What are my chances getting into med. school with a 2.2 GPA? (Let the bashing begin.)

[jumpman23]

Hi there,

I would just like preface this by saying this is my first post.

I am a Biochemistry major with a 2.2 GPA at a state school. I will be entering my sophomore year credits wise; junior year by the year I entered college.

After taking Cell Biology and General Chemistry twice and recieving B's the second time around, I will be taking Orgo I, Physics, Microbiology, and a non-science course in the fall. I have an upward trend from incredibly bad to all B's this spring semester.

I am going to see where my GPA is at the end of the Spring of '06; but I am pretty much already planning on going to India for med. school in the Fall of '06.

My question to you guys is: Do I have a chance to getting to any med. school in the US if I apply in a couple years? I don't think I do, even if I slam these upcoming fall and spring semesters with 4.0's. Any responses would be helpful; any responses getting into med. school with a similar situation as me would be more helpful.

I know I am going to get comments like "Your such a dumbf*uck for doing so badly, no you won't get in anywhere in the US, your worthless, go die in a hole", but I am going to ask my question anyways. Thanks for reading this and I am looking forward your responses.

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[tinkerbelle]

The upward trend in your gpa is a good start. But at the moment, your gpa is extrememly low. You still have 2 years of undergrad left to raise your gpa.. i don't know if that's enough time though. You really should consider doing a post-bac program to help raise your gpa. If you do really well in a post-bac program and on the MCAT, then could possibly have a shot at a US med school. You should also consider DO schools. Stats for DO schools are usually a little lower than for MD school (and you'll still be an American doctor no matter which type of school you go to).

 

[doc05]

you won't get in with a 2.2

Why assume you'll get a 4.0 from now on given your low grades thus far? Can you handle Orgo, Physics, and Microbiology all in the same semester and manage all A's??

Be realistic with yourself. And good luck.

 

[criminallyinane]

Can you handle Orgo, Physics, and Microbiology all in the same semester and manage all A's??

That was my question. Also, why are you a year behind in credits? Is it because you had to make up for failed classes? And why would you go to India before finishing college? No matter what, I would advise getting your college degree before going to md school. Also, why would you go to foreign school without finishing up college and then at least trying to get into american md school?

If you want to get into US MD school, you need to take another 3 years of undergrad (even if that includes a post-bacc) and do extremely well. You need to get your GPA above a 3.0, preferably towards a 3.3 at least. You need to take the MCAT and get a solid 34+ offset your poor GPA. If you feel like you have the chutzpah to do all of this, then you can get into US MD school. If you don't, then you should go to India.

 

[ajt2003]

That was my question. Also, why are you a year behind in credits? Is it because you had to make up for failed classes? And why would you go to India before finishing college? No matter what, I would advise getting your college degree before going to md school. Also, why would you go to foreign school without finishing up college and then at least trying to get into american md school?

If you want to get into US MD school, you need to take another 3 years of undergrad (even if that includes a post-bacc) and do extremely well. You need to get your GPA above a 3.0, preferably towards a 3.3 at least. You need to take the MCAT and get a solid 34+ offset your poor GPA. If you feel like you have the chutzpah to do all of this, then you can get into US MD school. If you don't, then you should go to India.

Um, totally kudos for using the word 'chutzpah' in your post. It's often not utilized enough. Well done. Well done, indeed.

(I have nothing of real use to contribute to this thread.)

 

[jumpman23]

Maybe that schedule is a bit optimistic, I will see how it goes the first week and drop any appropriate classes.

Right, I am behind in credits because I had to retake a bunch of classes.

Well, my logic going to India was to save a couple years. For example, suppose it would take 3 years to finish off my undergrad and then another year to do a post-bacc and on the small chance that I did get in, it would be a total of four years.

The Indian system is 4 years of schooling over there, and then 1 year of internship in the US. From there you begin the normal path of residency and so forth as a normal US med. school grad, although you are more at a disadvantage to find matches because you are a FMG compared the US grads.

At some point I need to figure out when to cut my losses. It would be horrible to finish out 3 more years and then apply and get rejected from every school I apply to (which is a likely possibility), whereas I could have been entering my 3rd year of medicine in India if I left in '06. This is a major part the dilemma for me. While I save time, I have the weigh the con of having a FMG degree vs. a US degree.

