Retaking courses to boost GPA

[shuna2002]

I'm a graduating senior from an undergraduate school, and been rejected from medical schools mostly because of my bad GPA. (3.3)

Yes, my GPA is not good enough to apply for medical schools, but I just cannot give up my dream that I had for many years.

So I'm thinking about staying in the same school for another year and retake some science and general courses (well, not just some, quite a bit).

Do you think it will look bad on my transcript if I retake those classes?
My advisor tells me to take uppder division science courses, but I know that won't boost my GPA even if I get all A's.

So I believe retaking courses is the best way to boost undergrad GPA, but I'm not sure if it will be look bad to medical school committees.

Is it ok to retake many courses to boost my GPA from the same school?
Is it better to just take uppder division science even if it won't boost GPA much?
Or do you recommend post-bacc program? (but I know they are difficult to get in)
Or any better ideas?

If I were to retake anything B+ and below, that means retaking 15 classes!
If I were to retake anything B- and below, that is 10 classes!

I've been so frustrated and stressed out!
Please help!

Your advice will make my life brighter!

Thank you in advance.

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[lovemesomeTJ]

If you're applying to DO schools, definitely re-take the courses as the AAMCOMAS application will replace the old scores with the new one when it comes time to calculate GPA (it's practically like you never received the bad grades).

If you're applying MD, it would be a better idea to re-take if you got a C- or lower in the class, in addition to taking upper division science courses that will still give you undergraduate credit. A grade is a grade is a grade, meaning that an A in a repeat will do the same as an A in an upper division, but an A in repeats won't impress adcoms as much as As in upper divisions that you haven't yet taken.

Oh, and that's a LOT of courses to retake! Take a year of full-load courses, and get As, and that will impress adcoms.

 

[DrMidlife]

If you're applying to DO schools, definitely re-take the courses as the AAMCOMAS application will replace the old scores with the new one when it comes time to calculate GPA (it's practically like you never received the bad grades).

If you're applying MD, it would be a better idea to re-take if you got a C- or lower in the class, in addition to taking upper division science courses that will still give you undergraduate credit. A grade is a grade is a grade, meaning that an A in a repeat will do the same as an A in an upper division, but an A in repeats won't impress adcoms as much as As in upper divisions that you haven't yet taken.

...and the reason why it's different for MD is that MD schools do not forgive the old bad grade when you retake. So new coursework with A's does the same thing to your GPA as repeated coursework with A's, for MD schools.

Oh, and that's a LOT of courses to retake! Take a year of full-load courses, and get As, and that will impress adcoms.

Depends on the cumulative undergrad GPA after that year...two years might be necessary, even for DO, if cuGPA is very low.

Best of luck to you.

 

[chris1224tine]

which medical schools did you apply to? As far as DO schools, keep up with your clinical/volunteering extracurriculars and there should be no reason a DO school wouldnt give you a chance. I've known people with barely a 3.0 get accepted into DO school, but you have to work hard in other aspects of the application besides your GPA.

 

[nuk24]

I have a very low gpa... right now its at 2.7. Im doing poor in organic chemistry and plan on retaking a lot of my courses! I just had a meeting with the prehealth advisor yesterday and she pretty much told me to re-evaluate my career goals. I do want to study medicine. It's been my goal for a while, just with life and financial issues my education got hit the hardest. I've had to withdraw from courses, and received a c in organic chem and bioII. I'm taking organic chem II right now and am doing poor so I plan on retaking both chem I and chem II again for a better grade. Any advice? Should I really give up?

 

[Richardh]

no don't give up. you haven't even applied to med schools so how do you know that you don't have a shot? take one step at a time. so do retake those courses and improve your gpa. if undergrad gpa doesn't improve then theres always special master's program or post-bac by and large your mcat scores are also important. there are those who have low gpa but high mcat scores. keep pursuing and your hard work will pay off

 

[physcigirl27]

.

 

[artdent]

quick question! if you are not a science major and can't do post bacc what should you do ???
just retake courses that you got a C and take upper division courses and recieve an A ?
thanks !

 

[deleted390966]

Gosh, don't retake courses that you got B- or better in!

