How many additional science courses?

[Sartre]

I would appreciate any advice!

I am reapplying this year, at the advice of my advisors at Hopkins. Since the submission of my application last summer, I have taken four additional science courses in a post-bacc program (Biochem, Cell Bio, Microbio, Drug Design), and received A's in all four. I also took Physics I and II post-bacc (though these grades were on last year's application), and received A's in those (so my post-bacc GPA is 4.0, with a total of 22 credits).

My advisors seem to think this sufficiently demonstrates that I can handle tough coursework, but these four recent classes have only changed my BCPM GPA by about a tenth of a point! My question is, will adcoms recognize the improvement and overall post-bacc GPA, or will they still just see a lower-than-average GPA and stop there?

Thanks for your help!

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[bopmop]

I can definitely empathize...by the time you're out of undergrad you have so many credits, that taking a few courses (even a full year) only makes a small dent in the overall GPA. It's hard...but medical schools definitely notice upward trend in recent courses and are willing to be more forgiving of earlier flops, so I wouldn't worry too much about it.

 

[prionsRbad]

That depends on how low your GPA is. Is it below 3.0?

Great job on your postbac grades, though. I definitely think Adcoms will see that as a positive demonstration of your ability to handle a tough science course load.

Good luck

 

[nlax30]

I agree, kind of depends on what your current overall GPA is and what school is looking at it. I took a good year of post-bacc courses (~30 credits) like you and was amazed at how hard it is to raise a GPA, especially after having 120 credit hours. At my local state MD school I was told that the upward trend definitely looks better than nothing, but that there still might be people who look at the application and are still turned off by the lower than avg overall GPA, so really depends on who is reading it.

 

[RxnMan]

If your GPA is sub-3.0, then it really doesn't matter if you've got an upward trend - you're going to get filtered out at most places before anyone can see it. There's no real way to know which ones will - no place has ever told me exactly how they look at applicants - so the only way to overcome this is to apply broadly and apply early.

 

[Sartre]

Thanks so much for the encouragement, everyone!

Last application cycle, my science GPA was around 3.15 or so, and it is now about 3.26. My overall GPA is now 3.39.

I bombed Orgo the first time I took it, and having to calculate that grade into my GPA really hurt me

So I guess it really depends on whether or not the adcoms decide to look beyond my overall GPA to see my improvement in post-bacc. I guess I'll just have to hope that they do!

Thanks again for the advice, everyone.

 

[Nasrudin]

Thanks so much for the encouragement, everyone!

Last application cycle, my science GPA was around 3.15 or so, and it is now about 3.26. My overall GPA is now 3.39.

I bombed Orgo the first time I took it, and having to calculate that grade into my GPA really hurt me

So I guess it really depends on whether or not the adcoms decide to look beyond my overall GPA to see my improvement in post-bacc. I guess I'll just have to hope that they do!

Thanks again for the advice, everyone.

Well not that either one of has the better strategy but I am putting in the my last year in a 3-4 year stint of classes to get to a 3.4 cum before I apply and my sci. gpa is 3.97.

You hail from a very reputable school, so that helps. But I'd say the key to your success will be a heavy-hitting MCAT score.

Although the same will be true for me, I've put the time in now--at the u-grad level--for one, all-in cycle to be carried out 2 cycles from now that allows for medium range success on the MCAT. I cannot afford to keep applying in successive cycles and I've all but ruled out the last best case shot for low gpa applicants (SMP's) due to what I see as their exorbitant costs.

If you've got the resources to do so you could always just shotgun 30-50 applications and see what sticks to the wall. Then again you could be one of those lucky charismatic applicants who manages to make it despite the low gpa.

Either way if it was me I couldn't stand to look at a 3.39 and not have a 3.4 but that's just neurosis.

 

[Sartre]

Congratulations on the great science GPA! I really hope that adcoms look at the post-bacc GPA on its own merit, especially when it is comprised of so many credit hours.

I just realized that I had computed an A- that should have been an A, which bumps me up just enough to get a 3.4 overall. I'm glad you mentioned the 3.39 thing, because I might not have checked otherwise.

I agree about the SMP programs -- I know I can't afford them. I think post-bacc courses are the way to go, even if it does take longer. Good luck with your MCAT and application!

 

[Nasrudin]

Congratulations on the great science GPA! I really hope that adcoms look at the post-bacc GPA on its own merit, especially when it is comprised of so many credit hours.

I just realized that I had computed an A- that should have been an A, which bumps me up just enough to get a 3.4 overall. I'm glad you mentioned the 3.39 thing, because I might not have checked otherwise.

I agree about the SMP programs -- I know I can't afford them. I think post-bacc courses are the way to go, even if it does take longer. Good luck with your MCAT and application!

Thanks, you too. Sweet--3.4, just looks better on paper to me anyway if no one else. Yeah I'm with you on the post bac thing. I'm hesitant to say that to every relevant query just because things are different for everybody but I think if its possible to get to a 3.3 or so for any applicant after a couple of years work then that's the way to go. I mean you can't argue with good grades in med school classes but I just think that's just plain exploitation on the behalf of medical schools. It's unethical. It's entrapment. There's a whole paramedical economy out there that seeks to scoop up the future debt of all those desperate to do this thing. I'm doin it as cheap as possible. If that doesn't work and I don't rip the MCAT even after several tries then maybe its just not worth it anymore.
I think we need boundaries for this insanity in order to make it workable.

 

[Sartre]

Thanks, you too. Sweet--3.4, just looks better on paper to me anyway if no one else. Yeah I'm with you on the post bac thing. I'm hesitant to say that to every relevant query just because things are different for everybody but I think if its possible to get to a 3.3 or so for any applicant after a couple of years work then that's the way to go. I mean you can't argue with good grades in med school classes but I just think that's just plain exploitation on the behalf of medical schools. It's unethical. It's entrapment. There's a whole paramedical economy out there that seeks to scoop up the future debt of all those desperate to do this thing. I'm doin it as cheap as possible. If that doesn't work and I don't rip the MCAT even after several tries then maybe its just not worth it anymore.
I think we need boundaries for this insanity in order to make it workable.

I'm sure it will work out I think one of the benefits of taking the slightly longer post-bacc route is that you have a little more time to study comprehensively for the MCAT and do well in your courses (not that it's anything close to easy, especially when working full-time). But it sounds like you have a solid plan, so keep the faith.

I totally agree about the 'paramedical economy' -- I think it really takes advantage of students' desperation (and with close to 50% of applicants getting rejected every year, they have quite a consumer pool to target). I'm willing to do anything/spend anything in order to get into med school, but sometimes I feel we're being misled.

Anyway, best of luck