WHATEVER THAT MEANS - ok, excuses, no one cares about this, right? Moving on...) so I'm at my wits end.

I'm starting to not even care about the final exams because what would be the point. I'm a non-trad, took a couple of years off after undergrad, and now taking prereqs for the first time (woo!). Undergrad GPA and SGPA totally not the best thing ever. Seriously. My undergrad transcript is sad sad saaad. I was dumb. Real world knocked some sense into me. I'm hoping my classes now will boost my GPA but these summer classes are seriously not helping - and in fact, will decrease my GPA even more - not what I need, deeefinitely not what I need at this point. I know I shouldn't give up, but maybe I'm just stupid? Too dumb for med school? Nah, I need to be positive here.

What should be my next plan of attack? Should I be realistic and face the facts that I'm just not meant to be an academic superstar? Or even a star. Dude, just let me shimmer, a little light is fine. I'm just so bummed that I failed the last Orgo exam and I was SO SURE I ace'd that bad boy - his tests are pretty much from the textbook itself and I worked it out exactly like he/the solution manual does it. Will DO schools think I'm just playing around, especially when this is the time I should be proving myself to them that I am serious about this? And I am!! But of course, numbers means everything...

 

[Major]

Ugh. So guys, I need some advice here. Currently taking Orgo and Physics (in the summer, what was I thinking?!??) and probably - hopefully not - but I'm being realistic here - will probably end up with a D in one class, and maaaaaybe a C in the other. Oh heck, let's say I get both Ds. I'm busting my balls here, practically stalking my professors during their office hours for help, but the summer session is moving too quickly (obviously - but then again, what was I thinking???!). I love Orgo, what a rad subject, but due to the prof screwing us over with his exams (I walked out thinking I ace'd his exam because I pretty much memorized the book, did ALL practice problems, and watched online videos, but I failed his last 2 exams because I didn't "answer it the way he wanted me to" WHATEVER THAT MEANS - ok, excuses, no one cares about this, right? Moving on...) so I'm at my wits end.

I'm starting to not even care about the final exams because what would be the point. I'm a non-trad, took a couple of years off after undergrad, and now taking prereqs for the first time (woo!). Undergrad GPA and SGPA totally not the best thing ever. Seriously. My undergrad transcript is sad sad saaad. I was dumb. Real world knocked some sense into me. I'm hoping my classes now will boost my GPA but these summer classes are seriously not helping - and in fact, will decrease my GPA even more - not what I need, deeefinitely not what I need at this point. I know I shouldn't give up, but maybe I'm just stupid? Too dumb for med school? Nah, I need to be positive here.

What should be my next plan of attack? Should I be realistic and face the facts that I'm just not meant to be an academic superstar? Or even a star. Dude, just let me shimmer, a little light is fine. I'm just so bummed that I failed the last Orgo exam and I was SO SURE I ace'd that bad boy - his tests are pretty much from the textbook itself and I worked it out exactly like he/the solution manual does it. Will DO schools think I'm just playing around, especially when this is the time I should be proving myself to them that I am serious about this? And I am!! But of course, numbers means everything...

Can you still withdraw to get the W?

 

[chocposit]

Can you still withdraw to get the W?

No, I already contacted the enrollment office and it's already too late to withdraw.

 

[QuentinT88]

Yeah taking Orgo and Physics sounds rough over the summer. I almost took Chem 2 and Bio 1 this summer, but i opted to just take Chem 2 and a non science class. This of course means I will be taking Orgo 1, Bio 1, and Physics 1 in the fall, but it will be much more manageable over a full semester.

