Please help, extremely low gpa. No advice from anyone.

[sasha01]

I am interested in applying to Post-bacc pre med program. However, I am one more class away from graduating with a history major. But I have a 2.0 gpa overall and I brought that much from 1.15 last semester. I have had a very difficult undergrad career because of financial difficulties at home and problems between my parents that has been a major distraction for me. I would really like to challenge myself with a program that would help brush up my skills and give me an intense educational environment away from home. I took Bio 1 and 2 (C grade) Gen Chem 1 (B grade) and 2 (C), Physics 1 (B) and Physics 2 (C). I took Organic 1 but got a D in it. I did not repeat that class as I was told that its better if I do some of those classes in the post-bacc program. I realize that I do not have any chance for medical school with this gpa and I heard about post-bacc programs through this forum. Do I have any hope in getting accepted in any of the post-bacc program with a 2.0 gpa? I have volunteered and shadowed. I have looked into Scripp, Bryn Mawr, Temple University and Columbia and lot more universities but they all require a gpa above 3.0. Although I read somewhere on this forum that some one got accepted to Columbia post-bacc with a 2.0 gpa and has done really well after that. Are there any schools out there that would give me a chance to pursue my dream? I do not want to give up on this.
Any response would be greatly appreciated.

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[DrMidlife]

"No advice from anyone" except for the free, always open, massive body of work on SDN discussing low GPA strategies from those who made it from sub-3.0.

How to find it: search SDN on "low GPA" and spend 100-1000 hours reading. No. Really. Take notes.

Why posting a question doesn't get you good answers: those who have succeeded from where you are aren't on SDN very often and they already answered the question in depth multiple times. Find those historical answers.

It's nobody's job to help a low GPA kid get into med school. It's up to you to be the grownup in charge.

Best of luck to you.

 

[sasha01]

"No advice from anyone" except for the free, always open, massive body of work on SDN discussing low GPA strategies from those who made it from sub-3.0.

How to find it: search SDN on "low GPA" and spend 100-1000 hours reading. No. Really. Take notes.

Why posting a question doesn't get you good answers: those who have succeeded from where you are aren't on SDN very often and they already answered the question in depth multiple times. Find those historical answers.

It's nobody's job to help a low GPA kid get into med school. It's up to you to be the grownup in charge.

Best of luck to you.

Thanks buddy for such a kind response. I appreciate it. Except every individual has their own story. If people like you were on admissions committee I doubt anybody will ever have a chance in medical school or pursue higher education. Thanks once again!

 

[DrP1991]

Soooo my honest opinion of what you should do... Forget about a post bacc... Do something that'll be worth the money (a degree vs certificate program) BUT make sure it's heavily science based. Personally I did a medical science masters. When I graduated from undergrad I wasn't at a 2.0 but I still wasn't at a gpa competitive for Med school... I did my masters program (2yrs) and BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER... (3.8gpa ALL towards my overall science gpa which was a 2. Something from undergrad) Applied to med school..: got right in.

In the masters I took classes like Biochem gross anatomy Med physio histology neuro anatomy etc...

And as a bonus those are typically MS1 classes so I was super prepared for first year med school...

Rising MS2 top of my class... True story!

Good luck! It's not over!


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[sasha01]

Soooo my honest opinion of what you should do... Forget about a post bacc... Do something that'll be worth the money (a degree vs certificate program) BUT make sure it's heavily science based. Personally I did a medical science masters. When I graduated from undergrad I wasn't at a 2.0 but I still wasn't at a gpa competitive for Med school... I did my masters program (2yrs) and BLEW IT OUT OF THE WATER... (3.8gpa ALL towards my overall science gpa which was a 2. Something from undergrad) Applied to med school..: got right in.

In the masters I took classes like Biochem gross anatomy Med physio histology neuro anatomy etc...

And as a bonus those are typically MS1 classes so I was super prepared for first year med school...

Rising MS2 top of my class... True story!

Good luck! It's not over!


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Thank you!!

 

[DrP1991]

No problem! Good luck friend


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[etp123]

Thanks buddy for such a kind response. I appreciate it. Except every individual has their own story. If people like you were on admissions committee I doubt anybody will ever have a chance in medical school or pursue higher education. Thanks once again!

Every individual has their own story but it's all the same situation when it comes to low grades in the eyes of adcoms. It doesn't really matter how you got there, but where you go from here.

What DrMidlife is saying is that there have been tons of people on sd.net with situations like yours, so there's a treasure trove of answers on these forums that will tell you exactly what you need to know. Tons of advice from people who are adcoms themselves, people who had below 3.0 GPAs and raised them successfully, etc. She herself started off sub 3.0 and was able to successfully gain an MD acceptance after tons of work and researching on sd.net. She's also been around for a while and seen many like you asking the same exact questions. Spend a lot of time looking through these posts and I guarantee you'll find the kind of advice you're looking for.

Regarding DrP1991's advice, I'd actually say he/she was a unique case and that path might not work out for you. Why? Because grad GPAs are seen as different than an undergrad-level GPA at a lot of schools, so even if you get a 3.7+ in a master's program well your uGPA is going to get you screened out anyways. Also, if you don't have a solid foundation in the sciences then you might flounder in the program. And schools might be hesitant to admit you to the masters program based on your past academic performance.

This is also why it's a good idea to read lots of posts and be wary of any one person's advice. If you see a commonly suggested trend then that's probably what you should do to maximize your chances.

 

[DrP1991]

I wouldn't exactly say mine was a unique case. I spoke on my experience but I know for a fact I wasn't the only one and situations like mine are not rare.

Undergrad gpa is not regarded differently than grad unless your graduate studies are in something completely unrelated to science. Otherwise grad gpas are integrated into your total GPA by Amcas

Messing up in undergrad doesn't mean you'll never be eligible for med school. Just means you gotta work a helluva lot harder. Find your groove and do well!


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[deleted640852]

I wouldn't exactly say mine was a unique case. I spoke on my experience but I know for a fact I wasn't the only one and situations like mine are not rare.

Undergrad gpa is not regarded differently than grad unless your graduate studies are in something completely unrelated to science. Otherwise grad gpas are integrated into your total GPA by Amcas

Messing up in undergrad doesn't mean you'll never be eligible for med school. Just means you gotta work a helluva lot harder. Find your groove and do well!


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile

Is there truth to this? "Undergrad gpa is not regarded differently than grad unless your graduate studies are in something completely unrelated to science. Otherwise grad gpas are integrated into your total GPA by Amcas"

I would like input from someone on admissions or maybe other people who had science grad grades integrated into their undergrad GPA.

 

[DrMidlife]

AMCAS doesn't combine undergrad & grad GPAs. Here's how grades are presented to schools: