Very Low GPA High MCAT - What are my chances?

[jimijo23]

Hello,

I wanted to post here to get a sense of what my chances are. I know there are other similar threads and I'm not sure if I should have posted to one of those instead. I'm sorry if I'm violating some kind of rule.

So I graduated from a top 20 university in 2008 with a History degree. My mom was an alcoholic (and not the 'white wine in the afternoon' type, but the 'bottom-shelf vodka, rage all night' type). This was very distracting during my college years. I wasn't very motivated as far as school was concerned, and my grades suffered as a result. My major problem was foreign languages - I failed 13 credits. I also withdrew from several classes.

After graduation I worked as an artist for a while. My significant other, who I've been with since 2007, has a medical condition that has worsened over the years. For this reason and a variety of others (it's complex, ya know?), I decided to try for medical school.

I returned to school in 2012 to take science courses, as I had only 3 science courses in UG. I finished with a 3.72 for 49 credits, with some upper-level classes. I also scored a 36 on the MCAT last year. I tried to calculate my AMCAS GPA's. It looks like I will have:
cGPA 2.45
BCPM cGPA 3.46
AO cGPA 2.083

My ECs are not very impressive - 35 hrs as an escort at a VA hospital, 25 hrs as a hospice volunteer, MCAT instructor for six months, shadowed a doc for about 40 hrs.

I've already submitted my app for MD. I'm applying to 17 schools, mostly in the Midwest (I'm a Michigan resident). I also plan on applying to about 5 DO schools, also in the Midwest.

What are my chances? Thank you in advance for your replies.

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[Grace184]

Not a chance with the cumulative scores- and your science is low for md as well.

Even with DO, you need to break at least a 3.0. for cumulative.

You also have very low volunteer and clinical hrs.

Do you represent a community ie URM? Would you be considered disadvantaged (years 0-18) ie was your mother unable to care for you due to her addiction/disease? Poverty line, etc?

 

[Grace184]

Your MCAT is awesome by the way!

 

[Nysor_bttw]

Not a chance with the cumulative scores- and your science is low for md as well.

You also have very low volunteer and clinical hrs.

What she said. You're going to need an SMP or do some major grade replacement work for DO.

 

[jimijo23]

Not a chance with the cumulative scores- and your science is low for md as well.

Even with DO, you need to break at least a 3.0. for cumulative.

You also have very low volunteer and clinical hrs.

Do you represent a community ie URM? Would you be considered disadvantaged (years 0-18) ie was your mother unable to care for you due to her addiction/disease? Poverty line, etc?

Thanks for the reply, and for the compliment.

I know I need more/better ECs. I know the cumulative is low, and I probably should focus more on DO. I just really did not want to have to take foreign language courses (two different languages, btw) to replace the failing grades. But I suppose I may have to.

In response to your Q's, no I'm not URM. I am biracial, but I don't think I qualify as URM. I may be considered disadvantaged, but I'm not applying as such. My mother was in prison for six years during my childhood, but I always got pretty good grades, high test scores, and went to a good university. We were definitely not doing well financially in those years, but not below the poverty line.

Thanks.

 

[Grace184]

Actually, and I may be wrong on this so refer to the aacomas manual, baking biracial can classify you as URM. This can open a lot more doors. Don't take my word, just look into it further. There is also a URM form on SDN where they give more information.

 

[Grace184]

And by biracial, I'm interpreting that as half black, half white

 

[Goro]

There are med schools that believe in reinvention. Ty Vanderbilt, Case, Duke, U Miami, BU, Tulane, Tufts, Your state schools, Albany, NYMC, Columbia, any DO school, and all new MD schools plus the low tiers.

And do let us know how it goes! Good luck!

Hello,

I wanted to post here to get a sense of what my chances are. I know there are other similar threads and I'm not sure if I should have posted to one of those instead. I'm sorry if I'm violating some kind of rule.

So I graduated from a top 20 university in 2008 with a History degree. My mom was an alcoholic (and not the 'white wine in the afternoon' type, but the 'bottom-shelf vodka, rage all night' type). This was very distracting during my college years. I wasn't very motivated as far as school was concerned, and my grades suffered as a result. My major problem was foreign languages - I failed 13 credits. I also withdrew from several classes.

After graduation I worked as an artist for a while. My significant other, who I've been with since 2007, has a medical condition that has worsened over the years. For this reason and a variety of others (it's complex, ya know?), I decided to try for medical school.

I returned to school in 2012 to take science courses, as I had only 3 science courses in UG. I finished with a 3.72 for 49 credits, with some upper-level classes. I also scored a 36 on the MCAT last year. I tried to calculate my AMCAS GPA's. It looks like I will have:
cGPA 2.45
BCPM cGPA 3.46
AO cGPA 2.083

My ECs are not very impressive - 35 hrs as an escort at a VA hospital, 25 hrs as a hospice volunteer, MCAT instructor for six months, shadowed a doc for about 40 hrs.

I've already submitted my app for MD. I'm applying to 17 schools, mostly in the Midwest (I'm a Michigan resident). I also plan on applying to about 5 DO schools, also in the Midwest.

What are my chances? Thank you in advance for your replies.

 

[mavric1298]

Goro, you just have that list as a quick saved copy paste don't you! But seriously, very helpful to keep in mind when applying...And I would say your chances are what they are, there is nothing you can do at this point; but I would always look towards not getting in, and start working on what you could improve on your app in case you don't and will be a reapplicant. It could be until just before the start of next cycle before you know whether or not you got in anywhere, which doesn't leave a lot of room to improve, so start doing that now. If you do get in, awesome! If not, then you are prepared