My advice would be to finish the courses, and retake them in the fall. It might hurt you, but maybe DO schools wont ding you too badly if you get A's the second time. Not sure how adcoms think/work about stuff like this but it is worth a shot

 

[chocposit]

Thank you so much Quentin! I originally planned on taking Orgo 2 and Bio 1 in the fall, but it looks like I'm going to take Orgo 1, Physics 1 (non-calc based this time!), and Bio 1 in the fall. The bright side is I'm familiar with Orgo and Physics... well, Physics is more like a blur right now... so it shouldn't be too bad, and I'm looking at the syllabus for the fall semester and what we went over in a week, is being taught in a span of about a month during the semester. That's just mind-blowing! (Sorry, I've just gotten used to the whole "chapter a day" routine that is summer school).

The only thing I'm worried about is time. I'm doing research 2 days/week, volunteering at least once/twice a week, and then science classes + labs, so I'm worried that it'll be overkill. I just don't want to take summer classes again... ever... nope, nuh-uh.

 

[chocposit]

Sorry if this has been asked before (of course it has, what am I thinking?) but in the AACOM, I have to report every single transcript - but does the averages of all my classes go into my GPA, or is it the highest/recent ones GPA for classes I retake? So if I retake all of my failed classes, do I take the average of both failed + retake, or only put the retake grade into my overall GPA/SGPA? So if I currently have a sad GPA, if I replace all of my failed grades with my new grades, I should... have a much higher GPA. Is that how grade forgiveness work?

 

[Major]

Sorry if this has been asked before (of course it has, what am I thinking?) but in the AACOM, I have to report every single transcript - but does the averages of all my classes go into my GPA, or is it the highest/recent ones GPA for classes I retake? So if I retake all of my failed classes, do I take the average of both failed + retake, or only put the retake grade into my overall GPA/SGPA? So if I currently have a sad GPA, if I replace all of my failed grades with my new grades, I should... have a much higher GPA. Is that how grade forgiveness work?

For AACOMAS (DO application), if you retake a class, the most recent grade counts. No matter if the grade is better or worse. The most recent is used in your GPA calculation.

Also the class hours have to match when retaking. So a 3 credit D can be replaced with a 3 credit A or 4 Credit A, not a 2 credit. Also the class descriptions and levels have to match. So a biology 101 wouldn't replace Biochem 341, even if the biology 101 was more credits...

 

[Major]

No, I already contacted the enrollment office and it's already too late to withdraw.

Then do the absolute best you can and retake in the fall/summer. Don't take the route of over burdening yourself for the sake of rushing things and being anxious to get things done.

Slow and consistent wins the race in our situations

 

[chocposit]

Then that gives me hope!! Thank you so much MajorUnderDog!

 

[Major]

Then that gives me hope!! Thank you so much MajorUnderDog!

Welcome. Study hard and enjoy the journey

 

[Major]

This is my first time posting on SDN- I've kind of been going it alone. I'm a clinical social worker, have been working in the medical setting (hospitals mostly) for about 5 years. I got my MSW at an Ivy with a 3.9 GPA.

I started my undergrad studies straight out of high school. I was a music/biomed sciences double major initially, dropped the music classes, struggled through Orgo I twice, switched my major to Psych and graduated the next semester (IB in high school started me with over 30 credits in college). My science GPA is 2.8, cGPA is 3.05 but with the master's classes added into my overall GPA it will be higher depending on how different schools count that. My post bacc GPA is 3.85, all science.

I have not taken the MCAT yet. I had planned to take it in May, postponed it to the July 24th date, and my practice tests are still in the 28-31 range so I'm planning to push it back again. With my weak GPA I feel like I need a much better MCAT score. My VR scores are consistently 11-12 but I'm only in the 8-10 range in PS and BS, PS typically lower than BS but they seem to flip flop here and there. I took gen chem 2 at a community college in undergrad and I feel like I learned NOTHING and retained non of what I was exposed to in the course.

Soooooo, I am thinking about retaking gen chem 2 this fall because that and physics are my weakest areas. I've been studying with Kaplan (took an on-site course January-March ish this year, re-completed all the reading and workshops this summer), but my scores haven't really changed. My biggest concern is that, even with studying 6-8 hours a day 4-5 days per week the past 8 weeks, I haven't had a significant bump in my MCAT FL scores. I'm worried I'll push my date back and still be scoring 28-30 when my next date rolls around.

