GPA Trainwreck

This forum made possible through the generous support of SDN members, donors, and sponsors. Thank you.
Doc_2_Be

Doc_2_Be

New Member
7+ Year Member
Joined
Dec 14, 2014
Messages
2
Reaction score
0
So I'm absolutely committed to becoming a physician. I am currently an EMT and Medicine is what brings me joy. I'm way nontraditional, and I let my GPA crash and burn during my undergrad while I was an athlete. I have a B.S. and an UGPA of 2.5 after well over 130 hours of classes... I am now enrolled at the university of Houston finishing my prerequisites consisting of Organic Chem I & II and Phys I & II. I have no idea how to pull my GPA up beyond Acing these 4 classes and continuing my upward trend, which will hardly make a dent. The current game plan is to blow the MCAT away, work as an EMT and shadow for clinical experience, get involved with premed organizations including volunteering, build a relationship with my premed adviser, and join in on research. Even with all of this, what do you guys suggest? Post-Bac? Redo undergrad?
Thanks in advance for helpful, informative dialogue.
Members don't see this ad.
 
Maybe you can do like me and focus on retaking all your "burn" classes and apply for a DO school? In addition to all the other things. I have a limited science background, so I have all the prereqs to conquer, but I have a few nasty blemishes on my history as well. (2.21 162 hours just at one school). Retake any BCPM that isn't a B or higher. Maybe look at your university about grade forgiveness, depending on how old your record is...
 
Same advice that's given to everyone else. If you want to go DO, use grade replacement. If you want to be an MD, you need an SMP, which should only be undertaken after getting your GPA to a 3.0.

You need to evaluate if other roles and careers interest you, and you have to have a backup plan. Every day you get a ton of people saying they'll turn around their terrible GPA but only very few do, takes many years and there's no guarantees. The landscape for entry into medicine is become much more grim year after year, so when you're ready, probably 3-4 years from now, expect it to be harder than it even is currently. With DO schools now reaching 30 average on the MCAT, you really need to hit it out of the ballpark 34+ to have an impressive MCAT, which is easy to say you will but hard to accomplish in reality.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Members don't see this ad :)
Doc_2_Be said:
o I'm absolutely committed to becoming a physician. I am currently an EMT and Medicine is what brings me joy. I'm way nontraditional, and I let my GPA crash and burn during my undergrad while I was an athlete. I have a B.S. and an UGPA of 2.5 after well over 130 hours of classes... I am now enrolled at the university of Houston finishing my prerequisites consisting of Organic Chem I & II and Phys I & II. I have no idea how to pull my GPA up beyond Acing these 4 classes and continuing my upward trend, which will hardly make a dent. The current game plan is to blow the MCAT away, work as an EMT and shadow for clinical experience, get involved with premed organizations including volunteering, build a relationship with my premed adviser, and join in on research. Even with all of this, what do you guys suggest? Post-Bac? Redo undergrad?
Thanks in advance for helpful, informative dialogue
Click to expand...
STOP! are you texas resident? if so, when did you graduate exactly?
 
Hey Doc_2_Be, I'm in the same boat and am also doing a DIY post bacc at U of H. Not sure if there's a way to message you privately so I just thought I'd reply. I'm retaking the pre-reqs that I have taken and did poorly in, which luckily isn't very many because I wasn't pre-health or a science major. Beyond that, taking the rest of the pre-reqs and a bunch of upper division science classes, and considering just getting a second degree in biology. I just started this summer with Bio 1 and 2 with labs. My game plan is straight As with plenty of volunteering, solid relationships with professors for LORS, plan to get involved with research, and of course a killer MCAT score. I think we'll get there if we want it badly enough :) Let me know if you want to trade professor recommendations.
 
First, if that's actually you in your profile pic you should change that.

If you're non-trad are you still in school? If not, how long have you been out? I think Albino's pretty spot on, in the sense that you need to pull that GPA up and then do well with either an SMP or some major grade replacement. If you've been out and working for a few years schools might be more forgiving if you go back to school and do really well. Either way, you've got some very major damage to repair to do.
 
Stagg737 said:
First, if that's actually you in your profile pic you should change that.

If you're non-trad are you still in school? If not, how long have you been out? I think Albino's pretty spot on, in the sense that you need to pull that GPA up and then do well with either an SMP or some major grade replacement. If you've been out and working for a few years schools might be more forgiving if you go back to school and do really well. Either way, you've got some very major damage to repair to do.
Click to expand...
OP, could apply to any Med school in TX under either academic forgiveness/ academic renewal providing that he is TX resident and graduated about 10 years ago which sounds like he did.
 
