Low GPA Plans for Success (Posts by Premeds Not Yet Accepted to Med School)

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1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
I am 27 years old with a current GPA of 2.93 (cum) and 3.67 (current term). I have 17 credits (two sems) and will be taking 14 credits in the upcoming semester. I have been severely worried about my current GPA, not because it is low, but because the low grades are on my record. My first semester back, I received two F's in 1 credit classes because I did not take the finals and a C in a 3 credit because I slacked off. This was my first time back in school after a nine year hiatus. I walked out of college when I was 18 and received F's in all of my classes. I was lucky that my university has an amnesty policy and those grades do not count for my GPA. However, all grades are still posted on my transcripts. Some days I feel unmotivated because of my poor performance and the thought that even if I graduate with a 3.5 or higher, my past academic records will cause pause.​
2. Your financial and work situation.
I haven't worked in two years. I was laid-off from my last job and have been unable to find anything new. I have applied at my university and even for lowly minimum wage jobs. I say lowly because I was making $15 per hour before the job market went downhill with over ten years of experience in my field as a bookkeeper and executive administrative assistant. Right now I am on the last few months of unemployment compensation and living off student loans (max value...ouch) an grants. I am still waiting to qualify for federal work credit, though why I don't doesn't make sense.​
3. Your family and significant other situation.
I am currently living with my boyfriend of 18 months and his family. He has been wonderful in his support of me going back to school. His son is also going back to school for film studies. That may seen weird to some of you, so I will point out that my bf is in his late fifties and his son is two years older than me. Prior to him I was married, the divorce just becoming final June 27, 2011. I met my husband at 21 and he proposed. I wanted a family more than anything and accepted. I was also pregnant at the time. We lived happily until I gave birth and then he left me holding the bag so he could work 24/7 to provide for us. I raised my son for three years as a single mom, with some financial support from him. When I lost my job, I agreed to let him live with my husband. It was the hardest decision I ever made, but the best one I could have. We never fought over our son. I agreed to give him custody. This is beneficial because I now have the freedom to attend school and focus on my future. He is a wonderful father and has since remarried. While they live in a different state, I still drive up to see my son as often as I can and speak to him on the phone. It is heartbreaking, but I know that he is in a wonderful home with two parents who go to the ends of the earth to give him what he needs. While I am going to school to further my career and to fulfill a dream, I am also doing this for my son. I want to be able to provide him with financial security. He is a very intelligent five-year old with the maturity of someone twice his age. He understands why mommy is not around and actually brags to all his friends that he was two mommys and a daddy who love him.​
4. Your plan or your path to success.
My plan to success is to buckle down and focus on school. I transitioned poorly and am now trying to make up for it. Thankfully I have lots of time to fix past mistakes. I know that I need to start early in a lot of things and not wait til the last moment. I just applied to work as a volunteer at a local hospital. I love volunteering and accumulated over 1,000 hours in the same-day post surgery unit at a local hospital while in high school. Each semester I ask at least one teacher to write a letter of recommendation/reference. I am currently looking for internship/research programs and planning testing out the greek system at my school (which may or may not be a smart choice).
I know exactly what classes I need to graduate and have a plan in place for taking them. I am also minoring in Spanish, due to the region I currently live in and expect to work in. I have been told that it is too early to start studying for the MCAT's by some and told that it is never too early by others. I plan on taking a proactive approach. For each class I take, I plan on acquiring MCAT books on that subject and using them in conjunction with my regular studying. The plan is to apply what I am currently learning to what I will need to know in order to receive the appropriate score on my MCATs. I believe that you can never over-prepare, unless you exhaust yourself to quitting.​

I joined this forum in the hopes of getting tips and reading the stories of others.

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1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
40 yo.
BS: 2.64 cGPA; 2.34 BMCP (total 122 semester credits)
MS: 3.68 cGPA; 3.36 BMCP (total 35 semester credits)
MA: 4.00 cGPA; 4.00 BMCP (total 63 semester credits)
PostBacc: 4.00 cGPA; 4.00 BMCP (total 21 semester credits)
No MCAT yet. Plan to take 1 more year of post-bacc full-time science.

2. Your financial and work situation.
Not making lots, but secure enough, no debt currently. Lucky to have flexible job, allows me to work half-time while I'm going back to school for the post-bacc full-time. And volunteering, etc.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
No spouse or children; helping to care for elderly parents from a distance is an ongoing difficult situation that sometimes calls for emergency trips out of town. Have a sibling who can help, but the sibling has young children including a special needs child, so sometimes I am actually more flexible/able to help, even though I live farther away.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
Due to dismal ugGPA, decided to do an informal post-bacc (e.g., courses a la carte at local 4-yr state college). Already have too many credits to pull up the GPA much, but will be possible to just lift it above 3.00 if I continue to go full-time and get nothing but As. The combined UG (original BS and post-bacc) is currently about 2.93 cGPA; 2.86 BMCP - while most will laugh at that, it's going in the right direction.

The plan:
- One more year of re-taking pre-med pre-reqs (plus 1-2 upper class science classes), getting solid As.
- Find meaningful experience (volunteering/internship) to help boost my knowledge and application credentials. I already have 70 hrs OR observation, 20 hrs shadowing, 400+ hrs clinical research volunteering.
- Study for MCAT and get a great score to help balance out the dismal ugGPA.

I realize my GPA is a glaring weak point, but I'm not letting that stop me. Hopefully 2 yrs full-time doing/redoing UG science courses, getting all As, will mean something to some AdComs.
 
Good luck to you, karis..... I'm rooting for you. I'm in a very similar situation but still working on the BA/BS, hoping as well that a few years of As will make the difference. No laughing here!
 
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1. Age, GPA, and MCAT.
23 yo
Undergrad GPA: 2.53 (195 quarter units)
Post-Bac GPA (so far): 3.5 (6 semester units)
No MCAT yet.

2. Your financial and work situation.
This, so far, has been the greatest difficulty i've ever faced. I left my undergrad making A's in some pretty difficult upper div science courses, and so far my post-bac gpa is decent. I would say that im largely unconcerned with the difficulty posed by coursework. Actually attaining the financial ability to take classes, however, is a different story entirely. For some unknown reason, I just can't seem to get a job.