I'm just wondering if anyone has any advice or has maybe been in my situation or a similar one to mine. I feel like with my low GPA, I really need a stellar MCAT and post-bacc GPA to even get looked at, despite the significant medical experience I have and affiliation with my local med school. Super bummed to have realized yesterday that I'm not going to be ready for the real MCAT in under 2 weeks like I had hoped.

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

If you don't feel ready for it, then postpone the exam. There are still plenty of exam dates open for the fall. What is your overall gpa when everything is calculated together?

 

[desdes]

This is a great thread and always gives me hope

 

[Major]

Loving this tread! Good job at making this supportive piece. I really wish those trolls would come out the woods and see this, I'm sure they'd die in the inside knowing we Don't give up!

Listen, personally I don't have a low GPA. I'm at 3.59 but I bet some jerk from other threads would jump right in and say "yay that's a subpar GPA.. You should consider carribean or DO."

You see that there! Even I get ripped on for having a GPA of 3.59 and I could imagine what you guys must go through.
My only issue is MCAT verbal where I got a score of 6 on the verbal twice even though I scored 12 on physical sciences and 11 on biological science. I'm sure there's a troll waiting on me to try and put me down but I won't let let that a-hole stop me.

I would love to go and take do a postbach or SMP to prove myself and medical schools I'm above that verbal.. But I would rather reserve that spot for those that really need it.

Stay strong people! Never give up.

 

[premedbrah]

My Bio professor allows us to drop one test thank god. My sister was in the hospital last week and I didnt study for the test I had (got a 58% lol).
Prof. was nice enough to ask me what happened etc. and was happy to know that I didn't put the effort in as opposed to not understanding the material.
Studied my ass off for the test I have today, wish me luck! (Not too difficult; Mitosis, Meiosis, and DNA replication)

 

[chocposit]

I'm sure even people with a mid-high GPA have other things to worry about. No one is perfect! We all want something that we don't have, so no worries Dawn. You should be proud of your accomplishments nonetheless, a 3.59 is not a GPA you get just by laying around, shooting the breeze.

Good luck on that Bio test!

 

[twinmama88]

I love this thread!! I was starting to get seriously discouraged after going through other threads on this site. I have a 3.2 overall gpa/3.0 science gpa for DO school calculations and a 2.99 overall gpa/2.8 science gpa for MD calculations. I have a masters in biomedical sciences (thesis based) with a ton of research experience. I also worked in a hospital as a EKG tech for 2 years so I have clinical too. My masters GPA was only a 3.0 with an upward trend finishing with A's. I take the mcat very soon. The first time I took it 2 years, I got low 20s due to not finishing the test in time. I am much more prepared this time but I wonder if an mcat of 28-31 can offset my gpa to get me into school.

 

[Odpb55]

Yeah I pretty much didn't think I could ever be a doctor until now...

 

[premedbrah]

Finally thread picking up some more steam lol

 

[Fedaykin]

Hang on... unless something changed in the last couple of months, SMPs are always graduate classes, not post-bacs. All true SMPs have 0 effect on your undergraduate GPA and I can confirm this via my AMCAS record.

Some schools that offer both programs will let you combine them, so it's possible to come out with a little of both.

 

[AKLbinky]

I love this thread!! I was starting to get seriously discouraged after going through other threads on this site. I have a 3.2 overall gpa/3.0 science gpa for DO school calculations and a 2.99 overall gpa/2.8 science gpa for MD calculations. I have a masters in biomedical sciences (thesis based) with a ton of research experience. I also worked in a hospital as a EKG tech for 2 years so I have clinical too. My masters GPA was only a 3.0. I take the mcat very soon. The first time I took it 2 years, I got low 20s due to not finishing the test in time. I am much more prepared this time but I wonder if an mcat of 28-31 can offset my gpa to get me into school.

