.

[deleted446889]

---

Members do not see this ad.

.

 

[moisne]

1. 3.4-3.5 is NOT an "Ok" GPA, that's on the lower end of the spectrum.

2. Of course some colleges don't offer high school level math classes... My school doesn't offer anything less than calc 1.

3. You aren't taking any responsibility - payment mostly but doesn't sound like for your grades either.

4. If you need, take a gap year. Does physics affect the rest of your classes? I mean, if you aren't majoring in science, you can take it the year after.

5. Med schools will down upon getting poor grades at CC

 

[Zelda840]

Is there another school you can take physics at that doesn't have trig as a prereq? I've never taken trig (high school or college) and I'm finishing up physics II now. I just had to google some basic stuff to get me up to speed.

 

[Being]

What advice would you give in this situation?

I would tell you to spend some more time reading SDN. You don't seem to have a good concept of how this process works. Taking an extra few years is probably the best thing that you could do to help your application. Don't spend it doing nothing - spend it doing research, volunteering, getting clinical experience, maybe taking a few classes to bring up your GPA.

 

[Ismet]

Thanks for the reply. I don't disagree with any of your points, but does it mean I'm doomed? I'll retake the class, and due to grade forgiveness, the higher grade will replace the D, and I still have a fair amount of classes to take which will hopefully bring up my GPA.

About point #1, I thought that a GPA above 3.4 is just enough? I realize it's low but with a good MCAT score, would it be enough? I do hope to bring it up in the two years of undergrad I have left, but I was under the impression that a 3.4-3.5 is enough.

About point #4, could you elaborate about the gap year? What good would a gap year do? Wouldn't it be more productive to continue taking classes, do research, etc?

I appreciate the response. You've told me the bad news, but would you kindly advise me as to what I can do to get back on track?

MD schools don't do grade forgiveness, so the higher grade will be averaged with the D, it won't replace the D. It doesn't matter what your school does. You report all your courses to AMCAS and they calculate a GPA.

Most (all? idk) DO schools do grade replacement.

3.4-3.5 is not a competitive GPA for MD, it is below average. Definitely not impossible, and it depends on your MCAT and a lot of other factors, but it would be advisable to apply to DO schools and low-tier MD with mid-tier MD as reaches. Since you still have 2 years left, you have plenty of time to bump that GPA up some more.

 

[Ismet]

Thank you for replying. I suppose the silver lining in this is that I can no longer rush to take the MCAT next summer and apply with a subpar resume. I am determined to use the extra year to boost my GPA and supplement with research and clinical experience.

I don't mean to set my standards low, but I also want to be realistic about how much I can increase my GPA before applying, what would you say is the lower limit of a competitive GPA for MD schools? I'm entirely open to DO schools as well, but I'd like to try and be as competitive as I possibly can.

Also, how common is it for pre-med's to apply after their senior year?

I believe the average for those accepted to MD schools is around 3.6. There's really no way to say what the lower limit of a competitive GPA is, as admission relies on a number of different factors. But it does help to not have a below-average GPA. It also varies by school, and the MSAR can help you figure that out.

It's very common for people to take a year or two off before med school. Some might say it's actually advisable to get some kind of a break between undergrad and med school.

 

[moisne]

Thanks for the reply. I don't disagree with any of your points, but does it mean I'm doomed? I'll retake the class, and due to grade forgiveness, the higher grade will replace the D, and I still have a fair amount of classes to take which will hopefully bring up my GPA.

About point #1, I thought that a GPA above 3.4 is just enough? I realize it's low but with a good MCAT score, would it be enough? I do hope to bring it up in the two years of undergrad I have left, but I was under the impression that a 3.4-3.5 is enough.

As for point #2, I hope I didn't give the impression that I don't care about my grades or that I'm not taking responsibility. I realize that it is entirely my fault. I just wanted to get the pre-req out of the way so I could take physics; I didn't take it seriously and now I'm in a mess.

About point #4, could you elaborate about the gap year? What good would a gap year do? Wouldn't it be more productive to continue taking classes, do research, etc?

I appreciate the response. You've told me the bad news, but would you kindly advise me as to what I can do to get back on track?

To be competitive your GPA should be 3.7+ with a MCAT 30+, I believe the average at my school is 3.7-3.8 and a MCAT of 33.

Gap year means you take longer to go to med school - wether that is doing a post bac (graduate or undergraduate classes to boost your GPA), doing a masters degree, doing research, volunteering. By the way, our dean expected 500 volunteer/research hours to be competitive.

Many students find that difficult to squeeze all that into 4 years so they take a gap year to buff up their application. You will likely need it.

MCAT should be taken your junior year and apply between junior and senior summer - if you don't have the numbers or experiences, you will need a gap year. But it's ok, average age matriculated into my school is 27.