It kind of makes me sad that all these programs to help folks are things now. Those of us in the generations before, that might have needed that kind of help, are left trying to rub two wet sticks together in order to build a fire.
 
AlbinoHawk DO said:
Same advice that's given to everyone else. If you want to go DO, use grade replacement. If you want to be an MD, you need an SMP, which should only be undertaken after getting your GPA to a 3.0.

You need to evaluate if other roles and careers interest you, and you have to have a backup plan. Every day you get a ton of people saying they'll turn around their terrible GPA but only very few do, takes many years and there's no guarantees. The landscape for entry into medicine is become much more grim year after year, so when you're ready, probably 3-4 years from now, expect it to be harder than it even is currently. With DO schools now reaching 30 average on the MCAT, you really need to hit it out of the ballpark 34+ to have an impressive MCAT, which is easy to say you will but hard to accomplish in reality.
Click to expand...

Hi AlbinoHawk...I'm new here, and wanting to go the MD route and have about 2 years of C's from my undergrad from 2009-2011. Can you explain what an SMP is? I'm considering just redoing all of my undergrad from scratch.
 
SMP = Special Masters Program. If admitted, you essentially get to take a year or so of courses with medical students. This would allow you to show medical schools that you can handle the rigors of medical school and have matured academically. They have GPA requirements though and are really competitive. If I make a miracle happen in the next 3 years, I'll probably go this route if I more strongly swing toward MD. Since my interest is in Endocrinology, I'm going to be studying schools for their research in the subject. I might need to involve interpretive dance and compose a symphony for these medical schools to take notice of me, but alas.

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/threads/the-official-guide-to-special-masters-programs.346106/
 
Thanks, Sacredmeow!

Are there any disadvantages (besides lost time) to repeating 2 years of undergrad?
 
Members don't see this ad :)
I'm repeating a ton. Just know the closer to 40 you get, the harder it will be to get into med. I've got 7 years to get things in order. :banana:
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
My adviser told me that it gets harder to get into medical school when you're 40+. It's not impossible, but due to the time commitments (10+ years until you're a doctor, etc), schools tend to be a little more realistic when it comes to age is all.
 
sacredmeow said:
My adviser told me that it gets harder to get into medical school when you're 40+. It's not impossible, but due to the time commitments (10+ years until you're a doctor, etc), schools tend to be a little more realistic when it comes to age is all.
Click to expand...
It is 4 years med school+ plus 3-5 years residency. Realistically, once you graduate med school, you're a doctor and get paid as resident. any non trad should not have to be a surgeon. I will pick something like EM or GYN and be happy with that.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I'm wanting to work in Endocrinology. I have tremors sometimes (presumably related to my thyroid condition that's been a little unbalanced the last few years), so I wouldn't want to cut on people all the time. I'm looking at 4 years of prereqs/GPA repair/etc, then if I get lucky and actually get into medical school, then 4 years there. I'm guessing that I'm looking at residency and fellowship after that. Good thing I have no desire to date, have kids, nor retire — I ain't gonna have time!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
ATL.F.Doc said:
It is 4 years med school+ plus 3-5 years residency. Realistically, once you graduate med school, you're a doctor and get paid as resident. any non trad should not have to be a surgeon. I will pick something like EM or GYN and be happy with that.
Click to expand...

If a nontrad wants to do general surgery, no reason they shouldn't. It's 5 years instead of 4 for OBGYN or some EM programs... Do what you want. Age isn't that big of a factor.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
sacredmeow said:
I'm repeating a ton. Just know the closer to 40 you get, the harder it will be to get into med. I've got 7 years to get things in order. :banana:
Click to expand...

There's a chief IM resident whom I know is in his mid- 50'S who will be matriculating to cardiology fellowship program. In his case, age didn't really matter.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
That's reassuring! It might take until I'm 50 to get my cGPA to a 3.0.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
ThoracicGuy said:
If a nontrad wants to do general surgery, no reason they shouldn't. It's 5 years instead of 4 for OBGYN or some EM programs... Do what you want. Age isn't that big of a factor.
Click to expand...
I agree, but whenever someone posts some threads about how old is too old for med school / no chance to get admitted because you're 40's it makes me feel like there is no chance what so ever.
 
33 in a couple of months. I have a 2.21 GPA after 162 GPA hours at my home institution. I have maybe 90 hours (I got an AAS in IT after my bachelors) and a 3.3 at a community college, and a 3.62 currently in my masters program, but I have to repair the nasty GPA somehow (replacements for AACOMAS applications), take all the science prereqs, and take the MCAT. I also work full-time. Aiming to be ready to apply by 40 at the latest. My "It might take until I'm 50..." comment was half-snark.
 