What does it take to become an EKG tech or will it be better to become a pharmacy tech? I am also trying to get a Master degree in bio medical science on a thesis based before I go an apply to medical school or DO school with a 2.94 overall GPA and 3.1 science GPA. Please help and guidance. Also, another question, Do you think it's okay to go to medical school in the Carribean with a MCAT score of a 10 (I am helping someone)?

 

[Major]

What does it take to become an EKG tech or will it be better to become a pharmacy tech? I am also trying to get a Master degree in bio medical science on a thesis based before I go an apply to medical school or DO school with a 2.94 overall GPA and 3.1 science GPA. Please help and guidance. Also, another question, Do you think it's okay to go to medical school in the Carribean with a MCAT score of a 10 (I am helping someone)?

A lot of hospitals will offer EKG training as part of the job, mine does anyways. Also some CC or Votech programs have classes and certifications for those low level positions that are still great for hands on contact with pts...


And a 10 overall or a 10 in each section? And really no, Caribbean isn't a wise choice these days

 

[AKLbinky]

A lot of hospitals will offer EKG training as part of the job, mine does anyways. Also some CC or Votech programs have classes and certifications for those low level positions that are still great for hands on contact with pts...


And a 10 overall or a 10 in each section? And really no, Caribbean isn't a wise choice these days

My friend made a 10 overall and she is going to the Caribbean for medical school. I can understand if she had a 27 MCAT score, but not 10 overall.

 

[chocposit]

A lot of hospitals will offer EKG training as part of the job, mine does anyways. Also some CC or Votech programs have classes and certifications for those low level positions that are still great for hands on contact with pts...


And a 10 overall or a 10 in each section? And really no, Caribbean isn't a wise choice these days

The hardest thing for me is getting a job in a hospital. I've applied for several non-certified positions such as patient transport, and even had a nurse manager send my resume to the department in charge of patient transport after noticing the trend that you just gotta know someone who know someone, but for some reason I haven't heard from that person yet (a month later.....). Now that summer classes are about to be over, I might head over to his/her office and see what gives.

There's also medical scribing but the people in my area just don't want to let their job go and so they haven't been hiring for months now.... darn it people, give the rest of us a chance! (I don't have a primary doc or know a doctor or have any way of knowing one unless I can snag a scribing job. Yes, I tried calling/emailing/walking to doctor offices/etc and kept getting rejected... sadness, note to self - let everyone and their mama shadow me when I become a doc).

Caribbean is a no-no, but what about schools in Australia? Weighing my options just in case the US of A lols right in my face when I start applying...

 

[AKLbinky]

The hardest thing for me is getting a job in a hospital. I've applied for several non-certified positions such as patient transport, and even had a nurse manager send my resume to the department in charge of patient transport after noticing the trend that you just gotta know someone who know someone, but for some reason I haven't heard from that person yet (a month later.....). Now that summer classes are about to be over, I might head over to his/her office and see what gives.

There's also medical scribing but the people in my area just don't want to let their job go and so they haven't been hiring for months now.... darn it people, give the rest of us a chance! (I don't have a primary doc or know a doctor or have any way of knowing one unless I can snag a scribing job. Yes, I tried calling/emailing/walking to doctor offices/etc and kept getting rejected... sadness, note to self - let everyone and their mama shadow me when I become a doc).

Caribbean is a no-no, but what about schools in Australia? Weighing my options just in case the US of A lols right in my face when I start applying...

However I heard that Ross University was one of the best school. Actually I have a friend that goes there for medical school and she said there is about 250 students or more in her classes. Then I heard AUA was good too, but more expensive than Ross University. However, I don't have to guts to go out of the country to purse a medical degree; personally I think it's too risky, such as not making the scores for USMLE step1 and step2. On the other hand, there are some success stories that can be used to make into a good barnes and noble's bestseller. I have no knowledge about medical school in Australia, but I guess it's good as the UK medical school since Australia is a cousin country to England/UK.

