Low sGPA and cGPA, high MCAT. Advice?

[hopefulgal7]

Hello! I am a a current female junior of African descent at a top 25 university. I need advice. Unfortunately, due to emotional and mental health reasons, my first 4 semesters of college did not flow too smoothly. I ended my Sophomore year with a 2.6 cumulative GPA and a whopping 1.7 Science GPA (yeah, I know how terrible that is). After going to therapy this past summer to finally address my mental/emotionally stability, I felt like a new woman, and completely thrived during my junior year, receiving straight A's in every single course I've taken my first and second semester of my 3rd year as an undergrad, and these courses included Organic Chemistry I and II, Biology II, Biochemistry, and Mammalian Physiology. This raised my cumulative GPA to a 3.1 and my science GPA to a 2.5. I studied my butt off for the MCAT, on which I recently discovered that I scored a 39. Aside from numbers, I have about 75 hours of shadowing under my belt; volunteer as a tutor for elementary school students in a local low-income neighborhood; am very involved with global health disparities awareness, having had a public health internship and medical volunteer experience abroad as well as research dealing with domestic health inequities; am the Vice President of an organization on campus, founder of another, and on the executive board of 2 more (these orgs are a mixture of health-oriented and cultural groups); and I volunteer as an EMT.

With the information provided, what advice would you give on what my next step should be? Should I give applying to allopathic (as well as a couple DO) schools a shot, or should I do some sort of year-long post-bacc program to strengthen my academic record? If denied the first round, I plan on enrolling in a post-bacc program.

Thanks in advanced!

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[mct2762]

Hello! I am a a current female junior of African descent at a top 25 university. I need advice. Unfortunately, due to emotional and mental health reasons, my first 4 semesters of college did not flow too smoothly. I ended my Sophomore year with a 2.6 cumulative GPA and a whopping 1.7 Science GPA (yeah, I know how terrible that is). After going to therapy this past summer to finally address my mental/emotionally stability, I felt like a new woman, and completely thrived during my junior year, receiving straight A's in every single course I've taken my first and second semester of my 3rd year as an undergrad, and these courses included Organic Chemistry I and II, Biology II, Biochemistry, and Mammalian Physiology. This raised my cumulative GPA to a 3.1 and my science GPA to a 2.5. I studied my butt off for the MCAT, on which I recently discovered that I scored a 39. Aside from numbers, I have about 75 hours of shadowing under my belt; volunteer as a tutor for elementary school students in a local low-income neighborhood; am very involved with global health disparities awareness, having had a public health internship and medical volunteer experience abroad as well as research dealing with domestic health inequities; am the Vice President of an organization on campus, founder of another, and on the executive board of 2 more (these orgs are a mixture of health-oriented and cultural groups); and I volunteer as an EMT.

With the information provided, what advice would you give on what my next step should be? Should I give applying to allopathic (as well as a couple DO) schools a shot, or should I do some sort of year-long post-bacc program to strengthen my academic record? If denied the first round, I plan on enrolling in a post-bacc program.

Thanks in advanced!

killer MCAT! Dont think you will have a problem. Apply to HBCU's and maybe around 5-10 DO's just to be safe

https://www.aamc.org/download/321514/data/2012factstable25-2.pdf

http://edge.studentdoctor.net/wamc/Black_Applicants.png

 

[hopefulgal7]

Thanks! Do you you think HBCU's would be willing to forgive my horrible sGPA?

 

[naijapride]

Do you have to in your blood apply before graduation(I'm guessing you are going into your fourth year correct me if I'm wrong) because if you keep you trend up you can possibly get your sgpa up to 3.0 in which case you have a much better shot. Some school may cut you out based on under 3.0 sgpa.

 

[DreamingDoc]

Schools love a strong upward trend and a high MCAT. You should definitely have no problems if you decide to go ahead and apply, but make sure you apply broadly. I was told by quite a few schools that I would have had a shot with a higher MCAT, and my GPA was a lot lower than yours. If you haven't graduated yet, you can also utilize grade replacement for DO schools and that will boost your GPA even higher.