I volunteered for about 3 months during undergard in a UCSF virology lab. Upon graduation, I was awarded a temporary position in this same laboratory. However, upon leaving this position (funding became limited), I've just been SOL in my job search. I'm presently on my 9th month of unemployment. I've had around 6 interviews out of 8 phone call backs, but haven't been lucky enough to actually get anything. To break the cycle, I've decided to use what little savings I have left to take some more classes this upcoming fall semester. Aside from this though, I have no idea how to get a job.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
I Don't have a family of my own. I'm presently living with my parents.

4. Your plant or your path to success.
I would say that the one area of my application that needs improvement is my GPA. I plan to continue taking upper division science courses to boost my GPA to around a 2.8-3.2. I will do this primarily through informal post-bac classes. Once this is done, I'll take my MCAT. Depending upon how I score, I'll either try to gain access into an SMP, or i'll apply to DO schools. In the meantime, I'll try to fit in hospital volunteering (which I have around 400 hours of), physician shadowing, and research volunteering/working. All in all, I estimate that I will be spending the next 4-5 years rebuilding my application.
 
I should probably fill this out as well..

1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
Age: 27
ugGPA: 2.6 in Computer Engineering (EECS). Graduated 2009.
MCAT: Haven't taken yet. Studying early, though ;)

2. Your financial and work situation.
Minimal student loans (<$20k) and a very expensive car aside, I have no real debt. I am selling my car soon and getting something more reasonable to start really saving as much money as I can. I make a decent wage working as a NASA contractor, and intend to stay here as long as I can. I've also invited a good friend to live with me to cut my rent & utilities in half.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
I recently split with a long term girlfriend (I had the ring picked out and a proposal date set) after discovering her affections were wandering behind my back. A fairly painful experience.

I have no children, and am willing to put off having a family for medical school.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
My current plan is to enroll in a biology and chemistry class for Spring 2012, and really dedicate myself. My poor undergrad GPA is primarily due to a lackadaisical attitude towards school in my younger years, and due to a decently long battle with depression (related to a long term girlfriend, no less). I have since grown up. My last semesters of undergrad are good evidence to this fact, and I plan to demonstrate this with my post-bacc as well.

My current plan is doing a post-bacc à la carte and to really rock the MCAT. I have traditionally done very well on exams, and I am confident about my ability to prepare. I was told by at least one SDN poster to not take the MCAT for granted because I am an engineer -- advice I will heed. I have no doubt this entire process tends to be very humbling.

My plan is to take the MCAT and apply in 2013, but this is a tentative date. If it takes me 2 years of post-bacc and an SMP to get accepted, so be it. I'm currently working in what I would have described as my "dream job", but the allure of medicine is simply too great. I can't see myself doing anything else.

Feedback/criticism always welcome. I'm learning to love this place :laugh:. Also, vc7777 is a huge inspiration to me.

Thanks for reading my story!
 
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Bluesun, I like you for your screen name alone.

Can't stop the serenity!
 
Bluesun, I like you for your screen name alone.

Can't stop the serenity!

You can't take the skies from me!

It actually has a double meaning -- it's also from a song ("blue is our new second sun").

I like that you know that obscure of a reference, though! I'm nerdy enough to own a Bluesun t-shirt as well...seriously.
 
Good luck to you, karis..... I'm rooting for you. I'm in a very similar situation but still working on the BA/BS, hoping as well that a few years of As will make the difference. No laughing here!

Thanks. With the number of credits I have, it just isn't possible to raise the ugGPA to a competitive level (or even close). But, some med schools will consider the "upward trend" and include some consideration of the post-graduate work also.

Best of luck to you!
 
Can all of you who completed a post Bacc program state which program you completed and whether or not the results got you accepted to a MD/DO school? Thanks!!!
 
Can all of you who completed a post Bacc program state which program you completed and whether or not the results got you accepted to a MD/DO school? Thanks!!!

This thread's for folks who haven't been admitted yet. You might have better luck posting in one of the success stories threads.
 
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1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
35, c3.19 undergrad plus an M.S. in developmental bio, 25O(probably should retake)
2. Your financial and work situation.
I currently manage a team of 20 employees at an energy company. My wife also has an excellent career so I'm limited to local schools. Luckily there are quite a few in the Houston area.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
Married (4 years) with a 2 year old daughter and a 14 year old step daughter. Wife has an excellent career but will still need FA to get through medical school.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
I'm currently volunteering in EMS. Something I did in HS in NY but finally got back into a year ago. I'm also following a physician now as well as another follow after that in a different specialty. I work 50 hours a week so studying for the MCAT was difficult, especailly since I have not seen the material in over 11 years. I have a lot of EC. I'm taking my ACLS course next month as well.

Martin.
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

I am 28 my undergrad gpa 2.5 no science I havent taken any premed courses yet, I will start in a year. (I dunno if this accounts for anything but gpa in my EMT class was 3.8. No MCAT

2. Your financial and work situation.

I just relocated to Germany for 2 years for my husbands contractor job (explains delay in starting premed) We are well off financially. I am "housewife", I just got certified as an EMT-B in Jan 2011 and started working for an Ambo company for about 3 months until we had to move...:(

3. Your family and significant other situation.

I am married and we are trying to get pregnant.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
I have been trying to get on the military base and get involved with some volunteer opportunities. It has been difficult bc we are not military so I don't have base privileges. I am learning German so that hopefully I can get involved in the German community. I cannot work here as an EMT bc they use German EMS here..... so far thats what I have accomplished with that.
I figured that I could use this time to prepare myself for the list of premed classes I need to take by studying at home so I purchased some text books for the classes. And so far so good I think that I am retaining a lot of information and I will be well prepared for the "real" coursework ahead of me. When we move back I plan to get my old job back and continue to build on my experience and pt contacts etc and build on my research and philanthropy work with retired Vietnam Veterans. And tons of research on what I need to do to get into med school;)


If you think I am missing something please feel free to chime in. Thank you.
 
Congratulations to everyone who is still working hard to overcome whatever obstacles they have to getting into med school, and especially to all those who have reached their goal after years of hard work. I finished undergrad with a cgpa of 2.88 and a sgpa of 2.7. I knew it was low, very low, but I thought that my upward trend would somehow save me. I got a 28 on my first MCAT. I thought it would be good enough for DO schools, it wasn't (duh). It took me more than a calendar year to stop hiding from my awful gpa and mediocre MCAT. I'm genuinely interested in DO (not doing it just because it's easier to get accepted than MD) and as of today I've replaced 2 C- and 1 D+ with 3 As as well as added on 2 As in upper level biology classes. I've also added some ECs and will hopefully get a 35+ on the MCAT I'm taking this spring. I'm going to apply for 2013 and though I'm not incredibly optimistic since my GPA is still very low, I'm hoping an adcom somewhere will give me a chance.


