Seeking advice for a low GPA student.

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sancasm

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Hi everyone,

I would like some advice on my next course of action. I will be graduating UCSD next quarter (summer/fall quarter) with a Biology degree, but my GPA is low. My uGPA is 3.0, but my AMCAS GPA is 2.88, and my AMCAS BCPM GPA is 2.75 and non-science is 3.05, using the excel AMCAS calculator. I have about 135 hours done, 80 science, and 55 nonscience. I also have an Econ minor. I have just recently turned it around (senior year (3.0 then 3.5 and now about to get 3.7/3.8). Yeah, I know have made mistakes in the first 2 1/2 years, but I can't focus on the past now.

ECs:

1. 100 hrs. ER experience in hospital, working with nurses/doctors and patients.

2. 2 years with a volunteer org. (1 year treasurer) where we go to Mexico and help out children in Tijuana promoting health, education, etc.

3. 2 1/2 years with Associate students, helping put together our annual Sun God festival (20,000 people attend. I was a coordinator for an entire stage for 1 year (managing, organizing, booking artists, etc.) I was also a health and safety lead, helping create a campaign to lower detox/drug related incidences for the festival, lowering it by 50%.

4. did Global Medical Brigades for a year, but I couldn’t raise enough money to go, so I am going to Guatemala in June to volunteer in a medical camp for a week.

5. Internship for public health for about 4 months now concerning hispanics in San Diego.

6. Intermural sport participating and volunteering here and there throughout college.

No shadowing experience yet. And I plan on working on that. I know this is vital to my application as well. I know what the life of many doctors are (relatives), but I haven’t shadowed.


MCAT:

Planning to take it during the summer (August/September), as I am studying for it now. I have been doing well in the practice tests. Scoring around 30(have not reviewed half the material yet).

My questions:

1. I have about 7 Cs in BCPM classes, should I retake and get as on all of them. If I do DO replacement, then I would have my GPA bump to 3.3/ 3.4 cGPA, sGPA? Would I need to do the same for MD?

2. If I took 30 more hours’ worth of new BCPM upper-div classes, it would take my AMCAS sGPA and cGPA to 3.05, averaging ~3.7 for all of them? Should I apply next cycle if I score 34/35 on my MCAT?

3. Is it ok if I take the lower-div classes (I got like 5 Cs in them) at a CC due to financial hardships for family, and I am already in debt/no job. There is no guarantee that I will be able to take all those classes with UCSD Extension( lower div and lot of pre-med students), and UCI extension (very close to my home) would be the same situation. I am really determined and I know I can do well, but I just don’t know where to take these classes due to financial situation and actually getting the classes.

4. Should I apply next year if I get a 35 on the MCAT and get 100-200 hours of shadowing/ clinical experience and retake all the Cs?

5. What other options do I have?

I have browsed and researched past threads, but I am not getting a definitive answer to my situation.

Thank you for reading this. I appreciate it.

P.S. I can upload the excel sheet if it helps further.

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Yes and yes. Keep in mind that AAMCAS doesn't do grade replacement, only averaging.

1. I have about 7 Cs in BCPM classes, should I retake and get as on all of them. If I do DO replacement, then I would have my GPA bump to 3.3/ 3.4 cGPA, sGPA? Would I need to do the same for MD?

yes. There are MD schools that beleive in reinvention, when combined with a good MCAT.

2. If I took 30 more hours’ worth of new BCPM upper-div classes, it would take my AMCAS sGPA and cGPA to 3.05, averaging ~3.7 for all of them? Should I apply next cycle if I score 34/35 on my MCAT?

yes
3. Is it ok if I take the lower-div classes (I got like 5 Cs in them) at a CC due to financial hardships for family, and I am already in debt/no job. There is no guarantee that I will be able to take all those classes with UCSD Extension( lower div and lot of pre-med students), and UCI extension (very close to my home) would be the same situation. I am really determined and I know I can do well, but I just don’t know where to take these classes due to financial situation and actually getting the classes.

Not ofr MD schools. I think you'll need to show more than just acing the C classes. You really need to show Adcoms you can survive in medical school. BTW, you blithely throw out 34/35 result on the MCAT as if it's like chewing gum. You're asking the same this as "if I score a 94-95 on the next exam"?

4. Should I apply next year if I get a 35 on the MCAT and get 100-200 hours of shadowing/ clinical experience and retake all the Cs?

SMP program given by a medical school is the best option. Its' your back door to medical school.
5. What other options do I have?

I have browsed and researched past threads, but I am not getting a definitive answer to my situation.

Thank you for reading this. I appreciate it.

P.S. I can upload the excel sheet if it helps further.[/QUOTE]
 
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Hi everyone,

I would like some advice on my next course of action. I will be graduating UCSD next quarter (summer/fall quarter) with a Biology degree, but my GPA is low. My uGPA is 3.0, but my AMCAS GPA is 2.88, and my AMCAS BCPM GPA is 2.75 and non-science is 3.05, using the excel AMCAS calculator. I have about 135 hours done, 80 science, and 55 nonscience. I also have an Econ minor. I have just recently turned it around (senior year (3.0 then 3.5 and now about to get 3.7/3.8). Yeah, I know have made mistakes in the first 2 1/2 years, but I can't focus on the past now.

