Low GPA High GRE?

[SaltySailor]

Hello all,

Long story short: I'm 29 and currently serving in the US Navy as an officer. I'm getting out next year and would like to attend an allopathic medical school, (not interested in becoming a doctor in the Navy). The problem I suffer from is my low undergraduate GPA, which is a 2.9 from a top 20 school. I majored in English and possess no science background... I have two excellent letters of recommendation from my job.

I've researched the requirements of several post-bacc programs around the nation at http://postbacc-ranking.com/rankings and noticed that some require the GRE and some don't. Would taking the GRE and scoring well help offset my low GPA so that I could be possibly considered for admission? Are there any programs that have a lower GPA requirement?

Finally, has anyone heard of ANYONE getting into one of the listed post-bacc programs with a GPA below 3.0? I'm assuming one would have to engage in some type of dialogue with the admissions program at that school... I'm not sure how this could be done...

If I'm unable to get into a post-bacc program, than how else could I enhance my academic record?

Thanks for the advice!

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[Doctor.Mario]

I've researched the requirements of several post-bacc programs around the nation at http://postbacc-ranking.com/rankings and noticed that some require the GRE and some don't. Would taking the GRE and scoring well help offset my low GPA so that I could be possibly considered for admission? Are there any programs that have a lower GPA requirement?

It couldn't hurt. It's more of a question of whether or not the program has a hard cutoff, whether it's 3.0, 3.4, etc. Give the programs that you're interested in a call and ask them.

Finally, has anyone heard of ANYONE getting into one of the listed post-bacc programs with a GPA below 3.0?

Check through the "Low GPA Thread" in this forum, particularly the last few pages. Also try the "rate your post-bac" thread. I'm admittedly not as familiar with the post-bacs as I am with SMPs, but I would be careful to apply only to programs that have firm linkages in your situation. You definitely don't want to spend >$30k on a program that might not be any better than designing your own post-bac at a state school for less than half the cost.

If I'm unable to get into a post-bacc program, than how else could I enhance my academic record?

Depends on your home state. For example, if you're in California, then you're looking at doing your pre-reqs over a couple years followed up by an SMP (extra ~$50k) which will hopefully get you into a private school somewhere. If you're in a state like mine where the matriculant GPA is closer to 3.5 than 4.0 (2 years ago, anyway), then you may be able to get into one of your state schools if you go through your pre-reqs with a 4.0 for two years + whatever time you'll need for MCAT prep. Either way, I think you're looking at about 2-3 years, depending on when you're comfortable taking a shot at the MCAT.

On the plus side, adcoms love applicants with prior military service, especially if they're closely affiliated with a VA. That'll work to your advantage when applying to post-bacs and med schools.