Good luck to everyone.
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
24, 3.0cGPA, 3.2sGPA, 28 (retaking in April)
2. Your financial and work situation.
Working full-time, but don't have any money saved up. Almost paid off all of my credit card debt, plus I pay all my own bills, including CC tuition.
3. Your family and significant other situation.
Serious girlfriend, great relationship. Family has disowned me for continuing to pursue an "unreachable goal." Hence why I pay everything on my own
4. Your plan or your path to success.
Going to apply next cycle (June 2012). I've replaced 4 C-'s or worse than 4 A's and will be replacing another C- with an A this spring semester. I've also added two new A's (upper level bio) and will add one more A (upper level bio) this spring. I'm hoping that the grade replacements and new A's will boost my GPA high enough to get a shot at an interview. I'm also going to be shadowing a DO once I get done with MCAT!

Good luck to you all, everyone here has, in some way or another, provided me with the support and motivation to keep trying. We've all got a different background and different path to med school, but somehow we manage to stick together here on SDN. Don't give up, no matter what.
 
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I finally have something to report from my 1st semester at GSU! Here goes:

1.) I'm 31 and my cumulative (transfer from assoc in business plus bio major at GSU) is a 2.71. Science is a 2.9. No MCAT at this point as I have only had Chem I thus far.

2.) I'm self employed (full-time student) but lets say that it barely pays rent and covers food. I rob Peter to pay Paul monthly and will lie to anyone who calls asking for money that I don't have that I owe on a bill.

3.) Partner of 2 years and a dog. No kids and during my 14 months completing my associates there was ALOT going on! Exiting one relationship and basically couch surfing friend's houses (fancy term for homeless). Got with current partner and stabilized but her aunt was dying of cancer so alot of back and forth by car for visits that sucked and ****ed with our income and created stress (I feel shameful to have thought this at the time but I just have to say it. I used to wish she would hurry and die since she was very terminal because my grades were tanking fast). My own mother suffers from schizophrenia, I am not close to my family and have not received help from them in any form since I left at 18. I only go home when people die but luckily my partner is very close to her family so they are a welcome and loved part of my life.

4.) I earned a B in Chem I, A- in Eng II, C+ in PreCalculus and a freaking C in Philosophy 1010 due to stupid mistakes (carelessness). I started the semester off strong but my grades tanked in the end due to relationship and financial stress. She was having problems adjusting to my new schedule (round the clock studying and working with no time for social life or romance) and we had a bumpy 2 months right at semesters end. I plan on visiting with each professor more often (every two weeks) to discuss grades and will bring up things I don't understand alot sooner rather than waiting. I will also seek students who are better at studying than me so that I can learn some new skills and thus earn a 4.0 each semester from this point forward and have some social balance to keep my girlfriend happier this time.

My biggest thing is that I am afraid I might have ruined my chances at getting in a US medical school and am therefore limited to the Caribbean. My 1st choice is actually a Caribbean school (SGU) but I don't want it to be my only choice.
 
I come to this thread often to re-read the stories posted here to remind myself that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE! Before starting GSU, my GPA (associates in business) was a 2.6 because I hated every bloody moment of it and was only doing it to further my sales career. But then things shifted and I finally got the courage to go for what I really wanted: to be a surgeon. After my 1st semester my GPA is a 2.71 (got a 2.83 at GSU fall 2011). I have been kicking myself all break about it but I keep telling myself that I have 3 years to go and alot can happen in 3 years! Thanks SDN for being here and thank you to all the men and women for posting their struggles and successes as this lights the path for those of us wandering in the dark giving us hope.

I WILL become an MD!
 
1. 24/ 3.0/ N/A
2. Full time student/ Full time Job
3. Father has been sick since I was 12 and requires a lot of care and my older sister is in an out of jail. I have to work to help my mom and my 3yr old nephew, sometimes it affects my GPA :(
4. I have one semester left then I am going to take time off to focus on the MCAT and apply to a one year master program geared to enhancing applications for medical school, hopefully I get into the USC global medicine program :love:.
 
Wow.. I'm just started on here.. Happy I found it... I've been a respiratory therapist for four years.. And just finished nursing school and still feel lost... After a few weeks of riding on emotional roller coaster in a relationship and him deciding to kick me off 1000 feet in the air I decided to rethink my options and knew that med school was the best choice for me. Always wanted to be a doctor.. Single mom with a 9 year old, I'm ready to tackle it and will register for my sciences.. Thanks guys
 
E46, You may want to reconsider an MD program and start heavily considering a DO program. They allow grade replacement in your GPA calculation, and that could significantly help your chances.

Remember, as non-trads who are fighting past bad GPAs we MUST get straight As (maybe an occasional B) in order to counter the opinion that we may not be able to handle the rigors of med school. If you have a ~2.8 from your original work, and want to impress the admissions committee you need to be pulling in 3.8 or better. Anything less may not do the trick...

I started with a 2.8, and raised it to a 3.18 (200+ total cr) with PB work of 3.83c and 3.91s (80cr), this forum didn't help me with my grades, but they certainly helped me with my personal statement (very very important) not to mention all the other application issues.

Best of luck to you all, and remember, keep at it and don't give up!
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

Age: 33, received a BS in Psychology in 2001 with a cGPA of 2.8 and sGPA of 2.65

Currently starting my second semester of post-bacc repair and have 4.0 cGPA and sGPA this past semester (16 hrs so far, 19 next semester)

New and (slightly) improved 2.91 cGPA and 3.16 sGPA

No MCAT yet. Most likely April/May 2013

2. Your financial and work situation.

After 10 years in the music industry was laid off earlier this year. Still unemployed and although completely broke, very happy in school

3. Your family and significant other situation.

Married, no kids

4. Your plan or your path to success.

Continue taking pre-reqs through Spring 2013 (total around 70 hrs new classes). If I keep up straight A's a should be able to pull my cGPA up to 3.21 and my sGPA up to 3.56. Either way, my GPA will never be my selling point

Beginning to shadow a Nephrologist this semester
Begin volunteering at the local med school hospital mid-January
Interviewed for a research lab position that would start some time this semester
Continue with the research project I interned with last semester
MCAT study books arrived today! Planning to self-study along with the classes as I take them, studying seriously beginning Dec 2012 and testing April/May 2013
Apply early and broadly and keep my fingers crossed! Currently aiming towards Infectious Disease or Neurology
 
Good work you guys! Triage, you'll get in, I did!
 
