Low GPA and running out of options!

[mmdambro]

So I have searched this forum far and wide and have read all about these post-bacc programs. I am now a senior and need some serious guidance on where I can apply that I can realisically get into. I would like to go to some type of graduate/post-bacc school and eventually apply to medical school but I am starting to think my grades are just oo low.

Right now I will be graduating in May from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and my sciences gpa is about a 2.1 and cumulative is a 2.5. I have not yet taken the GRE but will be taking it within the next month. I have very good letters of recommendation and all volunteer and extracurriculars are also very good. But what options do I realistically have. It seems like every post-bacc program I see with an average cumulative gpa in my range is only for either "economically disadvantaged" or some other special case. Does anyone have any suggestions? Or maybe know of schools where I can actually apply to so I at least have something?

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[docusc]

I would also like to hear what people have to say about this one

 

[Lokhtar]

Your best shot is to enroll in an informal post-baccalaureate or a second degree program and just take and re-take everything (C or below) you can for a couple years. Your main goal is to get to above a 3.0. You didn't get to a 2.5 overnight, and you aren't going to get out of it overnight.

 

[toothsome]

UNCG has a Post bac. Being as your a UNC alum you can get in. It's open enrollment anyways. You may want to look into D.O also. Are you a URM?

 

[mmdambro]

unfortunately no I am not a URM. Thanks for the advice. Any other suggestions on schools or anything else?

 

[Instatewaiter]

Loktar is right on track. You are going to have to spend a few years improving the GPA to the point where it is plausable to apply. Then you probably will have to do an SMP to get you the rest of the way. You are looking at a minimum of 2 years.

DO is an option but still it will take a while to improve the GPA up to a salvagable level.

 

[mmdambro]

so I am looking at about a year of improving my credentials then applying to a Masters Program for one or two years and then hopefully having the grades to apply?

 

[Lokhtar]

No, you probably should spend more than one year of undergrad. You don't need a masters degree. If you mean an SMP, then spend a year or two of undergrad if your MCAT is high though.

 

[Twosacroud]

So the consensus around here is that if you have a low ugrad GPA (say 3.0 and end up in a more traditional master's (even if aamcas lists it as a SMP) and receive a 4.0 in all upper level science classes (some of which are in the med. school department... biochem, neurophys, gene expression) it is less helpful then taking ugrad classes?

Is this all because of how the AMCAS gpa form is filled out? I'm confused, and obviously saddened, by this. I've worked very hard in my program, and earned a perfect GPA. It's all very disappointing to me!

 

[gman33]

Are you open to DO schools? If you retake classes they only count your new grades. Make a spreadsheet with all your grades and then calc what your gpa can be if you retake classes and hopefully get A's this time.
You might need 2-3 years full-time to get up to competitive levels.

Now if you are only looking at MD schools, you have a much harder journey. Probably same ug work needed and then followed up by a SMP.

The first step is figuring out why you did poorly before and then correcting this. If you don't do that, then you won't be getting in anywhere.

Good luck.

 

[Perrotfish]

So the consensus around here is that if you have a low ugrad GPA (say 3.0 and end up in a more traditional master's (even if aamcas lists it as a SMP) and receive a 4.0 in all upper level science classes (some of which are in the med. school department... biochem, neurophys, gene expression) it is less helpful then taking ugrad classes?

If you have a really bad GPA, in terms of helping you get into medical school, if you do well, I think the general consensus is SMP> Ugrad> Masters

In terms of risk if you don´t do well SMP > Ugrad > Masters

In terms of helping your starting salary if you end up not in medical school
Masters >>>>>>>>>>>>>> SMP or more Ugrad

To the OP, if you´re question isn´t answered yet, yet you will probably need to get your Ugrad GPA up to a 2.75, kill the MCAT, and then apply to and do well in an SMP. At least two years.

The DO idea is also a possibility, but that route is probably two years as well.

There´s a very slim chance you might be able to do this in one year if you can get an above average MCAT and are willing to go the Caribbean.

 

[DrMidlife]

With undergrad grades this low, I would advise doing something else for a couple of years, to build up some maturity, and to demarcate your old grades from a future set of good ones. For example, if you do a couple years in the Peace Corps or in Americorps, you become a lot more interesting in your applications for a 2nd bachelors and/or SMP.

