What are my chances for SGU?

[Jessny]

Since SGU does grade replacements, I'll be retaking 3 classes. That will give me a cGPA: 3.1
sGPA:2.67

Currently studying for the MCAT

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[bedevilled ben]

Since SGU does grade replacements, I'll be retaking 3 classes. That will give me a cGPA: 3.1
sGPA:2.67

Currently studying for the MCAT

It's impossible to tell you your chances when you're missing 50% of the equation, but I will tell you that that's quite a low sGPA even with grade replacement. You really need to hit the MCAT to ensure that you're properly prepared for medical school. The Step tests become the major determinant for your future success, and they are like monstrous MCATs on steroids. In my experience the students that overcome their deficiencies and succeed at SGU tend to have either a low GPA due to missteps in undergrad, or a low MCAT due to poor test-taking skills. The latter problem is much easier to correct, but has the potential to continue causing problems, as from here on out standardized tests are going to become your life. Applicants with both low GPAs and low MCAT scores tend to delude themselves that medical school will be different. It won't be, and it's a very risky wager when you consider the high cost of failure.

SGU will accept students with quite low scores for GPA and MCAT, so your goal shouldn't be to just make it into the program. You need to demonstrate for yourself that you have the ability to succeed in the program. If you're scoring <26 on the MCAT I would highly encourage you to reconsider.

 

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[muqalia]

Apply and see what happens

 

[Ryomagoku]

It's impossible to tell you your chances when you're missing 50% of the equation, but I will tell you that that's quite a low sGPA even with grade replacement. You really need to hit the MCAT to ensure that you're properly prepared for medical school. The Step tests become the major determinant for your future success, and they are like monstrous MCATs on steroids. In my experience the students that overcome their deficiencies and succeed at SGU tend to have either a low GPA due to missteps in undergrad, or a low MCAT due to poor test-taking skills. The latter problem is much easier to correct, but has the potential to continue causing problems, as from here on out standardized tests are going to become your life. Applicants with both low GPAs and low MCAT scores tend to delude themselves that medical school will be different. It won't be, and it's a very risky wager when you consider the high cost of failure.

SGU will accept students with quite low scores for GPA and MCAT, so your goal shouldn't be to just make it into the program. You need to demonstrate for yourself that you have the ability to succeed in the program. If you're scoring <26 on the MCAT I would highly encourage you to reconsider.

Wait SGU does grade replacement? Like DO school does?

 

[bedevilled ben]

Wait SGU does grade replacement? Like DO school does?

If you repeat an undergraduate course they will forgive the older grade, yes.

 

[Ryomagoku]

If you repeat an undergraduate course they will forgive the older grade, yes.

I think this and UQO will be the only choice I have now. With grade replacement after spending a year I will have al3.03 cgpa with 2.98sgpa and 32 MCAT
Hate life

 

[ThoracicGuy]

I think this and UQO will be the only choice I have now. With grade replacement after spending a year I will have al3.03 cgpa with 2.98sgpa and 32 MCAT
Hate life

You can't do the grade replacements and apply for DO spots? The MCAT is good for DO schools...

 

[truckboat]

It's impossible to tell. The Step tests become the major determinant for your future success, and they are like monstrous MCATs on steroids. In my

SGU will accept students with quite low scores for GPA and MCAT, so your goal shouldn't be to just make it into the program. You need to demonstrate for yourself that you have the ability to succeed in the program. If you're scoring <26 on the MCAT I would highly encourage you to reconsider.

Ehhhhhh... The content on the MCAT & the content on step 1 USMLE are different though... You don't need to know buoyancy equations or lens equations etc., on the USMLE... the content is all clinical based. It's like, "here's a patient, here are some symptoms and lab reports & you tell us what is going on:"

Whereas the MCAT is more of, "TGF-Beta is thrown into a living mammal with the gene marker SR101 having a missense mutation at codon AUC bla bla bla: what is the rate limiting step & what will the molecule look like?"

MCAT is hard sciences and psych and reading.. It's like taking 7 comprehensive finals at once. USMLE, from what I've seen, is focused on patient care 100% (from what I've seen in the practice tests! I haven't taken USMLE 1 yet).... But the subject matter on USMLE seems more interesting and relevant- potentially causing you to become excited about the material and be able to learn it extremely well! it's easier to learn material you are really interested in!

 

[truckboat]

I think this and UQO will be the only choice I have now. With grade replacement after spending a year I will have al3.03 cgpa with 2.98sgpa and 32 MCAT
Hate life

Dude your MCAT is rockstar status. Take your sciences you made bad grades in over, to show you are capable of making good grades in those courses. I say go ahead and apply but I'm not the best source. It just seems that with an MCAT like that, you have a lot of options.

I'd like to hear from someone on an admissions board on this topic

 

[NotAProgDirector]

Ehhhhhh... The content on the MCAT & the content on step 1 USMLE are different though... You don't need to know buoyancy equations or lens equations etc., on the USMLE... the content is all clinical based. It's like, "here's a patient, here are some symptoms and lab reports & you tell us what is going on:"

Whereas the MCAT is more of, "TGF-Beta is thrown into a living mammal with the gene marker SR101 having a missense mutation at codon AUC bla bla bla: what is the rate limiting step & what will the molecule look like?"

MCAT is hard sciences and psych and reading.. It's like taking 7 comprehensive finals at once. USMLE, from what I've seen, is focused on patient care 100% (from what I've seen in the practice tests! I haven't taken USMLE 1 yet).... But the subject matter on USMLE seems more interesting and relevant- potentially causing you to become excited about the material and be able to learn it extremely well! it's easier to learn material you are really interested in!

I hate to tell you this, but this is not really true. Step 1 covers a tremendous amount of very picky details. The names of all of the bones in the human body. The names of all of the various branches of the nervous system. All of the metabolic pathways including the names of all of the enzymes, cofactors, and rate limiting steps. The physics of physiology, blood flow, etc. Perhaps you'll find those subjects more interesting than those on the MCAT. But honestly, both exams mainly test your ability to learn and retain a very large amount of material over a long time. Unlike a "final exam" which you can cram for and pass, Step 1 covers all of the first 2 years of medical school. Imagine your entire 4 year undergrad ending with an exam that can ask any question on any topic from any textbook you used in all 4 years. That's the USMLE.

 

[ArsèneLupin]

I hate to tell you this, but this is not really true. Step 1 covers a tremendous amount of very picky details. The names of all of the bones in the human body. The names of all of the various branches of the nervous system. All of the metabolic pathways including the names of all of the enzymes, cofactors, and rate limiting steps. The physics of physiology, blood flow, etc. Perhaps you'll find those subjects more interesting than those on the MCAT. But honestly, both exams mainly test your ability to learn and retain a very large amount of material over a long time. Unlike a "final exam" which you can cram for and pass, Step 1 covers all of the first 2 years of medical school. Imagine your entire 4 year undergrad ending with an exam that can ask any question on any topic from any textbook you used in all 4 years. That's the USMLE.

Can't like this more than enough. A week of USMLE studying felt more intense than a whole cycle of MCAT studying. Regular medical school exam testing felt more like MCAT studying than anything else and that's the sad part I have had to reiterate to students. If you can't study for the MCAT, those bad study habits will spell disaster for just day to day studying for normal medical school exams

 

[truckboat]

Excellent advice gentlemen