Great job guys this thread is very motivating! you guys can do this. I wish all of you the best of luck!
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
26, c3.35, s3.45, MCAT May 2012
2. Your financial and work situation.
Clinical Nutritionist/Strength and Conditioning Coach 50k in the hole, making 75-85k/year
3. Your family and significant other situation.
Engaged, family is basically in 100 pieces doesn't talk
4. Your plan or your path to success.
Earned 100 credits at a c2.6 at one school left, tail between my legs, worked till my mother talked me into going back to school. Last 40 credits completed at a 3.85. Issues with lots of repeat courses, and was medically withdrawn from first school school after a disaster involving the loss of a D1 football scholarship. Learned to surround myself with the right people and apply myself to academics. I'll keep taking upper level sciences and the MCAT until someone lets me in.

It's a long hard road out of hell.
 
Hi All, I want to thank all the people that have made this website possible. I'm starting to take pre-req classes at Rutgers next semester. I already took Physics I and Cacl I,II,III, and stats as part of my undergrad but will take them over again. As an undergrad I really didn't care about school. I just wanted to get done. After a couple years I matured and realized that doing so poorly was a big mistake. Nonetheless, I have a very successful career in management consulting at a big 4 firm. Following is my information. I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.

1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

Age: 34, B.S. Information Systems,u &s GPA: 2.5, M.S. Information Systems, GPA: 3.7
No MCAT yet.

2. Your financial and work situation.

I work full-time as a management consultant at a top consulting firm and I've worked at firms such as IBM and Accenture before. My financial situation is quite well because of the nature of my work.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

I am married with no kids.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

I probably won't be able to get near a cGPA of 3.0 no matter how many A's I get in my post-bacc, however, I could do exceptionally well in my science classes. I plan on taking all the pre-reqs, some upper-level and graduate courses. I'll have to do them part-time b/c I work full-time. After that, I'll study for my MCAT and do EC's if time permits.

I'm just curious if you guys have seen someone with an undergrad gpa of around 2.5 get accepted in MD or DO schools after a very successful post-bacc and MCAT.

Thanks for the support.
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
24 years old; 3.32 cGPA / 3.24 sGPA (with erratic/fluctuating grades, downward trend.) No MCAT yet.


2. Your financial and work situation.
Several thousand dollars (>$5K,) in college debt, trying to save as much money as possible while also paying off remaining student debt. Working as a laboratory technician at an internationally renowned research institution; income less than $35K/year. Self-sufficient (but struggling,) non-trad.


3. Your family and significant other situation.
Grew up with an older severely handicapped brother whose care for was very time and labor intensive. Mother battled ovarian cancer while I was younger. Parents divorced when I was 15, father died (after 7 years of disability/unemployment and waiting for a heart/lung transplant) when I was 16. Mother remarried, but stepfather very absent from financial and emotional support. Finished community college at 19 and transferred away to school.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
Although very involved in pre-med/clinically directed undergraduate clubs, and having some really unique & interesting experiences as an undergraduate student, these were not enough to counter a sub-competitive GPA. Took two years off to explore scientific research as an alternative career; learned alot, especially that research in the basic sciences is ESSENTIAL for the advancement of medicine, but also learned that I was not interested in laboratory research as the foremost theme in my career.

- Using money saved during employment, will be pursuing a Master of Science in Physiology at a medical school, (taking courses such as histology, physiology, biochem, cell bio, etc.,) to demonstrate to ADCOMS that having been out of school for some time, I have grown/matured into an able minded individual, with great potential to succeed in medical school and become a physician.

- Excellent grades in the medically related sciences alone cannot make this case though; currently studying 6-7 hours a day for MCAT- between work and MCAT, I have basically abandoned my social life. Plan to aim high on MCAT.

-Doing a 2 year MS instead of 1 year SMP, so that schedule allows more time for involvement in student organizations, volunteering, shadowing, and research.

Extracurriculars to date
1. Founder of a cardiology interest group (student organization,) at my undergraduate institution.
2. Shadowed cardiologists at Cleveland Clinic for several days (through a university alumni job-shadowing program during winter recess.)
3.Earned EMT certification, but haven't really done much with it.
4. Traveled to China on a student trip to explore cultural differences in medical care; inspired to learn how to speak mandarin - going to do it before I apply.
5. Participation in a foreign-language housing program at undergrad institution. Participated in Spanish program, also learned some Russian.
6. Self taught in Norwegian, expanded on spanish vocabulary as well as russian vocabulary and pronunciation.
7. Teaching assistant for two physiology courses while in undergrad.

Pending Extracurriculars
1.Plan on shadowing neuro-oncologists 2-3 hours/wk for duration of first year in MS program.

2.Plan on shadowing spine surgeon on full time basis for duration of winter academic recesses during MS program.

3.Potential additional hour or two per week of shadowing with a cardiologist at university hospital of medical school where earning MS.

3.Active leadership participation in cardiology student organization at medical school where earning Masters degree.

4.Volunteering 4 hours/week in one of the following areas: assist with non-medical needs of patients in a major cancer/rehabilitation institution in New York City; community outreach volunteering in a pediatric/adolescent HIV/AIDS inpatient nursing unit; volunteer in emergency room at a university hospital where doing masters degree; kennel enrichment with seeing-eye dogs for guiding eyes for the blind (helping the disabled?)
5.Plan to conduct a masters thesis.

In my application, hoping to emphasize my appreciation for foreign culture/heritages and foreign languages as characteristics that will allow me to lift language as a barrier to the delivery of high quality patient care in an increasingly diverse united states, while maintaining a culturally-sensitive approach when interacting with patients. Plan to create a narrative that having grown up with a severely disabled brother, and having worked with pediatric HIV/AIDS patients, that as a physician I would advocate for and ensure delivery of quality medical treatment for those special/vulnerable patients who may be otherwise regarding as "just another patient." Also plan to emphasize that having seen some of the most catastrophic diseases our country is faced with in my personal life, that I am intimately familiar with how these are not merely statistics (heart disease #1 killer in america, etc.,) but rather, human disease is not something that just affects the physical status of a patients well-being; rather it extends beyond the scope of patient health, and can affect the patients quality of life, emotional status, and by extension, deeply affect the families and friends of patient. Plan to show medical schools that with an absurdly high MCAT score, that not much faith should be put into my undergraduate GPA when assessing my aptitude for success in medical school and that this assessment best be made on my more recent academic performance as a graduate student. Will have excellent LOR to back up my extracurriculars, and hopefully research will produce a publication or at the very least, a poster-presentation prior to submitting my application. Hoping to emphasis that while not primarily interested in scientific research, I still would like some element of discovery in my career, perhaps later after developing a keen eye or an expertise in some disease or area of medicine that I could apply my understanding of to improve treatments, identify new potential therapies, etc.

