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[lachrymosexD]

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[Weirdy]

Slow down bro.

You managed all Bs with all the personal stuff that happened. That's pretty dam impressive. Some regular functioning people can't even scrape that their senior year.

From what I've seen, you haven't taken your MCAT yet right? Focus on that right now and your ECs.

No reason why they would count a 5 year vs 4 year undergrad degree against you. There are people who are going to med school 3 years after they graduate undergrad. In the grand scheme of things you are not "late" so don't freak out.

Post bac versus Masters- If you didn't get any Cs in your science pre-reqs, doing a post-bac is ineffective, especially when your GPA is already a 3.6. It might bring it up, but only marginally.

Who's paying for your Masters? Is it an SMP or a Masters you genuinely want? Do you think time would be better spent studying for the MCAT/working/ECs, or doing a Masters? Cause either way you'll need to study for the MCAT and get some ECs in.

 

[RuggerMD]

pulled down my cumulative GPA by quite a bit (~it will be 3.58-3.6

This is still a pretty respectable GPA, especially with all your outside circumstances. I got in to a few medical schools with a similar GPA. As long as you do well (33+) on your MCAT, you'll probably be fine. The fact it took you five years shouldn't matter at all.

I'd say pick a job that lets you 1) keep you health in order 2) have flexibility to volunteer in service and clinical settings 3) have some fun. If research fits that, great.

 

[bananafish94]

I don't think it's a cause for concern. Even if they do question the Bs, which I doubt they would because your GPA is still fine, you have a good explanation.

If you're caucasian, a 3.6-3.8 GPA combined with the low level of acceptable MCAT (30 or the new equivalent) gets in ~60% of the time if I recall correctly. Those are solid odds that only increase as the MCAT score gets higher. The moral of the story: get a good MCAT.

 

[DokterMom]

It took me two years to finish my senior year of undergrad. I finished three years of undergrad with a GPA of over 3.7. Then bad things came in waves in the middle of the Fall semester in my senior year. I struggled with a very debilitating health issue and grieved the suicide of someone close to me. I was unable to function normally. My professors were understanding and gave me incompletes. I only finished the last of the graduation requirements in January 2016 when I was supposed to graduate in May 2015. My degree will be conferred in May 2016. I did not do much in terms of extracurriculars this past year because of the difficult recovery. My senior year transcript is all Bs (it was lucky that I even managed to get those Bs) and pulled down my cumulative GPA by quite a bit (~it will be 3.58-3.6), though I should not be complaining because it is with much luck and support that my condition is managed well enough for me to be thinking about medical school right now.

I feel like this year I took off for recovery will be held against me, in terms of the vacancy in extracurriculars, the mediocre transcript, and the fact that it took me five years to complete my degree. Any advice on what I should do to increase my chances to medical school (assuming that I haven't killed my chances already)? Would a high MCAT score or a year of research make up for it? Should I take post-bac classes to increase my GPA or consider a masters degree? Please help me.

If I were an AdCom, I'd view the extra time and lower senior year grades as cause for concern, and wonder if you're up for the rigors of medical school. You don't have to answer this here certainly, and I don't mean this unkindly, but were your health problems physical or mental? They tend to be viewed rather differently, but either way, you'll need to demonstrate that they're firmly behind you. The best way to do that would be to show high performance levels in a demanding environment that's similar to medical school -- so maybe an informal post-bac or masters program? And (sorry) I'd want to see the good results for a full 12 months before you apply, so I'm afraid you're looking at a delay.

 

[Holmwood]

I can't see this as too big of an issue, and I might not be seeing the big picture here...

You'll have a chance to explain your circumstances in your secondary as well if that is concerning. It could also work in your favor.
But is a semester full of Bs really indicative of poor performance in medical school? . . . it certainly isn't atrocious in my opinion.

I don't know OP. I think you already did a fine job pulling everything together.
A ~3.6 is not a reason to take SMP/postbac, I don't think. Not unless your science GPA is atrocious. If you check out the MSAR, there are plenty of schools you can apply to with that GPA.

Take however long you need to study the MCAT as necessary. If you want to take a year off to do research, that's great. Build your application further.

-No one cares that you graduated in 5 years (that's a good thing)

 

[lachrymosexD]

I can't see this as too big of an issue, and I might not be seeing the big picture here...