ECs:

1. 100 hrs. ER experience in hospital, working with nurses/doctors and patients.

2. 2 years with a volunteer org. (1 year treasurer) where we go to Mexico and help out children in Tijuana promoting health, education, etc.

3. 2 1/2 years with Associate students, helping put together our annual Sun God festival (20,000 people attend. I was a coordinator for an entire stage for 1 year (managing, organizing, booking artists, etc.) I was also a health and safety lead, helping create a campaign to lower detox/drug related incidences for the festival, lowering it by 50%.

4. did Global Medical Brigades for a year, but I couldn’t raise enough money to go, so I am going to Guatemala in June to volunteer in a medical camp for a week.

5. Internship for public health for about 4 months now concerning hispanics in San Diego.

6. Intermural sport participating and volunteering here and there throughout college.

No shadowing experience yet. And I plan on working on that. I know this is vital to my application as well. I know what the life of many doctors are (relatives), but I haven’t shadowed.


MCAT:

Planning to take it during the summer (August/September), as I am studying for it now. I have been doing well in the practice tests. Scoring around 30(have not reviewed half the material yet).

My questions:

1. I have about 7 Cs in BCPM classes, should I retake and get as on all of them. If I do DO replacement, then I would have my GPA bump to 3.3/ 3.4 cGPA, sGPA? Would I need to do the same for MD?

2. If I took 30 more hours’ worth of new BCPM upper-div classes, it would take my AMCAS sGPA and cGPA to 3.05, averaging ~3.7 for all of them? Should I apply next cycle if I score 34/35 on my MCAT?

3. Is it ok if I take the lower-div classes (I got like 5 Cs in them) at a CC due to financial hardships for family, and I am already in debt/no job. There is no guarantee that I will be able to take all those classes with UCSD Extension( lower div and lot of pre-med students), and UCI extension (very close to my home) would be the same situation. I am really determined and I know I can do well, but I just don’t know where to take these classes due to financial situation and actually getting the classes.

4. Should I apply next year if I get a 35 on the MCAT and get 100-200 hours of shadowing/ clinical experience and retake all the Cs?

5. What other options do I have?

I have browsed and researched past threads, but I am not getting a definitive answer to my situation.

Thank you for reading this. I appreciate it.

P.S. I can upload the excel sheet if it helps further.

Your options depend largely on your MCAT score, and how strongly you feel about avoiding DO schools:

1) You get a 35 and REALLY don't want to be a DO: Your plan is good. Get As. Get the AMCAS GPA over a 3.0. Then do an SMP. Then apply to medical school. That's the way I got into medical school, BTW (finished with a 2.8, 34MCAT)

2) You get a much more achievable 30, REALLY don't want to be a DO: This is going to be multiple years of rehab. Retake the Cs and get As, then take As in upper division courses. Either delay graduation for a second major or enroll at a comparable institution (ideally not a CC). You're going to want at least a 3.4 average, and then you are going to need an insanely broad, early application packet applying to the lowest tier MD schools.

3) You get a 35 and are willing to go to a DO school: apply broadly to all DO and lower ranked MD schools. Get as many As as you can (with grade replacement) before the next application season but you have a chance of getting in with just that MCAT and your current GPA

4) You get a 30 and will go DO: basically the same as 3, but now you actually NEED to ace the retake the classes. If you can really get up to a 3.4 with grade replacement you have a chance of going. You need to ace the classes, though.

5) You get a 25/20/15/8 (yes I've seen it) on the MCAT: Unfortunately there is a good chance that the MCAT is not going to be an easy out for you. If you give it your best shot (review course, several months dedicated to studying) and nothing works out I would strongly consider that this might not be the career for you. Fair or not, medicine is a career that centers on standardized tests. Don't invest a bunch of money in improving your GPA if you know you can't pass the MCAT. It won't get you in, and even if it does it will get you in to a never ending nightmare of similar standardized tests that you absolutely have to ace, one after another.

What NOT to do:

1) DON'T get a masters that is not an SMP. This is not a path to medicine if your GPA is low

2) DON'T join the peace corps/Marine Corps/Teach for America. At least, not as an application booster. Its a nice idea in general, of course. A 'super EC' like that won't fix your grades.

3) DON'T go to the Caribbean: At some point in this process you are going to realize that the Caribbean is offering medical school seats to people just like you. Don't accept. They offer the chance to be a doctor in the same way the lottery offers a chance to be rich. A vanishingly small percentage of their matriculants will become board certified doctors. Everyone else is a student loan conduit and will be trapped under non-dischargable debt forever.

4) Don't accept an offer from just any SMP. Similar to #3, there a million of these things now and only a handful have anything like a real success rate. Resarch before you apply, only go if you think they actually frequently get people into medical school.. SDN has a whole forum devoted to Postbac program where you can learn more.
 
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Ok thanks Goro and Perrotfish. You guys are awesome! I know a lot depends on the MCAT, so I will be studying arduously this summer.

A follow-up question if you don't mind me asking-

1. I know CC isn't ideal, would it be alright to take 3-4 classes there? Thing is, I can only be here at UCSD until Fall quarter, which ends in December. And almost all other schools run on semester system. So, I was thinking of doing 1 semester of CC, after I take all upper-div coursework for my fall quarter and graduate.

Once again, thanks!
 
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