Radically Reinvented Student - Old GPA vs. New GPA

[Old Ham]

I’m a reinvented student with two vastly different GPAs from different eras in my life, and am wondering how adcoms might reconcile the two in their deliberations.

My first crack at college produced a 1.x GPA, including a number of Ws and Fs. More than ten years later, I returned to college with an eye toward medical school. I’ve now graduated, having run a 4.0 though 100-plus credits, including all required and most recommended prereqs.

My overall AMCAS GPA is ~3.4 (MCAT pending). Assuming my app sees human eyes, how might those two GPAs be reconciled by an adcom? As I look at the MSAR and consider where I have a fair shot at acceptance, what should I consider my “effective” GPA? 3.4, 4.0 or somewhere between?

I looked through the forums and didn’t see a situation quite like this. Thanks for your input!

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I would be very surprised if anyone took your old grades seriously after 100 units at 4.0

 

[mavric1298]

Im curious as too as to how much weight is put into the AMCAS gpa, previous to anyone even being able to look at trending. I'm in the same boat, have some F's from not withdrawing from classes almost 10 years ago. A couple of my dads old med classmates are on admissions, and when I recently spoke with one of them they couldn't stress the importance of trending enough. He was saying an overall 3.8 with an upward trend it a huge difference to a 3.8 with a downward trend. I think at the point your and I are at, it almost can't even be considered a trend, it's two separate lines. I think as long as people actually get to see a transcript, they won't even consider the old GPA, or I would even venture to say, the old GPA might HELP you. They like people that overcome adversity.

 

[Five0tomed68]

I would be very surprised if anyone took your old grades seriously after 100 units at 4.0

+1.

I think your string of recent A's will speak for themselves and your shot at school 10 years ago will pretty much get overlooked.

The only thing I would be concerned about is getting pre-screened out by some programs due to your overall AMCAS GPA. Some schools will post what are assumed to be their pre-screening standards on the web. Usually, it is GPA based and it will vary in-state vs out of state. If you have financial restraints, you may want to do your research into specific programs or try contacting their admissions office and asking before wasting money on an app fee. If there is a program you're striving for, I would roll the dice anyway and ignore any listed minimum qualifications in the hopes your app makes it to human hands. My guess is you probably knew all that since you have the bible of the application process (the MSAR).

Once your app gets in the hands of a real person, I doubt they will press you to hard.

If you're are interested in DO schools, you may want to calculate your AACOMAS GPA. With grade replacement, your GPA may be significantly higher.

First and foremost go kill the MCAT.

 

[Old Ham]

If you're are interested in DO schools, you may want to calculate your AACOMAS GPA. With grade replacement, your GPA may be significantly higher.

I'm considering osteopathic schools, too. In AACOMAS, my cGPA is ~3.6 with a 4.0 sGPA. (I repeated all my old science courses for content review.) I really appreciate the second chance offered by grade replacement.

 

[popopopop]

http://forums.studentdoctor.net/thr...-mcat-do-i-need-to-even-have-a-chance.843730/

Also pertinent because he's a non-trad. His story is similar to yours.

 

[Goro]

This is very common and there are two ways of looking at you:

Firstly, there are MD schools that value reinvention (NYMC, Drexel, Tulane, Case, Tufts, SUNY Upstate, Albany, based upon posts from previous SDNers). For these, you'll need a good MCAT to go with your "new" GPAs" (like, >33).

MD schools will take ALL of your GPAs, not just the new ones, as your cGPA. Fortunately, a number of schools look at thel ast two-three years of your performance. The key is getting a pair of human eyeballs onto your app so you don't get autoscreened out. Always best to contact the admissions deans to find out if you're competitive.

DO schools are more forgiving. With AACOMAS' grade replacement policy, any F/D/C science coursework will only be counted at the higher grade. Does wonders for the GPA.

All in all, you're in a good zone. I trust you have all the needed ECs?

I’m a reinvented student with two vastly different GPAs from different eras in my life, and am wondering how adcoms might reconcile the two in their deliberations.

My first crack at college produced a 1.x GPA, including a number of Ws and Fs. More than ten years later, I returned to college with an eye toward medical school. I’ve now graduated, having run a 4.0 though 100-plus credits, including all required and most recommended prereqs.

My overall AMCAS GPA is ~3.4 (MCAT pending). Assuming my app sees human eyes, how might those two GPAs be reconciled by an adcom? As I look at the MSAR and consider where I have a fair shot at acceptance, what should I consider my “effective” GPA? 3.4, 4.0 or somewhere between?

 

[juliuspepperwood]

I would be very surprised if anyone took your old grades seriously after 100 units at 4.0

I have around 80 units at a 4.0 and I got questioned about a C in an English course from 6 years ago in an interview. Even with A's in English courses after that. It's a weird world out there.

 

[Pose]

I have around 80 units at a 4.0 and I got questioned about a C in an English course from 6 years ago in an interview. Even with A's in English courses after that. It's a weird world out there.

...Did you laugh?

 

[AlbinoHawk DO]

I have around 80 units at a 4.0 and I got questioned about a C in an English course from 6 years ago in an interview. Even with A's in English courses after that. It's a weird world out there.

I think being asked is different than them caring. When you ask a question like that, you are really asking how the applicant grew and what did the applicant do differently. That's different than looking at that C and wondering if that should merit rejecting you.

 

[CanePreMed]

I am in an almost exact situation with an AMCAS GPA just under 3.4 and AACOMAS of 3.6. The grades that weigh my app down are from before 1995. I applied to almost 60 MD schools and only got two interviews, with not a single in-state invite. I did, however, receive invites to almost every single DO school I applied (>20). I only attended two DO interviews and was accepted at both after which I cancelled all the remaining DO interviews. I was waitlisted at both MD programs.

I am of the opinion that almost any MD school who professes to a holistic review is full of crap. If you want a chance, you'd better blow your MCAT out of the park.

 

[gyngyn]

Everyone here has posted real points. You are doing what is necessary to redeem yourself to the schools that are open to re-invention. It is also true that admissions deans are expected to be able to publish/distribute aggregate data that reflect the "quality" of the students recruited. For every student with a low gpa or MCAT they will need to compensate with a requisite number of "overs." They clearly have a disincentive to interview very many "unders." Sadly, there is no metric for non-numerical strengths.
These are reasons that non-trads in your position have found more resonance at DO than MD schools. Grade replacement offers the the greatest opportunity for re-invention in the application process.

 

[Old Ham]

All in all, you're in a good zone. I trust you have all the needed ECs?

Not yet; I'm taking extra time to gain meaningful and sustained clinical experience. I worked full-time through my second go at college and focused on academics first. My shadowing and non-clinical volunteer experiences are solid though.