 

[cabinbuilder]

I have a very low gpa... right now its at 2.7. Im doing poor in organic chemistry and plan on retaking a lot of my courses! I just had a meeting with the prehealth advisor yesterday and she pretty much told me to re-evaluate my career goals. I do want to study medicine. It's been my goal for a while, just with life and financial issues my education got hit the hardest. I've had to withdraw from courses, and received a c in organic chem and bioII. I'm taking organic chem II right now and am doing poor so I plan on retaking both chem I and chem II again for a better grade. Any advice? Should I really give up?

OMG, if I had $10 for every time a pre-med advisor told me to "rethink my career path" I would be so rich and never would have had to look at a career. Just remember that pre-med advisors never went to medical school, most likely tried to get it at one point and were turned down, and really have no clue as to how to help you.

If you are far into your under-grad credits, retaking classes in the long run doesn't really help your over all GPA. If you are close to graduating, then get your diploma. You are better off going back as a post bacc student and taking the pre-req's that you need good grades in. I found that when I did I was much more relaxed and the material wasn't as hard as I had made it out to be before.

 

[saehwa]

OMG, if I had $10 for every time a pre-med advisor told me to "rethink my career path" I would be so rich and never would have had to look at a career. Just remember that per-med advisors never went to medical school, most likely tried to get it at one point and were turned down, and really have no clue as to how to help you.

If you are far into your under-grad credits, retaking classes in the long run doesn't really help your over all GPA. If you are close to graduating, then get your diploma. You are better off going back as a post bacc student and taking the pre-req's that you need good grades in. I found that when I did I was much more relaxed and the material wasn't as hard as I had made it out to be before.

This advice really gave me hope. I reallyy want to become a doctor since i was very little, in particular, i want to get into Optometry school. I did really well in high school and somehow when i got into college, my grades started to fall. I did well in every course except freshman fall semester when i failed my calculus I and i guess the fact that it was my first class that i ever failed in my educational life, it took an emotional toll on me. I thought i was such a failure. Then sophomore came by and i failed my Organic chemistry I class and getting A's seemed so much more harder to get as the semesters went by. At the end of my sophomore year i was near the point of probation (2.1 GPA). Junior year was a majority of Cs and Bs, and now I am a senior. Im not even sure if i'll be able to graduate on time because Im trying so hard to raise my GPA... I get embarrassed everytime when my friends ask me what my GPA is... (being surrounded by potential doctors as well + asians).

Should I just take upper division courses and raise my GPA that way? or should i go back and retake my courses that i got Cs or less on? or should i just get my bacc degree and raise my gpa after? Im so lost as to what to do anymore..

 

[beBrave]

I'm a graduating senior from an undergraduate school, and been rejected from medical schools mostly because of my bad GPA. (3.3)

Yes, my GPA is not good enough to apply for medical schools, but I just cannot give up my dream that I had for many years.

So I'm thinking about staying in the same school for another year and retake some science and general courses (well, not just some, quite a bit).

Do you think it will look bad on my transcript if I retake those classes?
My advisor tells me to take uppder division science courses, but I know that won't boost my GPA even if I get all A's.

So I believe retaking courses is the best way to boost undergrad GPA, but I'm not sure if it will be look bad to medical school committees.

Is it ok to retake many courses to boost my GPA from the same school?
Is it better to just take uppder division science even if it won't boost GPA much?
Or do you recommend post-bacc program? (but I know they are difficult to get in)
Or any better ideas?

If I were to retake anything B+ and below, that means retaking 15 classes!
If I were to retake anything B- and below, that is 10 classes!

I've been so frustrated and stressed out!
Please help!

Your advice will make my life brighter!

Thank you in advance.

I doubt you got rejected from Med school just because of your 3.3 GPA. For some that's the best they will ever be able to accomplish. The real question is what were your MCAT scores, BCPM/SGPA; What extracurricular activities did you have listed. Have you been volunteering and shadowing? Is the low nature of your 3.3 a result of poor grades in science classes, if any of this is true then you should stop focusing on your CGPA and instead on the science. Almost no school will accept you without extracurricular's a decent SGPA and a 30 - 33 min MCAT score (for allopathic programs). Re-evaluate and focus more on the big picture.