 

[aspiringdoc09]

I say take the extra year to boost your gpa some more to get the science up to a 3.0 like the other SDNer suggested. With both GPAs at 3.0+ and a 39 MCAT, you will be nearly unstoppable. The old adage: "good things come to those who wait". Don't rush! The key is to have your pick of the schools, not to let the schools have the pick of the students. I don't have any problem with DO schools because I worked at one, but they can be very expensive, so keep that in mind.

 

[Dee Yawn]

Hello! I am a a current female junior of African descent at a top 25 university. I need advice. Unfortunately, due to emotional and mental health reasons, my first 4 semesters of college did not flow too smoothly. I ended my Sophomore year with a 2.6 cumulative GPA and a whopping 1.7 Science GPA (yeah, I know how terrible that is). After going to therapy this past summer to finally address my mental/emotionally stability, I felt like a new woman, and completely thrived during my junior year, receiving straight A's in every single course I've taken my first and second semester of my 3rd year as an undergrad, and these courses included Organic Chemistry I and II, Biology II, Biochemistry, and Mammalian Physiology. This raised my cumulative GPA to a 3.1 and my science GPA to a 2.5. I studied my butt off for the MCAT, on which I recently discovered that I scored a 39. Aside from numbers, I have about 75 hours of shadowing under my belt; volunteer as a tutor for elementary school students in a local low-income neighborhood; am very involved with global health disparities awareness, having had a public health internship and medical volunteer experience abroad as well as research dealing with domestic health inequities; am the Vice President of an organization on campus, founder of another, and on the executive board of 2 more (these orgs are a mixture of health-oriented and cultural groups); and I volunteer as an EMT.

With the information provided, what advice would you give on what my next step should be? Should I give applying to allopathic (as well as a couple DO) schools a shot, or should I do some sort of year-long post-bacc program to strengthen my academic record? If denied the first round, I plan on enrolling in a post-bacc program.

Thanks in advanced!

Hello! I am a a current female junior of African descent at a top 25 university. I need advice. Unfortunately, due to emotional and mental health reasons, my first 4 semesters of college did not flow too smoothly. I ended my Sophomore year with a 2.6 cumulative GPA and a whopping 1.7 Science GPA (yeah, I know how terrible that is). After going to therapy this past summer to finally address my mental/emotionally stability, I felt like a new woman, and completely thrived during my junior year, receiving straight A's in every single course I've taken my first and second semester of my 3rd year as an undergrad, and these courses included Organic Chemistry I and II, Biology II, Biochemistry, and Mammalian Physiology. This raised my cumulative GPA to a 3.1 and my science GPA to a 2.5. I studied my butt off for the MCAT, on which I recently discovered that I scored a 39. Aside from numbers, I have about 75 hours of shadowing under my belt; volunteer as a tutor for elementary school students in a local low-income neighborhood; am very involved with global health disparities awareness, having had a public health internship and medical volunteer experience abroad as well as research dealing with domestic health inequities; am the Vice President of an organization on campus, founder of another, and on the executive board of 2 more (these orgs are a mixture of health-oriented and cultural groups); and I volunteer as an EMT.

With the information provided, what advice would you give on what my next step should be? Should I give applying to allopathic (as well as a couple DO) schools a shot, or should I do some sort of year-long post-bacc program to strengthen my academic record? If denied the first round, I plan on enrolling in a post-bacc program.

Thanks in advanced!

Wow on your MCAT score!! Please enlighten me as to how you studied for the MCAT and how long you studies for? Months, weeks, etc.

 

[bonedoc82]

Your MCAT is superior but what will raise eye brows is your GPA. I would apply broadly (DO and MD if you really want to be a physician) and also apply for post bac programs (Drexel, Georgetown, etc)

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