BTW, you don't need an undergrad degree to go to India for med. school; there are even kids that go straight from high school in the US to med. school in India.

 

[UMMSM]

you won't get in with a 2.2

Why assume you'll get a 4.0 from now on given your low grades thus far? Can you handle Orgo, Physics, and Microbiology all in the same semester and manage all A's??

Be realistic with yourself. And good luck.

exactly. try but if it doesnt happen you can always do a post bac to improve your gpa.

 

[dm1279]

At some point I need to figure out when to cut my losses. It would be horrible to finish out 3 more years and then apply and get rejected from every school I apply to (which is a likely possibility), whereas I could have been entering my 3rd year of medicine in India if I left in '06. This is a major part the dilemma for me. While I save time, I have the weigh the con of having a FMG degree vs. a US degree.

The first decision you need to make is whether or not you actually, really, truly, WANT to go to med school. Sometimes it seems easier to continue on a path that you've already started than to examine whether or not that's really what you want to do. If you decide it really is what you want to do, then you've got to suck it up and put in whatever time it takes to get there. Although it seems like you need to a be in a big rush to get to med school, it's better to take your time and do it right.

Secondly, are you doing a heavy-duty science major because you think that's what med schools want even though you aren't a "sciency" person? If so, you can change to a major you enjoy and then just take the necessary science classes (plus a additional upper division science courses to show you can handle the work). If you enjoy what you're studying, then you're more likely to do well.

Finally, if you get to the end of your undergraduate career and your gpa isn't quite where it needs to be, then consider doing a potbac program. I would recommed doing one that allows you to take actual medical school classes, because you need to prove that you are cut out for the rigors of medical school. Not only do this improve your chances of getting in to medical school, it can be a HUGE confidence boost to those who didn't do as well as they would have liked as undergrads.

Whatever you do, don't just apply to see what happens. If your stats aren't strong enough, you will have wasted a ton of money. Additionally, when you reapply, you will be forced to prove that your application has changed significantly from when you applied the first time, and this can be a big hill to climb.

Don't lost heart, though. I graduated from college with a gpa below 3.0 and an initial MCAT below 30. Obvioulsy I didn't apply. I took a year off and worked while deciding if med school was right for me. Then I did the Master's program at BU and finished with a strong graduate gpa and a strong MCAT and was accepted at multiple med schools, so you can overcome your undergraduate gpa and get into a US allopathic school. Feel free to PM me if I can answer any specific questions for you.

 

[crazy_cavalier]

one hyphenated word:

POST-BACC

and you need to spank it. spank it like it's never been spanked before. also, spanking the MCAT is another good move. actually, come to think of it, just in general, spank everything.

hope that helps!!
your friendly neighborhood cavalier,
cc.

 

[CerealBox]

BTW, you don't need an undergrad degree to go to India for med. school; there are even kids that go straight from high school in the US to med. school in India.

is that true? woah.. that doesn't make me feel great about seeing doctors from Indian medical schools...

 

[idq1i]

is that true? woah.. that doesn't make me feel great about seeing doctors from Indian medical schools...

To the OP: If you are not simply trolling, why are you posting a garbage thread? You know the answer to your question.

Do you really need to read lame responses such as the one I quoted?

 

[wetlightning]

is that true? woah.. that doesn't make me feel great about seeing doctors from Indian medical schools...

it's just a different system, that's all

indian docs end high school at 10th grade, then have a 2-year "college degree" aka premed on crack --they do bio, physics, chem, etc...all the stuff that we spread out over 4 years

THEN they go to med school for 5 years (at least that's how it was when my parents trained...not sure how different the system is now)

of course, it's a totally different story when kids from the u.s., etc go to india---i don't know how it works (whether they do some background prepping before going in to med school, etc.)

from my experience, indian med school grads are very well trained (at least the ones who have gone through the entire system)...the only downfall is that they don't get to experience a wider variety of activities/academics like we do, since they only have 2 years of undergrad. it's a much more rigid path, but i'd contend that it turns out pretty dedicated physicians.

PLUS, they aren't as burnt out b/c they haven't gone through 4 years of h.s., 4 years of undergrad, and then 4 years of med school like us.