This is my plan for success. Hopefully it will work. Any and all comments welcome, insight perspectives much appreciated.
 
Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
26 years old Overall GPA 2.6 (Undergrad) Science GPA (Undergrad)1.67
Post-bacc GPA 2.27 (Science)
MCAT April 2011: 24
Currently in Master's Program for Healthcare Administration
**Need advice on smart ways to raise my science GPA outside of the pre-reqs**

Your financial and work situation.
(Seems like I should write professional student here)
Graduated from undergrad worked fulltime for 4 months while attempting post-bacc, unsuccessful.
Moved to another state; part-time research assistant job; EMT-B license; other odd jobs (personal assistant, waitressing,etc.) Living subsidized by Sallie Mae post-bacc loans (which grinds on my nerves truthfully). Fed up after 2nd stab @ Ochem2 proved unsuccessful applied to the MHA program to have a Plan B in progress just in case. (Now 4 years out of undergrad)

Your family and significant other situation.
Living w/ partner; Mom was always supportive in a sometimes overwhelming and unproductive way... (She sometimes wants Med School for me as bad as I do which doesn't help)

Your plan or your path to success.
Currently devising a plan besides boosting my extra-curricular experience that will allow me to salvage what I see as a failed post-bacc experience. Older now than when I started straight out of undergrad and moved to a new city to try to make it work in he midst of "adjusting". So I'm an EMT-B and by next year I'll have an MHA but I need to know desperately what I can/should do to raise my science GPA; raise my MCAT score and still be a successful applicant somewhere.


What I did right
Moved away from my mom. Her anxiety about me getting into medical school mixed with my anxiety about getting into medical school made me so anxious about medical school it sometimes paralyzed me from doing what I know I should have been doing (studying incessantly and efficiently)

What I did wrong
I also didn't take college seriously; seriously enough that is for my school which like most undergrad programs scared you silly and tried to weed you out with BIO exam averages at a 45 sometimes and never surpassing a 60 if I remember correctly.

Post-bacc I suppose could have been taken more seriously but perhaps should have entered a structured post-bacc program instead of taking pre-req classes on my own with little guidance or support and surrounded by undergrads in a similar repeat situation of went wrong in college.
Needing to rid myself of the excuses and just do this! I see myself as a physician, my work as an EMT & classwork in health administration has made me only more sure this is the correct path for me.

Result:
Hoping to apply for the MD Class of 2014; In the meantime raise my MCAT score to balance out the horrible undergrad & post-bacc stats; but also take 1 or 2 higher level science courses to prove I am proficient in the sciences and can really do this! Most disappointed that in my post-bacc work I haven't shown a significant upward trend and if I can do that in higher level courses and/or the MCAT I'm willing to make that happen.

Please help!!
 
Hoping to apply for the MD Class of 2014; In the meantime raise my MCAT score to balance out the horrible undergrad & post-bacc stats; but also take 1 or 2 higher level science courses to prove I am proficient in the sciences and can really do this! Most disappointed that in my post-bacc work I haven't shown a significant upward trend and if I can do that in higher level courses and/or the MCAT I'm willing to make that happen.
Unfortunately your list of things to do before you're ready to apply to med school needs to be longer. I suggest you shouldn't be thinking about an MCAT retake for a couple of years.

Some people find my GPA Comeback Recipe to be useful, and some find it to be hostile. I hope you find it to be useful.

Best of luck to you.
 
I didn't feel like making a thread, but I am just feeling really down on myself. I'm going to get a B in Microbio, which I thought for sure I was going to get an A, and was depending on an A to bring up the GPA. This is really depressing me right now, as I'm also juggling Bio and 4 retake classes. Now, my sGPA is going to drop, and I just feel terrible right now. :(
 
I was wondering if its too late to apply for med? Im currently a sophmore in a community college, and have just started my science classes. After this semester, I would have finish taking Biology, anatomy and physiology. My gpa is currently 3.0. Im going to be in a 4 year college this upcoming august and im worrying if its too late to take the other science courses and apply for medical school? I have read that usually, students apply for medical school during their junior years.. And if its not too late, how long do you think I would need to take to finish everything and start applying to med school?
 
usually, students apply for medical school during their junior years.
This is true less than half the time. The average starting age for med school is 24+.

It's normal to need longer to figure things out.

Best of luck to you.
 
Bump/refresh - I guess this has been posted to in a while given everyone planning their success story is busy turning it into action RIGHT NOW woooot!!! Best wishes and luck to all who are currently working on getting verified, secondaried, interviewed, and en route to posting in the Low GPA Success Stories thread!

For the rest of us who are on the front end of planning for success with low GPAs:

1. Your age

25

and GPA

cGPA - 3.13 (BA's worth of classes) sGPA - 2.76 (~48cr - prereqs + a couple of math classes)

and MCAT

31 - I took this in 2008 knowing I would never be able to use it, but it sure is easier to suspend lifelong desire to go to med school and come back to it later knowing I can perform adequately on this, given all my other factors are basically in the can currently.

2. Your financial and work situation.

I am currently in the process of forsaking my non-med-school-life entirely to throw myself into improving my candidacy. I am subletting my place in the Northwest to return to my hometown in the South for state school classes ~45 min. away. I will get a part-time job once home. I have saved enough money the past few years to pay for MCAT, applying, classes, etc... I will be staying with...

3. My family

I am incredibly fortunate to have loving parents who will house me as I undertake this process. I am currently negotiating a rent/food situation with them, but the fact that they'll take me makes me feel beyond fortunate and spoiled. They are more understanding of the situation than I think I am, as I am still getting over my dumb little ego saying I'm letting myself down by living at home at 25, instead of realizing that I'm giving myself a better chance to spend more time doing what I need to do to try and get accepted.

and significant other situation.

