.

[nodeofranvier]

---

Members do not see this ad.

.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Can you provide a little more information?

What medical school prerequisites have you taken so far? What grades did you get in each course?

What was your undergraduate GPA and your current cumulative post bac GPA?

 

[nodeofranvier]

.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

Thanks, that's really helpful.

So, I'm going to be straight with you - as it stands right now, things are not looking good for you.

I'm not saying it's hopeless, but you need to right this ship immediately or else you're going to permanently ruin your chances for medical school. As a post bac pre-med, I think you're expected to have learned how to play the academic game by this point and to earn stellar grades in all post baccalaureate work. This is ESPECIALLY important if you're trying to prove you can handle the rigors of medical school after a subpar undergraduate performance.

A C grade in Gen Chem as a freshman? OK, sure - not great, but that can be explained as an initial difficulty adapting to college level coursework. As post bacs, however, there's an expectation that we'll have already mastered good study skills; the bar is set higher for us. Those Cs are not going to be regarded very kindly, I'm afraid. You need to ACE every course - I mean, 4.0, no exceptions - from here on out. You will also need to score as high as possible on the MCAT, but you can worry about that later on.

Reading your academic history, I'm concerned you have some deficiencies in your study skills. Do you know why you're not getting all As at this point? I think you should, at a minimum, visit your university's study skills/tutoring center right away to figure out what's going on. You may choose to visit your university's counseling center if you're having attention/emotional difficulties. Do you have any other ideas about what might be contributing to these challenges?

I believe that you can get back on track, but you've got to get a handle on your academics immediately. Let me know how I can help, or if I can answer any other questions. This is going to be tough, but I don't think it's insurmountable yet. Good luck!

 

[Moko]

After you finish taking your prereqs, you will need additional upper division coursework to prove that you can handle medical school. Don't dig yourself into a bigger hole until you've addressed whatever is contributing to your poor academic performance. You need consistently good grades from here on out.

 

[emergencydancing]

With those grades, schools are going to be hesitant to admit you because you've not shown that you can handle the rigor of medical school. In fact, are you sure you want to go through those med school classes? Many people who ace those classes at hard institutions still struggle with medical school classes, not to mention you need a solid grasp of and knack for science to be a good physician. I hate to be that person, but I think it might be time to look at the PA/NP route.

 

[Bonne Nuit]

With those grades, schools are going to be hesitant to admit you because you've not shown that you can handle the rigor of medical school. In fact, are you sure you want to go through those med school classes? Many people who ace those classes at hard institutions still struggle with medical school classes, not to mention you need a solid grasp of and knack for science to be a good physician. I hate to be that person, but I think it might be time to look at the PA/NP route.

PA requires a stellar academic showing as well. PA admissions are nearly as competitive as medical school these days, in some areas moreso. But your point is salient; there are many fulfilling careers in healthcare, and all premeds should be keeping an open mind to other avenues. Nothing is guaranteed, all of us should have a realistic plan B.

 

[Goro]

I'm a career changer post-bacc student.

Has anyone recovered from a weak start? How did you fare in the application process? Thanks all.

Rising GPA trends are always good. There are schools that reward reinvention

 

[nodeofranvier]

After you finish taking your prereqs, you will need additional upper division coursework to prove that you can handle medical school. Don't dig yourself into a bigger hole until you've addressed whatever is contributing to your poor academic performance. You need consistently good grades from here on out.

 

[Moko]

Thanks for following up. Would I need a year of upper levels with As in two more terms of prerequisites?

Yes, assuming you can turn things around. Otherwise, your application as it stands is not competitive for med school.

 

[nodeofranvier]

Yes, assuming you can turn things around. Otherwise, your application as it stands is not competitive for med school.

 

[Moko]

My understanding is that taking both prerequisites and upper levels simultaneously is fine, if I can hack it. Is another year of upper levels after a year of strong performance taking both upper levels and prerequisites required? Thank you.

With your academic record, I personally would need to see at least 2 years of grades before I think that things have turned around.