 

[AKLbinky]

Some schools that offer both programs will let you combine them, so it's possible to come out with a little of both.

Do you know some schools that can let you do a SMP/MD? I know there are SMP, but I have not heard of schools that let you combine the two programs.

 

[Fedaykin]

Do you know some schools that can let you do a SMP/MD? I know there are SMP, but I have not heard of schools that let you combine the two programs.

I'm talking about SMP/post-baccs. Most SMPs offer linkages, though.

 

[Fedaykin]

However I heard that Ross University was one of the best school.

Ross is probably the best, and it's also owned by DeVry. Let that sink in for a moment. Would you think twice about going to a doctor with a degree that reads "DeVry School of Medicine"? I would, and that's what you're getting.

 

[Major]

Caribbean should an Absolute last last resort. Like, a person has applied to DO programs over 3 cycles and still not accepted. Then the only Caribbean to consider would be St. George, Ross, Saba, and AUC.

With the merger of the AOA/ACGME things will most likely only get tougher for imgs

 

[Major]

The hardest thing for me is getting a job in a hospital. I've applied for several non-certified positions such as patient transport, and even had a nurse manager send my resume to the department in charge of patient transport after noticing the trend that you just gotta know someone who know someone, but for some reason I haven't heard from that person yet (a month later.....). Now that summer classes are about to be over, I might head over to his/her office and see what gives.

There's also medical scribing but the people in my area just don't want to let their job go and so they haven't been hiring for months now.... darn it people, give the rest of us a chance! (I don't have a primary doc or know a doctor or have any way of knowing one unless I can snag a scribing job. Yes, I tried calling/emailing/walking to doctor offices/etc and kept getting rejected... sadness, note to self - let everyone and their mama shadow me when I become a doc).

Caribbean is a no-no, but what about schools in Australia? Weighing my options just in case the US of A lols right in my face when I start applying...

I would keep at it with the job hunt. Depending on what state you live in, you can get a phlebotomy job pretty easily, er tech, EKG tech, clerk, etc... Keep after it. Persistence will be paramount

 

[twinmama88]

Caribbean should an Absolute last last resort. Like, a person has applied to DO programs over 3 cycles and still not accepted. Then the only Caribbean to consider would be St. George, Ross, Saba, and AUC.

With the merger of the AOA/ACGME things will most likely only get tougher for imgs

Can you explain this merger and what it means?? New to this site and thread and I am a fellow underdog. Applying this cycle too!

 

[twinmama88]

What does it take to become an EKG tech or will it be better to become a pharmacy tech? I am also trying to get a Master degree in bio medical science on a thesis based before I go an apply to medical school or DO school with a 2.94 overall GPA and 3.1 science GPA. Please help and guidance. Also, another question, Do you think it's okay to go to medical school in the Carribean with a MCAT score of a 10 (I am helping someone)?

The hospital I worked at trained on job to be an EKG tech. All you needed was a high school diploma and preferred some science college courses. Then to move up to tech II and III you had to take a two week course they provided. I would recommend EKG tech over pharmacy tech because you don't interact much with patients. I have done both, volunteer pharmacy tech and employed EKG tech. EKG tech is all patient interaction. Masters of science (thesis based) is great for both research purposes and GPA boost purposes. However if you do not get a much higher GPA then it hurts you or doesn't help. I got slightly higher but nothing amazing. Also, a lot of MD schools like students that do research because more research = more funding/grants. So in some schools, research experience is very appealing. I honestly don't know a ton about caribbean schools. I have two friends at caribbean schools and they love it and do not seem worried at all about getting a residency or anything. I also know two pulmonary residents at the hospital I worked at and they both went to caribbean schools. And one of my specialty doctors went to a caribbean school and they seem to be doing great. What do you mean with a 10 and (I am helping someone)?