The other currently sticky part of the ball game - I live with my girlfriend (from the NE, nowhere near me) of nearly 4 years now. She, needless to say, is not going to live with me at my parent's house. We are much in love and certainly staying together, but the dreaded letters "LDR" are soon to become part of our lives. She is looking to move to a metropolitan area and find some work that she loves.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

Short term:

Look forward, not backward. Things are difficult right now with moving, signing up for classes, basically resetting my life. Just keep swimming right now. More concretely, I need to choose a bio class to take this second summer session, find volunteer work at my local hospital, panhandle for shadowing opportunities, and get back down South.

Middle term:

Utiliize and develop my advisory relationships - besides SDN (which only gets more helpful and awesome the more I explore it), I've got my undergrad counsellor, some friends (MDs) of my parents who are very helpful and knowledgeable on the process, and friends of mine who did the trad deal and are currently in med school.

SLAY classes - I never did this in school, time to do it now, because I know I can. Get organized, don't overload foolishly, and just MURDER classes. Also, get to know and enjoy relationship with new profs; I went to an OOS fancy-pants private school and would prefer to develop stronger and more LOR potentialities.

Get ready to do the MCAT - like everyone else on SDN, I'm planning on a 45 around Feb. next year

Continue volunteering/shadowing where/whoever I find will let me once I'm down there. I doubt I will find research, but maybe so in the state school town.

Research programs that fit me and that I fit to apply to - hopefully I can find many of these beyond my state school.

Long term:

Evaluate classes as I move along through this summer and fall, hopefully, getting awesome grades. Study for MCAT during end of fall semester thru taking it early next year.
Jump through the logistical/organizational fire-hoops of applying (this is a great fear of mine!!!)
Submit app early June 2013 GAME TIME!!!
 
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Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
23. DO sGPA 3.22, cGPA 3.18. MD BCPM 3.00, AO 3.14. MCAT 33Q (11/11/11)

Your financial and work situation.
Working full-time. What I have in savings will be gone by the time secondaries are submitted. No support from my parents or anyone else. Trying to get federal loans right now, but I think I might've used up all of my Stafford eligibility in undergrad.

Your family and significant other situation.
Living with my girlfriend (M3). She's very supportive and has helped me a lot both in school/MCAT and life in general. She's a great student and I've picked up almost all of my good study habits from her.

Your plan or your path to success.
I've got my GPA up as high as I possibly could for this cycle, did well on the MCAT, and added quite a bit of ECs since my 2010 application. I've also successfully completed primaries early and am planning on getting all of my MD secondaries written by June 29th. Hoping to have my 7-9 DO secondaries written by Monday.

What I did right
Got my act together and focused on school/MCAT. Also my parents kicked me out of the house and the only choice I had was to move back to St. Louis and live with my girlfriend. Luckily she let me live with her, rent free, until I found a job. Moving away from home was probably the best thing that could've happened to me at the time. It wasn't necessarily by choice, but it worked out for the best.

What I did wrong
Had too much fun in undergrad.

Result:
Applying this cycle. Hoping to matriculate MD or DO. My preference is for MD simply because of the advantage when it comes to matching. If not for the disadvantage DOs have when it comes to residency, DO would be my first choice.
 
Also posted in the Support Accountability Partners thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=516491&page=3 Not sure if anyone here is looking to apply in 2014 and wants to partner up?

Your age and
GPA and MCAT if you have it.
38
cGPA 2.44** sGPA 3.0; graduateGPA 4.0 (non-science field)
No MCAT yet - planning to take it January or March 2014

**This is my GPA strictly from undergrad; I do already have a couple of non-science postbac classes (taken in 1998) that have raised it a little.

Your financial and work situation.
Currently stay-at-home mom receiving enough rental income to carry the house I own but cannot currently afford to live in myself!
Hoping to start working part-time (less than 4 hrs/wk) teaching swimming lessons (a little random, I know, but I think it will be fun) and possibly trying to get a part-time position (20 hrs/wk) as an entry-level lab tech (both for the experience and to cover tuition costs)... Planning to spend the next two years with a fairly heavy courseload, so not interested in full-time employment.

Your family and significant other situation.

I'm a single mom, currently living at my mother's with my 2 year old daughter. My family was very supportive of my earning my master's in teaching, but I have not yet sprung the medical school plan on them.

Your plan or your path to success.
I have about 117 credits making up my 2.44 GPA, none in the pre-reqs, and all for my 1996 BA in English. I also have 8 credits from 1998 with a 2.85. I plan to take at least 68 additional postbac credits before applying (depending on cGPA). With a 4.0 in future classes, this will bring cGPA above 3.0, and I will continue taking science courses during gap year, to continue to improve my cGPA. I am coming off of 14 straight graduate classes with a 4.0, so I have a track record of academic success (at least in this century!).

What I did right.
I didn't take any of the prereqs during undergrad (when I really wasn't worried about my GPA), so I have the possibility of a BCPM GPA of 3.9+ at application time. When I went back for my master's I was focused on learning the material, and my GPA demonstrates that.
I started volunteering in a hospital last September (which will end up being a full year ahead of starting classes), and I will start shadowing this summer, because I want to be as sure as possible that medicine is the right path for me.

What I did wrong.

I didn't care about my GPA during undergrad. I did the minimum amount of work to get by, and it shows. I thought all I needed was the degree and I didn't understand how the low GPA would haunt me... Once I realized how problematic it would be it was too late. Rather than figure out how to overcome it years ago, I spent a long time working in boring office jobs.

Result.
I will need 2-3 years of 8+ courses per year just to pull my cGPA above the minimum level... I'm taking plenty of time now to make sure this is really the right path as I know it will be a LONG road!

Any feedback/suggestions?
 
Equestrian, I too am thinking of applying June 2014 instead of 2013. I haven't decided yet. It's a long road.
 
I want to post my plan, can I? Is my GPA "low" enough? I think it's pretty low, but I tend to see my application very negatively. (I'm working on it.)

Currently cGPA 3.49 and bcpmGPA 3.34.
 
Also posted in the Support Accountability Partners thread: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=516491&page=3 Not sure if anyone here is looking to apply in 2014 and wants to partner up?

Your age and
GPA and MCAT if you have it.
38
cGPA 2.44** sGPA 3.0; graduateGPA 4.0 (non-science field)
No MCAT yet - planning to take it January or March 2014

**This is my GPA strictly from undergrad; I do already have a couple of non-science postbac classes (taken in 1998) that have raised it a little.

Your financial and work situation.
Currently stay-at-home mom receiving enough rental income to carry the house I own but cannot currently afford to live in myself!
Hoping to start working part-time (less than 4 hrs/wk) teaching swimming lessons (a little random, I know, but I think it will be fun) and possibly trying to get a part-time position (20 hrs/wk) as an entry-level lab tech (both for the experience and to cover tuition costs)... Planning to spend the next two years with a fairly heavy courseload, so not interested in full-time employment.

Your family and significant other situation.

I'm a single mom, currently living at my mother's with my 2 year old daughter. My family was very supportive of my earning my master's in teaching, but I have not yet sprung the medical school plan on them.

Your plan or your path to success.
I have about 117 credits making up my 2.44 GPA, none in the pre-reqs, and all for my 1996 BA in English. I also have 8 credits from 1998 with a 2.85. I plan to take at least 68 additional postbac credits before applying (depending on cGPA). With a 4.0 in future classes, this will bring cGPA above 3.0, and I will continue taking science courses during gap year, to continue to improve my cGPA. I am coming off of 14 straight graduate classes with a 4.0, so I have a track record of academic success (at least in this century!).

What I did right.
I didn't take any of the prereqs during undergrad (when I really wasn't worried about my GPA), so I have the possibility of a BCPM GPA of 3.9+ at application time. When I went back for my master's I was focused on learning the material, and my GPA demonstrates that.
I started volunteering in a hospital last September (which will end up being a full year ahead of starting classes), and I will start shadowing this summer, because I want to be as sure as possible that medicine is the right path for me.

What I did wrong.

I didn't care about my GPA during undergrad. I did the minimum amount of work to get by, and it shows. I thought all I needed was the degree and I didn't understand how the low GPA would haunt me... Once I realized how problematic it would be it was too late. Rather than figure out how to overcome it years ago, I spent a long time working in boring office jobs.

Result.
I will need 2-3 years of 8+ courses per year just to pull my cGPA above the minimum level... I'm taking plenty of time now to make sure this is really the right path as I know it will be a LONG road!

Any feedback/suggestions?

68 post bacc credits??? That's an awful lot. How long do you plan on being a post bacc?
 
68 post bacc credits??? That's an awful lot. How long do you plan on being a post bacc?

That's 17 courses - very doable in 2-3 years. My undergrad was the equivalent of 34 courses in 4 years. Are you making a comeback from a low GPA?
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

I am 22. Will graduate undergrad in December 2012 with a 2.6 cGPA. I will have a 2.46 sGPA but this is only 2 courses: 1 A, 1 D+, so LOTS of room for improvement in a post-bacc.

2. Your financial and work situation.

Currently employed part-time in a student position as a software developer. Make a decent hourly wage but this position is only available until I graduate. MIGHT be able to hit up family for tuition money down the road, but I don't have any student debt yet (I am so blessed!!) so I could take on loans.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

No S/O, really supportive family, awesome friends.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

I really messed up in my undergrad. I was business as a frosh/soph, but wasn't satisfied, so I looked for something more challenging and went for Computer Science. This was ok for a semester, but ultimately I ended up failing 2 courses and getting D's in 2 others. I was able to salvage enough credits to graduate in 9 semesters with a degree in Interdepartmental Studies with a focus area of Business Studies.

I made many mistakes and I am in the process of looking back at my behavior and REALLY trying to figure out what went wrong and why. I don't like being the person that has to hide their lack of achievement. So far so good this semester- taking 18 courses, but slightly easier load.

I always had this idea that being a doctor would be cool, but that it was just outside the realm of possibility for me, like being an actor, it would just never happen.

TL;DR messed up UG, renewed outlook, starting pre-med path with my work cut out for me.

Good luck to everyone on this forum! feel free to PM me if you have any advice or just want to chat about post-bacc's and such!!
 
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That's 17 courses - very doable in 2-3 years. My undergrad was the equivalent of 34 courses in 4 years. Are you making a comeback from a low GPA?

I never saw this, Equestrian, I did make a comeback, yes. I had taken 123 credits in ug.

That's assuming each course is 4 creds, At the univ. where i did my postbacc, many are 3, plus a 1 cred lab.

It's, doable, yes. Let me ask another question; are you planning on taking the MCAT near the end of year two? Maybe early (April-ish) to give yourself time to retake without then having to submit apps late, if you do need to retake? You'll need a light load that semester to allow weekly study time.

Coming from a situation of a low GPA, you only have one good shot at more easily bringing it up. I think three classes a semester, plus 4 over the summer sets you up for a REAL heavy, and difficult path. It's one thing to take several different classes at once, another to take all sciences with labs. Very time consuming.

If you can do it, more power to you, but I'd be very cautious. If you're overloaded, you may shoot yourself in the foot, ruining the chances at establishing an uptrend, and adding more credits to your base (making it even MORE difficult to bring it up).

I finished my postbacc with a 3.9. I've got a handful of II's so far, and hoping to receive a few more. Good luck to you, and any other underdogs; it can be done.
 
I never saw this, Equestrian, I did make a comeback, yes. I had taken 123 credits in ug.

I finished my postbacc with a 3.9. I've got a handful of II's so far, and hoping to receive a few more. Good luck to you, and any other underdogs; it can be done.

Thanks for sharing more of your story, and thanks for the encouragement and good advice!

I've actually already planned to lengthen my timeline from when I posted; I'm now looking at spreading the 68+ credits (at a school where all the courses are 4 credits each) over 3 years, hoping to be ready to apply in 2015.

I'm shooting for an August 2014 MCAT, and taking that whole summer to prepare for it. I think this timeline should give me the best opportunity to put together a strong application. It does mean that there will be some non-lab courses among the prereqs (if I understand the changes to the requirements), but I'll need the credits anyway, so it'll be nice to have some direction in my non-science choices.

This also gives me a more realistic schedule of 2-3 courses per semester (as long as I also take 3-5 extra classes overall, 1 or 2 during summer 2013 and 1 each year during the short winter session each year).

Best of luck this cycle!
 