More importantly, you can't just decide to get better grades and then everything changes. We see people on SDN, all the time, claiming they're "going to get a 4.0 from here on out" and that's just not going to happen. You have to do more than start to care about your grades, and you have to do more than clear your plate so that you can get good grades. You have to learn how to study as if you're 15 years old again.

So if you combine these two efforts (derailing from school for a couple years plus relearning how to study), you can build up a story that could lead you to medical school. Just be painfully self aware, and don't lie to yourself about what's really going to happen. Come on over to the nontrad forum to see how people suffer while digging themselves out of bad GPAs, such as mine that was set in stone by 1988.

 

[spazzz]

With undergrad grades this low, I would advise doing something else for a couple of years, to build up some maturity, and to demarcate your old grades from a future set of good ones. For example, if you do a couple years in the Peace Corps or in Americorps, you become a lot more interesting in your applications for a 2nd bachelors and/or SMP.

More importantly, you can't just decide to get better grades and then everything changes. We see people on SDN, all the time, claiming they're "going to get a 4.0 from here on out" and that's just not going to happen. You have to do more than start to care about your grades, and you have to do more than clear your plate so that you can get good grades. You have to learn how to study as if you're 15 years old again.

So if you combine these two efforts (derailing from school for a couple years plus relearning how to study), you can build up a story that could lead you to medical school. Just be painfully self aware, and don't lie to yourself about what's really going to happen. Come on over to the nontrad forum to see how people suffer while digging themselves out of bad GPAs, such as mine that was set in stone by 1988.

solid truthful advice right here.

 

[eppendork]

.

 

[mmdambro]

Well I have put more thought into becoming a D.O. and I think that is the route I may take. I am applying to UNCG for their Second Degree Post-bacc program and after that I will apply to both D.O. medical schools and SMPs. If I get into the DO program then great, if not then I will ocntinue and take the SMP route and apply once that is completed. I understand the deal with knowing how to study and I never did terrible at UNC-Ch but my science GPA is very low because I got C's in my science classes. But whenever I would take summer courses at other schools or even in my freshman year and NC state I got either As or high Bs in classes like Physics so I think I may have just struggled with how UNC-CH does their programs. My biggest problem was no one-on-one techer time because all of my classes were 150+. Any feedback on my plans or my logic?

 

[Postal]

Hmm.. I'm was in the same dilemma as you, mmdambro. Bad planning and immaturity has led to me to a 2.4 BCMP science gpa and a low MCAT and 2.9 GPA overall. So, I'm basically not competitive in any way either, but I know I'm capable because I did well in hard core science outside of my Ivy League University while working a 30 hour internship.I have also searched these forums like crazy and have gotten a lot of useful advice. I think DrMidlife's advice is the best and this is the route I was going to attempt. However, after a rejection from Drexal's MSP program, they invited me into the IHS program, which is a pre-professional program for students without competitive credentials. Its supposed to be a program to introduce students to other careers in health, but a strong performance in "hard science" course could lead to admission into their Post-bac programs(additionally I could reapply to other post-bacs). Just wanted to put that out there, since I couldn't find any thing on IHS on this website(which is understandable since its only in its second year).

Good luck

 

[markps]

I was in a similar position as a graduate from one of the Univ of California schoools. Overall GPA ~3.1 and BCPM was 2.5. I've taken four full-time semesters of upper division BCPM classes and there has been some great advice in this thread.

First of all, figure out what went wrong. Stop. Re-read the previous sentence. Again.

I jumped into an informal program without really honestly assessing my weaknesses and managed to get a couple less than stellar post-bacc grades. My second year was a complete reversal, with 3.8+ (lowest grade in the last two semesters = B+). My overal GPA is now a 3.3 and my BCPM is a 2.93. I'm waitlisted at an SMP and failing that, I'll be doing another year of UG courses to get my BCPM over 3.0.

Bottom line: it takes honest reflection, hardwork and patience, in that order. You can make it happen if you're ready to do it but you have to be honest with yourself about the changes required and the kind of effort you'll need to put in in order to be successful.

Good luck!

 

[ama75]

Hmm.. I'm was in the same dilemma as you, mmdambro. Bad planning and immaturity has led to me to a 2.4 BCMP science gpa and a low MCAT and 2.9 GPA overall. So, I'm basically not competitive in any way either, but I know I'm capable because I did well in hard core science outside of my Ivy League University while working a 30 hour internship.I have also searched these forums like crazy and have gotten a lot of useful advice. I think DrMidlife's advice is the best and this is the route I was going to attempt. However, after a rejection from Drexal's MSP program, they invited me into the IHS program, which is a pre-professional program for students without competitive credentials. Its supposed to be a program to introduce students to other careers in health, but a strong performance in "hard science" course could lead to admission into their Post-bac programs(additionally I could reapply to other post-bacs). Just wanted to put that out there, since I couldn't find any thing on IHS on this website(which is understandable since its only in its second year).

Good luck

I would strongly advise you NOT to enroll in Drexel's IHS program. I was part of their first IHS class and it was a complete mess. In the year that I was there, I only took 3 "hard science" courses--the rest was all bullsh-t: forensic science courses, volunteer seminars, basically filler to get you up to the 12 credit minimum. To make matters worse, I got a 4.0 in the program and I STILL got rejected from the IMS program. Fortunately, I got into 3 other SMPs (no thanks to Drexel). Honestly, the only good thing about the program is the heath sciences career seminar, which introduces you to many different health-related fields. So if you're open to alternatives to an MD career, the seminar may help steer you in the right direction. Other than that, the program is a waste of time and money. I assure you, you'd be much better off spending a year studying for the MCAT than doing the IHS program.

 

[mmdambro]

So I thought it would be good to update on what I decided to do and where I stand now. I graduated from UNC CHapel Hill with a BS in Biology and a GPA of 2.6...ouch.. Yea that one hurt and I have had more than one person tell me to consider other options. I certainly did consider other options but was lead back here as you can see.

After I graduated in spring 08 I enrolled in the UNCG Post-Bacc program for Fall 08. To put it into perspective, I am from NJ and moved from Chapel Hill to Greensboro because I knew absolutely no one here. I wanted complete concentration on my work.

Well I just finished my first semester and am in my second. I ended up with a 3.45 the first semester with the following grades.

Organic Chemistry (retake): B+
Psychopharmacology: A-
Intermediate Nutrition: A
Nutrition Through the Life Cycle: B

Not exactly stellar but I was up studying for my Organic final and psychopharm final which were on the same day and actually nearly fell asleep during my organic final and didn't finish it. Needless to say that dropped my final grade from a A- to a B+ which really hammered my GPA being a 4 credit class.

Now I am in Organic 2 and am getting an A+ after the first two tests (I now have more of a point to prove).

I pretty much plan on finishing this semester with at very least a 3.5 and all my courses are either chemistry or biology (Organic 2, Metabolic Regulation of Disease, Biochemistry, and another chemistry course) and yes all are upper level classes. With that GPA and assuming I get at least a A in organic, I feel confident enough to start applying to medical schools in early summer to hopefully gain admission for Fall 2010. Many of the classes I have taken expect a thorough understanding of cell biology and chemistry topics that are often found on the MCAT so I have been doing a lot of review. I will also be taking the Kaplan MCAT course in May in NJ and taking the MCAT for the first time in July. I am open to DO and MD schools with a preference toward DO. I have also been working about 30 hours a week in a restaurant and with the CAP program here providing assistance to mentally handicapped children. As I said I am from NJ and will be returning there this summer. I hope to get into a school and will stay and work in NJ because I can live with my sister for free and not have to pay rent. I am a certified phlebotomist and have experience working in both "wet" and "dry" labs so I am looking primarily in hospitals for jobs.

That is where I am now. I got tired of reading so many posts about students not knowing what to do, then getting some suggestions and not hearing from them again. So here I am at about the half way point to hopefully getting into medical school. I am extremely open to what suggestions anyone may have. And if anyone knows of any jobs I may want to concentrate on, what schools I should concentrate on and so on. Please do not hold back if you think I should improve somewhere or if you have a question for me...

 

[drizzt3117]

So I thought it would be good to update on what I decided to do and where I stand now. I graduated from UNC CHapel Hill with a BS in Biology and a GPA of 2.6...ouch.. Yea that one hurt and I have had more than one person tell me to consider other options. I certainly did consider other options but was lead back here as you can see.

After I graduated in spring 08 I enrolled in the UNCG Post-Bacc program for Fall 08. To put it into perspective, I am from NJ and moved from Chapel Hill to Greensboro because I knew absolutely no one here. I wanted complete concentration on my work.

Well I just finished my first semester and am in my second. I ended up with a 3.45 the first semester with the following grades.

Organic Chemistry (retake): B+
Psychopharmacology: A-
Intermediate Nutrition: A
Nutrition Through the Life Cycle: B

Not exactly stellar but I was up studying for my Organic final and psychopharm final which were on the same day and actually nearly fell asleep during my organic final and didn't finish it. Needless to say that dropped my final grade from a A- to a B+ which really hammered my GPA being a 4 credit class.

Now I am in Organic 2 and am getting an A+ after the first two tests (I now have more of a point to prove).

I pretty much plan on finishing this semester with at very least a 3.5 and all my courses are either chemistry or biology (Organic 2, Metabolic Regulation of Disease, Biochemistry, and another chemistry course) and yes all are upper level classes. With that GPA and assuming I get at least a A in organic, I feel confident enough to start applying to medical schools in early summer to hopefully gain admission for Fall 2010. Many of the classes I have taken expect a thorough understanding of cell biology and chemistry topics that are often found on the MCAT so I have been doing a lot of review. I will also be taking the Kaplan MCAT course in May in NJ and taking the MCAT for the first time in July. I am open to DO and MD schools with a preference toward DO. I have also been working about 30 hours a week in a restaurant and with the CAP program here providing assistance to mentally handicapped children. As I said I am from NJ and will be returning there this summer. I hope to get into a school and will stay and work in NJ because I can live with my sister for free and not have to pay rent. I am a certified phlebotomist and have experience working in both "wet" and "dry" labs so I am looking primarily in hospitals for jobs.

That is where I am now. I got tired of reading so many posts about students not knowing what to do, then getting some suggestions and not hearing from them again. So here I am at about the half way point to hopefully getting into medical school. I am extremely open to what suggestions anyone may have. And if anyone knows of any jobs I may want to concentrate on, what schools I should concentrate on and so on. Please do not hold back if you think I should improve somewhere or if you have a question for me...

I think you are on the right track. That said, one more semester with a 3.5 GPA is probably not going to get it done. Even with all retakes, I doubt you'll get your AACOMAS GPA above 3.0, and unless you go into a SMP and really rock it and get a great MCAT, I'm not sure that's a competitive application for DO schools. At the end of the day, the mean GPAs at most DO programs are still well above 3.0.

 

[mmdambro]

well I am primarily hoping the rest of my application will help with the act that my GPA will be less than stellar. And the fact that my GPA my freshman year was a 3.5, then I transferred to UNC and it dropped very low. Slowly rose at UNC until my last semester where it was a 3.5. Then these past two semesters at UNCG with a 3.5. Plus the obvious volunteer work, work in labs, multiple jobs throughout college, and some leadership putting together the Memory Walk for Alzheimers here in Greensboro. That was just a few of the things I have done but those are the most substantial. Do you still think that, or do those hold enough weight, assuming I do well on the MCAT?

 

[drizzt3117]

well I am primarily hoping the rest of my application will help with the act that my GPA will be less than stellar. And the fact that my GPA my freshman year was a 3.5, then I transferred to UNC and it dropped very low. Slowly rose at UNC until my last semester where it was a 3.5. Then these past two semesters at UNCG with a 3.5. Plus the obvious volunteer work, work in labs, multiple jobs throughout college, and some leadership putting together the Memory Walk for Alzheimers here in Greensboro. That was just a few of the things I have done but those are the most substantial. Do you still think that, or do those hold enough weight, assuming I do well on the MCAT?

A lot of programs will screen around 3.0. Many premeds do a lot of activities and are able to maintain the average GPAs necessary for DO or MD matriculation. Sure your extracurriculars will help but keep in mind that 3.5 is pretty much the average GPA for DO matriculants, so if your best semesters are 3.5 and you didn't get near that in the rest of your semesters, you don't look like a competitive candidate. If you had a good MCAT and a SMP with a GPA around 2.8, some DO programs might take a look but I think raising your GPA at least close to 3.0 would help you a lot.

 

[yadave]

i understand your situation because i have been in the same boat. however, a while ago i posted a very similar question on this forum and got very good advice in return whcih was similar to what you have recieved. I have been following it and my GPA is coming up after having two quarters of a 4.0 gpa. you can do it. just take the ppl's advice on here seriously because they know what they're talking about. Study hard and prove to the admission ppl that you may have messed up before but you are more mature now and you do have the potential to ace your classes. then, when you're READY take your MCAT. I think you'll be ok to be honest. You just have to want this bad enough and you will get it. Best of luck to you

 

[DrMidlife]

and my GPA is coming up after having two quarters of a 4.0 gpa

Attagirl. Hold on tight to that 4.0!!!!!! You will LOVE being asked about what changed and made you an academic dynamo when you get to med school interviews.