 

[AKLbinky]

The hospital I worked at trained on job to be an EKG tech. All you needed was a high school diploma and preferred some science college courses. Then to move up to tech II and III you had to take a two week course they provided. I would recommend EKG tech over pharmacy tech because you don't interact much with patients. I have done both, volunteer pharmacy tech and employed EKG tech. EKG tech is all patient interaction. Masters of science (thesis based) is great for both research purposes and GPA boost purposes. However if you do not get a much higher GPA then it hurts you or doesn't help. I got slightly higher but nothing amazing. Also, a lot of MD schools like students that do research because more research = more funding/grants. So in some schools, research experience is very appealing. I honestly don't know a ton about caribbean schools. I have two friends at caribbean schools and they love it and do not seem worried at all about getting a residency or anything. I also know two pulmonary residents at the hospital I worked at and they both went to caribbean schools. And one of my specialty doctors went to a caribbean school and they seem to be doing great. What do you mean with a 10 and (I am helping someone)?

Thank you for the response! My friend made a 10 MCAT score (combine all 3 parts) and she wants to go to Caribbean for Medical school. I have some feelings that the MCAT score reflects somewhat how a person will do on the USMLE step1. Question, would you go to the Caribbean for Medical school if you did not do well on the MCAT for the first time or would you take it again? She is very young...8.5 more years to be 30 years old.

 

[twinmama88]

Thank you for the response! My friend made a 10 MCAT score (combine all 3 parts) and she wants to go to Caribbean for Medical school. I have some feelings that the MCAT score reflects somewhat how a person will do on the USMLE step1. Question, would you go to the Caribbean for Medical school if you did not do well on the MCAT for the first time or would you take it again? She is very young...8.5 more years to be 30 years old.

I would absolutely take it again. I personally would take it up to 3 times, 4 if I was young enough which I am not haha. I agree that it does reflect somewhat how a person would do on the Usmile BUT there are a million other factors that can contribute to a low mcat that she may not encounter with the USMILE. 1) age/maturity 2) knowing how to correctly study for a test 3) anxiety. I didn't learn how to properly study for a test till I entered my masters program (which is in a medical school). I had terrible test anxiety and overall anxiety during college because I went into every test thinking if I didn't get a good grade that I would never get into medical school and it really affected my performance. I was not mature enough either. I would say yes yes yes take it again, but do not take it until she is very very sure she will at least score in the 20s. She's got plenty of time if she's that young. I would never go to a caribbean school because I am married with two kids (age 26) so it would never fit my lifestyle but if i was young and had no attachments I might keep it as an option after i have exhausted all other options. Hope this helps!

 

[popopopop]

Thank you for the response! My friend made a 10 MCAT score (combine all 3 parts) and she wants to go to Caribbean for Medical school. I have some feelings that the MCAT score reflects somewhat how a person will do on the USMLE step1. Question, would you go to the Caribbean for Medical school if you did not do well on the MCAT for the first time or would you take it again? She is very young...8.5 more years to be 30 years old.

Do you know what her GPA is? Is that 10 on her real MCAT? She needs to take a big step back and realize the gravity of her situation if medicine is what she wants to pursue.

 

[ajh1983]

Graduated ug may 2012 with 2.85 cGPA. Took a gap year to take my mcat, work and do some research. 36q MCAT. Did zero grade repair. Had life experience, military xp, and smarts going for me. Applied 18 allo, 2 osteo. 1 interview, 1 acceptance at AZCOM. Finished M1 in the top quarter of my class. Start my M2 year next month.

 

[twinmama88]

Graduated ug may 2012 with 2.85 cGPA. Took a gap year to take my mcat, work and do some research. 36q MCAT. Did zero grade repair. Had life experience, military xp, and smarts going for me. Applied 18 allo, 2 osteo. 1 interview, 1 acceptance at AZCOM. Finished M1 in the top quarter of my class. Start my M2 year next month.

Very nice! what allopathic schools did you apply to? I'm surprised you had no interviews from MD schools. 36 mcat with military experience seems like something that deserves at least interviews in my eyes. Great job though!