I love reading this board. I am a 24 year old with an undergrad in Philosophy 3.17 GPA-- and have incorporated Chem1, Chem2 and Bio into my undergrad curric.I've been working as an accountant in the legal field for the last two years. I'm currently planning on starting a post bacc program in 2013. All of your stories give me so much hope and motivation for going forward with the non-traditional route. The reason for my transition into medicine is a traumatic event that recently happened to my family . This year my brother fell off a very high building and was left for dead until my parents found him . The doctors discovered after an EEG that his right hemisphere was abnormal/permanately damaged and he would have to be on medication for the rest of his life because of his seizures. Also this year, my grandma, who I was very close with passed away. Both of these situations have taught me the fragility of life. I want to be there and help people in need... and for me the medical field is a promising way to do this.
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

I'm 32. my MCAT is definitely not 32.

2. Your financial and work situation.

Im 48K in debt and I make $8/hr. working a seasonal job.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

She left when I told her we'd be broke for ten years.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

Get knocked down, get back up.
 
Preface - I'm new to these forums, but it's awesome to see a variety of individuals that I feel are in the same position as me.

1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
- 23 years old, going on 24 in January. I'll be graduating with a B.S. in Kinesiology this December and going back to finish about 30-34 more hours of pre-req work in the following Spring of 2013 which means I'll HOPEFULLY be taking the MCAT sometime when I'm 25/26? My current GPA is 3.30.
2. Your financial and work situation.
- Currently a part-time supervisor at a gym and just applied to volunteer at a local hospital here in central Texas.
3. Your family and significant other situation.
- I moved back in with my ill father to watch over him a few months ago, so it is just him and I for the time being. He's very excited about my career choice and I just hope that he's around long enough to see my perseverance (and success).
4. Your plan or your path to success.
- Finish my pre-requisite courses with flying colors. I really want to understand and specifically master all of the material so that I'm comfortable when I do take the MCAT and even more confident when I enter medical school. I plan on applying to the UT Health Science Center in San Antonio, Texas.
 
Just wanted to contribute - sometimes its nice to write your plans down and stay motivated with others!

1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.
Age: 24
GPA(s): cGPA: 3.14; sGPA: 3.18; gradGPA: 3.75
MCAT: to be taken Jan 2013 - one of my most recent practice scores was a 36 so fingers crossed!

**If I follow my plan in #4, my GPA's will change to:
cGPA: 3.23
sGPA: 3.32

2. Your financial and work situation.
Grew up financially disadvantaged, neverending loans for undergrad and grad, decided it was in my best interest to use the next 1-2 years working and fixing the GPA. Right now I'm a full-time research assistant for a big urban hospital and finally saving some money/beginning to be able to manage it.

3. Your family and significant other situation.
Almost moved to another country for my ex-s/o, but then got dumped out of nowhere - so needless to say, right now dating anyone is not on my priority list haha. Single with a capital 's' ;)
Very very small family - emotionally supportive, but as I said above, no help financially.

4. Your plan or your path to success.
I'm so ready to be in med school, and while I admire those who spend years taking post-bacc classes proving themselves beyond any doubt, I'm really hoping I'll be good enough to apply next summer. Plan: Do one-two semesters next year (Spring 2013 and Fall 2013 during app season) taking 2 upper level bio classes per semester (4 total) with straight A's - while simultaneously working full-time, volunteering at a free clinic, and acing the MCAT in Jan.:luck:
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

26 this weekend. 3.5 overall GPA (up from a 2.4!) only taken one science and got a b- over the summer :-/

2. Your financial and work situation.

Quit my job during summer semester, serve in the Reserves. Full time student, living off military benefits and student loans. From a "disadvantaged" background. Live with mom, but we struggle to pay the bills together.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

2 kids, almost 8 and freshly 2. Getting divorced. *shrug* I'd rather be alone than have someone dragging me down.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

Double major in Anthro and Bio, at my school bio major has an automatic chem minor. Shooting for an MD/PhD program, doubt I'll get there but might as well shoot for the stars. My plan is... Be a student. And everything else, too. Study, focus, build amazing ECs, and get a decent MCAT score. Pray I don't get deployed and have to add another year to this. Quit procrastinating, quit playing games and get serious.

Long term goals: Africa. Or some other developing area of the world. YouTube "The Girl Effect" and you'll see my driving force in life. Took a class that really explained the ideas and concepts behind it, and fell in love.

I love this site, it helps me re-zone back where I need to be sometimes. :)
 
1. Your age and GPA and MCAT if you have it.

I am 22. Will graduate undergrad in December 2012 with a 2.5 cGPA. I will have a 2.46 sGPA but this is only 2 courses: 1 A, 1 D+, so LOTS of room for improvement in a post-bacc.

2. Your financial and work situation.

Currently employed part-time in a student position as a software developer. Make a decent hourly wage but this position is only available until I graduate. MIGHT be able to hit up family for tuition money down the road, but I don't have any student debt yet (I am so blessed!!) so I could take on loans.

3. Your family and significant other situation.

No S/O, really supportive family, awesome friends.

4. Your plan or your path to success.

I really messed up in my undergrad. I was business as a frosh/soph, but wasn't satisfied, so I looked for something more challenging and went for Computer Science. This was ok for a semester, but ultimately I ended up failing 2 courses and getting D's in 2 others. I was able to salvage enough credits to graduate in 9 semesters with a degree in Interdepartmental Studies with a focus area of Business Studies.

I realize that this is a B***s*** degree. I made many mistakes and I am in the process of looking back at my behavior and REALLY trying to figure out what went wrong and why. I don't like being the person that has to hide their lack of achievement. So far so good this semester- taking 18 courses, but slightly easier load.

I always had this idea that being a doctor would be cool, but that it was just outside the realm of possibility for me, like being an actor, it would just never happen. The more I see normal people going to medical school, and the more I overcome other challenges in my life, the more I realize that I can get through the medical school! I want to be a doctor and nothing will stop me!

My first steps before post-bacc at Northwestern University will be taking Biology at Northern Illinois University in Spring of 2013 and volunteering at a Hospital this semester. Hopefully Northwestern accepts me into their formal program, but if not, I will enroll as a Student-at-large and take all the same classes (and ROCK them regardless). :cool:

TL;DR messed up UG, renewed outlook, starting pre-med path with my work cut out for me.

Good luck to everyone on this forum! feel free to PM me if you have any advice or just want to chat about post-bacc's and such!!

postbaccs are for people who have been out of college for several years but have built careers in the interim. youre still in college and you have no career. why dont you just take your science classes at your college and delay graduating?
 
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