 

[schroon]

In the opinions of the posters on this site do post bac admissions officers take into consideration (i) the undergrad school, and (ii) the difficulty of the major and advanced coursework which an applicant has completed?

Stated another way-- do the post bac admissions officers read applications or do they merely decide based upon GPAs and MCATS or GREs?

Thanks.

 

[drizzt3117]

In the opinions of the posters on this site do post bac admissions officers take into consideration (i) the undergrad school, and (ii) the difficulty of the major and advanced coursework which an applicant has completed?

Stated another way-- do the post bac admissions officers read applications or do they merely decide based upon GPAs and MCATS or GREs?

Thanks.

Yes, they take into account the difficulty, but usually not enough to compensate for the lower grades you'll get as a result of that level of difficulty.

 

[yadave]

Attagirl. Hold on tight to that 4.0!!!!!! You will LOVE being asked about what changed and made you an academic dynamo when you get to med school interviews.

haha thanks drmidlife for all the awesome advice uve given me..seriously. But yea, im looking to keep that 4.0 going for a couple more quarters and then start applying for SMPs.

 

[ehsu]

Just gonna attach my question on to here since I'm in the same boat. Do you think full time or part time student makes a difference? I was told doing school full time will make it look a lot better than part time but I'm currently holding a full time job and also I'm volunteering 8 hours a week. I'm thinking about going back to enrolling in classes at the UCLA post-bacc but the major turnoff is that the classes are all at night so you can't ever take more than 2 in a quarter. I had friends who told me just to get my work and volunteering hours all cornered and then go back to school full time at a later time

 

[mommy2three]

to the OP, if you are open to moving the cutoff here for mwu's grad program is a 2.75 cum gpa. if you can get to that and apply early you may stand a shot at getting in.

keep up the good work

 

[Audman]

Your best shot is to enroll in an informal post-baccalaureate or a second degree program and just take and re-take everything (C or below) you can for a couple years. Your main goal is to get to above a 3.0. You didn't get to a 2.5 overnight, and you aren't going to get out of it overnight.

wait... he could do this after graduation? upon graduation, isn't non-sci gpa is locked in?

I do not have a sci gpa... thats where the next two years of my life will determine. but my non sci gpa is decent. but could use improvements. i've already graduated, you're saying i can improve my non sci gpa? could it be from a different institution?

 

[DrMidlife]

Just gonna attach my question on to here since I'm in the same boat. Do you think full time or part time student makes a difference? I was told doing school full time will make it look a lot better than part time but I'm currently holding a full time job and also I'm volunteering 8 hours a week. I'm thinking about going back to enrolling in classes at the UCLA post-bacc but the major turnoff is that the classes are all at night so you can't ever take more than 2 in a quarter. I had friends who told me just to get my work and volunteering hours all cornered and then go back to school full time at a later time

In my opinion, as long as there's some long period of time where you demonstrate(d) that you can handle a full load of hard classes, you're good. Managing all these competing efforts with a part time load shows different good stuff.

Best of luck to you.

 

[DrMidlife]

wait... he could do this after graduation? upon graduation, isn't non-sci gpa is locked in?

I do not have a sci gpa... thats where the next two years of my life will determine. but my non sci gpa is decent. but could use improvements. i've already graduated, you're saying i can improve my non sci gpa? could it be from a different institution?

3.1 isn't decent: it's well below competitive range for DO, much less MD. It can probably get you into an SMP. The good news is that you could have a 4.0 sci GPA now: by god go get it.

You can take more undergrad at any accredited school; I recommend against community college. All your undergrad efforts are averaged together. Anecdotally, my undergrad GPA is from 5 colleges, going back to 1984.

Best of luck to you.

 

[mmdambro]

Ok when I filled out my AACOMAS app I ended up with a 3.09 science and a 2.9 non. I am taking the MCAT on Jan 30th of 2010 and still applying for the fall 2010 application period. I am getting mostly composite scores of about 30-32 for the MCAT so hopefully that remains steady. I know my chances are slim to even get an interview applying so late but it seems like my credentials may be sufficient if I apply extremely early again in 2011.