You'll have a chance to explain your circumstances in your secondary as well if that is concerning. It could also work in your favor.
But is a semester full of Bs really indicative of poor performance in medical school? . . . it certainly isn't atrocious in my opinion.

I don't know OP. I think you already did a fine job pulling everything together.
A ~3.6 is not a reason to take SMP/postbac, I don't think. Not unless your science GPA is atrocious. If you check out the MSAR, there are plenty of schools you can apply to with that GPA.

Take however long you need to study the MCAT as necessary. If you want to take a year off to do research, that's great. Build your application further.

-No one cares that you graduated in 5 years (that's a good thing)

What would be an atrocious science GPA?

 

[Holmwood]

What would be an atrocious science GPA?

Hmm, I'm not sure. It would depend on the schools you're trying to apply to right?

 

[Goro]

Ace a post-bac or SMP and it will allay any fears about your academic performance. A high MCAT is needed anyway.

I feel like this year I took off for recovery will be held against me, in terms of the vacancy in extracurriculars, the mediocre transcript, and the fact that it took me five years to complete my degree. Any advice on what I should do to increase my chances to medical school (assuming that I haven't killed my chances already)? Would a high MCAT score or a year of research make up for it? Should I take post-bac classes to increase my GPA or consider a masters degree? Please help me.

 

[gyngyn]

I will start looking into a masters program to demonstrate my abilities and to prove that my problems are behind me (tho I feel like 12 months isn't much time). I was just frustrated that the dream that I had worked so hard for might not come true.

A Master's degree (excluding an SMP) will not be much help in terms of grade remediation.

 

[gyngyn]

My main concern is the downward trend in my transcript. I ended senior year with two semesters of 3.1-3.2 GPA (Bs and B-pluses). I maintained a GPA of 3.5+ for each of the previous six semesters in my undergrad career. I am afraid that this will raise some red flags to medical schools even tho my overall GPA is still decent (~3.6). Do you think this will be detrimental to my application? If so, is there anything I can do to redeem myself (eg. an extra semester of classes after graduation/SMP)? Thank you.

You will need a sustained period of academic excellence in rigorous courses. A year would be reasonable and we would need to see the new grades at the time you apply.

 

[lachrymosexD]

You will need a sustained period of academic excellence in rigorous courses. A year would be reasonable and we would need to see the new grades at the time you apply.

Would it be two semesters of upper level undergraduate coursework or an SMP? An SMP is way too expensive for my financial situation.

 

[gyngyn]

Would it be two semesters of upper level undergraduate coursework or an SMP? An SMP is way too expensive for my financial situation.

A's in a sufficient courseload of upper div courses over a year (basically a post-bac) should be sufficient.
Remember, these grades need to be on your transcript before it is verified by AMCAS in order to derive a benefit.

 

[cyanide12345678]

I think you should consider the masters only after an application this year. You won't know if you make it until you try. Some adcoms will understand, if you apply broadly enough you should get a few interviews. At the end you just need one acceptance. At the end of the day, your GPA isn't atrocious. It's alright. You can seriously just score well on the MCAT and show academic ability and just try your luck this cycle. Probably with 30 ish applications to middle to low tier schools you might scrape by 5-7 interviews.

 

[lachrymosexD]

A's in a sufficient courseload of upper div courses over a year (basically a post-bac) should be sufficient.
Remember, these grades need to be on your transcript before it is verified by AMCAS in order to derive a benefit.

Sorry for all the questions, but what would be considered a sufficient courseload? I took two science courses + one/two non-science requirements or electives for each of the eight semesters of undergrad (13-18 credit semesters). Would ~20 credits of upper level science courses over a year be adequate? Also, would it be okay for me to not do the post-bac at my alma mater (a very expensive private university that gave me generous scholarship until graduation) but at a local 4 year college instead at 1/3 of the price tag?

 

[gyngyn]

Would ~20 credits of upper level science courses over a year be adequate? Also, would it be okay for me to not do the post-bac at my alma mater (a very expensive private university that gave me generous scholarship until graduation) but at a local 4 year college instead at 1/3 of the price tag?

All A's in 20 units in your situation should be sufficient.
Any 4 year college is fine.