 

[Major]

Thank you for the response! My friend made a 10 MCAT score (combine all 3 parts) and she wants to go to Caribbean for Medical school. I have some feelings that the MCAT score reflects somewhat how a person will do on the USMLE step1. Question, would you go to the Caribbean for Medical school if you did not do well on the MCAT for the first time or would you take it again? She is very young...8.5 more years to be 30 years old.

Oh wow, a 10 over all is just plain horrible. Is your friend international? ESL? With your friend being so young they should consider retaking all their pre-reqs in gen. Chem, Ochem, physics, and Bio. And then taking some reading comprehension classes. Medical school should be the farthest thing from your friend's mind right now

 

[ajh1983]

Very nice! what allopathic schools did you apply to? I'm surprised you had no interviews from MD schools. 36 mcat with military experience seems like something that deserves at least interviews in my eyes. Great job though!

Mostly middle difficulty schools in the midwest, ie: U-Wisconsin, MCW, Chicago schools, UMinnesota, Mayo (to say I did), some east coast EVMS, UVA, Richmond, etc.

as per my mcat/gpa - mcat was 98.5%tile that year, but my gpa is WELL below acceptable limits at most places, UWisconsin (my home) later told me they pulled my app for review 3 times before saying no, and I probably would have set some sort of record for lowest GPA ever admitted lol. In the end it doesn't matter, the classes are the same. I have UW alums teaching some of our clinical courses, and they agree our courses are impressive. Clinical experience down the road is key to being a well rounded doc, and that doesn't correlate to med school all that much.

 

[Mellipooh]

If you don't feel ready for it, then postpone the exam. There are still plenty of exam dates open for the fall. What is your overall gpa when everything is calculated together?

My cumulative GPA is 3.37, science is 2.92. My post-bacc science is 3.8 I think with plans to continue taking (and killing) upper division science courses. I guess I just feel like, as is, I don't know if I can pull off over a 30 on the MCAT. I have a couple friends who were scoring low to mid 30s on AAMC practice tests who got 28-29 on the real thing. I'm worried, with my gpa, that I can't afford to score under a 3o on the real exam. Although, I will say, I feel really ready to get this show on the road and am not sure how much I'm going to improve over the next couple months. I am retaking Anatomy and cell bio this fall though so my other thought was to take the MCAT next week (since I can't get my money back if I cancel now), void my score, and then take it in January before the new exam rolls out and after I have anatomy and cell fresh in my little brain.

It's so hard to estimate what my actual score may be!!

 

[AKLbinky]

Oh wow, a 10 over all is just plain horrible. Is your friend international? ESL? With your friend being so young they should consider retaking all their pre-reqs in gen. Chem, Ochem, physics, and Bio. And then taking some reading comprehension classes. Medical school should be the farthest thing from your friend's mind right now

No my friend is from America and English is her first language. She has a 3.5+ GPA, so I did suggest to her that it was best to retake the MCAT. However, She already applied and got over her interviews with AUA already and her mind is focus to go to Caribbean. I think it's a good idea that she take reading comprehension courses because her lows score was the verbal with a 2 , but taking courses and doing a SMP is a waste of time according to her beliefs. Me on the other hand is trying to get into master program and later get a MD or DO, and to work in academic side of medicine as well clinical.

 

[twinmama88]

Mostly middle difficulty schools in the midwest, ie: U-Wisconsin, MCW, Chicago schools, UMinnesota, Mayo (to say I did), some east coast EVMS, UVA, Richmond, etc.

as per my mcat/gpa - mcat was 98.5%tile that year, but my gpa is WELL below acceptable limits at most places, UWisconsin (my home) later told me they pulled my app for review 3 times before saying no, and I probably would have set some sort of record for lowest GPA ever admitted lol. In the end it doesn't matter, the classes are the same. I have UW alums teaching some of our clinical courses, and they agree our courses are impressive. Clinical experience down the road is key to being a well rounded doc, and that doesn't correlate to med school all that much.

Do you think if you applied to all bottom tier md schools that you would have gotten interviews? I know a 2.85 isn't ideal but with all the other good aspects to your application I'm just surprised. My GPA isn't much higher. 2.99 overall and 2.8 science …My gpa is higher for DO because I retook classes that both get averaged for MD unfortunately. Im shooting for bottom tier MD and all DO, depending on what my MCAT score ends up being!

 

[bball4]

Graduated ug may 2012 with 2.85 cGPA. Took a gap year to take my mcat, work and do some research. 36q MCAT. Did zero grade repair. Had life experience, military xp, and smarts going for me. Applied 18 allo, 2 osteo. 1 interview, 1 acceptance at AZCOM. Finished M1 in the top quarter of my class. Start my M2 year next month.

How did you study for the MCAT? And did you apply early in the cycle?

 

[chocposit]

Hey guys! So I received my summer grades for Physics and OChem and managed to get a B in both Physics lecture and lab (wooot!!!) and a B in OChem lab (ugh, managed to get As in everything BUT the final exam and somehow ended up with an overall B in lab....) and a C in OChem lecture. Quick question! I'm definitely retaking OChem 1 again because I can do so much better (A, baby!) but do I have to retake the lab since in my transcript, labs and lectures grades are separated (lecture = 3 credits, lab = 1 credit)?

Also, I plan on taking Biochem 1 in the fall in order to not take OChem II. Is the general consensus that Biochem can replace OChem II for most DO schools? And if Biochem = 4 credits, do I have to take the lab as well?

 

[desdes]

I would contact the schools I was told by one school biochemistry would not replace ochem II

 

[Major]

Hey guys! So I received my summer grades for Physics and OChem and managed to get a B in both Physics lecture and lab (wooot!!!) and a B in OChem lab (ugh, managed to get As in everything BUT the final exam and somehow ended up with an overall B in lab....) and a C in OChem lecture. Quick question! I'm definitely retaking OChem 1 again because I can do so much better (A, baby!) but do I have to retake the lab since in my transcript, labs and lectures grades are separated (lecture = 3 credits, lab = 1 credit)?

Also, I plan on taking Biochem 1 in the fall in order to not take OChem II. Is the general consensus that Biochem can replace OChem II for most DO schools? And if Biochem = 4 credits, do I have to take the lab as well?

Yeah don't retake the lab if you got a B in it. Retake that C

And there isn't any DO school, to my knowledge, that will allow Biochem to replace Ochem II. Now more DO schools are requiring Biochem along with the two semesters of Ochem. But nice job on those Bs while taking all those courses during the summer. That is quite challenging to take all that at the same time during the summer.

 

[Major]

.

 

[chocposit]

Thank you so much!!! Oh darn, I was hoping OChem II could be replaced by Biochem. I figured taking Biochem shouldn't hurt though, especially with the new MCAT, so if my school allows me to (they require OChem II before Biochem but the department head can allow some people to take Biochem early), I plan on taking Biochem 1 + lab (I have to take the lab according to my school, uuuugh more work), Bio 1 + lab, and OChem 1 again, no lab (thank god!). I plan on taking the Jan MCAT (will go through the contents of Bio 2 and Physics 2 on my own during the winter break while taking FL tests, BUT planning for another retake in May or June, right after Bio 2 and Physics 2, just in case) before the new version comes out and hoping for the best as I apply for post-bac programs. Touro's NY/CA post-bac will allow me to replace Orgo II with Biochem, so if I don't get into any post-bac by mid-summer, I'll just take OChem II next fall and apply broadly to schools for the DO 2016 matriculation cycle.

What sounds... less painful? Bio 1 and 2 + lab with Orgo lecture OR Bio 1 and Biochem + lab with Orgo lecture? If I'm aiming to take the Jan MCAT (and with the department head's permission) I'm debating which schedule will benefit me the most. Biochem sounds equally (if not more) painful than Bio 2, especially with labs added to the mix so.... thoughts? Advice?