Arabon said:
Hi AlbinoHawk...I'm new here, and wanting to go the MD route and have about 2 years of C's from my undergrad from 2009-2011. Can you explain what an SMP is? I'm considering just redoing all of my undergrad from scratch.
Click to expand...
It stands for Special Masters Program. It's basically a costly audition to get into medical school. Typically you need >3.0 and 30+ on the MCAT. You take about the same (or the same) courses as medical students. Those students that score a 3.7 GPA will pretty much have opened the doors to get into medical school. However, you get below a 3.5 and you have basically sank your chances of becoming a doctor.

Good luck.
 
sacredmeow said:
33 in a couple of months. I have a 2.21 GPA after 162 GPA hours at my home institution. I have maybe 90 hours (I got an AAS in IT after my bachelors) and a 3.3 at a community college, and a 3.62 currently in my masters program, but I have to repair the nasty GPA somehow (replacements for AACOMAS applications), take all the science prereqs, and take the MCAT. I also work full-time. Aiming to be ready to apply by 40 at the latest. My "It might take until I'm 50..." comment was half-snark.
Click to expand...
Are you sure you want to do this to yourself? The earliest you can practice is 47 and will be in serious debt. Even if you do 20-year loan repayment, you're going to be in a seriously bad position to retire. It's easy to say "well, I'll work till I'm 80," but you never know how age will affect you. You should seriously consider doing the NP route. You can do 1 year nursing degree followed by 2 years FNP.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
I don't think I'd be able to do the same kind of research as an NP that I'd be able to do as a doctor. I also don't think I have the bedside demeanor that is typically associated with nurses. (INTP female... the bastard of the MBTI when it comes to societal expectations. I'm not ruling out simply going into research in a related field, but as it stands in premed, I want to be a doctor. Assuming you play your cards right, eventually the salary should be decent enough to attack the debt appropriate no? At least 1/3 of my retakes/pre req will also be covered by tuition benefits through my job (I work for a university), so that will help. Once I get my CCs paid off in the next few months, I will be throwing that extra income at existing loans. I am also looking into a different housing situation to save a few extra hundred a month, as well as finally getting a portfolio up to do web design projects to pad income as they come. I'll be busy, but it would taking care of myself for if I made the currently impossible happen.
 
ATL.F.Doc said:
I agree, but whenever someone posts some threads about how old is too old for med school / no chance to get admitted because you're 40's it makes me feel like there is no chance what so ever.
Click to expand...

You should pick your residency based on what YOU want to do. If you pick something you don't like as much just because its a year or two shorter, you might be unhappy with yourself ten years down the line. We had people in our med school in their 30s and 40s. It wasn't a big issue.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
sacredmeow said:
I don't think I'd be able to do the same kind of research as an NP that I'd be able to do as a doctor. I also don't think I have the bedside demeanor that is typically associated with nurses. (INTP female... the bastard of the MBTI when it comes to societal expectations. I'm not ruling out simply going into research in a related field, but as it stands in premed, I want to be a doctor. Assuming you play your cards right, eventually the salary should be decent enough to attack the debt appropriate no? At least 1/3 of my retakes/pre req will also be covered by tuition benefits through my job (I work for a university), so that will help. Once I get my CCs paid off in the next few months, I will be throwing that extra income at existing loans. I am also looking into a different housing situation to save a few extra hundred a month, as well as finally getting a portfolio up to do web design projects to pad income as they come. I'll be busy, but it would taking care of myself for if I made the currently impossible happen.
Click to expand...
If you're planning to go into research as a physician, that's more reason not to become a physician. Salaries are low for researchers, and to climb the current ladder in research is incredibly hard. Even in the PhD world the average age for your first R01 is early 40s (assuming a traditional student). I don't know what kind of research you're looking into that an NP couldn't.

Ultimately, yes, it is up to you to decide, but you should seriously look into how your income will be affected by your plan and the possibility to retire. There are so many variables in medicine at play such as not knowing what school you'll go to (for debt) or what specialty you'll like or be able to match in (for income). On top of that you're talking about being a researcher, which means you'll be earning at most 180k.

I wouldn't worry about nurse bedside demeanor. Once you go into NP, you're operating at a mid-level provider and aren't expected to do the same things a traditional nurse does.

I can definitely understand your position though. I'm a non-trad student myself in my early 30s, but I strongly advice you to look into the numbers before doing this. Also, don't over-glorify the field of medicine. That's a common error by pre-meds. 50% of all physicians regret having gone into medicine all together, and about 50% regret their specialty (unless derm).
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
You must log in or register to reply here.
Next unread thread
Top