GPA repair

[futureoncdoc06]

Hey everyone. So I just graduated with a degree in Public Health, and when all is said and done I'll probably finish with around a 3.1 cumulative. I have a serious upward trend and was Dean's List for my last two years of college. I am already planning to take off at least 2 years to take all of my science pre-reqs and some more challenging science courses once those are finished. I've calculated that doing another ~44 credits of post-bacc work will put me at a 3.33 cumulative and a 3.36 science, and doing ~62 credits of post-bacc work will put me at a 3.39 cumulative and a 3.5 science.

Basically what I'm asking is, how many credits do you all think that I need to take to show that I am capable of doing well?

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[Doctor or bust]

Assuming you ace the post-bacc. then you'd be a good candidate for DO. MD might be a stretch though

 

[PreMedMissteps]

What state are you in?

Is that GPA repair estimate based on getting all A's?

Do you have a strong bio and chem foundation ?

 

[PreMedMissteps]

have completely changed my grades around. I got Dean's List my last two years of undergrad and salvaged my cumulative gpa to be around a 3.2.
However I got a D+ in my second bio course and a C in the lab my freshman year.
I took Human Bio (which was the intro bio class for being an exercise physiology major, so it may count as my general bio credit).
I got a C in College Algebra (after failing once) my sophomore year.
I also got a C- in chemistry, and was going to retake it but decided to switch my major to public health and no longer needed to. My thinking is that I am going to retake Chemistry and then continue on to take Organic Chem and Physics.
My question is, do I need to retake math, and also retake the bios, or would I be fine just taking higher level biology courses to show that I am competent for medical school? My plan is to take about 2-3 years of gpa salvaging for medical school, and I also have a significant upward trend which I feel will help me out. Any help/advice you all could give me I would greatly appreciate!!

Do you think your problems in math and science are only because of your previously untreated illness or did you have a weak foundation from high school?

Others can comment, but I don't think that bio class (which sounds like the non-majors version) counts for bio prereq, but will get included in BCPM GPA.

I agree that excellent grades in your later years will stand alone, but it helps if you come from a state with some med schools.

 

[futureoncdoc06]

Do you think your problems in math and science are only because of your previously untreated illness or did you have a weak foundation from high school?

Others can comment, but I don't think that bio class (which sounds like the non-majors version) counts for bio prereq, but will get included in BCPM GPA.

I agree that excellent grades in your later years will stand alone, but it helps if you come from a state with some med schools.

I think they have a lot to do with my illness. It was untreated for a while and I am still working to get it under control. The doctor who diagnosed me thinks that it probably came about in high school, so I spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital with no answers. This also really beat down on my self-esteem and basically made me feel like I was making it up or just making excuses for my poor grades, which didn't help those grades either. Basically my interest in medicine is serious now, and I am also serious about getting my illnesses figured out. I have strong drive and have no doubt that I can succeed in post-bacc classes. I am also interested in pursuing research the next few years surrounding my illnesses.

There is actually an article on AAMC about a girl who has the same story that I do basically. I thought it was interesting. Sarah Mongiello Bernstein

What state are you in?

Is that GPA repair estimate based on getting all A's?

Do you have a strong bio and chem foundation ?

It is based on all A's, which I know isn't completely realistic, but I have also calculated it with B+ and A- and it didn't change but just a few points honestly. I haven't taken a lot of bio or chem. I'm starting those mostly in post-bacc. Oh and I am from Virginia!

 

[futureoncdoc06]

Applicants get caught up with the idea that a single GPA number is the only metric that should be used for MD or DO decisions. As the OP pointed out, he/she has a serious upward trend for last two years and is looking at hard-core postbacc. If someone can come in with 3 years worth of solid work above and beyond what their initial GPA was, then they can make the argument that their later work truly represents their current ability, especially from disaster to dean's list. As for how many credits, without seeing your actual grade trends, it is hard to say, but usually in cases like yours you are looking at 45-60. This assumes all other aspects being solid, especially MCAT

I appreciate this! Disaster to Dean's List, I like that. I am going to be taking around 60 credits, and if I need more I'll take more. I'm not in a huge rush, as I want to take my time to do them as well as get in some meaningful volunteer and research experience, and not just pad my application. I am also planning on studying extensively for the MCAT and taking it ONCE, only when I am ready to do so. I would like to get a high MCAT score (I know everyone does) to hopefully somewhat offset my below average GPA.

 

[Peach Newport]

Very low, but not irredeemable GPA + Strong upward Trend = SMP or Masters of Biomedical Science, not post-bacc.

A post-bacc is a good option for increasing a GPA a relatively small amount, say, if you really want MD and you have a 3.35-3.45 and want a 3.6+. Your undergrad GPA will not increase enough to be worth it. If you were Ok with DO, I'd say a post-bacc would be a good option, but A) you posted in MD, and B) why not make your best effort?

A strong upward trend tells me you're a capable student and you could succeed in an SMP or (hard science) Masters. It takes less time than a 40 credit post-bacc and gives you a shiny new grad GPA, which a good handful of MDs, and all DOs, will pay attention to.

 

[futureoncdoc06]

Very low, but not irredeemable GPA + Strong upward Trend = SMP or Masters of Biomedical Science, not post-bacc.

A post-bacc is a good option for increasing a GPA a relatively small amount, say, if you really want MD and you have a 3.35-3.45 and want a 3.6+. Your undergrad GPA will not increase enough to be worth it. If you were Ok with DO, I'd say a post-bacc would be a good option, but A) you posted in MD, and B) why not make your best effort?

A strong upward trend tells me you're a capable student and you could succeed in an SMP or (hard science) Masters. It takes less time than a 40 credit post-bacc and gives you a shiny new grad GPA, which a good handful of MDs, and all DOs, will pay attention to.

I can't take my pre-reqs with an SMP, which is why I need to do a DIY post-bacc. Also SMP's require you to have the pre-reqs for medical school done, which I do not have. I have also read on multiple threads here at MD schools could care less about a Master's degree. So I'm confused.

 

[Peach Newport]

I can't take my pre-reqs with an SMP, which is why I need to do a DIY post-bacc. Also SMP's require you to have the pre-reqs for medical school done, which I do not have. I have also read on multiple threads here at MD schools could care less about a Master's degree. So I'm confused.

I stand corrected- I should have specified: if you lack pre-reqs, you absolutely need to take those undergrad. However, it may be worth it to just take the pre-reqs you're missing and go on to a masters.

The idea that MD schools "don't care about a masters degree" is technically true, but it's a seriously misunderstood idea.

What MD schools (and DOs) don't care about is WHETHER you have a masters degree, I.e, just because you have a masters degree doesn't give you an advantage.

They want evidence that you can perform in a rigorous academic environment, and just having a masters degree doesn't tell them that. If you have an MPH, that's not particularly demanding. If you got straight Cs in your classes but still got a degree, why would they care?

However, if you did a relevant degree (with upper level bio/Chem/hard life science), AND YOUR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE WAS EXCELLENT, they absolutely care. This is evidence that you can succeed in a rigorous academic environment. Also, some MS programs are full of notoriously easy classes and/or are too heavy on research and too light on rigorous class work, so you should avoid these and choose your class load/program carefully.

A "hard" masters shows you can succeed in grad-level (upper level) courseload, and gives you an advantage in the workforce should med school not work out.