 

[crazy_cavalier]

is that true? woah.. that doesn't make me feel great about seeing doctors from Indian medical schools...

this is insanely unfair. anyone who is practicing in the US must be licensed to do so. licensed to practice = must pass licensing exams = is qualified to practice medicine. if they come from an indian med school, or siberian or caribbean or mexican or swedish or ANYWHERE, that shouldn't influence whether you think they are competent - if they pass the US licensing exam you should feel just as comfortable about them taking care of you.

 

[buffalomoose]

You CAN do it, but you need to realize that if you get ANYTHING below an "A" in any course from here on forward, it is a waste of your time and money.

That will undoubtedly require a reevaluation of your life goals, but if you decide that medicine is for you, then go for it.

Don't go to India for med school. It may seem like a shortcut but you'll eventually find out that its more trouble than its worth. You think you're having problems getting into a US school now? Wait until you try and match with a mediocre GPA from a way way way foreign med school. And you think the MCATS are tough? Try putting the pressure on your USMLE scores which determine whether or not you can come back to the US!

Good luck!

 

[jumpman23]

This may be on the wrong board, but does anybody know of any specific disadvantages of having a FMG degree vs. a US degree? How much harder is it to match for residency?

I know the transition from going to a foreign country for med. school and expect to do extremly well on the USLME while having a less than medicore GPA in the states would be hard, but that is the type of attitude I would have to take if I was put in that situation.

I am just going to put all my effort and try to ace Orgo I and the other subjects that I take this fall. Obviously actions speak louder than words, I am going start taking "action".

I think I am just going to adapt a "Rocky" theme when it comes to my grades: it's me against the world!

 

[crazy_cavalier]

I think I am just going to adapt a "Rocky" theme when it comes to my grades: it's me against the world!

insirational

"...Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

Chorus:
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the cream of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all in the eye of the tiger

..."

 

[criminallyinane]

Um, totally kudos for using the word 'chutzpah' in your post. It's often not utilized enough. Well done. Well done, indeed.

(I have nothing of real use to contribute to this thread.)

Thanks, buddy!

I would also like to second the statements about Indian doctors being well-trained. My friend's father grew up in India and trained there and is excellent. Their system is different, but not inferior, to ours.

 

[AnotherDork]

This may be on the wrong board, but does anybody know of any specific disadvantages of having a FMG degree vs. a US degree? How much harder is it to match for residency?

"Iserson's Getting Into a Residency" has a really good, detailed section about the different hoops you have to jump through and the difficulty of matching as a FMG. Basically, it depends on where you got your medical education, what type of residency you are looking for, and your board scores/ English language skills. I don't think it goes into specific issues for different countries like India, but it is a good overview. Good luck.

Also, while I applaud the addition of the term "chutzpah" to a thread about Indian medical schools, I feel it's my duty as the grandson of a Jewish grandmother to point out that it wasn't quite used correctly. Working hard to get good grades and a 4.0 is just hard work and steel balls. Chutzpah would be: applying with a 2.2 and writing in your personal statement that admitting someone with such a low GPA would add much-needed diversity to the class.

 

[doc05]

This may be on the wrong board, but does anybody know of any specific disadvantages of having a FMG degree vs. a US degree? How much harder is it to match for residency?

I know the transition from going to a foreign country for med. school and expect to do extremly well on the USLME while having a less than medicore GPA in the states would be hard, but that is the type of attitude I would have to take if I was put in that situation.

The disadvantage is that certain specialties will be beyond reach, no matter how good your grades, no matter how well you do on the USMLE. These include derm, radonc, plastics, ent, ortho, urology, neurosurg, ophtho. Maybe rads and general surgery also, depending on how competitive things are by the time you apply to residency.

Even in "less competitive" fields, like peds, psych, IM, ob-gyn, fp, you will be at a disadvantage, as certain programs don't take FMG's. Those that do tend to be in undesirable locations, have lower-quality training, and generally weaker reputations.

There are exceptions -- e.g. you'll occasionally find an FMG who matches in ophtho, or neurosurg, or whatever. These people, however, usually have extensive -- several years worth -- research, good connections, and sometimes have already completed a residency in their home country.

All of this sounds unfair -- it is. As an American citizen training overseas, you will also carry the stigma of someone who "wasn't good enough" to get into an American school.

I would encourage you to at least complete your bachelor's degree before heading to med school -- in India or elsewhere. Not having a BA is a distinct disadvantage in life, especially if the med school thing doesn't work out.