Finally you should be applying to a minimum of 15 schools and that's the bare minimum which includes DO and MD; you should also research the programs carefully and look for programs that specifically state that they are looking for students from non-privileged or non traditional backgrounds and tailor your personal statement to reflect your consistent hard work and growth as you work towards your dream of becoming a Physician to help sick people (make sure that this part is believable; Medical schools want students who understand that a Doctors only job is to help sick people).

You can raise your GPA to a 3.8 but if you don't address those other issues it won't matter. Be careful retaking classes; I took Calc three times and failed calc twice only managing a D the third time (I also have a degree in business Admin, A's and B's in all my accounting and Computer Science classes); I don't intend to retake Calc as if I don't do well, it would only bring down my BCPM and overall CGPA in allopathic programs; for a DO program it could help but to be honest DO programs don't typically require calc and many MD programs don't require it or will allow you to substitute it with a year of college math or even computer science credits. I suggest not retaking classes unless you are positive that you can pass with a much better grade. If you retake a class where you got a B- and get a C, then that C gets counted in your Alllopathic CGPA; however if it was a DO program, then the B- would remain in force. Your current GPA can get you into an Allopathic program if you focus more on the other area's I mentioned. Trying to raise your cGPA by a few points while neglecting everything else will just be a waste of time.

 

[cabinbuilder]

This advice really gave me hope. I reallyy want to become a doctor since i was very little, in particular, i want to get into Optometry school. I did really well in high school and somehow when i got into college, my grades started to fall. I did well in every course except freshman fall semester when i failed my calculus I and i guess the fact that it was my first class that i ever failed in my educational life, it took an emotional toll on me. I thought i was such a failure. Then sophomore came by and i failed my Organic chemistry I class and getting A's seemed so much more harder to get as the semesters went by. At the end of my sophomore year i was near the point of probation (2.1 GPA). Junior year was a majority of Cs and Bs, and now I am a senior. Im not even sure if i'll be able to graduate on time because Im trying so hard to raise my GPA... I get embarrassed everytime when my friends ask me what my GPA is... (being surrounded by potential doctors as well + asians).

Should I just take upper division courses and raise my GPA that way? or should i go back and retake my courses that i got Cs or less on? or should i just get my bacc degree and raise my gpa after? Im so lost as to what to do anymore..

sounds like you are totally burned out and totally desperate to get into medical school that you just dont' have ther energy or capability to go one much more. (I was there). I would get your degree and just be done with it. You are caught in this cycle of just reapeating classes and trying to raise your GPA and falling more into the abyss of numbers. Just finish your degree and be done. TAKE A BREAK, rest your mind. When you are ready, go back and take the pre-req's you need to prove your worthiness. Be sure you take a full load of science and work and/or volunteer to show you can handle the load. It's not the end but you are struggling and need to do something else for a while.

 

[nnpbruin13]

This advice really gave me hope. I reallyy want to become a doctor since i was very little, in particular, i want to get into Optometry school. I did really well in high school and somehow when i got into college, my grades started to fall. I did well in every course except freshman fall semester when i failed my calculus I and i guess the fact that it was my first class that i ever failed in my educational life, it took an emotional toll on me. I thought i was such a failure. Then sophomore came by and i failed my Organic chemistry I class and getting A's seemed so much more harder to get as the semesters went by. At the end of my sophomore year i was near the point of probation (2.1 GPA). Junior year was a majority of Cs and Bs, and now I am a senior. Im not even sure if i'll be able to graduate on time because Im trying so hard to raise my GPA... I get embarrassed everytime when my friends ask me what my GPA is... (being surrounded by potential doctors as well + asians).

Should I just take upper division courses and raise my GPA that way? or should i go back and retake my courses that i got Cs or less on? or should i just get my bacc degree and raise my gpa after? Im so lost as to what to do anymore..

Hello,

Sorry I was reading through the forums and I came across your post. I am in a similar situation as you were and I was wondering, what did you end up doing, and are you still pursuing optometry school? I'm hoping for some sign of good news so that I can have hope too!

 

[ZedsDed]

Hello,

Sorry I was reading through the forums and I came across your post. I am in a similar situation as you were and I was wondering, what did you end up doing, and are you still pursuing optometry school? I'm hoping for some sign of good news so that I can have hope too!

OP hasn't logged-in in 5 years.