I am curious if anyone knows any graduate programs that are worth getting involved in considering I am still planning on going to a DO school. I am primarily looking for one that offers a tuition waiver for research or something. I know of plenty of biology research programs and things like that but are there any good programs that would be beneficial to my application as well as pay for my tuition while I am there? I am hoping limit my loans and find something that would basically pay me to go to school there but also be a great addition to my application

I have been tirelessly looking but finding information like that is not easy.

 

[mmdambro]

bump...

 

[shedara2008]

even if ur gpa is low...what exactly is it that you want to do??? so u can start trying to go in that direction??? Are there any particular graduate programs that u are interested in? If so find out what you need to get in and work towards it. If you are interested in going to professional school, there are postbac programs for all disciplines..ie.. dental postbac, medical... etc..

 

[shedara2008]

go for what interests you first.

 

[mmdambro]

I went to a post-bacc program and got my science gpa up to a 3.0 and my cumuluative up to a 3.1. I did that during the fall 08 and spring 09 semesters. Now I am applying to DO schools but I want to apply to graduate schools to keep me on the right track because if I don't get in this year I am going to just reapply for 2011

 

[mmdambro]

any thoughts?

 

[mmdambro]

Ok when I filled out my AACOMAS app I ended up with a 3.09 science and a 2.9 non. I am taking the MCAT on Jan 30th of 2010 and still applying for the fall 2010 application period. I am getting mostly composite scores of about 30-32 for the MCAT so hopefully that remains steady. I know my chances are slim to even get an interview applying so late but it seems like my credentials may be sufficient if I apply extremely early again in 2011.

I am curious if anyone knows any graduate programs that are worth getting involved in considering I am still planning on going to a DO school. I am primarily looking for one that offers a tuition waiver for research or something. I know of plenty of biology research programs and things like that but are there any good programs that would be beneficial to my application as well as pay for my tuition while I am there? I am hoping limit my loans and find something that would basically pay me to go to school there but also be a great addition to my application

I have been tirelessly looking but finding information like that is not easy.

Anyone with suggestions? Will I be competitive with a program like this?

 

[mommy2three]

Anyone with suggestions? Will I be competitive with a program like this?

i know both azcom and ccom have respective masters programs. azcom has both a 1 and 2 yr track, ccom has a 2 yr track. no tuition waivers but both have significantly high acceptance rates of people in the programs into the respective med schools.


hth

 

[jasminealove]

So I thought it would be good to update on what I decided to do and where I stand now. I graduated from UNC CHapel Hill with a BS in Biology and a GPA of 2.6...ouch.. Yea that one hurt and I have had more than one person tell me to consider other options. I certainly did consider other options but was lead back here as you can see.

After I graduated in spring 08 I enrolled in the UNCG Post-Bacc program for Fall 08. To put it into perspective, I am from NJ and moved from Chapel Hill to Greensboro because I knew absolutely no one here. I wanted complete concentration on my work.

Well I just finished my first semester and am in my second. I ended up with a 3.45 the first semester with the following grades.

Organic Chemistry (retake): B+
Psychopharmacology: A-
Intermediate Nutrition: A
Nutrition Through the Life Cycle: B

Not exactly stellar but I was up studying for my Organic final and psychopharm final which were on the same day and actually nearly fell asleep during my organic final and didn't finish it. Needless to say that dropped my final grade from a A- to a B+ which really hammered my GPA being a 4 credit class.

Now I am in Organic 2 and am getting an A+ after the first two tests (I now have more of a point to prove).

I pretty much plan on finishing this semester with at very least a 3.5 and all my courses are either chemistry or biology (Organic 2, Metabolic Regulation of Disease, Biochemistry, and another chemistry course) and yes all are upper level classes. With that GPA and assuming I get at least a A in organic, I feel confident enough to start applying to medical schools in early summer to hopefully gain admission for Fall 2010. Many of the classes I have taken expect a thorough understanding of cell biology and chemistry topics that are often found on the MCAT so I have been doing a lot of review. I will also be taking the Kaplan MCAT course in May in NJ and taking the MCAT for the first time in July. I am open to DO and MD schools with a preference toward DO. I have also been working about 30 hours a week in a restaurant and with the CAP program here providing assistance to mentally handicapped children. As I said I am from NJ and will be returning there this summer. I hope to get into a school and will stay and work in NJ because I can live with my sister for free and not have to pay rent. I am a certified phlebotomist and have experience working in both "wet" and "dry" labs so I am looking primarily in hospitals for jobs.

