1.68 sGPA from a decade ago - any chance getting in to US med (MD) school?

[chicago12]

I really struggled as a college student after graduating from high school. The part that really sucks is that I was pre-med and took science courses. During my first year and a half of college, I failed Bio 1 and Gen Chem 1 once (stopped going to class b/c of depression), and got a D in Bio 1 the second time around, along with a C for Gen Chem 1 on the second try and a C in Gen Chem2. For 29 credit hours for science courses from 2003-2005, I have an abysmal sGPA of 1.68.
I went back to school as an online student a few years ago through the University of Illinois at Springfield and majored in Liberal Arts. I got mostly A's (except for 1 F in Java), and finished with a cumulative GPA of 3.07 (which included the courses I did horrible in a decade ago).

My question is: Is there any chance at all that I can get into med school with the horrible science GPA from a decade ago and the F's on my transcript, including the F in Java I got last year?
I want to do a post-bacc program and try to get into med school. I know I will have to get mostly, if not all A's in these courses to even have a shot, and will have to absolutely rock the MCAT, but even if I do, will these poor grades from earlier on in college automatically disqualify me from med (allopathic) school?

Any advice or success stories of students who have been in similar situations would be much appreciated.

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[gyrfalcon]

Some MD schools will overlook poor grades from a decade ago, but unfortunately you also failed a class in the last year. That sounds like there is something more going on than just 'poor attitude towards academics as a young adult', and would likely raise a red flag with the admissions committees. I would guess that your chances at MD are very poor, but perhaps someone else here with more experience advising applicants has a different opinion.

If you are dead set on medicine, I would recommend looking into DO programs instead of MD. They will look at your most recent grade in each class, so you would be able to pull your GPA up to a very respectable level with retakes of those bio and gen chem classes. In case you aren't familiar with DO, they are fully licensed physicians just like MD, but with a different application procedure. Good luck.

 

[TheUPSIDEdown]

I want to do a post-bacc program and try to get into med school. I know I will have to get mostly, if not all A's in these courses to even have a shot, and will have to absolutely rock the MCAT, but even if I do, will these poor grades from earlier on in college automatically disqualify me from med (allopathic) school?

DO NOT mistake your past as ONLY BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T A MATURE STUDENT. Poor performance breeds poor performance -- maturity and drive only go so far if you haven't learned how to be a good student on top of it. DO NOT attempt a post-bacc such as an SMP -- you will get 100% rocked.

DO attempt a DIY post-bac and start off SLOW. Take one or two courses and receive A's, then 2-3, receive A's. Then full load -- you know what grade to get. You've been out of school for 10 years so no reason to act like you're in any hurry now. Perform well and be consistent. The story to convince the ad-coms will be a breeze if you can perform well for 2+ years, get some clinical volunteer experience, ~100 hours of shadowing including primary care and whatever interests you, and obviously rock your MCAT..

Speaking of MCAT, be strategic with your coursework... Take courses that can allow you to simultaneously prepare for the MCAT; plan to finish the MCAT intensive courses just before you take the MCAT.

You're in a ****ty situation but don't make excuses. Just keep your head up and make sure this is exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life.

 

[chicago12]

DO NOT mistake your past as ONLY BECAUSE YOU WEREN'T A MATURE STUDENT. Poor performance breeds poor performance -- maturity and drive only go so far if you haven't learned how to be a good student on top of it. DO NOT attempt a post-bacc such as an SMP -- you will get 100% rocked.

DO attempt a DIY post-bac and start off SLOW. Take one or two courses and receive A's, then 2-3, receive A's. Then full load -- you know what grade to get. You've been out of school for 10 years so no reason to act like you're in any hurry now. Perform well and be consistent. The story to convince the ad-coms will be a breeze if you can perform well for 2+ years, get some clinical volunteer experience, ~100 hours of shadowing including primary care and whatever interests you, and obviously rock your MCAT..

Speaking of MCAT, be strategic with your coursework... Take courses that can allow you to simultaneously prepare for the MCAT; plan to finish the MCAT intensive courses just before you take the MCAT.

You're in a ****ty situation but don't make excuses. Just keep your head up and make sure this is exactly what you want to do with the rest of your life.

Thanks for the honest advice and feedback Btv22. Much appreciated.