 

[FindMeOnTheLinks]

To be competitive your GPA should be 3.7+ with a MCAT 30+, I believe the average at my school is 3.7-3.8 and a MCAT of 33.

Gap year means you take longer to go to med school - wether that is doing a post bac (graduate or undergraduate classes to boost your GPA), doing a masters degree, doing research, volunteering. By the way, our dean expected 500 volunteer/research hours to be competitive.

Many students find that difficult to squeeze all that into 4 years so they take a gap year to buff up their application. You will likely need it.

MCAT should be taken your junior year and apply between junior and senior summer - if you don't have the numbers or experiences, you will need a gap year. But it's ok, average age matriculated into my school is 27.

This is the problem with SDN. I believe you gave good advice about taking a gap year and what you should do during it, but the numbers you are throwing around are inflated. Yes, the average matriculating medical student has a 31 mcat (when removing multiple acceptances) and a 3.6 GPA, but that means there are numbers both above and below those medians. Your school might have averages of 3.7/33, but there are over 100 US MD schools. If you check msar, there are many schools with GPA medians in the 3.6's and even some in the 3.5's, with median mcat of 32, 31, even 30. I think this SDN attitude of "you need 3.7+/34+ with Olympic records, 500 volunteering hours, 500 research hours" is perpetually crushing the hopes of people who have a shot. If the OP gets to the 3.4 or 3.5 range, and can snag a 30+ mcat, he/she definitely has a decent shot at getting in. Yes, 3.4 isn't the greatest, but it shouldn't prevent applying. It at least suggests competence.

To the OP, I think you should continue to work your tail off to improve your grades, take the mcat very seriously, and get involved with meaningful EC's over your gap year. You might not end up with the ideal numbers, but you will have a shot. Never lose hope.

 

[threesparrows]

How does the order of importance go, for ECs? Is it research, clinical experience, then volunteering? I am also writing a book on the side, if that helps.

The order of importance depends on what your goals are.
If you're interested in research, Then the order you suggested is correct.
If not, then clinical experience, community service, research (maybe clinical?).

 

[Blizzard18]

I hate to say it but it doesn't sound like you were doing too good to begin with. If you can't even pass a trig class then you aren't doctor material anyways. You should be making all A's and some B's to even stand a chance at med school. You need to talk to someone who actually can explain the type of stats and extracurriculars this requires and either get a lot better a lot sooner or rethink your career. I don't mean this mean either, I just don't want you to get a rude awakening. Look into it more.

 

[mvenus929]

While I don't think all hope is lost for you, there are a few things that make me concerned about your application.

The first is your attitude that you just needed to pass trig. Your goal should ALWAYS be to get A's in class. Your GPA isn't horrendous (the average is 3.6, which means half of matriculants have less than that), but you should aim for a higher GPA if you want to be competitive at more places.

Where you are competitive depends on a lot of factors, including where you live, what your GPA is, what your MCAT score is, and what sorts of ECs you have. I disagree with the order of importance for ECs listed above. If you are interested in medicine, your first priority should be to get clinical experience. If you can't explain why you want to be in medicine and that you understand what that means, you aren't going to be accepted. Following that, you can focus on other research and volunteer activities.

 

[moisne]

This is the problem with SDN. I believe you gave good advice about taking a gap year and what you should do during it, but the numbers you are throwing around are inflated. Yes, the average matriculating medical student has a 31 mcat (when removing multiple acceptances) and a 3.6 GPA, but that means there are numbers both above and below those medians. Your school might have averages of 3.7/33, but there are over 100 US MD schools. If you check msar, there are many schools with GPA medians in the 3.6's and even some in the 3.5's, with median mcat of 32, 31, even 30. I think this SDN attitude of "you need 3.7+/34+ with Olympic records, 500 volunteering hours, 500 research hours" is perpetually crushing the hopes of people who have a shot. If the OP gets to the 3.4 or 3.5 range, and can snag a 30+ mcat, he/she definitely has a decent shot at getting in. Yes, 3.4 isn't the greatest, but it shouldn't prevent applying. It at least suggests competence.

To the OP, I think you should continue to work your tail off to improve your grades, take the mcat very seriously, and get involved with meaningful EC's over your gap year. You might not end up with the ideal numbers, but you will have a shot. Never lose hope.

I never said 3.5 was impossible... I just said it wasn't competitive. Most schools accept about 2-5% of their total applicant.

 

[moisne]

That said, I had a lower than average of an MCAT (VR7) so sometimes I have the imposter syndrome ("how on earth did I make it here")

this website may offer some more numbers about other school. You would be considered competitive for DO - which may be a smart choice if your goal is to be a doctor.

http://www.startmedicine.com/app/medstatistics.asp