That is where I am now. I got tired of reading so many posts about students not knowing what to do, then getting some suggestions and not hearing from them again. So here I am at about the half way point to hopefully getting into medical school. I am extremely open to what suggestions anyone may have. And if anyone knows of any jobs I may want to concentrate on, what schools I should concentrate on and so on. Please do not hold back if you think I should improve somewhere or if you have a question for me...

I must say I am proud of your progress. Thanks for the update It is very refreshing/encouraging to see someone update on their progress & doing well. I feel your struggle. I am a May 2009 graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill.....I too struggled in the sciences there (my thought is because of the 150+ classes), um...that & I realize I should have had different study habits. Accordings to AACOMS my science GPA is only a 1.56 & my overall is 2.62. I know, I know not great. You say at CH you had science grades of C's....I have some lower than C's.....but I am determined. I actually make the decision today to continue in my persuit of medicine. I kept trying to think of other things to do with my life but I can't shake being a doctor....so I ordered my MCAT books after struggling with the decision to to so for months. I know I have a long way to go but I am ready for the journey. So.....thanks for the inspiration!!!! It truly means so much.

 

[yadave]

I must say I am proud of your progress. Thanks for the update It is very refreshing/encouraging to see someone update on their progress & doing well. I feel your struggle. I am a May 2009 graduate from UNC-Chapel Hill.....I too struggled in the sciences there (my thought is because of the 150+ classes), um...that & I realize I should have had different study habits. Accordings to AACOMS my science GPA is only a 1.56 & my overall is 2.62. I know, I know not great. You say at CH you had science grades of C's....I have some lower than C's.....but I am determined. I actually make the decision today to continue in my persuit of medicine. I kept trying to think of other things to do with my life but I can't shake being a doctor....so I ordered my MCAT books after struggling with the decision to to so for months. I know I have a long way to go but I am ready for the journey. So.....thanks for the inspiration!!!! It truly means so much.

Keep going. you'll get somewhere eventually. I have been taking classes for a year and have maintained a 4.0 gpa in those classes. I started from a 2.1 gpa overall and in science and its slowly but surely getting to the 3.0 mark. As soon as it hits that range, I am gonna be applying for SMPs. I know that my past is really ugly in terms of my grades but I am hoping that with the 4.0 trend the admission committees can see how far Ihave come as not only a student but a person. I have been taking practice MCATs and am scoring in the 35-37 range as well and my first MCAT I ever took I got a 16. soo...there is definitely hope. like I said earlier on this same thread, you just have to want it bad enough. good luck to everyone.

 

[mmdambro]

I'm really glad to see this is at least helping some people. I decided to update everyone on my progress to date:


So far:
Graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill with low science gpa and cum.
Went into post-bacc program at UNC-Greensboro and did very well for that year but it only put me at around a 3.0 cum and science. I did finish my last semester at UNCG with a 3.9 though.
Moved back to NJ...

Since I moved back top NJ I took the Kaplan MCAT course and after that I decided I was going to give up on Med school and go to Law school. Ended all the MCAT work and took the LSAT and applied to Law school...AND GOT IN! HAHA. I made this decision because I took a job with as a surgical consultant with a tissue donation company and work with surgeons on allograft choices in sports medicine. Well I spoke to MANY surgeons who heavily discouraged my aspirations for medical school and I learned what the field of medicine is really like. It's not all that pretty...according to these guys.


Well about 8 months after I stopped the MCAT studying and in the midst of applying to Law schools and working full time I decided to take the MCAT. I took it because I needed to at least know how I would have done. Mind you, I gave up completely on sciences and hadn't read anything science related in about 8 months. I took it and got a 23Q. Not admission worthy but hey, I was happy considering I was pretty sure I forgot most of what I studied.

I am now over a year past taking the mcat and have decided no matter which way I look at it, I want to be a doctor. I tried to fight it, I really did, and even had a letter sealed to law school with my down payment. Last minute (and I mean last minute) I threw an application out to UMDNJ-GSBS and will be entering the masters program in the fall of 2011.

My goal is to continue to work full time while in the masters program and improve my contacts as I live in New Brunswick and consult directly with many ortho surgeons associated with RWJ through my job.

Right now I am 25 and I am hoping that worst case scenario, I will be graduating medical school at 31.

 

[rgerber85]

With undergrad grades this low, I would advise doing something else for a couple of years, to build up some maturity, and to demarcate your old grades from a future set of good ones. For example, if you do a couple years in the Peace Corps or in Americorps, you become a lot more interesting in your applications for a 2nd bachelors and/or SMP.

More importantly, you can't just decide to get better grades and then everything changes. We see people on SDN, all the time, claiming they're "going to get a 4.0 from here on out" and that's just not going to happen. You have to do more than start to care about your grades, and you have to do more than clear your plate so that you can get good grades. You have to learn how to study as if you're 15 years old again.

So if you combine these two efforts (derailing from school for a couple years plus relearning how to study), you can build up a story that could lead you to medical school. Just be painfully self aware, and don't lie to yourself about what's really going to happen. Come on over to the nontrad forum to see how people suffer while digging themselves out of bad GPAs, such as mine that was set in stone by 1988.

Solid words of advice.

 

[mmdambro]

I happened to be lucky, but that post is exactly where I got my motivation to really teach myself how to study. I became super organized and just studied like crazy. I also met with the teachers and developed a more personal experience to the class which really engaged me more in the material. UNCG I found to be easy because even though I took the toughest classes they had to offer for the most part, they were VERY interestimng. Psychopharmacology was an amazing course even though the teacher is VERY tough and a little nutty.

 

[mmdambro]

I thought I might add something I found out today.

At orientation for UMDNJ GSBS we were told that the SOM at UMDNJ will look at your graduate GPA from their GSBS and basically replace your undergraduate GPA with it. So, its kind of like starting over....sort of.

 

[The_Sunny_Doc]

Keep going. you'll get somewhere eventually. I have been taking classes for a year and have maintained a 4.0 gpa in those classes. I started from a 2.1 gpa overall and in science and its slowly but surely getting to the 3.0 mark. As soon as it hits that range, I am gonna be applying for SMPs. I know that my past is really ugly in terms of my grades but I am hoping that with the 4.0 trend the admission committees can see how far Ihave come as not only a student but a person. I have been taking practice MCATs and am scoring in the 35-37 range as well and my first MCAT I ever took I got a 16. soo...there is definitely hope. like I said earlier on this same thread, you just have to want it bad enough. good luck to everyone.

Please keep us updated! I am digging myself out of a GPA hole as well, and am just starting. These threads are inspiring.

 

[danchoi03]

Similar to post above. Please keep us posted on your progress. It will be interesting to see what you have accomplished after all these years.

 

[natatat]

similar situation.. i'm from NJ, graduated from TCNJ last year w undergrad degree in bio.. now at UNCG one week into my 'post-bacc/2nd degree' in chem. i'm interested to hear from you all in the coming months. tho i am pre-dental, i'm probably sharing similar thoughts as the other above posters right about now -- i reeally hope i can make this all worth it.

 

[RX2020]

(CLAIMED THAT I WILL NOT GET ANYTHING BELOW 4.0) - NOT A REALISTIC STATEMENT. YOU CAN BE AN EXCELLENT STUDENT BUT NOT ALWAYS GET EXCELLENT PROFESSORS. MY SPEECH PROFESSOR TOLD ME IT IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD TO THINK PERFECT - WHAT DO I SAY TO THAT ANYWAYS - IT IS DOABLE

FALL 2010 - SECOND DEGREE - GPA OBTAINED - 3.883
Speech - B+
Biology I - A
Anatomy & Physiology I - A
Calculus A - A
Microeconomics - A

Spring 2011 - Second Degree - GPA Obtained - 3.9
Biology II - A-
Anatomy & Physiology II - A
Chemistry - A

Summer 2011 - Second Degree - GPA Obtained - 3.30
Microbiology I - B+
Chemistry II - B+

Fall 2011 - Second Degree - GPA Obtained - IP (in progress)
Organic Chemistry I - IP
Physics I - IP
Biochemistry - IP

My undergraduate GPA was horrible with sciences. I had no option but to improve. Am I promised admission? NO
Did I try? Yes, Very hard and am satisfied

I am holding a corporate job WHICH IS LOOKED AT AS AN ADVANTAGE - GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT IS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL

I am not eligible for any kind of Financial assistance and cannot/wouldnt recommend taking classes at a community college to save up few extra hundred dollars if you went to a 4 year school already - they claim to accept credits but not looked upon favorably due to CC schools stigma.
All in all, every year it varies but i would recommend do what you can and live satisfied rather than regret